# Marc Jovani SVO Course



## hibhardwaj

Hello Folks,
I am posting this to inquire about Marc Jovani’s Symphonic Virtual Orchestration (SVO) Course. I have following two questions:

Would like to know about the experience if there is somebody who took it? I am mainly looking to improve my production capabilities- Arranging, mixing, making instruments sounds more natural etc. etc.
This site is selling the SVO currently for $97: https://svocourse.com/course28183954 And this site is selling the same course for $775: https://cinematiccomposing.com/courses/symphonic-virtual-orchestration#prices What’s the catch here? Even though the first website is calling it a _Flash Sale_, I want to know if this is some kind of stripped down version of the actual course. This discount seem like too good to be true. 
Any pointers here would be much appreciated. Cheers.


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## agarner32

The two courses appear to be the same based on the two curriculum outlines. Those kinds of tactics make me run away.


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## marclawsonmusic

Marc seems like the nicest guy in the world. But there is a LOT of hype with these courses. 

I got frustrated after watching a recent 'one hack that will definitely get you a gig in 30 days' (or something like that - I just had to see it). There was a tech 'glitch' at the very end that prevented you from seeing the penultimate moment of the video... which was actually a pitch for a new product that was being launched. So in the end, it was a 45 min Amway-style sales pitch for an undeveloped software product. 

Maybe it's all good-intentioned but it left me with a sour taste in my mouth. 

I was happy with the Andy Hill course and they seem to have a lot of happy subscribers... but the hype is not my cup of tea.


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## hibhardwaj

marclawsonmusic said:


> Marc seems like the nicest guy in the world. But there is a LOT of hype with these courses.
> 
> I got frustrated after watching a recent 'one hack that will definitely get you a gig in 30 days' (or something like that - I just had to see it). There was a tech 'glitch' at the very end that prevented you from seeing the penultimate moment of the video... which was actually a pitch for a new product that was being launched. So in the end, it was a 45 min Amway-style sales pitch for an undeveloped software product.
> 
> Maybe it's all good-intentioned but it left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
> 
> I was happy with the Andy Hill course and they seem to have a lot of happy subscribers... but the hype is not my cup of tea.


Thanks for you reply! Would you mind sharing a link for the Andy Hill course.


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## hibhardwaj

marclawsonmusic said:


> Marc seems like the nicest guy in the world. But there is a LOT of hype with these courses.
> 
> I got frustrated after watching a recent 'one hack that will definitely get you a gig in 30 days' (or something like that - I just had to see it). There was a tech 'glitch' at the very end that prevented you from seeing the penultimate moment of the video... which was actually a pitch for a new product that was being launched. So in the end, it was a 45 min Amway-style sales pitch for an undeveloped software product.
> 
> Maybe it's all good-intentioned but it left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
> 
> I was happy with the Andy Hill course and they seem to have a lot of happy subscribers... but the hype is not my cup of tea.


Never mind, I just googled it. Even this one is selling for $97 and the website looks exactly like that of Marc Jovani’s. The whole formatting, and page structures are same. Even the price at which this one is selling is same = $97. Funny, not sure what’s the connection.


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## marclawsonmusic

https://filmscoringcourse.com/andy-hill-scoring-the-screen-course-a


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## Gabriel S.

· 97$ one: doesn't include the mixing and mastering content of the 775$ one. If you want to have the full content you have to pay extra 60$ (total 157$, called Power Package).
Also, it doesn't include the reviewed assignments that they offer in the 775$ course. 

That's way it's cheaper. 




hibhardwaj said:


> Hello Folks,
> I am posting this to inquire about Marc Jovani’s Symphonic Virtual Orchestration (SVO) Course. I have following two questions:
> 
> Would like to know about the experience if there is somebody who took it? I am mainly looking to improve my production capabilities- Arranging, mixing, making instruments sounds more natural etc. etc.
> This site is selling the SVO currently for $97: https://svocourse.com/course28183954 And this site is selling the same course for $775: https://cinematiccomposing.com/courses/symphonic-virtual-orchestration#prices What’s the catch here? Even though the first website is calling it a _Flash Sale_, I want to know if this is some kind of stripped down version of the actual course. This discount seem like too good to be true.
> Any pointers here would be much appreciated. Cheers.


