Tonic Music 12+

This app is the best way to practice. It keeps me motivated and consistent with my practicing. It has improved so much. The idea is brilliant and the execution of the idea has been an amazing experience! I’ve had such a great experience using this app. I think every music student should use it! Not only does it help with practicing but the community within the app is something that is so precious to me. Being able to chat with and listen to other users practice is an amazing experience. I was one of the early users and it changed a lot but it’s been a really great experience! I’m not really one to write reviews but I want the creators/developers to know what a great job they’ve been doing! I love Tonic!

Pocket Conservatory is a great way to inspire young musicians. The masterclasses are open to anyone who joins, the instructors are very responsive and active, and the community is very supportive. For those with less access to some musical technology (private lessons, intensive instrument-specific programs, etc.) this is a great alternative to that. Highly recommended to anyone, regardless of playing level.

Pros: Fun to use, cool to hear others practicing and cool to interact with groups. I also like how user friendly it is.

Cons: When I’m practicing, I cannot use my metronome (also on my iPad) because the sound cuts out, and I’m afraid to try using drones in case I blow people’s eardrums out. I also wish that more instruments were already on the app, and that we didn’t have to vote to add them. I play cello, which is pretty common, and I wish my Tonic profile accurately reflected that. I wish there were also a wider range of customisations for my avatar— it looks nothing like me, which isn’t a dealbreaker, but from the glasses colour to the body type, it’s not me. It would also be nice if I could use Tonic upside down/in landscape mode for when my iPad is charging.

One BIG thing— please make it so that I can be in a studio without it counting towards my practice time. Sometimes I’m just messing around and I don’t want it to skew my stats.

I know the cons list looks huge, but overall I highly recommend this app. It’s fun and I know I’ll use it in the future. The pros are definitely work than the cons.