11 Inovative Uses For Notation Software Thoughts

Despite my trepidation with music technology, a lot of positive things can be said of notation software.  It's relatively easy to use (once you learn shortcuts), easy to read, and makes distribution easier (especially with pdfs and programs like Noteflight).  So it's nice to see such a creative look at all of the potential uses for a program like Sibelius or Finale.  We tend to think of these programs as rather simple or one-dimensional, but there are a lot of applications beyond just writing out music.

The first bullet point, explaining sequencing and playback, is the one which I like the most, and one which I have used in my own musical career.  I am currently the music director of Case In Point, an acapella group on Case's campus.  As director, I am responsible for both teaching the music and arranging the pieces we want to sing.  However, I cannot help teach my peers outside of rehearsals.  Using playback is a tool which corrects this issue.  What I've done is put some arrangements on Noteflight and had everyone in CIP join.  If anyone is having trouble learning their part, they can go to the online score and play back their part, either in isolation by highlighting their part or as a whole.

Some of the other ideas are a bit more creative.  The idea of exporting graphics for the sake of having musical images in a non-musical program is an interesting one, and it doesn't sound very complicated to do (at least for Finale).  Creating drills exercises is another fun idea that isn't inherently thought of when thinking of notation software.  And the biggest/most obvious thing one can do with notation software that holds relevance is digital distribution.  For students who have e-mail, it is so useful to be able to write scores or exercises and be able to send them digitally.  It saves paper, doesn't get lost, and can be printed into a physical copy.

When one thinks of music technology, notation software is the best example of what one can do thanks to the addition of computers.  However, there are a lot of uses for the software beyond the obvious applications.  The 11 uses discussed in the article are a good eye-opener, and hopefully will make you start to think of even more uses for a program like Sibelius or Finale.