This month’s artist spotlight goes to the beautiful and extremely talented, Jenn McMillan. This Michigan-born musician has been spreading her songwriting and musical talent across the great lakes state for years and is ready to inspire as many people as possible with her music from coast to coast.

(MP)What was your first eye opening music experience?
(JM)My first eye opening music experience happened the first time I went to a symphony orchestra concert for college. I was dreading having to go because I always heard that the symphony is boring and long. 

They were playing the Dies Irae from Verdi’s Requiem, and as they were about to start I was thinking, “Well, this is probably gonna be boring.” And then they started, and I was blown back in my chair by the sound. It was terrifying, yet completely exhilarating. My jaw dropped and I actually started crying because I had never experienced that much sound coming at me. After that performance, I looked forward to symphony orchestra concerts. That many musicians playing together is an amazing thing to witness.

(MP)How did you first get started?
(JM)My friends were really the ones that got me started, to be honest. I didn’t want anything to do with performing, mostly because I was scared of it. But, one day one of my good friends comes to me and says, “So… I signed you up to perform at our church’s annual summer festival next week.” And that’s kind of what kicked everything off. After that performance I was excited about performing, even though I was still terrified of it.

(MP)When did you realize being a musician was your calling?
(JM)I never considered music to be a career choice; it was always just something that I enjoyed doing in my free time. It wasn’t until I was getting ready to graduate from high school that my counselor told me that animal science (I wanted to be a zoologist) probably wasn’t going to be an option for college because my science grades suck, and that I should pick something else. I had no clue what else I would study. So he asked me what I like to do in my spare time and I told him I like playing piano, singing, playing guitar, dancing around my basement to Beyonce (lol), and so on. So he said, “Then why don’t you study music?”

I mulled this over and realized that he was right, I needed to be studying music. So he gave me some universities to look into, and I ended up attending the University of Michigan and graduating with a Vocal Performance degree.

(MP)Who are some of your influences?
(JM)Definitely number one is Florence + The Machine. Their Ceremonials album made inspired me to write so many songs. Also, I’ve always loved British singer Joss Stone. Her voice is divine.

(MP)Where would be your dream gig?
(JM)My dream gig would be to be able to perform my own music with a symphony orchestra. Any orchestra really, I can just hear how some of my songs would sound with an orchestra and it would be absolutely amazing.
Also, Coachella would be amazing.

For more info on Jenn and her music check out www.musicpage.com/jennmcmillan

By Zack Salem

As an artist development consultant, I work with bands and solo performers of all styles and at all levels of experience. Most of them have unique problems or issues, but one common mistake I see artists make is poor development of the markets they play in.

Anyone can put together a tour. But the bands and solo performers who take the time to develop themselves in each market are usually the most successful.

Since market development is such a vital component to any artist’s success, I’ve decided to write a series of articles detailing how I have successfully done this with artists in the past.

Pick Your Spot

The first thing to do is identify the market you want to develop the artist in. Many artists mistakenly look for the biggest city they can get to. But the location of the city is much more important than its size.

In order to properly develop yourself in a new market, you’ll need to spend a-lot of time there. Picking a market close to your home town makes this easier to do, and will increase your chances of success.

Identify a market that is close by, yet large enough to develop a significant fanbase in. Ideally this market is close to you while also being in close proximity to another market or two.

Alternative Venues

Once you have identified the market you want to develop, you need to find a place to play.  Traditional venues are always a good place to perform, but getting a gig at a venue in a town you have never played in is difficult, so for now im going to focus on alternative options.

If you know any people who live in that market, see if any of them would be interested in having you play a house party. Ive worked in many markets where private house parties with bands are much better than the shows going on at the bars.

These shows can be a great first gig, and a-lot of fun. The more intimate nature of these events often lead to extremely dedicated fans that will follow you to the larger venues and demand their friends come out to see you.

If the city has a college, look for a student group, fraternity or student housing area that puts on shows. College towns are great at developing new artists as there are usually parties and events set up for underage students on a regular basis. These are usually fantastic opportunities to meet and develop new fans.

No college in town? Pick up the local paper and entertainment newsweekly and check out the event calendar. Look for non traditional venues; fundraisers, public gathering, festivals or public events like farmers markets or organizational meetings.

Call the organizer and tell them about your band and that you would like to play a show for them. You would be surprised how many groups will jump at the chance to have an artist play for them for free.

Yes, I said for free.

For your first few shows in a new town, you should be more concerned about finding places to perform than getting paid to play. Once you develop a following, you can start working on guarantees. For now, trade what you have for opportunities to gather new fans.

