Inventor and Entrepreneur Marcus Blackwell is Eager to Meet Fellow Attendees at Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas Gift Markets, as well as Toy Fair 2026
Atlanta, GA (January 28, 2026) – From grassroots beginnings in Atlanta educational facilities and community afterschool programs, Make Music Count – the incredible music-based STEM toy – is now making its debut at the Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas Gift Markets, as well as Toy Fair 2026 at Booth 6439. Inventor Marcus Blackwell is ecstatic to meet fellow industry professionals and have the chance to demonstrate the ingenuity of Make Music Count to a wider audience in the toy and retail sphere.
2025 was an auspicious year for Make Music Count! In addition to enlisting the help of KidStuff Public Relations, Marcus welcomed Founder & President of Product Counsel Robert Yusim into the fold to assist with the business on mass retail sales, school district sales and licensing opportunities. As a direct-to-consumer marketer with experience mentoring emergent businesses to success and getting entrepreneurial inventions off the launch pad, Robert’s expertise has helped take Make Music Count to new heights! The 2026 Gift Markets and Toy Fair is yet another steppingstone on the upward trajectory of the company.
On the subject of the partnership with Make Music Count, Robert remarked, “Make Music Count is magical! Transforming basic math calculations into music you can play is next level. It’s not a conventional play pattern, so our plan is to make the messaging very easy to understand – that will result in kids and adults being unable to resist playing Make Music Count!”
Marcus, elated with the progress made since working with Robert, commented, “Robert is incredibly knowledgeable and has a proven track record of guiding companies and brands like ZipString, Pixicade and many others to huge success. We look forward to experiencing similar success.”
The secret to Make Music Count is in its brilliant challenge and reward loop which teaches kids mathematics and keyboard technique at the same time. Have your child select a song that will be used to frame the math lesson. Make Music Count has over 1,500 popular songs, including tracks from chart-topping, contemporary artists, to classic musicians and hits from movies and TV. Kids will be challenged with a series of math problems, framed through the language of music. For example, the equation (F + ½ = ?) introduces kids to counting in half intervals, by viewing the piano as a number line. Starting from F, count a half interval (to the right) in the positive direction…which leads to the answer, F#! As they solve equations, kids collect notes until their reward is a lesson in how to play these notes in sequence from a section of their chosen song, all on the keyboard. Through this framing, Make Music Count has successfully demystified math for tons of otherwise arithmetic-avoidant youth from every grade level in schools across the country!
Families are sharing their excitement and love of Make Music Count. @GreenEclecticMama said in her Instagram review: I’m always looking for educational tools that are engaging and fun for home learning. If math has ever felt intimidating for your kids meet @_makemusiccount. It’s a groundbreaking way to turn math into music!
The Make Music Count keyboard and app turns math practice into playtime. There are 1,500+ songs and a built-in reward system that keeps kids excited to learn. So many artists are included like Blink 182, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and even movie soundtracks!
Make Music Count is a brilliant way to help kids build confidence, stay engaged, and discover how math connects to real life. What I love most is how it transforms learning from something that feels like a chore into something kids look forward to. The app guides them step-by-step, and the reward is hearing the song they love come to life through their own playing.
When kids see how music and math work together, learning becomes exciting — not scary.
Make Music Count offers three core kits to help tailor a child’s experience to their proper math learning level. Each kit includes a 49-key keyboard and companion app, as well as workbooks that vary by kit. Helpful note stickers are also included to help label each key, so prior piano experience is not required!
The Math Maestro ($99.99) kit includes a keyboard, plus the Addition and Subtraction workbooks, the Ratio Rockstar ($129.99) kit throws in Multiplication and Division workbooks, and the Piano Prodigy ($149.99) kit combines all the former workbooks and adds in Fractions and Algebra 1! If you already have a keyboard or piano at home, don’t fret! Individual workbooks are also available for $19.99 each, and you can get started with the free Make Music Count app. A purchased subscription is also available which includes even more features, such as access to a backend data portal that tracks your children’s progress in the app. This includes songs played, time spent within the app, average math quiz score performance by subject, improvement data, and which songs drive the best results. Ideal for parents and homeschool families the optional subscription model is ideal for helping parents and educators stay informed on their children’s progress while using Make Music Count. Each subscription can support up to 4 children at once.
Learn about Make Music Count in advance by visiting the official website www.makemusiccount.com. Be sure to visit them at booth #6439 at New York Toy Fair, or the Winter Gift Markets in Atlanta, Dallas and Las Vegas to see a live demonstration!
ABOUT MAKE MUSIC COUNT
The mission of Make Music Count is to use creativity to allow every student to reach their full educational potential. We believe that every student should feel included during instruction and welcomed to the opportunity of being successful. 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 due to intimidation. This was corrected once he saw that you need math to play the piano. This newfound confidence in his math abilities led to him 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 like Make Music Count to truly reach students early enough to see more students pursue STEM degrees in college.
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