The next step in my design process is to develop a concept. In this phase, I find it particularly challenging not to have anyone to spar with. Nevertheless, it is helpful to sketch ideas and discuss them with myself.
I started making scribbles of a music exploration park with instrument installations, performance spaces and music trails. However, I was not too inspirated to develop this concept further. I searched the web for existing products and tried to think of new inventions. After looking back at my old notes, I finally ideated a concept that motivates me.
I want to make a small portable music gadget that could make a big difference for individuals. The gadget will in this article be referred as the Mimic Box.
Message to user: “Be a Parrot”.
What
The mimic box will encourage musicians to play by ear. It will play random melody snippets, and the users are supposed to mimic the sounds they hear, without any help from musical notation. It will work for a wide variety of instruments, such as piano, violin, trumpet, and even vocal.
Why
The tool will help musicians to free themselves from rules and music sheets. They will develop a trained ear for music, and intentionally get inspiration to jam and improvise more. My research throughout the winter semester shows that in many cases, musical notation seems scary and music lessons becomes serious too quickly. It is important to stay playful and experimental to feel a pure joy for music.
In addition, the tool will invite to social interaction and co-playing. It may be used as a competition-based game, which creates a community within the music field.
How
- User pushes button
– Box starts playing a random melody
– LED ring lights up on every tone
– Melody ends - User pushes button
– Box starts recording - User mimic melody
- User pushes button
– Recording ends - Feedback! (Green, yellow or red color)
The given feedback will be based on how well the user mimicked the melody.
