Musescore Blog

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, we have to postpone the contest. But it’s not cancelled, so keep tracking the news on the topic... 

Hey guys! This month instead of selecting the “MuseScorer of the Month," we decided to run a contest. As usual, the winner will be featured. More details are coming in a week...

And here comes August’s MuseScorer of the Month!

In case you missed it, each month we pick one of MuseScore.com’s brilliant members, featuring him or her in an interview available to all MuseScorers. Last month we introduced you to flutist and composer Robin M. Butler.

Now, please welcome: the MuseScorer Of August, Takeru aka Takernikov from Fukuoka, Japan.

“I love the words of my professor at the university. He said, that good music has ‘consistency’ and ‘variety’; If no consistency, it would be confusing. If no variety, it’d be boring.”

The following interview is featuring Takeru and is conducted by our staff member Alexander T.

- Hi, Takeru.It’s a pleasure to meet you! Tell our readers, please, a few words about yourself.

Hello, Alexander, nice to meet you too. Well, I’m from Fukuoka, northern side of Kyushu island, Japan, and live in this city with my wife and a little son (three years old right now). I studied acoustic design at the university, i.e. solving room acoustic issues with physics. Actually I wanted to study at conservatory but my musical skills were not good enough to pass the examination. Luckily, I had an opportunity to take composing classes at the university. So, I learnt music theory, notation, how to compose, and musical forms like sonata.Now, I’ve been an IT engineer specialized in networks for a decade, I like this job. My experience as a musician includes playing: - tuba, double bass and clarinet at high-school; - bassoon and contrabassoon at university; - piano - since I turned 15 years old.

- Cool, such a variety of instruments ! Did you come a long way to learn playing them?

Actually I was kinda tone deaf when in junior high school. There were lotta choral classes sadly, the music teacher pointed out my tone deafness every time, some students teased me. But, finally, I overcame that so-called “tone deafness”; I got interested in music, I began to play piano, which had been bought by my mother when she got married. Then, I played in a brass band in high school. As far as I remember, at some point I came across a really attracting piece called “El Camino Real”. First time I saw the score, I was confused about the key signature for transposing instruments, but I found my own way to read it. The skill I got at that time has helped me a lot later, when studying from the other composer’s work. I was also playing contrabass for a year, clarinet for two months and tuba for about two years. When I entered university, as I have already said, I began to play bassoon and contrabassoon in the “Orchestra club”. I’ve played symphonies (Brahms No.1, 4, Beethoven No.5, 7, 9, Tchaikovsky No.5, 6, Rachmaninoff No.1, 2, Dvorak No.5, 7, 8, 9, Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, and so on), overtures and suites. I tried to perform in a rock band as a keyboard player, but sadly it wasn’t good…

- But, anyway, trying something different is always (or almost always) a nice experience...Well, let’s talk about your composing experience: what is that about for you, and what or who helped you to start composing?

Apart from the composing classes at the university, I took part in picking musical pieces for upcoming concerts as a member of the council of the university orchestra (I was a leading bassoon player). We listened to all of the ‘candidate’ scores to decide whether they are playable for our orchestra, worthwhile or not. So,I read a lot of scores from Bach to Shostakovich. Especially I’ve been curious about the orchestration, I tried to understand, how do composers notate their music to make it sound really nice and beautiful.

At first, I tried to compose something with Finale when in the university, about eleven years ago, but quitted composing after I graduated. As I dislike using a mouse, I felt it was inefficient to notate with drag and drop, so I lost some motivation. Then, when I was searching for sheet music from Final Fantasy XV soundtrack for piano, I came across this amazing MuseScore notation program. I remember, that I was greatly impressed by the features MuseScore had (and still has, of course). It has intuitive UI for me, mostly I can notate with keyboard quickly as if writing a document. Till that day I hadn’t composed a piece for about ten years. But now almost everything motivates me to compose, but especially natural landscapes or some exercises (sports) I did or things happened to me...

- ...and now, as I can see, you’ve got a plenty of your own pieces on MuseScore.com Can you describe at least some of them?

All-right. Let’s start with Snow Run - one Sunday morning I did a trail run with friends through an urban forest park and some ranch, the duration of the 3D map movie generated by my GPS log data on the run was 52 seconds, so I decided to compose this piece in 2/4, 52 measures with 120 bpm to make it easy to count. Composed this piece within an hour or so - I realized I could compose quicker than imagined...

- Sorry for interrupting, but I wonder - do you often compose these “GPS-log” pieces after your morning runs, and is that the only reason why most of your compositions are short?

Basically there are two reasons for that: 1: you are right about the “GPS compositions”: after I do some endurance exercise like cycling or running, there’s some service which can create some short movies by my GPS logs. Usually the duration of the movies are short, less than 1-2 minutes; I compose for this ‘movies’ on the same day and share with my friends. 2: I said “compose on the same day”. I set a deadline for myself and try to accomplish that on time. Kind of repetitive practices, it’s a good way to express my feelings and to ‘improve productivity’ in my opinion. I feel, this affects even my job activity in a good way as well.

- So, let’s continue with your compositions…

Ok, then I’ll tell you about a couple more. La Chute D'eau élargi - inspired by French impressionists, deliberately titled in French, however, it includes some pentatonic scales, so for me it sounds like some Japanese folk music. Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa - an attempt to create minimal music from my original phrases I came up with, after I was reading a picture book for my son. That sounds a little weird, but I ended up with clear and refreshing atmosphere in this piece.

- Nice pieces, the second one reminded me of Steve Reich. And now, here is our “traditional” question: what have you shared on MuseScore.com that you’re most proud of (and why are you proud of it) ?

It’s Symphonic Poem “Mamacoco”. This is the most emotional and dramatic one I have ever composed. Although I’m generally a short piece composer, the duration of this one is about 14min. and it contains almost everything I could do as a composer. Attempted to fill it with beautiful melodies and counterpoints in the tonal slow part, and to make it exciting in the quasi-atonal fast part, naturally “covered” the previous slow melodies with different instruments (brass). I was surprised what I did actually, huge resolution followed by very tensed atmosphere before the recapitulation. The last part starts with almost sad flute’s phrase, it gradually changes to a kind of brilliant sounding.

Symphonic Poem “Mamacoco” by Takernikov

- I love the melodies in it, for me “Mamacoco” sounds like ‘pastoral’ music. I wonder what composers/performers influenced you. And, generally, what are your favorites?

I love Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and that’s why my MuseScore account name is “Takernikov”, like a Russian surname. I don’t mean that I’m limited by the Romantic era, I also respect Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Debussy, Ravel, Liszt, even Steve Reich. In film composing, Hans Zimmer is the first composer that comes to my mind. Generally, most of the film composers affected me: James Horner, Steve Jablonsky, Joe Hisaishi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, etc..Honestly saying, the composer I can’t even imitate is Don Davis. His music, especially the orchestration and atonality in it, is outstanding in my opinion.

