# Contributing to open-source for work (Verovio on Hymnary)

While my first introduction into software was in the mac ecosystem, maybe the first open-source program I used was GIMP. Often touted as a free photoshop alternative, I just used it because appleworks paint wasn't cutting it for my early pixel-art needs.

=> leaf-throw.png A spritesheet I made circa 2008. Intended for a fanmade Nintendo DS "Smash" game.

Eventually, I started writing software myself, and benefited greatly from open source libraries written by other people. Contributing to open-source was a whole other thing. Some guide online suggested: "Don't start your own open source project until you've contributed to someone else's project." Is this good advice for how to 'get into' open-source software? What does it really mean to 'get into' that scene, and is that even important? That's a question for another day. Today, we'll just talk about how I 'got into' becoming a contributor to Verovio.

It all started with a vision, back in 2008. No, not my vision, but one of 
=> https://hymnary.org/blog/major-additions-planned-for-hymnary