Professional Arranging

What is “professional arranging” and when might I want it?

Suppose you wanted to hire a string section to play on one of your songs. You have an idea in your imagination of how it sounds but you’re not sure how to write the idea in musical notation or which string instruments should play the part. To help make your string dream a reality, you may consider hiring a professional arranger to be the bridge between your imagination and the players. An arranger takes your idea, transcribes it into musical notation, and writes parts that are appropriate for the instruments you want. Again, the combinations and possibilities are as free an open as your imagination!

What is my experience as a professional arranger?

For the last twenty years I have written hundreds of musical arrangements in a broad variety of contexts. These include symphony orchestra, choir, wind orchestra, string quartet, string and horn arrangements for pop and folk pieces, and many, many more. Please listen and see the samples below.

Once the arrangement is complete, where do we find the musicians to play the parts?

Unless you have specific musicians you’d like to use, I know many great musicians in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and the surrounding area that will suit the needs of your arrangement. I work closely with Hills Audio, Kabby Sound, and Kitchen Sink Studios and if I can’t find a musician you need, they can!

How much does it cost?

Base fee for an arrangement is $150. This includes a full musical score for up to two instruments. Each additional instrument is $50. So a string quartet would cost $250. Once the arrangement is complete, the artist assumes ownership of the sheet music. In other words, if your song with my horn arrangement goes to number 1 on the charts, I won’t come chasing you down for royalties. Put in a good word for me though! Lastly, if I am asked or required to supervise and/or conduct the performance of an arrangement in a recording studio, my services cost $20 an hour.