Correcting What You Hear
The process of transferring what you hear to paper is not always reliable.
Arranging
3 Modest Notation Proposals
I propose three modest notation proposals for the modern age.
Passive Time and Active Time
How long will this project take? That depends on how you count.
Vocal Group Styles
Learn a little more about the history and approaches of various vocal groups in these handy little videos.
Temporal Freedom To Create
The limiting forces on creative work change over time.
End With The Start
Sometimes, you need to wait till the end to start. Often when I write, I write a clear summation of the idea at the end. Then – at least half the time – I cut and paste it to the very beginning. Part is clarity: I like to start with […]
Changes in Your Score
I never finish a vocal jazz score without including chord changes in the vocal part.
Three Moments of Musical Literacy
There are three moments from my high school years that stand out for me as inspiring my desire for musical literacy, and specifically for the kind of musical skills I gravitated towards. Three musical professionals in my life offhandedly demonstrated their literacy in a way that resonates to this day. […]
Four Types of Arranging
As I see it, there are four types of arranging, based on how far your arrangement takes you from the source material. Transcription is the art of copying down exactly what is already in existence. You might be called to write an arrangement for a cover band, or for a […]
Best of Tin Pan Alley
I’ve spent a lot of hours listening to the great Tin Pan Alley songwriters – the ones who composed the core of the Great American Songbook/jazz standards. Along the way, I’ve developed some strong opinions about the songwriters’ output. Here’s my ranking of TPA songwriters. (Who did I select to […]