Improvising a piece is all very well and good, but if I want other people to be able to play it I need to write it out. I also use this as an opportunity to edit and improve the piece. For me, the first stage of putting the composition on paper is writing it out on Sibelius. Yes, yes, I know there are some people who will cringe at the idea that I’m using Sibelius first rather than writing it by hand… and you’re right – Sibelius is not the best way to write up music at the start of a composition. It’s very restricting in what it allows you to do, especially if you like composing open-score works like I do. I just find that it’s the quickest way to get the notes down. Once I’ve done that, I can start scribbling all over the score and get an idea of what I want it to look like when I write it out by hand.

If you’re enjoying my content here and want to support me you can give me a one-off tip via Ko-Fi.