Music Teacher Replaced By Robot?

"In The Chair," is a new interactive software program that is supposed to help beginner musicians improve their skills, but my preliminary tests have not inspired me yet.

Following in the footsteps of the SmartMusic Studio Intelligent Accompaniment System by MakeMusic, "In The Chair," attempts to encourage students to practice while helping them learn their music at a faster pace. According to a recent news story from Wired Magazine, "In The Chair" received numerous positive reviews including being featured at the recent Web 2.0 Conference. But is the hype just a lot of hot air or does the application pose as a serious competitor to SmartMusic? I am currently testing the application and putting it through its paces. Look for an update here at Suite101 in the near future to see what I have discovered.