Noteflight - Embedded Score and Program Review

I think that in many ways Noteflight is ideal.  Among it's strengths are the fact that as a cloud based notation option, it is available to anyone with an internet connection.  The availability without the need for a download makes it a fantastic fit for anyone who is in a mixed platform setting.  Because it functions so differently than other notation programs, it seems to be easier for novices without any preconceived notions about how notation software should be organized.  I find that as long as I don't over think when using it, it can be easier in some ways than Finale.   My favorite part about Noteflight is the variety of ways music can be shared.  Entire scores or individual parts can be exported as a PDF, which is not a feature universally available in Finale.   It is also possible to export audio files, both .WAV and MIDI which makes the export options quite flexible as the audio files can be directly imported into programs like Audacity.  

For this project, I was disappointed to see that I could not use my MIDI input device without a paid subscription, which meant that entering the score was more tedious than it might have been in other programs.  Having been a user of Noteflight for many years, I must say that in terms of steady access it is not very reliable.  The user interface is adjusted and modified often.  The most recent change has been from a Flash based interface to an HTML 5 version.  While this update was long overdue, the new version is not very intuitive and it is difficult to find important functions.  The manner in which the menus relate to the score work space is awkward.  I spend most of my time looking for things that have been moved.

 I have also been disappointed with the service of the company.    I use Noteflight regularly, but every time I have attempted to purchase a subscription I have run into difficulty.  The difficulty I have had receiving access to features that I have paid for personally, make me question the wisdom of using school funds to pay for a class subscription.  I also find their help resources to be entirely inadequate and not very accessible.  From the time I have spent talking with Customer Service, it seems that many of the function and service problems experienced by Noteflight have to do with the small start up, and very high demand placed on what seems to be a small company.

Despite my misgivings, I find Noteflight to be an essential part of my teacher tool bag.  I use it constantly and intend to incorporate it more deeply into my teaching in the future.  I plan on requesting a subscription in the near future for my 3rd-5th graders because Noteflight has a partnership with CANVAS which is the digital classroom service my district uses.