It is widely known that music brings joy and happiness while improving the quality of life. This applies to listeners as well as to the musicians themselves.  Sometimes, giving the gift of music to those who need joy in their lives is such a noteworthy story that it needs to be told. This is one of those stories.

US-based musician Lee Williams is doing precisely that: bringing joy and enrichment to people’s lives – including his own. Lee performs regularly at retirement homes with a classical “a man and his guitar” act. 

The idea came to him two years ago when Lee’s mother-in-law was in a retirement facility. 

“I was talking with one of the staff and mentioned how much I enjoyed learning guitar and what music had come to mean to me in my old age. So, she simply invited me to play. I accepted, and we scheduled it. I played for about an hour. Needless to say, with my poor skills, I was terrified but realized how much the patients appreciated it”, Lee says.

“It feels great to be appreciated and know that you brought some real value and so much happiness into some lives.”

And indeed, Lee’s musical journey began in his golden years. 

“I never touched a guitar until I was 69 years old.  I guess one is never too old to learn.  I am so grateful I took it up.  My progress is slow, but I still love it”, Lee explains.

Lee has learned his guitar skills both independently and with Justin Sandercoe. He has used the JustinGuitar app and also visited Justin’s Guitar camps.

“I have attended Justin’s Guitar camps three times: once in Petite St. Vincent’s, once in Italy, and once in Montreal. The camps have helped me improve as a guitar player in a surprising way: Justin insisted that I learn to sing. The truth is, I’m not that great at either playing guitar or singing, but I love the hell out of both”, Lee says modestly.

“I really recommend the camps! Both the instructions and the class itself are great!  It’s nice to be in a supportive group. Justin and his instructor colleagues are nothing less than outstanding”, Lee continues.

Lee wants to emphasize that one shouldn’t miss the chance to perform for others just because one might be worried about one’s skills as a player. 

“I Never touched a guitar until I was 69.  I guess one is never too old to learn.“

“My advice is, don’t worry how badly you play or sing – just do it”, Lee says.

He enjoys his performances at retirement homes tremendously. 

“Seeing the smiles and laughter is what I love the most about it. I also tend to tell a couple of jokes along the way. As poor as an artist as I am, it feels great to be appreciated and know that you brought real value and so much happiness into some lives.”

“I have seen them laugh wildly and also see tears flow down their faces. It’s quite moving. They absolutely love and appreciate it, and you are doing great service,” he continues.

Personally, Lee is most inspired by classic rock bands such as The Allman Brothers, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Chris Stapleton when you cross the bridge from rock to country. He mainly plays old-school rock and new-school country with his guitar.

However, when performing in nursing homes, he always considers what the elderly would appreciate the most.

“Initially, I choose songs from the early to late sixties. At the end of the first session, I ask them to write down what they want to hear and try to study and play those songs when I return. You know they love it when you start getting warm hugs and handshakes at the end of the session. The songs seem to take them back to earlier days”, Lee tells us.

“Artists from Ricky Nelson to Willy Nelson and everything in between are especially loved. Also, each home is a bit different depending on the demographics. My best advice is just to be open and, most importantly, have fun with it!” Lee advises.

“Music allows us to transcend from a simple existence to truly living.”

To other hobby musicians, Lee has a word of encouragement.

“Playing in retirement homes is the definition of a win-win situation.  It gives both the artist and the patients tremendous joy and enrichment.  It’s also a great way to learn to perform before an audience, and one that you can almost rest assured will greatly appreciate you no matter how little or exceedingly skilled you are.  You will find retirement homes very appreciative of your offer to play, and the patients will love the hell out of you for it.

We have now talked a great deal about what music means to his audience, but let’s now focus on Lee. What does music mean to Lee himself?

“It allows us to transcend from a simple existence to truly living”, Lee says philosophically. 

Read the previous My Music Journey

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The post My Music Journey: Lee Williams first appeared on Musopia Blog.

In the first part of our in-house music series, we explored how Musopia’s in-house music enhances the learning experience for users of apps like Justin Guitar and KALA. By creating custom tracks tailored to educational needs, Musopia balances musical enjoyment and practical skill-building. 

Now, we will examine the technical side of this creative process and how the Musopia team ensures that every track meets the high standards expected from a leading music education platform.

From the tools and instruments used to the seamless integration of music into the apps, Markus Pajakkala shares how in-house music production comes to life and what the future holds for Musopia’s ever-expanding musical landscape.

“Some users have named our in-house songs as their favorites”

Musopia strives for a broad, versatile style in terms of musical variety. The music is mainly timeless, drawing inspiration from the popular tracks users enjoy in the song libraries of both Justin Guitar and Kala App. This wide-ranging approach ensures in-house music resonates with a broad spectrum of learners.

Markus’ own journey into music production began early. 

“I’ve always had a lot of musical ideas in my head,” he recalls. 

At ten, he started experimenting with software on his dad’s computer, splicing loops to create his own riffs. As he developed his skills, he transitioned to modern recording and mixing software, motivated initially by the financial necessity of making music without renting studio time.

