Learning a musical instrument requires dedication, practice, and time. Making performance errors is a natural part of the learning process; however, learning delays can occur when errors go uncorrected during individual practice. A recently established startup company, Shenzhen Mango Future Education Technology Co (Mango Future), has developed a product to address this problem.
Mango Future aims to improve and revolutionize the way people learn to play musical instruments. The company’s first product is Lian – a smartphone-application-based intelligent assistant for instrument practicing. The application, which is based on core technologies developed by University of Rochester Professor Zhiyao Duan, can listen to and track a musician’s performance on the score in real-time, providing feedback on pitch and rhythm accuracy. The University licensed the rights to that technology to Mango Future.
The smartphone application enables the student to identify and correct errors as they practice and is intended to supplement musical instruction. Currently, the application is available to users in China and the United States. The company intends to expand its application to other string instruments, and eventually to brass and wood instruments.