Lilypond and alternative music notations

[Paul Morris]

Greetings, 

(& apologies for repeat message for those on user list
- my first attempt to send was forwarded there)

I'm exploring the possibility of adapting a music
display app to display music in alternative music
notations.  Since Lilypond is open source it may be a
good option, so I'm writing to ask for some advice.
Let me first explain a bit about what I'm working on. 

I'm a member of the Music Notation Modernization
Association ("MNMA" - see link below), an organization
exploring alternative music notations. I'm writing a
paper for our upcoming conference to propose a
strategy for using computers to translate music files
into these alternative notations (a tedious task by
hand!). Given our limited resources, I'm trying to
find a method that gives the most benefit for the
least effort. 

Since the music (the content) is the same in standard
or alternative notations, creating a translator would
only take changing the output (the presentation) of a
music display program (like Lilypond).  Even a basic
output would be a huge step for research,
dissimenation, and eventual use of alternative
notations.  

Ideally we'd like to use a display app for a standard
file format - to make our translator easily accessible
to the most people... There currently isn't a finished
and modifiable display app for MusicXML...  Given that
a translator from MusicXML to Lilypond is in the
works, I'm looking at it as another option.  

I wonder how easy it would be to alter Lilypond to
display in alternative notations?  (would require 4
line staffs, or 2 line staffs and triangle shaped note
heads... - see MNMA link below for what they would
look like.)

Also, since Lilypond is tailored for high quality
output, would this make modifying it in this way more
difficult?  Since we aren't in the high quality
business (yet, anyway)

We'd also like to have the final vsn as user friendly
as possible...  and having to convert from MusicXML to
Lily and then display, it might not be the best option
in this sense...

I'm not a programmer myself, so any advice would be
greatly appreciated. In my paper I will argue that
this should be the next step for the organization. If
convincing, maybe we could put some resources behind
it, or at least begin searching for someone interested
who has programming experience. 


Thanks in advance for any advice! 

Paul Morris 

MNMA: http://www.newnotation.com/mnma.htm  We think
some of these notations would be an improvement over
the standard notation, greatly simplifying learning to
read and play music.  Basic idea is have a step on the
staff for every note of the chromatic scale,
eliminating key signatures, sharps and flats, and
providing more accurate representation of intervals.

Other options I'm considering are a couple MusicXML
display apps in the works, though these aren't open
source, and Project XEMO which seems like a good
option, if/when it really arrives...


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