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## IsmaelOrtiz

Hi Hibhardwaj,

I own the SVO, Orchestration 1 and Library music courses, which I bought a year and a half ago in a bundle sale; I will try to give you my honest perspective on the topic

First of all, I must say I barely knew anything about virtual instruments, not to mention orchestral music 2 years ago, but I know a little about music theory, improvisation and harmony. I say this because the course is not completely beginner friendly, if you are completely new to music, Evenant might have some good stuff for you.

The course guides you through all the DAW routing aspects (in Cubase) you have to set up in order to achieve a good workflow, create what he calls modular templates and such.

The second part of it is about creating realistic orchestral cues using the controller and MIDI CC's. In this one he goes through different techniques showing how to sequence every instrument family and then how to create layers and blend them together.

Third and Fourth are left for mixing and mastering.

I'm part of the PRO users so I have access to the "Class A composers systems" and "different styles case studies". I still have to take a deeper look as I only got to watch the Trailer case study and it was a bit disappointing as he doesn't really explain as much as I would have liked to.

What I find priceless is the amount of live chats they do every week talking about different topics such as mixing, mastering, Trailer music, romantic cues, templates, layering and whatnot and you get to watch them recorded if you can't attend.

The assignment review is a great source of knowledge as well from the tutors. The downside of it? Sometimes it takes a long time for them to review your work.

The FB group is alright, nothing you haven't seen before, just people asking questions as usual, it can be really helpful.

If you ask me, would you buy it again? Yes but I don't think I'd go for the PRO version as I found it a bit "meh".

I personally like it and learnt so much from Marc and the other instructors in the last year. It won't solve all your problems but it will definitely help towards your goal.

Hopefully I helped you deciding what to do.

Cheers,
Ismael

Edit: That $97 price cut is offensive


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## hibhardwaj

IsmaelOrtiz said:


> Hi Hibhardwaj,
> 
> I own the SVO, Orchestration 1 and Library music courses, which I bought a year and a half ago in a bundle sale; I will try to give you my honest perspective on the topic
> 
> First of all, I must say I barely knew anything about virtual instruments, not to mention orchestral music 2 years ago, but I know a little about music theory, improvisation and harmony. I say this because the course is not completely beginner friendly, if you are completely new to music, Evenant might have some good stuff for you.
> 
> The course guides you through all the DAW routing aspects (in Cubase) you have to set up in order to achieve a good workflow, create what he calls modular templates and such.
> 
> The second part of it is about creating realistic orchestral cues using the controller and MIDI CC's. In this one he goes through different techniques showing how to sequence every instrument family and then how to create layers and blend them together.
> 
> Third and Fourth are left for mixing and mastering.
> 
> I'm part of the PRO users so I have access to the "Class A composers systems" and "different styles case studies". I still have to take a deeper look as I only got to watch the Trailer case study and it was a bit disappointing as he doesn't really explain as much as I would have liked to.
> 
> What I find priceless is the amount of live chats they do every week talking about different topics such as mixing, mastering, Trailer music, romantic cues, templates, layering and whatnot and you get to watch them recorded if you can't attend.
> 
> The assignment review is a great source of knowledge as well from the tutors. The downside of it? Sometimes it takes a long time for them to review your work.
> 
> The FB group is alright, nothing you haven't seen before, just people asking questions as usual, it can be really helpful.
> 
> If you ask me, would you buy it again? Yes but I don't think I'd go for the PRO version as I found it a bit "meh".
> 
> I personally like it and learnt so much from Marc and the other instructors in the last year. It won't solve all your problems but it will definitely help towards your goal.
> 
> Hopefully I helped you deciding what to do.
> 
> Cheers,
> Ismael
> 
> Edit: That $97 price cut is offensive


Fantastic in depth response buddy! So glad we have folks like you in the community. Sorry about the $97 price tag. I will go ahead and give it a shot


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## bachader

The courses are promoted very virally on the internet. But beware of the refund policy of Jovani's courses below. I am not sure if it is even possible to refund with these.

