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About Us

 
 
   
 
   
 
   

Company’s Milestones:

April 10, 2000 – ABC airs a segment on the Debra Duncan Show demonstrating the remarkable results of an experiment conducted at the Cottage School, in which Hellene Hiner conducted group piano lessons with every student, K-6th grade. Hiner plans to develop a computer software that is centered on her teaching methods, making music education accessible to every person that has a computer.

August 2001 – Hellene Hiner begins work on the software project.  Hiner allocates seed funding for the project.

January 2002 – Full game specifications for PC are planned and designed.

March 2002 – Provisional patent pending application is filed.

October 11, 2002 – “Soft Way to Mozart” ® is featured on the WB39 news as an innovative breakthrough in music education software.

October 2003 – Prototype for “Soft Way to Mozart” ® curriculum is assembled.

2004 – The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) approves “Soft Way to Mozart” ® as a provider of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) activities.

2004 – “Soft Way to Mozart” ® Studio is opened in San Diego, CA.

August 2004 – Hutsell Elementary School in Katy, TX receives grants and implements “Soft Way to Mozart” ® curriculum as an after school program for under-privileged children.   The Houston Chronicle praises the program’s success in an article printed on June 7, 2005.

November 7, 2004 – KHAN-TV 36 airs footage in Austin, TX of three-year-old Gracie Ni playing Christmas songs with both hands, as well as seventeen-year-old Heily Frank playing an advanced waltz by Khachaturian to demonstrate the remarkable results of the program on students of all ages.

March 2, 2005 – CBS network airs footage nationally of three-year-old Gracie Ni playing Bach’s Minuet in D Minor after only ten months with the Soft Mozart piano learning software program.

2005 – “Soft Way to Mozart” ®is approved by The Ministry of Education (United Kingdom) as a software supplier for the state program Curriculum Online.

2005 – The first “Soft Way to Mozart” ® Studio is opened abroad (Madrid, Spain – now with 150 students).

2006 – “Soft Way to Mozart” ® is endorsed by top music performers and educators Yuri Rozum (Russia) and Victoria Lopez (Madrid).

June 2006 – Full game specifications are planned and designed for Apple.

2006 – First educators receive training through the “Soft Way to Mozart” ® Certification Program to teach the “Soft Way to Mozart” ® curriculum in studios in Russia, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Costa Rica, and Canada.  The studios subsequently receive media attention from local news stations and magazines.

October 2007 – The article “Computer (Soft) Way To Mozart” is published in a book entitled How To Teach Music in 21st Century released by the Moscow Conservatory .

2008 – Additional “Soft Way to Mozart” ® studios are opened in Germany, Ukraine, and Norway.

2009 – More than 2,000 programs have been sold throughout the world through word-of mouth marketing alone with 99% customer satisfaction.

April 2009 – Eight initial patent claims are allowed by an examiner of the United States Patent Office.

May 2009 – A survey conducted by the company among experienced music educators from thirteen different countries yields extremely favorable results for “Soft Way to Mozart” ® when compared to traditional piano teaching / learning methods.

September 2009 – A catholic school in Harlem (NY) starts a pilot music program using the “Soft Way to Mozart” ® as the primary music curriculum. One music teacher is now teaching 30 students of all ages in one class at one time.     Every student in the school (over 300) is successfully learning to play the piano and read music.

December 8, 2009 – US Patent Office issue Patent No. 7,629,527.  All the main claims that secure the invention are accepted with no limitation.

April 22, 2010 – Catholic School in Harlem School elects to permanently run the program as a valuable part of school curriculum and recruiting efforts.

Company Contact Information

Music Vision International LLC

15131 New Hastings Dr.
Houston TX 77095 USA

Phone: +1 713-443-8984 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm Central Time)

Questions and information about our products and programs
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Technical support
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Company Policies

PAYMENT METHODS

We accept Visa, MasterCard and PayPal on our secure server over the Internet.

SALES TAX

We do not charge any sales tax for purchases shipped outside of Texas.
We charge the sales tax in amount of 8.25% on purchases shipped to addresses inside of Texas.

SHIPPING

FOR 48 US STATES:
All orders within the domestic US are shipped with USPS First Class or Priority mail with delivery confirmation depending on weight and cost.

