Michael AllenJul 31, 2017Striving for balance with hornsAnother curious Richard Strauss quote "If you can just barely hear the (French) horns on stage, the balance is perfect." Strauss clearly...
Michael AllenJul 30, 2017Go ahead - look at the trombonesRichard Strauss famously quipped "Don't look at the trombones; it only encourages them." It is an ironic observation coming from a...
Michael AllenJul 29, 2017All about that bassThe notes are all entered into your score template - now what? Of course, the possibilities are nearly endless and there is no one right...
Michael AllenJul 28, 2017Getting startedAs I wrote in Arrangement, Orchestration or Transcription, when scoring for brass I prefer to work from keyboard music. Even when doing a...
Michael AllenJul 27, 2017First impressionsMusicians spend years in solitude learning to perfect their craft, and are rightfully protective of what comes out of the horn. Musicians...
Michael AllenJul 26, 2017Choosing a projectNever being one to shy away from difficult projects, in 1978 I set out to make a version of Toccata and Fugue for my brass playing...