The Trade Option

Probably the best way to break into a new market is to find a band to trade shows with.

Find a local band in this new market that plays a similar style of music to you. Invite them to come to your home town and open for you in exchange for them booking you to open for them in their home town. Since you both play the same style of music, you should be able to share fans.

The problem with trading shows is finding the right artist to trade with. Even if an artist plays the same genre, their draw may be larger or smaller than yours. They may not want to play in your town or not have any dates that match your availability.

These problems are why we recently added a Gig Swapping system into Musicpage. This free service allows artists to create an online ad in the state you want to trade shows in. We post your Gig Swap in the market you want to play in, so that interested bands can call you.

If you have a band or solo performer profile on Musicpage.com, you can create a Gig Swap for free on your Market Page. If you don’t already have a Musicpage performer profile, use this link to create one now.

To help you give your tracks the sound they deserve, we’ve partnered with LANDR, the only instant audio mastering service. Using it’s highly-adaptable artificial intelligence engine, LANDR has mastered over 2 million tracks for musicians worldwide. Tailored to each track’s production style and genre, it applies a custom set of adaptive tools to give tracks the unique treatment they deserve. Just drag-and-drop your track, and within minutes, receive a free 30 second preview, and an option to purchase your master in various format options starting at just $1.99. Want to hear the results for yourself? Finish your music the right way with the professional touch of instant mastering. Have a question or comment? Feel free to drop them a line at support@landr.com. They’re always happy to help!

Originally posted by space-magnetic-studio

by Erik Jarvis

I. Do it Yourself with a Team

Just as music styles and names and foods cycle with culture, so do words and philosophies. This tech startup, kale-eating age has seen a rise in do-it-yourself (DIY) culture, largely enabled by the internet. However, DIY should not be taken too literally. Another trendy term and ethos, perhaps also motivated by the digital age, may imply an opposite mindset: collaboration.

It carries many connotations, but ultimately collaboration is a fancy word for teamwork. In the music world nothing can happen without it. Even performer-producer-arrangers, such as Thom Yorke, Aretha Franklin or Stevie Wonder, excel most when surrounded by a top-notch team.

My own work, on both the business and creative end, relies heavily on collaboration, and I could write pages and pages about what I like about it, what’s challenging about it, what color it would have to someone with synesthesia, etc.

However, I’d rather actively collaborate in this article and feature wise words from two artists I dig, and whose processes thrive with a teamwork atmosphere.

II. Ask the Pros: What is Collaboration?

LaJune Grant is an R&B vocalist and performer from New York City. Her multi-media shows feature some of New York’s best artists, and her eclectic ensemble helps her achieve a genre-bending sound.

Patrick Tape Flemming is a performer-producer from Iowa’s Gloom Balloon and the Poison Control Center. Gloom Balloon’s debut album features string arranging and production work from two of Flemming’s close friends and frequent musical cohorts.

Okay, y’all know I like to define our title term before we get into the meat of things. Here’s our working definition of collaboration from LaJune:

One or more people contributing towards creating something. Since we’re talking music specifically, one or more people coming together to create a song or a body of music.

So we can all agree that somewhere along the process, whether during writing, mastering, or vinyl pressing, collaboration is likely to occur. The stage at which that happens, and the extent of the collaboration, varies from artist to artist.

“Personally I do not make beats or write music,” LaJune explains, “so for me the door is immediately open. I write lyrics and create melodies, but without an instrumental what I do would be considered poetry. I’ve collaborated with producers for just about everything I’ve done thus far.”

Flemming weighs in, “I love to play solo and record on my own, doing every track, but it ends up having a lot to do with ego and you end up falling back on the same old tricks you do all the time, I get into a comfort zone and that’s a bad place to be if you are making rock n roll music!”

III. Technology

The structure of internet culture and digital media actively promotes collaboration. Even the language is steeped in collectivism– social media, file sharing.

LaJune explains that our current “technology makes collaboration a lot easier. Artists can upload files on sites like Google Drive or Dropbox and send huge files from sessions anywhere in the world, instantly, for free! Sites like Musicpage create communities where artists can easily network without stepping out the door.”

Flemming provides a concrete example: “Last week I had an idea for a song, wrote the song, cut a 5 track demo with GarageBand on my computer, and had it sent to a band mate who lives 5 hours away via email in less than an hour! You could never do that 15 years ago!”