What began as a passion has since blossomed into a full-fledged career, where Markus can now combine his love for music with helping others learn.

“We believe in our music. It shows great results within our apps, and we’ve also started releasing it on streaming platforms.”

At Musopia, for the technical side of things, Markus uses Logic Pro software and a range of instruments and plugins. While some aspects of the production are programmed for efficiency, many elements are recorded live, including drums, which he plays on an electric drum kit, and various instruments on a MIDI keyboard. Vocals are either performed by Markus himself or by session singers from his hometown. He even incorporates more unusual instruments like the saxophone, melodica, and concert xylophone when the occasion calls for it. After recording, he handles the mixing and mastering process to ensure the music maintains a high standard, even under a fast production schedule.

When evaluating the quality of Musopia’s in-house music, Markus relies on his experience in the industry, supported by user testing, to verify that the music hits the correct mark. Feedback from users has been overwhelmingly positive. 

“Some users have named our in-house songs as their favorites,” Markus says, underscoring how in-house music often plays a crucial role in helping users learn to play their instruments.

The integration of this music into the apps is seamless. After a video tutorial introduces a new chord or technique, the user immediately applies that knowledge by playing along with in-house songs or exercises. There are also dedicated trainers and practice sessions that feature Musopia’s custom tracks to help reinforce what the user has just learned.

Looking to the future, Musopia has ambitious goals for its music production. 

“We believe in our music. It shows great results within our apps, and we’ve also started releasing it on streaming platforms,” Markus notes. 

The company is working on producing more music for various educational purposes, seeing the potential for music to play a vital role in branding the company.

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Read the previous article about Musopia’s in-house music production.

The post Musopia’s In-House Music: Exploring the Technical Side of Things first appeared on Musopia Blog.

In today’s digital world, personalized learning experiences are more important than ever, especially when it comes to mastering new skills like playing an instrument. Musopia has taken a unique approach to enhance the learning journey by producing its own music in-house. Markus Pajakkala, a key figure behind this creative process, shares insights into how the company crafts engaging, educational music that motivates users to practice and makes learning fun and rewarding.

Musopia has carved out a unique approach to enhancing the learning experience within its popular Justin Guitar and KALA apps by producing its own music. According to Markus Pajakkala, Music Content Producer for the in-house music production team, the rationale behind this decision is rooted in pedagogy. 

“Real music, so to say, is often not best suited for learning an instrument,” he explains. 

“When users start out, their favorite songs are likely too complex to play. By creating our tracks, Musopia can perfectly tailor the music to the user’s skill level, keeping it catchy, fun, and educational.”

The process of creating these songs starts with the specific learning challenges within the apps. For example, users may need to practice a particular chord change at the right tempo repeatedly. From there, Markus’ creativity and expertise are required to build a song that doesn’t feel like practising but rather like playing real music. 

“The creation process is swift,” he says, noting that ideas come from everywhere. 

If progress stalls in one part of the process, he shifts to another section, which often helps unlock the initial challenge.

While the songs are designed to meet educational needs, Markus emphasizes that creativity is not sacrificed. He enjoys working within the “rules” set by the educational focus. 

“It actually makes things easier,” he says, explaining how the technical requirements—such as a particular chord change or tempo—might inspire the song’s direction. For instance, a specific challenge might remind him of Pink Floyd, leading him to experiment with a 70s drum kit or a Hammond organ. The goal is to keep things simple and accessible for beginners but with enough depth to keep the music engaging.

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Read the previous Music in My Life article about Markus Pajakkala

The post Musopia’s In-House Music: Enhancing the Learning Experience first appeared on Musopia Blog.

We sat down with Mirella, a graphic and mobile UI designer, and discovered what is most fascinating about designing mobile apps.

How long have you worked at Musopia?

I joined in June 2023, so it’s been about a year.

Why did you want to work for Musopia?

Musopia checked so many boxes for me that I just knew it would be a good fit. UI design at the intersection of music, education, and gamified apps? In an international, flat-hierarchy company that’s neither too small nor too big? Yes, please!

What is your prior work experience? 

I’ve worked as an illustrator for an e-learning startup, as a jack-of-all-trades Visual Designer for a climate foundation, and as a freelance animator and web designer before my current role. I also have some background in writing and journalism.

I’m still regularly staggered by how many talented, smart, and fun people Musopia has brought together.

What is your area of responsibility at Musopia?

I’m a UI designer on the live apps team. Lately, I’ve been working primarily with the Kala ukulele app, but I like to take on other tasks every now and then as a palette cleanser.

How have you been able to develop your skills as a mobile app designer in your current position?

The continuous iteration of the live apps and collaboration with talented team members have taught me a lot, especially since I’m relatively new to mobile app UI design. Pushing my professional boundaries has been both interesting and rewarding.

What is your most surprising learning outcome during the mobile app design process? 

It’s been fascinating to observe how users might interact with your prototype or design differently than you imagined they would. It’s always better to test than to assume. 

What is the starting point in your design process?

