nkoda – (TRIAL)
Access via Library Catalogue.
Trial ends: 19th October 2023.
To access nkoda, it is necessary to download their APP. Links to instructions to do this are available via the Library Catalogue link above.
nkoda is a digital, interactive, sheet music application, which provides access to scores, performance & education resources.
Video tutorials on making the best use of nkoda are available here!
You can find out more about nkoda here!
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I was able to run Nkoda on my Mac laptop (sys 12.5.1) but it would not load on my mac desktop running an earlier system (10.13.6).
Once running, the functionality and searching is fine. It’s screenshot protected. Designed to run online (not a download tool). That makes it potentially powerful for private research and score-reading. But less secure for live teaching or performance as it is internet-connection dependent. So I wouldn’t use it in a teaching context unless in an individual lesson (maybe).
It accesses many well-known composers with major publishing deals. But does not include the vast majority of Australian composers represented at the Australian Music Centre.
It’s a good tool. I’m not sure how much or how often I would personally use it.
I think this is a great tool for individuals. They have built significant technical barriers into it to prevent unauthorised use, which is a little frustrating. For instance, scores do not appear when you are using multiple screens. I think it’s functionality is useful and reasonably intuitive, and makes it a good tool for personal research and study, but relying on it for rehearsal or performance feels risky to me, particularly if the internet connection is not reliable. Personally, i’m not sure if we would get much use out of it for the price.
The NKODA app on tablets seems to work very well – very useful as a performer. Most exciting is the content – there are a lot of ensemble parts that would need to be hired at an extraordinary price or purchased as a complete set. For example: we’ve staged performances of pieces like Elliott Carter’s Luimen and Double Trio that needed to be hired. With an NKODA subscription, these costs are no longer an issue, making works like this more accessible for teaching and both staff/student performances. Additionally, it has a lot of orchestral parts. While it is unlikely the orchestra itself would supply every student with a tablet in order to use NKODA parts in performance, access to the parts is invaluable for teaching and practice. For example, in making my most recent audition list for students, I wanted to include works by composers of marginalised demographics. NKODA has works by William Grant Still, Joan Tower, and other living composers that we would never reasonably be able to acquire or rent at the cost of thousands of dollars per piece “merely” for teaching.
Hi Joel, thank you for this feedback. As the trial ended a month ago, we reviewed what feedback we had received along with the poor usage reported post trial. The Library has concluded not to proceed with a subscription at this time.