GroupLoops

Learning how to play an instrument and compose music takes a long time and a lot of effort. Electronic devices make composing music much easier and open up the opportunity for music creation to non-musicians. However, the potential benefits of mass-market collaborative music composition software are significantly untapped. Existing music collaboration applications are expensive, hard to use, often need advanced hardware, and require an expert user's knowledge to operate.

The iPhone and iPod Touch comprise an ideal platform for music collaboration because of their multi-touch interface, networking capabilities, mobility, and ease of use. Music applications for these devices allow users to manipulate sounds and create rhythms, but these applications are limited to individual play. In addition, these applications generally cost just a few dollars. We would like to research how the iPhone and iPod Touch could be used to facilitate impromptu co-located and collaborative jam sessions.

We intend to create a virtual cooperative learning environment for the creation of music with a network of iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Participants could add, remove, and edit layers of music in the group's track, either at the same time or by taking turns. Each iPhone and iPod Touch has a built-in accelerometer which would permit the transfer of creation rights with natural hand motions, like playing catch.

Utilizing a variety of user centered design methods in addition to an iterative development process, we will complete a product development cycle over the course of the semester. Our goal is to improve the ease of use of, lower barriers to, and inspire music creation and collaboration.