Is an original composition the perfect gift with which to celebrate your grandparents’ golden wedding anniversary? Maybe you require a rousing anthem to open your college graduation ceremony? Perhaps you’d like some romantic piano to ripple away for wedding music as you make you entrance? Or is some subtle underscoring for your original musical theatre piece what you’re after? Craig Smith Music prides itself in providing you with exactly the mood that your situation requires through or composition service.
Background
Craig graduated from the world-famous Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts with a First Class Honours degree in 2007. A large part of this degree was in composition and arranging, at the time specialising as a composer in musical theatre.
Since then, back in Preston, Lancashire, he has received several commissions as a composer and in arranging in theatre and film. These include an offer of work in the US. A thriving north west based tuition practise saw Craig turn down a move to the US, but UK composition commissions still form part of his portfolio of work as a freelance professional musician.
As a composer, Craig specialises in small commissions for special events and occasions such as parties, weddings and funerals, working closely with the family or organisers to embody their ideas in his music. The majority of such composition commissions are for solo piano, but others have ranged from pieces for solo cello through to brass orchestra and modern jazz bands.
Commissioning a Composition
Having a special composition written just for you obviously involves a lot of communication between the commissioner and the composer. Each commission works differently, but all have four similarities:
Guide Material: Most commissioners have a style, composer or even piece in mind. These are almost always used by the composer as ‘guide material’ when composing your music. Such material will help us to understand what you are aiming for.
Instrumentation: The next consideration is the instrument or instruments you wish to use. This may be determined by the guide material, but more often than not is more specific to the event. People quite often have in mind a certain musician or instrument or band for their wedding, for example, and theatre music compositions are often limited by either the space in the theatre, or the combination of instruments already being used in the show.
Discussion: The final third of the circle is completed when discussing the event. It’s of paramount importance that your composer understands the mood that needs to be created, so tell us as much as possible about the occasion for which we’re writing: the people involved, the building it’s in, the story of the show or the story of the people the piece is intended as a gift for. How long should the composition be? Are there any themes?
Relaxation: In the knowledge that you know exactly what style is being written, for which instruments, and that it’s being written with all of the background to the occasion in mind, all you need do now is relax and wait to hear the finished piece.
Arrangements of poplar songs of pieces
Arrangements are not original compositions, but are rewritten versions of an already existing piece of music or song. It is possible for a good arranger to arrange practically any style of music and instrumentation into any other style with totally different instruments. Examples of recent arrangements carried out by Craig include a guitar trio version of Pachelbel’s Canon in D, a score of a well-known musical theatre piece reduced to five instruments (saving the producers the fees for eight further musicians), and even a smooth jazz version of an American stadium rock track.
Since there is no time required to first write the piece of music, it is often a cheaper option to hire an arranger than having an original piece written. One romantic soul recently asked for a version of his fiancée’s favourite Michael Buble song to be included as a surprise addition to the set of the string quartet they had booked; he couldn’t stretch to having an original composition written for her, but if anything using her favourite song was perhaps an even better option!
Songwriting
Although Craig is not himself a songwriter, he has enjoyed successful collaborations with lyricists on previous projects in several styles and genres. Some of the songwriters with whom Craig has worked are award winning and have some of the very top training around. They can, of course, be called upon to be involved in your project, but would be commissioned separately under their own name.
How to get in touch
If you are interested in commissioning a composition or arrangement for your event or occasion, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. The more time we have to discuss your needs and to complete the process, the better the finished product will be. Be sure to include any guide material and specifics as listed above in the 'Commissioning a Composition' section. These will help us to give you an accurate quote.
If there are any questions you’d like to ask, please do. All of the contact details can be found below.
A quick summary of Craig Smith Music's composition and arranging service:
- Experience gained as a composer and arranger from training under top-class names in composition and arranging, with a First Class Honours degree in music from a top performing arts institution.
- Based in Preston, Lancashire, and available to the entire North West and throughout the UK.
- Successful history as a composer and arranger for theatre music and musical theatre shows.
- Small one-off commissions for occasions such as weddings and similar celebrations are a speciality.
- Craig composes to your requirements, using your ideas and suggestions, and discussions about the history behind your event, not simply the event itself.
- All types of composition catered for: styles from classical through jazz to rock, all instruments from solo piano to ensembles like brass or string orchestras and pop bands
- Unique arrangements of favourite songs available to suit the mood of your event; perhaps your future mother-in-law feels your favourite heavy metal track be better played by a string quartet on your big day!
- Past collaborations with award-winning songwriters mean they can be easily brought on-board for your project.