Orders shipped with USPS Priority mail normally arrive in 2-5 days, First class mail in 3-7 days.

Please contact us for other mail options.

SHIPPING TO ALASKA, HAWAII AND PUERTO RICO:
Actual charge of USPS Priority mail with delivery confirmation.

Please contact us for prices and other mail options.

RETURN POLICY

30-Day money back guarantee and full customer satisfaction policy.
You may return any item within 30 days of purchase for a full refund (less any shipping costs).

ORDER CANCELLATION

If you would like to cancel your order, please, e-mail us same day. If your package has been already shipped, refund will be processed after your return received, less shipping fee.

UNDELIVERABLE PACKAGES

All packages returned to us undeliverable or refused will be refunded less shipping fee. Any packages re-shipped out will require additional shipping charges.

DISCLAIMER

All prices and product availability are subject to change without notice. Due to the nature of our business the price you pay today may be different at a later date. Unless stated, prices do not include shipping and applicable sales taxes.

All software sold by Music Vision International LLC is guaranteed against defects for 30 days from the date of the invoice. Except as expressly stated herein, Music Vision International LLC makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, of any kind with respect to products sold on the Music site, including but not limited to merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

You agree that the sole and exclusive maximum liability to Music Vision International LLC arising from any product sold on the Music Vision Internatiomal LLC site shall be the price of product ordered. In no event shall Music Vision International LLC, its directors, officers, employees and/or other representatives be liable for any damages of any kind, including without limitation, direct, indirect, compensatory, special, consequential, incidental and/or punitive damages related to the products sold.

USA
Texas
California
Washington
Michigan
Colorado
New York
Belorus
Canada
Costa Rica
Israel
Kazakhstan
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherland
Portugal
Russia
Singapore
Spain
Turkey
UK
Ukraine

USA

Texas

Hellene Hiner's music studio
15131 New Hastings Dr, Houston TX 77095
(713) 443-8984
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Zulfia's Music Studio
1206 Demaret Lane
Houston, TX 77055
(832) 865-1855 Business (866) 749-3145 Fax
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.zmusicstudio.com

Callahan School of Music
5258 Louetta Rd Suit 180, Spring TX 77379
(281) 320-2570
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tobin Wright Music Studios
22707 Birch Point Dr
Katy,TX 77450
(281) 392-2961
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Elizabeth Vanover Studios
5814 Buffalo Speedway
Houston, TX 77005
(832) 264-0359
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


California

Natalia Zhilyaeva
California
Mountain View

+1 (650) 8622446 (skype lessons for Russian speaking)

e-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sunny's Music
Sunny Abarbanell
Fresno, Ca
(559) 435-4968
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Music Page Studio
Juliann French - Piano and violin instructions
Studio City / Los Angeles, California
(818) 506-6686 Studio
(818) 795-5259 Cell
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amusica Piano Studio
Simona Sugarman
Palo Alto, California
(650) 322-7995
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Oksana School of Music

Los Angeles, CA 90068 - USA

Local 323.284.7930

Toll Free 1-866-4-OKSANA

http://www.OksanaSchoolOfMusic.com

email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Washington

Luanne Harms Piano Studio
1209 NW 22nd Ave, Camas, Wa 98607
(360) 833-0461
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Michigan

PC Piano
Cyndi Peltonen

Group and private piano instruction
Serving Metropolitan Detroit
(248)259-7318
www.pcpiano.com/


Colorado

Inna's Piano Studio
92nd and Wadsworth St, Broomfield, CO 80021
(303) 425-9716
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nancy Benjamin
44 S. Adams Street, no. 129S
Denver, Colorado 80209
Cell: 281-687-9678
Home: 303-333-3255
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


New York

Livia's Piano Program
Woodland Hill Montessori School
100 Montessori Place North Greenbush, NY 12144
Tel: 518-283-5400
Fax: 518-283-4861
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

BSoundNetwork Studio
Val Belin - Interactive Piano & Contemporary Music Harmony Instruction
Vitalina Belin - Interactive Piano for children
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(917) 916-4647 Studio, (917) 330-4847 Cell
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.bsoundnetwork.com