The starting point in my design process typically revolves around understanding the problem or goal that the design aims to address. Once I have a clear understanding of the context and purpose of the project, I move on to brainstorming and ideation, exploring different concepts and solutions. From there, I proceed to sketching, wireframing, and prototyping to visualize ideas and iterate on them. Ultimately, it’s about setting a solid foundation based on insights and objectives, which serves as the North Star to follow during the design journey.

Music is my companion in highs and lows, a booster when I need energy and a wind-down when I need to relax, and a time machine that brings me back to memories I would otherwise never remember so vividly.

What do you like best about your work?

Designing UI for our music apps is a perfect mix of problem-solving, creative freedom, and pixel-perfect attention to detail. It’s like getting to solve a puzzle that, when assembled correctly, rewards you with a better user experience and performance of the product. 

What do you think are Musopia’s strengths?

The vision, the company culture, and the people. I’m still regularly staggered by how many talented, smart, and fun people Musopia has brought together. 

What is your musical background?

I’ve always loved listening to music, dancing, and singing, but I’ve never had any formal training. I picked up an acoustic guitar some time ago, though, and during my time in the company, I’ve found the joy of playing and singing with others instead of only in the shower.

What instruments do you play?

I have an electro-acoustic company guitar and random instruments like my kantele or my ocarina that I fiddle with for fun, but I mostly sing.  

What kind of music do you listen to?

Looking at my playlists, I hear a lot of indie electropop, alternative rock, and synthwave. Sprinkle in some folk metal, drum and bass, video game soundtracks, and ambient soundscapes, and the picture is somewhat accurate.

How do you feel music makes the world a better place?

Music resonates with people in a way that transcends language and amplifies emotions, making it feel almost magical. There’s something profoundly beautiful about how music connects people in ways that many other things can’t. 

What is the meaning of music in your life? 

It’s a soundtrack to my life, adding a dimension that’s difficult to imagine being without. Music is my companion in highs and lows, a booster when I need energy and a wind-down when I need to relax, and a time machine that brings me back to memories I would otherwise never remember so vividly.

Music resonates with people in a way that transcends language and amplifies emotions, making it feel almost magical. There’s something profoundly beautiful about how music connects people in ways that many other things can’t.

What is your guilty pleasure song, the song that you secretly love?

I refuse to feel guilty about any music I enjoy – embrace the cringe! That being said, something I probably wouldn’t play on a speaker first thing at a party with new people is ‘Life’ by E-Type. I definitely have a nostalgic soft spot for 90s Europop.

What kind of coffee do you start your working day with?

I start my day with the office machine’s ‘special’ option, with oat milk. The most important part is that there’s a lot of it. None of us has figured out how ‘special’ coffee differs from regular coffee since they’re ground from the same extra dark beans, but I like it for the name, if nothing else.

Which famous musician would you like to jam with, if possible?

Jamming with Imogen Heap would be especially cool. She has motion-capturing wearable music tech gloves that work as a looper and control effects with hand gestures, and I want to try them!

Read the previous part of this series

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The post Music in My Life: Meet Mirella Baas first appeared on Musopia Blog.

We sat down with Lassi, Musopia’s talented Unity Developer in the New Apps Team, to find out why Musopia is such a great place to work from a developer’s perspective.

What is your area of responsibility at Musopia?
New Apps development. I do whatever our current app prototyping process needs, from building early prototypes to refining them for release, from testing apps on my own to running in-house testing sessions and documenting the results.

What is it like to work in a new apps team, and how is it different from the JustinGuitar and Kala Ukulele teams?
I’ve worked almost exclusively in the new apps team, so comparing it to the Justin and Kala teams is hard. Still, the main difference is that the Justin and Kala teams keep refining the same products to get better and better. In contrast, we make a lot more bold moves and need to be used to significant changes in direction and even give up on projects if it looks like there is something more important to work on instead.

What is most fun about your job?
Having to get up from the computer to get an instrument to test the latest thing I’ve been working on. 

How have you been able to develop your skills as a unity developer in your current position?
I came to Musopia from the game development world, and the way music apps are made is somewhat different, so getting back up to speed with the latest software development thinking has been very useful for me. Also, the company’s staggering amount of musical expertise has taught me a lot about making and playing music.

The company’s staggering amount of musical expertise has taught me a lot about making and playing music.

How does it feel like to sometimes “kill your babies”?
Over my studies and career, it has gone from painful to fun, which sounds horrible. But what I mean is that after making a few dozen games and apps, I’ve started to see that the best thing I can do for a project is to cut out everything I can, leaving just the very core of the experience. Then, I can start building on that. This applies to the type of prototyping work we are doing. If the core of the experience is not strong enough, it’s better to move on and find something more important to do. Of course, sometimes it would be nice to keep working on something fun. Still, if continuing can’t be supported with data or any other reasoning, it will probably end in heartbreak anyway, so it’s better to end it early.

What is your most surprising learning outcome during the new app development process? 
Like in any development and design work, it’s when users do something completely different from what you expect;  that you realize some of your assumptions weren’t based on anything real. To me, the most surprising and a bit frustrating are the ones where you think, “Okay, let’s just try the most obvious thing, but people will see right through it, and it probably won’t work”. And then it works incredibly well. And then, at other times, the obvious thing that everyone else is doing doesn’t work at all. So, the most surprising thing is repeatedly learning that you never know until you test something.

