MusicalWriters.com Hosts TECH WEEK: Specialized Classes on Industry Standard Script-Writing, Notation znd Music Production Software

CEO Holly Reed of MusicalWriters.com is proud to announce Tech Week! Learn the basics as well as advanced tips and tricks in industry-standard music notation, script writing and music production software.

The MusicalWriters.com Tech Week Masterclasses cover the most popular software options for playwriting, composing, arranging, and music production. Here's a breakdown:

For Beginners / Overviews:

Comparing Music Notation Software

Mon., April 26 at 7pm ET

Explore the setup, functions, and pros and cons of the three most widely-used music notation software programs.

Join us for a survey and comparison of the most popular and powerful music notation applications on the market today. These programs allow you to translate your musical ideas from your imagination to the physical or digital page, and ultimately to the stage and beyond! We'll look at the main features of Finale, Sibelius, and Dorico and compare them in terms of setup, learning curve, ease of use, accessibility, popularity, and price. Then we'll open the session to Q&A to help you make decisions as to which platforms are right for you, your collaborators, and your projects.

Instructor: Andy Grobengieser
Andy is a New York City-based music director and creative professional with wide-ranging industry experience in: music supervision, music directing, conducting, piano/keyboards, music transcription, music copying, arranging, orchestration, and music technology.

As a theater musician and conductor, Andy has held regular positions on Broadway with KING KONG (associate conductor/keys, ) Disney's ALADDIN and THE LITTLE MERMAID (assistant conductor/keys), GROUNDHOG DAY (assistant conductor/keys), GHOST (associate conductor/keys/music technology), and Elton John's LESTAT (associate conductor/keys). Additionally, Andy has traveled the U.S. with a number of major national tours, including Disney's THE LION KING (associate conductor/keys), SHREK the Musical (musical director/conductor), and most recently, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (musical director/piano). He has also performed as a part-time musician in a number of Broadway pit orchestras over the past decade: SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, THE LAST SHIP, NEWSIES, LES MISERABLES, THE FULL MONTY, A CHORUS LINE, and DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, among others.

Andy has been an arranger and engraver for Hal Leonard Corporation, the world's largest publisher and distributor of printed and digital sheet music, since 2001. His arrangements appear in hundreds of best-selling pop, rock, country, and R&B sheet music folios and songbooks, and he recently created the official vocal selections books for Broadway shows MOULIN ROUGE, JAGGED LITTLE PILL, FROZEN, BEETLEJUICE, and THE BAND'S VISIT.

Andy's experience in music technology incorporates all major software platforms- Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Sibelius, Finale, Ableton Live, and Reason. He also has deep experience integrating music technology into live theatrical contexts (for example, Ableton Live at Broadway's GHOST and GROUNDHOG DAY).

Andy also has a deep academic background, having achieved his Masters' Degree and subsequent PhD work at The University of Texas-Austin, three years of experience on the adjunct music theory faculty at PACE University, and has served as a contributor to several academic textbooks.

Beginner's Guide to Final Draft

Tues., April 27 at 7pm ET

Using Final Draft script-formatting software streamlines setting up and writing your script and ensures your submissions are professional and easily-read. Learn the basic elements of Final Draft, how to get started with a template, and how to specifically format for musicals. Want to try Final Draft? Click here for a free trial.

BONUS! Included with this class is a free copy of our MusicalWriters Final Draft Template.

Instructor: Holly Reed
Holly Reed is the owner and Creative Director of Reed Creative Group, an advertising and design studio, and MusicalWriters.com, an online resource and community to equip and encourage musical theatre writers. She wrote music and lyrics for "That's What Friends Do" (along with husband/composer Kelvin Reed) for Girlhood the Musical (CPA Theatricals). Holly and Kelvin also wrote the grade school musical Camp McAuliffe and the upcoming TRUE NORTH: A MAGICAL NEW HOLIDAY MUSICAL. Holly is also a vocalist, actor, music director and performance coach. She is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild.

Comparing Digital Audio Workstations

Wed., April 28 at 7pm ET
Most demos these days are made using digital instruments, and it's not as hard as you might think (I actually think it's FUN!). In this class, you'll learn the pros, cons, costs and features of GarageBand, Logic Pro, ProTools, Ableton and Cubase to help you choose which setup is best for you.

Explore the setup, functions, and pros and cons of the most widely-used Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs).

Time to start recording! Whether you're assembling a big recording project or laying down your first demo, you need to know the tools of the trade. In this class we'll examine several of the most popular and powerful DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) in use today. We'll look at the main features of GarageBand, Logic Pro, Ableton, Pro Tools, and Cubase, comparing them in terms of setup, learning curve, ease of use, accessibility, popularity, and price. Then we'll open the session to Q&A to help you make decisions as to which platforms are right for you, your collaborators, and your projects.

