Create Music Without Reading Notes
These days you no longer need to learn to 'read' music to write it. There is a huge number of tools that allow us to combine samples to form excellent mixes, and although professionals rely on resources like the Novation Launchpad and Ableton Live, beginners can start with something like BlokDust, a new portal in which we can create music by joining different objects with advanced effects and properties.
I still fondly remember my old Sony Ericsson W200, a small mobile phone that had an app to create personal ringtones. Despite the limited number of samples, it was so easy to use that ringtones became full melodies within minutes. The W200 is almost ten years old, and its composer is insignificant compared to the options we have access to today, but ease of use is something that never expires. If you want to create your own melodies, I imagine your first reaction will be to look for an advanced audio editor and a sample pack, however, before doing that you might want to take a look at BlokDust.
How BlokDust Works
In short, BlokDust is easy to learn and hard to master. Its tutorials do a great job explaining the basic functions: You take an element from the Source section, connect another from the Effect category, add a 'power source' from the Power category, and a mode of interaction, whether keyboard or external MIDI instrument. When you click on an element you'll see its properties, and depending on the settings you can alter the final melody to your liking. It all starts with a couple of blocks, but with each new idea you'll add another, and another... until you shape sounds much more complex than you originally imagined.
Compatibility and Open Source
BlokDust does not need any kind of external plugin to work, but its developers recommend using Chrome browser to get better compatibility (Firefox works, though it generates some errors). The portal is an open source collaboration between three developers (Luke Twyman, Luke Phillips, and Edward Silverton), has several guides and dedicated forums on the Web, and it is very easy to share our finished melodies. Releasing your inner musician requires less and less effort, and BlokDust is clear proof of that.
