BP4_uJam

uJam's homepage

uJam proves to be a powerful and intelligent online music creation tool that allows users to turn a simple melody into a complete song with just a few quick clicks.  And amazingly, it does so without the need for any prior training in music or knowledge of music theory.  With uJam, all you need to do is set up an account and record a clip of yourself singing, humming, or playing a melody, and you are moments away from creating a song that makes you sound like you've been performing for years.

uJam's simple recording interface

Recording your performance couldn't be easier than uJam's online interface.  Ironically, finding a set of headphones and tuning my guitar took longer than it did to record my first clip with uJam's online, one-button recording tool.  It was also convenient that the internal mic on my MacBook Pro worked for the recording.

As well, uJam's editing interface is simple, yet powerful enough to create songs in a huge variety of styles from classical and jazz to hip-hop and metal.  After recording, uJam's software interprets the tempo and pitch of your melody and creates harmonic accompaniments that match what you originally performed.  The interface includes controls for tempo, basic mixing, and even allows you to adjust the pitch and intonation of your recording.  The alignment of your recording in relation to the background track can be edited, as well as the timing of the individual notes within the track.  So, even if your original recording isn't perfect, you can always go back and tweak what you played or sang.

In the coming months, I plan to evaluate how beginning band students can be motivated to practice through the use of technology for my capstone project at Full Sail University.  After creating a few tracks of my own in about a half hour, I imagine that students will dive at the chance to record themselves practicing and create accompaniments to practice along with in the styles they love the most.

Also, if you enjoyed the review, be sure to check back later for a one-minute commercial for uJam with some of the tracks I mentioned above.