For Orchestra!

Britney Spears 'In the Zone'

“You’re toxic, I’m feeling under”

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It was only a matter of time until I arranged something by Britney Spears. I’ve done Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and yes, Madonna coming soon.

The meaning of Toxic is similar to the song itself – it’s infectious.

There’s something beautiful about butterflies, temptation, and anxiety. My friend Jessica explains that in today’s world where everything is open, it seems we get less of this. I agree, and I’m not alone. Being open ruins the feelings of surprise and feelings we love. Things are much more wanted when they’re scarce and the result is unknown. That’s how people become toxic to others.

From her 4th album, this piece creates an uncertainty and stresses these emotions, and I wanted to capture that within this arrangement. There are two strong actions that had to come to life here: the ‘taste of your lips’, and ‘uncertainty’. The trumpets supply the percussive power, while the violins create a beautiful lush undertone. I decided on less vibraphone than usual, because it’s difficult to make it sound ‘sexy’, and I wanted to capture the infamous Britney.

Beyonce 'If I Were A Boy'

“Everything you had got destroyed”

The grass always appears greener. It’s in our minds to wonder about the other side of things, and understand them better. It’s a beautiful song, one I was excited to arrange, and capture that emotion.

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Released in October 2008 by Beyonce, I always like a song that is soft and gentle. Since the orchestra is all acoustic instruments, I find that soft pieces translate perfectly to this medium.

The lyrics are strong. The guitars aren’t overbearing, and Beyonce’s vocal performance is perfect for a flute.

The flutes play the main melody throughout, which I felt were the perfect match because it called for a haunting whisper. The horns embellish the undertones a little, to add a gentle effect similar to The Ramone‘s orchestra arrangement. I slowed down the tempo a bit because I really wanted the notes to breathe. Things are more powerful when taken slowly and softly, and it worked.

Until recently, I used to go through life digesting past regrets. Things like I should have lived on campus in college. Traveled to Oxford, moved to Florida, protected my ear, became a mechanical engineer. The whole idea that things would have been so much better if I had done this, or that. I’ve learned to let that go, although it’s deeper than it sounds – it took years. But I’ve learned things always work out. Sometimes we don’t know the answer for years.

This song is about regret, and wondering why people do things. It’s about living and learning, being a better person, and hoping others do the same. It’s what life is about. And just when you think everything in life got destroyed, you remind yourself that nothing got destroyed at all. Rather, you grew from the experience. And the idea of growing from experience doesn’t mean anything got destroyed. Instead it means something more powerful and smarter is being built.

“Stay hurtable. Stay Human. Stay Open. It’s always worth it” – John Mayer

And continue to grow.

“I can’t control my fingers I can’t control my toes”

The Ramones rock. I wanted to slow this piece down and really make every note whisper. Here it is:

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I wrote about Chris Weingarten before. He’s awesome, he’s passionate, and he’s loud. So I asked him what his favorite song was, and he replied I Wanna Be Sedated. And that’s when I thought “How cool would THAT be!”

I heard an arrangement last week that changed my entire way of approaching things. Rather than the arrangement being a perfect translation of the uptempo pop song, the composer made it a slow, melodic, beautiful, and lush sounding piece. When I thought about the Ramone’s for orchestra, I thought about capturing this feeling.

It’s a beautiful piece of music when slowed down. I feel that being in an altered state is a very melodic, and peaceful thought – and I wanted to capture those feelings within this piece. The percussion was used to accent rather than excite. The horns held long, shallow notes so to add to the smoothness. The flutes whistle on top of the arpeggiated oboe section to add texture. And the violins whisper the lyrics in this slow, subtle piece, right up to the final note. I’ve learned that silence is more powerful than roars. And this piece has that attitude and power.

A few weeks ago, I spoke with my good friend David Weiss about changing up my pieces, and he agreed I should too. I don’t want every piece to be a perfect translation, note for note, tempo for tempo, line for line. I want to completely morph, create, break down and rebuild the pieces we love. I want to create music that wasn’t it’s original intention. Art has always been about creating new forms of previous works, and new ideas based off of previous influences. Dramatic changes allow us to see things from a new perspective. I hope this arrangement captures that desire.

“Don’t really wanna make it tough, I just wanna tell you that I had enough.”

