Hawthorn pipe-major creates new app to promote practice and make prep fun

A new app for pipers, drummers, pipe bands and pretty much all serious musicians is poised to launch after trial testing in Australia and New Zealand.

MusoLink is designed to motivate musicians by tracking and sharing their practice sessions and routines, while creating helping to set goals and reminders for all levels of playing ability and objectives.

MusoLink was created by Matt Fraser, pipe-major of Grade 1 Hawthorn from Melbourne and the developer of the BeeFlat bagpipe tuning app. He was inspired to create MusoLink after training for and running a marathon, using a similar software application for runners.

“I realized that I and Hawthorn could all benefit from something similar, but for musicians,” Fraser said. “I went searching and found that it didn’t exist. The app combines my two passions of piping and software engineering. In my day job, I am general manager of engineering at a software engineering consultancy in Australia with over 180 employees. I am targeting the app at pipers and drummers initially since that’s what I know the best.”

“MusoLink fosters a healthy sense of shared accountability.” – Matt Fraser

Around 50 pipers and drummers have been testing MusoLink, sharing their practice habits and accomplishments. “This group is extremely engaged,” he said. “Over 3,000 sessions logged already.” After ironing out a few bugs, the app is ready for prime time on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

He added that the Scotch College bands used the app to help prepare for the World Pipe Band Championships, where they won the Novice B grade and placed third in Novice A. Australian Jono Quay, a rising star on the world solo scene, used MusoLink to prepare for the Silver Chanter Solo Piping events in New Zealand, where won both the Silver Chanter and the A Grade Piobaireachd events.

Users can follow each other and create competitive practice leagues, complete with a personal leader board that maps progress, allowing players to “geek out” on their practice stats and achievements.

“MusoLink fosters a healthy sense of shared accountability,” Fraser said. “To make the tracking easier, the app uses advanced artificial intelligence to detect whether you are playing your instrument. This lets you focus on playing without needing to worry about manual tracking. It also means the app can provide accurate stats regarding your efficiency – time spent actually playing, habits over time, and leaderboards.”

The app is free for a basic version or AUD$3/month for a version designed for groups and bands. A $10/month Pro edition designed for professional musicians is planned.