Belorus

  • Минск, ДМШ №11, Янпольская Лариса, телефон 8-029-756-11-36
  • Барановичи, ДМШ, Кристалева Инна Васильевна, тел.8(0163)47-17-13, сот.8-029-253-43-12


Canada

Susanne Gravel studio
1201 Owen Court
Oakville Ontario
Canada
www.oakvillepiano.com


Costa Rica

Smart Fingers Piano Club
Andrea Escalante B.
Santa Ana, San Jose Costa Rica
(506) 203-4171   (506) 356-6543
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Israel

Orange Frog Israel Music Studio
Main Office: Tel Aviv
tel.(+054)799-4575 Lubov Yanpolsky
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.orangefrogisrael.com

 

Kazakhstan

Санкибаева Мадина Каирбековна
тел/факс: +7 775 224 86 42, +7 775 224 8642
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Адрес: ул. М. Джалиля д.13
г. Астана
Казахстан
010000

Malaysia

Musikal Genesis Pte Ltd
22 Kim Keat Road Singapore 328839
Tel: 6256 5191
musikalgenesis.com.sg

 

Mexico

Vladimir Gensler

Aguascalientes, AGS, México

skype: vovick_gensler

+52(449)9186874

 

Netherland

Dolotova Larisa
Interactive-Piano 
Schoutstraat 122-A
Almere 
1315EZ
tel: +316 290 200 76
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Holland (Nederland)

 

Portugal

Aulamusica
Tecnologia, EducaГЦo e Cultura, Lda
Rua da Azinheira, 8
6250-181 Sabugal -- Portugal
+351-931-152-651
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.aulamusica.pt
www.aula-musica.com
www.kids-piano.com


Russia

Наталья Жиляева

скайп-уроки
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Moscow Москва

  • Полетаева Ирина Харисовна, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Акимова Марина, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Ольга Егорова, телефоны в Москве - 752-01-58, 8-906-034-31-74, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

St.Petersburg  Санкт-Петербург

  • Широкова Татьяна Юрьевна учитель музыки ГОУ СОШ №582 , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; +7952-356-95-29
  • Дмитриева Татьяна Петровна, центр развития Натальи Кулаковой "Солнечный Круг",
    http://www.kulakova-center.com/.
    Адрес: 14 линия В. О., д. 93, 8-911-162-16-41

IrkutskИркутск

  • Иркутская областная ДШИ, 664011, Иркутск, ул. Желябова, 9, тел./факс 24-29-41, 24-23-79


Republic of Buryatia,
Ulan-Ude  Бурятия, Улан-Удэ

  • Бурятский республиканский педагогический колледж, 670034, Улан-Удэ, ул. Хоца Намсараева,5

Krasnoyarsk Красноярск

  • ДМШ № 1, Красноярск, ул. Сурикова, 19, 227-74-46, 227-02-62
  • ДШИ №13, Красноярск, ул.  ул. 60 лет СССР, 12, (391) 225-07-70, 225-18-95,
    e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., http://kultura.admkrsk.ru/doc.asp?id=238
  • Дзюба Ирина Дмитриевна, Ачинск, Красноярский край.
  • Штреляева Татьяна Михайловна, Красноярск.
  • Алексеева Евгения Михайловна, Красноярск, ДМШ №1
  • Замятина Татьяна Ивановна, Красноярск
  • Смирнова Екатерина Михайловна. Красноярск. ДШИ №13
  • Дроздова Елена Ивановна. ДМШ №3. Красноярск
  • Батанова Маргарита Вадимовна. Первая квалификационная категория. Завотделением общего фортепиао. ДМШ №1 Красноярск
  • Медведева Людмила Павловна. Высшая. Зав. отделением фортепиано. ДМШ 1.
  • Циунчик Татьяна Афанасьевна. Преподаватель высшей квалификационной категории. ДМШ 1.
  • Толстихина Любовь Михайловна. Заведующая отделением фортепиано. ДМШ 1.
  • Рябова Юлия Алексеевна. ДМШ 4.
  • Сазонова Ольга Валериевна. И.О. директора ДШИ №6
  • Пестрякова Татьяна Олеговна. Преподаватель ДМШ №1
  • Стрижова Ирина Александровна. Преподаватель ДМШ №7
  • Мариловцева Альбина Николаевна. Директор ДШИ №13

