Category Archives: music apps

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Toca Band

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toca band

Rock on… with Toca Band – FREE today!  This app for the iPhone/iPad encourages kids to explore music as they mix beats & sounds together to produce a hit song. The 16 characters in this app each have their own sound and rhythm. Kids drag different combinations of performers on stage to create their own musical band. How a character plays depends on where he/she is placed on the stage. Characters can also be chosen to give a solo performance. Even the names of the characters are fun: Bang Bang Chef on the drums, Dancy Nancy on the piano, Shaky McBones on the maracas,etc. Another great app from a developer that makes learning what it should be – fun, creative, and joyful!

Highly recommended!

Toca Band - Toca Boca AB

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Christmas Carols for Kids, Sing Along Songs – Jolly Jingle

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jolly time

FREE today only for the iPhone/iPad – super cute Christmas song app. Includes 5 animated songs: ♪ Jingle Bells, ♪ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, ♪ Frosty the Snowman, ♪ Up on the Housetop, and ♪ We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The app opens up to a snow globe which has 5 different scenes to represent the songs within the app. Lyrics can be turned on or off. Songs can be enjoyed 4 different ways: as an instrumental, as a piano solo, or sung by a female soloist or by children. Each song also includes fun interactive surprises – a very cute, MUST-have for the holidays!

Christmas Carols for Kids, Sing Along Songs - Jolly Jingle - Hompimplay

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Juno’s Musical ABCs

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juno

Narrated by Brooke Shields, this e-book for the iPhone/iPad was created by Emmy Award winning composer, Belinda Takahashi. Kids join Juno and her friends on a musical journey through the alphabet. The book, written in rhyme, teaches kids what instruments look & sound like as well as some musical terminology. It has 3 reading modes: read it to me, read it myself, or autoplay.
Kids will enjoy interacting with the characters (who talk & move when touched) in this cute, colorful book. Nicely done – what a great ABC book to share with a music class!

Juno's Musical ABCs HD - The Juno Company

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Old MacDonald HD by Duck Duck Moose

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FREE for a limited time from the highly acclaimed, Duck Duck Moose series – Old MacDonald interactive book. This book has 12 pages with over 35 interactive activities for toddlers –  flip a cow, drive a tractor, work a bulldozer, etc. The song can be sung in English, French, Spanish, Italian, or German or played by a piano trio, cello, violin, or kazoo. There is even an option to record your child/you singing the song. The words on all pages are in English – even when it’s being sung in a different language. Lots of fun surprises in this version too – a cow reading the Moo Yorker, “Pig”casso, a small dog eating a large sandwich, an alien in a spaceship, etc. Very cute and very fun!!

Highly recommended!

Old MacDonald HD - by Duck Duck Moose - Duck Duck Moose

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I Can Xylo – A Nursery Rhymes Teacher

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The app was advertised as being FREE today instead of $1.99. The promo says, “NOW INCLUDES OVER 20+ TOP NURSERY RHYMES OF ALL TIME”  but the reality is that the download only has one free song – Mary Had a Little Lamb. You can also get 2 bonus songs – if you go to their Facebook page. If you click on any other songs, it wants you to upload to the pro version. That’s where you get the 20+ nursery rhymes. In Song Mode, you can play & listen to a song or you can play the song by following the highlighted keys. You can also record the song as you play it then play it back. The FREE version does allow you to exit song mode and play the xylophone on your own. Just like in Song Mode, you can record as you play then replay it. The app is nicely designed and has a good tone to it. You may want to try it while it’s FREE.

I Can Xylo - A Nursery Rhymes Teacher - Software-Kitchen

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Songify

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Songify is a FREE music app for the iPhone/iPad that transforms your speech into a song. It is very simple to use – just tap to begin and tap to end the recording. The app turns your spoken words into a song which can be saved and shared via email, Facebook, & Twitter. There is also the option of sharing your creation with the Songify community on the Winning page. There, you can also listen to songs created by other users (which can be inappropriate for kids). So… make sure you set the parental controls. Just press the “account” button on the Winning page to password protect that section of the app. There are also many in-app purchases available. I would be more comfortable with kids using this app independently if the parental controls were able to password protect all sharing/purchasing/downloading options. As it is, I would use this app with kids only if an adult were in control. That being said, this app could be creative, fun, and helpful for kids who learn better when facts are set to music. I think kids would enjoy creating & sharing “learning songs” with their friends or classmates. Check it out and decide for yourself  🙂

Songify - Khush Inc.

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Princess Piano

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FREE today, this app for the iPhone/iPad usually costs $1.99. Kids help Princess Piano dance her way back to the Cloud Kingdom by playing the songs on the piano as well as they can. The app introduces musical notation one note at a time (starting with c,d,e….) as well as the timing of notes (quarter notes, half notes). Kids are given practice as each new note/concept is taught. There are three modes of difficulty: beginner (keys flash, key/notes are labeled, 60% or better to advance), advanced (keys labeled, 80% or better to advance) and virtuoso (90% or better to advance). As kids advance through the levels they unlock outfits for Princess Piano – which they can use in “Dressing Room.” There is also a “Song Maker” tool for kids to compose their own music. This app is a great introduction to reading music!

Highly Recommended!

Princess Piano - Dented Pixel

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Tap A Tune

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This adorable app for the iPhone/iPad is FREE for a limited time. Kids 2+ can play their own nursery rhymes (7 included) & holiday tunes (9 included) by tapping the animals as they pop out of holes in the ground. The app has 3 modes: baby mode (plays the tune correctly no matter which animal is tapped), play mode (tap the animals in the order that they pop up), and freestyle mode (tap the animals in any order to create your own tune). There is an option of changing to a keyboard when you feel your child is ready to make that transition. There are also 9 instrument options – piano, accordion, clarinet, acoustic guitar, xylophone, drum, harmonica, harp, and animal noises! When a tune is completed, all of the animals pop out of their holes to dance as the tune replays. The result is sheer happiness!

Recommended!

Tap A Tune - Mindshapes Limited

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Songs 4 Kids 2

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This FREE app for the iPad includes 14 kids songs (Pat-a-Cake, Hokey Pokey, Looby Loo, Head and Shoulders, Finger Family, This Little Pig Went to Market, This Is the Way, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Little Cabin in the Wood, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Muffin Man, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, How Are You?). Your child can just listen & learn or you can record him/her singing along. The app also teaches how to play each song on the piano. It highlights which keys to tap to play the tune. Above the keyboard is the music. A red ball follows the musical notes for each key that played. There are also pictures to color, puzzles, and a game. Nicely done!

Recommended!

Songs For Kids2 - VCNC

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Mini Adventures – Music

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This music app was developed for the iPhone/iPad to teach kids about different genres of music and instruments from all over the world. Over 120 musical words are arranged on a ABC grid. If you tap on a word – it brings it up on a full screen with a link to a featured You Tube video in the upper left hand corner. Access to the videos can be totally disabled if you wish but children cannot link from the featured videos to the You Tube website. Of course, internet access is required to watch the videos. And, I did find a few video links that no longer worked. Even though I did not watch every video in the app, the developer claims that they were all tested for appropriateness.

That being said, the app is able to be customized. For younger kids you can delete the genres of music and just have instruments available which is what I would suggest. I would not want my toddler watching a 9 minute acid jazz video or a punk version of The Monster Mash with bats and skeletons. You can also add your own cards with your own sounds, pictures, and You Tube links. Pretty cool app to teach kids about instruments from all over the world.  But, check it out to make sure that you are comfortable that the content is appropriate for your child’s age.

Recommended if you customize the app to fit the age of your child.

Mini Adventures - Music - Innovative Mobile Apps