Viva Media, LLC is a privately owned New York company dedicated to publishing a wide array of interactive content of the highest standards. The company's collection of more than 40 multimedia titles tout more than 30 awards for excellence in publishing. Viva Media features the award winning line of Tivola Publishing CD ROM games and the Viva range of titles including: Viva Chess, Viva Astronomy, Viva Kids, Viva Adventure, and Viva Music. Viva Media won not one, but two Software Magic Awards in the October 2003 issue of Parenting Magazine! The two titles honored were “Learn to Play Chess with Fritz & Chesster” and “The Little Raven and Friends: The Tricycle Story”.

In the Viva Music line there is Morton Subotnick's Making Music series ($29.99 suggested for each): Making Music, Making More Music, and Hearing Music. Each of these focuses on introducing various aspects of music to individuals (generally 8yrs and above, but suggests beginning as early as 5 yrs). This will help them have a better understand, and hopefully, a better appreciation for music. (Note: Children’s Music Games by Morton Subotnick have won awards from Education World. His website is primarily a children's online creative music environment, but for individuals of all ages. It's a place to compose music, play with musical performance, music games and music puzzles. Try it to discover fun and easy ways to make music!)

Making Music is the first true composing space for children. This unique software program is not only an introduction to music, but also allows children to experiment with usually difficult elements, such as composing, in a fun and easy way. By allowing children to approach music as they would the visual arts, Making Music promotes creativity, discovery, playfulness and musical experimentation. The choice of sixteen sounds, including steel drums and a children's choir, encourage creative expression. A paintbrush becomes the composition tool and when the masterpiece is finished, the piece can be saved for editing or for playing again later.

Games are used to introduce sequence, tempo, melody and rhythm. Birds on a wire are transformed into melodies accompanied by drums, a sports field is a gateway to listening games and tempo is explored using pictures of children and an assortment of accompanying sounds. (Note: Making Music is also available in a new school edition that includes a teacher's manual with 19 sample lessons and helpful hints for music classrooms. Those interested should call Viva Media at 1 877 848 6520 for more information.)

In Making More Music, children enhance their skills and take their creativity and expression to a new level. A more structured palate leads to advanced compositions and fine-tuning of children's composing skills. Children discover they can be composer, musician and audience all at once. Making More Music offers children the opportunity to create the music they hear all around them utilizing tools such as tempo, scale and musical notation.

Children can write and edit music, print and save compositions, and play games that enhance musical comprehension and appreciation. Kids can write a piece for a rhythm band or chamber ensemble, hear it played back, and then page through a user friendly encyclopedia to learn about what they wrote. A choice of sounds from over two-dozen instruments is available. Chamber music composition allows for a four-part piece to be composed and played back to the delight of the listener. An ingenious melody maker enhances the child's experience as they create their masterpiece. The Theme and Variation section offers the chance to study and listen to music based on legendary composers. Games are included to promote listening skills and influence further growth in melody, rhythm, composition and theme.

Hearing Music, an audible playground of rich sounds, explores the interpretation of music. It helps them hear music as expressive communication. Designed to include hearing music as a step in the music learning process, this program breaks music down to patterns and levels, from beginner to advanced. Hearing Music gives children the opportunity to train their ears to identify different parts of music, encouraging them to hear the nuances in a melody, the change in a rhythm and the subtleties woven into pieces by famous composers.

A computer adaptive program makes the games progressively harder or easier as the child moves through four different levels per game. When a level is completed, children are treated to a rousing, animated rendition of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.

Game features, overall, include: Exploring the elements that build music; Hearing musical differences in endings, repetitions, and variations; Integrated audio help explains every step of the way; and Parent/Teacher management tool to track an individual’s progress. Internal games help develop important listening skills: Comparing - distinguishing the difference in the music heard; Ordering Melodies - linking musical phrases; Matching - learning the difference between same and similar; and Musical Rotation - seeing whet you hear. (Space permitting, one or more screen shots may be included with the article.)

Following Making Music and Making More Music, Hearing Music is also a precursor to formal music education. Children are encouraged to recognize patterns in music notation before they are able to read music. Hearing the difference between two melodies and recognizing what is different, an integral aspect of hearing music, is gradually introduced through repetition and game play.

System requirements: Windows > 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, 12 MB Hard Drive space, 8 MB RAM, Sound capability with speakers or headphones; MAC > OS 8-10, 12 MB Hard Drive space, 8 MB RAM, external speakers or headphones.

Contact Information: Viva Media, 580 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY 10012, Phone: (212) 431 4420, Fax: (212) 431 4537, Web Site: Viva Media, E-Mail: mail@viva-media.com