Harmoniq

💡 Inspiration

Music has been shown to support creativity, memory, and cognitive development in young children. Research from the University of Geneva highlights a strong connection between musical engagement and improvements in a child’s cognitive ability. However, traditional music creation often has a steep learning curve, especially for children aged 4-7 who may not yet understand instruments or music theory.

At the same time, many musicians and beginners want a fast way to generate backtracks without breaking their creative flow. We wanted to bridge both ideas, creating something that feels like a playful building system for children while also acting as a powerful tool for experimentation and improvisation.

Harmoniq was inspired by building toys like LEGO. Instead of learning music through technical interfaces, users create sound by snapping together physical instrument blocks, making music creation intuitive, interactive, and accessible.

🎶 What it does

Harmoniq is a modular AI-powered music system that generates customizable backtracks using physical instrument blocks.

🔊 Block-Based Backtrack Creation

A central ESP32-powered module generates music while magnetic blocks represent instruments such as piano, guitar, and drums. Adding or removing blocks updates the AI prompt and reshapes the generated backtrack, allowing users to experiment quickly with different sounds.

🧱 Play-Based Learning for Children (Ages 4-7)

Inspired by educational building toys, Harmoniq allows children to explore music through physical interaction rather than complex software. By combining instruments through blocks, young users learn how sounds layer together while engaging with music in a playful and accessible way.

🤖 AI Music Generation

Using the ElevenLabs API, Harmoniq automatically generates music based on the selected instruments. This removes the barrier of needing musical training while still allowing creative exploration and improvisation.

🤔 Why Physical Modular Music Matters

Physical interaction encourages experimentation and helps users understand musical structure through play. Instead of navigating menus or learning theory first, Harmoniq lets users build music visually and physically. This approach supports both creative flow for musicians and early cognitive engagement for young learners.

⚙️ How we built it

🧱 Hardware

ESP32 microcontroller as the central system
Magnetic instrument blocks (piano, guitar, drums)
Physical buttons used to detect block placement
JBL Bluetooth speaker for audio output

🧠 Software

Arduino IDE for ESP32 firmware
ElevenLabs API for generative music
VS Code for development and prompt structuring

🔄 System Flow

Instrument Blocks → ESP32 → AI Prompt Builder → ElevenLabs Music Generation → Speaker Output

🥲😔 Challenges we ran into

Designing blocks that were intuitive enough for children while still functioning as reliable hardware inputs.
Iterating on magnet placement to ensure consistent alignment between modules.
Reducing latency between adding instruments and hearing updated music.
Balancing the project between an educational toy and a functional creative tool.

🏆🙏 Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a modular hardware system that combines AI music generation with physical interaction.
Designed an interface that supports both early learning and creative experimentation.
Created a system where users can generate backtracks simply by arranging instrument blocks.
Connected generative AI with tangible play to make music more accessible.

🧠 What we learned

Designing for children aged 4-7 requires simplicity, clarity, and physical interaction. We learned that reducing complexity in both hardware and software design makes the experience more engaging and intuitive.

We also explored how generative AI can support creativity by removing technical barriers, allowing users to focus on experimentation rather than setup.