Would like to admit, that Takernikov is the first composer I met, whose beautiful music is often inspired by morning runs and whose pieces’ length really depend on the time he devoted to his physical exercises. That’s an interesting fact and Takeru is a really nice composer, it was a pleasure for me to do this interview and to meet him.

Thank you, guys, for reading.

Yours, Alexander T.

P.S. Following the nice tradition - I am adding here a piece I really enjoyed , this is a kind of “spanish sketch” composed by Mr.Takernikov.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think it’s a really good day to announce the MuseScorer of July!

Just would like to remind you, what I’m talking about: we are featuring one of the brilliant MuseScore members every month for all users of our site on the dashboard, also making a post here with an interview and with a couple of the featured user’s works (own compositions or arrangements) included.

In July you met Bob Driggs (Iowa Bob), a third-generation tubist with a graduate degree in chemistry.

This month, I’m proud to introduce you to Robin M. Butler. Robin is a flutist and also a composer, “hoping to go into film composing”, as his MuseScore profile page says.

“I am a Homeschooled High School Senior with a love for music, born in Chicago IL. The first instrument I started playing was piano, and in 2013 picked up the Flute. shortly after I tried composing for the first time and immediately loved it”

Robin manages to express deep emotions even in short compositions. Besides, the sound of his scores is great - so I really enjoyed not only the musical ideas, but also their implementation.

Alexander T. (A.T., MuseScore staff member): Robin, thanks for your great scores! I just want to ask you, how did you make them sound so good? Have your compositions been actually played by some performers (ensembles)?

Robin M. Butler (R.M.B.): Concerning the playback sound of my scores - over the past couple years, I've always been on the search for the best free soundfonts out there. I've acquired a few over time and used them in my scores, but some are sadly no longer available.

Then, regarding “real” performers of my pieces: the first piece of mine ever performed was an arrangement I made for my Flute Ensemble a couple years ago. It was a piece called "Spanish Dance" by Ignaz Brull.

As you’ve understood, I play flute; have had a lot of fun playing in different ensembles with it. I am principal flute in our local youth symphony, I played in a local municipal band this past summer, and I play Alto flute in our Flute Choir.

I have written an original piece for our Flute Ensemble this spring titled "Spring Birds Suite", which is a 3 movement piece with each movement having a poem I wrote to go along with them. We are planning on playing that sometime in the next year, but I am not positive when exactly we will.

But, I think,the most exciting performance of one of my pieces is the performance of my Adagio. This fall I will get to hear it performed live by the UMSL's orchestra, and will be getting a recording of it as well.

A.T.: Sounds awesome! But did you take composition classes or something like that? And I’m really eager to know - generally, what inspires you to compose?

R.M.B.: I have not had any formal education in writing music, I have taught myself mostly by ear, and have also picked up a bunch of little things from listening to many composers from Tchaikovsky to Alan Menken.

I really draw my inspiration from Emotions. When I am feeling a certain way, I really exaggerate those emotions into the music. my favorite inspiration comes from the Spring Air. It just fills me with life, and that is when I write my best music.

A.T.: What a beautiful reply! Now, here come our “traditional” questions - the first one is: what have you shared on MuseScore.com that you’re most proud of?

R.M.B.: The piece I am probably most happy with is my "Adagio - A Silent Tear". I would like it to be more than what it is, but one is never fully happy with the final version of his/her piece. It is not my usual style of piece, but I am always wanting to learn new styles. It has a place in my heart because of the story behind it, but also because it was the winning piece in the UMSL composition competition for students of Illinois and Missouri (USA) in the Orchestral High School division.

"Adagio - A Silent Tear" by Robin M. Butler

Unto Thee is my most recent piece and has a unique story, I won't get into that, but I feel it has more potential than most of my pieces.

"Unto Thee" by Robin M. Butler

"Morning Dew" has been one of my most popular scores on Musescore, it's a short little piece, but I was very happy with the mood it portrays.

"Morning Dew" by Robin M. Butler

A.T.: Great pieces - and, again, your music is really expressive, in my opinion. Hey, thanks for the interview, and here is the second (and the last for today) “traditional” question for you: how did you discover MuseScore?

R.M.B.: My brother and I found Musescore while looking for a better program than Finale Notepad, and we immediately loved it. The reason I still use Musescore is because the feel was very different from Finale and Sibelius, I really liked it, and it's only getting better.

A.T.: All the MuseScore staff members, including me, are sure to be pleased to hear that!

Would like to say thanks again to Robin M. Butler for his beautiful music, and for the nice interview.

Also thank you, guys, for reading. And: watch for our next MuseScorer of the month in September!

Greetings, and welcome again to the MuseScorer of The Month project! We are featuring one of the brilliant MuseScore members every month, making an interview with him or her and posting it here, including his works (own compositions or arrangements) into the blogpost. Last month you met Hans Jacobi, a professional church organist and a composer

Now, I am happy to announce the MuseScorer of June - Bob Driggs (Iowa Bob), tubist and arranger from Iowa (US):

Bob makes really good-sounding arrangements of well-known jazz and rock compositions for brass quintet. Here is what he says about that:

“I like a variety of music, from classical to Rock to Latin to jazz. Audiences seem to like familiar music presented in a new form. My goal is to create arrangements that are fun to play and fun to listen to.”

Alexander T. (A.T., MuseScore staff member): Nice to meet you, Bob. First of all, could you tell us a few words about yourself, your musical background, etc.?

Iowa Bob (I.B.): I was raised in a musical family and am a third-generation tubist. If fact, I play my grandfather’s 1918-vintage Eb tuba in a polka band. I have a graduate degree in chemistry and was a professor and administrator at the collegiate level until I retired. I play Bb Tuba in a British-style brass band as well as in other small ensembles. My wife and I live in the country with two dogs and four cats . We have two married sons and one beautiful granddaughter.

A.T.: So, when and why did you start to arrange music?

I.B.: I started arranging years ago when my sons were still in high school. They introduced me to a lot of their music as they practiced riffs on their electric guitars and basses. Just for fun, I arranged a few of their songs (Rush, Metallica and other metal bands) for a Tuba-Euphonium quartet that I occasionally played in. While my sons were slightly horrified that tubas would be playing their music, they gave me some good feedback and encouraged me to continue. Since then I have been arranging primarily for brass quintet.

A.T.: Oh, I get that. And now, let’s talk about your arrangements: can you just pick some significant ones and tell us about them?

