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School swaps instruments for Beaterator News

PSP News by Robert Purchese

24 November, 2009

A school in New York has decided to ditch pianos, guitars, woodblocks and xylophones and teach music with Rockstar's PSP game Beaterator instead.

"It a fully featured studio that runs on a pocket-sized device. [The students are] able to learn music theory in a different format. It's the same information; just a different way of presenting it," music teacher "Kiva" at NYC East Side Community High School told CBS (via Kotaku).

"Instead of being entertained, you're now creating," he added. "You're learning about music. You're actually learning how to express yourself and make your own original composition."

His students welcome the change: "This is music. You're making your own music and it's really fun," said Miguel Rodriguez.

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Comments: 1-22 of 22 in total

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XdarXideX
24/11/09 @ 12:08
#1
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I wonder how much the school was paid to do this. No teacher in their right mind (even American) would choose to teach music using a videogame over real instruments. You can't "feel" the music on a PSP.
nicka
24/11/09 @ 12:12
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NOW I understand all those whiney "Why play a plastic guitar when you should learn to play a real guitar" comments! They knew what was coming, we're all going to throw away our real musical instruments and play pretend instead!!1!

Oh the humanity! /o\
Dizzy
24/11/09 @ 12:16
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I think I will file this under "bullshit"
madgerald
24/11/09 @ 12:17
#4
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I saw this in HMV at the weekend and instantly mistook it for a Bo-Selecta tie-in.

Cha'mon muthafunksters!
dahsif
24/11/09 @ 12:34
#5
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Miguel rodriguez?
Really?
The parents last name is Rodriguez, and they thought: "hey, let's call our bambino "Miguel", so our son can become a walking cliché"
Edited 1 times, most recently on 24/11/09 @ 12:35
Mkwone
24/11/09 @ 12:49
#6
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After class they can play GTA and learn about life in a gang.
linea
24/11/09 @ 12:57
#7
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Maths skills to be taught via the medium of Professor Layton
knocker
24/11/09 @ 13:01
#8
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Hmmm .. says in the original CBS article that it's being used for Theory and Composition. neither of which (as far as I'm aware) depends heavily on real instruments anyway. Check out the costs of sibelius et al (+ hardware) it's not really that surprising.
miiiguel
24/11/09 @ 13:07
#9
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What's wrong with the name Miguel?

North European chicks say it's sexy and stuff :}
jonsaan
24/11/09 @ 13:21
#10
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Fairly ridiculous IMO. Beaterator is a pretty good effort when it comes to an easy to use sequencer, however there are far better products out there for PC/MAC. Whilst it's all good, it can never replace the connection with mind and body that playing a real instrument achieves.
kangarootoo
24/11/09 @ 14:00
#11
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@dahsif

Did it not occur to you that the popular names Miguel and Rodriguez are only cliches in your own mind, and that in fact they are not more of a cliche when put together than John Smith or James Watson.

Way to show your (no doubt unintentional and malice free, but all the same) limited world experience.
kangarootoo
24/11/09 @ 14:03
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I suspect this article is overplaying things a bit. Nowhere did I see any quotes to support the suggestion that anyone is ditching anything.

A music teacher tries something new in their class to get the kids interested in music. Nothing bad, or unique, about that. The teacher probably contacted the publisher to get some free kit for their class, and the publisher in turn brough the media's attention to it for a bit of good PR.

There will still be a curriculum to follow, so all the normal methods of teaching music will still be present.
HL706
24/11/09 @ 14:25
#13
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Wow America is actually going to get dumberer.

Wp \o/
kinky_mong
24/11/09 @ 14:32
#14
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@Kangarootoo: You're forgetting this is the comments section. Who wants a reasoned and thoughtful response to the article when you can make kneejerk reactions!

Next up, teaching Sex Ed. with Dead Or Alive Beach Volleyball and the GTA Hot Coffee mod! BAN THIS SICK FILTH!
miiiguel
24/11/09 @ 14:58
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@kinky_mong : the problem (if there is one) is not on the comments section (this time) as the article clearly states the school "ditched" all instruments for PSPs.
With such an *amazing* statement, what do you expect?
kangarootoo
24/11/09 @ 16:55
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@kinky_mong

See HL706's copmment for some ironic proof :)


@miiiguel

I think that in fact kinky_mong was suggesting that (we might hope that) people might read the article and make reasoned observations. I can't be the only person around here with a pair of eyes.

"If someone hands you a suspicious package, you don't have to just take it"
Edited 1 times, most recently on 24/11/09 @ 16:56
YourMessageHere
24/11/09 @ 18:01
#17
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According to the original article:

1) it seems to be a DJ school being contracted into a normal school, or somesuch, rather than a normal school music class.

2) the PSPs, games and teaching space are being provided free, presumably by the publisher in exchange for the PR.

3) It isn't crystal clear but it seems the school in question isn't teaching using instruments; this game replaces that. I don't imagine that the school will timetable twice as much music teaching time just to fit Beaterator lessons in. So, in fact, they are in this case ditching instruments.

4) Assumedly, recorders must be really really expensive in the USA.

5) US schools consider DJing something that belongs in music lessons. This is the most surprising thing of all to me.
gaselite
24/11/09 @ 18:41
#18
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I dunno, if it was 'as well as' that'd be great, and Beaterator seems like it would be a really good entry point into learning electronic music production, including moving up to more serious production programs, but I think learning about music via an instrument provides an excellent foundation for that sort of education. It's a fundamental.

5) US schools consider DJing something that belongs in music lessons. This is the most surprising thing of all to me.

is that because you're an absolute fucking bellend?
YourMessageHere
24/11/09 @ 20:32
#19
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Hmm, nice. The idea of DJing as a form of bona fide music-making does make no sense to me at all, I'll admit it, but I'll not deny it's music. However it's hardly something that is appropriate for all kids, being firstly a highly specialised thing that appeals only to certain people (like, for example, you, and not, for example, me) and also clearly being a highly technical and involved skill when practiced outside a game that handily simulates it in a cuddly fashion. Like you yourself said, before you jumped on me for daring to have an opinion different from yours, teaching music on instruments to form a basis for the theory is a much more sensible way to teach music.
madgerald
24/11/09 @ 21:13
#20
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All this 'bickering' about whether DJing or sequencing is considered real music is like the 40s/50s all over again....

"Turn that infernal racket down... What is it? Rock 'n' Roll is it? Well it's a load of balony"

I'm a big fan of sequencing to be honest. /starts dancing "Got a good beat!"
kangarootoo
25/11/09 @ 09:55
#21
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@gaselite

You need to calm down mate. You can't act that way everytime someone suggests that DJ'ing isn't as musically valuid as opera.

I respect DJ'ing as an art, but I'm not sure it should get a whole lot of time in music lessons. A music lesson is where you learn music theory, not instrumental technique. And whilst good DJ'ing benefits from knowledge of music theory, they are not the same thing.

You wouldn't spend your time in a music class learning to play the violin - a violin lesson with a tutor is where you would do that. An instrument can be used in a music class to support the learning process, but a set of decks are nowhere near being the right tool for the job (compared to say, the piano).
Edited 1 times, most recently on 25/11/09 @ 10:20
LearLan
28/01/10 @ 11:21
#22
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Webmaster, thank you. Was a good article. I wish you continued success of.güzel sözleraşk sözlerie-okulgüzel sözleraşk sözlerİe-okule okul

Comments: 1-22 of 22 in total

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