As digital media has massively changed the landscape of collaboration and music in general, the role of the producer has shifted. In last month’s article on arranging I wrote quite a bit on the fluidity of music production. More than ever before, we’re seeing producers acknowledged as superstar artists.

LaJune says, “I don’t ever recall in the past seeing what I’m seeing now as far as so many producers being the main artist and the lead vocalist is the feature. For example, the new Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber, or David Guetta’s single ‘Hey MaMa’ feat. Nicky Minaj, or Major Lazer & DJ Snake’s ‘Lean On’ feat. MØ. Never before do I recall the lead vocalist being a feature. In the past it would have been ‘Where Are You Now’ by Justin Bieber and the music heads would really be the only ones to really acknowledge the producer,” she explains, with a chuckle at the end.

IV. Artistic Genius

The idea of the “artistic genius” is often debated. Phenoms such as Mozart prompt us to ask whether he was on some other cosmic plane, or just had the benefit of practicing for hours upon end at a young age. Mozart, as with other superstars such as Brian Wilson and Michael Jackson, were known to have exceptionally demanding fathers who required endless work on their crafts.

Part of the myth surrounding the genius / superstar that bothers me is its inherent exclusion of a team. LaJune says, “I think that greatness will generally require collaboration to some degree. The smallest input can make a huge difference in a record sometimes. For instance, Beyoncé alone does not make Beyoncé the brand, and the same goes for so many others.”

Flemming adds, “I truly believe in artistic genius, but I believe you can achieve even higher genius during collaboration! Think Lennon and McCartney: both were incredible on their own, but together they are above and beyond anyone. It’s kinda like Captain Planet, with our powers combined we can make this bad ass thing that it is above all of us!”

V. Credit

We’ve alluded to changing trends in the way collaboration is recognized from a marketing perspective (producer being the main artist rather than the “feature”), but what about the legal implications?

Copyright law differentiates the composition and the recorded master of any song. That law made absolute sense when Cole Porter or the Gershwins sat down to write a lead sheet that would maybe one day be recorded by dozens and dozens of vocalists and big bands.

When artists and producers compose a piece entirely with software, the composition and recorded master has huge overlap, if not exactly the same.

“I don’t think the laws and philosophies have caught up to the trends,” LaJune explains, “but what has changed is the artist approach.” (That approach of producers holding more of the limelight.)

A proper system for credit and compensation has been an issue in the industry since long before the digital media revolution.

Flemming says, “This can be a touchy subject in bands. Think of THE BAND, Robbie Robertson is credited as the writer of most of those songs, but there is no way he was telling Garth Hudson what to do on the clavinet on ‘Up on Cripple Creek.’ ( video proof! ) So shouldn’t he get some sort of songwriting credit for that? I have always respected bands like R.E.M who say that R.E.M wrote the song.”

LaJune offers another example, “There is a bit of controversy right now now in hip hop after another rapper called out Drake for not writing his own lyrics. Do I think that Drake never writes his raps? Absolutely not. If he weren’t talented he would not be where he is. He isn’t exactly the poster child for rap… and I could go on as far as reasons why he is not the most likely candidate to be on top of the rap food chain, but he is. Now do I think that sometimes another writer producer or artist can come in and add their input? Absolutely - but in no way do I think that that takes from his greatness.”

Closing thoughts from our Artists:

“I have always excelled around other people cause I like to bounce ideas back and for and I get inspired really easily by my bandmates whether I’m talking the Poison Control Center or Gloom Balloon. I become another level of musicas because I’m willing to let the ego go out the window and be exposed to any and all ideas, both good and bad. Everything I do artistically is completely collaborative, whether it’s music, making films, or helping to make dinner.” -Patrick Tape Flemming

“I’ve always believed that art builds upon art one creative idea leads to the next. Ego and pride can make a talented musician want to do it all alone but collaboration is when the real magic happens. Collaboration has always been and always will be. As long as there are two artists alive on earth a collaboration will inevitably occur at some point.” -LaJune Grant

-#-

by Erik Jarvis

The first ever Musicpage artist profile was Omaha band Rock Paper Dynamite. Founder David Codr told me this at their EP release show a couple weeks ago. Joe Janousek, their lead singer, worked at Musicpage as the Music Ops Board Coordinator for quite some time, and many of you had the pleasure of corresponding with him.

While I was not aware at the time I selected them, it seems fitting that Battling Giants, another stellar rock band from Omaha, has been our final Artist of the Month. Though we cater to global community, it’s nice to showcase the strong locals.

