iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

...and now I await your scores, if you should choose to take part this round. Here's to another amazing collection of great interpretations!

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I've wanted to orchestrate the movement (from Respighi's "6 Pieces for Piano") since the moment I heard it. My version was completed two days ago but tbh it's based on my first imaginings from that moment long ago, now scored out in full. I recorded my lesson covering that score yesterday morning...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

ORCHESTRATION CHALLENGE 2026 • RESPIGHI: NOTTURNO! FINALLY - a piece I've been wanting to platform in an orchestration challenge for several years! Check out the links in the video info for more details. youtu.be/pfbR3Kd8k6M

youtu.be

Orchestration Challenge 2026: Respighi's Notturno

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I'll be announcing the exact piece and full guidelines over the weekend, so stand by. All I can say for now is that it will not only be exquisite, but also a worthy challenge to interpret orchestrally. Stand by...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I've been wanting to introduce him and his extraordinary legacy of work to the O/O stage for over a decade, but the circumstances never quite aligned along my projected activities on the channel and in the community. Now, hopefully, this represents the first step in making up for his absence.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

RESPIGHI REVEALED AS 2026 CHALLENGE COMPOSER! Hi everyone! As I'm organising the guidelines and putting the finishing touches on MY version of the 2026 Orchestration Challenge entry, I thought I'd tease the composer to whom we'll be paying homage: Ottorino Respighi!

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This is going to be a more low-key affair than the last couple challenges. I won't be able to evaluate 172 entries like last time. Probably 50-60 will be my limit. I'll have to ask support on Patreon this time around from all participants - huge apologies to my websubs.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

2026 ORCHESTRATION CHALLENGE COMING SOON! Composer announced Thursday. Piece to orchestrate and guidelines released over the weekend. Deadline for completed entries: 15 November. You are going to love this exquisite score!

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Some organisation needs taking care of first...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Huge thanks once again to all my Buy Me a Coffee supporters and my Patreon crew. You're the best! ❤️

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

And how does all of this add up to a prepared orchestrator finally composing a worthwhile piece of music? Stay with me through to the coda, in which my impromptu talk summarises each thread into a useful, hopefully well-supported conclusion.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

...to early efforts, eventually abandoned or erased; to gaining perspective in different fields of music; and eventually coming home to find that my attempts to casually dip my creative toes into the water resulting in circumstances pushing me into the deepest part of the pool with a great splash.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

...that go into that moment in which a composer becomes an orchestrator, and scores something worth saving for the rest of their career? In this nice long chat, I talk about my own pathway; from the initial impetus of receiving my first orchestration manual for my 13th birthday...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

MORNING COFFEE: 5. PREPARING TO ORCHESTRATE (for the 1st time) A talk over a fat mug of hot chocolate that resonates perfectly with this month's Back-To-School theme. What are all the little bits and pieces of personal history, revelations, resources, and growth... youtu.be/OHULWdhdGCg

youtu.be

Morning Coffee: 5. Preparing to Orchestrate (for the 1st time)

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The end result can and should be the training of a composer whose individuality is unshakeable, yet whose imagination and craft are constantly growing and evolving.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The fact that he does so with such beauty of language and logic of delivery is in itself a work of art; but how he manages to do so with a complete perception of the history of composition while taking no artistic sides represents a way forward for education that's both refreshing and revolutionary.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Alan's words of wisdom cut through decades if not centuries of confusing pedagogical side-tracks and ivory-tower defensiveness to get to the heart of why we're all here as artists - to find our own voices, and create music that's captivating for the listener as well as fulfilling for its composer.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

ALAN BELKIN INTERVIEW Please join me for a conversation with a composer and educator whose potent resources have helped to shape the artistic outlook and training of hundreds - and now through YouTube and his connection to our community - many thousands of other composers. youtu.be/ylWNFnwMFKI

youtu.be

Alan Belkin Interview

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

...your orchestration immediately - and for the long term. Please join me for an overview of such works and composers as Mahler's Symphony no. 5 Adagietto, Holst's Planets, Schoenberg's 5 Pieces for Orchestra, Debussy's La Mer, and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition as orchestrated by Ravel.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

And just as important, in what order should you study them? With the complete public release of my Reading The Rite series earlier this month, and my Back-To-School week finally getting underway now, the timing is perfect to focus on listing and bookmarking resources that will improve...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

BACK-TO-SCHOOL DAY 2: COMPLETE ORCHESTRATION SERIES STUDY GUIDE By popular request - here's a complete guide of my entire catalogue of orchestration lessons and score analyses series. What makes these works essential for your study? youtu.be/qdl-UwYpA5s

youtu.be

Orchestration Series Study Guide

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

...and then start the playlist for 16 hours of deep deep information about possibly the greatest feat of orchestration ever composed.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Did you need to go to work today? Nah, forget it. Set up your smart TV for that beautiful big-screen clarity, stock up on the snacks, leave a Do Not Disturb note on the front door, turn off your phone...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

This brings together interviews, resources, and full-length analyses for each section that were Patreon-exclusive for the past decade - into the existing playlist which links many additional videos of other conductors' perspectives, like Bernstein, Craft, and Tilson Thomas.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK DAY 1: RELEASE OF COMPLETE RITE OF SPRING PLAYLIST! As promised yesterday, here's the full release of my very first orchestration analysis series breaking down Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

youtube.com

Reading the Rite - YouTube

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

There are a lot of things that MuseScore cannot yet do which prevent it from being the kind of app that can support my career of working with concert and film orchestras around the world. Sibelius does improve their product and used to be quite receptive to communication under Daniel Spreadbury.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

No Dorico-bro'ing please, thanks. Dorico (the existence of which is strongly supported by us top-level Sibelius users) has its issues as well. But this isn't the place to compare the two.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I appeal to anyone left at Sibelius who cares about engraving issues like this to rewrite the rules governing pickup bars to make this impossible in the future.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I've heard from so many pro section players who've dealt with scores in which the composer/orchestrator did not, in fact, catch this error - which only compounds in confusion when the inappropriate bar rest adds itself mindlessly onto a following multirest.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

SIBELIUS' BIGGEST TRAP! Sibelius (the notation app!) automatically generates a bar rest in a pickup bar when you add an instrument! Of course this can be fixed - IF you catch it! youtube.com/shorts/8KxZq...

youtube.com

Sibelius' Biggest Trap!

