My life took a left hand flip at this time.
This morning, MakeMusic introduced the quick termination of Finale, the notation software program I had used for a few years. Paul Shimmons, my buddy and podcast co-host (although we haven’t recorded for a few years) texted me about it.
I keep in mind driving to a mall within the Milwaukee space (Northgate, if reminiscence serves) to purchase my first model of Finale…probably round 1992. I used to be in school, and needed to write down music on my pc.
Over time, I might create 1000’s of preparations and compositions on Finale, and would use Finale as a rehearsal accompanist for my highschool choirs.
My use of expertise modified with the arrival of the iPad, the place I do a big proportion of my work. Finale by no means took full benefit of cell platforms, eliminated embedded scanning for the sake of composers and publishers, and utterly modernized its code whereas working precisely the identical.
We’re far sufficient faraway from the previous the place I can share a narrative. Greater than 10 years in the past (March 2013), a place at MakeMusic was posted, a Director of Training Options at MakeMusic, when the corporate was in Minnesota. So I utilized, went by a number of interviews, and all of a sudden I didn’t hear something from the corporate. At time (March 2013), MakeMusic had been a publicly traded inventory that was purchased and changed into a privately held firm (LauchEquity Companions). With the privatization, there have been many adjustments in workers, and the VP that will have been my boss was terminated from the corporate, whereas I used to be being interviewed! In August of 2014, MakeMusic grew to become a part of Peaksware and moved to Colorado. Since then, Peaksware has added different firms to its assortment and moved MakeMusic to the cloud. That’s numerous change!
Once I interviewed, I met with a few of the VPs of the corporate, and instructed them that I noticed the way forward for the corporate. It was clear that SmartMusic (now MakeMusic Cloud) can be the first product of the corporate, and that Finale would nonetheless be utilized by some musicians, however it will primarily be a manner for individuals to get content material into SmartMusic. I additionally predicted the continued development of MuseScore (school youngsters with no cash will use it, and proceed to make use of it professionally).
I wasn’t incorrect, however I didn’t count on Finale to be discontinued 10 years later. I’m nonetheless in shock.
When it got here to creating printed music, Finale may actually do something. I used to be capable of create a rosette for a customized ukulele utilizing a faculty music…photographs of that instrument are beneath.
Finale undoubtedly had a studying curve, and I used to be at all times caught on “Speedy Entry” mode, despite the fact that I attended many expertise periods the place clinicians from MakeMusic steered a special methodology (“Easy Entry,” if reminiscence serves).
With creation of the iPad, I finally moved to Notion which did (and does) most of what I would like a software program program to do, and have solely stored Finale (an earlier model) to transform Finale recordsdata to MusicXML recordsdata.
In order for you a tip on tips on how to covert Finale Recordsdata to MusicXML recordsdata, please go to this publish: https://techinmusiced.wordpress.com/2024/08/26/moving-from-finale-mus-or-musx-to-musicxml/
Notion (most just lately being developed because the free Notion Cellular) has at all times provided higher inventory sounds than Finale, and word entry has historically been simpler. Nonetheless, I do attempt to scan music once I can, utilizing any variety of apps. However the level is that I did migrate away from Finale as a result of I exploit my iPad.
There have been extra developments within the notation world, such because the dismissal of your entire Sibelius crew at Avid, which led to the inspiration of Dorico at Steinberg. Dorico is providing an incredible cross-platform worth for Finale customers—I might counsel getting it. I don’t know if Dorico can print in a circle like Finale—however for those who want professional degree software program, Dorico is your reply. In fact, Sibelius continues, primarily supported by long-time Sibelius customers, and there are many different choices like Forte (PC solely, I believe), cloud based mostly options like Noteflight and Flat.io, and free choices like MuseScore and Notion Cellular. After which there may be additionally StaffPad, a totally totally different sort of notation app, additionally owned by MuseScore.
Right here’s the factor: music notation has a static buyer base. There are a finite variety of musicians who want full-blown professional degree notation software program. For everybody else, MuseScore and Notion Cellular are free. And for educators (secondary and collegiate), Noteflight and Flat.io are high quality choices that run on all platforms.
To be sincere, that is most likely nonetheless too many choices for a restricted variety of those that want notation software program, notably when there are superb choices which are free.
So it is smart that Finale wanted to be discontinued.
I’m nonetheless not pleased about it, despite the fact that I haven’t often used Finale for years.
I do wish to thank all the software program engineers and product managers and tech help from Finale through the years (from the times at Coda Music by MakeMusic Cloud). It was a pleasure to make use of your product, and it made my life simpler as a musician, conductor, and educator. I hope that present members of the Finale crew are capable of finding employment elsewhere, inside MakeMusic Cloud or elsewhere.
