Musique Savante™

August 2008

News Issue No. 2

In This Issue

·    Hi from Musique Savante

·    Inventing a Music Game:  Chap. 2

·    One More Thing

·    Next Issue

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Hi from Musique Savante!                         

It’s August and time to reminisce about the activities we enjoyed (or endured) during the summer.  I’m an empty-nester, so unlike the years in which vacations and activities centered around the children, this summer I methodically took one room at a time in our home and started the process of cleaning, un-cluttering and painting.   After twenty six years of marriage we have lots of clutter!

More important than those domestic goals for me is to plan ahead for another school year, choosing appropriate repertoire and theory lessons.  I anticipate the smiles on the students’ faces as they get to try either something new or replay something familiar, but with a new facet to it.  I hope that using Toss-a-Tune with your students provides that “something new.”

Issue no. 1 of the Musique Savante Newsletter touched on the basics of inventing a music game, such as buying an inventor’s notebook, joining an Inventor’s Council, keeping it simple and using non-disclosure agreements.  This issue contains the next chapter which concerns prototypes. 

One More Thing:

Thanks to Roxane Lee of Lee Piano Studio, New Milford , CT who said after receiving Toss-a-Tune, “My daughter and I played the game last night and she didn’t want to stop playing.”  That’s the goal: music games that students don’t want to stop playing!  You can read more about Roxane at www.leepianostudio.com.

Inventing a Music Game: or, Are You Crazy?

Chapter 2: Can’t you just make it for me?

In the Introduction and Chapter 1, I attempted to lay the foundation for my walk through the world of inventing.  Let me tell you about the next steps I took, making the prototype.

I had home-made prototypes of 2 different games, and wanted to choose which to pursue first.  At a picnic for members of my church, I asked if anyone knew where I could find companies that do this.  I followed up a few suggestions until I settled on one project and one company who would work with me.

Now, the world of prototypes is a mysterious one.  Since I’m not a contractor and don’t even have a left brain, my conversations with manufacturing companies went something like this:

ME: I’d like you to make a prototype for me.  Can I send you a confidentiality agreement?

THEM:  We don’t do confidentiality agreements.  You can trust us, though.

ME:  No thanks, but I appreciate you taking my call.

Or, if they’re happy to sign it-

ME: I’d like you to make a prototype for me.  What do you need from me?

THEM: Send me your specifications.

ME: What are specifications?

See, I had to learn a new language, and how to convey on paper exactly how to construct this thing.  Companies do not want to be your creative advisor, they just want to do the darn job.  So, asking a manufacturer how he thinks it ought to be done might not be taken well.  This meant I had to work harder.

I created and sent specifications, paid $300 and a few weeks later received “My Prototype!”  At least I thought it was “the one.”  Little did I know that over the next 2 years I would have a total of 10 prototypes.

Company number one declined to have any more involvement with me because, they said, my game didn’t fit well with the types of products they usually make.

After lots of searching, I eventually found a second manufacturer.  This was great!  After making several changes myself to streamline the product, they made those changes, were always happy to talk to me, and for $30.00 (that’s right, $270 less than the first company!) made prototype number 4.

I continued to tweak the product, got input from several music teachers about it, incorporated some of those ideas, and then got a letter that my manufacturer was going bankrupt.  They assured me that the new owner would work with me.  Right.  That lasted for a few weeks until the next letter came, declining further work because, you guessed it, my game didn’t fit well with the types of products they wanted to make.

Back to searching the internet.  I found manufacturer number three literally down the road from my town.  This made it so much easier to continue working and brainstorming.  I made more models from home, and they made prototypes 8, 9 and 10, each for $25.00.  I think we’re finally done.

Next Issue

In the next quarterly installment of the News will be Chapter 3: What You See is What You Get.

As always, if you have a humorous story about your students and “Toss-a-Tune,” or any other funny comment or situation involving your music students, send it to me at info@musiquesavante.com and I might be able to include it in future newsletters.

Until then, I wish you success with end-of-summer activities.

Susan Kight, M.Mus.Ed.

www.musiquesavante.com

©Musique Savante, August 2008