Selling Sheet Music

Katie O'Hara LaBrie is a cellist, music educator, and a prolific composer for educational string orchestra, having published with Alfred Music and Randall Standridge Music, where she also serves as the orchestral division editor. She's also the author of a new warmup method "Getting in Gear." We had a great conversation about the basics of writing for strings as well as how to adjust your compositional style to fit the grade level of the perfomring ensemble. At the end of the show we'll also share two recent compositions of hers for string orchestra: "Atoms" and "Unbridled Spirit."

Brian Balmages, composer and conductor who leads Make Music Publications and digital education at Alfred Music. He talks about the changing concert band landscape and why band offers big opportunities for new composers. He explains finding a personal voice, practical orchestration for young players, and his varied compositional habits. He also introduces two works tied to purpose and healing.

Tommee Profitt, a cinematic composer and producer with over 100 billion streams, shares his artistic journey and insights. He discusses the balance between producing for others and his own work, emphasizing the importance of creativity over commercial success. Tommee reflects on the creation of his Christmas album, 'Birth of a King,' inspired during COVID, and describes the energetic live recording process with a massive orchestra and numerous artists. He also provides advice on finding one's artistic voice and committing to creative risks.

Boian Videnoff is the co-CEO and co-founder of Enote, a Berlin-based startup revolutionizing sheet music with AI. He discusses the vision of digitizing scores and the app's advanced features that surpass PDFs. Videnoff explains how eNote recognizes notation complexities and helps musicians with editable exports. He shares insights on cultural shifts needed for acceptance of digital scores, plans to support living composers, and the importance of engaging younger musicians through gamified education. The conversation also touches on the future of AI in music composition and its impact on jobs.

Today's episode highlights another company working on developing AI sheet music capabilities. My guest is Johan Ronström, the project manager of ScoreCloud, which has been described as "Google Translate for Sheet Music."

Sebastian Murgul, co-founder and CEO of Klang.io, discusses the exciting world of AI in music transcription. He explains how their tools, like Transcription Studio and Piano2Notes, convert audio into readable sheet music. The conversation touches on challenges in preserving musicians' expressive details and the balance of copyright concerns with innovation. Murgul shares his vision of digital, interactive sheet music and the potential impact of AI on musicians’ careers, emphasizing adaptation and collaboration over competition.

Andrew Carlins, CEO and co-founder of Songscription, discusses his mission to revolutionize music education with AI-powered music transcription. He explains the innovative two-step model that converts audio to MIDI and then to sheet music, highlighting the importance of tailored instruments and diverse genres. Andrew addresses ethical issues, artist control, and the impact of his technology on the music industry. He also shares insights on how musicians can leverage AI and engage with the evolving landscape of music transcription.

Adrian Holovaty, founder and CEO of Soundslice, dives into his platform that merges audio, video, and music notation for an interactive learning experience. He shares the wild tale of how AI hallucination led ChatGPT to falsely claim Soundslice had a certain feature, prompting him to swiftly create it. Adrian also discusses the evolution of music notation technology, the importance of standards like MNX, and encourages musicians to embrace tech that enhances their craft. Expect insights on AI misinformation and future innovations in music learning!

In this engaging discussion, Michael Sinshack, a seasoned publications administrator at Musicnotes, and Joe Harris, an expert sheet music specialist, delve into the art and science of digital sheet music. They share insights on the rigorous quality control processes that ensure each score is flawless, including their unique two-editor rule. The duo also explores the evolution of notation software and emphasizes the importance of composers mastering notation to enhance their craft. Their passion for music and dedication to quality shine through, making for a captivating listen.

For today's episode I'm sharing an interview I recorded on location at Musicnotes Headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin with Dan Heiliger, the CFO and Vice President, and Tom Nauman, Chief Publications Officer.We had a great conversation about the history of Musicnotes, digital music in general, how to react to trends online and a host of other things. I learned a lot from this conversation and I think you will too.Musicnotes MarketplaceMusicnotes Signature Artists