> Yes Finale free is the key. It gets them all started. Just enough > features to be worth using, and enough limitations to leave you > wanting more - a good balance.
I do find, though, the lack of being able to change time signatures to be a major limitation, and a really annoying one at that. I can understand Coda wanting to be able to save something for Printmusic, but even so... The issue with the copy protection in the school scenario is not about copy protection per se, but rather, the hassle of trying to get and maintain challenge-response codes in labs of 16+ computers. In an environment in which server-client based computing is going to flourish even more, I wonder how difficult it's going to be to, say, have a set of computers re-written to a standard image every night, without having to go through the challenge-response thing every day. Maybe the 'free-30-days' scenario will still be valid in this case. > I have continued to push Finale at my school, but I seem to have all > against me. The local music store (Engadine Music Education Centre), > which has a very high profile in Sydney Music Ed circles, waxes on > and on about Sibelius in all their publications, even though they > sell both. I'm sure the tech guy there is pushing people towards > Sibelius and not Finale (as well as PC's and not Macs). The Sibelius marketing here in Australia has been superb. Intelliware have an excellent tech support/promotions guy working all the national and state teacher conferences etc. Sibelius has decimated Finale in Australian schools, from what I've seen. That's in spite of the much superior Finale lab-pack pricing. > Have you noticed the colour brochures for "Sibelius Suite"? Its about > 6 different programs now, including Auralia and Musition. A complete > package. The "Sibelius Instruments", which I've seen, is outstanding. Apparently Auralia is also fantastic. > Matthew what do you teach at the school? Are you a composer in > residence or something? I didn't envisage you as a classroom teacher, > though maybe I'm wrong! I have been the Director of Composition at MLC School for a number of years, but went back to just teaching composition in senior classes. Some of my fondest memories are of teaching Year 7 Non-Elective Recorder classes. However I've just put in my notice at the school, and will be lecturing in multimedia and music technology at Sydney Uni next year. You should probably dob in that person giving out all the software, but it might be worth checking first to see if they've got a software license to do it, though. Matthew _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