The internet has provided more exposure for the Midwest scene overall, and in turn more artists are treating music professionally out here. No longer do you have to be from New York or LA or Nashville or Austin. Saddle Creek Records put Omaha on the map with artists like Cursive and Bright Eyes, and the scene here has been fostering and evolving that “Omaha sound,” into a vastly eclectic community, from local open mic nights to a national festivals.

“Omaha is an extremely competitive market for music,” Giants’ bassist Matt Limberg tells me. “There is no shortage of talented bands and artists in this town. I would love to compare the per capita rates of bands to music fans in Omaha with some other cities. Sometimes I feel like there is a band for every person here (ok that’s a bit of an exaggeration),” he says.

While this healthy scene allowed them to hone their performance chops, it did not make sense to continue performing so heavily to the same market. “We started feeling like we had two choices: either keep hitting town hard and hope to work our way up, or start touring and gain recognition that way,” Limberg says. “A lot of places in town don’t want to see you play more than once a month (and this is true in many other places),” he adds.  

If you’re a professional musician, it’s tough to be a successful if you only go to work once a month. “On the other hand,” Limberg says, “you could play 25 shows in 25 different cities in a month.”

So they hit the road. They’ve been on tour for the better part of the summer, and have dates booked until the end of October. “Touring is a huge challenge, but it is completely worth all the time and effort required to make it happen,” Limberg says. “We do everything ourselves…The planning is the hardest part. Playing is the reward you finally get after spending all that time researching, contacting, booking, lining up bands, etc…  Lately we’ve been on the road and booking future tours at the same time,” he says.

Many bands say the toughest part about being on the road is finding time to write. Battling Giants’ songwriting process, however, is very performance-oriented and does not suffer from touring.

Lindberg says, “Our songs always start with the guitar riff. Luke has the ability to write something new on the spot at any given moment. We write new songs and end up forgetting them before it’s even finished on a regular basis. I guess we just jam a lot. We probably spend the least amount of time writing. Spending a year writing new material takes away from any exposure you could’ve gained by playing during that time.”

And that’s what Battling Giants want to do. Play music. As Lindberg said, that’s their reward for the other work. “You only get as far as you are motivated to get in this industry… it is self-vetting. You only get out what you put in as a DIY band.”

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Spacebomb Records producer / arranger Trey Pollard 

by Erik Jarvis

I. Diversify, Innovate

Great artists create trends, rather than mimic those that already exist. One way to aid constant innovation is to develop a diverse skill set. We’re seeing this happen naturally as more and more artists pursue a DIY route for both production and promotion of their music. While the recording process previously involved a dedicated engineer, producer, arranger, and artist, these roles are now becoming more blended.

I support this new direction in the industry. I believe young artists of all kinds should celebrate the resources brought upon by the digital age and shifting marketplace. However, as we pursue a new level of independence and self-sufficiency, we still need to learn from the greats that came before. The rules are a little different, but the game is the same. There are people and crafts that prove to be brilliant no matter the era. Process, as much as content, determines the timelessness of art.

One skill set that has evolved (or faded) since the event of digital audio is arranging. It’s a craft equally associated with classical music as it is popular music, and its definition may vary wildly depending on the context, or who you’re asking. This article will cover the craft of arranging music. I’ll look at the process in general, some of the greats who do it, and how it can relate to independent artists.

II. Learn from the Greats

Because part of this article is about acknowledging proven traditions and processes, I’ve reached out to a couple pros for their wisdom. Stuart Epps, a London-based producer who’s worked with Elton John and Led Zeppelin, offers unique recollections and observations from his work on John’s 1970 self-titled album. Trey Pollard, multi-instrumentalist and producer / arranger at Spacebomb Records, gets into the process of his craft.  

Epps helped organize the preproduction sessions for John’s self-titled album. “The songs [Elton] had written were quite complex,” Epps says, “It was semi-classical. Gus Dudgeon was brought in, who’d worked with David Bowie on ‘Space Oddity,’ which was quite ‘far out’ if you will. He heard the demos and said, ‘Well we have to get Paul Buckmaster to do the strings.’ He’s the guy who wrote it all out, it was up to him to come up with the notes.”

Pollard had an early interest in arranging before getting more serious about studying and experimenting in college. “The first time I actually arranged strings for a record was on Matthew E. White’s Big Inner,” he says.  

Big Inner was the inaugural launch for Spacebomb Records, an independent record label and production house based in Richmond, VA. Spacebomb’s process takes its cues from the likes of Motown, using a house rhythm section and in-house arrangers. Pollard has written all the strings for their releases.

