Breaking the Practice Barrier: Tonic for Motivated Musicians
BY JINYAO (AUDREY) ZHOU
Practice is the key to mastering any skill, and learning music is no exception. Mastering an instrument requires consistent practice, which can often be a lonely and challenging endeavor. Tonic, a practice app founded by world class violinist Ray Chen, is designed to tackle these struggles head-on by making the process more engaging, helping musicians overcome the common challenges of consistency and motivation. It’s perfect for anyone aiming to improve their skills while connecting with other musicians and learning from them. Tonic will motivate you to practice more and bring people together through music.
Tonic motivates people to practice more. The app accomplishes this in two main ways: giving mini achievements to encourage consistency in practice and providing practice challenges with prizes. Small achievements keep users motivated by giving them something to look forward to after each practice session. After each practice session, people gain rewards such as XP (experience points), which are earned by opening practice studios or listening to other people, and tokens (coins that you get every practice session), which can be used to buy new avatars. Tonic also tracks your practice streak, measuring the time you practiced to keep you accountable to your goals. Once you reach a goal, the app rewards you with badges when you reach practice milestones such as a 50 day streak.
This helps you stay consistent and measure your progress. Another way Tonic motivates practice is through challenges—special events where users compete to earn the most XP. The top one hundred of each instrument group are eligible for a Zhou 2 raffle that may give a prize such as a limited edition Bach tote bag or a special rosin. All these ways make you inclined to practice consistently, allowing faster rates of improvement.
In addition to its motivational features, Tonic fosters a supportive community carefully regulated by the Tonic team, ensuring a comfortable and safe space that enhances the practice experience. There are two main ways Tonic brings people together: live studios and group chats. The app’s unique live practice studios allow users to get real-time feedback and compliments from others, making each practice session more interactive and rewarding. Practicing through tonic allows you to learn more through other people’s feedback. On top of that, the app provides the opportunity for people to start group chats about things they are interested in and find other people who are just as interested. For example, you can join the “Tonic Artists Group” to enjoy and share beautiful artworks created by tonic musicians. This way you can further connect with people not only in online practice studios but also converse with them through text.
Whether you are a beginner or an advanced player, Tonic is sure to make your practice more rewarding. Tonic’s fun approach to motivating consistent practice and supportive community benefits everyone through feedback and compliments which builds confidence as a musician. Although it’s a relatively new app, the tonic team frequently updates the app showing the care and love that fosters this community. Download the Tonic app today because it is the best way to get started and stick with your instrument with fulfillment and dedication.