I should also mention that here orchestration refers to not just orchestra, but literally any ensemble.
Jazz big band, commercial style horn writing, some kind of weird combination of instruments, all of that.
I can write in basically any style or combination of instruments.
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JohnStacy - Tony Honk
@February33Jazz
Jazz fusion french horn player, session musician, composer, arranger. WTAMU '16/'20. DMA student, Texas Tech University. Lubbock Symphony Orchestra
He/him
JohnStacy - Tony Honk’s Tweets
Unfortunately my access to recording space is limited rn, which is why I'm not making a push for recording work.
I can also compose, but I think I can have better luck looking to offer orchestration and engraving to other composers who may want that.
Thank you for reading.
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I try to avoid asking for help, but I'm not in the best place right now.
What I can offer right now is orchestration. If you need orchestration for any kind of project or ensemble, we can work something out.
This also includes related things like engraving or score/part prep.
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I've recently heard more about the idea of creating your own musical vocabulary for improvising.
I've never really thought about this concept, and I think it's something I need to start doing more.
Does anybody who has done this want to have a discussion about it?
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It's $24.99/mo for just AE, or you can get the whole suite at educational discount for $19.99.
$19.99 for 20+ programs I have no intention of touching, because I literally need just one of them?
I also don't know of many education situations where the entire suite would be used.
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I wish would offer the educational discount on individual programs, rather than the whole suite. I want to get AE to contribute to an org I'm part of, and if they offered just AE using educational discount, it would be a very reasonable cost per use ratio.
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So is it
Rainbow Roads
Or
Rainbows Road
Vote now on your phones.
- Rainbow Roads62.5%
- Rainbows Road37.5%
16 votesFinal results
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Feel free to ask questions. I think it's a good thing for people to share their workflows to get feedback and help others figure things out. If this helped you, wonderful!
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If I'm using samples (usually piano or strings), I program them here.
Mixing is another thread, but at this point, all I'm doing is focusing on production. All writing is completely done by this point. I try to get all mixes as finished as possible, so mastering is quick.
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Most of what I write is recorded by live musicians. I record a lot of my own stuff too.
However, I write in a way that doesn't assume the performers will make whatever I write less dull.
So they are elevating their performances, not having to drag the music up to their level.
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If the winds are exciting, and full, but not overbearing, the rhythm section is free to add emphasis and punch. Groove is assumed by default. They'll do that no matter what. But expecting them to do the heavy lifting when it comes to excitement makes the winds fall flat.
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Similar to harmony, I have the big arrival points done quickly, and then work backward to arrive at them. I could make another thread about orchestration.
I know I'm done orchestrating when it sounds good *without a rhythm section.* I do rhythm section parts last.
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Orchestration comes next. The first time I think about instruments is in this step. It largely depends on what I'm writing for that determines how I go about it, but for this 🧵 I'll use big band.
Since I got form figured out early, I know where all the big arrival points are.s
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At this point, it exists as a grand staff - melody on top, chords on bottom, spelled out in rhythm. If it's listenable in this form, it's ready to proceed. Part of my workflow is centered around maximizing every step. I don't assume anything in later steps will fix dull writing.
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One common thread through the writing process is that I do it backward. For harmony, I know what chords I want to start a phrase, so I'll go back one chord from that and lead into it. I then back up to the chord before that and develop my chord progressions that way.
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I work exclusively in notation for writing. I've tried working in a DAW, and the only way I can describe it is "maddening." The most important thing I focus on is form, making sure the arrangement is organized and interesting from start to finish.
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From time to time I think it's good to share things, for no particular reason. Today?
My workflow for arranging, in detail. You may be able to take something from it.
In short, notation -> recording -> program -> mix/master
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Heyo friends! Awesome news!!!
If you are attending this year, please come to our Main Stage show! It will be on Saturday, Jan 7th, at 2:00pm Eastern!
We have been working hard to bring you a big show with GB classics and NEW arrangements. You dont wanna miss it!! 🎺💖
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I never really understood what people hoped to accomplish by saying these things. I still don't. I will say I am mostly noticing the same older age group say it, and not the aging younger group (now in their 30s). So that may be a good sign.
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When I was dating my now wife, I mentioned in a conversation that I built the relationship on communication and trust. This was dismissed - "just wait until you're married."
