OK, when I first read about the Music Alive iPhone app ($1.99), I will admit that I thought it sounded pointless. So much so that I actually went as far as to imagine someone thinking up the idea for this iPhone app for the first time—who their market would be and how to make it profitable?—and wanted to laugh out loud at this arbitrary invention (kind of mean, I know).
Of course, once you’re that judgmental about anything, you’re bound to be wrong, and I was. This iPhone app wastes no time in getting to the point: you choose a song from your music library, and then add sound effects as you please. That’s it, but it’s not nothing. There are three virtual buttons to play with, and for each, you can choose one unique sound from a repertoire of 30.
And now, drumroll please (pun intended)…sound effects include but are not limited to: drum hits from an entire kit, including cymbals and a cowbell; a whistle, “pow” noise, grumble, claps and a chorus of claps, a frog’s “ribbit” sound, a dog’s bark, a woman singing different notes, varied electronic and keyboard noises, and a creaking door.
It’s super fun to add your own instruments/noises to songs you already love; alternating between the chorus of claps and the cowbell over a Slits song felt like a definite success. But even better, next time I think I’ll add some additional drum hits and a “pow” noise or two on a song written by my own band to see how it sounds. In other words, this iPhone app just may be the next tool to writing new music.
