New June Store Update - Talented & Influential Composers!
Happy June! As summer kicks into high gear, the Practice Space store is thrilled to introduce a brand-new lineup of incredible composer avatars for the month of June. This month, we are inviting you and your students to dive into the lives, minds, and masterpieces of some of history's most brilliant musical creators.
If you are new around here, the Practice Space store is a fun, monthly-updating feature designed to turn daily practice habits into an interactive reward system. Students earn digital Practice Gems simply by showing up, putting in the work, and reaching their daily practice goals. They can then spend their hard-earned gems in our shop to redeem these cool composer avatars, helping them customize their profiles and keep their practice screens fresh and exciting.
But it’s not just about getting a cool new look—it’s about bringing music history to life! Each new composer avatar comes loaded with their own unique in-app quotes and fascinating historical facts, allowing these legendary figures to share insights into their creative processes and musical periods directly with your students. To help deepen this connection, we’ve also included curated YouTube links to significant works for each composer. It’s the perfect way for students to pause, listen, and truly experience the diverse beauty of the classical masterpieces they are learning about.
Explore the new store updates this June, and let these legendary maestros inspire your students to unlock new musical heights—one practice session at a time!
Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre was a Baroque harpsichord prodigy who became one of Western music’s first widely successful female composers.
Facts in app:
I performed for King Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles when I was only 5 or 6 years old.
In 1694, I became the first French woman to compose an opera, Céphale et Procris, for the Académie Royale de Musique.
King Louis XIV was my personal patron and allowed me to dedicate many of my published works directly to him.
I drew massive public crowds with my incredible harpsichord improvisation skills.
Watch this performance of Suite in A minor!
Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre - Suite in A minor
Marianna Martines was a prominent Classical composer, singer, and pianist who became a central figure in the city's vibrant musical scene.
Facts in app:
As a child, I took music lessons from Joseph Haydn, who lived in my family’s apartment building.
I hosted musical salons at my home, where I played piano duets with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
In 1773, I became the first woman admitted into Bologna's prestigious Accademia Filarmonica.
I opened a home singing school to train Vienna’s next generation of talented female vocalists.
Watch this performance of Sonata in E Major-Allegro:
Marianne von Martinez: Sonata in E Major - Allegro
Alberto Ginastera was a legendary 20th-century composer celebrated for blending traditional Argentine folk rhythms with bold, modern classical techniques.
Facts in app:
I used the driving rhythms of the malambo—a traditional Argentine cowboy dance—in my music.
I founded the Latin American Center for Advanced Musical Studies and mentored tango pioneer Ástor Piazzolla.
My First Piano Concerto was adapted by the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer on their 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery.
I divided my career into three style periods: "Objective Nationalism," "Subjective Nationalism," and "Neo-Expressionism."
Watch this performance of Danza del viejo boyero:
Danza del viejo boyero, by Alberto Ginastera
Bright Sheng is an acclaimed contemporary composer whose deeply expressive music beautifully bridges East and West by merging Chinese folk melodies with Western classical forms.
Facts in app:
During China's Cultural Revolution, I lived in Tibet for seven years working as a musician in a folk troupe.
I moved to the U.S. in 1982 and became a student and protégé of Leonard Bernstein.
I won a MacArthur Fellowship (the "Genius Grant") in 2001 for my innovative musical compositions.
In 2016, my opera Dream of the Red Chamber, based on a classic Chinese novel, premiered at the San Francisco Opera.
Watch this performance of The Stream Flows:
Sheng: The Stream Flows
Claude Debussy created colorful, atmospheric music inspired by nature, light, and emotion, that helped to shape Impressionist music.
Facts in app:
My famous piano piece Clair de Lune means “Moonlight” in French.
I often drew inspiration from nature, including the sea, clouds, and gardens.
My orchestral work La Mer (“The Sea”) paints a musical picture of the ocean.
I experimented with new harmonies and sounds that were very different from traditional classical music.
Watch this performance of Children’s Corner.
Lang Lang – Debussy: Children's Corner, L. 113: 1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
Background Update
Some other fun additions
These all cheer the student on but also talk about tempo and other musical terms!
