If you want to create MIDI files, the program I recommend learning is called Noteworthy Composer
http://www.noteworthysoftware.comIt has, by far, the prettiest, most user-friendly interface I have ever seen for anyone who wants to learn, or is comfortable with, reading standard music notation. There is a demo of the program on this site. The company charges around $40 US for the full version, but if you like the demo, the full version is well worth it. The demo is fully-functional, except you cannot save a project more than 10 times. However, to get around that, you can simply copy and paste the project into a new file and you get 10 more saves
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Anywho, I have the full version, and I love it. The program is essentially a MIDI-based word-processing program. Microsoft Word is to documents as Noteworthy is to MIDI. You can record from a MIDI keyboard, or input notes manually with a mouse, and you can playback all your work whenever you want, from right in the program. Your work looks, for all intents and purposes, like a musician's sheet music. As a result, it makes working on the project your main focus, not learning how to get around faults in the program
If you prefer a more "professional", more of the non-midi-file side of music, I recommend FL Studio 6.0.
http://www.flstudio.comThis is what I use for All of my non-MIDI file work. This program is getting more complex, and it requires that you have plugins as well, to gain sounds from. FL Studio on its' own doesn't supply much in the way of sounds. You need to add the sounds yourself, or you can simply use MIDI, just like in Noteworthy Composer.
If you would like any assistance with either of these progams, I know them fairly well, especially Noteworthy. Ask me basically anything about Noteworthy; I've been using it for 8 years and I love it
The only downside to Noteworthy, is it is Only for MIDI production; I can't load plugins or anything into it. However, if this isn't an issue, I'd say go for it, unless you already have a program you are very comfortable with and prefer. Those are just my thoughts.
In regards to your post, I would indeed be interested in getting to you better as well
Perhaps we can figure out some sort of project.
I've included here, a little MIDI file I wrote in April of 2004. I know the structure is odd, and the music has its share of disasters. My excuse is that I wrote it in 3 days, but
: A sample of what you can do with Noteworthy Composer, and a sample of what I have done in the past. Now just one thing to note: Fermatas (holds/pauses in the music) that I wrote in Noteworthy Do Not export to MIDI files, so there is an odd moment at around 0:35 where it suddenly jumps. There is supposed to be more of a pause there. This same problem occurs again at 1:40, 1:45, 2:05, and 3:07, so just ignore those
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It is entitled "A Day in a Simple World".
I have also posted up a mini-remake of "If We Hold On Together" on my webspace, done with a flute solo, using my best audio plugins. This is Incomplete, but it's just a demonstration of the kinds of software I would "like" to use, but can't. I can barely produce a file as simple as this without my computer lagging big-time. I produced the file by ear, referring to the Diana Ross rendition of the song. I need to turn the bass line up a couple of deciBels, and I'm missing some chord details in the background sounds as of now, but aside from that, I think it's coming along decent. Enjoy
http://www.angelfire.com/az3/action9000/lbt.html
