<p>This has nothing to do with Princeton, but at this point very little on this forum does :p</p>
<p>Haha I never realized how addicting composing could be until I tried it. As a result, much of my free time this past month has gone into it.</p>
<p>Just wondering, what program do you use, Phil?</p>
<p>Do you have one of those keyboards connected to computers, and whatever you play on the keyboard comes up at sheet music on the computer? because those are so cool... Or do you compose digital-tech music?</p>
<p>I just find melodies on my keybord and enter the notes on my computer with a mouse using this program I got, and you can play it back in the sound of a variety of instruments.</p>
<p>The song I'm working on right now, and plan to finish before the end of the month is a symphonic piece.</p>
<p>What program is it silmon?</p>
<p>I use Sonar 4 and it kicks ass!!! I've used it to create pro quality recordings. But it might be a little intimidating for the complete beginner. And it's mostly for studio-type work rather than sheet-music composition etc.</p>
<p>For that, sibelius or finale is better.</p>
<p>And you'll need a real keyboard to connect to your computer but I've been using just the computer keyboard and a software called Bome's MouseKeyboard all the while and I don't see a real need for it now.</p>
<p>composing is addictive, oh yeah!!</p>
<p>and if you really want your songs to sound top-notch, get an SB Live or Audigy and a nice soundfont to go with it. I have a nice stack of soundfonts.... (which reminds me, phil, will i get a midi of your fleur sauvage? haha)</p>
<p>I have the 30 day trial for Noteworthy Composer. I'm not sure if I should spend the $40 to get the license for the full version or just get another program.</p>
<p>If you're into orchestral, noteworthy is a great piece of software. You could upgrade later to something better, and if you really need total control, you could go for Sonar... but that's like 400 bucks..</p>
<p>Yeah, I really do like the software. What kind of songs do you write?</p>
<p>Pop/rock/techno and all the usual poop =) Friend sings, I do music. Home recording on Sonar.</p>
<p>I actually began with Impulse Tracker, a DOS-based music software and then noteworthy and cakewalk pro audio...way back in 7th grade. But noteworthy was not for me as I dont know jack about orchestral arrangements hehe :o</p>
<p>Very little beats Sibelius (along with its output program Kontackt Player). If you want an easy-to-use yet professional quality program, you can't beat it. While Kontackt Gold is currently giving me headaches because something in my comp isn't compatible with something, it's definitely worth the nice bit o' pocket change you pay out for it.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sibelius.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.sibelius.com</a>
You can also post your own music free of charge at <a href="http://www.sibeliusmusic.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.sibeliusmusic.com</a>. It's pretty awesome :)</p>
<p>Don't let the Finale freaks talk you into buying Finale. Sibelius owns so much more, hehe.</p>
<p>And Kontackt is such a great add-on program. I've had a good amount of people come up to me after listening to my CDs asking if a real, professional orchestra recorded it. It's really just the program though. Freaked me out the first time I used it, for sure. <em>in Teen Girl Squad voice</em> sooooo good!</p>