MIT Media Lab: Opera of the Future doctoral candidates Morwaread Farbood and Egon Pasztor developed the original Hyperscore with the purpose of combining research on computer-assisted composition of counterpoint and visual interfaces in 2000. An updated, web-based version was released in 2022.
Hyperscore is a colorful graphic interface with a workspace surrounded by buttons for each of the tools the user needs to compose music. There are 2 motif windows, one for rhythms and one for melody. There is a 3rd window called the sketch window with which the user can combine rhythms and melodies, adjusting the pitches higher or lower, adding harmony, dynamics and form and/or changing the tone color. The user receives instant feedback from their choices as the notes and music play in real time. There is a modified curriculum for differentiated learning and the interface features a workspace that was designed for individuals with vision impairments.
The web-based version was released in 2022, allowing anyone with access to the internet and a device to use the program. New Harmony Line has experience sharing Hyperscore Pre-K to 12 in schools and with adults in many capacities. We have lessons, materials, graphics, Quick Tip videos and instant support from the team through Active Campaign. Our team can provide bulk group registration to support group leaders and teachers in our Hyperscore Classroom. The Classroom offers the ability to see and track user's pieces which can be marked as shareable, remixable and placed into the Community for others to hear. Users can be taught to use the tools then work independently--the teacher or group leader becomes the "guide on the side" as each composer explores their own creative expression!
New Harmony Line has a social media presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. We have a website that is updated regularly which contains information, resources, news (blog posts), events and past projects such as the City Symphonies created with composer Tod Machover and students from schools in Canada, Germany, Australia, Armenia, Switzerland and a current work in progress with Bilbao, Spain. We use Google Ads, emails to the US Music Education Associations, belong to NAfME (National Association for Music Education) and present regularly at virtual or in-person conventions. We have held one Professional Development session and hope to make that an ongoing offering. Our Second Sunday Composition Workshop is held on Zoom every month. The team and guests create a piece together which is posted along with a blog about the experience. Our Executive Director was invited to present a workshop at the Projectory, an immersive exploratory center for children and youth in Seoul, South Korea in 2024. Experiences with Zoom have allowed us to teach workshops at the international Connected Learning Summit, for challenged youth in Houston, a robotics summer camp in Massachusetts, online schools and professional development in Texas.
In 2021, Peter Torpey, an MIT Media Lab: Opera of the Future doctoral graduate, began the non-profit mission of updating and bringing Hyperscore to the web along with Executive Director June Kinoshita. With the new ability to save to the cloud, users work could be saved consistently and easily accessed until completed. The Hyperscore Classroom was created to allow teachers and group leaders to organize groups and view the work of users. All versions of Hyperscore are now available to download instantly using a link on the home page of our website. In 2024, New Harmony Line held their first Hyperscore Challenge for which Peter embedded a video prompt screen into the workspace--users are invited to create a soundtrack for a video prompt of their choice. Users in sixteen countries took the challenge and fifty-two submitted a piece. The 2024 Hyperscore Challenge Gallery was published on International Make Music Day, June 21, 2024. The 2025 Hyperscore Challenge is currently under way.
Use your web browser to go to the New Harmony Line website, www.newharmonyline.org. Click on
"Sign In" in the upper right corner of the home page. New users will create an account using an email and choose the plan from a dropdown menu which will load the program from the web. There will ALWAYS be a free version which is a great way to try out the technology! Make sure to check the resources and watch the Quick Tip Videos for information or just explore the workspace and let your creativity intuitively begin the work of composing.