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

(a special thanks to all my followers here on BlueSky for all the recent likes, shares, and comments - you're a lovely audience!)

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

...in order not to compete with the 1sts. The balance is already built into the structure of the orchestra and the way the music is almost always scored. Here's why...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

NO, DON'T MARK 2ND VIOLINS SOFTER THAN 1STS! Setting a recent Facebook group question straight in no uncertain terms. No, one should never generally mark 2nd violin parts down, nor assume that the players will actively drop their dynamic down a full degree... youtube.com/shorts/Zmckb...

youtube.com

No, Don't Mark 2nd Violins Softer Than 1sts!

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Thanks to all my students for keeping the faith, and keeping me on track no matter how off-track I got over the years. This video is for you (and my awesome supporters on Buy Me a Coffee and Patreon).

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I hope to continue to share excerpts as I record them over the coming months, and let you know how the new courses will be hosted.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

...slowly working toward a release of three brass courses to follow up on the existing string and woodwind courses. Join me for a quick look at a few short excerpts played by Daniel Norris, who I recorded the last time I was in California.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

BEHIND-THE-SCENES BRASS ORCHESTRATION/TRUMPET DEMOS, Pt. 1 It's been 8 years since the release of my last macProVideo Orchestration Courses. But today, I can fully reveal the plans I set in motion last year: to start recording demos by some of the finest brass players I know... youtu.be/OrmH7nvdDD8

youtu.be

Behind-the-Scenes Brass Orchestration/Trumpet Demos Pt. 1

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Next month: Composing Your First Orchestral Works. I hope that you'll join me then as I talk about my own pathway, and those of other composers.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Huge thanks as always to my Patreon crew and my Buy Me A Coffee supporters. My head is a lot clearer today thanks to their help, patience, and kindness - and I feel like these Morning Coffee videos are starting to hit their stride.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

...while helping to confirm your sense of identity rather than threatening it. I hope that after watching this video, you set your sights on the unknown part of yourself that's yet to be created, and that you surprise yourself.

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

How can you be the most open to growth & change? Sometimes, it's to NOT think of everything you do as a masterpiece, or yourself as the greatest composer in the world. And sometimes, absorbing the works of a composer with a completely different voice can open new doors for you...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

MORNING COFFEE: 4. DEVELOPING YOUR OWN MUSICAL VOICE Some straight talk over a cuppa hot chocolate about key factors that either stimulate or slow down your progress as a developing composer - as well as help you to find your individual identity as an artist. youtu.be/Ka5q_CWvEzs

youtu.be

Morning Coffee: 4. Developing Your Own Musical Voice

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

...meeting a mysterious woman of the mountains, and getting his heart broken. Or is it? Was the poet actually just making a point about the silliness of chivalric romance? And who is Altridrudis of Autabris? Find out in this short-format preview of my recent Carmina Burana Score Analysis video!

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

CARMINA BURANA POCKET GUIDE VIIb. CB GOES TO FRANCE Orff often leaves out big chunks of text from his Carmina Burana source poems. Dies, Nox et Omnia isn't just about a young man pining for his lover - it's a part of a greater story about a Goliard traveling to France... youtube.com/shorts/PcNnU...

youtube.com

Carmina Burana Pocket Guide 7B: CB Goes to France

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

...(the shorts feature additional content to the highlights reel, not excerpted from it, so it's all worth watching). I even added an additional video on niente that I'd held back (slight transposition error on my part during the discussion, but not fatal, so watch out).

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Huge props to Reuven Herman for his sensitive conducting skills, and David Das and the Academy of Scoring Arts for organising the event. ❤️ This was enormous fun, and the players are some of the best studio musicians in Hollywood. If you haven't watched this yet, click above to watch the playlist...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

...and the scores of several brave and gifted composers, giving them live feedback with on-the-spot demos by the players on how to improve their craft. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

youtube.com

ASA Orchestration Challenge Highlights & Tips - YouTube

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

ASA CHALLENGE PLAYLIST UPDATED - NIENTE Pt. 2 RERELEASED! Thx to YouTube now allowing thumbnails on shorts videos, I'm currently going through all the Orchestration Online shorts & updating them. I came across this collection of fun little videos featuring me sitting down with a pocket orchestra...

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

If you've been putting off watching yesterday's release, then here's a quick taster plate for your edification. I always find these harmonic breakdowns to be enormous fun in crafting and editing - showing you visually what I hear mentally when looking at a page of score. Enjoy!

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Orchestration Online @orchestrationol.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

CARMINA BURANA POCKET GUIDE VIIa. ORFF'S QUINTAL HARMONY The most fascinating textural moment excerpted from my latest Carmina Burana Score Analysis video: a fully-diagrammed breakdown of the harmony from the baritone's vocal cadenza in Dies, Nox et Omnia. www.youtube.com/shorts/1RWK-...

youtube.com

Carmina Burana Pocket Guide 7A: Orff's Quintal Harmony

YouTube video by OrchestrationOnline

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