MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MakeMusic, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMUS), creators of SmartMusic®, the interactive music software for band, orchestra and voice, announced Tennessee is the first state to invest in SmartMusic with Race to the Top funds. Memphis City Schools purchased more than 1,000 SmartMusic subscriptions to expand their use of SmartMusic to orchestras in 13 Tennessee schools. Memphis City Schools have used SmartMusic in their band programs since 2008.
Race to the Top is the federal program designed to fund progress in education reform. Last year the U. S. Department of Education announced that Tennessee and Delaware would be the first two states to receive the Race to the Top grant, with Tennessee receiving more than $500 million dollars. The Memphis City Schools’ order represents the first purchase of SmartMusic with Race to the Top funds.
“Because of Race to the Top’s emphasis on standards and assessment, SmartMusic offers a unique fit,” stated MakeMusic’s CEO Karen van Lith. “We believe that SmartMusic is the only software that offers a means for music educators to provide evidence of student achievement. We’re proud to partner with Tennessee to help them accomplish their goals for what they call their First to the Top Program.”
“SmartMusic provides a deeper understanding of how a student is doing and what needs to be mastered to be better,” said James R. Holcomb, music and dance supervisor for Memphis City Schools. “This is really the essence of the standards movement in education reform.”
SmartMusic features the world’s largest accompaniment library for musicians of all ages and skill levels, including the most comprehensive catalog of repertoire required by music educators. Additional music can be easily added to SmartMusic through Finale®, MakeMusic’s premiere notation software.
SmartMusic also provides the ideal practice environment for any musician. As music appears on the screen, the musician performs, and SmartMusic immediately displays the notes performed accurately in green and the notes performed inaccurately in red. For key solo titles, SmartMusic’s patented technology follows the tempo that musicians set, enabling them to express themselves through the music. At any time during their performance, musicians can access the interactive tuner and metronome and automatically record themselves.
SmartMusic’s e-learning capabilities are available to band, orchestra, choir and private educators at all levels and enable them to send a wide variety of assignments to students. The technology allows the teacher to view, listen to and comment on students’ performances. The SmartMusic® InboxTM, an AndroidTM and Apple® mobile application, provides additional access for teachers to complete these tasks. SmartMusic provides all the tools music students need to practice, learn how to improve performance and gain greater confidence to drive successful progress in their music education.
More details about Tennessee’s First to the Top plan can be viewed at their website: http://www.tn.gov/firsttothetop/.
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About MakeMusic, Inc.
MakeMusic®, Inc. is a world leader in music technology whose mission is to develop and market solutions that transform how music is composed, taught, learned and performed. For more than 20 years, Finale® has been the industry standard in music notation software, enabling composers, arrangers, musicians, teachers, students and publishers to create, edit, audition, print and publish musical scores. MakeMusic is also the creator of SmartMusic® interactive software that is transforming the way students practice. With SmartMusic, students and teachers have access to thousands of band, orchestra and vocal pieces allowing students to practice with background accompaniment and get immediate feedback on their performance. SmartMusic allows teachers to individualize instruction and document the progress of every student. Additional information about this Minnesota company can be found at www.makemusic.com.