Jordan Rudess Talks About Creating Music With HarmonyWiz App
Jordan Rudess is best known as the keyboardist with Dream Theater, but he is also the creator of apps that allow people to create music using technology.
In the seven-minute video clip below, keyboardist Jordan Rudess talks about creating music with his new HarmonyWiz app.
HarmonyWiz — the latest app for iOS devices by Wizdom Music’s Jordan Rudess, the keyboardist, seaboardist and Continuum player for Grammy-nominated prog rock/metal icons Dream Theater, and developer Ruben Zilibowitz — was released on June 13 via iTunes.
HarmonyWiz lets users paint a symphony and orchestrate their music in one touch. This app is an advanced harmonic generator which can create multi-part harmony, all just from inputting a single musical line. You can paint your music in or play it from a piano style keyboard. You compose it and HarmonyWiz will arrange it.
Besides the fact that HarmonyWiz is entertaining and fun for all ages, it is also a valuable educational tool for music students and can be used for advanced editing by industry professionals. After an arrangement is created, the app provides harmonic analysis and displays a notation system known as Figured Bass. Enter the Expert mode and you will have access to manage all the tracks in your arrangement with our editing tools. Select different preset sound ensembles or create your own. HarmonyWiz features the Baroque style and sounds from Jordan’s personal library.
Jordan Rudess explains: “I always felt that a composer’s thought process would be fascinating to capture in code. I’ve wanted to do an app like this for a long time and, upon meeting developer, Ruben Zilibowitz, I knew it was finally going to be possible. Ruben has spent years studying classical music texts such as Schoenberg’s ‘Theory Of Harmony’. He started by writing out four-part phrases by hand. Eventually, he was able to translate this process into computer code that could generate natural musical phrases. Partnering with him was the key to us being able to offer this bit of music magic. Through hours of sitting at the piano, studying my own compositional method, to Ruben’s tireless coding we believe we have achieved something truly unique and inspiring.”
Ruben Zilibowitz adds: “Wizdom Music has helped me take my ideas to the next level. Jordan Rudess is an awesome musician with a deep interest in technology. He is exactly the kind of person I needed to partner up with. I sincerely hope everyone loves what we came up with together as much as I do.”
HarmonyWiz features:
* Offers a unique, assisted composition engine
* Place guide notes in any track including the melody or bass lines
* Force chords to have certain degrees or inversions
* Choose from five different harmonic styles: Baroque, Contemporary, Smooth, Free, And Open
* Non-harmonic tones such as passing notes or suspension notes
* Built in multi-touch keyboards in both chromatic layout and harmonic
* Supports the use of accidentals
* Supports simple and compound meters
* Supports major and minor keys
* Displays harmonic rhythm
* Multiple undo and redo
* MIDI in and MIDI out support
* AudioBus support
* AudioShare support
* Ten built-in instruments including orchestral and electronic sounds
* More instrument packs available for in-app purchase
* SoundCloud sharing