Music, as an important hobby to cultivate human sentiments, also enables today's parents to send their children to various remedial classes since childhood, such as piano, guitar, saxophone, and so on. Of course, this is also a huge cost. In fact, in addition to this method, you can also use various types of music learning devices for assistance, which is why so many music apps have emerged today. However, the author believes that only by being able to access the actual musical instruments can we really stimulate children's interest（ WeChat official account: ）We also got a very creative and popular music early education product abroad - Alfie music ball.
appearance
When I first saw Alfie, I felt that it was very similar to the football of the World Cup, perhaps because the founder of the project was from Britain. It was very friendly. For a music early childhood education device, the appearance of affinity is actually very important. Children can better interact with the product if they do not feel resistance to it.
There are a total of 24 keys on the music ball, each of which has a large area. From top to bottom, they are high key, normal key and low key. Each circle of keys represents eight notes of Do Re Mi Fa So La Te Do. It is very easy to get started. Even music Xiaobai like the author can easily pop up a "Ode to Joy".
On the top of the music ball, there is a red knob and four black and small buttons. Clockwise and counterclockwise rotation respectively represent the rising half tone and the falling half tone. The knob can also be clicked. Press it to switch from major to minor. The four small buttons can switch musical instruments and adjust the brightness of the only display screen on the machine.
Compared with musical instruments, Alfie is more like a toy. Nowadays, children may resist music and other things, but they believe that they will not be disgusted with a product that looks like a toy. Therefore, the author believes that the appearance design is a very big highlight of Alfie. It will not make you feel a thousand pieces of law, but it will be more fresh and have a desire to touch it and play.
function
There is a long knob on the chassis of the music ball. In addition to adjusting the volume, it also acts as a power key. After pressing it, you can play happily. In addition to the knob, there is a small LED display on the chassis. When you switch the tone, it will be displayed on it, in case you suddenly forget what the tone is now^_^
As mentioned above, the keys on the music ball can switch musical instruments, including piano, xylophone, guitar and bass. In addition, there are audio input and output interfaces to connect the audio or mobile phone for playing. The overall playability is very high. The charging interface is located in the middle of the two audio interfaces. It uses a microUSB interface and comes with a charging line. After the official introduction, it can be used for 8 hours. From the actual experience, the endurance of this music ball is also very strong.
（ Power, volume knob, audio input/output and charging interface ）
（ Power cable and audio cable ）
The way of playing is very simple. The huge keys can make a pleasant sound with just a touch. Each key is surrounded by a circle of light bands, which will light up when pressed down. Each color represents a note, which is more conducive for children to remember the notes they represent.
This is the basic function. It can be said that although Alfie Music Ball has simple functions, it is not simple. You can still enjoy playing with it. More importantly, you can find a good inspiration to love and learn a hobby.
Early education
Since Alfie Music Ball is positioned as a music early education initiator, obviously the author is not suitable as a user, so here we are（ WeChat official account: ）We found two 8-year-old children who were in the second grade of primary school to test the friendliness of musical balls.
When the author put the music ball in front of them, the two children were inexplicably interested in it. They kept playing and asking me "why this football can make a sound", just like the most popular toy on the market. But I clearly remember that they had no feelings for piano, guitar and other instruments before.
In fact, looking at the current situation of early education, parents still remain in a forced situation for such education enlightenment. What they care about is not what their children like, but what courses they think are interesting. They force their children to register and participate, and do not care about their real ideas and interests. This effect will actually be counterproductive.
Instead of putting a guitar, piano, drum set or a book of Olympian Maths questions in front of children, it is better to find a better breakthrough point to increase their interest in strange things. Alfie music ball is a good case. It hides a heart that can enlighten children's music hobby and eliminate this sense of distance under the mask of a toy appearance.
Jony Ive, Apple's chief design officer, said in his early design of the Mac that people had never used a computer, and there was still a sense of strangeness, fear and distance for such products. How can the Mac eliminate this feeling? Jony Ive's approach is to design a handle on the computer, so that when people see it, they will subconsciously feel that they can hold it with their hands, and think that I can be so close to the computer. Alfie's concept of music ball is the same. After all, football is used to touch and play. Why many children are afraid of the piano? That's because they don't know how to interact with the piano. So the author thinks Alfie is very good at this.
summary
In general, Alfie Music Ball is a "very interesting" product, which is very consistent with the positioning of this product - that is, music enlightenment education. After experiments, it is found that children are really interested in it, even if they have never received music education before. The author believes that after children become interested in music, they can immediately carry out the next step of edification. In this way, children will not feel compelled, and learning will become more efficient when they are completely interested.
Not only music, but also learning should be like this. Out of love and enthusiasm, Alfie Music Ball also symbolizes an education method in another country, and their founders came all the way to bring this happy learning method here. At present, this product also five hundred and ninety-nine RMB crowdfunding price In fact, it's just the price of an entry-level guitar, which can be said to be worth it. When you spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy a musical instrument or attend a private education class, you might as well buy this product first to see if children are interested in it, and then make the next decision. Maybe the effect will be better.
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