composing Archives | MusicalWriters.com

Get to Know: Joey Contreras

MusicalWriters chats with songwriter Joey Contreras, featured speaker at our upcoming 2023 Festival in Fort Worth, TX.

Easily Sell Sheet Music Online With ArrangeMe

The ArrangeMe program allows musical writers to self-publish and sell original sheet music online, as well as legal arrangements of copyrighted songs.

Writing Songs for Villains: An Interview with Stephen Schwartz

Sometimes we must put ourselves in the shoes of the “baddy” to create Villain songs—at least that’s what Stephen Schwartz does—and loves it!

What Music Preparation Is & Why You Need It

The piano vocal score is paramount and ought to be given the same attention in preparation as the script of your musical. Without a properly formatted piano vocal score, you risk losing valuable time, money, and resources.

How Opening Numbers Reveal a World or Launch the Story

Carol de Giere and Stephen Schwartz discuss the importance (and challenge) of constructing successful opening numbers — and offer a few tips!

How Musicals Make the Most of Time: Montage, Backstory, Memories, and Ticking Clocks

Today’s musicals journey through time with concentrated stories and employ devices like montages, backstory, and ticking clocks to keep audiences engaged.

How Musicals Make the Most of Time – A Conversation with Stephen Schwartz

Carol de Giere and Stephen Schwartz explore how musicals convey time through backstory, memories, and compressed action.

Orchestrating a New Musical: The Wind Section

The musical theatre orchestra wind section includes both woodwind and brass instruments and can be used to provide color, texture, and a big band jazz sound.

Orchestrating a New Musical: The Rhythm Section

The rhythm section of a musical theater orchestra is usually defined as the keyboards, guitars, drum kit, and bass. Travis Frank discusses how this section keeps the rhythm and groove throughout numbers and how best to write for this versatile group of musicians.

Institute for American Musical Theatre Offers Online Courses for Writers

New York City’s Institute for American Musical Theatre “Creators” program has announced a diverse array of online courses in musical theater writing for the 2020-21 season. (MEMBER PERK: Members of MusicalWriters Academy are eligible to receive a $50 discount on each course!)