diff --git a/src/bng.rs b/src/bng.rs
index b1c96c8..b4a9cd3 100644
--- a/src/bng.rs
+++ b/src/bng.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::{collections::HashMap, str::FromStr};
 
 use amplify::{From, Wrapper};
 use derive_new::new;
 use derived_deref::Deref;
-use fasteval::Instruction;
+use fasteval::{Compiler, Instruction};
 pub(super) use instrument::Instrument;
 pub(super) use score::Atom;
 #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
 use serde::Serialize;
+use serde::{de::Visitor, Deserialize};
 
 mod instrument;
 mod score;
@@ -26,6 +27,44 @@ impl Serialize for Expression {
     }
 }
 
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for Expression {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: serde::Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        deserializer.deserialize_str(ExpressionVisitor)
+    }
+}
+
+pub struct ExpressionVisitor;
+
+impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for ExpressionVisitor {
+    type Value = Expression;
+    fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut std::fmt::Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        formatter
+            .write_str("a math expression following fasteval syntax (https://docs.rs/fasteval)")
+    }
+    fn visit_str<E>(self, v: &str) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
+    where
+        E: serde::de::Error,
+    {
+        v.parse().map_err(serde::de::Error::custom)
+    }
+}
+
+impl FromStr for Expression {
+    type Err = fasteval::Error;
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        let parser = fasteval::Parser::new();
+        let mut slab = fasteval::Slab::new();
+        Ok(parser
+            .parse(s, &mut slab.ps)?
+            .from(&slab.ps)
+            .compile(&slab.ps, &mut slab.cs)
+            .into())
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(new)]
 #[cfg_attr(debug_assertions, derive(Serialize))]
 pub(super) struct Channel {
diff --git a/src/bng/score/lex/lexer.rs b/src/bng/score/lex/lexer.rs
index cdafbb7..acf1372 100644
--- a/src/bng/score/lex/lexer.rs
+++ b/src/bng/score/lex/lexer.rs
@@ -65,19 +65,9 @@ fn flat_atom_parser(notes: &str) -> impl Parser<&str, FlatAtom, nom::error::Erro
                 separated_pair(
                     SlopeModifier::parse,
                     char(' '),
-                    map_res(take_till1(|c| c == ','), |s| {
-                        let parser = fasteval::Parser::new();
-                        let mut slab = fasteval::Slab::new();
-                        Result::<Instruction, nom::error::Error<&str>>::Ok(
-                            parser
-                                .parse(s, &mut slab.ps)
-                                .map_err(|_| {
-                                    nom::error::Error::new(s, nom::error::ErrorKind::Verify)
-                                })?
-                                .from(&slab.ps)
-                                .compile(&slab.ps, &mut slab.cs)
-                                .into(),
-                        )
+                    map_res(take_till1(|c| c == ','), |s: &str| {
+                        s.parse()
+                            .map_err(|_| nom::error::Error::new(s, nom::error::ErrorKind::Verify))
                     }),
                 ),
             ),
diff --git a/src/bng/score/lex/lexer/tests.rs b/src/bng/score/lex/lexer/tests.rs
index 2b29867..96a4af7 100644
--- a/src/bng/score/lex/lexer/tests.rs
+++ b/src/bng/score/lex/lexer/tests.rs
@@ -136,19 +136,7 @@ mod flat_atom {
         assert_eq!(
             Ok((
                 SAMPLE_STR,
-                FlatAtom::SlopeStarts(
-                    SlopeModifier::Note,
-                    {
-                        let parser = fasteval::Parser::new();
-                        let mut slab = fasteval::Slab::new();
-                        parser
-                            .parse(FASTEVAL_INSTRUCTION, &mut slab.ps)
-                            .unwrap()
-                            .from(&slab.ps)
-                            .compile(&slab.ps, &mut slab.cs)
-                    }
-                    .into()
-                )
+                FlatAtom::SlopeStarts(SlopeModifier::Note, FASTEVAL_INSTRUCTION.parse().unwrap())
             )),
             flat_atom_parser("abcdefg").parse(concatcp!(
                 Atom::SLOPE.0,
diff --git a/src/bng/score/utils/tests.rs b/src/bng/score/utils/tests.rs
index ff32448..88d08b9 100644
--- a/src/bng/score/utils/tests.rs
+++ b/src/bng/score/utils/tests.rs
@@ -8,14 +8,7 @@ mod inflate {
     const FASTEVAL_INSTRUCTION: &str = "1-cos((PI*x)/2)";
 
     fn instruction() -> Instruction {
-        let parser = fasteval::Parser::new();
-        let mut slab = fasteval::Slab::new();
-        parser
-            .parse(FASTEVAL_INSTRUCTION, &mut slab.ps)
-            .unwrap()
-            .from(&slab.ps)
-            .compile(&slab.ps, &mut slab.cs)
-            .into()
+        FASTEVAL_INSTRUCTION.parse().unwrap()
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 23b5054..0af91ba 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), serde_yml::Error> {
             vec![HashMap::from([
                 (
                     "sine".to_string(),
-                    Instrument::new(instruction("sin(2*PI*f*t)"), None)
+                    Instrument::new("sin(2*PI*f*t)".parse().unwrap(), None)
                 ),
                 (
                     "square".to_string(),
                     Instrument::new(
-                        instruction("v*abs(sin(2*PI*f*t))"),
+                        "v*abs(sin(2*PI*f*t))".parse().unwrap(),
                         Some(HashMap::from([("v".to_string(), 1f32)]))
                     )
                 )
@@ -38,14 +38,3 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), serde_yml::Error> {
     println!("{:?}", args);
     Ok(())
 }
-
-fn instruction(expr_str: &str) -> Expression {
-    let parser = fasteval::Parser::new();
-    let mut slab = fasteval::Slab::new();
-    parser
-        .parse(expr_str, &mut slab.ps)
-        .unwrap()
-        .from(&slab.ps)
-        .compile(&slab.ps, &mut slab.cs)
-        .into()
-}