Music is a big deal in the Reynolds household. We constantly surround ourselves with music
through Pandora, TV, movies and random singing throughout our day. As Buddy gets older, we’ve seen the pure joy and excitement that comes when he gets to play an
instrument or sing a song in his weekly homeschool group too. Kids are just fascinated with music and instruments, and that's an interest to grab ahold of and foster! Whether it's the
piano at
grandma’s house, the tin whistle he plays in his homeschool group, his
toy harmonica, train whistle, or play guitar, I want music to continue
to be an integral part of Buddy's life.
As a girl I had several years of piano lessons. When we visit my mom and have the opportunity to play her piano, I seem to pick up right where I left off and play a tune or two that I memorized years ago! It's really a joy and accomplishment to me when I see that I can still actually play. In fact, lately I've had the urge to revive my piano playing days and even teach Buddy at home too. Without a piano though, that's a bit tough! The next best thing was to research portable keyboards which led me Casio, a world leader in innovative electronic products.
I received complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own.
Casio kindly sent my family the CTK-2300 keyboard. This portable keyboard is just a taste of the insanely cool features that higher-end Casio portable keyboards can hold, and yet the CTK-2300 is filled to the brim with plenty of neat functions in itself. I, for one, was astounded to see all the things it's capable of!
The CTK-2300 keyboard
offers pure playing pleasure with 61 piano-style keys. Discover the
instrument's numerous features: whether you want to dive into a colorful world
of 150 rhythms, use the sampling function together with the five Voice Pads or
connect a CD or MP3 player via the audio input so that you can play along with
your favorite songs on the keyboard. The CTK-2300 provides a huge range of
features and functions. And the step-up learning system makes it easy to hear
the progress made in your playing skills.
- Five Voice Pads
- 48-Note Polyphony AHL Sound Source
- 400 Tones, 150 Rhythms, 10 Digital Reverb Effects & 110 Built-In Songs
- Step Up Lesson System
- Can be powered by batteries or with the included AC adapter
Although the features on the keyboard are rich, you’ll just
have fun learning and playing around on the keyboard like Buddy. Just discovering the different each of the 400 tones was entertainment in itself! The keys are somewhat weighted, so just resting your
fingers on the keys isn't going to sound them all off. It feels very
much like a piano to me! I do love the volume control though, since experimenting with all the features can often sound like utter chaos.
We’ve really enjoyed the Step Up Lesson System feature that teaches you how to play with a little extra help from the digital screen. In fact, Hubby learned to play a few Christmas songs this way, without having to read music. He played the guitar as a teenager, but never learned to read music. With this function, learning to play a tune right away doesn't necessarily require knowing how to read music.
We’ve really enjoyed the Step Up Lesson System feature that teaches you how to play with a little extra help from the digital screen. In fact, Hubby learned to play a few Christmas songs this way, without having to read music. He played the guitar as a teenager, but never learned to read music. With this function, learning to play a tune right away doesn't necessarily require knowing how to read music.
The CTK-2300 includes an A/C adapter and Song Book. You can also purchase additional accessories including a bench or a keyboard stand. The Song Book has 89 songs, with varying levels from beginner to expert. For those with some playing ability already, this is a great start to learning to play new pieces.
We’ll be using this keyboard to teach Buddy how to play and perhaps get him professional lessons in the near future. For now I'm working on teaching him how to hold his hands lightly on the keys and play gently. He's so eager to learn more that he's constantly asking me to teach him how to play. I'm off to find a children's lesson book to help him learn to read music and play beginner songs!
I'm so excited about this new
adventure in learning for Buddy. The Casio CTK-2300 keyboard is certainly working out great for our family. It's a teaching tool that will be around for years to come, so I consider it a great investment for any family that enjoys music. It doesn't take up much space, and the opportunities for learning are endless.
3 comments:
Those keyboards have certainly come down in price. I remember going in with some friends about 10-15 years ago and I won't tell you what we had to pay! My friend's son did love it and ultimately learned to play-no lessons for him unfortunately. Learning to play an instrument is pretty important!
We have an older Casio keyboard and we totally love it. We have had it through five kids and it is still going strong.
OMG, my sister had one of these and that thing lasted forever!
Ann B.
Post a Comment