Teenage tympanist launches smartphone app for avid drummers

IF YOU can’t stop tapping your fingers to your favourite music, a Cork teenager’s free smartphone application could be just the thing for you.

The DrumHead app for the iPhone and iPod Touch is the result of a year’s work by Fergal Eccles from Montenotte, who has been playing drums since he was 11. The transition-year student at Ashton Comprehensive School had more than his 16th birthday to celebrate this week as the feature for beginner and pro drummers went online.

“I’ve played drums for a long time and my brother Colm said to me about a year ago I should combine that with my interest in computers to make a phone app,” he said.

Starting out with a computer programming book from the school library, aided by a new laptop and design advice from fine-art student Colm, the hard work on the app began in February. Eight months of sleepless nights later, with the small matter of his Junior Certificate sandwiched in the middle, Fergal finalised contracts with Apple and launched the DrumHead app a few days ago.

“It’s aimed at people who have an interest in learning drums or who can’t stop tapping their fingers, or those who are already drummers,” he said.

One of the intricacies was getting the responsiveness right, but the free app now means users can play a full drum kit with just the pads of their fingers. The sounds of the tom-toms, cymbals, snare drum and cowbell are authentic, having been imported from a British drummer’s recordings of his own instruments.

The users can also play the maracas, simply by shaking their phone, just in the same way they would play the real instrument.

Fergal chose “Pixelface” as the name for the software company licensed to sell the app — it’s named after the band himself and Colm have together.

He hopes to have an updated version available from the Apple App Store in a few weeks. While the original version is available to download free, for just 99c the update will allow budding tympanists to drum along to music being played on their phone.

Fergal has recently been invited to undertake a level-6 course in cloud computing at nearby St John’s Central College and is also interested in business and economics, which could make him a future top entrepreneur, but he’s keeping his cards close to his chest for now.