4. Designing the app
In the design of the application, I implemented some of the previously mentioned subjects more explicitly than others. Especially in the first chapter, a lot of the necessities for studying, although important, are left out since the app would become too broad. These might also be more appropriate to work on outside a digital environment. Subjects like goals and planning were on the other hand very suitable to realize in the design process, as well as spaced repetition and chunking. Formal practice is also made easier to realize for the user but needs input from this user as well. As for working on a rich mental representation, this can be realized when using different types of practice in the application but is up to the user to actualize.
The development of the application is still in progress, but I will share prototypes that I made using Adobe XD. The look and feel of the application in the prototype are as if it were a mobile app, but the application will, at least in first instance, be implemented as a web application, as a website that is accessible on any mobile web browser but also on tablet or your laptop or desktop computer.
Besides helping with the organisation of your practice, the app will also help organise other aspects of your musical life, which in turn will again give more space to think about your current activities. There will also be the possibility to reflect on these other aspects which you can then again enhance your musical development. You will be able to create four types of events: practice sessions, rehearsals, lessons, and concerts. Also, you will be able to create ensembles, and connect and share information and events with other users that are in the same ensemble.
Planning and goals
I decided to make planning and goals the main theme for the home screen of the app. As discussed, to free up space in your working memory it is good to have an overview of what there is to do (at another place than in your head) and by having the goals and upcoming events come up when you open the app, this gives a good starting point to decide what to work on if you did not decide already. It also gives reminders of what to pay attention to while studying. On two other screens that are not designed yet, you will be able to see a more elaborate view of your goals with the possibility to add, change and remove goals, and a calendar view that I plan to make exportable to your main digital calendar, for example to google calendar.
For each type of event there will be a separate view in which your events are shown in a timeline-type view, from which you can also start or plan events, but there is also the option to go through a repertoire view and look at all events related to a specific piece. For every piece there will also be statistics available, and files or links to files/recordings that can be added by the user.
Practice sessions
One of the most difficult things in designing this app was making it flexible enough to accommodate different types of users. On the one hand, nobody studies exactly in the same way and I did not want the app to be too limited in its options. On the other hand, some musicians like to write and reflect a lot while others like to keep it to a minimum. When starting or planning a practice session you can choose between different types of practice sessions.
One of them is dividing a piece or movement into smaller sections and then practicing by section. This relates to chunking, as we are building smaller chunks that eventually will connect to form the whole piece of music. When practicing the user can enter the strategies that are used for a particular section, relating to self-regulated practice. After practice there is also room for reflective notes.
Another option for the user is to choose “Practice Highlights”. Here the user can collect and practice specific parts of the score which might be a bit harder or need more time. Using spaced repetition, the user can go over these more difficult parts in multiple practice sessions, and if desired check them off if they are not needed in a practice session anymore.
The other options give the user more freedom in a practice session. Playing through is quite an important one as it gives the bigger picture overview of a piece and allows the user to focus on the music at a higher level. But the user could also choose to practice in different ways, for example by playing around more or improvising.
Next steps
Right now, the plan is to build a first version based on this prototype. Then I will collect user feedback from a test group to see what is working and what is not, and in which direction I should further develop the application. But for a second version I already have some things in mind I would like to improve. Especially on the subject of top-down/bottom-up learning I would like more flexibility. Right now, the practice possibilities to practice by section or to play through the piece are quite isolated, which might have its benefits, but I think in reality it is important to be able to combine the bottom-up and top-down approach in practice sessions, too. From playing through, you might want to switch to practicing a section that has some issues, after which you might want to go back to playing through. The hard start – jump to easy tip is also something that might be interesting to use in such an application, perhaps rating various sections on difficulty could help for this purpose and to plan more effectively too. I also might implement a more elaborate reflection system, instead of just a text box at the end of your session, but I need to research further what the possibilities are for this.
5. Personal experiences >