STEAM
StrumPals
The ukulele app that LISTENS (ages 6–8): strum a chord and Strummer the sea otter tells you the chord you played (C, F, G7, Am) by listening — with per-string presence, a free tuner that is NOT a funnel, and beginner two-chord songs. Play in a key that fits your own voice. On-device — your playing never leaves the device, nothing is recorded.
#1F9E91 Distributed-narrative cast
Meet the cast
StrumPals' younger hero-anchored cast (ages 6–8): hero Strummer the sea otter (hears your strum + names the chord) + a few gentle friends, no trauma depth (R-YOUNGER-CLUSTER-CAST-SIZE). Each friend embodies one gentle primitive (R-DN-PARITY). Illustrated portraits + DN-S chapters are on the way (STORY-PEND).
Strummer
(Hero) listens to your strum and names the chord you played (chroma-chord recognition, embodied)
Read chapter →
Tuner
the free tuner — pluck a string and know it's just right (nearest-string + cents)
Read chapter →
Shaper
shows the chord shape — where your fingers go on the fretboard
Read chapter →
Changer
the song, one chord change at a time
Read chapter →
Browse all chapters → · What's distributed-narrative methodology? →
What's inside
Learning goal
The ukulele app that LISTENS (ages 6–8): strum a chord and Strummer the sea otter tells you the chord you played (C, F, G7, Am) by listening — with per-string presence, a free tuner that is NOT a funnel, and beginner two-chord songs. Play in a key that fits your own voice. On-device — your playing never leaves the device, nothing is recorded.
Question kits
16 curriculum-aligned kits × 25 questions = 400 questions per app, mapped to recognized standards.
On-device AI mentor
FoundationModels-powered hints, feedback, and adaptive difficulty — all running locally.
Mentored by Strummer — on-device AI, no data leaves the device.
How StrumPals handles your kid's data
- ✅ All progress, settings, and AI-generated content stays on the device
- ✅ No analytics, no tracking, no third-party SDKs
- ✅ No ads, no in-app purchases — you pay once
- ✅ COPPA compliant under the 2026 FTC amendments
- ✅ Parental controls + session limits + content filters built in
StrumPals runs on ForgeKit — the open-source Swift Package Manager framework that powers every Spark & Anvil app. ForgeKit ensures consistent accessibility, COPPA compliance, and design language across the portfolio, so your kid's progress and preferences feel coherent across every app they touch.
Coming to the App Store
StrumPals is in active development. Email us to hear when it ships — no marketing, no spam, just a one-shot launch announcement.
Email me at launch