How to properly release Android MediaPlayer
<p>I'm trying to add a button to my android app where it plays an MP3 when the button is tapped. 
I've gotten it working, but without a way to release the mediaPlayer object - therefore it keeps playing even after I leave the activity. If I initialize the MediaPlayer object outside of my react() method(what gets called when the button is pressed) it causes the app to force close when the activity is opened. But if I initialize the MediaPlayer within the react() method I then can't use mplayer.release in the onQuit() method. What am I not seeing here?</p>

<pre><code>    public void react(View view) {
    MediaPlayer mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer.create(ToBeOrNot.this, R.raw.achord);
    mediaPlayer.start();
}
protected void onStop(){
    mediaPlayer.release();
    mediaPlayer = null;
}
</code></pre>

<p>Doesn't work for obvious reasons and </p>

<pre><code>MediaPlayer mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer.create(ToBeOrNot.this, R.raw.achord);
public void react(View view) {
            mediaPlayer.start(); 
}
protected void onStop(){
    mediaPlayer.release();
    mediaPlayer = null;
}
</code></pre>

<p>Causes it to force close. </p>

<p><strong>Update:</strong>
Here is the whole java class. </p>

<pre><code>public class ToBeOrNot extends Activity {

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_to_be_or_not);

        }
MediaPlayer mediaPlayer;

public void react(View view) {
        mediaPlayer = MediaPlayer.create(ToBeOrNot.this, R.raw.achord);
        mediaPlayer.start(); 
}
protected void onStop(){
    mediaPlayer.release();
    mediaPlayer = null;
}
@Override
public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
    // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
    //getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.activity_to_be_or_not, menu);
    // Locate MenuItem with ShareActionProvider
   return true;
}

}
</code></pre>

<p>I think what it does is relatively self explanatory. When called, it shows some text plus a button that when tapped starts a recording playing. When someone hits the back button, it should go back to the previous activity and stop the recording. 
Thanks for helping me!</p>