When creating new app concepts and ideas, what sparks or ignites those initial ideas? 
We have many creative people with varied musical interests and ideas, so we have built up quite a catalogue of ideas over the years. They come from every department, and we try to pick the best ones to develop further and test. Then, when we see user reactions in testing, we learn and come up with even more ideas to test. Most often, the spark is as simple as “I wish a musical app like this would exist” or “I have tested all the learn-to-XXX apps, and none of them worked for me.”

How do you evaluate the new app ideas? 
It depends on how far the prototypes get, but we do internal UX testing, use user testing platforms, release test builds into the world, and collect all sorts of data. We have some criteria per idea that we want to hit. Sometimes, it might be how the users feel during the experience, sometimes it’s how long users stick with the app, sometimes it’s how the data compares to other apps we have, and sometimes it’s just feeling like there’s some more we could still learn from the project.

What do you like best about working in Musopia?
I’ve always loved experimentation and music, and that’s the majority of my work, so there’s a lot to like. It’s also great to have a shared interest in music throughout the company and the facilities to make music. I’ve even given a bunch of drum lessons at the company studio, and that’s a joy that couldn’t happen in almost any other workplace.

I’ve always loved experimentation and music, and that’s the majority of my work, so there’s a lot to like. 

What is the meaning of music in your life? 
Music has always been a big part of my life. My parents have worked with music their whole lives. I’ve played in different bands for over 15 years, and even while writing this reply, I can count about half a dozen instruments around the apartment. Even in my sports and games activities, I always gravitate towards musical ones, so currently, I have multiple dance classes going on, and it’s pretty likely to spot me playing Beat Saber at the office after work. 

Do you play an instrument yourself?
Yeah, I’ve been playing drums since I was 11, and a few years back, I picked up bass. I even got to play it on stage at Musopia’s Peace & Love Music Festival. My current project in terms of music is learning to sing, but that is still relatively early.

What is your guilty pleasure song, the song that you secretly love?
The more I’ve learned about music, the less I’ve felt guilty about listening to any of it. So, I’d pick Spice Girls- Stop to choose something that would’ve embarrassed me ten years back. I learned to love the song while figuring out the saxophone and trumpet parts with our old party band. That song also opened my ears to many wonderful pop songs I would have disregarded before.

Read the previous part of this series

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The post Music In My Life: Meet Lassi Vapaakallio first appeared on Musopia Blog.

Topi Löppönen, CEO of Musopia, hits the gong and opens the Musopia Peace & Love Festival with an impressive sound. The first band is about to take the stage: Los Musopatos! 

“Musopian Rhapsody”,  one of the hit songs composed by Markus Pajakkala, Musopia´s in-house music composer, sounds phenomenal.

This year – well, 2023, to be precise – we at Musopia decided to reinvent the concept of a traditional company Christmas party and do something completely different yet true to our style. This aim resulted in us renting the legendary Semifinal rock venue in the heart of Helsinki and throwing a full-blown festival with seven bands consisting of the amazingly talented Musopia team members, who are working as mobile developers, UX and UI designers and data analysts as they day job.

We asked Paula Lehto, CMO and co-founder of Musopia, what the initial idea behind the Peace & Love Festival was and what inspired her to come up with the concept. “Musopians are great music lovers, and many of them are, in fact,  professional or hobbyist musicians. We wanted to celebrate that talent with our team, friends, and long-time partners. Also, I have wanted to organize a festival in the Semifinal Rock Bar for a long time, since pre-covid times”, she explains.

And indeed, finding performers in-house wasn’t a challenge.  “Most of the bands, “Los Musopatos”, “Musallica”, “Paris Lunchbox”, and “Divas”, are in-house bands, combinations of Musopians. Then we had “Kopra” and “Bon Anjovis” as guest stars; their members are also part of the extended Musopia family.”

“All the bands were fantastic; I´m super proud of all of them. It was great to see new sides of your colleagues and how they turned into talented musicians! One heartwarming thing was seeing how we supported one another in making it all happen”, Paula says with great enthusiasm.

“Musopians are great music lovers, and many of them are professional or hobbyist musicians as well. We wanted to celebrate that talent with our team, friends, and long-time partners.”

Support was truly there at every stage and at every step of the way, from organizing to performing. Paula gives special thanks to Tuomas Valtonen, a fellow Musopian, for his input. “I was fortunate to have someone like Tuomas as a stage manager, who can handle all the stage and tech-related parts of the project.” 

Tuomas also agrees that cooperation was vital in organizing the event and managing the stage. He shares the view that the evening was a highly enjoyable experience. “The best part is when all the planning is finally done, the stage is set, and the first band kicks in. You can take a breather, soak in the vibe, and watch people having a blast. That moment when all the hard work pays off – that’s the real highlight. I mean, who doesn’t love live music? Being a part of that is still the coolest thing ever.”

