Organizing music project folders, logs, etc

1. Core Workflow Model

Each song functions as a self‑contained project capsule with two complementary components:

  • A local folder that stores all working files and outputs
  • A Drupal Arrangement Project that stores all thinking, notes, metadata, and source references

This separation mirrors a workshop:
Folders = artifacts. Drupal = knowledge.

2. Recommended Song Folder Structure

Each song folder uses a predictable, mirrored layout:

Song Title/
    00 Sources/
    01 Sibelius/
    02 MIDI Exports/
    03 Audio Renders/
    04 Notes & Logs/

00 Sources

Originally intended for PDFs, MIDI files, recordings, and other reference materials.
Later replaced by Media Library (see below).

01 Sibelius

Working files, versioned as needed:

  • Song_v01.sib
  • Song_v02.sib
  • Song_FINAL.sib

Optional: Archive/ for older versions.

02 MIDI Exports

Playable output files generated from Sibelius:

  • Song_v01.mid
  • Song_v02.mid
  • Song_FINAL.mid

03 Audio Renders

Mockups, demos, or reference audio exported from Sibelius or DAWs.

04 Notes & Logs

Originally used for text notes, change logs, and mechanical considerations.
Now replaced by Drupal fields, with this folder acting only as a temporary scratchpad.

3. Using Media Library for Source Materials

Media Library is the ideal home for all source materials:

  • PDFs of scores
  • Reference recordings
  • YouTube links
  • MIDI files from the internet
  • Manuscript scans
  • Multiple alternate versions of the same source

Advantages:

  • Searchable
  • Taggable
  • Reusable across multiple arrangements
  • Structured metadata
  • Centralized and consistent

The Arrangement Project stores references to these media items, not the files themselves.

4. Arrangement Project as the Knowledge Hub

The Arrangement Project type becomes the central brain for each song.

It stores:

Source List

Media Library references for all source materials.

Notes & Logs

Structured fields replacing the “04 Notes & Logs” folder:

  • Change log entries
  • Mechanical constraints (range limits, solenoid timing, bar spacing)
  • Musical decisions (voicing changes, density adjustments, phrasing choices)
  • Future ideas and experiments
  • Export notes (channel assignments, velocity ranges, Type‑0 reminders)
  • Instrument‑specific notes for Topsy, Glock‑in‑a‑Box, Bass Annex, etc.

Cross‑Instrument Versions

Notes or fields tracking differences between:

  • Topsy version
  • Glock version
  • Bass Annex version
  • Any other mechanical instrument variants

Local Folder Path

A simple text field linking back to the local working directory.

5. Division of Responsibilities

Drupal Handles

  • Knowledge
  • Metadata
  • Logs
  • Decisions
  • Constraints
  • Source references
  • Cross‑instrument relationships
  • Long‑term recall

Local Folder Handles

  • Sibelius working files
  • MIDI exports
  • Audio renders
  • Temporary scratch notes (optional)

This creates a clean, scalable, maintainable system.

6. The Hybrid System (Final Model)

Media Library

All source materials (PDFs, recordings, videos, MIDI, scans).

Arrangement Project

All thinking, decisions, logs, constraints, and references.

Local Folder

All working files and outputs (Sibelius, MIDI, audio).

This triad forms a complete, robust arranging workflow that supports iterative development, mechanical constraints, and multi‑instrument output.

Project type
Music making