TuneTrain: Incidental learning through interactive music creation

Abstract

Inspiring children who may be new to music composition can set them on a rewarding path of discovery and lifelong learning. Composing music however, can be daunting and challenging for anyone who has not received formal music education. TuneTrain is an app that addresses both of these concerns by aiding exploratory learning through interactive music creation. TuneTrain is an iPad game-like application for children 8-years-old and up; the goal of the application is for children to experience fun gameplay, music creation, while working within real musical harmonic structures. This paper describes the design, visual style, and technological challenges of developing TuneTrain to be interesting to play while also integrating musical rules. Playtesting with 45 children ages 8 to 12 has revealed how TuneTrain arouses curiosity and inspires through rewarding moments of self-directed creation.