The last time I was blown away by technology was when I first met Tim Moenk. After a few months with Tim I was already prepared for all that was to come. My only surprise was how RIGHT Tim was with his out of this world predictions and knowledge.
However - this is mind- blowing - Tim - please explain how they did this.
I finally was able to get past the Metallica song, Enter Sandman on my medium solo guitar tour of Rock Band.
I am not a fan of Metallica, but I have a new appreciation for their music.
In fact, I am not a fan of many of the songs on Rock Band, meaning they are not songs that I would load on my iPod - but I have learned to appreciate them now that I have been attempting to "play" them.
My brother is visiting me this weekend. His son (my nephew) is 18 years old and has been a "gamer" for as long as I can remember. He also has Rock Band and is highly ranked on the guitar. When I was struggling through Enter Sandman my brother jumped on the phone to see how well my nephew had done on that song.
I found that interesting. The pride in the idea that his son is good at playing a guitar on a game. I personally feel the same pride with both my boys playing drums on Rock Band - yes even my 6 year old is getting through a few songs. At one point I almost felt guilty that I enjoy watching my oldest son play drums on Rock Band more than I enjoyed watching him when he was in band at school.
Last year he decided he did not want to play in the band anymore. He had been in band for three years playing percussions, he took piano for a year, but he was no longer interested in music...until Rock Band.
Personally I have always thought I lacked rhythm and coordination to play an instrument - yet I am moving through Rock Band on guitar, bass and drums.
Of course I realize this is not the same as learning an instrument. The drums are pretty close to the real thing, but the guitar is not. However it is providing an appreciation and for my youngest son an early introduction to music.
I am a huge believer in music education. Learning rhythms and patterns helps with math aptitude, music allows us to express our human emotions and expressions. Music is very important, however music education in our schools, besides lacking funding, often times does not draw many students in. The reason my son quit band was because he was bored. He is rockin' on Rock Band though...and definitely shows talent.
I started thinking about "what if schools had a Rock Band game in every music class?" This got me to thinking about something that Timothy Moenk has been advocating since I met him, Games and Learning.
According to this website that he shared with me;
Games and play can be effective learning environments, argues Richard Van Eck, not because they are fun but because they are
- immersive;
- require the player to make frequent, important decisions;
- have clear goals;
- adapt to each player individually; and
- involve a social network.6
I can see the value through music, but what other games are out there that teach skills, and how can we implement them to enhance our learning. Also with the ability to connect and play with people from all over the world, we can enable our children to learn and interact with various cultures. When they are learning about Asia, they could take some time to play with children in Asia. We have the means, we just need the will to make this world a better place.
Know what's missing from most people's lives? The realization that nothing is missing from their lives.
- Notes from the Universe