17. REFUND POLICY
Our vision and commitment is to help change people’s lives by giving them tools to improve their composing, orchestrating and producing skills, becoming better musicians and helping them getting better results and opportunities in the music business!
If you apply yourself and complete the entire course in order–doing the assigned homework and worksheets as well as implementing the techniques and strategies–and can still show us that you didn’t get any results, we will refund the amount you paid under this Agreement minus any external fees or exchange rates, subject to the following conditions
To be eligible for a refund of a big course, you must submit your request before 11:59 pm no more than 30 days after the purchase date (or course launch) and have completed at least the first two assignments of the Course. The Refund will be null and void if you have visited a 30% or more of the topics (pages) of the course. No exceptions.
In case you have acquired a Quick-Course (a.k.a Mini-Course) or a MasterClass, you must submit your request before 11:59 pm no more than 30 days after the purchase date (or course launch). The Refund will be null and void if you have visited a 30% or more of the topics (pages) of the course. No exceptions.
The Form in the Welcome page must be accurately filled out and emailed to [email protected] within the first week of signing up (within seven days after receiving the Welcome email or seven days since the course launch) as stated in the “Welcome” section or your refund will be null and void, no exceptions.
You must have joined the Cinematic Composing Facebook Group within the first week of signing up.
The Refund will be null and void if you have visited a 30% or more of the topics (pages) of the course. No exceptions.
At the time of the refund request, if the course includes assignments, you must send us a full report of all the work and assignments that you have completed during the course and clearly show that you did not increase any of your results. You will also need to send us your completed assignments (to make sure you gave it an honest effort). If the course does not include assignments you must submit a report showing why the course did not increase any of your results.
After you submit your materials, all refunds are within the Company’s sole discretion as to whether or not to accept or deny the refund request.
In case you have acquired a bundle, and if for some reason you want to be refunded, we will have to check your eligibility for a reimbursement first. If you comply with the conditions specified above for each and every one of the courses contained in the bundle, you will be refunded only for the entire bundle. It is not possible to get refunded for a singular course within the bundle.
The money back warranty for courses and bundles with discounts is valid for 21 days after the purchase date and not for 30 days, as it is for products acquired at regular price.
If you have signed up for any of our courses coming from a waiting list due to an opening spot, the refund will be null and void. No exceptions.
Please do not enroll in any of the Cinematic Composing courses if you just want to “check them out”, or “take a look under the hood”. We have put an extraordinary amount of time, money and effort into our Courses, and we will hold you to the same standard. Cinematic Composing is for serious musicians only. 
18. If you have signed up for any of our courses or programs using a payment plan, you are legally bound to complete your payments until they are complete. We do not cancel subscriptions after the refund period of 30 days for any reason.
19. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of California, United States, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law. You further submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the provincial and federal courts in Canada. If any provision of this agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
20. These terms are subject to revision. Your use of our services constitutes agreement with the most recent version of these terms, you should refer to this page on a regular basis.