So when we get married she will suddenly be a different person and we will be miserable?
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It is also used to dismiss people enjoying things. I remember expressing excitement when Nutcracker rolled around and how I looked forward to that gig every year. And it's dismissed as "just wait until you have played it for X years."
So it's wrong for me to enjoy it?
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I gained a reputation as being lazy, unorganized, awkward, and undependable. But all of this was dismissed as "just wait until you get a job and get fired for being late."
I never understood what exactly this was trying to accomplish. I knew I had issues. I was trying my best.
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In college, I struggled with some pretty severe mental health issues. I didn't understand them or know how to communicate these issues or ask for help. Sleep issues and executive dysfunction made getting to things on time and prepared extremely difficult.
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I've never understood people who use "just wait until ____" as a way to dismiss people's experiences. At best, it's a condescending way to tell somebody they're naive. At worst, it's a way to tell somebody their worldview is wrong. I hope that this phrase is dying out.
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Yo you need a way for people to arrange a same day pickup for "attempted deliveries."
Driver didn't knock or ring the doorbell, but my wife waved at them as they drove away.
I've filed a complaint, but my $10k instrument is sitting overnight for no reason at this point.
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Informal research question for jazz musicians (performers, composers, educators, etc).
Please share, to widen the pool. Poll lasts 1 week.
Did you develop an interest in performing jazz as a result of being a part of a jazz ensemble in secondary school (age 12-18)?
- Yes52.6%
- No47.4%
19 votesFinal results
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I'm thinking of video documenting the process of research, writing, and production of my dissertation.
Would this be something people would actually be interested in following?
- Yes77.8%
- No11.1%
- Yes, with conditions11.1%
9 votesFinal results
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In the same papers, wind instruments other than trumpet, trombone, or saxophone will be intentionally ignored because they haven't traditionally been used. In other words:
Jazz needs innovation to survive, but it has to be on specific, approved instruments.
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The argument it contradicts is the same as the musical conservatism one. I will read an argument for synthesizers, sampling, new DSP, etc that states that new sounds and performers are necessary to advance jazz and prevent it from stagnating.
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The last argument is the cyclical one:
There are no jazz bassoon parts in jazz because there are no jazz bassoonists.
There are no jazz bassoonists because there are no bassoon parts in jazz.
Replace bassoon with any nonstandard instrument. I see this thrown around the most.
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In the same document, instances of nonstandard instrumentation are written off as not worth study. Ironically, it attacks the Ken Burns documentary for not discussing Stan Kenton, then proceeds to intentionally ignore everything Stan Kenton did using nonstandard instrumentation.
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One dissertation attacks musical conservatism in jazz, arguing for innovation in many aspects of harmony, rhythm, and stylistic influence. In many of these arguments, the emphasis is that jazz is about expression and individuality, not a collection of theoretical rules.
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But then, in the same papers that make this argument, jazz schools as a whole are criticized for not being adequately preparing students for financial security after graduation. Which is it? "Nonstandard" instruments aren't viable but others are, or no instruments are viable?
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The most jarring is any time that "commercial viability" is used as an argument. For example, jazz schools should not allow study on "nonstandard" instruments because it isn't commercially viable for performers of those instruments after graduation.
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So the interesting thing I'm finding as I read academic writing on jazz, big band, and specifically jazz pedagogy is that a lot of the arguments against "nonstandard" instrumentation are arbitrary and don't hold water when put next to arguments *for* jazz as a whole. 🧵
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I have started work on my dissertation. I'm super excited to see where it goes and what the end product will turn into!
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A lot of people have deep, exciting reasons for learning languages.
I like looking at large blocks of Japanese text.
I want to be able to write large blocks of Japanese text.
Therefore I study Japanese.
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People who regularly write for big band, let's say I wanted to write more original big band charts.
What are some workflow things that you use to write?
If I set a goal of one new chart per month, what are some things that would be helpful to reach that goal?
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Are there any jazz/big band composition competitions that don't have a pretty strict 5444 instrumentation requirement? I would love if I could enter any of my compositions to these, but they're always disqualified because of the added french horns.
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It baffles me how commercial composers will find some random new instrument and play with it and write new exciting things for it gung ho without needing reference material, but the horn is treated like this bizarre, cryptic enigma that was discovered on Mars yesterday.
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