On December 21st, two unlikely music companies announced a partnership that blends the old and the new into what is now the iPad app market’s most substantive music learning tool. Tonara Ltd., an Israeli music software company, has teamed up with Alfred Music, a veteran music publishing company (once based in New York, now based in L.A.), in order to supply its successful Wolfie Piano App with what Tonara's press release called the "world's largest educational digital sheet music library." Thanks to the versatility of the tablet app market, Tonara partners with Alfred Music Publishing at a time when digital sheet music has become not only a viable, but game-changing option, one which is readily being considered by teachers and students alike.
As the old Carnegie Hall maxim suggests, at the heart of all musical success is “practice practice practice”, a maxim well understood by conscientious music publishers, and -- in the 21st Century -- by innovative software engineers at forward-thinking companies. One such company, the Israeli software firm Tonara, has evidently been dwelling on this maxim since 2008. Initially known for their eponymous app that launched them into the public "ear", Tonara’s latest and most successful app for iPad, the Wolfie piano app, is a great step forward in aiding piano study.
Capable of acoustic polyphonic score following, the Wolfie piano app is now stocked with a bountiful supply of digital sheet music (at all reading levels) thanks to its mutually beneficial partnership with Alfred Music Publishing. A family-owned business founded in 1922, which has survived and thrived despite a rapidly changing market, Alfred Music has now ensured its continued relevancy by offering its expertise, its collections, and its coursework to Tonara's database.
Tonara partners with Alfred Music Publishing not only to expand its digital sheet music archive but also to enhance its product's learning capabilities. Addressing the many distractions facing music students (especially in a digital world), Tonara’s website defends its product by explaining, "with Wolfie we are bringing kids back to the piano with the very same technology that is pulling them away from it -- the iPad." Interactive scores on the Wolfie piano app, which allow students to play along in real-time, include rigorous study material such as Alfred's Premiere Course and Alfred's Basic Piano Library alongside countless popular and classical works, from Bach to Pink Floyd.
Although the Wolfie piano app has been marketed as a wonderful aid to teacher/student lesson building, the software -- equipped with playback validation and helpful hints along the way -- can bring out an active engagement with the music during times when students need it the most: solitary practice. Note by note, the app highlights students' progress and, regardless of an instructor's presence, encourages practice and persistence.
In light of Tonara's partnership with Alfred Music, PR Newswire -- reporting on the proud sentiments from either side of arrangement -- quoted Tonara's CEO Guy Bauman: "Together, we are bringing the music-learning experience into the modern age with contemporary technology that speaks to younger musicians. We're excited to work alongside Alfred Music to offer young pianists the best educational tools and content from Sony, EMI, Warner, Schott and others, for practicing and learning how to play." Likewise, Alfred Music's Senior Vice President E.L. Lancaster said, "We share Tonara's passion for bringing music to more people around the world. This partnership represents our shared commitment to harness the creative potential of technology to democratize the joy of learning music."
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