The Triumphant Return of "Guitar Troll!!"

I just came across an report saying that "Guitar Hero" is being pulled from further development.  Apparently the same goes for "Rock Band."  The article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_activision_blizzard) is interesting in that it points to the fact these games at one point truly revolutionized the gaming industry, but have proven to be consistently unprofitable.

There is some logic to that notion that even I can follow.  The games had a huge rush of initial sales and popularity in the mid-2000s, but the problem is that unlike almost all other games they require multiple and, by industry standards, expensive additional controllers (guitars, drums, etc.) in order to operate.

The initial business model seems to have been based around the idea that the consumer will spend enough additional money purchasing more songs to play on the game to offset the rather high costs of producing them.  I suspect that licensing rights for many of the artists also were costing quite a bit - which certainly would not help things.

I wonder if some of the issue is also due to the fact that for the most part you cannot really learn to play the instruments from playing the game.  A lot of my students - and granted, my students are a unique bunch with regard to this kind of thing - have frequently told me that they find the games interesting and fun to a point, but that ultimately, it feels like a simplistic toy.  They tell me that in the end they'd rather just play the real thing.

Now, to be fair, I have a well deserved reputation for being the "King of the Epic Fail" when it comes to playing these games.  I can no better navigate through the game versions of any number of songs, regardless of the "instrument" I'm playing - which is kinda funny since I can play many of those same songs on many of the real instruments required.

In any case, a while back I wrote how I thought that a better use for all this would be something I called "Guitar Troll." If you wanna read the details from back then they can be found here: http://crossfeedthemix.blogspot.com/search/label/Guitar%20Hero.  Essentially, the concept is to use the games' guitars and other instruments more like battle axes.  (Yes, I know that for a self-proclamed "uber-pacifist" this seems a bit violent, but bear with me, ok?)  Level one you go up against maybe, I don't know, some punk rocker; level two is Kirt Cobain; then on to Heldrix and Townshend - you get the idea.

Anyway, the way  I see it, if "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" are ending, unless someone comes up with a way to integrate real instrument technique, I figure there is a huge market for what to do with all those game controllers just kinda sitting around once all the tunes have been played.  Just a thought.

Guitar Troll  FOREVER!!!

CMAS and the Apple Distinguished Educator program

I was recently asked to apply to become an Apple Distinguished Educator. Basically the program, which is facilitated by Apple, is a way to connect nationally, and internationally, with like minded educators each of whom are changing the old educational paradigms for the better.  I have no idea if I will be accepted or not, but I very much love the idea behind the ADE program.  My preference for Macs and related products aside, I think the notion of getting teachers like this together - even just helping to put them into contact with each other - is very cool.

On the other hand, funny as this may sound, while I am incredibly proud of what we've created with CMAS, on so many levels getting selected for the ADE program (should that happen) feels a bit like giving credit to the guy who sold you some paper to write your novel on.  Despite all that can be said, and again, I am very proud of all we've done with CMAS - to say nothing of what I feel we can do with it in the future, at the end of the day - and please forgive the ridiculous cliche that this sounds like - it really is the students making it happen.

I've been teaching a long time.  Far longer than I probably want to admit, but in that time I really have learned many things and one of them is that all I can really do is show them that there are opportunities for them to take advantage of.  I cannot make them take advantage, I can only show them what is possible.  They have to actually do the work.  I don't say any of that lightly.  It's just a reality of the gig.    

All that in mind, I put together the required 2 minute video that Apple asks for as part of the selection process.  The end result feels a bit, as I've said in other forums, self-indulgent for my taste, but I think I covered the main points that Apple wants.  Here's a link to the final two minute submission: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nxAL_79aDc

In the end, the really cool thing (beyond some really wonderful comments by some incredible supporters of the program - there were so many more than I could include in this version) is that I found I have the foundation for what I think could be a great, and I think insightful, look into CMAS. I'm hoping to get this longer and, less "me centered" version complete shortly and be able to use it when I do presentations about CMAS and as a way for future/interested students to learn more about what it is we do.

I am also really hopeful to be selected as an ADE so that  I can further my own understanding of what sort of possibilities there are to continue to expand all that CMAS has to offer.  Wish me luck!