I.B.: Okay, let’s start with “Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star”. Richard deRosa is a Grammy Award-winning composer and arranger and has produced many notable works over the years. One of my favorites of his work is a big band arrangement of a very familiar, simple tune. It was a fun learning experience to analyze his work for a score reduction.

Then, the famous “Ode to Joy”. I spent hours and hours and hours analyzing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and extracting and reassigning parts for these variations. If you like this one, it’s because of Beethoven’s brilliance shining through a pretty severe score reduction.

The next song is “Stairway to Heaven”, originally by Led Zeppelin. After listening to Musescore member Joel Gonzalez’s score, I had to give this one a try. Fortunately, Joel had done the hard work, and my job was to simply shuffle things around a bit. I like this one because (like a Tuba-Euphonium quartet of Metallica) this tune should NOT work for quintet, but somehow does.

The fourth piece is Santana’s “Smooth”. Santana was on of favorite bands as I was forming my musical preferences, and this particular song makes the transition to quintet format pretty well.

And finally, “Let it Be”, originally by The Beatles. I applied the New Orleans Brass Band style (e.g. Lucky Chops) to a well-known Beatles tune, and I took the many liberties with that arrangement. A repetitive bass riff is laid down and the melody is stated by a single player. Layers of harmony are added so that it feels like a collaborative effort rather than a soloist accompanied by four others. This was a fun one to do, as I had no constraints on what it should sound like in the end.

“Let it Be” by Iowa Bob

A.T.: Sounds great! And who performs all those musical things made by you?

I.B.: I have been contacted by Musescore members who play in quintets asking for permission to perform. I always say “Of course!” I play in a N.O. – style (New Orleans style) brass band and a British-style brass band, and both have occasionally used one of my arrangements. A more likely scenario is that we get a request for a small ensemble (for a wedding, a social event, or a holiday) and we pull together a quintet for those occasions. Many of my scores have been performed in this way.

I was contacted by a publisher to commercialize a few of my scores, but I’d much prefer to make them available for free to anybody who wants to have fun making music.

A.T.: What is your main motivation? I mean, what “makes” you to do your brass quintet arrangements?

I.B.: There are three reasons. First, I like many types of music, and it is a challenge for me to migrate some of those compositions to a quintet format. As I tell my wife, “My brain lights up when I am arranging.” Many scores are successful, but my hard drive is littered with failed attempts. Second, getting together with friends to create live music is great fun. Having interesting music to play makes the experience for the musicians and the audience more enjoyable. The popular quintets of the world understand this, and work to make their music accessible. Third, I have developed some good friends on Musescore from around the world, and we like to encourage each other.

A.T.: Awesome! Let me ask you our “traditional” question: how did you discover MuseScore?

I.B.: Our quintet was asked to play in a wedding, and there were specific songs that were requested. It was a pretty short timeline, so I went online to look for MIDI files or existing scores.I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the Musescore website. The software was free and the downloaded scores were free.

I had been using a competing product for about ten years, but I was intrigued and a bit intimidated by the possibility of posting one of my scores. Fortunately, I could migrate files using the XML format. As I groomed those files for Musescore, I found the software to be a very good environment for the work that I had been doing. So, my primary platform is now Musescore.

After the interview, as usually, I’d like to share a composition made by the MuseScorer Of The Month I particularly liked (this time it is a brass quintet arrangement by Iowa Bob) - Moanin', originally performed by Charles Mingus big band:

“Moanin'” by Iowa Bob

Thanks for reading and watch for our next MuseScorer of the month in August!

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the new MuseScorer Of The Month ! Every month we select one of the brilliant MuseScore members, doing an interview and featuring him or her for all users. Last month we introduced you to Celthyan.

This month, meet Hans Jacobi, organist and composer from Netherlands living in The Hague:

Hans publishes his own compositions for piano and organ on MuseScore. Unusual harmonies make his pieces really special.

Here is an interview with Hans Jacobi (H.J.) conducted by our staff member Alexander T. (A.T.):

A.T.: You’ve posted alot of interesting compositions on MuseScore this May. Are all of these pieces composed by you ? (talking about "Music for a dance" and "Album leaf" series). Are they from some kind of "suites" - as they share the same name but have different numbers?

H.J.: Some sets are coherent suites, like Music for a dance, Seaside walks and Natural history. Others are sets that grew out of hands, like the Album leaves and Wabi-Sabi explained. These endless sets are more like a diary, or like regular contributions to a blog.

"Album leaves" belong to my very first MuseScore pieces, 2012-13. I re-posted them because I almost forgot about them and wanted to reconsider them (some of them were already recycled). But also because the quality of the MuseScore piano soundfont has improved so much.

"Music for a dance"(2015) started at the request of ferrie = differentieel (also a MuseScore member). He wanted some music for a dance production. He only needed one piece,no ,three, I believe. But I got inspired, and started an imaginary dance sequence, based on a real story about a fraudulent inventor.

A.T.: Do you compose for piano and for organ only or do you have some ensemble/orchestral pieces?

H.J.: I'm not trained in writing for orchestra or ensemble. The organ and piano are instruments that I can imagine. And the organ I play for a living. However, I did write pieces for recorder solo and recorder & string trio. I adore the ‘flauto dolce’, I have worked with recorder players many times. I also posted pieces for choir.

A.T.: So, organ and piano...Can you tell me, as a composer, what is the difference for you?

H.J.: In general I would say that my piano pieces belong to an imaginary private world. I composed them for fun, expression, exploration. For me certain complex harmonies are profound emotions. The sonority of the piano is ideal for such, like a gaze in the abyss. Alas I'm not a concert piano player myself, but I'm intrigued by the expressive possibilities. (Some sets are not so complicated to play, like the Seaside walks. I played this one in public.)

My organ pieces belong more to the real world, because that's my profession. Most of my organ pieces were deliberately composed for the Sunday service in church. So for me there is a certain exchange between composing, church work and social media. I use some of my own recordings as audio source:

A.T.: You mentioned that organ pieces are “your profession”. So, what is your “main” job? Church organ player?

H.J.: Yes, my 25th anniversary as a church organist is upcoming; my extra activities in church include giving courses about classical music. I'm also an employee of a large internet-library for mostly cd's and dvd’s.

A.T.: So, I think you got some higher musical education? And also wondering: are you coming from a “musical” family?

H.J.: I'm not from a particularly musical family. However, my father was an amateur organist and an enthusiastic singer at the annual performances of Bach's Matthäus-Passion. His playing of Bach chorales was the greatest musical influence on me. I studied the organ and church music at the conservatory. I also have a master's degree in musicology.

A.T.: I see, long years of studying to become a professional musician. I am familiar with that. But let’s return to the “composing” topic: which pieces (composed by you) would you like to put a spotlight on?

