One of our members, Travis Freshner of tfresh productions, is an amazing character, full of ridiculous antics and sarcasm. He fits right in with the other such characters in the group. He’s been on tour recently but came up with a brilliant list of rules for Music Engraving Tips. It’s a great framework for beginners to follow in learning about engraving and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

1. Justin is right. Don’t argue with him.
2. Vili is even righter. Don’t argue with him, either.
3. Don’t begin your justification with “Well, my composition professor says that…”
4. If your response to any question is “Who cares? As long as the performers can figure it out.” Then you are obviously missing the point of this group, which is improving the quality of your music engraving based on actual standards and practices of working professionals in this field.
5. No, Sibelius is not better than Finale, and Finale is not better than Sibelius. They both have advantages and disadvantages, but they also both get the job done quite nicely.
6. No, MuseScore is not just as good as real notation programs. It’s great for amateurs who want something free and user friendly, but it does not produce anywhere near acceptable results for professionals. It’s like bringing finger paintings to an art auction.
7. Just because “this is how I’ve always done it and I’ve never had any complaints,” doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it, or is even correct.
8. It’s okay to learn something new. Swallow your pride and improve.
9. No matter what, don’t be a dick. Be cool, man.