More and more musicians are beginning see the benefits of using computers to read sheet music and to be able to carry entire collections easily in a single device without the bulk of physical books or heavy binders.  Having been a "paperless pianist" for over 8 years by using computers to read all my sheet music in concerts, rehearsals, lessons, and recordings, the question I get asked the most is, "What happens if your computer breaks down in the middle of a performance?" Understanding how to work with your computer is no different from understanding a musical instrument and the precautions needed to prevent broken violin strings, sticking flute keys, etc.  The simple answer to prevent both computer and instrument mishaps is to be prepared.  Strings players will bring an extra set of strings, flute players will bring cigarette paper to dab out moisture between the keys, reed players will have a full set of extra pre-shaped reeds, etc.

In this article, we'll look at 7 steps to prevent digital music reading mishaps on your computer, using the AirTurn automatic page turner and the MusicReader program for Mac and PC computers.

1. Check Power Settings

Most computers by default are set to go to sleep, dim the screen, shut down, or a combination of all of the above after a set amount of inactive time.  If the computer is a laptop running on battery power, the settings will be drastically shorter in an attempt to extend battery life (as little as one minute, in some cases).  If you're playing a long, slow section of music, this might result in an unwelcome screen blackout in the middle of a performance!

Solution: Go to your computer's power settings, and be sure to check both battery and plugged settings while you're at it.  You'll want to extend the sleep and shut down timer as long as possible, and perhaps even shut down those features just to be extra safe.  

Mac OS X:

• Go to System Preferences
• Click on Energy Saver
• Within the "Battery" settings, move the "Computer sleep" and the "Display sleep" settings all the way to the right to "Never"
• Click on the "Power Adapter" settings and repeat as above.

Windows Vista and Windows 7:

• Go to the Control Panel from the Start Menu
• Click on "Power Options"
• Select "High performance" - to tweak those settings, click on "Change plan settings"
• Set the "Turn off the display" setting to "Never"
• Set the "Put the computer to sleep" to "Never"
• Click on "Save changes".

2. Check Screen Saver Settings

Just like your power settings, you want to adjust the timer to make sure your screen saver doesn't suddenly activate in the middle of a performance.

Mac OS X:

• Go to System Preferences
• Click on "Desktop & Screen Saver"
• Move the "Start screen saver" timer bar to a safe time settings.  I would recommend simply setting it to "Never" to be sure it doesn't come on.

Windows Vista and Windows 7:

• Go to the Control Panel from the Start Menu
• Click on "Personalize"
• "Click on Screen Saver"
• In the "Wait" box, set it to a high number of minutes.  I usually set my computers to at least 300 minutes or so, just to be safe.  You might also want to make sure the box next to "On resume, display logon screen" is unchecked.  Keep in mind this will prevent the security splash screen from appearing if the screen saver appears, so take appropriate precautions.

3. Set "Keep Focus" in MusicReader

Sometimes, programs running in the background can suddenly divert attention away from your "main" program in the form of a popup message or other annoying distraction.  Windows computers are notorious for having these types of programs.  If you are using an AirTurn automatic page turner when this happens, the program you are using to read your sheet music digitally won't be able to receive the page turn key commands and your pages may appear to be "stuck" until you manually click on the reading program to return the computer's attention to it.

MusicReader for Mac and PC computers actually has a built-in "Keep Focus" feature that prevents any other background program from popping in front of it, thereby maintaining the full attention of your computer and ensuring that it receives every page turn command from the AirTurn.

• Within MusicReader, go to the top menu bar and click on the "More" icon,
• then click on the "Settings" icon.
• Underneath, you will see a series of tabbed windows.  By default, you should within the "Interface" tab.  Scroll down and make sure the box next to "Keep Focus on Program" is checked, then click on the "Return" button at the bottom.

4. Turn off background programs

Programs running in the background, such as anti-virus programs, instant messaging or phone programs like Skype, have the potential to pop up alerts and message windows that block or steal attention away from your music reading program.  If you're not using MusicReader to ensure that your music always stays at the forefront of the computer's view and attention, then you'll want to make sure you either shut off, delay, or silence any programs that have a tendency to display popups.  Norton's Antivirus program, for example, has options to set the program to be silent for a set period of time, as well as other options to prevent it from trying to check for updates automatically.

5. Reschedule OS update settings

You'll want to make sure that your operating system's update settings are either turned off, or set to activate on a schedule that won't interfere with your performance time.  In Windows, for example, a system update will automatically initiate a full system reboot unless your manually intervene.  

In Windows Vista and Windows 7:

• Go to the Control Panel from the Start Menu.
• Click on System and Security
• Under the "Windows Update" heading, click on the "Turn automatic updating on or off" link
• From here, you can set various options, from completely turning off automatic updates, to setting a customized schedule for implementing them.  Be aware that this will affect the overall security of your Windows computer, so if you want to make sure you have all of the latest critical system updates, you may want to adjust your update settings for a time of day that is least likely to interfere with your performance schedule (I usually set my Windows machines to update around 3 a.m. daily)

6. Turn off wireless internet connections

The last thing you want to have happen during a concert is for your Aunt Maybel to start a Yahoo Messenger chat over birthday plans for your cousin!  For goodness' sake, make sure your internet connection is turned off during important performances!  Some computers feature a dedicated internet antenna switch, but most others will rely on you to deactivate the wireless connection through your system preferences or control panel settings.  If you can remember to shut off your phone for concerts, you can certainly remember to shut off the 'Net!

7.  Bring extra batteries and remember to recharge

If you're using a laptop to read music and an AirTurn to turn pages hands free, you'll want to make sure your laptop is fully charged ahead of time, and that your AirTurn has a fresh set of AA batteries.  For my AirTurn I use 2 sets of rechargeable AA batteries and swap them between performances.  Just to be extra safe, I always have an extra pack of fresh, "regular" AA batteries packed in my gig bag.  

If your laptop offers an extra battery as an accessory, I highly recommend that you invest in one.  I would also recommend getting an extra power adapter cord, and to make sure a spare one is always packed in your gig bag.

The good news is that for many of these steps, you only need to set them one time and you won't have to keep remember to do fiddle with then again.  After 8 years of being a "paperless pianist", I actually feel much safer using my computers to read all my sheet music than working with paper versions and dealing with the hassles of physical page turns (making sure I don't turn more than one page at a time), stiff binders that don't keep the music open, and the potential of having the pages blow away or fall off the stand.

Remember, the key is to treat your computer as your instrument and to understand its capabilities, as well as its limitations.  The better you understand your computer, the more comfortable you will feel using it as your digital sheet music reader.

 

To view the video version of this article, please visit http://airturn.com/tips-and-tricks/7-steps-to-prevent-digital-music-reader-mishaps