Re: Re: Music Notation on the Web - Last Call?

Hi Dick,

Thanks for the clarification. Kumar's question involved building notation
tools on top of web technologies. Since the current web-based notation tools
that are built on plug-ins and Flash all have playback, such capabilities
are a competitive necessity to attract notation developers to native browser
technologies. I was just trying to confirm Kumar's perspective, while also
making a distinction between plug-in and native technologies, the latter of
which are the focus of the XG/WG.

For better or for worse, I think you will find that the current generation
of notation programs which offer playback have made the "hear it in your
head" skills less common among composers, conductors, and performers alike.
We frequently hear that composers writing for live performance need to
create increasingly compelling audio demos for performers and conductors in
order to get those performances.

I sing in the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, where we just finished a run of
performances with John Adams. My college orchestra recorded several albums
for Vox/Turnabout while I was in the trumpet section, many of which were
still in print as CDs until earlier this year. So I am quite familiar with
performing from printed notation.

Do you know of notation software specifically designed for Asian cipher
notation, with or without playback? That would be really helpful for
investigating whether we can extend MusicXML 3.0 to better support Chinese
number notation. Perhaps what we have in MusicXML 2.0 is already sufficient
- without software implementations to test it, it's hard to know. I can
also ask Prof. Ziporyn and see if he uses such a mix in his compositions;
his music seems the closest to what you want of the composers I know
personally.

Best regards,

Michael Good
Recordare LLC