Adventus Interactive
Adventus International is a Canadian IT company founded in 1996 specializing in educational software. The company is based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. In 1997, it's predecessor Adventus Incorporated began designing music learning software that leveraged digital musical instruments (MIDI instruments) which communicated with a computer. Adventus software titles provide engaging and effective interactive feedback that has a significant impact on the music learning process.
Software Titles
- Piano Suite Premier
- Children's Music Journey
- Ear Training Coach
- Concert Master
Programs of Instruction
- MusIQ Club, MusIQ Lab, MusIQ Club Connections
- MusIQ Homeschool
- MusIQ Studio
Piano Suite Premier (Win)
Unveiled in 1998, Piano Suite guides beginner and intermediate musicians through interactive lessons by providing immediate feedback on their playing. Piano Suite Premier was published in five languages and was rated “Best in Class” by the International Society for Technology in Education, and an EDDIE award, "Best multi-level music program". Piano Suite Software has been updated regularly, and the most recent supports Windows 10. Uniquely effective notation display and assessment of user play separates this software from other titles in the space. Piano Suite's comprehensive learn to play library is much larger than other title, with over 900 arrangements covering 10 genres of music. Also included is a significant history component, and a very helpful music composer/editor tool.
Children's Music Journey (Mac/Win - 3 Level Series)
In December 2005, Adventus released Children's Music Journey Volume 1, an animated interactive program that enables teaching young children how to read music, play the piano with both hands, and compose. The third volume in this unique series was released in December 2009, completing a comprehensive approach to early music reading and performing suitable for children ages 3-5 to 10. In addition to the 35 lessons and 35 practice rooms, each volume in the series contains a listening repertoire of over seventy of the greatest pieces every composed and performed, with associated music history delivered by endearing animated composer characters who also deliver the interactive, narrated lessons and practice rooms. Now used in several hundred schools, Children's Music Journey has received numerous awards, including two EDDIE awards, "Best early elementary music program" and "Best upper elementary music program"
Ear Training Coach (Win - Levels 1&2, 3&4)
Ear Training Coach is a comprehensive software series that acts as a complement Piano Suite, focused on developing aural abilities. Playing by ear, recognizing intervals, reading at sight, playing back rhythms, playing back melodies, finger number patters, all of these skills are developed in the context of fun activities with intelligent interactive feedback. Like other titles from Adventus, Ear Training Coach software also includes an enormous amount of content (almost 100,000 practice excerpts) so that students never recognize the music excerpt being used to test them. Five very helpful interactive games provide a fun context to develop skills. Use of this software several times a week ensures students will exceed requirements for Royal Conservatory of Music examinations, grades 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Concert Master (Win)
Adventus software was designed in collaboration with elementary music instructors, and as a result was closely aligned with comprehensive elementary music curriculum objectives. With its quality of immediate feedback, comprehensive content, and organized approach it was inevitable that teachers would begin using these software titles in the classroom. Today several hundred schools, elementary, middle and high schools, use Adventus software in the context of group classes. In 2007 when Adventus began introducing after-school classes called 'MusIQ Club', the advantage of utilizing student engagement in "social" activities led to the development of a new kind of software title, that allowed students to play together in a 'piano band'. This meant that musical pieces could be worked on together, with more advanced students playing more advanced arrangements, performing as a class, with all student play routed through the network, and amplified by the teachers speakers. Technical work was done together, and different types of performances became possible, i.e. half the class singing, half the class playing.
MusIQ Homeschool
To support families schooling children at home, in 2011 Adventus released a subscription version of all of the software titles, along with seven years of parent guidance and student workshop materials. The subscription lowered the price of the software, but gave the entire family access to all titles, all the time, for $10.95/mo. Reviews by parents on the musiqhomeschool web site reveal the Adventus solutions allow most parents to be very successful in delivering the benefits of an instrumental music education. In 2013 The Old Schoolhouse awarded MusIQ Homeschool the Gold Medal for best Music Curriculum.
Affiliate Programs
Adventus also developed a comprehensive set of weekly teacher guidance and student materials, which was named MusIQ Lab (for public elementary/middle/high schools) and MusIQ Club for other group classes. MusIQ Club programs were consistently successful in private schools, day care and in after school programs. An affiliate program was created to make it easier for any institution to access the Adventus software and allow students to use the software at home for daily practice (the most significant benefit).
MusIQ for Life
Adventus' goal is to bring the amazing benefits of learning to read music, play the piano, improvise and compose to every student, in every school. With solutions that are uniquely engaging and effective, even at preschool level, the Adventus approach and tools can be integrated into any existing program to strengthen the reading, understanding, performing, improvising and composing skills of students. The strong foundation created when using these tools leads to greater student mastery and confidence, and as a direct result this leads to much greater participation in the further study of music as students get older.