Hi, I'm Iain Duncan, a freelance musician, software developer, and interdisciplinary PhD student in music and computer science. My goal is simply to provide the world's most effective ear training tools anywhere.
I am now fortunate to be playing jazz shows with some of BC's best musicians, but the truth is that I never had a naturally strong musical ear at all. So, like many in the same boat, I learned to compensate for my weak ears by relying on other strengths. And while this got me to an intermediate level, I was stuck there for years. When I finally got serious about ear training - and put in the work - my playing improved immensely.
However, when I decided to really get serious, I couldn't find any great ear-training apps. I found some that were useful for a while, but none that were actually effective, efficient, and engaging ways to practice. So I built them myself, and Serious Music Training is the culmination of that effort.
Aural skills help everything - improvising, composing, learning repertoire, memorizing, even technique. Building a solid, integrated aural and harmonic mental model is the most important investment you can make in your musical development. I firmly believe the apps I have built on SMT are the best computer-assisted training tools available, and that they will help you become the best musician you can be.
Iain,
BC, Canada.