Before and After

See and hear

my arrangements and transcriptions

from widely contrasting types of source material.

Example #1: An experienced composer, Jed wrote a bluesy arrangement for this song. As the scene developed in workshop, it became clear that the overt sexuality of the original accompaniment now seemed in conflict with the shy nature of the character. A new arrangement was needed!

I removed the intro, took out most of the swing feel and the walking bass, made the song sparser, and had the tempo push and pull.

Click the image below

to hear and view Jed's song

in its original, jazzy style.

Click the image below

to hear and view what I did with the song.

BEFORE

After

ARRANGEMENT BY ALBERT

Before and After Examples

Used With Writers' Permission

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Example #2: Laurie is a theatre director who is writing her own music and lyrics for the first time. She's a talented songwriter, but she's new at notating music and in demonstrating her material. So she writes out her melodies as accurately as she can and we discuss her intentions thoroughly.

Here's Laurie's original manuscript—

melody & lyric only, no chords or accompaniment.

BEFORE

I adjusted the song structure (with Laurie's input) and created an accompaniment from scratch.

After

ARRANGEMENT BY ALBERT

Click image to magnify.

Before and After Examples

Used With Writers' Permission

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Example #3: One morning in 1975, George Cavender, the director of the Michigan Marching Band, told me he'd heard our tubas musically prodding Michigan hockey fans into shouting a time-honored U of M cheer.

Professor Cavender sang for me the bass line he'd heard, and that afternoon the full band rehearsed my resulting arrangement—Let's Go Blue!—for the very first time.

Click the image below to hear (a re-enactment) of my encounter with Professor Cavender, on that long-ago Fall morning.

Disclaimer:

Not Professor Cavender's actual voice, but

An Incredible Simulation!™

BEFORE

To that bass line I added a melody, harmony, countermelodies, and a rhythmic underpinning. I also gave it a longer structure, to allow time for 100,000+ noisy fans to notice that the band was playing (always thinking "practical").

Click the image below to hear my arrangement:

After

ARRANGEMENT BY ALBERT