Tomsk and Tomsks region Томск и Томская область:
Курысько Тамара Афанасьевна; Земцова Наталья Дмитриевна)

  • ДШИ, Колпашево Томской области, 636460, ул. Кирова 32,Тел. 8-38-254-54195
    (Синенко Вера Ивановна, Неминущая Лариса Анатольевна)

Belgorod region Белгородская область

  • Старооскольский педагогический колледж, Старый Оскол, 309502, Белгородская обл., Старый Оскол, м-н Солнечный,18, факс 32-49-12

Ufa and Bashkortostan Уфа и Башкортостан
Ufa Уфа

  • ДШИ №6 Уфа, Рамазанова Гузель Хусаиновна, 89373141674 (Сипайлово)
  • Студия развития детей "Моё солнышко", пр. Октября, д. 121а/1, Манжурина Влада Владимировна, 89270842905

Bakalinsky region Бакалинский район
Пос. Бакалы, детский сад, Шайдуллина Гульназ Васимовна

Omsk Омск

  • "Студия музыкальной грамотности", проспект К. Маркса, д. 83, 8-913-977-54-64, Барайщук Елена Васильевна

Ryazan Рязань

  • Зайцева Татьяна Алексеевна, 8-910-509-13-91 (ДМШ №1)
  • ДМШ №1, 390000, г. Рязань, ул. Ленина, д. 28, директор Ваньков Сергей Алексеевич

Kemerovo region Кемеровская область

 

  • Алексеев Владимир Владимирович. г.Кемерово. Зам. директора по УВР ДМШ №14. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , тел: +79505993899.
  • МОУ ДОД Новостроевская ДМШ №44, 650510, Кемеровская область, п. Новостройка, ул. Центральная , 13, тел. 3-842-604256

Altay Krai Алтайский край

  • Студия "Звездочка", Барнаул, Михненко Татьяна Васильевна
  • Можайская Галина г. Бийск, сот. тел. 8-903-991-85-73 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  •  

Krasnodar and Krasnodar Krai Краснодар и Краснодарский край

  • ДШИ 353831, Краснодарский край, ст. Новомышастовская, ул. Колхозная, 11, тел. 8-6165-98-1-31,
  • Детский сад "Альтаир" Краснодар, ул. Чкалова, 51, тел. (861)253-70-65 (школа Монтессори)
  • Психологический центр "Любимый Ребенок", Грибкова Ольга Владимировна, 240-93-96
  • Студия "Софт Моцарт", Балашова Маргарита Сергеевна, Дом Работников Образования, Красноармейская, 70, 8-962-85-11-678
  • Детсад №175, Бибикова Елена Анатольевна,
  • Детсад Монтессори, Гнеушева Ольга Михайловна, ул. Чкалова, д. 51, 253-70-65
  • ДШИ №2, Анапа, 350078, ул. Ленина, дом 14, код 86133, факс 4-04-29

Rostov region, Salsk city Ростовская область, г. Сальск

  • Людмила Исаева, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 8-918-508-61-53
  • Оксана Острижная, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 8-905-453-34-95

Singapore


Musikal Genesis Pte Ltd
22 Kim Keat Road Singapore 328839
Tel: 6256 5191
musikalgenesis.com.sg

Spain

Accion Piano, Aula de Musica
Plaza de Valparaiso, 11
Madrid, 28016
Phone: 913441921
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.accionpiano.com

Conservatorio Profesional de Música Joaquín Turina
Calle Ceuta 8
Madrid 28039
Phone: 913441921
http://www.conservatorioturina.com

Turkey

Svetlana Cakmur
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 532 511 5444
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UK

Zhanna White
25 Kirkton Road
Burntisland KY3 0BY
Fife
UK
+44 1592 872-424

 

Kolesnikova Olga

Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK
tel +44 1702 616700
e-mail   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ukraine

Kuiv Киев

  • Музыкальная студия "Gloria", http://gloriamusic.at.ua/, Киев, Кловский Спуск, 8, каб. 305, +7097-563-96-72, +7093-904-47-22, (050) 177-4352, (050) 177-4352, е-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Crimea Крым

  • Евпатория, ДШИ.
  • Новикова  Ольга Анатольевна,  Евпатория, в  р-не  Универмага, телефоны: городской: 3-17-27 (код внутри Украины - 06569), мобильный 8-068-48-377-52, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Coming soon. Please check back later.

