Music Notation Software

One type of technology that we have not had access to until recently is music notation software.  With programs such as Sibelius and Finale, I have the art of composing and arranging music at my fingertips, something I was never really able to do previously.   Sure, I had ideas of what I wanted to write, if anything, in terms of composing music in my head, but music notation software personifies my thoughts of composition.

I am a proud user of Sibelius.  I have access to writing and arranging whatever my hearts content.  There are many different formats, font faces, instrument arrangements, and sound effects that are possible with this program.  Because of MIDI, also known as Musical Instrument Digital Interface, sound effects are built into the software, so the person that is writing the music can get as close to a real-life preview as possible of what they composed or arranged by simply clicking the "play" button.  For example, when one writes music into the line for a French horn, the sound reproduced mimics the tone color of a French horn.

It is hard for me to believe that music used to be written by hand and by whatever amount of memory the composer/arranger had of the sound they desired to be performed.  As technology takes over how people go about their every day lives, it is also taking over how people compose, arrange, and share music.  One issue that I do have with computerized notation software is the fact that, as I stated in my previous blog, human connection is being somewhat drawn away from the music being composed or arranged.

I admire 16th and 17th century composers, such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johannes Brahms, for putting their feathers, ink, pencils, etc. to paper and putting their passion, blood, sweat, and tears into all of their works.  There are fantastic works out there today that were composed only through music notation software, but I feel hitting control + C or P to copy and paste does not have the same effect as it does to literally write music.  Also, the composers I mentioned relied on their ear and their training with their mentors in theory and composition to make their point made.  Today's composers can hear their progress at the click of a button. This is extremely convenient and helpful; however, I am a big believer in imperfection and flaws.  A program like this is designed to play back one's arrangements and creations perfectly.  The same piece of music, performed by live musicians, will never be performed the same way every time.  Different ensembles and groups have their own interpretation and style of what is on the page.  When the music is played back through the software, it will always be played the same way over and over again.  For composers and arrangers, it is never enough to just rely on what the playback of their notation sounds like; they need real, human musicians to really capture what they have plugged into their program.

Programs, such as Sibelius and Finale, are a great asset to our world that is rapidly converting into a world run by technology.  Despite my thoughts about this program potentially ripping away the human connection of composition, it is a great tool for students to be introduced to when learning about composition, theory, different instrument timbres, and more within music.