Annotating Distributed Scores for Mutual Engagement in Daisyphone and Beyond

Abstract

Written and drawn annotations of musical scores form a core part of the music composition process for both individuals and groups. This article reflects on the annotations made in new forms of distributed music-making wherein the score and its annotations are shared across the web. Four kinds of annotation are identified from 8 years of studies of mutual engagement through distributed music-making systems. It is suggested that new forms of web-based music-making might benefit from shared and persistent graphical annotation mechanisms.