FreeHand Systems exhibited their MusicPad at MacWorld last week. Computer display technology is reaching a size and price point where an electronic music stand can become reality. FreeHand has received a patent on its music annotation technology and also a “half-page turn” lookahead feature. The San Diego Symphony tested the MusicPad and its footpedal page-turner at performances of the “Nutcracker” in 2001. One day the glow from the orchestra pit isn’t going to be from stand lights but back-lit LCDs. When networking gets integrated in as well, I can imagine conductors turning off any feature that shows where the current beat is. They’ll want us to look up as the beat is only a smidge of what they’re communicating. Either that or they’ll use a networked annotation to draw eyeglasses on everyone’s music at all the tempo changes. (Additional note, it appears that legal action was taken against FreeHand by another holder of electronic stand patents.)