Lessons

Dive into any genre of song that you love and discover what makes a great song in that style. Learn the ins and outs of your favorite music, from the types of rhythms used, to the kinds of harmony and modes employed and more. We will also go through what makes effective and ineffective lyrics, focusing on line length, rhyming, rhythm, and overall composition.

We will go over every single possible pop style you can imagine, from every rock style, to every pop style, to every rap and hip hop style, to EDM and techno styles, everything. Whatever is your favorite music, we will dive into the meat of that music and discover what makes it alive and ticking. You will learn how to write in whatever style you desire.

Learn, through the utilization of many pop and jazz styles, to write captivating music for any libretto. Learn how to fit the music to the mood, the setting, the situation, and emotion. Learn how to write appropriate lyrics for the drama. Learn how to write the drama and how to orchestrate a coherent flow of ideas.

Learn how to generate electronic sounds through free software to create interesting electronic music installations. We can also go into how to make electronic dance music in using effects and VSTs. This may include a beginning into DAWs, or digital audio work stations.

Learn how to mic and record accoustic instruments, how to mix and master a track, how to use and animate MIDI instruments via VST software, how to use effects and plugins. I provide links to free software that can help you begin at no charge to you.

Film and Video Games have their own approach to pop genres and orchestral music, and I'll help you learn the tricks to portray any mood no matter how complex, in a way that represents yourself as well as the film or video game you're writing for. Learn how to utilize keys and modes so that looping music can be coherent and even sound new each time it comes around.

Learn to write effective lyrics that portray emotions in effective ways. Learn about line length and how to keep from jumbling syllables. Learn about rhyme schemes and how to utilize internal rhymes to bring out emphasized details.

Learn how to orchestrate words like how one orchestrates music, with stresses and rhythm and meaningful flow. We will learn how to use every letter of poetry to support or convey the meanings intwined. We can learn in both eastern and western styles of poetry depending on what you want to convey and how you want to convey it.

Learn how to get a story across through music, which is easier said than done. We’ll learn how to effectively portray your story through lyrics in a way that embodies the emotions and the complexities involved.

Learn to write in certain folk styles around the world, from South American music to eastern European styles.

We will get that song stuck in everyone’s head. We will make it a great song so nobody can be angry at you for how much it’s stuck in their head.

We will work through the exhilarating and at times daunting process of writing a piece for a full modern orchestra. We will discuss how to combine the acoustic qualities of the instruments in both standard and unique ways to fit the sounds you desire. We will also go through the instrumentation and learn what is and isn’t idiomatic to the instruments you’re using. We will go through the form and overall construction of your work. We will also hone in on the very small details making sure that every part of your piece is impeccably necessary. Whatever your vision is, I will help you achieve it.

We will work on the utilization of traditional ensembles as well as explore any number of combinations to color your music as you so desire. Diving into instrumentation will help determine unique and interesting combinations to bring out the exact color tones you want in your music. We will go through the form and overall construction of your work. We will also hone in on the very small details making sure that every part of your piece is impeccably necessary.

Through the combination of the classical instrumentation with voice and story, we will discuss how to create and supplement a story or libretto intricately through how the music is composed with the lyrics. We will also go through the process of writing a story and story board to be able to piece together a coherent flow of ideas. We will also learn to portray a story through libretto and how to create the lines and rhymes with the drama. We will go through the form and overall construction of your work. We will also hone in on the very small details making sure that every part of your piece is impeccably necessary.

Though it may seem easy, solo pieces are some of the hardest to compose due to the need to stay consistently relevant. We will discuss how to fill the space of a concert hall while giving personality to your solo work. We will deeply discuss the specific instrumentation of any instrument to be able to utilize every technique and extended technique that you may want to use. A solo piece is very bare, we will scope every inch and make sure each aspect is absolutely necessary to your intention.

Through our lessons, we will need to discuss the instrumentation implemented in the work. We can discuss any of the instruments as deeply as you desire so that you can write more confidently for whichever instrument or instrument combination you fancy.

We will discuss any period of theory you desire. If you want to write in a particular style, we will go through the techniques employed. You can also get tutoring lessons for placement testing or help in current college courses. Theory employed: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Serialism/Set Theory, Modern/Free Form Theory.

We will go through the different techniques utilized in jazz orchestral or big band music and go through the instrumentation and music theory employed. This will help boldface any fusion aspects you may want in your songs/pieces. We will go through the form and overall construction of your work. We will also hone in on the very small details making sure that every part of your piece is impeccably necessary.

We will delve into the different kinds of traditional ensembles as well as any other combination you so desire. Utilizing jazz theory, we will bring out the kind of jazz you choose to write, no matter what style or level of fusion involved in other genres.

We will learn to write lead sheets and write solos for the rhythm section instruments which include Electric Guitar and Bass, Drum Set, and Keyboards. We’ll help your writing whether it be smooth jazz to funk rock to modern modal pop.

The same as classical solo composition except with jazz instruments. We will also learn to utilize jazz soloing into small to large ensembles or other musical textures.

Learn how any instrument is utilized in a jazz style and what are the typical rules in that regard. Through our lessons we will learn a variety of instrumentation to be more effective at writing what we want to write.

Through writing jazz, jazz theory is very important to get the precise chord and mode changes that bring out the many signature sounds. Jazz theory is also very important for instrumentalists in order to solo well. Utilizing the list of chord scales (what scale goes with what chord) is important to know what to play on a lead sheet and I will help you learn how to get rich, interesting harmonies and inclinations that will enrich your jazz writing and playing as it bleeds into all of your writing.