Welcome to the Orchestral Composition Category – Exploring Orchestral Composition Together
Hello, I’m Trevor. I’ve been teaching piano and theory for over 25 years, and teaching online for more than seven, working with students across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. But this blog? This is where I shift gears and give a little more attention to composing—a hobby I had to put on hold for a long time while I focused on my teaching career, and one I’ve recently returned to.
Lately, I’ve been making time to revisit the idea of composing for orchestra. Not by any means professionally, but because I simply love the process and how the instruments all come together to create unique textures and colors. It’s a personal hobby, a creative outlet, and a way to experiment. If you’re also circling back to something you love—or trying something completely new—I hope this space feels welcoming to you.
What You’ll Find in This Category
Orchestral composition has always fascinated me—how each section contributes its own character, how a single musical idea can evolve depending on how it’s orchestrated. In this part of the blog, I share my notes, studies, and thoughts as I learn (and relearn) what it means to write for a full orchestra.
This isn’t coming from the perspective of a professional composer—it’s about discovery. Whether you’re dabbling in orchestration for fun, building your first score, or just curious how someone else is approaching the process, you’re in good company here.
Why Follow Along?
Let’s be honest: writing for orchestra can be incredibly fun, but at times overwhelming. So many instruments. So many possibilities. But that’s also what makes it exciting. I’m starting with small ideas—studying instrument families, playing with mockups, researching new concepts, and revisiting things I haven’t thought about in years—and I’m sharing what I uncover along the way.
If you’re navigating the same path, or even just thinking about giving orchestral composition a try, maybe something here will resonate. You don’t need to be a professional or have big ambitions to enjoy this hobby. Sometimes it’s enough just to explore, learn, and see where the music takes you.
What Kind of Posts to Expect
Here’s what you’ll likely find in this category:
- Section Studies – Exploring how to write for different families of instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion.
- Orchestration Experiments – Small sketches and ideas I’m trying to orchestrate, with notes on what I’m learning from the process.
- What I’m Listening To – Thoughts on orchestral pieces I’m studying and what I’m picking up from them.
- Mockups & Tools – A look at how I use notation software, MIDI mockups, and templates to shape orchestral ideas.
- First Attempts – Honest posts about my early full-orchestra sketches—what I tried, what worked, and what didn’t.
Stick Around If You’d Like
Thanks for dropping in. If composing for orchestra sparks something in you—whether you’re deep into it or just curious—I hope you’ll stick around and check out a few more posts in this category. Like everything on this blog, it’s a work in progress—but it’s a fun one.
Until next time,
Trevor
