arrange • compose • conduct
I am watching a Zoom rehearsal led by one of my mentors and remembering the moment I first wanted to arrange music. April had written an arrangement of “Route 66” for my high school vocal jazz group on a flight home from Europe. It was mostly an extended solo feature […]
I’m transcribing a standard from Ella and Louis right now – phrasing and all. It’s…hard. Because Ella’s phrasing is so complex and hip. The back phrasing floats across beats in a way that swings and is completely ineffable. So the question becomes, how do you balance accuracy and readability? On […]
I’ve been thinking about an important step in my creative process that I sometimes forget to factor in. Polishing. After I finish the arranging or composition work on a piece, my desire is to get it to the commissioning ensemble as soon as possible. But first, there needs to be […]
One of my favorite reharmonization tools in the arranging toolbox, when used sparingly, is the pivot reharm. A pivot reharm is when you keep the original melodic note, but use it as a different part of an unrelated chord. For example, a B-flat can be the 5th of an E-flat […]
Don’t write it down until it’s the same three times. I learned this rule from others, especially Alice Parker, who has written with her usual clarity about her process in her books. As I’m writing, I’m constantly singing (shakily) and playing (barely passably) whatever I’m working on. And until it […]
Here are five questions I ask myself before I start an arrangement: In as much detail as I can determine, who will be performing the piece? In as much detail as I can determine, who will be listening to the piece? (Is the audience fluent in the style of music, […]
I played a new little arrangement for dear friends tonight, and it included a tasty reharmonization that arrived once in each verse. My brilliant musician friend reminded me, don’t overuse the good stuff. As he said, overusing a powerful move can dilute its power. The surprise of a reharmonization is […]
How do you end without an ending? Musicians are well accustomed to clear endings. Whether it’s the exuberantly repetitive final cadence in a classical symphony, a wailing 13(#11) chord for a big band, or the Plagal Amen at the end of a hymn, we pay a lot of attention to […]
Almost exactly a year ago, a college student named David Sikabwe made a video performing his version of “Fly Me To The Moon.” He capitalized on the impetus for the song, which was the 1960’s space-craze, to write an inspired, funny, and delightful rap. It quickly went viral, which is […]
In times of upheaval, I lean on touchstones–works of art that have shaped me and the continue to be sources of inspiration, influence, and solace. It might be rereading a favorite novel, a cherished poem, a movie, or (especially often) a favorite album with a good pair of headphones. How […]