I only started to use notation software about seven years ago.
Since then, I usually compose out the piece by hand, copy it
into the computer, and do edits directly onto the computer
score. My last three pieces, all fast and with a lot of notes,
have witnessed me reducing the amount I write out by hand and
going straight to the computer with material. That said, well
over half of my current project has been written out by hand,
and the sketching process was all done by hand. A friend of mine
recently expressed surprise learning I still composed by hand.
He said he didn’t, and that composing on the computer has
influenced his work. Electronic music software aside, I’m not
sure how a notation program actually can influence the musical
content of a composition. Sure notation software makes certain
things easier. But how exactly does using a computer change
one’s musical style? And, please: I hope answers don’t consist
in “cutting and pasting” and “mass mover tool.” Surely the urge
to repeat chunks of music is no