WHAT IS THIS COURSE SERIES? 

 

The proliferation of samples and sophisticated VI tech is awesome, and it makes hi-quality music created with orchestral sounds accessible to many people and projects. This is great! But in much of the VO (virtual orchestra) music I hear (including mine), I often hear flatness and staleness. Static, mechanical parts that just don't feel… alive. Don't feel authentic or… real? I mean, they SOUND like real sounds, but the way those real sounds are put together sounds FAKE. And the end result is that I am not very emotionally compelled by the music.  
 

There are aspects of VI produced music that make this inherently challenging. The sampling is typically capturing sound ELEMENTS, or shall we say, nice sound ingredients, but they still need to be put together in a musical way. Working with software at a computer can draw us out of a musical performance flow and feel very impersonal. With sample libraries and modern music technology, we have all the INGREDIENTS we need to make and perform great music. So how do we do it?  

 

In this new course series, "Bringing Virtual Orchestra Music to Life", I hope to share principles, techniques, and tricks I've learned over the last 17 years I've been composing with samples that can help you get your VO music to the next level. These course modules are crafted for composers at the intermediate-to-advanced end of the VO user spectrum. If you don't know basics of the tech and software, consider checking out some of my other  "composer roadmaps" courses.  

 

This series is also focused on the ORCHESTRAL side of the virtual instrument spectrum, though the principles should find application in many genres and in performing and programming many types of instrument.  

 

WHAT IS THIS COURSE? 

 
Of all the common weaknesses in VO that music I hear, Non-dynamic, static music and musical parts/performances is probably the most common and fundamental "realism" issue I hear in VO music. But of course, it's not really a "realism" issue per se, it's a "it's not very musical" issue. Production quality issues like bad reverb or mic blending is not the biggest issue. Not even outdated or low-quality samples are the biggest issue, although of course leveling up in all these areas is going to be important.  
 
Since this is the most fundamental common weakness I hear, I think it makes sense to make the first module on the series center on these aspects.  

 

COURSE APPROACH AND LAYOUT 

 

The common lack of Musicality in the performance/programming of VI music is likely due to either (1) a weak understanding of performance and expression fundamentals, or (2) a weak understanding of how these principles translate to Virtual instruments in a MIDI/DAW environment (or some combination of the two).  

 

So the approach I've decided to take in this course has essentially three steps: 

 

(1) Start with reviewing REAL-LIFE, TRADITIONAL MUSICALITY AND PERFORMANCE PRICPLES (especially as found in classical, orchestral music)  

 

(2) Show how these timeless principles APPLY to virtual instruments in a MIDI/DAW setting teach how to both PERFORM and PROGRAM compelling dynamic parts  
 
(3) YOU follow the exercises and assignments so the instruction is somewhat implemented into your skillset 

 

EXCERCISES and ASSIGNMENTS are KEY for Learning in this course 

I will be giving exercises for you to perform and program along the way that will hopefully ingrain certain principles and practices into your own work. I think a SIGNIFICANT degree of the learning potential for this course lies in doing the dynamic performing and programming exercises YOURSELF, so how much this course benefits you is partly in your hands.  

 

Also, this course is focused on applying ORCHESTRAL performance traditions to ORCHESTRAL virtual music. This is my area of knowledge, and I think it's also a great foundation that has applications, to some degree, in every genre.  

 

COURSE END RESULT/GOAL 

My hope is that when you complete this course, your performance and programming skillsets have broadened, your general musically has been inspired and encouraged, and your confidence in your creative abilities increases because you go "hey, I KNOW how to make a nice climactic swell! I KNOW how to program a nice birds-eye. I KNOW how to make my keys and shorts parts sound better because I've actually DONE it, and I can do it in my own music." 
 
In the end, hopefully this instruction takes your music one step (or several steps) closer to the aunthentic, compelling, dynamic, and emotional music that you have in your heart and head.  

 
 
For support, questions, or feedback, you can message me inside Podia or you can email me here: support@fortecomposeracademy.com