A Bicycle Built for Two - Composed with Noteflight

I wrote this piece using Noteflight, a free web-based notation program. I have used Noteflight numerous times since high school, when I did not have Finale. I was first introduced to Noteflight during my Music Appreciation course in high school. I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have used it many times to arrange pieces for small ensembles, transpose musical books, and even design musical examples for papers.

Noteflight has many affordances or benefits. First, it is free. Teachers, students, and professionals can write music without the burden of purchasing programs, such as Finale. Second, it is user-friendly for teachers and students. I feel all writing tools are centrally located, easy to find, and easy to use. When I first used Noteflight, I remember the help section being easy to use and navigate. I had no trouble discovering how to accomplish a goal. A third affordance is your ability to share your work with others and to network. Not only are you able to push your name and work out into the public eye, but, more importantly, you are able to receive feedback on your work. This feedback will lead to improvements in your work and a heightened sense of your personal style. A final affordance I discovered today is Noteflight does not require an internet connection to continue working. If you navigate to the site and open your score, you can continue working even after closing your laptop. You can continue making edits and play back the score without an internet connection. I discovered this by accident during my flight.

As with all free programs, Noteflight does have a few constraints or weaknesses. One of these weaknesses is the inability to access all features, such as access to "voice" play back, without a subscription. As a professional musician, I have found the template layout can be challenging at times, as I could not adjust every minor detail to my liking, such as text. Nevertheless, I find the affordances of using Noteflight far outweigh the constraints.

Overall, I have loved using Noteflight in the past, and I have always accomplished my goals with the program. I would recommend it to any colleague or stranger, if they are looking for an affordable option with networking options.