School swaps instruments for Beaterator

By Robert Purchese Published 24 November, 2009

Rockstar's PSP game in tune with kids.

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.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • XdarXideX #1 2 years ago

    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.

  • Dizzy #2 2 years ago

    I think I will file this under "bullshit"

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #3 2 years ago

    I saw this in HMV at the weekend and instantly mistook it for a Bo-Selecta tie-in.

    Cha'mon muthafunksters!

  • dahsif #4 2 years ago

    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 by 1 at 24/11/09 @ 12:35

  • Mkwone #5 2 years ago

    After class they can play GTA and learn about life in a gang.

  • linea #6 2 years ago

    Maths skills to be taught via the medium of Professor Layton

  • knocker #7 2 years ago

    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 #8 2 years ago

    What's wrong with the name Miguel?

    North European chicks say it's sexy and stuff :}

  • jonsaan #9 2 years ago

    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 #10 2 years ago

    @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 #11 2 years ago

    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 #12 2 years ago

    Wow America is actually going to get dumberer.

    Wp \o/

  • kinky_mong #13 2 years ago

    @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 #14 2 years ago

    @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 #15 2 years ago

    @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 by 1 at 24/11/09 @ 16:56

  • YourMessageHere #16 2 years ago

    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 #17 2 years ago

    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 #18 2 years ago

    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 Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #19 2 years ago

    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 #20 2 years ago

    @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 by 1 at 25/11/09 @ 10:20