Since that post, others have mentioned some further apps to me, and I have discovered some others myself that I think are well worth sharing.

NumPad – Using a laptop or on an Apple wireless keyboard? Do you miss your extra keypad and are slowed down because of it? Then this app is for you. It wirelessly connects to your computer and away you go. There are various layouts you can choose from, from a standard number keypad to the Sibelius layout shown below. You can also choose the colour/key type to match your current keyboard. Genius.

Audio Tool – There are lots of dinky apps to do the odd music job. There are some though that are appearing that combine all these little features and make a more weighty app, like this one from www.performanceaudio.com. There are currently four tools on the app but more are coming. You have a decibel meter, microphone to hook up to your sound system, a bit calculator to calculate drive space needed for a recording and also a handy audio atlas – hundreds of audio/electrical definitions you may come across while working in the studio or on the stage. Never be embarrassed again by not knowing a term, as it covers everything from absorption and attenuation, to scrubbing and SMPTE, to vocoder and VST.

SoundCloud – More and more people are signing up to this wonderful website. I now host all my website audio through SoundCloud and it is mindblowingly good (see a previous post about SoundCloud here). In this app you can view all of your music, that of your friends, your favourites and of course once you’re with a track you have all functionality you would have online.

Pitch Primer – This app analyses your pitch in real time, you can record and afterwards have a detailed analysis (visually or by listening as well), you can retune your recorded audio to a desired temperament and replay it at the correct pitch, or it can just be used as a tuner. You can choose from six different temperaments, different scales and calibrate it. If it sounds a little heavy going, it’s actually quite informative, interesting and dare I say it … fun.

Air Display – This app gives you an extra wireless display. Beautiful. So it is not a music app as such, but one that is hugely beneficial to musicians, particularly those using an iPad. Most iPads or iPhones sit beside a computer doing nothing anyway, so this is a great way to make the most of them. If you’re using Sibelius, Pro Tools or Logic you can have many windows open at one time. With Air Display you can easily drag windows in and have full functionality using the touch screen. Don’t count the iPhone out for its size either, even just drag the playback window to the iPhone screen, go back and sit on your couch and have full control. I quite like the idea of avoiding apps like the massively priced ProRemote (which I talked about in my previous post), which really is another program connecting with Logic or Pro Tools. Where Air Display is you actually you, on your computer.

Cowbell Plus – I think we are all guilty of trying out some percussion instruments, cringing at their sound quality and then deleting them minutes later. Cowbell Plus, however, is quite above these other apps. The 22 instruments not only sound really authentic, but on each you can play at different volumes and the actual sound will change. For example, hitting a gong gently sounds completely different to hitting it hard. This app makes that change depending on how you tap it. It is very clever and although it is not yet going to replace your array of real percussion instruments, it is nice to have.

MTF Native Instruments, MTF Pro Tools, MTF Reason, MTF Synthesis, MTF Mastering V1 – The Music Tech Magazine is of course a hugely popular magazine around the world and in these apps it brings focused features, concepts, interviews, techniques, tutorials and reviews of these (and other) softwares. Perfect for reading if you’re on the go, or even just if you are mighty serious about this software.

Enjoy checking out these apps and let me know your comments below.

Of course there are amazing professional musicians out there who can not read a note of music. There is also a whole new generation of producers and composers – who have been traditionally the theory superstars –  who do not need knowledge of the finer elements of music to put notes on paper. I’m not saying theory needs to be a foundation – unbounded creativity and following the ear in creating music should be paramount.

We learn to speak by ear as a child, then we go to school and we learn how to read and write. Then in later years we develop these skills further and it only increases our level of understanding and ability to communicate. The same goes for music, and with this in mind, the thought some have that knowledge of theory can restrict musical creativity is crazy.

Is being an absolute wizard of music theory going to make you a better musician? Put it this way, there are amazing musicians who severely lack good knowledge in music theory, but can get by just playing note after note. Little do they know what they’re missing! Similarly in creating a masterwork of your own at the piano, you can make something sound good but once you know what is happening musically, it suddenly comes alive and makes sense. To communicate effectively in music, whether it be via performing or writing, you need to have a good vocabulary in music. It is like English or any other language – speaking it is one thing, but once you are literate, it opens a whole new world of possibilities, allows you to actually understand what is happening, and allows you to express your musical ideas, and this, in turn, will dramatically accelerate your musical development.

So, instead of letting your students slip by, or being held back yourself, get up to play with music theory. You’ll be far better off for it. If you want to learn from me, here are the details.