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## jneebz

bachader said:


> The courses are promoted very virally on the internet. But beware of the refund policy of Jovani's courses below. I am not sure if it is even possible to refund with these.
> 
> 17. REFUND POLICY
> Our vision and commitment is to help change people’s lives by giving them tools to improve their composing, orchestrating and producing skills, becoming better musicians and helping them getting better results and opportunities in the music business!
> If you apply yourself and complete the entire course in order–doing the assigned homework and worksheets as well as implementing the techniques and strategies–and can still show us that you didn’t get any results, we will refund the amount you paid under this Agreement minus any external fees or exchange rates, subject to the following conditions
> To be eligible for a refund of a big course, you must submit your request before 11:59 pm no more than 30 days after the purchase date (or course launch) and have completed at least the first two assignments of the Course. The Refund will be null and void if you have visited a 30% or more of the topics (pages) of the course. No exceptions.
> In case you have acquired a Quick-Course (a.k.a Mini-Course) or a MasterClass, you must submit your request before 11:59 pm no more than 30 days after the purchase date (or course launch). The Refund will be null and void if you have visited a 30% or more of the topics (pages) of the course. No exceptions.
> The Form in the Welcome page must be accurately filled out and emailed to [email protected] within the first week of signing up (within seven days after receiving the Welcome email or seven days since the course launch) as stated in the “Welcome” section or your refund will be null and void, no exceptions.
> You must have joined the Cinematic Composing Facebook Group within the first week of signing up.
> The Refund will be null and void if you have visited a 30% or more of the topics (pages) of the course. No exceptions.
> At the time of the refund request, if the course includes assignments, you must send us a full report of all the work and assignments that you have completed during the course and clearly show that you did not increase any of your results. You will also need to send us your completed assignments (to make sure you gave it an honest effort). If the course does not include assignments you must submit a report showing why the course did not increase any of your results.
> After you submit your materials, all refunds are within the Company’s sole discretion as to whether or not to accept or deny the refund request.
> In case you have acquired a bundle, and if for some reason you want to be refunded, we will have to check your eligibility for a reimbursement first. If you comply with the conditions specified above for each and every one of the courses contained in the bundle, you will be refunded only for the entire bundle. It is not possible to get refunded for a singular course within the bundle.
> The money back warranty for courses and bundles with discounts is valid for 21 days after the purchase date and not for 30 days, as it is for products acquired at regular price.
> If you have signed up for any of our courses coming from a waiting list due to an opening spot, the refund will be null and void. No exceptions.
> Please do not enroll in any of the Cinematic Composing courses if you just want to “check them out”, or “take a look under the hood”. We have put an extraordinary amount of time, money and effort into our Courses, and we will hold you to the same standard. Cinematic Composing is for serious musicians only.
> 18. If you have signed up for any of our courses or programs using a payment plan, you are legally bound to complete your payments until they are complete. We do not cancel subscriptions after the refund period of 30 days for any reason.
> 19. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of California, United States, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law. You further submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the provincial and federal courts in Canada. If any provision of this agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
> 20. These terms are subject to revision. Your use of our services constitutes agreement with the most recent version of these terms, you should refer to this page on a regular basis.


This speaks volumes. What a scam. Run for your lives...


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## vgamer1982

I'm baffled as to why people buy courses from people who haven't managed to sell their music to anybody of significance, written anything of relevance, on anything with any degree of commercial success. Or the extraordinary arrogance it must take to think that without having done so you've got anything to teach anybody.

All these courses - without exception - are run by charlatans. University courses are fine, they're regulated, they're educational, and you have to have decent credentials to get near teaching them.

This crap...no. Just no. Washed up failed composers trying to make bread scamming off the dreams and hopes of others. Sad when established composers lend their name to it either for the ego boost, not realizing it's a scam, or for whatever dumbass reason they do it.


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## vgamer1982

If someone had the magic bullet for how to get work or write better music, wouldn't you think they'd use it themselves, get it recognized, and THEN set up a school?


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## agarner32

vgamer1982 said:


> I'm baffled as to why people buy courses from people who haven't managed to sell their music to anybody of significance, written anything of relevance, on anything with any degree of commercial success. Or the extraordinary arrogance it must take to think that without having done so you've got anything to teach anybody.


