cyntillating sounds: w

a column on the state of classics

A gift from the kids?

After we paid for it and they brought it home, we got curious about Wii.

It was no giant leap to get from our new family machine to ©WiiMusic

being in the particular game we are passionate about. And so we laid down

another considerable amount of money to buy this game.

Its promise:

‘to bring the joy and creativity of musicianship to your home without expensive music lessons…

become a master pianist with the wave of your hands…

Music brings people together and with Wii Music you can experience the fun of performing ,

right from the comfort of your own home.’

Aha! Well what a great series of statements that is:

‘expensive music lessons’: extends the preconceptions, except in Venezuela!

‘a master pianist’: o please… do define

‘Music brings people together’: undoubtedly

‘the fun of performing’: fun? passion?

‘from the comfort of your own home’: so it brings families together, or couples,

not entire peoples, right?

Admittedly, we here in the comfort of our own home are surrounded by the instruments

we had expensive lessons on as children and are therefore not able to judge the

true effect of WiiMusic. But considering the expensive Nintendo tradition,

the promises above, as well as the financial terror the company wields in this family alone,

I think a serious review of this new game is definitely in order.

So in the coming weeks, I am going to make a concerted effort to bring the youngest of the

kids here closer to music through Wii. Subject in question is 10 (almost 11! he protests),

loves rap enough to write them, wanted a microphone and a beat on his computer

to make them (which he sometimes does), has taken a course in street dance

(which he really enjoyed), and in general likes music (and has it on all the time

with an earphone way too loud we protest in return).

Without further warning or ado, I will attempt to engage him for drum lessons via the

WiiMusic game and makes notes all the while. Wish me, and him, luck!