Instructor: Andy Grobengieser (see bio above)

Finale: Templates & Shortcuts

Thurs., April 29 at 7pm ET
Create standard fonts, chord libraries, articulation sets and dynamic markings to make your scores ready to be read by any Broadway pit or symphony orchestra. These templates will be flexible enough to accommodate any setting and allow for your personal flair to shine through in your sheet music.

Learn how to use Finale shortcuts and create industry-standard musical theatre templates to help maximize your workflow and minimize setup.

Create standard fonts, chord libraries, articulation sets and dynamic markings to make your scores ready to be read by any Broadway pit or symphony orchestra. These templates will be flexible enough to accommodate any setting and allow for your personal flair to shine through in your sheet music. Want to try Finale? Click here to get a 30-day free trial.

Instructor: Conor Keelan
Conor Keelan is an award-winning orchestrator, arranger, music director and guitarist based out of NYC. His arrangements have been played by orchestras and bands around the world and sung by Patti LaBelle, Jon Batiste, Jessie Mueller, and Alice Ripley among others. Select credits include: (TV/Streaming) Encore!, Pride & Prejudice, Estella Scrooge (B'Way) A Bronx Tale (Off-B'Way) The Pout-Pout Fish, Merrily We Roll Along, Painted Alice. In addition to theatre, Conor is a producer for rock and folk bands as well as the orchestrator for the American Pops Orchestra.

Sibelius: Templates & Shortcuts

Thurs., April 29 at 7pm ET

Walk through some of Sibelius' most useful features, and learn how to best lay out a score for musical theatre. You'll also learn more advanced ways to increase productivity in Sibelius.

Learn how to use Sibelius shortcuts and create industry-standard musical theatre templates to help maximize your workflow and minimize setup.

In the first half of this class, Cynthia will provide a general introduction and overview on the notation software Sibelius - a walk-through of some of its most useful features, and how to best lay out a score for musical theatre. In the second half of this class, she'll show some slightly more advanced ways to increase productivity in Sibelius. All skill levels are welcome! (Want to try Sibelius? Click here for a free trial.)

Instructor: Cynthia Meng
Cynthia is a New York-based music director and pianist. Broadway: Company (2020 revival) and Hadestown. Other recent favorites: The Last Five Years (Out of the Box Theatrics), We're Gonna Die (Second Stage), Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Frozen (1st National Tour), Moulin Rouge! (Emerson Colonial), In The Green (Lincoln Center Theatre), Lempicka (developmental lab), Witness Uganda (Wallis Annenberg Center). As a composer, she has been featured at 54 Below and NYMF. She also moonlights as a software engineer.

Logic Pro: Templates & Shortcuts

Thurs., April 29 at 8:45pm ET
By creating proper signal routing, gain structure and naming conventions, you will be ready to make professional-sounding demos almost immediately. The basics of EQ, compression, reverb buses and other sends will also be covered so you can feel empowered to make good choices for your mix.

Create a template for any genre or recording that will cut down on set-up time. Also learn helpful shortcuts and plug-ins!

By creating proper signal routing, gain structure and naming conventions, you will be ready to make professional-sounding demos almost immediately. Basics of EQ, compression, reverb buses and other sends will also be covered so you can feel empowered to make good choices for your mix. Will be done using entirely native plugins with some recommendations for third-party apps! Want to try Logic Pro? Click here for a free 90-day trial.

Instructor: Conor Keelan (see bio above)

Creating Successful Virtual Recordings

Sat., May 1 at 2pm ET
Learn how to make a track sound unified when everyone one has recorded in different spaces and with various levels of gear. We'll also cover helpful equipment and apps, mixing and mastering tips, and how to orchestrate in Logic using loops, plugins, and more.

Learn how-to's and best practices for creating successful virtual recordings for a musical theatre demo, album, or concert.

Topics include:

• How does this even work?
• Getting organized
• How to make a track sound unified when everyone one has recorded in different spaces with various levels of gear
• Helpful gear/apps
• Mixing and Mastering tips
• Orchestrating in Logic (loops, plug-ins, etc.)
• Instructor: Julie McBride

Julie McBride was most recently the music director of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob Squarepants on Broadway, the Tony Award winning play INK at Manhattan Theatre Club, Head Over Heels (with music by the Go-Go's), music director and conductor for Unknown Soldier at Playwrights Horizons, and the music supervisor for Miss You Like Hell at the Public Theatre. Other Broadway credits include: Pretty Woman (associate conductor), Amazing Grace (associate conductor) Finding Neverland (assistant conductor). Off Broadway/Regional credits include: Miss You Like Hell (La Jolla Playhouse), Next To Normal (Second Stage), Deathless (Goodspeed), Daddy Long Legs (9 regional productions) and These Paper Bullets! (Atlantic Theatre Company, Yale Rep).

MusicalWriters.com is a site dedicated to helping artists learn more about how to write a musical and get it produced. This site exists to encourage, equip and build a community of musical theatre writers, composers and lyricists.

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