That certainly is one viewpoint and I am kind of inclined to agree to a certain extent although I haven't seen his course. I'm just throwing this out as a question. Are there some people who have really gained an understanding of music that can present quality instruction without having commercial success? There are certainly sports coaches who never played professionally - maybe a bad comparison - I'm not a sports fan - haha!

I'm a pro level player jazz pianist and have been for 35 years. I won't bore everyone with a list of all the famous players I've done concerts with because it's pointless, but I never recorded my own albums, never went to NY to break into the scene and only briefly went on the road. I decided to become an accomplished player and stay local in California - I'm basically a nobody to most of the world. So having said that, I have a tremendous amount to offer my college students and the few private students I occasionally take on. And nobody outside of Sacramento or the Bay Area knows who I am. I know of lots of great Bay Area musicians that are incredible world class players that nobody knows about that would have a lot to offer.

I'm not defending Marc Jovani and agree that it has a scam-like quality about the whole marketing thing. But who knows, maybe for a beginner there is a lot there to be learned.

That's my two cents worth.

Aaron


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## robgb

hibhardwaj said:


> Never mind, I just googled it. Even this one is selling for $97 and the website looks exactly like that of Marc Jovani’s. The whole formatting, and page structures are same. Even the price at which this one is selling is same = $97. Funny, not sure what’s the connection.


The Andy Hill course was produced by Jovani.


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## robgb

vgamer1982 said:


> I'm baffled as to why people buy courses from people who haven't managed to sell their music to anybody of significance, written anything of relevance, on anything with any degree of commercial success.


I don't judge a teacher based on commercial success. I judge them based on a) the work they've demoed; b) their teaching ability.

Jovani has video clips here and there from his classes if you want to want to know the latter.

I know that Jovani's sales pitch is heavy handed, and I think his return policy is a bit ridiculous, and I have never personally taken any of his courses. That said, $97 isn't much in the scheme of things and if you listen to Jovani's mockups, he REALLY knows his stuff. I have been tempted several times to check out the $97 version of the course (he calls it "lite"), but haven't yet pulled the trigger. That said, listen to some of his work here:


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## vgamer1982

Heard dozens of demos like that. Meh. Nothing of significance. Nothing memorable. The programming is pretty average. The course claims:

"Our vision is to help other musicians and composers to enter the professional world with all the skills they need to successfully accomplish their goals in the film industry." 

Well, if he has that information, why doesn't he have a professional career in scoring? All I see is "instructors" with nary a credit in the real world to their name. The real world of film music is about selling music to your clients, at the end of the day. If someone can't do that, with respect, their opinion isn't worth jack. What's really going on here is people who can't make it as a composer trying to make bread off the hundreds of people trying to become a composer. There's a whole bunch of them. They're all the same. It's sad, exploitative and wrong, IMHO.


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## vgamer1982

And teachers can be judged on teaching success and their academic credentials. In any other field you'd look for achievement in education. Educators are held to standards. Where are they here? There's a cottage industry growing of people claiming to be able to get you a career if you only pay them money to know the secrets. Here's another. It's deeply exploitative. 









Home


Learn to Score for Movies, Series, Games and more




filmscoring.academy


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## agarner32

vgamer1982 said:


> Well, if he has that information, why doesn't he have a professional career in scoring?


Marc Jovani. - Doesn't seem all that bad for somebody so young.


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## agarner32

vgamer1982 said:


> And teachers can be judged on teaching success and their academic credentials. In any other field you'd look for achievement in education.


Sometimes yes and other times no so I agree to a point. Bob Mintzer is head of the jazz program at USC. I doubt he has a college degree, but perhaps I'm wrong. I can give dozens of really successful musicians who never even went to college who teach at universities - and our great teachers.

At any rate, I think you made some good points and maybe you are mostly right - can't really judge without actually seeing his teaching materials. I agree that his music from the little I heard is "meh" but so is a ton of other music out there these days.

Just curious if you actually have any of his courses and what is your background, composer credits etc. You could be an a-list composer for all I know. I'd love to hear some of your music and learn about your credits and I mean that seriously.

