The Decision-Making Skills of the Arranger

-In the broadest sense, composers arrange all the elements of music when creating a work. -Usually a composer with a blank canvas creates a totally new piece. -An arranger, by contrast, is a musician who reworks existing musical material. -adapt a composition written for one performing medium to another or recomposes a work to suit different circumstances. -The composer and the arranger manipulate sound in all its dimensions, but their roles are different.

Arranging Jazz Instrumentals -In jazz, songs written to be sung with lyrics and are commonly arranged as purely instrumental tunes. -Often, arrangers may simply drop the lyrics and assign the vocal line to a solo instrument.

***Activity*** Compare 3 versions of a classic jazz love song, “What’s New?” by Johnny Burke and Bob Haggart (lyrics on the next page) Benny Goodman version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dVjM3yxSmw Billie Holiday version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXiSZxIH1Xw J.J. Johnson version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrQfTmXImyc Compare the role of the voice in the Benny Goodman version with that in the arrangement sung by Billie Holiday. Even when there is no singer, as heard in the J.J. Johnson version, can you match the lyrics with the melody? How did each of the arrangers differ in their approach to the piece? Were they equally effective in expressing the mood? Which arrangement do you like better? Why?

What’s New Lyrics What's new How is the world treating you You haven't changed a bit Handsome as ever I must admit What's new How did that romance come through We haven't met since then Gee but it's nice to see you again What's new Probably I'm boring you But seeing you is grand And you were sweet to offer your hand I understand Adieu Pardon my asking what's new Of course you couldn't know I haven't changed I still love you so Adieu Pardon my asking what's new Of course you couldn't know I haven't changed I still love you so Read more: Linda Ronstadt - What's New Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Arranging for Marching Band -Marching bands relish the opportunity to perform football halftime shows for their fans. -In most cases, the music they play is arranged rather than composed specifically for a marching ensemble. -For an example, if a school decided to play Queen’s “We Are the Champions”, the rendition would probably be an arrangement because the original was composed for a rock band. Queen’s “We Are the Champions” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmd4OLzhQw0 FSU Marching Band Practice FSU Marching Band Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaYqbRJvJPo

Transcribing Music -The artistic involvement of the arranger can vary greatly. -Sometimes the arranger simply takes the exact notes of the composer and scores them for any combination of instruments or voices. -a mechanical process, but most often it presets the arranger with many challenging musical decisions. -usually these arrangements are called transcriptions because they are close to the original. -Transcriptions – arrangements of music transferred from one medium to another. -An example is taking a piano solo piece and scoring it with string, wind, and percussion instruments.

-today, this would violate copyright laws. -Transcriptions take many forms. In Europe during the Baroque era (1600-1750), composers borrowed freely from themselves and from one another. -today, this would violate copyright laws. ***Activity*** Which version of J.S. Bach is the most effective – the original or the transcription? J.S. Bach’s Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klh9GiWMc9U John P. Paynter’s transcription of J.S. Bach’s Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major (actually in B flat): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO0UluB6SJA -How does the arrangement for band differ from the organ original? -Which do you think is musically more effective? Why? -Is it likely that you would typically hear both the original and the transcription in the same setting? Why or Why not?