Could be interesting...

In an October 31 New York Times online article, writer Michael Gordon points out that the hottest thing in music right now is two video games-- Guitar Hero and Rock Band.  He goes on to raise the question, "So, why not Symphony Hero?"  With the institution of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's new interactive educational tool "Beethoven's Music Lab", the idea of involving audiences through new forms of media has entered the spotlight.  The first program of this sort, called "Keeping Score" was pioneered by the San Francisco Symphony.  Beethoven's Music Lab goes beyond Keeping Score-- allowing audience members to go so far as to re-write development sections of the composer's symphonies using their web-based interface.  Nintendo launched a foray into this area of interactive music-making with Wii Music-- which allows players to perform a variety of instruments using different motions and controllers.

These ideas definitely represent new and innovative angles of promoting classical music.  So will an interactive digital learning model take hold with classical music audiences?  It will certainly be interesting to find out.

http://www.americanorchestras.org/todays_news/309.html#403989

-- Katie