{"id":17714,"date":"2021-11-23T17:02:04","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T22:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.elearninginside.com\/?p=17714"},"modified":"2021-11-23T17:02:04","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T22:02:04","slug":"artiphons-orba-unlocks-educational-and-therapeutic-benefits-of-music-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.elearninginside.com\/artiphons-orba-unlocks-educational-and-therapeutic-benefits-of-music-making\/","title":{"rendered":"Artiphon\u2019s Orba Unlocks Educational and Therapeutic Benefits of Music Making"},"content":{"rendered":"

From beat-making workshops in Brooklyn to one of California\u2019s largest school districts, a new wave of educators and music therapists are embracing emerging music tech to reach young people in fresh ways, tapping into the emotional awareness and intellectual benefits that music-making imparts. These innovations have additional importance now, as many students have seen major disruptions to their school and home lives due to the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Artiphon<\/a>, a company at the cutting edge of music technology, has been designing new musical instruments and apps that make music more approachable for people of all ages. Their newest product, a handheld all-in-one instrument called Orba<\/a>, is being adopted by teachers and music therapists eager to use new tools to deliver the cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of music.<\/p>\n

\"Artiphon
Artiphon\u2019s Orba in a remote-learning environment. [Image: Artiphon].<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why Teachers and Therapists are Using Orba<\/h2>\n

Orba is intuitive, with just eight pads for playing drums, basslines, chord progressions, and melodies \u2013 all tuned to pre-set keys that let avid musicians and beginners alike start creating immediately. Orba\u2019s highly-sensitive playing surface, combined with expressive gestures like Tilt and Radiate, add unique inflection to people\u2019s playing even if they are new to music.<\/p>\n

Orba\u2019s adaptability is a big part of why teachers love it. Orba can be played as a stand-alone song maker, with Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead modes that can be recorded on the built-in looper. With an integrated speaker and headphone jack, it\u2019s like having a music studio in your hands. Orba also connects to the software most used in classrooms, including Soundtrap and GarageBand, fitting smoothly with familiar workflows.<\/p>\n

Empowered by the Artiphon community<\/h2>\n

Artiphon has been able to donate instruments to music educators and therapists, in part thanks to its own user community. When Orba launched on Kickstarter in 2019, over 12,000 backers were given an opportunity to \u201cgive one and get one,\u201d whereby Artiphon shared the cost of donating an Orba to the field of music education, wellness, and research. To date, over 100 instruments have been sent to programs including Little Kids Rock, The Bob Moog Foundation, The Institute for Music and Neurological Function, and many others. (You can request a donation here<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Examples of Orba in the field<\/h2>\n