International TV stories about Soft Mozart

Links to some of the TV stories about Soft Mozart:

USA - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD268DE52009D9B98
Spain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J2EfdHe3GY
Russia: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF177C54420E3BB71
Ukraine http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0ABAD2B81011CF7A

 

An Interview With Hellene Hiner - Espie Estrella, About.com

An Interview With Hellene Hiner... My advice to the parents would be to take music education seriously. Be present at your child's piano lessons, get involved and see if the child is making progress and being happy. If not, never hesitate to look for another teacher! Many people quit piano lessons if anything goes wrong from the start. It is a very bad idea. Music literacy is a life lasting skill. If your children is musically illiterate, they are not enjoying life to the follest, in my opinion...

Read the full article here.

 

Our method on the 11 News, KHOU, Houston - March 2nd, 2005

Our method on the 11 News, KHOU, HoustonTwo of our small 3- and 5-year old piano students became stars in a news reportage of the channel 11 KHOU (CBS), Houston. This reportage presents the effective method for teaching children and developing their love to music and piano playing.

View the newscast here.

 

Soft Way to Mozart on Houston Channel 2 - February 21st, 2005

Soft Way to Mozart on Houston Channel 2The Houston TV Channel 2 team made a reportage focused on our 3-year-old student who, with the help of the Soft Way to Mozart software, learned to play on the piano many advanced songs including Minuet in G-minor from the Bach's Anna Magdalena Notebook.

View the newscast here.

 

Piano-playing pupils picked up skills using a computer - June 7th, 2005

By HELEN ERIKSEN, Chronicle Correspondent

Elementary to continue pilot music program

Hutsell Elementary youngsters discovered that a computer can release their creative energies allowing them to learn to play the piano.

They used a program called Soft Mozart developed by Houston resident Hellene Hiner.

Using computers and electronic keyboards, pupils in grades K-5 built musical skills during the half-year program. It will be offered a full year beginning in August.

The program had 23 pupils but can serve as many as 30, said teacher Lael Portwood.

Pupils were divided into two groups, and half attended Monday and Wednesday sessions and the other half received hourly instruction on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Soft Mozart, an interactive computer software program, encourages children to acquire music skills much like they gain fluency in language, according to Hiner, who boasts children as young as 3 can learn how to interpret sheet music using this method. The software program is structured to allow users to program virtually any song and then learn the notes.

By the end of the year, pupils were playing several pieces even though the program began only in January, Portwood said.

By connecting a keyboard with about 25 percent fewer keys than a traditional piano to a personal computer, participants learn to play piano. Color-coding the keys on the keyboard to correspond with the music notes shown on the computer monitor makes it more engaging for pupils, Hiner said.

"Children use colored pictures and flash cards to help them recognize and learn musical notes instantly," Hiner said.

Portwood believes young children can become bored with traditional teaching methods, and this program captures their attention and keeps them hooked. Because of the modern technology adept society, pupils are accustomed to using the computer as a learning tool, Portwood said.

The program is funded through a $100,000 21st Century Community Learning Center grant administered by the Harris County Department of Education.

"The grant is designed to provide opportunities for enrichment programs beyond the school day," said Keiko Davidson, the school's principal. "Schools with a significant underprivileged population can apply for these grants."

Hutsell qualified because more than 55 percent of its 850 pupils were enrolled in the free and reduced-cost lunch program.

Academic success

Hiner, who was born in the Ukraine and later moved to what is now St. Petersburg, Russia, before moving to the United States in 1993, said the program is sold over the Internet, but her main thrust is to get it into public schools.

Research shows that learning to read music and play an instrument can boost academic achievement in other areas, Hiner said.

"Sadly, in most public schools music and art are usually the first things eliminated when there are funding issues," she said.

