KUSC nurtures a love of classical music by curating the best of classical and creating one-of-a-kind musical experiences. As the most prominent classical music station in the nation, KUSC is constantly looking for new ways to connect new audiences to classical music.
Moodles beta test at Classical KUSC Discovery Day 2017.
Our Challenge: Putting a Twist on A Classic Genre for a New Generation
While KUSCs traditional audience is an older demographic, the team saw untapped potential in music composition app for kids. Our job was to find new ways of using technology to bridge the classical music gap between an older generation and their children or grandchildren.
Product in Action
The Skyground Solution
After initial brainstorming with the team, two ideas stood out: producing a family event centered on classical music. The second was to launch a musical iOS app just for kids.
Skyground Media took Classical KUSC through our Brand & Build process to create a new, fun musical app, unlike anything theyve tried before. While most apps strive to recreate the music lesson experience, Skyground Medias app took an entirely different approach.
KUSCs new app, Moodles, would teach kids about classical music by giving them the chance to create music from scratch. The first audio-visual instrument of its kind, budding musicians could touch their screens to see colorful animation that played sound. By combining animation, sound, music quizzes, and real-time song collaboration, kids learned to compose music while recording \musical doodles.\ And they could share their pieces with friends and family. No music classes are required!
Services
- Market Research
- Brand Development
- Cloud Development via Firebase
- Mobile App Development using Apple Swift
- Custom audio-visual app engine development using AudioKit, Squall, and Adobe After Effects.
Kids dont need to take weeks of classes to compose unique and expressive musical counterpoint that helps them express themselves.
Process
Step 1: Research & Discovery
Step 2: Brand Foundation
Step 3: Design
Step 4: Development
Step 5: Measurement & Knowledge Sharing
Our Results
The Moodles app debuted at KUSCs Kids Discovery Day event at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Hundreds of children tried Moodles at the event. Kids overwhelmingly loved the app and were most excited by the Simon Says feature game to play compositions like Beethovens Symphony No 5. More than 4,000 beta testers downloaded and used the app, proving the demand for classical music is alive and well.
Since then, KUCSC has used the experience of building an iOS app to continually push boundaries in tech as they help new audiences discover classical music in fun and fresh ways.
A Bold & Playful New Brand for KUSC
Product Concept
Moodles, short for \Musical Doodle,\ is a free instrument app that mashes up sound and visual composition in a new way that can be shared with friends worldwide. This new product category enables users 13+ to hear, see, and compose in an aesthetically pleasing way. With MIDI technology re-invented and re-engineered to serve as the compositional backbone, music can now be created and shared online, among individuals or in a group room, in real-time with minimal delay. KEY FEATURES* An instrument that enables users to compose pieces by tapping a screen, record, publish and share online in real-time.* Users can share full musical compositions via email or Facebook post.* Individual compositions are stored in the cloud for 24-7 access.* Individual compositions can be exported to Logic, Pro Tools or other prosumer digital audio workstations (DAWs) via MIDI JSON.* Users can compete online in a musical game of Simon with leaderboards provided by Apple's Game Center.* Available for both iPad and iPhone.Mission Statement
Moodles is an audiovisual instrument that empowers kids to make, record, and share music fun, interactive way.Vision Statement
Learning to play an instrument is challenging and often discouraging –especially when kids don't have the right equipment, training, and encouragement. We’re creating a new generation of musicians to push the boundaries of composition through touch screen interfaces, simplified recording techniques, and real-time social sharing. This new paradigm shift in peer-to-peer songwriting and co-performance will shape how people make music worldwide through wireless broadband technology.Individual musical expression was never meant to be burdened with music theory, modal counterpoint, sight-reading, ear training, instrumental pedagogy, MIDI, and digital sound recording. Music was meant to be fun to play, easy to record, and simple to share with friends. Moodles empowers users to rise above those frictions, express themselves artistically, and share their creations worldwide in minutes instead of years. Logo
Moodles - Logo - Circle
Moodles - Logo - Rectangle
Color Pallette
Typography & Type Treatments
App Screenshots
Landing Page Screenshot + Copywriting
Moodles Landing Page + Copywriting
Other Resources
- Technical Interview with AudioKit
- Audio Technical Analysis for Software Developers from lead software engineer.
What’s your idea for an app?
We can build apps for just about any industry. Please send us your idea, and Skyground Media will get back to you in 48 hours about how to get started.