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More and more, I'm seeing fellow colleagues using tablets and e-ink slates in place of dead-tree scores... in fact, since moving back to Australia, I've seen it even more in rehearsals and performances.

So, there used to be a time when ensembles would just post or drop off music in physical form... but I guess a combination of cost-cutting and environmentalism meant that that sort of stopped happening. Still, when a choice was offered, I would ask for the dead-tree version... but if I had to be honest, I would generally just ask for a pdf file and for the ensemble to provide the physical scores at the first rehearsal. Most of the time, I would only be using the practice parts to have a look to see if there was anything that I needed to practice.... but otherwise, it would just be sitting around gathering dust.

The concept of using electronic scores for rehearsal and performance should really appeal to a tech-nerd like me... but for some reason I really can't do it!

Electronic sheet music is crazily light-weight (electrons don't really weight that much...) and so it means that you are really able to pack in loads and loads of music in your travel bag! I like the idea of having a whole library of music at your fingertips... and I have really started to digitise a whole heap of early music manuscripts on my personal server so that I have easy access to it all. However, I still can't do a performance on it...

... and recently, I stupidly forgot my physical music the other day, and my desk partner had his iPad with all the music! So, I really got to experience first hand the e-music experience!

Thankfully, he had the foot control pedals... I did have a little go at it, but I was stupendously incompetent! However, lots of that would be fixed with practice, I'm sure! But I did sort of discover one reason about why I dislike the e-music form...

... there is only one page on display at a time (well, you can have more, but then it would be crazy small!)... so, that means that you are having this quick jump from the end of one page to a completely new page twice as often as a dead-tree version. Plus, the jump is pretty quick from the foot pedal, which is quite a jarring transition... especially if you aren't the one with the foot pedal! When you are doing a physical turn, you have a lot of time to prepare for the turn (you can see the other person turning).... and if you have a good page-turner, then they are highly attuned to when is a good time to do the act!

Another thing that I miss with the electronic versions is that sense of tactile history... when you are playing from parts that are decades old... and there are the original markings of older colleagues and past masters. That is a real and interesting connection back to our predecessors. Or even if you have your own hilarious markings and comments coming back to haunt you! Or if you have a physical library at home... well, the nostalgia and memories coming flooding back when you pull out an old score... irreplaceable!

So... for the moment, I am still highly resistant to the concept of rehearsals and performances on electronic devices. I know that there are many groups and organisations that are pushing for the idea... spinning it as an environmental thing... but there are so many reasons why I will continue to resist for as long as possible. I am nostalgic and sentimental... and I think that dead-tree versions of performance parts will always have a place in my heart.

... that said, I DO like the ability to carry around a library of digital music scores with me. And I will be doing that!... but just not performing from them!

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