Even though today's digital technology allows us to make million selling albums in our bedrooms, there is still a place within the industry for the humble music stand. Extensively used in classical music where all compositions are played directly from a music score, the music stand does occasionally cross over to the realms of contemporary music.
Classical guitarists regularly utilise music stands and session players in studios and in theatre bands rely on music stands to help them keep apace with complex musical arrangements. The objective of the music stand is to hold the musical documents (commonly called the score sheet) at a relatively comfortable height and at an appropriate angle.
This allows the musician to read it whilst seated or standing - thereby freeing the hands to play the instrument. Most music stands can be easily folded down into a small footprint for ease of transportation and are usually made from a lightweight metal alloy. They can also be easily adjusted for height and reading angles.