MusicMastery


 * CITATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION**
 * Title: MusicMastery
 * Publisher: Northern Lights Technologies
 * Copyright: 1995-2007
 * Platform: Windows, Mac
 * Peripherals: Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, MIDI instrument is supported but not required
 * Grade/Age: Elementary through High School
 * Class: General Music, Band, Orchestra, Choir, Composition


 * TEACHER SUPPORT**
 * Music-educator designed drills and lessons
 * Question/answer drill capability
 * Multiple part two-staff harmony drills
 * Printable lesson progress report with student name and class identifier
 * Self-contained lesson files for easy e-mail and Internet distribution
 * Unlimited progress tracking
 * 15 Lessons: Comprehensive music-educator designed rhythm, pitch and question and answer lessons are provided
 * Network operation, where multiple computers can access a central server computer containing lessons and composition template settings

National Standards Addressed
 * INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT**
 * Standard 4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
 * Standard 5: Reading and Notating Music


 * INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND PEDAGOGICAL SOUNDNESS**


 * Features Include:**
 * Pitch Mastery, Rhythm Mastery, and Melody Mastery activities where MusicMastery helps you through hidden drills
 * Rhythm Creator and Melody Creator
 * Expandable on-screen keyboard, step-time and real-time MIDI keyboard input
 * Change tempo, program, volume and key while music plays
 * Metronome
 * Multiple voices and timbres per staff
 * Friendly on-line User's Guide, tutorial and help
 * Full or partial diatonic or chromatic transpositions
 * Independent and complete control of four musical voices and metronome play
 * Multiple document design, allowing you to work on and paste among multiple scores at the same time
 * Musical score can be viewed and printed in five different sizes
 * MIDI file import and export (MIDI Format 0 and Format 1)
 * High resolution music printout
 * Intuitive document setup with full margin control
 * Selectable primary and secondary accent metronome note velocities!
 * Automatic note beaming with selectable beaming interval
 * MIDI percussion instruments selectable by note position or via setup dialog!
 * Multiple clefs and key and time signature capability
 * Undo command which removes the most recently added symbol or restores the symbols most recently deleted
 * Open Music System (OMS) MIDI support (Macintosh version only)
 * Improved point and click access. Access views and lessons with just the click of a button
 * Pitch limiting. You can setup your composition templates and drills so that only certain pitches (e.g. Sol, Mi) are allowed
 * Quick start video-based tutorial. Tutorial provided on CD to get you started right away
 * Measure numbers. You can optionally turn them on or off in the sheet and composition (linear) views
 * Free internet updating


 * RECORD KEEPING**
 * Printable lesson progress reports for each student
 * Monitor and record your students' drill and practice and question and answer progress, recall records, and print out reports

While this program is certainly not on the same level as Finale or Sibelius in the realms of professional music notation software, it is certainly a highly effective tool for educating students. MusicMastery is a great tool in the classroom because it gives teachers flexibility and complete control over music lessons and the activities they create. The methods of creating lessons and activities were designed by musicians and music education professionals to assist students, and using these open-ended methods, the educator can help students quickly master the important aspects of music.
 * OVERALL EVALUATION**


 * Rating:** +++

Reviewed by: Alyssa Hoffert 10/17/09