I Think It Is All Done

All the final work is in for Arranging 3, the final course in the Berklee Arranging Certificate I’ve been working on this year. Since the arrangments for this term have been based on copyrighted material, I haven’t been in a position to post any clips. However, it has been a very good and humbling experience learning more detail about jazz arranging, particulary for horn sections. It was quite revealing to me, having worked sporadically on horn arrangments for 16 years, how much I did not know about blending horns and creating textures with the voicing of horn parts. It also gives me newfound respect for friends like Spike Mason and John Langley who do this (and to be frank far more demanding versions of this) for a vocation.

There is no doubt that the Berklee courses have crept into the solo album work and in many ways slowed it up. On the production side I am working much better, but have had to climb new technological hurdles. On the writing and playing side there has been a fair bit of “one step forwards, two steps back” as I try to incorporate fresh ideas into existing material. There is also no doubt that I have played far less guitar this past year or so, something I look forward to rectifying in 2006. Also, I’ve come to realise that working in isolation is not the best approach for me.

But for now it is time to celebrate and be thankful for the chance to do a great course!