In the Music Playground in the Crooswijk district of Rotterdam, the very first ‘More Music in the Classroom Memo’ has been placed. This was officially opened on May 20, 2021, by Queen Maxima, honorary president of the More Music in the Classroom Foundation. In this way, together with Jantje Beton, Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur, Jeugdeducatiefonds, ZangExpress, VandenEnde Foundation, and the Municipality of Rotterdam, we are putting music education center stage.
A new interactive game for the Yalp Memo was developed especially for this foundation. With the same educational curriculum as music lessons in the classroom. The Yalp Memo makes outdoor music lessons for education even more fun and easy. Besides playing on the Yalp Memo, you can also use your instruments so that the whole class can make music at the same time.
In the Music Playground, children can play independently with the interactive Yalp Memo. This is an interactive play zone consisting of 7 game pillars on a circular play floor.
A perfect fit for primary schools
The music game was developed by a group of students from the pabo, Codarts (conservatory) Rotterdam and Yalp game designer Christaan Ribbens according to the learning lines used in primary education. This also makes it easy to apply in school music lessons. Pabo students Merel Timmerman and Laura van Duffelen are very enthusiastic and tell about their experiences.
Merel: “I thought it was so cool to help develop the game! I often use music in class and then it is extra fun when you can make a game yourself. Designing the game together with the teachers, but especially testing it in class where you can test different learning methods was very cool. And finally, of course, presenting the result.”
Laura: “The game on the Yalp Memo is a great example of a play-along score, where children as young as three can play along. The score is the cubes that appear on Memo and represent certain sounds. Teaching music outside is quite difficult, but with the Memo, it becomes a lot easier. And the children are super enthusiastic about it! It is very easy for the children to get started themselves because the pillar tells them exactly what to do. Children are curious and explore by themselves”. Merel adds: “You can also combine the Memo with physical learning, so nice singing, dancing, and stepping. That’s a plus.”
