Cooperative visual manipulation of music notation

Abstract

As computer technologies and their potential emerging applications spread out, new needs have been detected for computer-based applications of music; cooperative music notation editing both in orchestras and music schools is one of them. This article is the only public document describing the details of cooperative work on music notation of MOODS (Music Object Oriented Distributed System). MOODS is a synchronous real-time cooperative editor for music scores. Its architecture includes mechanisms for troubleshooting conflicts in real-time, managing histories of commands and versioning, and for performing selective undo. The system also includes specific solutions in order to control the editing on the account of editing permission profiles. The most important aspects of MOODS associated with cooperative work on music notation scores are reported herein. The article highlights the general problems of cooperative systems and provides rationales for the solutions, which were found to build MOODS. The MOODS system has been implemented and validated thanks to the endeavor of several musicians in orchestras, music schools, and project partners. A prototype has been demonstrated in public at the Scala Theatre in Milan, Italy.