Marching Band Arranging: Methods, Materials, Techniques [Paperback] Review

I used William Spencer-Pierce's marching band arrangements in my high school marching band for many years. They were always well received by the audience and judging community. My students and I were never dissapointed.
I recognize many of the techniques in the book because Bill explained many of the " hows and whys " of his philosophy when I was his client. This book is full of thesegreat nuggets of information on marching band arranging.
I especially like the book because it is practical rather than purely theoretical. The widespread use of musical examples really does a nice job of illustrating the text.
The book belongs in the personal library of every high school marching band director. It would also be a valuable resource for high school or college students considering a career in instrumental music education.
Experienced band directors can also benefit becausearrangements might need to be tweaked during during the marching season to adapt to personnel changes or judges' suggestions.
Based on forty years of teaching marching band, I hardily recommend this book!

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Product Description:
Conversational in style and full of practical advice, this user-friendly book takes the reader step-by-step through the process of writing effective arrangements that will make any band sound better. Over 150 musical examples illustrate the dozens of practical tips and techniques presented.Chapters include Fundamentals, Notation Basics, Basic Scoring, Form, The Wind Section, The Percussion Section, Working Procedure, Special Effects, The Jazz Idiom, and Getting A Big Sound With Smaller Groups. An Appendix includes information on copyright issues, suggested reading, and three arrangements with annotations by the author.Pencil-and-paper procedures are outlined, along with tips and techniques for using MIDI and computer notation software to input, score, print, and record. Detailed without being too technical, "Marching Band Arranging" is an excellent reference for both aspiring writers and for directors searching for ways to improve their group.

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Keyboard Presents the Best of the 80's (Book) [Paperback] Review

If you grew up in the 1980's and lived through the technical revolution that MIDI created, then this book is for you!These are reprints of articles from Keyboard magazine from the 1980's with bands that were on the cutting edge of music technology.There's more here then just dance music though.The interviews with Peter Gabriel and Frank Zappa are wonderful, in-depth explorations into these artist's creative process.

If you are looking for non-technical interviews with the bands represented here then I suggest you look someplace else.These interviews go into gear, recording process and touring issues.Given that much of this technology is somewhat out of date makes reading the articles a bit difficult.If you are interested in more of the overall history of electronic music, another Keyboard publication would be a better bet."The Art Of Electronic Music" is an earlier book and has some of the same interviews that this book contains.However, there are some wonderful articles in the earlier book about electronic music before the days of MIDI, even going back to experiments in electronic music from the first half of the 20th century.

This book is definitely a great resource for anyone who enjoyed 1980's synth-pop but I was hoping for something just a little bit deeper!

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Product Description:
From the swelling synths of Depeche Mode to the dance-friendly grooves of Thomas Dolby, and from the power ballads of Journey to the New Power Generation of Prince, the music of the '80s was infused with the sound of keyboards. You'll learn: * How technological developments in keyboards helped artists such as Erasure, Human League, Peter Gabriel, Kraftwerk, Bruce Hornsby, Frank Zappa, and Jam and Lewis create entirely new sounds - and how their production tricks can help you make great music today. * How to recreate the sounds of the '80s using the soft synths and recording software you already have on your computer. * The breakdowns of the piano and keyboard parts for stadium rockers by Night Ranger, Journey, and Bon Jovi.

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Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer: A Practical Guide to Writing and Sequencing for the Studio Orchestra [Paperback] Review

I wrote a detailed review a couple of weeks ago that gave this book a three star rating.It was not vulgar or inappropriate in any way, yet it was completely deleted.However, I just received an email from Amazon soliciting my opinion once again!

In short, the book has some decent information on sequencing techniques, though some of it just demonstrates a firm grasp of the obvious, i.e., "use controller messages to add expression" and other similar gems.

The orchestration part of the book covers the rhythm section (don't over quantize) as well as the various sections of the orchestra and how to sequence those instruments realistically.The book does not cover how to combine instruments from the various sections. Stings + woodwinds anyone?You will have to look elsewhere for that type of information.

Recommended for beginners.

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Product Description:
Get complete guidance on both traditional orchestration and modern production techniques with this unique book. With effective explanations and clear illustrations, you will learn how to integrate the traditional approach to orchestration with the modern sequencing techniques and tools available. You will discover how to bridge the two approaches in order to enhance your final production.

The accompanying CD includes a comprehensive and wide selection of examples, templates and sounds to allow you to hear the techniques within the book.

By covering both approaches, this book provides a comprehensive and solid learning experience that will develop your skills and prove extremely competitive in the music production business.

* Complete orchestration manual covering both traditional and modern techniques
* Versatile, non-software specific, perfect choice for professionals and colleges
* Accompanying DVD with examples, templates and sounds brings techniques to life

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