Contemporary Orchestration: A Practical Guide to Instruments, Ensembles, and Musicians

Contemporary Orchestration: A Practical Guide to Instruments, Ensembles, and Musicians teaches students how to orchestrate for a wide variety of instruments, ensembles, and genres, while preparing them for various real-world professional settings ranging from the concert hall to the recording studio. Unlike most orchestration texts, it includes coverage of contemporary instruments and ensembles alongside traditional orchestra and chamber ensembles.

Features

• Practical considerations: Practical suggestions for choosing a work to orchestrate, and what to avoid when writing for each instrument.
• Pedagogical features

• In the Profession: Professional courtesies, considerations and expectations.
• Building the Score: Step-by-step construction of an orchestration.
• Scoring Examples: Multiple scoring examples for each instrument.
• Exercises: Analyzing, problem solving, and creating orchestration solutions.
• Critical Thinking: Alternate approaches and solutions.

RJ Miller has composed, orchestrated, arranged, conducted, and/or produced recordings with the London Philharmonic and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and for such films as the digital re-release of the original The Last of the Mohicans and The Lost World. His credits appear on over 300 CDs, videos, film and television productions. His courses at the Metropolitan State University of Denver include Arranging and Orchestration, Arranging for Music Educators, and Scoring for Film and Television.