When Mater Dei High School issued iPads to every student last year, the music department began looking for a way to integrate the device into the classroom.

That’s when the Santa Ana Catholic school found Chromatik, a Santa Monica music technology startup that had yet to launch its first product. But Chromatik was developing software for musicians to download sheet music to their computers or iPads, make notations, record themselves playing and then send those recordings to others.

By the end of summer 2011, Chromatik had more than 300 Mater Dei music students testing the free software for practicing their lessons at home and sending recordings to their teachers.

“It was really interesting to see the app being used in a classroom on a daily basis,” said Matt Sandler, Chromatik’s co-founder and chief executive. “It was worth testing the product to see if it had viable scale.”

Chromatik – which is named for the 12-tone chromatic musical scale – launched its software to the public last month. In the year and a half since it was first used at Mater Dei, it has raised $2 million in funding from a range of technology and music investors, including pop artist Bruno Mars, and it has signed customers such as UCLA, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the “American Idol” backup band.

Chromatik, which is free to use online or download to an iPad, allows musicians to upload digital versions of sheet music, including chord changes, guitar tablature and lesson books. Once in the system, that music can be used for practicing, recording what you play and sending it to other musicians for critique.

The company could eventually monetize its customers by selling sheet music, instructional information or advanced performing and recording tools.

Although Los Angeles is a hub of the music recording industry and wannabe musicians, there are few technology startups in the region focused on building products for musicians. Chromatik provides an update of the relatively fixed process of practicing and performing music, said Sam Teller, managing director of Santa Monica accelerator and investor Launchpad LA.

“We’re seeing a lot more being done around video than around music,” said Teller, who’s Launchpad LA has mentored and invested in Chromatik. “Music is a really challenging business to break into. The way that people play and practice music hasn’t changed in centuries.”

Music education

Music, of course, is at the center of Chromatik. In fact, the company’s co-founders built a small recording studio in the office on Second Street in Santa Monica in a hub of tech startups. The company has 12 employees.

Before co-founding Chromatik with James Wicker, Sandler studied saxophone at UCLA and later worked several jobs in the music world, including teaching music through LAUSD and working for Capitol Records to scout and develop new artists.

Because of his background, Sandler said Chromatik was designed to have professional applications. The “American Idol” band, for example, uses Chromatik to distribute and organize sheet music for the songs it performs live each week.

But while Chromatik’s users range from music students and teachers to professional musicians, many say the company’s niche could be in the education space.

Jennifer Snow, director of the Carnegie Hall-Royal Conservatory Achievement Program in New York, said Chromatik can help students make learning a piece of music more collaborative.

“We often experience music when people have perfected the performance,” said Snow, who is also an investor in Chromatik. “But having feedback on the process and journey is important. With Chromatik, you’re not locked in a practice room wondering if you’re doing it right.”

So far, the few startups in the music education space are taking a different approach. There are at least three companies in Los Angeles County that have developed software that teach music theory through a format that looks similar to music video games such as “Guitar Hero.” Miso Media in Venice and Rock Prodigy in Sherman Oaks have both created iPad apps that teach basic guitar through a gamelike program. Music Mastermind in Calabasas has an app for creating music in a video game format.

Sandler said he doesn’t consider those programs competitors to Chromatik because they act more like games than tools to help musicians.

“It doesn’t change how people practice or perform or really move the needle,” he said.

Technology challenges

Chromatik has already found both educational and professional customers, but the company could still face technological barriers.

The software is free, but iPads and computers are expensive. Not every classroom has the means of providing those devices to students, said Danny Holt, chairman of the music program at the Academy of Creative Education in North Hollywood.

“As a music educator, I look at something like this and say that it’s got great potential, but it’s going to be a huge investment in time and resources,” he said. “I need to make sure all of my students can actually access the program.”

However, Sandler pointed out that Chromatik has an online version for people who don’t have access to an iPad.

For professional musicians, there are already a number of apps for mobile devices that sell digitized sheet music and then display it for easy practicing or performing.

Even with those apps available, many professional musicians continue to use sheet music, said Holt, who’s also a member of the music faculty at CalArts in Valencia. It can be hard to read music on an iPad because the text is so small and lighting in the room can cause a glare.

“Honestly, just like how books are never going to go away, printed sheet music isn’t going to go away,” he said. “For practical practicing purposes, it makes sense to use printed sheet music.”

But Sandler said Chromatik isn’t just for reading sheet music, but for sharing and collaborating on music.

“We’re creating an ecosystem for musicians in many ways,” he said. “You can interact with the music and collaborate around it with others.”