From One Mini Maestro To Another

Apps I Use For Composing/Practicing

            In this chapter I will tell you all the different music apps I use for composing and practicing and a brief description of them. By the way, all these apps should be free.

1. GarageBand

This app should automatically be installed when you get an iPhone. It allows you to use many different instruments and play different notes with them, overlap those melodies with other melodies you've made, record and playback melodies, etc. It's the app I always start with when I'm composing and want to come up with a melody. It's awesome and I really recommend any beginner composers like me to use it.

2. Finale

This program allows you to compose music on a page, and it's what I use to compose my pieces. My band director recommended it to me to me when I started composing. It lets you compose for many different instruments, add many different aspects and styles to your music such as different tempos, key signatures, and just about every musical symbol you can think of. It will also play your music back to you and it saves all of your pieces, sort of like Microsoft Word or Google Docs saving documents. It is very, very useful.

3. SoundCorset

This app provides you with a tuner, metronome, sheet music, and you can record with it. I use it when I practice and I tune and it's very handy when you want to make sure you don't sound like a dying ostrich before you play.

4. Podcasts

Yes, yes, I know that podcasts isn't necessarily a 'music' app but there are some musical podcasts that I've subscribed to that I wanted to share with you all. I listen to and love 'Flute Unscripted' especially the episode with James Galway and his wife, since James Galway is probably one of my favorite musicians. The other musical podcast I listen to is 'Art of Composing' with Jon Brantingham.

Thank you to my band director for telling me about the app Finale.

Until next time, mini maestros!