Although Tuomas already had several years of experience setting up music events, the experience was the first for Paula. “I have never organized a music event before at this scale. We have had jams in the office, but not in an outside venue. This was a super interesting  learning experience for me.”

Mirella Baas, UI Designer and the singer of Paris Lunchbox, agrees with Paula. “It was so much fun! It was my first time on a stage, and to be honest, I was very nervous at first. The good atmosphere, coworkers’ support, and the great gigs before ours helped me relax, though.” 

“Singing and playing in a band has been a long-time dream of mine, so this felt like the perfect opportunity to challenge myself. I’m glad I did”, she continues.

Ending up in a workplace that allows you to combine your software development profession with your passion, music, isn’t given in the business world. This is why Musopia’s way of enabling its team members to enjoy music on both levels is noteworthy. 

Indeed, the in-house bands are usually formed at work. “Ours was born during a coffee break, and I suppose it’s similar for most of the other bands. When someone needs a specific instrument for their group, they ask around in Slack or at the office, and the right people bundle together organically. It’s impressive how many multi-talented colleagues I have”, Mirella explains.

“Ending up in a workplace that allows you to combine your profession with your passion isn’t given in the business world.”

Needless to say, she enjoyed the evening as well. “There’s a very primal level of enjoyment in creating music together, and that’s what it ultimately boils down to. It would be fun to continue playing together with our band in the future.”

When we asked Paula if she would like to organize a similar event again, it proved not to be tough to answer. “We love to organize different kinds of events for the team!  For example, it´s great to do something fun after an intensive strategy planning day. I guess it is a mode of “work hard, play hard” for us Musopians.”

“I loved to see how the event affected the atmosphere at work and the whole team,” she continues. “There were many happy and relieved people at the office after the Peace & Love Festival. Happy because everyone had such a blast, and relieved as it also required much attention and energy to pull it all together.  Personally, I was flying 15 cm above the ground just for being so impressed by the Peace & Love vibe!”

Read more about the happenings at Musopia:
Exploring the Harmony: Inside Musopia’s Music Room Setup
Building an Inspirational (Sound Proof) Space Inside a Thriving Office

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The post Musopia Peace and Love Music Festival – Work Hard and Play Hard first appeared on Musopia Blog.

We sat down with Levent, mobile developer and Team Lead of the Kala Ukulele App and found out why Musopia is a great place to work from a developer’s point of view.

How long have you worked at Musopia?
I joined in October 2021, so it’s been two years already.

Why did you want to work for Musopia?
I had long wanted to work for an international company, and Musopia caught my eye. And especially after seeing the music tech connection, I knew I just had to get the job.

Where have you worked before Musopia?
My first job in software was at Sanlab, a Turkish company manufacturing Training Simulators and Motion Platforms. Then, I worked at RestPlay making mobile casino games for about two years.

What do you like best about working at Musopia?
Oh, there are many great things: the hybrid working system, work-life balance, and flat hierarchy, to name a few. The office music studio is also a major plus; we can, at any time, just go in and jam!

Making music is one of the biggest drivers for me. It’s one of the few things in life that offers such long-term gratification.

What do you think are Musopia’s strengths?
It’s got to be the people. We have grown a lot in recent years since I joined and acquired the best talent around.

What is your area of responsibility at Musopia?
I am the Team Lead of our Kala Ukulele App. I get to plan and develop our roadmap, and I am responsible for implementing and releasing new features and enhancements. My core specialization is building UI elements and other user-facing features that feel responsive and satisfying.

How have you been able to develop your skills at Musopia?
I came from a game development background, and there were a lot of differences to the work here at Musopia, especially when it comes to live-ops. We do a lot of remote content management, which has been very interesting to learn about.

How would you describe the atmosphere and interactions among developers?
It’s pretty chill. There isn’t a strong top-down hierarchy, and everyone is free to speak their mind and contribute to anything. This was pretty cool for me, especially since I come from a country with more strict social roles, so it was really easing my mind to be able to just hang out on a first-name basis with anyone in the company, including our CEO. Overall, it’s a very respectful atmosphere where everyone’s ideas are valued.

Do you work independently or interact a lot with other developers?
I would say that it’s a bit of both. There can be a lot of interaction when working on a project together or when you need to ask for help from someone who knows it better, and there are also smaller things that you just develop by yourself. The practical coding itself is usually individual work, but it tends to happen after discussions to find solutions. If I get stuck somewhere or don’t know which is the best way to proceed, I’ll for sure ask someone who knows better than I do. And if it’s a task I’m very familiar with, I’ll go the route of legendary F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen: “Leave me alone; I know what I’m doing”.

How do you come up with the workflow?
It’s very collaborative. Usually, we’ll talk about the task and discuss the goals, requirements, UI/UX design and the specific tech we’re building as we’re starting it. If everything is clear, a developer can start working on it without needing too much further communication. We work on a scrum-like basis, and at the start of each sprint, we’ll divide the tasks based on priorities and the individual developer’s experience and interest. Some tasks, especially those that require cross-team collaboration, will involve more frequent interaction. Our company policy is to work on hybrid working mode, on average two days from the office, so sometimes communication happens face-to-face, and if not, we stick to our digital communication channels. 

