Junior High Band
Music Software

Music Software

It’s been said that the best word-processing program is the one you are familiar with. The same is probably true of music software. For those who don’t already have a favorite program, this might be helpful.

When Finale first came out, my colleagues and I were excited about the possible benefit it could be to our music programs. We purchased the full program for around $500, which was a major expenditure. It soon became apparent that we needed help to learn how to use it. We hired an expert to come to the school and teach us. He came once a week for several weeks. While he was there it seemed easy, but after he left we would get stuck on some minor problem and become frustrated. I, for one, never learned how to use it.

I ended up buying a cheap program called Concertware that was very user-friendly but quite limited. Eventually I bought the $10 Finale Notepad that met my needs at the time.

When I started writing this book, I needed a program that could write percussion parts. I found it in the free program called MuseScore. It not only can produce percussion parts but it also has many other helpful capabilities.

Video Disclaimer

The attached videos are not perfect examples of how each tune should be played. They are recordings of junior high students, some of whom have had their instruments for only a few months. Also, they are not professional recordings. They were taken by band parents using home equipment and naturally focusing on their own children.

I include them for two reasons: (1) To give you an idea of what the arrangements are like, and (2) To illustrate the kind of performance you can expect from your junior high students.