N’Sync is one of the biggest bands of the late 90′s. And with reason, their music is awesome. Yep, there – I said it. A classical composer claims the greatness that is N’Sync. So when I was thrilled to receive so many requests for ‘Bye Bye Bye’. Here it is:

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Doing dance tracks like Lady Gaga, MGMT, or even The Cure are tons of fun. I’ve been wanting to arrange N’Sync for weeks, and am thrilled how this turned out. The lyrics were different than the other songs. Its a piece about leaving, rather than wanting. And there’s beauty in that, because sometimes leaving creates new beginnings – whether in relationships, careers, or anything.

When arranging NSync, I really wanted to capture the vocal harmonies that you often hear within their songs. As a result, I really enjoyed having the woodwinds and strings harmonize the lines similar to Timberlake’s or Lance Bass’ voice. JC Chasez also performed on BT’s Somnambulist – which I arranged too.

Similar to the original, the arrangement starts with the violins, and I use the horns in or to accent the downbeat of each measure while the flutes perform. The strings build the tension within the ‘Bye Bye Bye’ chorus, and I wrote in pizzicato strings to create the calm before the final chorus.

“Don’t Stop Believin”

Of all the songs I’ve heard in my life, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin” was one that I just couldn’t wait any longer to arrange for orchestra.

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This arrangement took a lot of different turns. I originally had the xylaphones performing the opening chord progression, which the piano plays in the original, but then settled on having the strings perform it. I also wanted the strings to breathe, and sway more throughout the piece as opposed to my previous arrangements.

I believe a big part of the success of this piece is the drums. Not only the drum rhythm, but leaving out the drums for the first minute. It’s similar to how I feel about the drums in the Kings of Leon song. It’s all about building suspense and not throwing everything at the listener all at once.

The wind section also plays a big part in this arrangement, as I have them perform the verse before the last chorus. Overall, I’m thrilled with the ending.

Formed in 1973, Journey released this song in 1981 on their CD Escape, and it went on to broaden their fanbase explosively – having even become the most downloaded song on iTunes.

The lyircs are beautiful, because it’s always important to remember in the tough times to keep on going. And the band name is quite fitting, because I always say that life is all about the Journey from adventure to adventure.

You just have to keep your head up high. And that’s worth believing.

“You know you can’t keep letting it get you down”

The lyrics in this piece are amazing. A good arrangement isn’t only about the music you hear, it’s about the lyrics you feel. So this week is OK GO, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out:

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OK GO is also known for their treadmill music video, but they actually first came on to the scene in 2002 out of Chicago.

I love the lyrics in this piece. Ironically, today was a horrible day, and I kept remembering the lyrics “when tomorrow comes.” Life is about struggle, and learning as you grow. Perhaps one of the most important things you can learn is to relax, and to wonder “in 10 years, will you remember today’s negativity.”

I wanted this arrangement to perfectly mimic the video, which was so wonderfully done. In fact, I would have loved to have been part of it, looked like an awesome experience.

My arrangement started with the xylaphone, which was in the original recording, which then built to the full orchestra performing the first chorus. I bring in violin pizzicato to create the continual sense of “tension and release”, and utilize the orchestra chimes to play the vibraphone part that Damien Kulash plays for the chorus. For the final chorus I made sure to have the violins play the xlaphone part from the original recording, which gives it the triumphant feel I was looking for. Quite fitting, because the OK GO video, in itself, is a true achievement!

Check out OK Go’s new album “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky” here

Awesome job by James Frost, Syyn Labs, OK Go and Mindshare. Produced by Shirley Moyers. Can’t wait until the next creation!

“Take me on / I’ll be gone in a day or two”

Regarded as one of the most memorable music videos ever, ‘Take on Me’ didn’t just introduce us to new video techniques, but is also one of the most memorable songs of all time. I couldn’t wait to arrange this amazing piece for orchestra, and so here it is:

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This song by Aha is one of only a handful of others I couldn’t wait to do. The video is absolutely gorgeous, and “Take On Me” has lyrics that inspire.

I kept thinking about the words “I’ll be gone in a day or two”, and how this composition, to me, is about wanting something, and going after it. To go through life, it’s important to remember the words “one day we’ll all be dead” – because it’s that mindset that makes you want something, and go after it. Dreams are meant to be chased, and lived. We all have our own purpose in life, and they are things that we should ‘take on’ and fight for them

The thought that things are worth having and chasing after makes sense when you consider that we may all be gone in a day or two. Its the only thing that is constant. The more things change the more they stay the same, because one thing is for certain – that if it scares you, then do it. Because we’re not here forever, and if you’re passionate about something, then it’s worth fighting for.

