As an entrepreneur, I created Make Music Count.
Make Music Count is a math experience taught through playing piano. In our lessons, students solve real math equations where the answers are musical notes to play on the piano. Make Music Count is available in a few ways:
- As a free app in the App Store and Google Play Store for individuals to download onto their phone, iPad, or tablet for home usage.
- As a supplemental educational app that school districts use in math classes, music classes, special education classes, and as after-school enrichment.
- Retail spaces – Make Music Count is lastly a kit that comes with workbooks and a physical electric piano keyboard. These are sold in retail spaces and through our website www.makemusiccount.com and also available to school districts as well.The curriculum and lessons in the workbooks align with the Make Music Count app. This allows the student to write and show their math work in the workbook, put their answers into the app, and when the song plays, their answers light up on the virtual piano, and they can then play those answers on the electric piano keyboard.
My bio:
Marcus Blackwell Jr has played the piano since the age of 5, studying classical, jazz, and gospel piano. He began playing professionally on the piano and organ for churches at the age of 14. However, in school, he struggled in math because it didn’t make sense. When he saw that you need math to play the piano, it suddenly clicked. This newfound confidence in his math abilities led to his receiving a B.S. in Mathematics from Morehouse College. He then invented and founded Make Music Count as a creative way to improve students’ math performance by playing songs on the piano. It’s the solution he wished he had growing up. Marcus believes that we need creative methods to truly reach students and allow them to reach their full educational potential. And if we reach them early enough in methods like Make Music Count, we will see more students pursue STEM degrees in college and look at this as a career.
Ending thoughts:
“I’m so excited about the exponential possibilities of students we can help with this creative approach to learning math through playing the piano. Music makes us all feel happy, and we’ve taken that feeling and used it as a reward for correctly understanding math. Make Music Count has global impact potential because any song in any language or genre can be used in our math lessons. And this math-and-music method can be applied to any instrument. I’m so grateful that the passion and love of music I used and needed to overcome math intimidation can now help others around the world.”
I was featured on “The Game Plan” on TNT Hosted by Shaq. On this show, Shaq selected 6 Atlanta-based companies to feature, where he looked at their business and gave them resources to grow. It was huge exposure and the best part was I didn’t apply for this, he found me!
Here’s the link to a snippet of the show:
