If your strings sound “MIDI”… it’s usually not your harmony. It’s not even your library. It’s how the music is written and programmed. You can have great ideas — and still end up with something that feels flat, mechanical, or fake. The good news? Realistic strings don’t come from one trick. They come from a few very specific decisions. Let’s break them down. 1. Write Idiomatically for Strings (This Changes Everything) One of the biggest mistakes in MIDI writing: stacking chor

On October 15, 2024, four of my talented VCU's composition students —Jason Leung, Aniyah Ricks, Austin Sellick, and Myles Black—took a...

Orchestration is a delicate art that involves not only choosing the right instruments but also blending them in a harmonious and balanced...