H.J.: The first one is “The Scent of Rain” - a joyous piano piece, my most popular so far. It was performed and recorded on video by Anna Sutyagina.

Then, "The Bells" - it hasn’t my harmonies, but I love to play it. It seems impossible to do so, but actually it isn’t that difficult. It is an evocation of the friesian countryside of my youth, with their churches and bell towers.

"The Bells" by Hans Jacobi

The third one is “Rondo à la Purcell” - a clear pastiche, but not without elements from my style. It’s fun to play. It can be played on the piano or organ alike.

And the one I am most proud of is “Towards Habanera”. This could be the quintessence of all I have achieved last years: funny, entertaining, but also dark, sinister and desperate. Dilapidated taverns, souls lost in tequila, the ghosts of conquistadors, you name it. It needs a lot of experience to make something like this. I couldn’t have done it before 2012.

“Towards Habanera” by Hans Jacobi

A.T.: Are your compositions played by some performers (ensembles)?

H.J.: Some of my pieces were reworked by sound artist ferrie = differentieel, as soundtracks of documentaries or music for exhibitions. My piano piece “The Scent of Rain”, as I have already said, was performed by Anna Sutyagina. I’m a performer of my own pieces, of course.

A.T.: And what is your inspiration? What motivates you to compose?

H.J.: I'm motivated by making compositions because it is a huge emotional outlet without any dangers. It's also a great way of communicating. In church I have a very diverse audience, which is a challenge to please. But somehow it works in a way that many professional composer could be jealous of. I compose for church on a regular basis.It has the advantage of building a collection of pieces that can be used again. In a big church on a big organ it is much easier to create a certain effect. But on a small organ like mine you have to work much more economically.

A.T. Great, and really interesting to know. What about your favorite artists? I mean: which kinds of music do you prefer?

H.J.: I like all kinds of music, it changes over the years. Bach, of course, but also Wagner, Debussy, Messiaen and many more. I'm not particularly fond of jazz, pop music, or popular film scores. But they also have influenced my music, it's all part of our musical environment, whether I like it or not.

It was very exciting to conduct this interview. Hans is a professional organist and composer, so his attitude and musical personality is rather different from other MuseScorers Of The Month. It was pleasure and honor for me to meet him and to reveal at least a little part of his works. Check his profile for more scores and sets, and watch for our next MuseScorer of the month in July!

Yours, Alexander T.

P.S. This becomes a tradition already - would like to add here a piece I really enjoyed , it is one of Mr. Jacobi's organ works:

As you’ve probably noticed, we are back with the MuseScorer Of The Month series, featuring one of MuseScore.com’s brilliant members each month of the year. Last month you met Mike Magatagan. He makes wonderful arrangements of baroque music and also writes his own compositions, check his profile for great scores.

And now please welcome: the MuseScorer Of April - Nicolas Berland aka Celthyan !

Nicolas is “a French 18 year-old boy, living near Orléans in the center of France”, playing music since he was 4 years old. He composes quite often using his computer (MuseScore notation software) and improvises on piano every day.

In this interview I’ve shortened his name (Nicolas Berland) to “N.B.” and my name (Alexander Tyukaev) to “A.T.”

A.T.: First of all, thanks for your great compositions, I really like the melodies and the feeling that is “inside” your music! I’ve also noticed that your pieces sound like soundtracks to some movies. Can you agree with that?

N.B.: Indeed, most of my compositions might sound like movie music. In fact, this happens mostly because I have listened to orchestral music since I discovered an artist called Brunuhville. I rapidly moved to Two Steps From Hell. Naturally, I think I have taken inspiration from them. But the fact, that my works often sound like movie music, is really natural. I couldn't compose, for example, jazz or blues or rap. My favorite composers are: Thomas Bergersen, John Williams, Lizzapie and Karl Edh. On MuseScore.com I came across maybe a hundred brilliant members, whom I consider to be truly talented! But I take the greatest inspiration from Thomas Bergersen. I try not to listen too much to his compositions, so as to keep my own style.

A.T.: And can you describe your process of composing or at least tell me something about that?

N.B.: I think, composing is a way to express myself, since I've got some difficulties in real life. Usually I just write down a melody I've got in my head. But a strong one, a one that is easy to get. But often I hear (in my head) epic music with saturated staccato trumpets and trombones playing loudly with strings playing strange arpeggios...; some glorious themes actually, but it is almost impossible to write down.And sometimes I just put notes into MuseScore and let my imagination go.

A.T.: I know, that many people, who start composing at some point, are actually coming from some musical-talented families. What is your case?

N.B.: Concerning my family, there is my brother, he is 22, plays violin; he also composes, but does it rarely. My sister is 23, she plays electric guitar and electric bass. My mother plays piano, drums and electric bass. My father, nonetheless, doesn't play anything.

A.T.: So, I guess I was right, when I thought that you might have a “musical family”. And what about yourself? Where did you study musiс/composing and which instrument(s) do you play?

N.B.: I am basically self-taught. I started taking lessons only when I turned 12 or 13. But I can’t say that the lessons improved my skills a lot. At the moment I am working hard on my dexterity (on piano) - to play faster and more accurate. I also play violin a little bit and I “touch” drums.

A.T.: Sounds great! But let’s return to composing. You are using MuseScore for that purpose, and you also share your works via MuseScore.com website. How did you discover it?

N.B.: I discovered MuseScore thanks to my brother who was looking for good music notation software some years ago. I think, that both being able to share the scores I create and knowing that people enjoy my compositions boost me wildly! The magic of music is mostly that it is the only international language.

A.T.: Your melodies are really beautiful. I wonder how you choose the instruments to play those melodies and how you make your arrangements. Do you use an orchestral template in MuseScore or something like that?

N.B.: When I am facing an empty orchestral sheet, I really don't know where to begin or what to write. So my idea is just beginning to choose the instruments I want, for example: 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and 1 contrabass, some brass. Then I write down the melody. I keep in my head that a musical theme for epic music "should" be played by horns (trumpets), whereas trombones might have some “accompanying” parts. But it depends on the feeling I want to give to my listeners and on the music itself.

A.T.: Do you have some kind of “special message” in your compositions?

N.B.: Not each piece I’ve composed includes “a message”. But some of them really have got a strong one. For example, "I Will Come Back" is one of the strong and intense pieces of music I've ever composed, although the soundfont I used at that moment wasn't very good. This is the only piece that can make me cry, while I am listening to it (depends on my mood). "Ode to a Homeless" has a strong message too. It is very sad to see people laying in the street, waiting for money, waiting for help. And a story of a homeless girl, told by my host family in Scotland, gave me this sad melody. "Friendship Sparkle" is basically composed “for the departure” of a YouTuber called TheFantasio974 that I liked pretty much. He stopped “YouTube-ing”, so I composed this theme thinking of the duet he was doing with his best friend, Bob Lennon.

