Tomplay App Review
Have you ever wanted to practice a piece with an entire orchestra, but don't have one handy? The Tomplay app is a unique interactive sheet music app that allows you to play along with professional recordings of orchestras and smaller groups, where you play your part and the orchestra is your backup band. You simply sign up, create an account, and instantly have hours of music to scroll through to be able to play along with backing tracks or symphony orchestras. The app features the ability to change tempo, tune, to suit how you want it to sound. The score scrolls across as you play ideally, watching it on a screen like an iPad or iPhone, as seen in the Youtube demo video.
The app is not just for flutists, although the flute is one of the 12 featured instruments, it can also be used with clarinet, piano, violin, saxophone, drums, cello, and members of the horn section.
The Tomplay app is perfect for any teaching situation. It features the ability to play pieces in multiple tempos. You can choose whether to play just the accompaniment or with the melodic line as well. There is an option to loop sections for intensive practice. You can set a metronome. You can choose from thousands of scores and different levels. You can also annotate and print your score. It even features the ability to record and listen to yourself.
The extensive and diverse catalogue (14,000 pieces) includes most of the major classical composers, movie themes, folk music or pop (like Michael Buble), and the Tomplay app is both fun and interactive. It's perfect for musicians of all levels. By allowing the student to choose their own speed and re-try again and again with variations, it is a wonderful tool that will inspire students.
The app is available for Android and Apple operating systems. It is a subscription service, $9.99 a month at this writing although there are discounts for longer periods or limited time offers that are cheaper. It is the modern version of Music Minus One, conveniently located on any or all of your devices. This is a wonderful Holiday Gift Idea! Gift this to your students or treat yourself and have fun playing as a soloist with a symphony orchestra.
-Viviana Guzman
Described by the New York Times as "an imaginative artist," Chilean-born Viviana Guzman performs over 80 concerts a year throughout the world. Her last recording, "Traveling Sonata," received a GRAMMY Nomination. She presented a very well-received TEDxBerkeley Talk speaking just before Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple, Inc. She has been featured on nationwide programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Good Morning America, CNN, and NPR, has been seen on the cover of Latina Style Magazine, as well as in COSMOPOLITAN en Español. Viviana has performed in 130 countries, and in all 7 continents. Her YouTube channel boasts 2.4 million views. Viviana Guzman teaches flute at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
