I recently took part in the InsideTheScore composing challenge and found it to be a worthwhile experience. The challenge gave me an opportunity to revisit my composition process and reinforce important concepts in orchestral writing.

Day 1: Laying the Foundation

• Mission: Develop a clear musical theme and establish the general structure.
• The defined parameters (intro, main idea, development, wind-down) provided clarity and direction. Referring to the Songwriting Sourcebook’s chord table helped in creating a solid chord progression that shaped the piece.
• I worked out initial ideas using pencil and guitar, capturing sketches with quick recordings on my phone.

Day 2: Orchestrating the Melody

• Mission: Assign the main theme to orchestral instruments for greater impact.
• Using Dorico to notate and then arranging in Logic, I split the melody across different orchestral sections. It was a useful reminder of how some software routines can become less familiar without regular use.

Day 3: Adding Depth with Harmony and Rhythm

• Mission: Build supportive harmonic and rhythmic layers beneath the main theme.
• I incorporated rhythm based on my guitar sketch and adapted the score using ensemble patches, which improved workflow. Planning textures and refining data was important in keeping the arrangement clear.
• On this day, I also created a table of parts for each section of the piece, centered around melody, chords, rhythms, and bass to help organize and clarify the roles of each element throughout the composition.

Day 4: Developing Counterpoint and Interaction

• Mission: Create a middle layer to interact with the melody.
• I shifted to a four-stave layout (melody, counter-melody, harmony, bass), focusing on getting the musical parts balanced using piano sounds. Removing problematic MIDI data was necessary to resolve some technical issues.

Day 5: Final Touches and Detailing

• Mission: Add percussion and color instruments for a finished, cohesive sound.
• After introducing percussion and adjusting mix elements, I exported and shared the completed piece.

Key Takeaways

• Having a complete sketch of melody and chords for the entire piece from the outset is crucial. This foundational step streamlines the process, gives structure to the work, and clarifies the direction for orchestration and development.
• Defined structure and planning are helpful throughout the process.
• Tools like chord tables and ensemble patches can streamline writing.
• Creating a table of parts for each section, focusing on melody, chords, rhythms, and bass, aids organization and clarity.
• Remove all unnecessary CC data from imported Dorico MIDI files (particularly CC #7 as it wreaked havoc on Spitfire BBCSO master volumes during Day 4).

Here’s the audio of the final version of the piece:

Here are the charts I put together for this project:

Big thanks to Oscar Osicki & his team at InsideTheScore for putting this challenge together.