But I was a bit disappointed to find out the guitar controller little more than a glorified toy. A very fun toy, mind you — remember those little plastic guitars where you turn a crank and out pops Mary Had a Little Lamb? It’s more FUN that that. And I’d imagine the same for RockBand. Wii Music also looks fun but it doesn’t even have instruments. But why not go the extra mile and make a controller that works like a real guitar, with buttons that match the chord positions, so people could really learn to play? And while you’re at it, why not make a Piano Hero with a keyboard controller that teaches how to play piano for real? How hard would it be, and why hasn’t anyone done that?

I’ve wondered for years, just not intensely enough to google it I guess, because this morning, I found out someone has.

Here’s a video game that helps people learn to play the piano for real. And they’re coming out with a Guitar Wizard soon, too. Apparently I need to become more hip to the educational toy scene than I am to video games.

Do any of you out there own Piano Wizard? If so what do you think of it? I’m going to learn more about both items and update this page when I have more info.

Admittedly, it wasn’t always fun trudging through snow for what seemed like hours on end. Sometimes we even wore bags on our feet to keep the snow out of worn shoes… which was more than a little embarrassing. (Between that and the strange but creative variation on rag curlers my mom came up with, “bread bags” was one of my many names at school. Good Times!) But we’d always thaw ourselves afterward over homemade hot cocoa and biscuits, and invariably our hearts were warmed as well by a few people who seemed to need the caroling that year.

Well, this year I’m the one who ‘needs’ to carol. Between stress and mild but annoyingly long-lasting under-the-weatherness (I couldn’t even call it illness so please pardon the invented term), I’ve had a hard time catching the Christmas Spirit. My husband doesn’t sing, but perhaps I can wrangle enough of my family together to do the real thing for a night or two, since I’m sure frozen toes MUST somehow inadvertently contribute to the bliss. Still I’m hoping my little experiment will be fun.

Below are links to two files. If you’re up to it, download the first and add your own voice using Audacity. Send the MP3 back to my gmail address if you would (which you can get by asking on my contact form, or by remembering an old moniker of mine at gmail.com) so I don’t eat up too much bandwidth on my little account here. I’ll mix whatever submissions I get (assuming you remember that I, while I do respect other points of view, will not promote bashing of my own – so please keep it clean and friendly.) Remember you don’t have to be pro or anywhere near it to enjoy a simple carol – and though I’ll post contributors names and a link if they want that, I won’t say who sang what part. So don’t be shy now Have fun. Get your family or friends to sing along too. (I removed the first file, NO ONE tried it, and I don’t like singing solos )

The second file is one of my favorite carols, and I’m singing it to you. Again it’s not pro and the voice leading and timing and breathing could have used a little help in parts — but that’s not the point. The point is that I want to share a carol I love with my friends. This song reminds me that angels sang to celebrate Christ’s birth. I wonder sometimes how many of us were in that choir. And I love to think that despite the craziness we as a society tend to bring upon ourselves in the Christmas season, that if we’ll just relax and remember what it’s about, as well as forgive those around us who seem to make the holidays difficult, that we’ll hear the angles singing still in our hearts.

Stars were Gleaming

Merry Christmas to all (except to those of you prefer Happy Holidays – and to you I heartily wish exactly that), and to all a good night!