Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Billock.
Hi Becky, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been teaching the piano since I was 12 years old. I think I was four when I started playing, but I have no memory of when this madness all began. I only remember living and breathing the piano. Or perhaps it could all be chalked up to a simple aversion to housework and physical labor. Our parents had a rule that if we were practicing our instrument, we could excuse ourselves from mowing the lawn, cleaning, or whatever the chore of the day was. My brothers could often be found mowing the lawn. Me? I was practicing. Always.
I taught a few lessons through high school, and then as a piano major undergrad, I was invited to teach in a piano preparatory program under the mentorship of Debra Bakland. Debra taught both community and college students and oversaw all of the student teachers in the program. She had the uncanny ability to remember every single student in the program, exactly what they performed on the last several recitals, and exactly how they played it. She would dole out advice and recommendations based on this knowledge, and it was always spot on. As a college student, this was both inspiring and terrifying. She remains one of the most formative pillars of my teaching career.
I supported myself through private teaching while I was in grad school. I’m sorry to say that by this time, I also had to do the house chores myself–there’s sadly no escape from adulting, even if you are practicing.
Alongside the teaching, I was also performing extensively.
I did a lot of solo concerts and recorded several classical piano albums. I also spent quite a few years gallivanting around the globe performing with Trio Nova Mundi, a piano trio (piano, violin, cello), as well as with my piano duo partner, Jack Kurutz. Some of the highlights included tours to South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Chile, and Mexico, as well as many performances across the US and Canada. Somewhere in there, I got a college teaching position, and this year marks my tenth year teaching at Grove City College.
One of the frustrations I’ve had throughout my years of teaching is that the traditional way of teaching note reading and theory is pretty boring. You can tell that students are less than engaged if they are opting to mow the lawn rather than doing their music homework–as I learned early in life!
During the pandemic, I took a programming course with one of my kids who was doing homeschool, and it hit me. A gamified app for developing these musical building blocks could really make a difference in the learning experience of many people. I pulled together a stellar team including several top-notch software engineers from Carnegie Mellon University (ok, full disclosure–one of them is my husband!), a database expert (my brother!), and several close friends. We’ve been churning away on this project with the help of countless interns, mentors, and advisors, as well as with input from over 80 music educators across the country. I’m proud to say that we launched the app in early October, and it can be accessed by downloading to iOS or Android mobile device, or by visiting www.noteful.net.
It’s been a wild ride to go from full-time music educator and performer to tech startup founder. I’m proud of what we’ve created and can’t wait for it to make a difference in the lives of music students and enthusiasts, music educators, and pretty much anyone who is curious about what all those dots and symbols on the page mean.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Here’s a story: when I was about 10 years old, I was invited to be the pianist for a choir. I naively assumed playing for the choir was going to be just like playing for people to sing at our family church, which I had been doing (by ear) as long as I could remember. I knew all the songs. In the first rehearsal, I was sitting at the piano, feeling like a hot shot, when the director came over and plopped a piece of music down in front of me and asked me to play the soprano and alto lines. I could figure out notes painstakingly slowly from sheet music but couldn’t read with anything remotely resembling fluency. There was no hiding or faking it. I had to admit to the director that I couldn’t read the music at all.
And even after living this down, I’m embarrassed to say that I had an almost identical experience when I went to my first orchestra rehearsal as a violinist a year or so later.
In short, note reading and ear training are skills that enhance the musical experience and are essential in many settings where musicians collaborate. Part of the motivation for creating Noteful is to help students avoid a panic attack or two, by creating a fun way to learn these concepts. Hey, it might even be more fun than mowing the lawn.
As you know, we’re big fans of Noteful. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Noteful is a smartphone and web app that teaches note reading and music theory with fun bite-sized lessons. The Noteful app is an immersive environment where you can unlock new islands and levels as you complete lessons, track your progress, compete with other Noteful users on the leaderboard, maintain a streak, and more. There are additional game features that will soon be released to make the interface even more fun.
Does Noteful help you learn?
The majority of the beta users who filled out our survey–even the ones who had some previous musical experience–reported that Noteful helped them learn some new skills or concepts they didn’t know before. My own 35+ years of teaching have been a big influence on the content of the app. But best of all, the app was created with input from over 80 music educators across the US.
An important feature that sets us apart from several of our competitors is that we offer a comprehensive focus on note reading, ear training and music theory, while also maintaining free access to our entire content for all users. We offer subscription options for folks who want an ad-free experience and unlimited health, but none of our content is hidden behind a paywall. It’s part of our mission to create an inclusive and equitable space in music education.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Even before the pandemic, there was a trend towards finding educational outlets online. The lockdown and aftermath showed an accelerated adoption of doing things on mobile phones, and I think many people will continue to look for online solutions for learning new skills. It’s nice to be able to pull your phone out of your back pocket and make progress towards your musical goals right on the bus or in the park!
In addition, schools and educators have moved to incorporate more tech tools, opening up opportunities for apps like Noteful to make a difference in the classroom. Most schools offer minimal time for music class, making it nearly impossible for many classroom music teachers to spend time teaching music notation and ear training to their students. A tool like Noteful provides students with the skills to participate in school music programs more easily and will allow teachers in these programs to spend class time focusing on playing music.
Pricing:
- Free platform $0.00
- Monthly subscription $7.99 for ad-free experience and unlimited health
- Annual subscription $49.99 for ad-free experience and unlimited health
Contact Info:
- Website: www.noteful.net
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/benoteful/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/benoteful - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/in/beckybillock/ - X: https://twitter.com/
BeNoteful - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/@noteful3337 - Other: iOS mobile app Android mobile app
