A reflection of arranging in 2024

Hi! Long time no talk. Apparently the same muse juices that inspire me to arrange do not also inspire me to blog. Or at least all those juices went to arranging.

Despite never feeling like I had enough time in my life for arranging, I arranged a lot in 2024! I arranged and performed my first piece for a district barbershop contest, and I contributed to an arranging team for a song debuted at an international barbershop contest. I also arranged several tags, which you can listen to on my Works page.

In that time, I learned a lot about barbershop arranging. I learned it’s way more formulaic than I think many of us doing it want to admit. It’s both discomforting and freeing — when the formula fits, it’s such a relief, but it’s also so dissatisfying when it simply does not fit. I tend to believe, in art, if you are using a formula that does not meet your artistic ends, then you must alter that formula, or throw it out entirely. This is likely why contemporary a cappella and vocal jazz exist, but that does not aid the fading art of barbershop. I wonder how much barbershop would tolerate alterations to its formula. I explore this regularly.

I still crave more arranging. I have cut some barbershop singing from my life in favor of arranging. I’m also starting to receive questions about arranging from those getting started themselves, which is surreal to experience as someone who still feels like they’re starting 12 years later. I can’t wait to see how we grow.