In the Chair

By Kathy Ishizuka -- School Library Journal, 12/1/2006

Anyone who has a budding violinist or sax player in the house knows too well that learning to play music can be painful for the learner—and anyone else within earshot. Enter In the Chair, a new Web-based application that allows students and other beginning musicians to practice their instrument alongside professional bands and orchestras. By providing real-time feedback on the user’s performance—specifically timing, loudness, tone, and pitch—the application, created by Australian start-up In The Chair Pty Ltd, promotes improvement with each subsequent practice session. Akin to the immersive experience of a video game, In the Chair allows students to see and hear the other musicians as they play together, along with scrolling sheet music. In keeping with the 2.0 zeitgeist, users can also upload their own compositions to the site for remixing or collaborating with others. Next up, a rock version sure to appeal to aspiring guitar heroes of any age. Debuting at the Web 2.0 Summit last month, In the Chair elicited plenty of buzz at the San Francisco event, sponsored by O’Reilly Media, Inc. and CMP Technology.