Services
Music is a language. Your project deserves only the most literate of musicians.
Music Copying
Music preparation includes arranging and orchestrating, but most people think of it as music copying. So what IS music copying? It's creating the actual written music that musicians use during a performance. Whether it's a recording session, live symphonic work or Broadway pit — musicians must have music to read.
What's the big deal? Of course you need everyone to be performing the same piece at the same time;
but why is it so important that knowledgable musicians prepare the music? Because poorly prepared music invites mistakes.
And that results in added costs from additional rehearsal time, studio, equipment and facilities rentals,
and rehiring engineers, staff and performers.
How is it done?
Most importantly you
need skilled musicians
who can understand
your music — know
what is required and
appropriate for the
genre. We use only
professional-level
software Sibelius® and
Finale®. We also can provide you with hand-prepared music as well. To some that is a lost art,
but not for us.
We'll help you plan your project. Our years of experience means we can help you make the right decisions. Take a look at just some our projects.
Arrangments and Orchestrations
What's the difference? A common question.
It can be confusing because frequently the
two skills overlap. The distinction is often
blurred partly because an arrangement and
orchestration can be written by the same
person...at the same time.
In a nutshell, arranging is the art of adapting an existing composition for presentation in other than its original form. Orchestrating is the art of deciding what each instrument actually plays. Confused? Let's try an example.
Take a simple children's song like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." The ARRANGER takes that simple melody, applies his art and turns it into a jazzy swing number that you can sing or play on piano. All the rhythmic and harmonic changes are made to suit a swing style. It's still "Twinkle, Twinkle" but with an edge. The ORCHESTRATOR takes that arrangement and determines what the saxes will play — and when; then determines what the horn section will play. Or, the assignment might be to turn that swingy "Twinkle, Twinkle" into an orchestral pops piece. Same arrangment, but now it needs a full string section — violin, viola, cello, bass. And what about that harp or English horn?
It may sound simple, but in reality it takes talent and experience to do either one well. Robert Nowak has both the talent and experience. He's arranged and orchestrated for big band, full symphony orchestras, vocal groups, percussion ensembles, small groups — just about anything you can think of. Here are a few highlights.
Library and Restoration
As time marches on, your music may need attention. Years of improper storage can leave it battered, tattered or torn. It can get wet or even lost. And life on the road isn't kind either. One of the many things working with written music of all types has taught us is how to organize and care for it. We can create a well-managed music library of your works; catalog what's there and what's missing. Sometimes we can recreate the missing parts. We can re-copy the old ones or create a score from a pile of parts. We can manage storage and retrieval too.
Imagine...no more hunting for a specific number and not finding it. Or not being able to use it because there aren't a full set of parts. Get in touch with us. We'll talk the problem through and find the solution which works for you.