Musical Direction

Building the team, Programming, Arranging & Budgeting

Do You Need Musical Direction?

Are you working with an artist that is ready to take the next step and venture into doing shows with a live band? Whether it be for a headline show, industry showcase, tour of festival season I can help put a band together to meet the needs of your artist or work with an already established band to refine the sound, get the show on the road, in the right direction and make it to the desired musical destination.

Things I Do As A Musical Director
  • - Work to the brief of management/label
  • - Build a team of musicians and direct them
  • - Rehearse the band
  • - Arrange deps to fill in for any band members that can't make a show/multiple shows
  • - Create live arrangements of the artist’s songs
  • - Source stems/recreate stems from scratch
  • - Handle the programming for live playback/backing tracks
  • - Build a playback rig to meet the needs of the artist
  • - Create a dynamic set list and song order
  • - Arrange acoustic versions of songs for acoustic sessions
  • - Create budgets that work for all parties
  • - Manage the band diary ensuring that everyone is aware of shows with as much notice as possible
Building The Team

For some artists, choosing a band can be all about the look, all about the sound or all about the feel (or a combination of the three). I work with management/artist’s to bring musicians, engineers and tour managers onboard who meet the needs of the project (from their ability to execute their job well to their personalities - which is very important when you're on tour). The sound is always the most important part; however the look, vibe and team dynamic is also very important (especially if you’re going to be living with them on a tour bus for 2 months) so when building a team, I choose people who sound and look the part and can deliver both on and off the stage.

Programming

The use of live backing tracks in popular music is essential to allow the live performance to sound like the record, but with a live edge. I use the latest Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) and where possible, work with a sound engineer to get the best possible sound that will be consistent from show to show and venue to venue.

However with this said, I don’t believe that a band should be reliant on playback and one thing I’ve learned is that playback or no playback; the show MUST go on. When I work with a band I get each musician to cover as much of their parts as possible so they are performing and also so the show doesn’t just sound live but looks live too.

Arranging

While labels, managers and artists like to keep their music as true to the record as possible, it is often necessary to arrange the music in a way that gives the songs a live edge and excitement. This is done without changing the feel and (for all intents and purposes) remixing the song but rather, tailoring sounds, tweaking the arrangement and/or removing/adding parts. Every musical arrangement should serve the song which in turn serves the set making for a great live show.

Budgeting

I will work with you to create a budget for the musical side of the project that is in line with the stage the project is at whilst still meeting the needs of all parties involved. From gig fees to travel days and PD's (per diem) to any equipment that the artist needs to help deliver a great live show.

Onstage Branding

How many times have you been to a gig, seen an amazing support act but immediately forgotten their name? In this day and age, it takes more than great music to leave a lasting impression and in a time when branding is so important, it's hard to understand why artists don't brand their stages. Let me work with you to create a visually stimulating onstage branding experience. From Bass Drum Logo Heads and Neon Lights (in the name of the artist) to Album/Tour Branded Props, I can help you bring the artist's branding to the stage for maximum visual impact and bring life to every stage the artist sets foot on. In a time where what you see is just as important as what you hear, don't miss the opportunity to really WOW your audience!

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