ARRANGING 102
Jazz Styles From New Orleans To Now
Course Overview
Knowing a couple of arranging techniques is one thing but understanding which is suitable for a given context is a completely different ball game. Since the inception of jazz there have been dozens of styles created, each having unique characteristics and sounds which define them. In this 10 week course we cover all of the major jazz styles created in the 20th century, unpacking the relevant characteristics and techniques so that you can capture them authentically in your own writing. While it is not necessary to have taken the Arranging 101 course, the curriculum in this course is a direct continuation and makes use of the terminology and content discussed in A101. Every session is taught live through Zoom with Toshi Clinch, an experienced arranger who will answer your questions and guide you through each topic. If you can’t make a session don’t worry, each live Zoom is recorded and sent out to participants afterward so you can catch up or look over the content in your own time. The course has a maximum capacity of 25 people to guarantee that all participants have access to Toshi and achieve their arranging goals.
10 Weeks, 20 Styles, & Over 40 Artists
Discover a myriad of styles and the characteristics necessary to replicate them authentically. From artists such as Duke Ellington to Herbie Hancock, this is the first course of its kind in jazz arranging to cover such a comprehensive amount of sounds.
Week One - Pre 1930 New Orleans
We start where it all began, the streets of New Orleans where the music of the Caribbean, Ragtime, Operetta, Work Songs, the Blues, Marches, and many other styles came together to create what we now call Jazz. In the session we will look at the music of King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, and Jelly Roll Morton among a number of others.
Week Two - 1920s Hot Jazz & The Harlem Renaissance
As jazz moved outward due to the Great Migration, it developed new flavors with artists such as Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, and Duke Ellington. In the session we will look at where jazz arranging began and explore the musical explorations of artists in Chicago and New York.
Week Three - The Swing Era
1935 ushered in the swing era and with it came the famous dance bands led by Cab Calloway, Chick Webb, Benny Goodman, and many others. In the session we will look at the early history of big band arranging and the music that got the USA through WWII and the depression.
Week Four - Bebop
In response to the white washing of jazz, a new generation of African American musicians completely reinvented the genre. In the session we will look at how musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Thelonius Monk added sophisticated harmonies and new articulations to create the “modern jazz language.”
Week Five - Cool & Modal
Out of Bebop came a period of creativity with jazz splitting into many different directions. In this session we will explore how how artists such as Miles Davis, Gil Evans, and Bill Evans, created styles like Cool and Modal which drastically changed the landscape of jazz.
Week Six - Hardbop
Alongside Cool and Modal, the 1950s also ushered in a slightly slower, harder hitting and bluesier type of jazz. In this session we will dive into the music created by Art Blakey, Benny Golson, Horace Silver, and many other artists to explore how their unique approach to jazz created Hardbop.
Week Seven - Avant Garde & Third Stream
While many musicians stayed close to the foundations of Bebop, others moved into more exploratory places. In this session we will look at how musicians like Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman shifted what it meant to be a jazz musician as they redefined the parameters of the genre through free jazz.
Week Eight - Commercial Jazz
As the USA came out of WWII, the popularity of jazz shifted towards vocalists known as crooners. While big bands were still popular, they now played the role of backing ensemble behind vocalists such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. In this session we will look at how the sound of large ensemble jazz changed with artists such as Nelson Riddle and the countless arrangers associated with Count Basie.
Week Nine - Latin Jazz & Global Influences
With the arrival of immigrants from Puerto Rico and Cuba the sound of jazz drastically changed. They brought Afro-Carribean influences which paved the way for a new type of music. In this session we will look at artists such as Machito and Tito Puente, as well as look to the Brazilian influence of Bossa Nova in the 1960s.
Week Ten - The Modern Sound
The second half of the 20th century led to more musical innovation and deeper explorations into non-diatonic and electronic sounds. In this session we will look at artists such as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Thad Jones, and how they pushed the tonal limits of jazz.
Learn At Your Pace
Everyone learns differently and you deserve to feel comfortable with obtaining new skills no matter your background. Arranging 101 is designed to be flexible. If you want to go through the course quickly, you can, but if you have commitments that you can’t move or prefer a more relaxed learning experience, we’ve got you covered. Every participant receives lifetime access to course resources.
