Los Angeles, October 10, 2017 - An app that allows you to create music from the sidewalk, a tool that augments audience reaction to a concert, and a virtual reality experience that teaches conducting are the winners of Hack Music LA, hosted by the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall this past weekend.

Inspired by the LA Phil’s belief that music is a fundamental human right, the event brought together 75 of the country’s most creative musicians, engineers, artists, and gamers to create the best new tools or experiences to make music feel more alive and accessible to everyone. Visit Hack Music LA on Facebook for a look at the archived stream of the competitors on Facebook Live. Photos of the event and winning teams can be found here.

Winner of the LA Phil prize was Bouncewav, a web-based application that allows audiences to react to music by using their phones while clapping, swaying and stomping their feet. The tool augments a live performance by creating customized music when the phone is moved in a certain direction. Bouncewav was created by a team of three USC students plus one young professional whose combined experience encompasses orchestral composition, design, programming and 3D animation. The LA Phil prize includes the opportunity to develop the tool with the LA Phil in 2018 and mentorship from Techstars Music.

Amazon Web Services and Oculus both picked Maestro as their winning choice; a virtual reality experience that allows users to turn the Oculus Rift into a musical learning tool. An aspiring conductor could turn the Rift into a conductor’s baton and the tool gives feedback on technique and offers tips to improve. Maestro was created by a team of software engineers together with Youtube creator Antonius Nazareth, who was brought up in a family of classical musicians and whose original musicals based on themes from emojis to Snapchat have been viewed by millions.

Finally, winner of the Kickstarter prize was the Amüse app, an augmented reality application that turns everyday travels into opportunities for music creation. Users could stand at a crosswalk and see the painted lines turn into guitar strings, or see the curves of Walt Disney Concert Hall turn into a cello. Amüse was created by a team of young designers, animators, filmmakers and musicians who have previously collaborated on short films, music and performances.

Photos of the event and winners are available here

Winner Photos:

Bouncewav: Ryan Carter, Jet Kwok, Jamie Haberman and Eddie Mestre (075, 097, 102, 164,166, 191)

Maestro: Antonius Nazareth, Jivitesh Dhaliwal, Maria Okounkova, Daniel Hemberger (133, 134, 168-171, 185, 186, 055)

Amüse: Molly Turner, Grant Singer, Carolyn DiLoreto, Emily Halaka (188)

Photo Credit: Craig T. Mathew and Greg Grudt/Mathew Imaging and @mathewimaging on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

**Detailed captions available on request

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The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of music from all genres – orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop – at two of L.A.’s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com). The LA Phil’s season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September through May, and throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, education and community programs.