“I hope it’s gonna make you notice / Someone like me”

I first heard about Kings of Leon about a year ago, but it wasn’t until recently that my friend Katie introduced me to them more in depth, and Jeff Pulver mentioned them to me, too. I heard this composition, the lyrics, the drum beat, and was hooked. So I’m thrilled to have arranged it this week:

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We’re all looking for something. We’re looking for our friends, people who understand us, a career we’re crazy about, and somebody to love us back. Sometimes it can feel like a lonely world, and we’ve all been there. We could use somebody to help us along the way, listen to us, hold our hand, and be a part of who we are and our lives.

Life is a learning process. It is something that brings us joy, understanding, desperation, growth, passion, and thought. I feel these lyrics capture our cries to be wanted. This piece speaks volumes, and each musician has a key role that I love in this piece:

1.) Keeping the drums out in the first verse. It builds tension, and allows the piece to grow rather than hitting it’s climactic moment too soon.

2.) The bass line in the second verse. It s perfect syncopated passage that compliments the drum pattern. Breaking away from simple ‘whole notes’ created a sense of movement, and freshness.

3.) The lyrics “Someone like you and all you know and how you speak” leading into the second half of the first verse. It hints at the lyric that enters the chorus, and creates uniformity throughout the piece.

4.) The guitar part underneath the last chorus.

This carefully crafted composition allowed the flutes to introduce the verse perfectly while the trumpets performed the chorus. Last week when I arranged the Foo Fighters, I was told I didn’t bring out Dave Grohl’s drums enough – so I was happy to bring them out more here.

Congrats to KOL on their role at the 2010 Grammy Awards. I hope I was able to capture the beauty of this piece within the orchestra.

“And I wonder… if anything could ever be this good again”

Often times a song is powerful to the point that it makes you think, it makes you move, all while leaving you still. The Foo Fighters ‘Everlong’ is one of those compositions, and I was excited to give it it’s due:

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Released in August of 1997, this song was the product of Dave Grohl – the drummer from Nirvana and frontman of Foo Fighters.

I remember when I was younger I had 2 friends that I saw every day. Every single day I went over, built things, created drawings, imaginary videogames, and just relaxed in my own reality of enjoying every minute of it. We created worlds with our minds, and everything was new. Then we went off to high school, and I always missed those days, looking back thinking ‘will things ever be the same again?’. Will I ever grow like that again, meet new people that understand me and support me, and continue to be interested in the interesting.

The lyrics and composition as a whole made for an enjoyable orchestral arrangement. The lyrics particularly spoke volumes to me, because as a musician, I get my inspiration from wondering. I think all day. I dream a lot, I hope a lot, I learn alot. This orchestration has the softness in the winds that introduce those words. I wanted the winds to be the spotlight presence in this arrangement because their beauty was the perfect fit for the aggression behind Dave Grohl’s voice and meaning.

As a musician, it isn’t enough to write music, or arrange it – because then I fell I’m missing the purpose of what makes us who we are. As a musician, at the core, you’re an artist, a thinker, and a creator. But most of all, a communicator. And that’s what intrigues me about this piece. It means something to me because it communicates something to us all.

It’s not until we lose things do we recognize their importance and fortune in our lives, and think “will things ever be this good again”. But I’ve grown to realize that all things come full circle. And that’s worth wondering.

“The microphone explodes, shattering the molds”

When met with a challenge, I usually accept it head on. Bulls on Parade was no different, and I’m thrilled with the result:

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This piece was released in 1996 by Rage Against the Machine (RATM), a Los Angeles band, and part of their 2nd studio album “Evil Empire”

RATM even beat out America Idol for the UK’s Christmas Song. This shows two things – the power of the internet community, and the lasting effects of RATM.

This piece was very difficult to arrange for orchestra – perhaps the most difficult one I’ve done. The reason for this is because of Zack De La Rocha’s rapping. When a vocalist raps, then it’s difficult to determine the exact pitch and translate it to orchestra. Another problem I was up against was the power chords that were used throughout the piece. Generally, power chords don’t always translate easily for orchestra, but I tended to do well with this, while still adding some harmonies.

‘Bulls on Parade’ is one of my favorite songs ever, by a band that heavily influenced my music. This piece is aggressive, and I wanted to capture that emotion, so I added the snare drum to give it the ‘military’ feel. The lyrics are powerful, so I made sure to have the instruments scream the words, while still maintaining the beauty and structure of the orchestra. In addition, I added lots of brass – trumpets, horns, and gave the famous Tom Morello guitar solo to the xylophone.