Aaron


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## robgb

vgamer1982 said:


> Heard dozens of demos like that. Meh. Nothing of significance. Nothing memorable. The programming is pretty average.


Oh, please. His demos are very good. Most members of this forum would love to be able to produce work that good.



vgamer1982 said:


> And teachers can be judged on teaching success and their academic credentials. In any other field you'd look for achievement in education. Educators are held to standards. Where are they here?



Oh, for fuck's sake. This is just a ridiculous statement. You either think his video samples are effective or you don't. Academic credentials don't mean a damn thing in the creative world. If they did, we'd never have any mentors.


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## MauroPantin

I see a lot of composers selling courses and it is understandable. There is a demand for it just like there is demand for that elusive string library that will settle the debate forever about which one is the best. Once we have it we will all finally stop buying string samples, we'll be content with doing music with what we have. We will finally focus on the melody and craft, and put to rest the Taiko Ultra Uber Ensemble 9000 patch and have a funeral for our beloved Braams. It will happen. We just need _one _more string library and it will happen. I know we said we were good but did you hear the legato on this new one that just came out? Oh my god. And also this new "Secrets of film scoring THEY don't want you to know!" course sure sounds like the missing piece of the puzzle, I can feel it! Where is my credit card?


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## gyprock

For an economy to run effectively you need a bit of snake oil to grease the wheels. Democracy and capitalism couldn't exist without it. BTW, I can teach you in 3 lessons how to write better than John Williams. Lessons are $20,000 each. Any takers?


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## ChrisSiuMusic

I can comment on Marc’s courses, as I have invested in a few of them. Marc is actually a teacher at the Berklee School of Music, and has scored a few films I believe. 

Indeed, the marketing is very heavy (I see the courses pop up on every single music production-related site I visit), but upon going inside, you realize that the material is very practical and you can learn quite a bit from them. His accent and the speed at which he talks can be difficult to understand at times, which may force you to replay the video a few times to really absorb what he’s saying.

On my end, I’m a full-time piano/theory teacher, but I graduated with a degree in Classical Piano Performance. Although I’m sure it helps, I didn’t need a degree in education in order to teach. 

I’ve also released a music theory course for beginners, as I’m part of one of the largest pop music groups on Facebook, and there’s been a lot of demand for a theory course that’s straight to the point and simple to understand. I was able to do this because I studied classical theory extensively growing up, but I don’t have any music theory achievements or anything like that. Imo, it comes down to the ability of the teacher and how the students enjoy the learning experience.


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## NoamL

I kind of agree with both sides here. There is a difference between

*"I will share my hard-earned knowledge with you"*

and

*"Take this course and you will succeed in the music industry."*

You don't need any qualifications, degrees, or commercial success to teach what you have learned to someone else. And the value of the teaching is _musical_ value - can whatever tip or trick you have to teach, unlock more creativity and more productivity for the people who learn from you?

The problem is that's never enough for these seminar-salesmen. Their courses are never about teaching knowledge. They always instead talk about "achieving success" and "reaching your goals." And they always promise to teach you everything you need from A to Z. Really? Marc is gonna teach me how to setup my DAW, how to program instruments, how to score to picture AND how to write epic trailer music?  What a steal for $79...


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## NoamL

If you want the actual keys to music success I think there are 5 of them.

All this for the low low price of $0 

1. *MUSIC THEORY MASTERY - *As deep a knowledge of music theory as you can get, allowing you to express yourself in a *highly varied*, *nuanced* and *precise* musical language that communicates what you want to communicate and not some half-assed impersonation of somebody else.

2. *SOUND MASTERY -* As deep a knowledge as you can get of *the way the tools you use create musical sound*, so that you can achieve *the sound you want* instead of an approximation. For old school composers this was instrumentation and orchestration knowledge; for people in our generation it still includes those fields but also probably a healthy amount of knowledge of electronic music production, virtual instruments, and at least the basics of mixing.