If it’s a task I’m very familiar with, I’ll go the route of legendary F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen: “Leave me alone; I know what I’m doing”.

What is your musical background?
I started playing the classical guitar when I was twelve and moved on to electric guitar a few years later. I played with some friends in a high school band, playing songs we liked for fun, and eventually composed a few songs ourselves. I also got into electronic music production and made some game music. I’ve started writing music again after moving to Finland, and recently, I’ve bought a lyre harp, so I’m currently learning that and incorporating it into my compositions.

Do you play any other instruments?
The guitar is still my ‘main’ instrument, although I’ve also picked up the bass and drums over the years.

What kind of music do you listen to?
These days, I mostly listen to various subgenres of metal, mainly Folk Metal, Power Metal, and a bit of Black Metal.

How do you feel music makes the world a better place?
It’s impossible to say since I cannot compare it to a world without music.

It’s a very respectful atmosphere where everyone’s ideas are valued.

What is the meaning of music in your life?
Making music is one of the biggest drivers for me. It’s one of the few things in life that offers such long-term gratification.

What is your guilty pleasure song, the song that you secretly love?
I don’t get guilty pleasure in music – if I like it, I like it. I haven’t felt the need to keep any songs I love secret.

What kind of coffee do you start your working day with?
Any kind that I can get my hands on. I’m not a picky person when it comes to coffee. And sometimes, I’ll enjoy a cup of tea instead.

Which famous musician would you like to jam with, if possible?
I’ll go with Thanasis Lightbridge, the musician behind projects Dol Ammad, Dol Theeta, and Dol Kruug. I adore everything he has made, so to jam with him would be great. Oh, and here’s another perk of working at Musopia: At last year’s Musopia Slush party, I played with Justin Sandercoe! One famous name down, and many more to go

Read the previous part of this series

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The post Music in My Life: Meet Levent Parmaksızoğlu first appeared on Musopia Blog.

Musopia’s mission is to help every aspiring musician find their music path and make it easy and enjoyable to learn to play an instrument. In this article, we want to give every music educator rock-solid tips to encourage their students (no matter what age) to learn to play. We sat down with two professional music educators and let them give us their best advice.

When asked why someone wants to play an instrument, the answer is usually that it is fun. Someone might tell you they play and practice to become a professional musician someday. While playing for fun and even bigger ambitions is all well and good, it is commonly acknowledged that playing an instrument also has numerous health benefits for you, both mentally and physically. 

Shortly put, playing an instrument is such a beneficial pastime and skill that everyone who is even mildly interested should be encouraged to grab a guitar (or any instrument, for that matter) and start their music journey.

People start playing for very different reasons. Perhaps someone has a dream to play in a band with their friends, another wants to impress a girl with their musical skills, and someone wants to learn tunes that they can jam by the campfire.

Everyone benefits from playing an instrument and should have an equal chance to do so.

While the motivations for learning an instrument may vary, it must also be acknowledged that the learning methods differ equally. Some people need a teacher they can meet every week in a classroom, some prefer 1-to-1 teaching, while others might be most comfortable learning by themselves while watching videos on YouTube. Then there are those who have found inspiration and help by using an app like the ones created by Musopia. 

While motivations and learning methods vary between individuals, it comes down to this: Everyone benefits from playing an instrument and should have an equal chance to do so. Furthermore, some universal tips apply to basically everyone in their learning process.

Earlier, we sat down with Erja Askolin, K-12 music teacher at the Albert Edelfelt School in Southern Finland,  and Scott Burstein, Director of Teaching and Learning at Music Will in the US. As experienced and rock-solid professionals in teaching music, they have noticed some universal methods and tips that should be acknowledged by everyone teaching music. 

Because their views and expertise should get as broad an audience as possible, we wanted to put together the top tips both professionals gave. 

Erja’s Top Tips

1. The students learn better when they enjoy the learning process and are excited. The fact that you get to make music and play instantly and experience success makes you interested to learn more. I want to highlight that learning is fun and easy, and you can play real songs from the beginning.
   
2. If you have a musically inclined adult at home that encourages you to play, it lowers the threshold for taking up the hobby of playing an instrument.
   
3. I want to encourage my students to try and experiment with instruments. I tell them about the possibilities of playing an instrument and where they can practice, and I inform them about the options of different music apps.

Scott’s Top Tips:

1. Finding songs that students know and love is vital. We focus on student-driven music, finding ways to unlock their inner-music makers.  
   
2. It’s very beneficial that kids get to immerse themselves in music early on. Get kids involved with music as soon as they start having it touch their lives.
   
3. Encourage the kids to make musical choices, let them participate and help them find success and grow their confidence.

Next to the tips above, both professionals also had a lot more to say. You can read the interviews with Erja and Scott in full length on Musopia’s homepage. Read Erja’s interview here, and see what Scott has to say here.

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The post Top Tips from Music K-12 Educators first appeared on Musopia Blog.

