User:A1/softmozart

Founded on April 12, 2011, Music Vision International LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a software company that develops, publishes and markets interactive multimedia music education software and curriculum. Music Vision International’s predecessor company was Do Re Mi Fa Soft DBA (Doing business as), which was founded on November 13, 2001. All the company’s products, including the Grand Staff modified images and software source code, are protected under a copyright (registered # TX 0007884665) as well as US patent 7,629,527 as “A method and system of teaching music that uses modified representations of the musical score http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Score, an interactive visual feedback describing the musical tones played on a musical device, and the marking of piano keys or other control instrumentalities of a musical device. This system allows the music to have a visual representation to associate each note with the correct piano key. The modification of the musical score includes a vertical presentation of the musical staves, different colors of the staff lines for different staves, pictographs denoting the sol-fa names of the musical notes, and different representations of the musical notes on or between the staff lines. The marking of piano keys includes the application of labels in different colors to distinguish the piano keys and associate them with musical notes and staves. A gradual transformation of the music score back to the standard music representation teaches students to read the standard music notation.” *from patent description* Grand Staff in the invention is presented similarly as an alphabet-book containing the visual simplification of a text “with corresponding words and/or images” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_book.

History
Hellene Hiner, the founder and Chairman of Music Vision International, is a classically trained musicologist. Hellene Hiner entered music school to learn piano when she was 7 years old in 1968. In 1976 she entered the Zhytomyr Music College in Ukraine. She graduated from music school and Music College with honors and a Bachelor's degree in music theory, solfege http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solfège, music pedagogy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy , education, methods http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_(music) , music history and piano. She continued her musicology education by attending the Kharkov Music Conservatory at the University of Arts in Ukraine where she received her Master’s Degree in music, completing 16 years of Russian classical music education.

Hellene Hiner developed the “Soft Way to Mozart” method and system of teaching music and currently provides vocational training of teachers in Texas (The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC); License 500928) and as a Professor at Herzen University (St. Petersburg, Russia). In her role as professor, she developed the Course “Additional Vocational Training Program and Interactive Network Technologies” in Russia. In a letter signed by Deputy Minister of Russian Culture, Grigory Ivliyev on November 20, 2013, Hellene Hiner received notification from the Russian Ministry of Culture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Culture_(Russia) that elements of her research, curriculum and invention "Soft Way to Mozart" (R) have been recommended for use in Russian pre-schools, music classes of public schools and schools for children with special needs. Irina Gorbunova, head of the staff of the instructional lab, "Music and Computer Technologies," expressed the opinion of Russian school music professionals that Hiner's research is a valuable addition to existing methodology in teaching music: "We, the staff of the instructional lab, 'Music and Computer Technologies,' of the Russian State Pedagogical University of Herzen, strongly support the creative, instructive, scientific and educational activities of musicologist and teacher, Hellene Hiner. We are well versed with Hellene's methodology, and where possible, promote its use among our students" in December, 2013 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212904 Musical notation is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music through the use of written symbols, including ancient or modern musical symbols. Over 1000 years ago Guido of Arezzo pioneered today's conventional musical notation. Previous notations showed only movement of the melody, so the music could not be read by someone who did not already know the tune. To address the issue of exact pitch, Guido of Arezzo introduced a staff consisting originally of a single horizontal line, but this was progressively extended until a system of four parallel, horizontal lines was standardized. Musical notation, conceived by Guido of Arezzo as an aid to help choristers visualize the movement of a monophonic melody, lost its helpfulness with the development of polyphony. As music became more complex, the number of parallel, horizontal lines increased to 10 on the Grand Staff. The use of polyphony and counterpoint multiplied the number of voices, making it difficult for people to remember them; this increased number of markings on the staff caused problems with visual perception and sight-reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sight-reading. Intended to be visually clear, music notation became cluttered with notes held for different lengths making music sight-reading very challenging for most people. “Although 86% of piano teachers polled rated sight-reading as the most important or a highly important skill, only 7% of them said they address it systematically. Reasons cited were a lack of knowledge of how to teach it, inadequacy of the training materials they use, and deficiency in their own sight-reading skills. Teachers also often emphasize rehearsed reading and repertoire building for successful recitals and auditions to the detriment of sight-reading and other functional skills” Hardy, Dianne (May 1, 1998), "Teaching Sight-Reading at the Piano: Methodology and Significance", Piano Pedagogy Forum(Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina School of Music) 1 (2) Natural psycho-physiological features of human eye focus (An image, or image point or region, is in focus if light from object points is converged almost as much as possible in the image, and out of focus if light is not well converged. The border between these is sometimes defined using a circle of confusion criterion ) eye-hand span http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye–hand_span and eye tracking  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_tracker   make the visual perception of music notation for beginners very challenging. “The difficulty of recognizing text increases with the distance from the fixation point.”  Hans-Werner Hunziker, (2006) Im Auge des Lesers: foveale und periphere Wahrnehmung – vom Buchstabieren zur Lesefreude [In the eye of the reader: foveal and peripheral perception – from letter recognition to the joy of reading] Transmedia Stäubli Verlag Zürich 2006, ISBN 978-3-7266-0068-6. A diagram demonstrating the acuity of foveal vision in reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement_in_language_reading#cite_note-5 Lines and spaces in a music staff, or stave,[1] is a set of [at least] five horizontal lines and [at least] four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staff_(music) Space punctuation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_(punctuation)#Use_of_the_space_in_natural_languages in writing as separating the area between words and/or a string of words in any language -- and spaces between lines in written music notation have opposite meanings for cognition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_processing. Spacing in verbal languages is a “break” to distinguish between different elements of visual information, i.e., to separate words. Spaces in music notation, however, are equal tracks of information even though presented in different widths (thin lines and wide spaces between them).

