Where Is Music Going These Days? Do You Want To Go There?

I am exploring participatory music with elders, youth, and for my own enjoyment. You are welcome to join me.

Skimming through my LinkedIn account, I came across a post by Phil Didlake, Director of Drum Innovation. I have booked him in live sessions with elders. He recently introduced a distance-delivered way for those of us who like music, but do not know how to make music, to create music. Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 1 pm to 2 pm PDT, we can experience Rhythm Quest, a creative process to help individuals and groups make beats online together.

Here's what we shall learn:

• Discover mobile apps, tools, and platforms used for music creation.

• A framework to help you to discover new musical ideas.

• How to collaborate and get inspired by others in a supportive group setting.

I like Phil's Drum Innovation website because it is clean and clear, not cluttered, and includes sample sound bites.

In his October 2 presentation, Phil will discuss mobile apps, tools, and platforms for creating music. I next did an Internet search for free ear- training apps and websites and came across 18 Best Free Ear Training Apps & Websites. Then I found 15 Best Mobile Beat Making Apps - iPhone, iPad, Android. The mobile beat making app that appealed to me the most was Musyc, because it is multi-sensory (touch, sound, visual) and it looks simple (though it probably is more complicated than first view). Musyc is available on the Apple Store. On this app, you draw shapes and listen to your piece of music while viewing sounds bouncing on the screen. Using this app, elders and youth can create music on their handheld device. In a group, the device can be connected to a large screen, where all can view the user's creations.

One of my music authorities said he was wary of music apps because they don't have the quality of sound and same finger dexterity as one experiences by playing actual musical instruments. So I searched for the real thing and found 11 Best Websites To Buy Used Musical Instruments & Music Gear. The site was overwhelming.

I decided to start with the Musyc app and let my hands-on-music process unfold. Do you want to explore this process with me?