Musopia is working with several non-profit organizations that are doing fantastic work in spreading the joy of music. One of them is Music Will, which runs the largest nonprofit music education program in the US public school system and has gained a lot of visibility by working with major musicians like Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, and Bruce Springsteen, just to name a few.

The teachers of Music Will currently serve over 500,000 students in more than 600 cities and towns across the country. That means the impact of the organization is huge, and Musopia is honored to be part of this K-12 classroom music education program.

We had a chance to discuss music education with Scott Burstein, who is the Director of Teaching and Learning at Music Will, formerly known as Little Kids Rock. Scott is in charge of all the music content, curriculum and training.

But now, let’s dive deeper into Music Will and what it is all about.

What is the cause behind the organization, and how was Music Will born?

The organization was started back in 2002, but before then, our founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Dave Wish, was an elementary school teacher who passed his love of music on to his students. There were no music classes for the kids in his school, so he started a lunchtime guitar class that grew quickly, and the kids loved it. He focused on teaching how he was taught: finding songs they knew and loved and letting them use those to build their skills and repertoire. Eventually, the program grew so much that he decided to start the organization. To this day, we focus on student-driven music, finding ways to unlock their inner-music makers.  

Is there a story related to the name of the organization?

The name was originally Little Kids Rock because that was the name of his guitar club, but as the organization grew, we outgrew the name; we no longer focused on Little Kids nor on rock music. Now, we reach K-12 students as well as higher education, and our musical focus is all popular kinds of music.  

Do you have any examples of what your organization has achieved?

We currently work with around 3,000 public school teachers in the US and have impacted over a million students in the last 20 years. These music teachers use our methods and curriculum in their school day to teach students the music they know and love.  

How has it changed your life working for the organization?

I started as a music teacher back in 1998 and was doing a variety of things: marching band, jazz band, Music Theory, Concert Band, Mariachi ensemble, as well as a guitar class. Back then, in my district (the 2nd largest in the US), there were very few teachers doing guitar or any form of popular music. When I was trained by the org in 2004, it gave new life to my teaching, including a ton of instruments and validation for my work to that point. By the time I left teaching in 2012 to work for the organization full-time, we were in over 100 schools in Los Angeles.  Since then, I have shifted from working directly with students to now getting to plan and develop resources for thousands of music teachers to work on with their students all over.  

We work with around 3,000 public school music teachers in the US and have provided access to music for over a million students in the last 20 years.

How have you collaborated with Musopia?

I think I was first introduced to Musopia at the NAMM show sometime around 2014, and I immediately saw its direct link to what we were doing. They gave us hundreds of codes for our teachers to use their guitar karaoke app for free, and it was a huge hit! I remember a year or so after introducing their app to our network, one of the most exciting things was when I visited a couple of music classes around the country and saw the teachers using it with their students.  It was near the end of class, and the teacher said, “Ok, great job today. Do we want to use FourChords App?” and the kids all got excited. A student would pick a song they loved, and the teacher would stream it on their smartboard and the entire class would play and sing the song. It was really amazing; we were watching ‘sight reading’, students making musical choices, fully engaged, and able to participate at multiple levels. I was sold.  

What kind of dreams and goals do you have regarding the organisation’s future?

I hope that there is a point where every student can make music the way they love, use it to further their happiness and education and use it as a driver for their success.  

A student would pick a song they loved, and the teacher would stream it on their smartboard and the entire class would play and sing the song. It was really amazing; I was sold.

Why do you think people are so attached to music?

Music has the ability to connect everyone, set the scene and mood, and express our feelings if we let it.

Can kids benefit from immersing themselves in music early on?   

Absolutely, which is why we believe in getting them involved as soon as they start having music touch their lives. 

You have an extensive list of featured well-known artists and artists that support your mission; how do you get in contact with them initially?

We have artist relations experts on staff, but it started more with our founder just networking and watching that network expand.

In what ways can artists help you out?

They help in many different ways, from donating money and equipment, performing at our benefits or with students, and visiting classrooms, but often the most impactful way is just talking about us to their fanbases.  

Music has the ability to connect everyone, set the scene and mood, and express our feelings if we let it.

How does the school get to start the collaboration with Music Will?”

It can happen in a few ways. Primarily, we get donations for specific markets, and then we go to that market to talk with music supervisors and get them excited about what we do. Occasionally, teachers in a market will tell their district to get involved with us, and they will try to find money to bring our training to their schools. 

Do you have examples of kids who have benefitted from your program?

Too numerous to count. My dissertation is actually specifically about a group of students I had in my class and how the program benefited their lives 10 years later. I saw many musical aspects that were still present, but the more interesting comments were about the social and cultural capital they gained from the experience. They formed bonds, found success that helped them throughout their next stages of life and gained the confidence to be their best.  

What are the most popular instruments among kids?

The ukulele is the one that most request early on, but I think that is often because it’s smaller and cheaper, and teachers can therefore request more of them. Otherwise, we still see mostly guitar and drums. 

Where can people find out more about your work? They can always visit our website (musicwill.org) to learn about our work, and we have free curricular resources for everyone that you can find at https://jamzone.musicwill.org/.

