Paper Mill Playhouse Has Announced Inaugural Sponsor for Theater's Arts Education Programs

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Michael Stotts- Managing Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, has announced that The Goren Family and the Harmony Helper app have partnered with the Millburn theater as the inaugural sponsor of the not-for-profit's education and outreach programs. The sponsorship includes additional resources for Mill's staple arts education programs including: Adopt-A-School Project (https://tinyurl.com/ArtsEducate1), Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards presented by Investors Foundation (https://tinyurl.com/PMPRISING), annual New Voices Concert (https://tinyurl.com/NewVoicesConcert), Summer Musical Theater Conservatory (https://tinyurl.com/PMPSMC) and the company's Theater for Everyone program (https://papermill.org/access-for-all/), among others. The Goren Family and the Harmony Helper App are also a major sponsor of Mill Playhouse's mainstage production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, running from November 20 through December 29.

"Paper Mill Playhouse is deeply grateful for the Harmony Helper app and the Goren family's visionary support of our arts education and outreach programs," commented James Fakult, Chair of Paper Mill's Board of Trustees. "Paper Mill champions nearly 40,000 students each year with transformative education programs, which are at the heart of our not-for-profit organization."

"Paper Mill feels a keen responsibility to ensure children should have access to theater's life-changing opportunities, regardless of economic, physical, or developmental challenges," stated Michael Stotts, Paper Mill's Managing Director. "Paper Mill responds with high-quality arts education, cultural partnerships, and outreach - impacting teens, aspiring artists, and families of children with autism and other cognitive and developmental disabilities."

"Paper Mill Playhouse is an invaluable non-profit organization that enriches the national theater community and gives performers of all abilities the opportunity to participate in the arts," said Andrew Goren, founder and chief executive officer of Harmony Helper. "Harmony Helper is thrilled to give back to this organization that represents our shared values. Much like Paper Mill Playhouse, our goal at Harmony Helper is to provide equal access to training resources for performers."

Harmony Helper®, the premier app that provides singers the convenience and control of a 24/7 digital rehearsal room anytime, anywhere, announced the full launch on October 29 of the first and only product that adds customizable sheet music scanning to simplify practicing and help singers deliver their best performance. The Harmony Helper app allows singers that cannot afford a vocal coach or rehearsal space to develop the skill levels they need to make the most of their time in the spotlight. It levels the playing field for amateurs and pros alike.

Based on patented technology, the app is the first comprehensive, easy-to-use learning tool that features accurate real-time feedback, vocal part customization, pitch tracking, record/playback, and vocal part volume control.

Harmony Helper's new customizable sheet music scanning feature is the first and only of its kind. Users simply upload or take a photo of their sheet music. Harmony Helper then uses Optical Music Recognition (OMR) technology to auto-generate vocal parts. The user then creates their own custom vocal part by answering a few questions about the song. The song is then translated into an easy-to-read piano roll format with accompaniment and flexible part volume controls, giving singers the ability to isolate specific vocal parts and sound while practicing. This unique feature makes all music available to practice the moment a singer is ready to begin learning. For singers who are just learning or struggle with reading sheet music, this patented technology eliminates the friction to allow the aspiring singer to practice. Performers no longer need to be dependent on scheduling time with accompanists to play and record music, and the real-time feedback feature takes away the stress of scheduling with a coach to quickly prepare for an audition or performance.

"Harmony Helper is an indispensable educational resource that will change how every individual and music group approaches learning music," said Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director at Paper Mill Playhouse. "Harmony Helper solves a myriad of logistical issues facing performers and beginners while giving students the confidence they need to master their music. I consider this app a true game-changer for the arts industry."

"Learning to sing requires only one really big commitment: practice. Harmony Helper allows you to practice singing anytime, while simultaneously training both your brain and ear," said Rob McClure, Tony-nominated actor and artistic advisor at Harmony Helper. "Unlike other apps on the market, Harmony Helper makes it possible for singers to practice any song they want with no song library limit. The sheet music scanner feature puts control back into the singer's hands, without having to impose on your Musical Director or accompanist to record their individual parts. As a Broadway performer, this is incredibly valuable and a first for the industry."

Harmony Helper's transformative features include:

Sheet Music scanning/conversion: Allows singers to simply take a photo of any sheet music or upload directly into the app. Using OMR technology, written music is converted to MusicXML and MIDI so it can be viewed in a piano roll format, heard, and rehearsed.

Vocal part customization: Singers create their custom vocal part for a more personalized experience.

Real-time feedback: Patented pitch tracker accurately visualizes the singer's pitch and timing in real-time, calibrated to their abilities and level of expertise.

Vocal Part Volume Controls: Hear the song in a multitude of different ways using volume controls for vocal parts, metronome, and accompaniment.

Guided Approach to Learning: Patented 5-Step Approach to Learning and Holding Harmonies equips singers with the necessary tools to tackle even the most complex songs, so they can walk into every live performance or rehearsal confidently prepared.

Easy Record and Playback: Listen to a song anytime and anywhere, then step into a quiet room to record/practice. Then listen to the recording take alone or with other vocal parts.

In the coming months, Harmony Helper will be announcing the general release of its group sharing features. The patented technology will enable music directors, coaches, and teachers to seamlessly share songbooks and instructions with performers and group members. Performers will receive their music via the app and can easily isolate their part so they can practice on their own time, not just when the director or accompanist is available.

To post a comment, you must register and login.