I read an interesting article in the Charlotte Observer entitled, ‘Musicians push edge of computer music with iPhones‘. The article talks about how a Stanford University group of students and staff are making music via iPhone apps. Here are a couple of Websites about the endeavor:
Being an iPhone user myself I am impressed with what can done musically with the apps. I have about 30 musical apps and most of them were free. Value often increases greatly when you select apps with fees.
One of the positive attributes mentioned is ‘portability’. It’s true – the iPhone is an incredibly portable musical tool. The Ukulele and other instruments such as the recorders are also portable. However, comparing an iPhone and its musical app to an actual musical instrument is kind of like comparing a fine leather ‘holy book’ (ex. a Bible or Koran) with an eBook or software version of it. The digital version is very handy but will seldom give the same level of satisfaction as an actual instrument. There is nothing like the feel and look of beautiful wood (or even fine plastic) to a computer application screen or monitor.
Of course, there are a lot of instruments that are not very portable. For example, a pipe organ, a baby grand, and even larger keyboard instruments such as the F.A.O. Schwartz’s ‘The Big Piano’.
The Ukulele is THE perfect portable instrument especially if you buy a nice case that has ‘backpack type’ straps. In fact, I recently read a letter written by John Lennon praising the Uke for its portability. If anyone should know about the portability of an instrument it would be one of the Beatles who traveled the world making music!