Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker: the Music Game; Alice in Vivaldi's Four Seasons: the Music Game; Mozart's Magic Flute: the Music Game

American Music Teacher, April-May, 2004 by Shana Kirk

Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker: the Music Game; Alice in Vivaldi's Four Seasons: The Music Game; Mozart's Magic Flute: The Music Game. Music Games International (P.O. Box 1376, Amherst, MA 01004), 2003. $19.95 each. Late elementary.

These three games from Music Games International transform classic orchestral works into interactive storybook journeys. Along the way, the player is treated to charming graphics, musical examples and trivia tidbits correlating with the games' titles. Each game also revolves around a central story to help students stay motivated to continue with the puzzles. In Mozart's Magic Flute, for instance, the player is personified as "Wolfy," who must flee the prince and princess from the clutches of the Queen of the Night. As Wolfy wanders through various chambers and gardens, he must solve musical puzzles to gain access to the next area. The other titles use only a slight variation in the story to better fit the featured piece of music: Alice must navigate a twisted world of riddles, and the Nutcracker contestant must solve puzzles based on fantasies in a game room.

The individual puzzles in all three games also are fairly similar, the primary difference being the musical examples used within the puzzles. A player might, for example, be asked to match instruments in a game of "memory" or match musical motifs. (A really tricky one involves snippets that are altered either in speed or orchestration.) Given this requirement of very focused listening, as well as each game's length, they are probably most appropriate for later-elementary students.

Any of these games can provide a the and challenging way to learn about orchestral instruments, as well as improve aural discrimination skills. Even more remarkably, they introduce students to classic works in a manner that is far more stimulating and kid-friendly than simply listening to a CD. Because there is no good way to track a student's progress, they would be difficult to incorporate into a formal curriculum. At under $20 per title, however, these are great recommendations for a family's home software library, as well as for a teacher's free-time area.

For more information on purchasing games from MGI, visit http://kidsmusicstage.com. Reviewed by Shana Kirk, Denver, Colorado.