Musescore Bvba Blog MuseScorer of the month: Mike Magatagan

Yes, this project was supposed to be closed in December 2017, but as we've discovered more and more great composers and arrangers on MuseScore who really deserve to be featured, we decided to relaunch "MuseScorer of the month"! So, please meet Mike Magatagan - the MuseScorer of March 2018.Mike is a software engineer by trade, living in Arizona (USA) with his wonderful and musically talented family. His kids can play all kinds of saxophones, and his wife plays handbells."Basically, I'm a computer geek who loves to solve problems. I have been developing software for the last 25+ years but have recently rekindled my love of music. I am relearning the piano and my first love - the pipe organ. I recently rediscovered the Viola (which I played for about 7 years in my youth) after about 35+ years." That's what he says about his musicianship.Mike makes wonderful arrangements of baroque music for strings and other ensembles. Here is an interview with Mike Magatagan (M.M.) conducted by our staff member Alexander T. (A.T.):A.T.: Why baroque? I mean, why did you choose that particular style/period for making scores?M.M.: Baroque is a very meaningful genre for me. It just makes sense mathematically, stylistically and rhythmically. It is complex but not pretentious. I love the fluidity and forcefulness; it seems to cross so many arbitrary genre lines and gives so much insight into the development of other music forms.A.T.: I've noticed that you uploaded a lot of great arrangements mostly for strings during this March. How did you manage to make such a large amount of scores (more than 40) during just one month and what was your purpose/motivation for making them?M.M.: There is no magic here. I do have thousands of scores, consisting of arrangements, transcriptions and original compositions online at MuseScore.com, and I have several thousands of scores on my local computer that I have not yet published. This body of work is the culmination of many (many) years of effort using other (not MuseScore) music notation software. Since I discovered MuseScore (and the online site), I made it a goal to share at least one score a day and I have continued ever since. I didn't initially develop scores for strings mainly because of the weak and cartoonish string SoundFont used by early versions of MuseScore. MuseScore's sound quality has come a long way and feels more realistic in its depth and warmth. I favor strings probably from my early youth, when I played Violin and later Viola in a youth symphony. Many of my friends are string players, and I receive a disproportionate number of requests for string arrangements.A.T.: Have you ever performed yourself, alone or with some ensemble, the arrangements you've made?M.M.: This is a great question! Many of my arrangements were made just for me or for me in conjunction with my Church. My composition "Hallowed be Thy Name" was created specifically for a Church special-music ensemble where I played Piano and others played flute. Many of My Viola (2-part) pieces were created for myself (on Viola) and others on Harp or Piano. I intentionally "dumbed-down" the Viola to match my proficiency at that particular time in my learning timeline. MuseScore is an invaluable resource to allow a budding performer to practice alongside simulated instruments/orchestras. I use this capability often!A.T.: Nice to hear that. What about some other musical groups playing your scores?M.M.: I receive requests for arrangements daily. Competing projects don't allow me to support all the requests but I have a special place in my heart for Church groups, school groups, non-profit support groups that provide music to hospitals, senior centers, etc... I have created mainly Piano, Organ, Handbell, and small ensemble (string quartet/quintet, woodwind & brass) arrangements for these groups. I don't do this for profit and I have never accepted a cent for my work. Music belongs to the world, and I like to believe I am a willing participant in that co-op.A.T.: Oh, I see, sounds great! Here is another question: you were talking about "many years of effort using other music notation software" before discovering MuseScore. So what made you stop searching for software and stick to MuseScore?M.M.: When I first discovered MuseScore (I believe it was 1.2 or 1.3), it was as if a door opened and what was once difficult, became painless. Namely the ease with which I could pen a note and hear the effect. Having an online resource like MuseScore.com allowed me to share my creations with others in a way that I wanted it to be heard, and receive feedback in a collaborative way.A.T.: Wow. It's a great pleasure for the MuseScore staff members to know that. Ok...now, could you please tell me something about your composing/arranging workflow?M.M.: My workflow is rather mechanical and is therefore easier to schedule and accomplish. The overall sound is of utmost importance to me, and I try never to sacrifice timbre for ease of performance or for specific instrumentation. I use a MIDI keyboard as well as the IMSLP (and other) paper sources. I believe I am able to notate in MuseScore rather quickly now, and have discovered many shortcuts in the software (keyboard, plug-ins,...) that facilitate rapid entry. Once a score is entered into MuseScore, I use my ear to (hopefully) validate the score, and then I begin on the arrangement. The unusual aspect about myself is that no matter how music is played, I hear something different; a voice becomes an instrument, a subtle melody becomes a solo part, a subdued rhythm becomes a main theme. I always hear something different in a piece and I try to expose what I hear. MuseScore is the tool that allows me to do that in a way that others can experience.A.T.:Thanks for sharing your experience, Mike. And, concerning sharing, our traditional "MuseScorer of the month question" for you is:what have you shared on MuseScore.com that you're most proud of ?M.M.: Strangely enough, the pieces that I love the most or reflect the most effort on my part, are typically the least listened or favorited by others! People love what people love and sometimes the first few notes, if not immediately captivating, result in a miss. I have created some works that I enjoy as much as others do. Of note is my "Point of No Return" for Flute & Harp (https://musescore.com/mike_magatagan/scores/88736 ), a "Debussyesque" manifestation that I carried in my head for quite some time. MuseScore allowed me to hear it and tweak it in interesting ways.The three other scores I'd like to put a spotlight on are:Mike Magatagan has completed his goal to create an arrangement and/or transcription of every single composition of J.S. Bach and has published many (but not all yet) of those works on the MuseScore online site. He is currently working on arrangements of G.F. Handel and has been publishing them as well at the request of a follower. Mike has also been recently "driven to rearrange pieces specifically aimed at highlighting the warm compassionate tone of the viola." Check out his MuseScore page for his arrangements and original compositions, and watch for our next MuseScorer of the month in May!