Mark, a fifth grader at an elementary school, is a bright student with no misconduct problems. Although he has a healthy interest in science, his grades in the class are below average mainly because he feels the instructor doesn’t stray from straight lectures and book assignments. Simply put, he’s bored.

 On the other hand, Jessica, a fourth grader at a different school, is excelling in math despite the fact that she is only marginally interested in numbers. She feels that her instructor goes beyond the call of duty to get students involved. By teaching math principles and assignments through activities that involve all the kids, Jessica understands the math theories and has a solid comprehension of the fundamentals at her level.

 Educators are realizing that the learning experience can have a profound impact on the success or non-success of a child in the classroom. It’s quite possible for kids to perform below average despite having the nicest teacher, or the best study aids, or even with subjects that should come naturally to them, such as English, their primary language.

 The hurdle is even bigger for music and arts educators. Traditionally, music educators have struggled to reach students who don’t have a natural interest in music or playing a particular instrument. This is especially frustrating since research has shown that kids develop into more productive citizens when they are exposed to music education.

 According to the National Association for Music Education, students who participated in arts programs in selected elementary and middle schools in New York City showed significant increases in self-esteem and thinking skills.

 Additionally, secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances, including alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs.

 The fact that many musical instruments can be quite challenging to learn adds yet another dimension to the music educators’ quandary. Surely kids won’t want to learn something when a level of frustration is added into the mix.

 Fortunately, new technologies and programs have recently been introduced to help educators and parents. They focus on the simple principle of finding ways to make music education fun. Allegro Rainbow’s Piano Wizard combines the fun of a video game with the fundamentals of piano lessons.  Anyone can sit down at a keyboard and with Piano Wizard, experience how the game has turned what once felt like practice, into feeling like child’s play.

 All of this is made possible through the power of the Piano Wizard 4-Step Method. The Piano Wizard Method combines the way in which people naturally learn, with the basic components of piano playing, to create a stress free, fun experience that consistently proves successful for both children and adults.

 Piano Wizard and the Piano Wizard 4-Step Method has proved to be so effective at teaching people of all ages to play the piano, that Southern Illinois University’s School of Music Professor Don Beattie launched the first Piano Wizard Academy in conjunction with the schools Child Development Center.

 The program took children who had never played the piano before and took them through the Piano Wizard curriculum created by Professor Beattie. In less than eight months later, the Academy had children, who had never played piano previously, playing Beethoven on a grand piano. The first Piano Wizard Academy was such a great success that Allegro opened condensed versions of the Academy around the country, called Piano Wizard Boot Camps.

 The Piano Wizard Academies are a fantastic solution for schools that had to scale back or eliminate their music programs because of budget cuts. Using the Piano Wizard Academy model or any other educational software program, anyone can be instrumental in starting a new music program in a school or after school program.

 These new technologies combine video game technology with music education in a way that creates excitement. This, combined with new programs that get kids involved help to build confidence since they see results almost immediately – which is a large component to success with child development. When kids see positive results, they are motivated to come back again and again.

 Fortunately, these technologies and programs are extremely affordable and perfect for school systems that have had to cut back on their music education budgets.

 Research has shown that everyone wins when music education plays an active role in the development of a child. With these new technologies and programs readily available, kids can have more fun incorporating music education into their daily lives.

Editor’s Note: Chris Salter is the chief executive officer of Allegro Rainbow, which created the award-winning Piano Wizard educational video game that teaches anyone how to play piano in minutes in a fun environment. The company also launched the Piano Wizard Academy, a nationwide program that brings piano education to kids who have never before played the piano. For more information visit www.pianowizard.com