A Visit to TonicCon: Day 1

There’s a violinist staying down the hall from me. I know this because I can hear tuneful practicing to the right as I close my door and head to the Colburn School—and into a fine Los Angeles morning. I arrive to find small bunches of pastel balloons greeting enthusiastic visitors. It is the morning of October 10, the first day of two that will celebrate the community of musicians who use the practice app Tonic, founded by violinist Ray Chen and tech entrepreneur and engineer Rose Xi. Musicians of all ages move in a calm, cheerful crush toward the registration table. Violins, violas, and cellos are very much a part of the scene, toted about casually in cases of black, orange, red, and pink with embossed stripes. Xi, smiling, helps direct traffic. When Chen enters the building on his way to the adjacent Zipper Hall to teach a master class, the room’s warm, happy buzz explodes into a brief chorus of woots.

The congenial atmosphere is no surprise. Tonic is not only meant to inspire its users to practice by “gamifying” the process and helping them track their progress and goals. Its real purpose is to create community around that idea. By giving musicians of all levels the means to practice for an audience of other users via an “open studio” function, the app helps alleviate the weight of solitude so often represented by practice time. In short, all musicians have to practice, but with Tonic, they don’t have to do it all alone.

TonicCon, the app’s first in-person event, is a well-rounded assortment of master classes (for string players, instructors include Chen, Margaret Batjer, Robert Lipsett, and Martin Beaver); panel discussions covering everything from managing performance anxiety to effective practice strategies to life as a professional musician; workshops about instrument setup; and opportunities for Tonic users to perform. Each day is capped with a performance by Chen playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the Colburn Chamber Players on a program that also includes contributions by the Colburn School Academy Virtuosi and three (of six) specially selected Tonic musicians who were flown in to perform. All events are captured on camera, and many are livestreamed for virtual audiences.

On Day 1, the first event I’ll be attending is Chen’s master class. He takes the stage, welcoming the audience and introducing the fundamental tenets of the class, and indeed the event as a whole. TonicCon is a place to share music and to learn—to “get together without the pressure.” Opportunities like this were rare when Chen was studying himself, and often hard won. TonicCon, however, is for everyone, and much of what musicians in this master class today will be working on is how to fill this performance space, a 400-seat theater, with sound.  

Indeed, the three violinists do receive advice about pushing their sound out to the audience, also about how to use body movement to give depth and texture to certain phrases. Chen is an engaging teacher, building an easy, friendly rapport with both students and audience. When he asks one player to repeat a passage without using any bow movement—by only moving her instrument against a stationary bow—he demonstrates as the audience giggles. His universal request that they all use more rosin (evidently, he’s made a YouTube video about this topic) also draws a laugh.

All three players are individually coached by an attentive and energetic Chen, receiving advice tailored to their own performance. But one lesson seems to reign supreme (other than the rosin thing): Don’t be afraid. Try new things. Make mistakes until you get it right. It’s OK to rush here a bit to add a little drama. Don’t hold yourself back. Go for it.

The lesson comes again and again in different guises, but the basic message is always the same. “You shouldn’t be punished for trying things,” he says. Each of the performers leaves the stage having demonstrated the benefits of this approach.

TonicCon participants are now filing out of their events and into the balmy L.A. afternoon where, at Colburn Plaza, a stage has been set up. Soon a series of short performances by various Tonic users is underway. It’s clear an effort has been made to present a variety of players at different ages and levels of development. But they all sound good—well practiced!—and perform with confidence.

Next up: a “Meet the Founders” panel discussion at which Chen and Xi are interviewed onstage by Colburn’s vice president of communications, Jennifer Kallend. They then take audience questions from both those present and those watching the livestream. There is a clear camaraderie between Chen and Xi as they talk about the app’s inspiration and evolution.

Both are musicians who grew up with a great deal of support for their musical ambitions. Chen’s parents embarked on a strategy of what he calls “pure bribery” to inspire him to practice (practice time yielded pocket money and time to play video games). Pianist Xi sought out an audience at every opportunity. Recognizing that not everyone gets this support, that an audience isn’t always available, the two founded Tonic to provide access to these things for everyone. And since the Tonic community is worldwide, that support is available 24 hours a day.

Why is it called Tonic? Because it’s the home key to which you return. “It’s the home for your musical journey,” says Chen. Tonic evolved from an earlier model called Pocket Conservatory, which changed and grew as a direct result of user feedback. The founders demonstrate a continuing dedication to their community’s requests at this discussion, sometimes making decisions about suggestions on the spot. When they reveal that they’re working on a new education component that will provide real-life feedback, the audience is thrilled. Chen and Xi take their time in focusing on each community member who asks a question (or several), sometimes asking their own questions in return. Easygoing banter and thoughtful responses combine to build connections, and the session ends long before all of the awaiting questions could be addressed. The Tonic community files out into the sun, excited by the prospects of the app’s future.

And now, a break before this evening’s concert.