Davidson shares Hiner's belief that instruction in fine arts is critical to a child's overall academic development. She said Hiner's revolutionary methods had a profound effect of her daughter's education. Davidson became impressed when Hiner taught her daughter, Carolyn, and was eager to try the music instruction method.

Carolyn Davidson, who just graduated third in her class at Mayde Creek High School, began piano lessons eight years ago with Hiner and has gained the mastery of one who has studied for 15 years, her mother said.

"All children should be given the opportunity for music instruction," Davidson said,

In 2002, Hiner developed and premiered the Soft Mozart piano teaching method. It took about 25 years to fully develop and implement, Hiner said.

She doesn't see the program as a threat to the traditional way of teaching the piano but instead thinks music teachers will find it more productive.

"It's not just about being faster, it's about being thorough," Portwood said.

"Many parents don't realize there is a more affordable option for teaching the piano. In just a few months, students can play several songs." Hiner said.

She was inspired to develop Soft Mozart because of her initial failure as a music pupil. She found it difficult to understand the lessons and wound up frustrated and disinterested. It was only after her parents removed her from school that she discovered she had perfect pitch and the ability to name any chord or tone by ear.

 

News on KXAN-TV 36, Austin, Texas - November 7th, 2004

News on KXAN-TV 36, Austin, TexasImpressed by students' performance, a popular Austin journalist Jim Swift and his crew from KXAN-TV News visited Hellene Hiner's piano studio. Read and watch the "On The Porch" segment in the 10 p.m. newscast.

View the newscast here.

 

Hellene Hiner becomes a client of Solters & Digney PR - May 19th, 2004

One of the oldest and most respectable of the Public Relation firms, Solters & Digney PR, celebrated its 50th anniversary. In the astonishing list of its clients you can find famous names from Broadway and Wall Street, actors and singers, authors and athletes. 26 years with Frank Sinatra, 33 years with Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and many other successful names and events are connected with the name of Solters & Digney PR.

Hellene Hiner with Lee Solters

 

Pat Boone, Hellene Hiner, Lee Solters and Tonya Billingsley

Hellene Hiner with Lee Solters

 

Pat Boone, Hellene Hiner, Lee Solters and Tonya Billingsley

Hellene Hiner became a client of the Solters & Digney PR seven months ago, after she gave presentation of her program to Lee Solters, a living legend of PR business, and he really has believed in the future of Soft way to Mozart. And of course, Hellene Hiner accepted an invitation to the Anniversary Celebration Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills

"Piano is easier to learn than any other instrument, and is even easier to learn than singing. Some people can't sing. Everyone can play piano." - Hellene Hiner.

 

 

Piano Teacher's Software Hits All the Right Notes - February 19, 2004

An article by Bill Breslin in Houston Chronicles, Thursday, February 19, 2004. http://ep.yimg.com/ca/Img/trans_1x1.gif

When Hellene Hiner was growing up in the Ukraine, a bad experience in music school inspired her to find a new way to teach music. Hiner said because she had difficulty understanding the music lessons, her teacher would scream at her, call her names and throw music sheets on the floor. So when she was 11, her parents took her out of music school.

"Out of nowhere, something special happened to me," Hiner said. "I started to hear the perfect pitch of every song. I don't know what happened, but it was like a blind person suddenly seeing."

She returned to music school at age 12 and graduated with honors at age 15. "When I graduated, I cried tears of happiness and bitterness," Hiner said. "Worldwide, music is taught like it was in the Middle Ages. It's hard to change the way people teach music because they are used to it. When I went to music college, I wanted to learn a new way to teach music."

So she created an extraordinary new method of music instruction called Soft Mozart, utilizing a software program with the same name.

"I compare my method of teaching music like the way children are taught to read," said Hiner, who lives in northwest Houston. "Children are assisted with pictures, colors, and sounds- not just black and white print. I apply all of their senses to music study."

"Music teachers today are teaching music utilizing the students' logical side of the brain," she said. "They begin by explaining the music, like defining the treble and bass clefs," she said.

Hiner's students start right off by playing the musical instrument and learn by playing music, she said. A keyboard is hooked up to a personal computer. Hiner, who said she gives private lessons to about 50 students, color codes the keys on the keyboard to correspond with the lines of music displayed on the computer monitor. The interactive software displays pictures and other graphics, all related to the music that helps the student along.

