Disney announces Disney Song Factory interactive CD - LaughingPlace.com: Disney World, Disneyland and More

Disney announces Disney Song Factory interactive CD

Walt Disney Records Unearths "Dinosaur Song Factory

Innovative Product Line Turns Ordinary Computer Keyboards into Musical Playgrounds

Remember how Dr. Dolittle used to talk to the animals? A new enhanced CD from Walt Disney Records goes one better: it lets users make music with the dinosaurs. The "Dinosaur Song Factory" serves as the label's new innovative product line that not only allows kids to listen to songs on their CD player but also lets them have interactive creative fun on their computer. When spun in a conventional CD player, "Dinosaur Song Factory" plays catchy numbers inspired by Walt Disney Pictures' much-anticipated summer release, including "Dino Beat," "Top of the Food Chain," and "Make Some Noise." Pop it into a computer's CD-ROM drive, though, and the disc transforms a PC into a musical instrument. The keyboard becomes a synthesizer on which kids can play along with the songs or even create original improvisations on them. With cool things like chord changes and scales encoded on the disc, young maestros need no experience -- they can concentrate on rhythm and let the computer take care of everything else!

About the technology...
The technology that enables the "Dinosaur Song Factory" CD works like this: harmonic information is taken for each song on the disc (what key it's in, what chords are used, where the chord changes occur, how complex the scales are for each chord, etc.) and is "translated" for the keyboard as the song plays. Thus, the PC keyboard becomes a true musical instrument for the user, but one that only offers the "right" notes at any given point in the song. All the music theory is encoded in the software; the user just needs to play with a feel for the rhythm and they will always make real music. You can't play a bad note! It's fun, easy and creative. And what's more -- users can save their musical masterpieces, e-mail them to friends who have the same "Song Factory" CD, and they in turn can make more harmonious additions for a truly collaborative creation.

Not just fun but beneficial too...
The "Dinosaur Song Factory" was created with recent research released by the American Music Conference in mind, which shows that musical sounds are among the first stimuli an infant responds to and that kids instinctively weave music into their activities. The strongest effects of music were found from active participation in music making. The "Dinosaur Song Factory's" interactive component and its ability to allow children to create their own music, compose different songs and play them back makes it not only a fun game for kids but one that may help them learn as well.

"Children love to make music. It's a fun and enriching experience that provides them with developmental benefits such as improved abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science," states Dr. Frances Rauscher, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin -- one of the leading researchers in the rapidly expanding field linking musical skills with increased brainpower. "When you then consider the developmental benefits with the fun of music making, this creates an even more compelling argument for your child to be involved in making music."

Dinosaur Factory inspired-by songs and instrumentation:

  • 1. Dino Beat:
    Saw Wave (synthesizer sound), Distortion Electric Guitar, Rock Organ, Synthetic Bass
  • 2. Big Rock:
    Choir Aahs, Strings, Bottle Blow, Fantasia (synthesizer sound)
  • 3. Food Chain:
    Brass, Overdrive Electric Guitar, Bright Acoustic Piano, Slap Bass
  • 4. The Herd:
    Flute, Strings, Rhodes, Atmosphere (synthesizer)
  • 5. Paradise:
    Fantasia (synthesizer), Synthetic Strings, Acoustic Grand Piano, Atmosphere (synthesizer)
  • 6. Perfect Size:
    Harp, Synthetic Brass, Rhodes, Bass & Lead (synthesizer)
  • 7. Break an Egg:
    Pan Flute, Bright Acoustic Piano, Vibraphone, Steel Drums
  • 8. Make Some Noise:
    Clarinet, Brass, Distortion Electric Guitar, Synthetic Bass

"Dinosaur Song Factory" will be available at retail May 2, 2000, for a suggested retail price of $12.98.

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-- Posted: April 27, 2000

Source: Company Press release