How to use the MusicalEscapism site
After a recent revamp of my site I decided to write a 'how to' for users of this domain.
After a recent revamp of my site I decided to write a 'how to' for visitors to the site.
If you want background information on myself as site creator/programmer and composer, click on the About MusicalEscapism drop down at the top left of the page.
The site is intended to give easy access to my original scores, not just for the general public but also for myself. When there are so many scores which are different arrangements (for different instruments) of the same score title, I find I need to keep everything in a searchable database so that I can quickly find what I'm looking for.
I've arranged the content across four tabs:
- The default view on arrival is the latest blog post in Tab 1 (titled Blog);
- All scores listed from A-Z in tab two (titled List), which you can also arrange scores by most recent;
- The list of over 40 'romantic' scores next to a list of genres to choose from (titled genre, Tab 3);
- Under the 4th tab (titled Arrangement), a list of musical instrument icons
to filter by instrument, and all Solo arrangements next to a list of all arrangement types to choose from (duets, jazz band, orchestra etc).
If you know the name of the score you are interested in, it is easiest to type the first letters into the search field, near the top part of the page.
This will generate a list of all pieces beginning with those letters to select one. From there you need to click the refresh page icon (hand with finger icon)
to load the results.
If you don't know the name of the score or you're just interested in checking out the blog you can use the keyword search at the foot of the page.
This finds matching results for your input in the blog and also any scores with titles including your input.
Again, you need to click the refresh button (hand with finger icon) to load results.
This brings me to the results themselves which is either a list of blog posts or a list of matching scores (or both).
Each score is now published in two formats: one being a PDF score containing a conductors score and each instrument part as a separate page
(click on the PDF icons to the right); and the other being a .mscz file (click on the folder icon with notes flying out to the left).
Example score listing
The PDF score loads inside a new page for perusal and you can download it from the new page. Clicking on the .mscz download icon automatically triggers the file download without opening a new page. If you can not find the .mscz file in your downloads you can email me so that I can check for typos in my file names.
In addition to making individual PDF scores available, I have also merged multiple piano easy solos into single PDF which can be downloaded at the link at the top of the page.
You can download .mscz files individually or download the whole folder from Google Drive.
Publishing the .mscz files came about due to a flutist with vision impairment requesting I make these files available on accessibility grounds.
The .mscz files can be used to hear and adjust scores, if desired and are helpful when playing along with the score as users can mute the instrument they are playing.
To change an instrument sound to another for experimentations sake, or to mute an instrument, click the 'View' button in Musescore in the menu along the top of the page, then click on 'Mixer'. From there you can select which instrument you want to change and either mute it, or, if you have other instrument sound fonts installed on your computer, click on the button next to 'Sound:' which will create a drop down list of instruments to choose from.
Users are also able to save .mscz files as music xml files which, I believe, allows the files to be opened in other notation software programs. You may also be able to open files in this site called Jampea.com by dragging/dropping them onto the page. You can also give
feedback to the site creator.
While I don't believe there are any risks using the free to download Musescore software (as I do),
I do want to warn people about using the score sharing site of the same name (which is run by a different organization to the software. The score sharing site is known for its bad billing practices and I had a horrendous experience with them after giving them my credit card details to purchase scores from them.
It's worth keeping in mind that I am still using version 3 of Musescore because I was experiencing difficulties with the instrument sounds in Musescore 4. I can't guarantee that scores will sound the same in your version of Musescore.
Many of my scores have been produced using virtual instruments in GarageBand making use of exported instrument parts created in
Musescore notation and then released onto the streaming platforms.Where that has happened, that track is embedded in the score results.
These tracks usually sound better than just the Musescore sound on it's own.
This is because I can make use of different instrument sounds obtained outside of Musescore.
Performance notes: please take all markings as suggestions and make your own personal choices as to what works best for you.
All files are free and there is no sign up or other requirements for download. There are however, licence terms which apply to both my Musescore files and PDF files:
It's important to understand that even though I'm allowing free use of my scores, that they are still copyright to myself under my legal name (Rose-Marie Williams).
You can publish your own arrangements of my scores but you have to attribute Rose-Marie Williams as the composer and yourself as the arranger. You can sell your arrangements but not my original scores.
Musescore.com may not allow you to share these files as they are copyright to me and there is no arrangement in place between myself and Musescore.com to pay royalties to me for their use (as there is with many record label-owned/publisher owned scores ).
You can use my music in any format for educational use, publicly perform it and share it with your group for these purposes. You may not upload my music (including your own arrangements of it) in any format to Artificial Intelligence websites. If you're in doubt about something you would like to do with my music or would like me to share what you are doing here in my blog just email me at rosie@musicalescapism.com :-)
Download my free PDF here (no signup).