"I have students as young as 2-years-old," she said. "Children this young are capable of playing the keyboard with both hands - and they love it." She said playing the keyboard helps young children to develop their fine motor skills.

"People today don't use their hands as much as they did in the 18th and 19th centuries," Hiner said. "I relate the amount of hand use with intelligence." She said as people continue to use their hands less, the less intelligent they become.

Hiner said she thinks kids today have the same music literacy as people in the Middle Ages had reading literacy. "I think we need to teach children music, so they can express themselves musically and learn music as a language," she said.

Hiner was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and moved to Ukraine about 4 years later. She had 16 years of music education in the Ukraine - seven years of music school, four years of music college and 5 years at a conservatory - and became a music scientist, music critic and pianist. During her early days in music school, Hiner had to engage in six to seven hours per week of rigorous training, attending a music school after regular school hours. "Children wanting to learn music had a long day," she said. "It was hard work. You couldn't go out and play with the other kids."

She moved to the Unites States in November 1993 to find more freedom in her pursuit of music. In the old Soviet Union, there was too much structure in music education and breaking rules was not encouraged, she said.

Her music technique was born 15 years ago, she said. When she began teaching 2-year-olds to play the keyboard, she thought she would get calls from educators as well as the government. But she received no calls.

"My goal is to bring my program to all of the public schools," she said. "Some of the children will be able to play 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' with both hands at the end of the first class, and some of them will play something more advanced." They will also be able to read treble and bass clefs, she said.

"Piano is easier to learn than any other instrument, and is even easier to learn than singing," Hiner said. "Some people can't sing. Everyone can play piano."

 

WB-39 News - October 11th, 2002

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/doremifasoft/WB39.jpgIn October 11th, 2002, the Program was featuring in WB-39 News. Steve Simon, well known Houston reporter, got interested in the program and visited our school with his TV-crew. He had not only momentarily grasped advantages of new method but succeeded to pack main principles of it in his talented reportage.

Here are some extracts from this report:

WB-39-You know learning to play the piano may never be the same. A local entrepreneur has figured out a way to get kids to enjoy sitting in front of the keyboard. Can you believe it? As Steve Simon tells us in this week's WB Interactive, software makes it possible.

Steve Simon-This takes years of practice. It's hard work. But what would happen when you take some kids and let them think playing the piano is like playing a video-game? You get music. This is DoReMiFaSoft. The soft is for computer software that is helping little ones hit those big notes. Desire here is just four years old.

Hellen Hiner-It works really fast and really effective, like I have some ten years old, nine years old kids who in one lesson start to play with both hands several songs.

Steve Simon-Notice how the musical lines start out vertically. Gradually, the pictures are replaced by notes, and the musical lines go to that standard left to right.

Hellene Hiner-I want this program in public schools. I want children who has no money or low income but big talent to be exposed to the music.

 

Hellene Hiner had her first appearance on the Debra Duncan show (ABC, Houston) on April 10, 2000.

She went to Channel 13 a couple weeks before the show with the video tape of her 2 and 3 year old students playing piano. She was lucky that day to meet a well known T.V. journalist (and her hero), Marvin Zindler, who listened to her ideas with a great deal of curiosity and attention. Marvin Zindler was the one who took her to the supervising producer of the Debra Duncan show and advised demonstrating her teaching methods on live T.V.! The idea to teach a randomly selected child to play piano with two hands in twenty minutes during the show had been born.

Nobody knew how the experiment would turn out. After the crew had visited a school and saw the students, most of them became believers that something special can happen. The results surprised even them. Little 6 year old Ashley, who was picked out of the audience, confessed she had never taken piano lessons before. She was able to play the Hanon #1 exercise and Ludvig Bethoven's "Ode to Joy" with all ten fingers of both hands at the end of the show.

 

Music Teacher Strikes Chord with Theory for Teaching Tots - March 10th, 1997.

Business Journal published an article about Hellene Hiner's program:

"... Hiner's theory speculates that 100 percent of all babies are born with musical talent of some kind but that the talent is lost by the age of 5 or 6 if it is not developed..."

Read the article here.

 

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