A.T.: I suppose that you are using something different from MuseScore default soundfont in your works (I can hear it). What sound is that? Are you using some external synth or VST?

N.B.: The soundfont, I could deal with this subject for an hour. It is a homemade one that I created with the software Polyphone using samples I recorded by myself or found on the internet. Basically, I created it for a prank for my brother by recording the Minecraft zombies sound for fun. Then I trained myself to use Polyphone, and the idea of creating my own soundfont came. I began with the strings. I took some samples from other soundfonts that I mixed and mixed again with Audacity, and then I added other samples I recorded using my keyboard...I am still improving the sound. Then I tried to make percussion sounds, it is easier to do, since there are no long tones to loop, I am still using instruments from other soundfonts like flute, clarinet... The soundfont work might have taken about 80 or 90 hours in total, spread over 1 year, of course. I also use sometimes some free VST on FL Studio and the free version of Kontakt. (I never buy anything : everyone can afford to get what I have).

A.T.: Really good job, I must say, your scores sound good. Thanks for conversation, Nicolas! Just one last traditional (but still very important) question: what have you shared on MuseScore.com that you are most proud of?

N.B.: I would like MuseScore users to notice my piece called "Welcome 2018" :

"Welcome 2018" by Celthyan

Second place in my list is taken by "Friendship Sparkle", and then comes "World of Wonders"

Generally speaking, It is very difficult for me to be proud of one piece more than of another one. I post a score only when it sounds perfectly to my ears, exactly like I expected it to sound. I think that "World of Wonders" is one of my favorite ones at the moment (except for, perhaps, the epic projects I will release soon which, I think, will be performed on scene).

P.S. Just wanted to put a spotlight on Celthyan’s piece I especially enjoyed to listen to, this is "Friendship Sparkle"

"Friendship Sparkle" by Celthyan

Thanks for reading and watch for our next MuseScorer of the month in June!

Yes, this project was supposed to be closed in December 2017, but as we’ve discovered more and more great composers and arrangers on MuseScore who really deserve to be featured, we decided to relaunch “MuseScorer of the month”! So, please meet Mike Magatagan - the MuseScorer of March 2018.

Mike is a software engineer by trade, living in Arizona (USA) with his wonderful and musically talented family. His kids can play all kinds of saxophones, and his wife plays handbells.

“Basically, I’m a computer geek who loves to solve problems. I have been developing software for the last 25+ years but have recently rekindled my love of music. I am relearning the piano and my first love - the pipe organ. I recently rediscovered the Viola (which I played for about 7 years in my youth) after about 35+ years.” That’s what he says about his musicianship.

Mike makes wonderful arrangements of baroque music for strings and other ensembles. Here is an interview with Mike Magatagan (M.M.) conducted by our staff member Alexander T. (A.T.):

A.T.: Why baroque? I mean, why did you choose that particular style/period for making scores?

M.M.: Baroque is a very meaningful genre for me. It just makes sense mathematically, stylistically and rhythmically. It is complex but not pretentious. I love the fluidity and forcefulness; it seems to cross so many arbitrary genre lines and gives so much insight into the development of other music forms.

A.T.: I’ve noticed that you uploaded a lot of great arrangements mostly for strings during this March. How did you manage to make such a large amount of scores (more than 40) during just one month and what was your purpose/motivation for making them?

M.M.: There is no magic here. I do have thousands of scores, consisting of arrangements, transcriptions and original compositions online at MuseScore.com, and I have several thousands of scores on my local computer that I have not yet published. This body of work is the culmination of many (many) years of effort using other (not MuseScore) music notation software. Since I discovered MuseScore (and the online site), I made it a goal to share at least one score a day and I have continued ever since. I didn’t initially develop scores for strings mainly because of the weak and cartoonish string SoundFont used by early versions of MuseScore. MuseScore’s sound quality has come a long way and feels more realistic in its depth and warmth. I favor strings probably from my early youth, when I played Violin and later Viola in a youth symphony. Many of my friends are string players, and I receive a disproportionate number of requests for string arrangements.

A.T.: Have you ever performed yourself, alone or with some ensemble, the arrangements you’ve made?

M.M.: This is a great question! Many of my arrangements were made just for me or for me in conjunction with my Church. My composition “Hallowed be Thy Name” was created specifically for a Church special-music ensemble where I played Piano and others played flute. Many of My Viola (2-part) pieces were created for myself (on Viola) and others on Harp or Piano. I intentionally “dumbed-down” the Viola to match my proficiency at that particular time in my learning timeline. MuseScore is an invaluable resource to allow a budding performer to practice alongside simulated instruments/orchestras. I use this capability often!

A.T.: Nice to hear that. What about some other musical groups playing your scores?

M.M.: I receive requests for arrangements daily. Competing projects don’t allow me to support all the requests but I have a special place in my heart for Church groups, school groups, non-profit support groups that provide music to hospitals, senior centers, etc… I have created mainly Piano, Organ, Handbell, and small ensemble (string quartet/quintet, woodwind & brass) arrangements for these groups. I don’t do this for profit and I have never accepted a cent for my work. Music belongs to the world, and I like to believe I am a willing participant in that co-op.

A.T.: Oh, I see, sounds great! Here is another question: you were talking about “many years of effort using other music notation software” before discovering MuseScore. So what made you stop searching for software and stick to MuseScore?

M.M.: When I first discovered MuseScore (I believe it was 1.2 or 1.3), it was as if a door opened and what was once difficult, became painless. Namely the ease with which I could pen a note and hear the effect. Having an online resource like MuseScore.com allowed me to share my creations with others in a way that I wanted it to be heard, and receive feedback in a collaborative way.

A.T.: Wow. It’s a great pleasure for the MuseScore staff members to know that. Ok…now, could you please tell me something about your composing/arranging workflow?

M.M.: My workflow is rather mechanical and is therefore easier to schedule and accomplish. The overall sound is of utmost importance to me, and I try never to sacrifice timbre for ease of performance or for specific instrumentation. I use a MIDI keyboard as well as the IMSLP (and other) paper sources. I believe I am able to notate in MuseScore rather quickly now, and have discovered many shortcuts in the software (keyboard, plug-ins,…) that facilitate rapid entry. Once a score is entered into MuseScore, I use my ear to (hopefully) validate the score, and then I begin on the arrangement. The unusual aspect about myself is that no matter how music is played, I hear something different; a voice becomes an instrument, a subtle melody becomes a solo part, a subdued rhythm becomes a main theme. I always hear something different in a piece and I try to expose what I hear. MuseScore is the tool that allows me to do that in a way that others can experience.

