Playground Sessions may be your opportunity to learn to sooth crowds with melodic sounds of the piano like Mozart or Chopin did before us. Co-created by the music legend Quincy Jones, Playground Sessions is an interactive music curriculum that allows users to learn to play the piano in the comfort of their own home, with no physical teachers present.
The program is unique in its take on traditional learning. The curriculum focuses on playing popular radio hits that the user already knows, “to demonstrate music theory as [he or she] goes,” states the program’s website.
So if there is no one sitting beside the user and teaching him or her how to play, then how do they learn? A virtual teacher, David Sides, a self-taught musician and composer and YouTube sensation, with his rendition of One Republic’s “Apologize” racking up over 10 million views. Through tutorial lessons David guides students through the songs step by step. He first shows the user how to play a song and then plays it along side him or her, providing feedback all the while.
There are several play modes in which a user can practice. Practice mode allows users to play on their own with, “real-time visual feedback that’s clear and instantaneous.” Users can also play with a band, “with accompaniments arranged by David.” The Performance Mode is, “where the pieces come together,” states the program’s website. Students can play, compose, and record a song and then share it with friends.
The scoring and badging component of the program offers students a little motivation. The program gives the student badges when he or she achieves different levels of accuracy, rhythm, etc.
The interactivity of the curriculum is enhanced by the user’s ability to social network with other students. Students can, “create a network with other users around the world to practice with, support, chat to, or challenge.”
Rookie, Intermediate, and Advanced levels allow users to progress to more difficult songs at a faster pace. The program charts a user’s progression so he or she can visually see how they’ve done over a period of time.
Will the Playground Sessions change the dynamics of tradition piano lessons and allow students to bypass the car travel, scheduling issues, and excessive price that come along with a live teacher? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Want to hear more about Playground Sessions? Watch this short video with Quincy Jones:
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