If you’re wondering what I am talking about, here’s what the festival website has to say:

“For the past 25 years, the KBB Music Festival, in association with The Edge® Public Programmes, has been showcasing the best in secondary school orchestras, concert bands and jazz bands in Auckland. From the small numbers in the original Auckland Secondary Schools Band and Orchestra Festival, the KBB Music Festival has now grown to see over 100 groups competing from more than 40 schools across the greater Auckland region.”

It was a fantastic few days of music. I saw two full days out of the four days of the festival. Always interesting to see what others are doing, taking a mental note of ideas for next years’ possibilities and also observing how others lead their groups.

I had three groups competing in the festival this year – the Carmel Chamber Orchestra, Carmel Orchestra and the Kristin Symphonia. All did reasonably well and each picked up a Bronze award at last night’s (three hour epic) gala concert.

On the last day I had the pleasure of working with four groups at the Fringe Festival. These are groups under development or not quite meeting the full festival requirements. The whole point is to provide encouragement and constructive feedback to get them primed, pumped and ready for year ahead.

Big thanks to administrator and chairperson David Squire for another seamlessly run festival and for his eighteen years on the committee. This was his last year of involvement with the festival. Also, of course, much thanks to these two:

• Guardians of the North wind orchestra
• Heedless Conclusions for SATB choir
• In Their Light for string quartet
• Moana Ataahua for orchestra with SATB choir
• Rakaia for full orchestra
• Reclusion for mixed chamber septet
• Somnium for full orchestra
• Subsidence for full orchestra
• The Attic for string ensemble
• The Attic for flute, clarinet in A, violin I, violin II, viola, violoncello and double bass
• This Day for piano solo
• Through my eyes, I see for piano and percussion
• Wild Daisies for SSA choir

If they don’t have it, then contact me and I will sort you out no problem!

Here are some photos of the concert and a video of The Attic performance (taken by Laira Dalileia):

Recently I signed up to SoundCloud, interested to see exactly what it was all about. I really, really like it.

It describes itself as the following:

SoundCloud lets you move music fast & easy. The platform takes the daily hassle out of receiving, sending & distributing music for artists, record labels & other music professionals.

I am still only new, but have been uploading some tracks and am using it to power my music player, and soon will use its’ smallest widget to place short samples in my catalogue. It’s also easy to embed single samples in emails, pages and blog posts, like here:

Wild Daisies by ryanyouens

The receiving and sending of music is a service I have yet to require but with a beautiful drop box which you can embed on your own site, I can see this will be an easy process, just like using every other service.

There are various plans including of course a free account, and they are limited by duration, not by file size. Hallelujah! So you don’t have to think twice about uploading your beautiful high quality recording.

What I really like is that it is set up for music professionals and there really is no attraction for others. It has great social features so there is the ability to upload a track, mark it as a work in progress, share it only between your friends and get feedback. When commenting on a track, you can select at any duration and comment there. For example, at 1:39 you may wish to say “Ryan, what’s the chord here? It’s crazy!”.

There is a nice mix of genres, everything from DJ’s to real music – classical, film and contemporary. Also an increasing amount of New Zealander’s on there which is good to see.

So many beautiful features so take a tour here or sign in and follow my music here.

The Auckland Wind Orchestra and conductor Ryan Youens are proud to present Breathe In, Breathe Out – a concert of overtures and finales – an exciting mix of all your favourites.

Bernstein – Candide Overture
Giavannini – Overture in Bb
Strauss – Gypsy Baron Overture
Rossini – William Tell Overture
Tchaikovsky – Finale from Symphony No.2
Mendelssohn – Finale from 3rd “Scottish” Symphony
Kalinnikov – Finale from Symphony No.1
Stravinsky – Berceuse and Finale from Firebird Suite

Sunday August 1st, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Holy Trinity Church
20 Church Street, Devonport
North Shore, New Zealand

Tickets: adults $15, concessions $10, door sales only

The Auckland Wind Orchestra aims to be New Zealand’s finest community wind ensemble. We regularly stage concerts in the Auckland region, performing a broad range of musical styles to a wide audience. Our players come from all walks of life, united by the desire to have fun while making great music.

www.ryanyouens.com
www.awo.co.nz

It uses the text from Bub Bridger’s poem, Wild Daisies.

The choir was once again successful in getting through to The Big Sing Finale, along with many other choirs from around New Zealand. You can see the full list of these choirs at The Big Sing website.

Wild Daisies is notated for SSA choir and if anyone is interested in buying a copy please let me know.