In the past, many notable songwriters have regarded the process of arrangement and orchestration as an additional layer of creativity best added to their music by others. Many would argue that engaging in arrangement / orchestration too early in the process of song creation can divert attention from the fundamentals of songwriting, and become a “prop” rather than an enhancement. The ubiquity of low-cost music creation software makes it easier than ever before to experiment with arrangement ideas, and in this module we compare and contrast different ways of using both technology and “real” instruments to add musical depth and texture to songs in a wide variety of genres, while encouraging students to experiment with novel and unfamiliar sound-palettes.
