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Creating And Asking Questions
Gain Control Of Your Album Collection
Maestro Manager is adept at answering questions about the albums in your collection. The questions can range from a simple "Which albums in my collection contain performances conducted by Istvan Kertesz and where are these albums filed?" to questions with significantly greater complexity. Using Maestro Manager, you will have absolute control of your collection as you'll always have answers to "What Do I Own?", "What Should I Play?", and "Where Did I File It?"

Create Questions Without Typing
To create questions, typing is eliminated—simply select the content of your question from scrollable lists of pre-entered names and clicking on check boxes. Select a few details to create a simple question or select many details to create a complex question. Taken collectively, the details selected become your question's criteria. With the question using the following format, "Which albums in my collection fulfill my question's criteria?"

Unlike other cataloging programs, Maestro Manager does not limit your search abilities by responding to questions relating to but one or two classical-related items. Instead, base questions on any combination of composition titles, composers, conductors, orchestras, solo artists, album manufacturers, record labels, media types, storage locations, musical categories, play prompts, and recommendations by critics.

A Question Example
A Maestro user seeks a response to an in-depth question: "Which LPs in my collection are on the ASD label, contain at least one violin concerto, are filed in a storage location designated as "Duplicates", and based on previous listening rate as one of my favorite albums?" Although this might be an unrealistic question, it demonstrates how to create a question that has some complexity.

How To Ask This Question
Use the Select Search/Report Criteria window, shown below, to create and ask questions. The photo indicates the selections made to ask the question mentioned above. A description of these selections follows.

• LABEL = "ASD". In this field, you select a vendor's label. ASD is one of EMI's labels.
• CATEGORY = "Violin Concerto". In this field, you select a musical category. When a musical category is part of a question's criteria, any albums mentioned in Maestro's response will be limited to those that share a particular musical category and fulfill the rest of your question's criteria.
• STORAGE OR WISH = "Duplicates". Ability to define storage locations and ask questions about albums filed in specific locations is enormously helpful. NOTE: An option for selection in this field is "Wish List". If selected, Maestro's response will be limited to those albums that you wish to own and that fulfill the rest of your question's criteria.
• MEDIA FORMAT = "LP".
• CRITICS = "Me!". "Me! refers to the owner of Maestro Manager. "Me!" can be changed to the owner's actual initials. KEY FEATURE: With large collections it is difficult to remember which albums out of the many owned are favored based on previous listening experiences. Collectors can track these albums with the "Me!" critic selection. NOTE: In the Critic's section, you have the option to select any one or any combination of critics. If TAS and Marks were selected, this would limit Maestro's response to those albums that are on The Absolute Sound Super Disc List AND were recommended by Sid Marks AND that fulfill the rest of your question's criteria.
 


Window used to create and ask questions.

 

 

 
 
What Should I Play? — Where Did I File It?
Maestro Manager can answer any question that pertains to your collection with librarian-like proficiency. As filing locations are part of the information Maestro provides when responding to questions, you can select to play the most appropriate album for any occasion and locate that album's filing location effortlessly.

Enhance Control — Integrate Your Collecting Style
To enhance Maestro's ability to address questions unique to your requirements, users integrate their style of collecting by adding to the details pre-programmed into the Musical Category, Play Prompts, and Storage Location (Where Stored) scroll lists. In this way, Maestro adapts to your requirements as user-entered details included in album descriptions become part of the searchable knowledgebase that empowers Maestro's librarian-like ability to answer questions. As a result, collectors gain a lot of flexibility in how they file their albums and significantly enhance control over what they own. See Fields & Buttons—Described for examples of Musical Categories and Play Prompts in action. Storage Details provides in-depth detail about Storage Locations.

Maestro Cannot Find Albums Previously Entered—Why?
If a question that Maestro Manager responds to should include an album, for instance London CS 6419, but does not, there are three likely reasons as described in this link.

MAESTRO MANAGER
The Preferred Tool Used To Manage Classical Collections