SmarterMusic is dedicated to the exploration of music in all its forms and the promotion of musical understanding for all. Active contributors include:
Pianist, instrumentalist, vocalist, arranger, and molecular biologist based in New York City. Former Music Director of the Achordants. For arranging services, see Broze Brothers Music; for performing and lessons, see Yuri Broze.com.
Accomplished guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and photographer.
Composer, arranger, double bassist, writer, and didgeridoo builder. Music Director of Brandeis University's Rather Be Giraffes. For arrangement and other sundry music services, check out MusicaRanger.
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In this article, we’ll be going through the motions of arranging a song. Instead of looking at a completed arrangement, we’ll walk through every step of the process to show how an a cappella arrangement evolves and is finally completed. Today, the tune is Happy Birthday, that old standby of yore. Read more…
So to celebrate the Fourth of July when all my friends were not in Cape Cod with me, I took the accordion I acquired a month and a half ago to the streets. I didn’t really know any songs other than the Legend of Zelda theme song and a half-baked “Annie Waits,” but hey, holding [...]
One of the main facets of a composer’s growth is to study scores and listen to pieces by important composers. The idea is that by hearing the sounds and seeing the notes, a budding composer will learn new things and grow. Just listening to a piece doesn’t connect the craft as effectively as the two [...]
If you can see this, then you might need a Flash Player upgrade or you need to install Flash Player if it’s missing. Get Flash Player from Adobe. As it is late in the evening, here is a thing that always gets me. It’s a simplicity of line and the stuff of a good performance. [...]
As graduation draws neigh, there are hundreds of little aca-seniors that are about to enter the marketplace with downcast eyes as the economy struggles more than a bass trying to sing Michael Jackson. However, if you are savvy and creative, all those skills picked up with your collegiate or whatever a cappella group can be [...]
I’m on the Society of Composers, Inc. listserv, and there has been a debate raging about the role of modern composers and how to compose. Some people say that audiences should be coddled, some say that composers should write what they feel, some composers are just angry-angry. I’ve been sitting on the sidelines, making general [...]
To counterpoint the post below about über alto parts, here’s something that shows some excellent soprano work. This is a segment of a Cranberry cover of Wonderwall done by UGA Noteworthy. [Audio clip: view full post to listen] This is a definitely a CD recording: you’ll be hard pressed to find a hall with such [...]
While it’s well and good to know what your group is about, who your target audience is, where you want to take the group, and if your 2nd soprano is single, that doesn’t actually pick your songs. This article is geared towards the practicality of picking songs, and several methods with their pros and cons. [...]
Boys and girls, high and low, with every voice specialized like a well-run machine…ahh. Hopefully the group you’re arranging for is already balanced in terms of boys and girls, but make sure you know when you’re making a custom arrangement. It would blow if you wrote a SSAATTB part for a group that has no [...]
The best way to get better at your craft is study the work of others and practice. And steal. There was a whole phase in contemporary music when quoting famous pieces was in vogue. The art of “mashup” is when your material is, essentially, other people’s stuff (plug for Girl Talk; I never danced harder [...]
