I came across this game at the New York International Toy Fair this year and was so excited to see a toy that so brilliantly fits the STEAM toy requirements of engaging science, technology, engineering, art and math. We all know that learning to read, play and write music pretty much does, and always  has done, all of those things. But, Compose Yourself by ThinkFun is a STEAM toy that takes advantage of its creator’s access to a world-class symphony and recording studio, ThinkFun’s game development prowess, and technology that makes it easier and more fun than ever to become a real composer.

The 60 clear cards each provide four different ways to read the same notes. Line up cards in any order, enter the numbers from the cards into the app, name your song, listen to an orchestra play it back while you read along with the notes. They say that within a few weeks, people who have never read music before are able to read it! It’s a genius invention for your tech savvy, music loving friend or family member of any age.

You can also buy Compose Yourself for everyone in your family (it does make a great stocking stuffer!) for $14.99 on Amazon and they recommend it for kids aged 6+. It’s seriously a fascinating experience for any music lover.

Check out this video of how it works:

To quote their Amazon description:

Start Creating Original Music in Minutes! Invented by world-famous composer and cellist, Philip Sheppard, Compose Yourself combines a set of Music Cards with an exclusive website to allow you to create, play and share your own world-class composition. The 60 transparent Music Cards, each containing a series of notes, are like building blocks for music, and can be arranged to form over a billion musical combinations. Simply select and arrange several of the cards, then register online to hear your melody played by virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. The website will allow you to flip, rotate and swap cards so that you can change your melody until you love what you hear. When you’re done, download an mp3, print music and share with your friends and social networks. Compose Yourself stimulates and connects the right and left brain, building new thinking skills and encouraging creativity, self-expression and a passion for music. As Philip Sheppard has said, “We all talk about playing music, but it’s even more fun to play with music!”