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Accessible Music Notation

Project Description

Music notation is presently transmitted over the Web in graphic formats (PDF, GIF, etc.). For people who use screen readers, refreshable Braille displays or text to speech systems, this means that the information cannot be read or edited.

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Existing File Formats For Music Notation:

NIFF: A format know as NIFF (Notation Interchange File Format) was completed in the fall of 1995. This is a standard digital format for the representation of standard musical notation. The format is very flexible, allowing for simple implementations with minimal graphical information, or much more elaborate descriptions including all aspects of page layout, associated midi data, custom symbols, etc. The NIFF Consortium has also developed at freely available SDK for software developers implementing NIFF.

TILIA: Another popular file format developed by the CERL research group, at the University of Illinois, is an extensible music notation format called TILIA. The CERL group have also created a notation editor available in the public domain called LIME. LIME includes a NIFF import, export utility.

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Possible Access Solutions for Users with Disabilities:

The NIDE project is researching two possible alternatives for to provide access solutions for users with disabilities:

  1. Integration of Existing Tools

    A US based corporation named Dancing Dots Braille Music Technology have developed a utility that translates TILIA and NIFF files into Braille notation. Our research indicates that it is possible to integrate the LIME editor and Dancing Dot utility into courseware authoring modules, to allow the creation of accessible music curriculum by educators. Alternatively, CakeWalk version 8.0 Music Software can be used with CakeTalk (from Dancing Dots) which are JAWS scripts for audio output.

    The following steps would be required by the user of this access strategy:
    • Download the LIME editor – Define MIME type
    • Author resources to be embedded in online music curriculum
    • SmartScore or MIDISCAN implementation (OCR for music notation)
    • Output using Dancing Dots (GoodFeel) software or CakeWalk, which can be used with CakeTalk JAWS scripts


    This strategy is considered to be a short term solution, and is problematic as the user must download components, purchase proprietary software and complete a relatively complex series of steps in order to access the music notation. It is the goal of this project to develop methods that present a more transparent interface to the user.


  2. Development of MusicML

    Several XML languages have been initiated to render music notation via the Web. One of these is known as MusicML. The NIDE project is currently researching the existing MusicML DTDs to determine which will provide the best foundation for multimodal, accessible rendering of the content. Our intent is to develop an integrated group of utilities to seamlessly provide access to musical notation. The components being developed include:

    • XML DTD (Music ML) Language for authoring and rendering music notation
    • Accessible onscreen keyboard that writes to XML and creates Midi files
    • Accessible Java applet for rendering notation in visual, audio and other alternative formats

    An example of MusicML being used in conjunction with a Java applet may be seen on the Music ML – an XML Experience site.

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Musical Memories Database:

Work is underway to integrate a music notation editor with a web site for the collection and distribution of music pieces among senior citizens. In partnership with Continuing Education at Ryerson Polytechnic University, we will building on the current LIFE (Learning is Forever) web site at to test the possibility of distributed music collaboration. The music will be archived dynamically as notation, midi files and lyrics. The user interface will allow seniors to annotate, add to and edit remembered music.

The functional specifications for the site include:

There are two popular file formats for music notation. The NIFF (Notation Interchange File Format) was completed in the fall of 1995. This is a standard digital format for the representation of standard musical notation. The format is very flexible, allowing for simple implementations with minimal graphical information, or much more elaborate descriptions including all aspects of page layout, associated midi data, custom symbols, etc. The NIFF Consortium has also developed at freely available SDK for software developers implementing NIFF. Another popular file format developed by the CERL research group, at the University of Illinois, is an extensible music notation format called TILIA. The CERL group have also created a notation editor available in the public domain called LIME. LIME includes a NIFF import, export utility. A US based corporation named Dancing Dots have developed a utility that translates TILIA and NIFF files into Braille notation. The project will integrate the LIME editor and Dancing Dot utility into the courseware authoring modules, to allow the creation of accessible music curriculum by educators.

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Contact Information

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The Adaptive Technology Resource Centre

J.P. Robarts Library, First Floor, University of Toronto Information Commons
130 St. George St. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3H1
Telephone: (416) 978-4360 Fax: (416) 971-2629

For additional information please e-mail Laurie Harrison