Federation of Australasian Mandolin Ensembles

Noteworthy Composer (NWC) Software - An Evaluation - by Pete Evans.

No doubt many other FAME members currently use their computers to compose, arrange and print music. There is a learning curve with each software program and once you have become familiar with one program you don’t relish the idea of changing to another. For those who are thinking about investing in some music software here are some thoughts about software called “Noteworthy Composer“ (for Windows only).

Why use a music notation program?

Practice is enhanced and more enjoyable when you play with the computer playback sound. This way you become familiar with the other parts. The computer is very good at maintaining a tempo - but not so good when it comes to a retard and accelerando ! There are “instrument patches “ that can be applied to alter the sound of the music. The grand piano sound is good - the other patches sound more like a piano than the instrument selected. The output is for practice, learning and evaluation purposes and should not be compared with “Hi Fi “ standards.

Acquiring a copy of Noteworthy Composer

You can download a sample program at no cost. Visit the Noteworthy software website. The sample enables you to play files created by other NWC users. If I send you a file you can play it but if you want to change it, print parts or transpose music you will need to buy the full program. The cost is about $A70. The contact addresses for such a purchase are displayed on the website.

Entry of music into the computer

Music scores and parts can be entered from the keyboard but it is a slow process. It took me at first about an hour for each part in a typical 100 bar piece. With experience you get quicker by using the copy and paste option whenever possible. If you are a very good pianist you might be able to enter music this way - but this requires more equipment and I suspect there will still be timing errors that require correction. 

There are other ways to enter music:

1. If you download a “MIDI” file from the a website, you may be able to load this directly into NWC and print scores and parts. Sometimes this works well and sometimes it is not so good. The Bach Invention and the Joplin Drag were acquired by surfing the web for such music files.

2. You can scan music in with some programs (but not with NWC). I tried it with the “Sibelius” program but there were so many scanning errors that it was still quicker to enter from the keyboard.

I personally find it best to enter the music from the keyboard but obviously not everybody is able to use a keyboard or has access to an electronic keyboard.

There are now more than 40 pieces of music filed in my computer. The Vivaldi Konzert, Thirdman Theme and Snow Bell Gavotte are examples. The scores and parts are created from these files. All my NWC music is available to FAME members at no charge if delivery is by attachment to an email. Visit http://www.alphalink.com.au/~helenev/mda5.htm to see the list of music available. Email me (peterev@alphalink.com.au) with your requests. I can send it as an NWC file or as a MIDI file. You can play the MIDI file straight away on the Windows Media and you may be able to load it into another music program like Sebelius if you have one.

More and more music is becoming available on the internet. The Noteworthy software website has a section from which NWC music can be downloaded. Search on the web to find other download options. Which brings me to the WHAT IF question. FAME members acting together could develop a vast computer music resource which could be very useful for teaching, rehearsing and as items for concerts.

Please contact me if you have any comments or suggestions related to this subject.

Best wishes to everyone
Pete Evans

No.  That is not a joke, although I suppose you may detect a ring of humour in it.  Seriously, it is the title of a book, recently published in Canada by Nightwood Editions.  We are all familiar with some image or sound of a Tango.  This small book enables us to look closer.  If you can drag yourself past the continual listing of names (which to most Tango history ignoramuses like myself will bear very little association) there is some very interesting historical information contained in this book.  It is the joint effort of two authors, Javier Garcia Mendez and Arturo Penon, translated from the French by Tim Barnard.
I nearly stopped at the translator's preface, which reads, in part - "The authors of this volume present us here with a compelling alternative to the sterile obfuscation and studied irrelevance of much contemporary cultural enquiry.  In so doing, they have complemented perfectly the form and spirit of the tango. 

Combining anecdote and analysis, local idiom and learned
reflection, this opuscule, like the tango, lacks neither rigour nor popular appeal.  Its style, conversational yet erudite, is reminiscent of other Latin American writing we have seen her in recent years; I will leave it to the reader to determine influences and affinities.  I have tried my best to retain this flavour in the present translation, and was given hope that I might not have failed too miserably when a colleague faulted my sprinkling
of formal structures with colloquial locutions." 'Nuff said?   However it is worth persisting with, as some particularly cogent remarks are made regarding the styles, and under the chapter "Clandestinity and Splendour", the history of Tango.  The instrument itself developed in Germany, but in Argentine and Uruguay outlived its German popularity.  The book follows
closely the Bandonion's original inception, production and marketing, to emigration its and subsequent emergence in Latin America.  The other thread it follows is the role of the bandonion in the development of a new and unique musical style, which came about much in the manner of the Blues, or
Flamenco style.   The Tango was the bread and butter for large numbers of highly skilled and dedicated bandonion ensembles, until they were repressed by politics and changing world fortunes.    Don't let the language obnubilate (I kid you not) the story , it is worth persisting with, and gives plenty of insight, names, and music titles to follow up.

R.Reinhardt 5/06/00

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