A.T.:Thanks for sharing your experience, Mike. And, concerning sharing, our traditional “MuseScorer of the month question” for you is: what have you shared on MuseScore.com that you’re most proud of ?

M.M.: Strangely enough, the pieces that I love the most or reflect the most effort on my part, are typically the least listened or favorited by others! People love what people love and sometimes the first few notes, if not immediately captivating, result in a miss. I have created some works that I enjoy as much as others do. Of note is my “Point of No Return” for Flute & Harp, a “Debussyesque” manifestation that I carried in my head for quite some time. MuseScore allowed me to hear it and tweak it in interesting ways:

“Point Of No Return” by Mike Magatagan

The three other scores I’d like to put a spotlight on are:

“Hallowed be Thy Name” for Piano & Flutes,

“Toccata & Fugue in D Minor” (BWV 565) for String Quintet, and

“Dixit Dominus” (HWV 232) for Winds & Strings.

Mike Magatagan has completed his goal to create an arrangement and/or transcription of every single composition of J.S. Bach and has published many (but not all yet) of those works on the MuseScore online site. He is currently working on arrangements of G.F. Handel and has been publishing them as well at the request of a follower. Mike has also been recently “driven to rearrange pieces specifically aimed at highlighting the warm compassionate tone of the viola.” Check out his MuseScore page for his arrangements and original compositions, and watch for our next MuseScorer of the month in May!

P.S. Here are two Mike's arrangements posted in March, which I particularly like (both pieces were composed by G.F.Handel).

MuseScore 2.2 has landed with better sound, MIDI out and countless improvements. Get on board now! https://musescore.org/en/2.2 

Hello everyone.

I’d like to present you the new upgrades to musescore.com that have been recently developed.

For a long time, we have had groups and discussions where members can communicate freely. But it wasn't so easy to find and most visitors don’t even know about such an opportunity.  We don't think it's fair.

Currently, MuseScore is one of the biggest online communities for musicians. About 100K people visit the site each day from countries all over the world. Though each may have different interests or musical tastes, music unites them all. Our aim is not only to share scores but also experiences like: how to better play musical instruments, develop skills or arrangement and composing. You should also discuss favourite composers and music from films, as well as publish articles on music and similar topics.

Today we've launched our new Community page. You can find the link to it on the header of every page of the site. With one click you find all the most current active discussions, get a list of the most popular groups. Also, you can make use of new search capabilities including filters and full-text search to find exactly the discussions you are most interested in.

The Community page shows: - Recommended discussions: Here you can find some of the most active discussions, with the ability to switch from "Recommended" to "Last discussion".

- Hubs (categories) are the core of the new section. A Hub is the place that brings people with similar interests together; those who play the same instrument, love the same genres of music or bands, music from films or video games, etc. By using filters on the left side of the page you can filter discussion by your interests.

- Full-text search. Now you can search the community by discussions, messages, group names and usernames. This will enable visitors to find content related to certain topics. You can even limit your search to a single Hub.

- Top Groups. Here you can find the full list of groups, instantly find groups related to your interests or take part in discussions.

- My Groups. Quickly access content for each group you are a member of.

- Add discussion. Now you can start new discussions right from the Community page simply by clicking the ‘Add discussion’ button and choosing a group where you want to place this discussion.

We hope these new features will benefit all parts of our rapidly growing community. Seasoned musicians can now share their experiences and knowledge and get praises in return while aficionados of obscure genres and instruments can find their kindred spirits.

FAQ

Q: Why are there so many groups without categories?

A: Members of Musescore.com created thousands of groups, many of which have been ‘dead’ for a long time. To start, we manually selected some of the top groups for the categories, but eventually, the majority of the groups will be assigned to some hub.

Q: How can I move my group to a hub?

A: To do that, go to the group settings and choose a corresponding category for your group. After moderation, it’ll be moved to the hub of your choice.

Q: What should I do if group moderator hasn’t been active for a long time and I want to move the group to a hub?

A: Leave a comment with a link to the group here and we’ll make it happen. In the near future, we’ll post the guidelines on how inactive mods will be replaced.

Q: I found a bug / I have some ideas on how to make the community better.

A: Reach out to us in the comments on this page. In MuseScore, members are our main value and that’s why we’ll do our best to turn MuseScore into the biggest and most easy-to-use musician community in the world and there’s no better way to achieve this goal than by listening to our members who always know what’s best for the community.

Dear MuseScore Community

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and provide a personal note.

I founded Ultimate Guitar 20 years ago to provide platform that connected guitarists with each other and the music they love.  Since then it has grown to a community of over 100M passionate guitarists who discuss everything about learning and playing guitar and have created over 1.5 Million guitar tablatures so that the community can learn their favorite songs.   

The thing that struck me immediately about MuseScore is that it has an amazing community of musicians, composers, transcribers, students, teachers, and developers. The music, technology and passion that you have all contributed to MuseScore is inspiring. Together you have created the most extensive and affordable online resource for musicians to create, learn and play music. My plan for MuseScore is not to come in and change everything, but rather to provide the community with the resources it needs to make more music available to more people.

Music is a powerful thing. It makes us all better people; it connects us to each other. It makes the good times better and the bad times a little less painful. I want to empower the MuseScore community to build the platform and create the content that will allow everyone to have music affect them the way it already moves those of us who are here today.

There is a lot of work to do, but Ultimate Guitar is adding its experience and team to the existing team and community to tackle some of MuseScore’s biggest challenges and build upon what is already here.

One accomplishment we have already achieved is concluding worldwide licensing deals with several music publishers, including one of the largest in the world. These deals give MuseScore the legal right to display scores of almost all of these companies’ copyrighted works. While these are only a few deals and there are a lot more to do, we are working hard to make sure that not only can you legally post scores of all copyrighted works, but also that the original composers will get paid for this.    

We are also building up the MuseScore development team to help the developer community improve MuseScore’s desktop and mobile products quicker. The improvements we work on will continue to be based on the community’s feedback. For example, among other things, there have been numerous requests to improve the functionality of the mobile apps and the quality of the soundfont’s audio. As a result, we have already established a dedicated mobile development team and hired a soundfont specialist to focus on improving these areas. And in case you’re wondering, yes, of course the notation editor will continue to be open source and free.

Lastly, I would like to thank Werner, Thomas and Nicolas for creating MuseScore and creating a wonderful tool and community. I would also like to thank them for allowing me and my team to be a part of MuseScore’s next chapter. They have poured their hearts and their souls into making MuseScore what it is today, and they will continue to be a part of the MuseScore team for the foreseeable future.

Sincerely,

Eugeny Naidenov

P.S. Check out this video from Daniel Ray, one of MuseScore's new team members

Dear all,

Today we’d like to share important news with you concerning MuseScore.