Human memory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_memory is limited in its capacity. When we deal with new information during the reading process, short-term memory plays a major role. For humans, the commonly cited capacity of short-term memory is 7 ± 2 elements, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-term_memory making understanding a music score http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perception a complicated task, since even 5 lines and 5 spaces of music notation make 10 tracks of information, not to mention other elements of music notation such as types of notes and their durations. Because music notation is difficult to interpret, over the past three centuries, hundreds of music notation systems have been proposed as alternatives to the traditional form of western music notation. Many of these systems seek to improve upon traditional notation by using a "chromatic staff," in which each of the 12-pitch classes has its own unique place on the staff.

Soft Way to Mozart
‘Soft Way to Mozart’ system was built considering the main features of vision and short-term memory: One stationary line is provided to support eye-focus and offer a fixation point The Eye-hand span between the notes and piano keys is supported by use of the Grand Staff’s symmetry, with a similar color coding of lines and spaces and piano keys The Eye-tracking task is reduced to the one line of information, on which only live sounds are visually presented. Short-term memory ( 7 ± 2) is provided through presenting the music score on one line of live sound.

Within our central nervous system, visual and audio perceptions work through different channels for each of the five senses, allowing us to process information. “The sensory inputs themselves are in different electrical signals, and in different contexts.” Vanzetta I, Grinvald A. (2008). "Coupling between neuronal activity and microcirculation: implications for functional brain imaging".Hfsp Journal 2 (2): 79–98. doi:10.2976/1.2889618.PMC 2645573. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_processing#cite_note-6  Because of this phenomenon, in the approach of “Soft Way to Mozart,” colors and graphics are not used for deciphering sounds.

Visually and kinesthetically, each note embraces the following parameters: the name of the note, its location (on or between the staff lines), its location on the staff (the sequence number of the line or space between the lines) and its duration. In “Soft Way to Mozart,” these parameters are decoded with colors, symmetry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry, pictures (icons) and animated interactivity. Colors are used to determine the abstract meanings of the notes on each line and space as well as notes on the treble and bass staffs. Symmetry is used to show the treble and bass systems as mirror images of each other. Initially, the Grand Staff is turned vertically instead of horizontally. Pictures or icons are used to add phonics to sight-singing Solfege; the name of the note is right inside the note's round mark. Animated interactivity is used to provide perceptual learning by touching, hearing and singing the Grand Staff notes on piano keys.



The software comes with a series of multi-level modules, each targeting a specific skill necessary for playing the piano. It also comes with a curriculum, covering most aspects of music theory, solfege, harmony and performance from beginning to advanced levels.

Through the use of a MIDI cable a digital piano or a piano keyboard is connected to the computer and the “Soft Mozart” program serves as "interactive sheet music." By matching up the corresponding keyboard stickers, the notes are registered on the computer screen as they are played. The interface (computing) of “Soft Way to Mozart” is designed in a way to be operated by young children without the ability to control a mouse.

By playing the piano keys and seeing the result at once, students have direct interaction with the Grand Staff, making it possible for them to analyze their progress on their own. The system offers a precise evaluation system. Two data systems calculate how many mistakes and rhythmical errors were made, where the errors took place, and how they can be fixed. Mastering the following skills is the goal of the system: manual dexterity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_motor_skill ; subitizing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subitizing ; the ability to read line-by-line (to refocus from one small subject to another) without a pointer; the ability to listen to and remember sounds and how they are related to particular notes; the ability to play, sing and remember the note at once; direct interaction with a piece of music; the development of an ear for music, memory and musical thinking. “Soft Way to Mozart” is a system that directly correlates with concepts of active learning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_learning. Software algorithms interactively build a unique learning route for beginners based on their level of proficiency. Based on their personal input, the software skips levels and takes learners to the most advanced level or keeps learners on the same level. The principles of “Soft Way to Mozart” were published in a book for educators by Moscow Conservatory. The book is called How to Teach Solfeggio in the 21st Century and was compiled by Olga Berak and Marina Karaseva.

The Academy and The Forum
The company allows students to receive various types of scholarship if they commit to learning with the program, spend time and energy either learning at their own pace or by enrolling in the Soft Mozart Academy. Students enroll in the Academy and follow the given lesson plans for that current semester; then they record their activities in the progress diaries on the internet forum and at the end perform a recital. The goal is to memorize and master as many piano pieces as possible and perform them for others.

Through the forum, the students get support in their learning process directly from Hellene Hiner and from the other parents and music teachers that have received Hellene Hiner’s training.

External link
Official site