3. *KEYBOARD FLUENCY* - at least a basic high school level fluency at playing the piano. You don't have to be a pro. This is a necessity for composers regardless of what instrument you currently play. Everything else becomes harder without this. Notice that this does _not_ include sheet music reading ability :dodgy: , although that's nice to have. See next point.

4. *LEARN-FROM-OTHERS ABILITY *- the ability to *learn what makes music you admire really work*, so that you can absorb lessons and insights from other composers. This point encompasses a lot of different skills depending on how you learn from others. It can include ear training (recognizing harmonies, melodic intervals etc. by ear) as well as the ability to read sheet music _if_ the composers you admire happened to write and publish sheet music. If the composers you admire don't have published scores, then you better develop your ability to transcribe music by ear (either to paper or your DAW), as well as the ability to listen to mixes analytically, listen for orchestration details analytically, and so on.

*5. MUSIC BUSINESS ATTITUDE *- the ability to navigate the music world *as a business*. Managing your clients, meeting the vision of your collaborators, being reliable, being productive, not throwing an ego fit at necessary revisions, knowing how to manage time and money sensitive issues like running a recording session or hiring assistants, being well organized, having a logistical plan for achieving big projects, managing revenue and expenses - basically all the same skills as someone running a small business.



Having typed all that out, I have 4 observations about why a lot of online courses kind of fail to prepare people with these 5 skill areas -



1. You won't get all five skills in one place no matter how hard you try or how hype someone's pitch is. Mike Verta isn't gonna teach you to play the piano, HZ's masterclass isn't going to teach you music theory, a university music course isn't going to teach you how to use a DAW. There is no one curriculum out there for all these skills despite the proliferation of "scoring for screen" university modules.

2. Once we get beyond the dichotomy of "classically trained" vs "not classically trained" it becomes a lot clearer that all successful composers have these skills, regardless of what *educational credential* they have, because these skill areas don't naturally fit into college degree terms apart from the music theory one. Hans Zimmer may not have read sheet music for much of his career but he clearly had the sufficient skills to succeed in each area.

3. A lot of these skills are *not really teachable *but rather *"learn by doing"* once you get through the basics. In the end, *you* will teach yourself most of the orchestration knowledge you develop over your lifetime, if you keep studying scores. In the end, *you *will develop insights and techniques by studying the composers you enjoy. In the end, only years of working with directors (and apprenticing with working composers who work with directors) will make you capable of understanding a director's vision, meeting their expectations and managing the business and artistic relationship at the same time.

4. There is certainly value in having *someone else *teach you the basic building blocks of several of these fields, however only on the understanding that it should be an intensive course focused only on that area AND simultaneously an understanding that you're learning the bare rudiments of that field. For obvious reasons, online courses don't pitch themselves that way. Instead they want to make you think you can learn all the tools you need in a 70 minute recorded seminar of someone fooling around in a DAW. I think* a private tutor or a university course *can be especially helpful if you're starting from scratch in learning one or more of the following: 1) piano performance, 2) reading sheet music, 3) learning music theory, 4) learning instrumentation & orchestration, 5) learning the basics of mixing. However once you get beyond what you could learn from a book with a private teacher or college course, it's really up to you to keep teaching yourself throughout life. I think a lot of online courses don't really grapple with the reality that developing yourself as an artist (and that's what 4 of these 5 skills are really about) is a multi-year and sometimes multi-decade process.


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## jonathanparham

NoamL said:


> 4. *LEARN-FROM-OTHERS ABILITY *- the ability to *learn what makes music you admire really work*, so that you can absorb lessons and insights from other composers. This point encompasses ear training (recognizing harmonies, melodic intervals etc. by ear) as well as the ability to read sheet music _if_ the composers you admire happened to write and publish sheet music, as well as the ability to listen to mixes analytically, or listen for orchestration analytically, and so on.
> 
> *5. MUSIC BUSINESS ATTITUDE *- the ability to navigate the music world *as a business*. Managing your clients, meeting the vision of your collaborators, being reliable, being productive, not throwing an ego fit at necessary revisions, knowing how to manage time and money sensitive issues like running a recording session or hiring assistants, being well organized, having a logistical plan for achieving big projects - basically all the same skills as someone running a small business.