Ask Questions & Learn In A Digital Classroom Setting
- OR -
Watch A Recording
Supplemental Resources Are Included
Alongside the course we provide weekly readings and exercises which unpack everything covered in the sessions. For Arranging 102 this also includes access to dozens of transcriptions and score analysis of the 40+ artists we cover.
Get To Know Your Instructor
Toshi Clinch is a renowned Australian arranger and educator who is deeply passionate about growing the world of jazz education through accessible formats. Falling in love with music at the ripe age of six, for years Toshi was captured by the mystery behind writing music for big band. Fast forward to 2013, he was given the opportunity to explore his curiosity at the prestigious University of North Texas where he majored in Jazz Arranging under the tutelage of Grammy-nominated composer Rich DeRosa (JLCO, Metropole Orkest, WDR Big Band) and had opportunities to write for guest artists such as Danilo Perez (Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter). After graduating in 2016, Clinch quickly established himself as one of the go-to arrangers for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, writing arrangements for a number of vocalists from T.V. shows such as America’s Got Talent, The Voice, X Factor, as well as performers from Broadway and the West End. Notably, during this period he also had the opportunity to write for major artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, James Morrison, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the Tommy Dorsey Big Band. Toshi has produced a number of his own big band albums including Vesuvius (2017), Gillespiana (2020), and Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts (2022).
In recent years, Toshi has focused on music education by starting his own music education business. Through this program he has provided hundreds of performance opportunities to up-and-coming musicians as well as collaborated with international artists such as Jacob Collier, Terri Lyne Carrington, Dick Oatts, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and was nicknamed the “Quincy Jones of Australia” by Rich DeRosa for his prolific output.
In 2019, alongside the youth program, he started offering online courses in a variety of topics such as arranging, music theory, and jazz styles such as Bebop, Swing, and Latin Jazz. As a result, he has now helped hundreds of participants achieve their musical dreams, with many going on to make their mark on the international jazz scene.
Course Details
Capacity: Maximum 25 participants
Course Length: 10 Weeks (Wednesday nights, Sept 3 to Nov 5)
Session Length/Times: 90 minutes (7-8:30pm two different timezone options)
Cost: $350 USD $250 Earlybird Discount (Ends June 30)
(payment plans available, 100% Refund if you’re not satisfied)
Delivery: Online via Zoom (every live session is recorded and provided to participants shortly afterwards with attendance being optional)
Resources: Readings, exercises and recordings are provided weekly and you’ll receive lifetime access to all content.
Feedback: Upon completion of the weekly feedback task, you will receive personalized comments from Toshi
Extras: Multiple masterclasses which cover topics such as Sibelius, conducting, and music business, as well as access to 400+ digital scores, scroll down to learn more
Requirements: Any digital notation software such as Sibelius, Finale, Musescore etc (you can opt to do everything by hand too)
Expression of Interest
Extras
When you sign up to an Arranging 101 cohort you also receive a number of extra resources for free. These include:
Introduction to Sibelius Masterclass
When it comes to composing, one of the biggest setbacks is feeling comfortable with notation software. In this masterclass you’ll come away with the skills to use Sibelius efficiently, removing any boundary you may have with the software. In particular, we’ll be looking at hot keys, functions, and tricks professionals use to achieve maximum productivity.
Big Band Conducting Masterclass
It’s one thing to write amazing music and another to lead other musicians through performing it. In this masterclass we’ll cover the in’s and out’s by looking at everything from how to have a productive rehearsal all the way to what to do when something goes wrong in a performance. You’ll come away with the confidence to conduct your own big band and be able to make the most out of any score.
The Business Behind Arranging Masterclass
If only it was as simple as writing music. To be a professional arranger it takes more than creativity and requires some business skills to establish a sustainable career. In this masterclass we dive into the nuts and bolts about how to land a commission and get paid to do what you love.
Digital Score Library
Not only do we provide in-depth analysis of a number of scores throughout the course but by participating you also receive access to a digital score library of over 400 PDFs. They are made up of a mixture of small group and big band arrangements that Toshi has personally written or transcribed throughout his career.