[Smt-talk] Music Notation Software Alternative

[Felicia Sandler]

Thanks for this post, Carson.  Although I use Finale every day, and find it indispensable for notating my music, I am cautious about generating music at the computer.  I just got a full crop of model compositions submitted during our finals period, and as usual, the software will organize the rhythms to fill the bar filling out whatever is left after the student inputs their music.  First, the student doesn't need to think of these things for themselves, and secondly the results are not always logical for performance.  Away from the computer, my younger students are not sure where to put their #'s or b's in the key signature, or if they come before or after the time signature because they rely on the computer to do this for them.  And then there is the issue for the young composers that I am experiencing where the technology actually affects their creative process.  One could say this is so in good ways because students can hear their work, but insofar as tone weight is a problem (a flute sounds as a tuba dynamically), and hall is not in the inner imagination, proportion is a major issue.  Further, because one can simply cut and paste, or just plug something in and test it out, I find time is wasted with trial and error, the music is shaped by what the computer allows, and learning does not come from imagining inside, singing, playing physically and fantasizing about the hall full of instruments, and writing down when decisions are made.  For simple part-writing exercises, if the student is conscious of how to notate without the software, I can see the value, but even my brighter students don't always check the ways the technology "fixes" things for them.  Only when we sit down to realize the scores do these issues become apparent for them.  My 2 cents. . .

All the best,

Felicia Sandler
Composer/Theorist @ NEC

From: CARSON FARLEY <ccfarley at embarqmail.com<mailto:ccfarley at embarqmail.com>>
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2014 9:10 PM
To: "smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org<mailto:smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org>" <smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org<mailto:smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org>>
Subject: [Smt-talk] Music Notation Software Alternative

I would like to add that music notation software is also an excellent tool for theory and composing.   Notation software like Sibelius and Finale give instant feedback of musical content and sound as well as direct access to orchestration.  The visual and auditory aspects of writing music or exercises with a software program also enhances understanding of musical notation and symbols.  Musicians who are not pianists may very well benefit from this alternative interface to music and new technology should not be overlooked or underestimated in education.

Carson Farley
Composer/cellist/theorist
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.societymusictheory.org/pipermail/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org/attachments/20140507/169e778c/attachment-0003.htm>