Ten years ago we (Werner, Nicolas and Thomas) started working on MuseScore with the mission to democratise access to sheet music. The plan came in two steps. First by developing free music notation software for everyone, then followed by a platform to upload and share sheet music. The latter is a commercial service which sustained the development of the free and open source MuseScore music notation software.

We can fairly state that today MuseScore is the most popular notation software on the market, and by extend the world’s largest sheet music creators community. This is a great achievement which we, as an open source community, should be extremely proud of. Millions of people are learning and creating music with MuseScore every year.

That said, it’s important to also look at the other side of the medallion, a side which we didn't much communicate about. As MuseScore has become a very large software project, on which so many users rely on for their hobby and work, keeping up with the growth has become a major challenge. Our company resources were not equally growing fast enough, and therefore the future of the MuseScore project could become uncertain.

It was always our intention to put a business model in place which could work for all stakeholders involved (creators, right holders, consumers) but we learnt that we could only achieve this by either a substantial external investment, or through a strategic partnership with a company who has established relationships with music publishers. After some time of researching both options, we opted for the latter.

In short, we have decided to let Ultimate Guitar acquire the MuseScore company. Ultimate Guitar has pioneered a successful model for working with music publishers, and all MuseScore users will be able to benefit from this. Additionally, there are more resources now to take on the next steps and turn MuseScore into the online destination for sheet music.

Of course, it is important to all of us that the open source nature of the MuseScore project is preserved. Therefore we would like to emphasize that the MuseScore notation software remains open source and that all code contributions will continue to be made under GPLv2. We are fully committed to make MuseScore 3 and all future releases happen and we will continue to make them available for free to the world.

We would like to thank everyone who has been on our journey so far and we hope to continue to work with all of you on the future of MuseScore. We also like to invite you to read the announcement by Ultimate Guitar founder Eugeny Naidenov.

Yours truly,

Werner, Nicolas, Thomas

Welcome to December’s edition of “MuseScorer of the month.” This has been your chance to get to know one of MuseScore.com’s many brilliant members each month of 2017. In these twelve months, we’ve featured twelve great MuseScorers, including a wide variety of composers who create different types of music, as well as some members who use MuseScore to transcribe and share public domain sheet music. Last month, we introduced you to ThatEuphoniumGuy. This month, we’re closing out 2017 and this series with Isaac Glover!

How did you discover MuseScore?

In a music class in year 10, I improvised a melody on the piano that stuck with me and that I continued adding onto. A friend of mine was listening to it and told me that I should write it down before I completely forget how it went. Because my notation skills aren't all that good by hand, I looked online for something to write the music for me, and I came across MuseScore, which was free and easy-to-use with very descriptive tutorials!

What motivates you to compose?

Music has always been a big passion of mine, something that I've always grown up listening too, and something that I have always turned to at any given moment. My biggest inspirations definitely came from either classical composers such as Tchaikovsky, Grieg, and Rossini, and film composers such as Yann Tiersen and Bruno Coulais. Their music has had such a big effect on me and the way I write my music, and I’ve always loved the idea that maybe one day my music could have that effect on someone else in the future.

What is your typical composing workflow like?

I have approached my pieces differently, to test out what brings out the best results. Sometimes I'll start my songs by using a chord progression ("Spanish Seduction" was written using this process) and working my way around that. Another way I have approached a song is to have a melody in mind and then write the accompaniment later (the harmonies, the chords and how the other instruments will compliment the melodic line). Sometimes I just flat out improvise—I’ll pick a key and an instrument and write down a random melody and see where that takes me. Sometimes my inspiration will come from playing around on my keyboard or on my xylophone. I don't have a set formula when it comes to writing music.

What have you shared on MuseScore.com that you're most proud of?

There are three pieces:

The Conductor's Invasion—a piece that started off simple and completely improvised, and then the next thing I knew I was making a story (poorly told due to lack of experience at the time).

Space-Port Invasion Theme—I was approached by a guy named Noah who asked me to write for a video game, and the theme song has definitely captured a bit of attention! It was my very first theme song and I am very happy with the reactions it has caused!

Woodwind Quintet in C Minor (Dance of the Angry Baby Chicks)—my very first piece for woodwind quintet, which I later expanded and changed around and turned it into the way it is now.

Space-Port Invasion - Theme by Isaac Glover

It's been a pleasure putting together these blog posts and communicating with so many of you. I know there are many more of you fantastic MuseScorers who deserve to be featured—but, as it was originally planned to be, this has been a 12-part limited series through 2017. 2018 is a whole new year—who knows what it may bring?

Happy scoring, everyone!

Warmly,

Welcome to November’s edition of “MuseScorer of the month.” This is your chance to get to know one of MuseScore.com’s many brilliant members each mon th of the year. We’re featuring a wide variety of composers and types of music in this series, as well as some members who use MuseScore to transcribe and share public domain sheet music. Last month, we introduced you to Rivergrove. This month, meet Nathan Stys, aka ThatEuphoniumGuy!

How did you discover MuseScore?

I started using MuseScore almost five years ago, when my school's band director encouraged me to use it to transcribe my favorite songs and such. I became pretty popular as a band geek, because I always brought in the latest songs playable for band instruments. I started composing months later, although I didn't expect to get much out of it. From there it just escalated.

What motivates you to compose?

Composing is my major hobby along with playing video games. My motivation for composing is to provide innovative and eccentric pieces of music, unusual and interesting. This stems from my love of the video game soundtracks. I am even the owner of the groups "Rare and Neglected Instruments" and "Impossible Music" (I'm not very responsible though). Nowadays, I mainly use MuseScore to write songs for friends or simply to have fun.

What is your typical composing workflow like?

I haven't quite paid attention to how I start a piece, but I notice that many times it comes out of my keyboard. I started taking piano lessons in March and have been growing steadily since then; before that, I didn’t actually play piano, but I just fooled around on it, and sometimes I would find a cool idea and go from there. In contrast, sometimes I start a piece with a very specific goal in mind and try my best (e.g., writing a spooky song for Halloween).

What have you shared on MuseScore.com that you're most proud of?

The scores I'm most proud of (that I've posted) include "just your everyday Piccolo Trombone Solo”, “The Elements: Fire”, and my "Spooky Locrian Groove" (I can never get the instruments to balance right on the website, unfortunately). I used to compose gigantic and quirky pieces using MuseScore, but now I have expectations to live up to so I can't do that as freely. However, I still try to put much effort into making my pieces enjoyable.

New Series!! - - - The Elements: FIRE by ThatEuphoniumGuy

Welcome to October’s edition of “MuseScorer of the month.” This is your chance to get to know one of MuseScore.com’s many brilliant members each month of the year. We’re featuring a wide variety of composers and types of music in this series, as well as some members who use MuseScore to transcribe and share public domain sheet music. Last month, we introduced you to Aaron David. This month, meet the inventor of the gymnosolitude (see below), Finnish pianist Tuukka Jokilehto, aka Rivergrove!