Their DIY ethos does not skimp on professionalism, as every step is meticulously thought, if not written, out. Most importantly, the musicianship is out of this world. Among other things, the model works because of their access to quality players at affordable prices.

III. Arranging and Producing

As I have covered, DIY recording methods often blur the different roles of the process. This can make it difficult to define arranging, and how it relates to and differs from producing.

Pollard says, “To me, producing and arranging are basically the same job with slightly different, but overlapping, tools.” They both involve “an arrangement of sounds to support a song. These terms generally refer to deciding what instruments / sounds / production-elements are playing which notes / rhythms that build the song,” he says.  

Epps says, “The record producer is more in control of the sound. They might get involved in the arrangement of the songs, but there’s a difference between arranging the song and arranging strings.” He draws a comparison to the movie world, explaining, “A record producer is more like a film director than a film producer. The producer usually just fronts the money, but the director is in charge.”

Being aware of which hat you’re wearing can be helpful, but just remember each step of production should get you closer to realizing the song.

IV. Mechanics and Mindset

Pollard goes more in depth in his summary of arranging by covering the horizontal and vertical framework of a song. “By horizontally,” he says, “I mean the story of the song, in time from beginning to end. Something should happen, you should take the song somewhere and bring us to the end.”

For a very small-scale example, consider the classic melody “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The very first phrase leaps an octave, and the following phrases descend back down to the starting note. This is only one element of the story, melody, but there is a natural and apparent journey there.

He continues, “The vertical refers to the harmonic / counter-melodic material that fills in the sonic space around the melody. As a reference, when the song ‘Stand By Me’ starts, the vertical space is so perfect and sparse, just bass and percussion. The horizontal growth is built entirely on the vertical structure, which is essentially just that one riff, getting thicker and thicker. It’s a beautiful simple arrangement that works. There’s that nice instrumental bit with a new melody and counter-melody and some weird vocal pads, but there’s really only 2 elements, the riff and the melody. The production and arrangement of that song are one in the same.”

The main texture by the end of “Stand By Me” is the string arrangement. Epps points out that, for tracks like that, “Because they’re being played by session musicians, horn plays, string players, they have to be written parts.”

For many, written notation is a primary difference between arranging and producing. Epps says the arranger typically has a more classical background, while “the producer is on the more technical side of things.”

“I think generally people use the word ‘producing’ as a catch-all for everything else that’s not ‘songwriting,” Pollard says. “It’s essentially deciding how the song should ‘go.’ Whether it’s a bunch of power-chord guitars taking up the vertical space or a horn section or a bunch of electronic noise, there still is a finite about of space” in the mix / arrangement, he explains, “and it should still support the melody in basically… the same way. Range and tessitura still work the same no matter what the sounds are. I’m not going to put any competing sound that is in exactly the same range melody in the track. An example of a ‘competing’ sound would be one that is too active to be perceived as ‘background material.’ It will clash with the vocal and confuse the perception of the melody.”

V. Find Your Groove

If you don’t have a formal music background, and / or  don’t know words like tessitura, do not fret. “I think that a lot of people that think of themselves as producers do the same things” as an arranger, Pollard acknowledges, “they might just get there a different way.”

Quincy Jones and Dr. Dre both produce award-winning music with R&B roots. They do not necessarily sound similar, and their backgrounds are very different, yet their thought process and ingredients are essentially the same.

The idea of notating lines for eight to sixteen string players and ten horn players can seem daunting, but just remember a song is basically a story, and you don’t necessarily need those textures to tell your story. As Pollard explained earlier, a good song takes the listener on a journey, and journeys require a vehicle, an engine, a mode of moving.

“I think a lot about the ‘motor’ of the track,” Pollard explains. “There’s melodic material, there’s harmonic material, and then there’s the ‘motor,’” he says. 

Something like a rhythm guitar or piano often dips into melodic, harmonic, and motor.

He suggests finding out, “What is the essence of this motor, rhythmically? Break it down to it’s most basic form (i.e. maybe it’s a clave or something similar). Decide whether an element of the arrangement can / should add to the effectiveness of the rhythm or if it should exist outside of it.”

Consider “Still Dre” by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. The piano riff on 8th notes is the motor. Other elements in the arrangement include bass, drums, a string sample, a synth, and of course vocals. Listen to the way the drums and bass accentuate the piano motor. The other elements are less constant so as not to interfere with the motor.

