Piano Connections: The Studio of Megan Hughes

Composition software is the what we call it and putting notes in the right place is what it does. In the good old days we wrote music out by hand. This meant that beginning readers, who really needed clarity and precision, got neither. And forget about kids and their big fat pencils writing music: it takes forever.

There are lots of programs available, for every budget. For my needs in the studio, I use PrintMusic from Finale. At about $100.00 it isn’t the cheapest available program, nor the most expensive. The full Finale with everything on top runs about $600.00.

For kids you can download Finale Notepad for free. The Sibelius family of composition software has a similar range of products.

My current favorite  is Noteflight. It is cloud composition software and the free version is terrific. It is designed for music teachers and their students so it is easy to use, easy to share, easy to love.

Coming soon on this blog: Collaborative Composition via Noteflight.

Related articles

• NoteFlight: Compose on Your Computer (wired.com)
• Print Your Own Blank Sheet Music (freetech4teachers.com)

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