How did you discover MuseScore?

I browsed the Internet for a free notation software to write down a few piano pieces I had composed and quite luckily found MuseScore right away. It was just what I was looking for.

What motivates you to compose?

I'm mainly interested in composing easy-to-play piano music for amateurs, beginners and children. My experience as a piano teacher tells me what kind of passages take a lot of practice and what kind don't, so I try to write music that doesn't take too much time to practice but would still be interesting for the player and the listener. A big motivation for me to compose is the ready audience and the immediate feedback and comments one gets from all the nice people here on MuseScore.

What is your typical composing workflow like?

I try to improvise some interesting sounding patterns on the piano and develop them into a piece. If I can't come up with something in ten minutes, I quit and try again later. An interesting (unusual, funny, etc.) title is usually very inspiring for me. A good example of this might be a piece called ”Nagging Piano Teacher”. When I came up with the title, it didn't take me more than a few minutes to compose the actual piece.

What have you shared on MuseScore.com that you're most proud of?

The main body of my work, the numerous piano pieces written for beginners which I hope take a fresh approach to piano playing and learning. If I had to pick just one piece, I would go for ”Champagne Rag Overture”. It's a large-scale, virtuosic rag turned into a symphonic kind of overture.

Special section on the origins of the gymnosolitude The story of the gymnosolitude began when I thought of composing a sequel for Burping Dinosaur, a piano piece for children. This time, however, the piece turned out to be a little bit too big and difficult for a children's piece. I was imagining the dinosaur wandering about with nowhere particular to go. So I invented, with a little help from Satie (the composer of the three gymnopédies), a musical genre describing solitary walking, the gymnosolitude. To my astonishment, people here on MuseScore started writing gymnosolitudes, all with their own unique styles.

Champagne Rag Overture by Rivergrove

Welcome to September’s edition of “MuseScorer of the month.” This is your chance to get to know one of MuseScore.com’s many brilliant members each month of the year. We’re featuring a wide variety of composers and types of music in this series, as well as some members who use MuseScore to transcribe and share public domain sheet music. Last month, we introduced you to TheLight OI. This month, meet Texan composer Aaron David!

How did you discover MuseScore?

From a young age I loved playing the piano and would often write little songs, arrangements, and mashups of movie soundtracks I liked. I usually forgot them after a while because I hated writing the sheet music by hand and it was very time-consuming. In desperation, I did a quick Google search for music notation programs, and MuseScore was at the top of the list. This was around June 2012. The program allowed my music writing to flourish immediately as I began using it to write more and more original music. I soon joined the online community and started regularly uploading scores.

What inspires you to write music?

I suppose there are several things that inspire my music. Nature, other music, life experiences. I simply gather my thoughts and write what I hear in my head. I try to use each composition as a learning experience in order to constantly grow and write better, more complex scores. Stepping out of my stylistic “comfort zone” is something I like to do from time to time, and it keeps my pieces fresh.

What is your typical composing workflow like?

Some pieces are written differently than others, but the main steps are usually somewhat identical. I will start with either a small melody or perhaps a new chord progression that I like, record it using Mixcraft, and keep writing from there. I do not start with a full orchestra in front of me; rather, I start with one instrument and add more only when the song needs them. My writing process involves a lot of listening. I will write a few measures, sit back and listen to it, and continue writing what I hear in my head. Once the song is completed, it’s off to MuseScore to transcribe the Mixcraft MIDI file into a neat, presentable score.

What have you shared on MuseScore.com that you’re most proud of?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a song called “Journey.” Perhaps my longest piece to date, it was quite a time-consuming effort to put together, but I was able to write several themes that I liked and put them together into a song that I quite liked. It became more popular than I could have imagined, garnering over 1,000 views in a single week (almost 5 times my normal viewing rate at the time). Because of the strength of the song’s themes and its increasing popularity, I decided to write a sequel, “Reflection: Journey's End.” This worked well, but still seemed incomplete. This resulted in a prequel, “Inspiration: Before the Journey.” Out of this trilogy, I would say I’m most proud of “Inspiration.” I was able to utilize strange time signatures, develop original themes in a way I’ve never done before, and add new themes that worked alongside the existing ones to create one seamless piece.

Inspiration: Before the Journey by Aaron David

Welcome to August’s edition of “MuseScorer of the month.” This is your chance to get to know one of MuseScore.com’s many brilliant members each month of the year. We’re featuring a wide variety of composers and types of music in this series, as well as some members who use MuseScore to transcribe and share public domain sheet music. Last month, we introduced you to Tim Weaving. This month, meet Chinese-Canadian composer/pianist Liyang Yang, aka TheLight OI!

How did you discover MuseScore?

Back in 2013, I was going to perform as part of a 500-spectators concert for which I challenged myself to transcribe my solo composition into printable sheet music. I immediately devoted myself to this unbelievable software. Slowly but steadily, I built up my own song list. How could I have thought of having a fanbase consisting of several hundreds of passionate composers, transcribers and arrangers four years later?

What motivates you to compose?

My first two pieces were arrangements (they are still on the website) that I was deeply proud of. I think that’s why I kept on going with MuseScore, and upgraded to a Pro membership. Before that, I had created an alternate account.

Practicing should be as enjoyable as composing, so I spend my time practicing as well.

I regularly discover amazing works by fellow MuseScore users, and being passionate about music and having a keen sense of creativity, with MuseScore I found myself reliving the pleasures of my childhood. What a truly wonderful community MuseScore is!

What is your typical composing workflow like?

If I have a melody in my mind, I make a recording of it first, and then listen to the recording when notating it. (This method is very ear-training-oriented.)

I highly recommend using the piano keyboard function (in the software) for composers of any level to construct melodies. You can benefit a lot from this combination of tools to create sheet music. I suggest the best way to come up with a melody is through imagination. Give it some time. Listening to some well-known classical music would help too.

What have you shared on MuseScore.com that you’re most proud of?

The piece that I treasure the most is without doubt Star of The North. Although it is not the one with the most favorites, the critics (including myself) seem to think this piece really stood out.

Secondly, twelve hours of work built a piece that can be interpreted as light-hearted desolation.

As it is near Father’s Day [editor’s note: it was at the time of writing], I particularly want to share the song I wrote for my father.

And finally, the piece that is my most viewed, Flow of Water.

Nevertheless, every piece is the fruit of hard labor. The same amount of input leads to different kinds of output; a not-so-successful song still leads me to gain experience and enjoy the wonderful process of composition.

Star of The North by TheLight OI