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The post Doing Good — Music Will first appeared on Musopia Blog.

This is something that probably not many of our followers are aware of, but July 31 happens to be Uncommon Musical Instrument Awareness Day.  This day celebrates rare, experimental, and uncommon musical instruments. To honor all the beautiful, odd, and fascinating instruments in our lives, we decided to dedicate today’s blog article to this day.

As you know, we at Musopia are experts in guitars and ukuleles, especially when learning these two fine instruments. Our apps are targeted to help everyone find their musical path accompanied by these popular string instruments. 

There are many different ways to count and measure, which are the world’s most popular and most played instruments. This probably doesn’t shock anyone, but the guitar makes it to every one of these top 10 lists. The ukulele is slightly rarer but gets frequent mentions on many of these lists. 

Even though these two instruments represent a considerable part of our expertise, we musopians also want to pride ourselves on being passionate about all kinds of music and every instrument used in making music. The more instruments, the better!

Our team at Musopia has quite a bit of talent with many different instruments. Our team members know their way, for example, with the piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, ukulele, bass, drums and keyboards, among many others.

Throughout human history, musicians have tried to push the boundary of sounds and music by inventing newer and innovative ways of creating music. Did you know that the earliest recorded musical instruments are about 42,000 years old? Found in a cave in Germany, these flutes were made of bird bones and mammoth ivory. Instruments have developed immensely since then, and thanks to creative and quirky musical enthusiasts and experimentalists, the selection of existing instruments has gotten deliciously broad!

The Uncommon Musical Instrument Awareness Day aims to encourage people to learn to play some of these uncommon instruments and contribute to the world of music by making their musical instruments.

But what do you assume? What kind of instruments make it to the list of most uncommon instruments? We can, of course, take educated guesses and assume that the guitar and ukulele don’t make it to these lists. 

After some consideration and editing, we have picked these ten fabulous instruments to the top ten of the most uncommon instruments.

1. Picasso Guitar

This fascinating harp guitar has 42 strings, four necks, and two sound holes. It was inspired by Pablo Picasso, the founder of the Cubist movement and one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century. 

2. Theremin

The theremin is one of the earliest electronic instruments. The instrument has two metal antennas that can sense the positions of the player’s hands, which control the volume and pitch of the instrument.

3. Glass Armonica

If you’ve ever tried to make music with a wine glass, you get an idea of how the glass armonica works. The glass armonica consists of a series of glass bowls in different sizes, and the sound is produced by the player rubbing their fingers over the glass. Fun Fact: The instrument is the brainchild of no other than Benjamin Franklin.

4. The Wintergatan Marble Machine

This instrument is a hand-cranked music box with instruments, including a circuit of 2,000 cascading steel marbles. As the device cycles, it activates a vibraphone, bass, kick drum, cymbal and other instruments that play a score programmed into a 32-bar loop comprised of LEGO technic parts. The marbles are moved internally through the machine using funnels, pulleys, and tubes.

5. Yaybahar

The Yaybahar is a new electric-free, entirely acoustic instrument. The vibrations from the strings are transmitted via the coiled springs to the frame drums. The membranes turn These vibrations into sound, which echoes back and forth on the coiled springs. This results in a unique listening experience with a hypnotic surround sound.

6. Wheelharp

The wheelharp produces the rich sounds of numerous stringed instruments all at once. It is basically a keyboard that controls 61 bowed strings, allowing a single musician to sound like an actual orchestra.

7. Zeusaphone

Probably the most intimidating instrument on this list, the Zeusaphone, sometimes called “the singing Tesla coil”, is something else. It is a solid-state Tesla coil modified to produce musical tones by modulating its spark output. The lightning-like arcs vibrate the air at musical frequencies, which produce the fantastic sound you hear!

8. Badgermin

So, you already know what a theremin is, right? Now this is where it gets weird: there’s also a badgermin. It’s a badger crossed with a Theremin. It’s a badgermin. And no, we are not making this up.

9. Sea Organ

This project aimed to turn the sea into a musician using the reconstructed seafront in Zadar, Croatia, as a ginormous organ. Pipes underneath the promenade react to the waves as they crash in, creating harmonious sounds that tourists flock to experience.

10. Guitalele

This is where we have made a full circle and circled right back where we started from, to the guitar and ukulele. This time, however, it’s a combination of these two: the guitalele. A guitalele is a guitar-ukulele hybrid, that is, “a 1/4 size” guitar, a cross between a classical guitar and a tenor or baritone ukulele. Due to its small size, the guitalele combines the portability of a ukulele with the six single strings and the resultant chord possibilities of a classical guitar.

Congratulations if you have ever seen or heard of one of these fascinating instruments! Ten points for Gryffindor!

If you have the opportunity to get familiar with or even get close to one of these instruments mentioned above, use your chance and dig in! Life is short, and you can never spend too much time exploring new, wonderfully weird things that simultaneously cause joy and raise eyebrows.

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The post Uncommon Musical Instrument Awareness Day first appeared on Musopia Blog.