I often receive inquiries wondering if 9” x 12” paper was acceptable for orchestral use, or if 10” x 13” is necessary. Here are my thoughts based on experience preparing music for hundreds of orchestral projects.
music preparation
Don’t extract parts
Ever since Sibelius 4 introduced Dynamic Parts feature in 2005, and Finale 2007 followed in due course with Linked Parts a year later, I’ve hardly ever needed to extract parts from a Finale or Sibelius file — and you shouldn’t have to, either.
Preparing David Newman’s Matilda score for live orchestra
David Newman’s score to the 1996 Danny DeVito movie Matilda, with its energy, whimsy, and sweetness, is a favorite among film score enthusiasts. Learn what it took to prepare the music for a recent premiere with live orchestra.
Studio-style bar numbers in Finale
Following up on our last post about getting a studio look to your bar numbers in Sibelius, we’ll now show you how to achieve it in Finale by placing them on their own separate one-line staff.
Studio-style bar numbers in Sibelius
Placing bar numbers on every bar of your score can save precious rehearsal time. Learn how to get a studio look to your bar numbers in Sibelius by placing them on their own separate one-line staff.
How to tape and fold pages for parts: a video tutorial
The question often gets asked: How does one print and tape music accordion-style? In this blog post and accompanying video, learn the technique and tools you need to accomplish that very task.
“Link Up” with a day in the life of our music prep shop
Today we’ll take you on a behind the scenes tour of our music prep shop, where we prepare, print, pack and ship music for an orchestral program that’s performed by nearly 100 orchestras around the world each year.
Catch me if you can: UK man sentenced to 20 months in prison on 38 counts of defrauding music professionals worldwide
A UK man has begun serving a prison sentence for committing brazen frauds against composers, orchestrators, and music publishers over the course of several years.
On the road: Score prep master class at Berklee
A report from the Berklee College of Music, giving a master class on digital score preparation to talented students.
Robert Puff’s music notation blog is Of Note
This blog by one of the industry’s top music preparers is a must-read for anyone using Sibelius or Finale on a regular basis.