“If an element is not helping the rhythm, that’s fine,” Pollard continues, “but make sure it stays out of the way of it. Don’t have the horns playing some rhythmic thing that confuses the essence of that motor. I’m not saying that everything has to ‘hook up’ all the time, but in general, decide whether it’s helping that motor or not. And if it is, make it sit really nice and accentuate everything that makes it work.”

Popular music especially has long been rooted in the rhythm, the groove of a song. Because of the movement, well-arranged songs in the popular tradition are fantastic for dance parties or blasting in your car stereo. Whatever elements you choose to arrange, try to present some narrative for your listener.

VI. The Rules Have Changed but the Game is the Same

I mentioned at the beginning of the article that the craft of arranging, in the traditional sense, is fading. Resources such as MIDI have enabled producers, whether working in their bedroom or in a state-of-the-art studio, to play virtually any part digitally.

“Everything has changed with sample keyboards that produce the most amazing orchestral sounds,” Epps says. “With budgets now I very rarely get to use a string section. I use a particular keyboard player named Paul Hirsch. He’ll play a whole orchestral part and it costs a few hundred dollars instead of a couple thousand,” he half celebrates, half laments. (Ahem, Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, VA offers very affordable string players / arranging.)

“To a certain extent,” Epps says, “it doesn’t have to be written out anymore. It’s put a lot of people out of work, I think. If they’re good they’ve probably gone into film or TV. Most arrangers probably want to get into TV.” (Cough, cough, the Musicpage Music Ops Board regularly posts calls for film and TV music. This could be a good start.)

While traditional arranging is less present in popular music today, it wasn’t necessarily mainstream in early 1960s and 70s rock / pop either (Phill Spector and Motown perhaps being the exceptions). Many of the artists who were doing it in the 60’s were themselves looking back to singers like Frank Sinatra, who recorded with massive orchestras.

Epps mentions the Elton John album he worked on. The production method was not the norm for rock bands even as musically articulate as the Beatles. He says, “It wasn’t just arranged for strings. It was arranged for strings, bass, guitar, everything. What should the bassline be? What should the drums do? It was quite different for a pop album at the time, but it was definitely like the way Frank Sinatra would have done it.”

These bigger, more eclectic sound palettes stemmed from fantastic collaborations. “Paul [Buckmaster] was a young guy,” Epps says, “and just as in-tune to rock and pop as he was classical. That’s part of what’s so interesting about the Beatles and George Martin. They were from different eras. He was not only producing, but was also their string arranger. That’s probably why it worked so well. He was maybe even more an arranger than a producer, ‘cause knew what they wanted.”

It’s nice to romanticize about being part of such a partnership, but do not be discouraged if that doesn’t seem possible. “Process depends on the budget,” Epps says plainly. “In the 60s,” he unveils, “it was about who could afford it and wanted to experiment.”

No matter your budget or resources, you can be an arranger. Give care to the process. Give care to the song. Think about the story and how your arrangement contributes to its drama. I’ve compiled a list of the songs and people mentioned in this article, plus several other songs I think have exceptional arrangements. One of the best ways (I’d say the best way) to get into arranging is to listen to great arrangements.

It’s always unique and interesting to know what a composer thinks of their own work, so I’ve provided a little commentary from Pollard, who arranged the first track on the playlist “Christy.” I unfortunately was not able to track down the other arrangers / producers on this playlist, but if you want to know why I included a track, what I dig about it, shoot me an e-mail.  

Glossary & Suggested Listening

Arranging Playlist

Aaliyah “Are You That Somebody” (not on Spotify)

“Christy” by Natalie Prass (on the playlist) 
Pollard says this is his favorite arrangement he’s had the pleasure of writing. “Since it was only going to be strings and harp in the track, I only had to tend to Natalie’s voice and the melody. Not the melody plus drums, bass, a bunch of chordal instruments, etc. That’s fun too, but since you don’t get many opportunities to be the sole-creator of the instrumental sounds that often, when those songs come along, it’s really refreshing. It’s a really dark song too, lyrically, so it was nice to get go down that road a bit. In a track like this, you get to have a bit more freedom with inner voices. In a big track with drums and pianos and everything, you still do your due diligence and make sure there’s good voice-leading, but you never really hear most of that in the final mix. So, it’s nice to be able to hear that stuff and know that every black dot you write will inform the listener’s experience.”

Stuart Epps (is an active Musicpage member and enjoys working with young artists on any number of things from management to production)

Trey Pollard

Spacebomb Records

Paul Buckmaster

Gus Dudgeon 

George Martin

Quincy Jones 

tessitura– the range that the voice / instrument sounds “best.” And / or the range that is used most frequently throughout a piece.