For many of us, the best way to learn something new is through something that is also fun and engaging.
You could buy a drum machine online -- or even go all the way to the local music store and hand-pick a gem. But chances are you'll never understand what's really going on inside that plastic box.
Beatbox, a new music production device by Austin startup Rhythmo, is hoping that kids -- and even adults -- will tap into the world of circuitry that powers all those sweet beats in many of today's most popular songs. The Beatbox is a portable MIDI controller that you can use to tap out new beats or write entire songs using its iOS or Android app and tying it into existing production software.
But Rhythmo founder Ethan Jin, a DJ and former DJ instructor at Dub Academy in Austin, sees the product largely as a way to help kids learn about hardware engineering and modern music.
In fact, he created the initial idea while he was a student in the entrepreneurial leadership program at Babson College.
“We created this in the hopes of getting kids, armatures, people that are interested in music production but don’t really know how to get into it," he told me recently.
His product pitch has two audiences: One is kids, generally age 12 and up, who are interested in electronic music. The other is the parents (as well as fiddlers of all ages) who see the DIY drum kit as an educational experience.
At a glance, it might look a bit like a shoebox with some arcade game buttons cut into it. But there's plenty going on under the hood, and it has speakers, making it a portable jam box for bringing to a friend's house or fun fiddling during a roadtrip. It takes roughly an hour to put together, and it has tutorials on its app.
Jin said he hopes it's an avenue to get more kids interested in making music.
“How does anyone learn guitar? You find an old dusty guitar in your dad’s garage and just play that for God knows how long. And that’s how you learn," he said. "But these kids don’t have that capacity to do that (on electronic music gear).”
Just a few days into a Kickstarter campaign, BeatBox had already passed its $50,000 goal with more than $86,000. Early backers signed on to get a BeatBox, which will later retail for $150, for $99.
Jin said creating a Kickstarter campaign is a ton of work.
“The thing about Kickstarter is that you really want that to be fulfilled in the first two days of the campaign," he said. "That’s how the ball gets rolling.”
Jin did this by building interest through a Facebook group, which accumulated about 2,000 members who at least had some interest in buying the BeatBox once it's available.
While it looks like the Kickstarter is a success already, Jin has larger ambitions. He raised about $150,000 in funding from friends and family. His startup is in the MassChallenge Texas accelerator program. And, after the Kickstarter campaign, he intends to raise additional funding to fuel new products.
He and his team, two full-time, two part-time, are working on other DIY studio equipment and hope to build out an ecosystem through their app.
“This cannot be a one-hit wonder," he said.
Jin acknowledged that it's tough to get people on to a new music ecosystem.
“People don’t want to change, even if another platform is better," he said.
But he also has a significant opening in music education, including public schools that may be reluctant to build out studios since they typically can't accommodate many students at one time and are relatively costly.
Jin contends that kids are still mostly learning music on acoustic instruments that are rarely used in the popular music they're listening to. It's not to say traditional instruments are bad -- Jin said piano was foundational for him. But it might draw more interest from kids.
His other pitch is just having a jam box you can play without connecting to a lap top and speakers. The BeatBox has built-in speakers and batteries.
“Why isn’t this as popular as the guy who’s playing the acoustic guitar on the college campus lawn?," Jin said. "It's because that guy has the mobility. He has that live aspect everywhere. And that’s why we wanted to make this that same experience where they can play wherever they want to go.”