I feel these last two points are key. If as artists, we can figure out musically what we like, how to sell and Market it, we'd be more successful and satisfied. Didn't mean to derail the thread but just wanted to comment on a couple of your very valid points . Figuring it out four, is what brings us to education imo


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## marclawsonmusic

Well-said, @NoamL ... as always.


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## brek

NoamL said:


> 1. You won't get all five skills in one place no matter how hard you try or how hype someone's pitch is. Mike Verta isn't gonna teach you to play the piano, HZ's masterclass isn't going to teach you music theory, a university music course isn't going to teach you how to use a DAW. There is no one curriculum out there for all these skills despite the proliferation of "scoring for screen" university modules.
> 
> 2. Once we get beyond the dichotomy of "classically trained" vs "not classically trained" it becomes a lot clearer that all successful composers have these skills, regardless of what *educational credential* they have, because these skill areas don't naturally fit into college degree terms apart from the music theory one. Hans Zimmer may not have read sheet music for much of his career but he clearly had the sufficient skills to succeed in each area.
> 
> 3. A lot of these skills are *not really teachable *but rather *"learn by doing"* once you get through the basics. In the end, *you* will teach yourself most of the orchestration knowledge you develop over your lifetime, if you keep studying scores. In the end, *you *will develop insights and techniques by studying the composers you enjoy. In the end, only years of working with directors (and apprenticing with working composers who work with directors) will make you capable of understanding a director's vision, meeting their expectations and managing the business and artistic relationship at the same time.
> 
> 4. There is certainly value in having *someone else *teach you the basic building blocks of several of these fields, however only on the understanding that it should be an intensive course focused only on that area AND simultaneously an understanding that you're learning the bare rudiments of that field. For obvious reasons, online courses don't pitch themselves that way. Instead they want to make you think you can learn all the tools you need in a 70 minute recorded seminar of someone fooling around in a DAW. I think* a private tutor or a university course *can be especially helpful if you're starting from scratch in learning one or more of the following: 1) piano performance, 2) reading sheet music, 3) learning music theory, 4) learning instrumentation & orchestration, 5) learning the basics of mixing. However once you get beyond what you could learn from a book with a private teacher or college course, it's really up to you to keep teaching yourself throughout life. I think a lot of online courses don't really grapple with the reality that developing yourself as an artist (and that's what 4 of these 5 skills are really about) is a multi-year and sometimes multi-decade process.
> 
> 
> 1. *MUSIC THEORY MASTERY - *As deep a knowledge of music theory as you can get, allowing you to express yourself in a *highly varied*, *nuanced* and *precise* musical language that communicates what you want to communicate and not some half-assed impersonation of somebody else.
> 
> 2. *SOUND MASTERY -* As deep a knowledge as you can get of *the way the tools you use create musical sound*, so that you can achieve *the sound you want* instead of an approximation. For old school composers this was instrumentation and orchestration knowledge; for people in our generation it still includes those fields but also probably a healthy amount of knowledge of electronic music production, virtual instruments, and at least the basics of mixing.
> 
> 
> 
> 4. *LEARN-FROM-OTHERS ABILITY *- the ability to *learn what makes music you admire really work*, so that you can absorb lessons and insights from other composers. This point encompasses a lot of different skills depending on how you learn from others. It can include ear training
> 3. A lot of these skills are *not really teachable *but rather *"learn by doing"* once you get through the basics. In the end, *you* will teach yourself most of the orchestration knowledge you develop over your lifetime, if you keep studying scores. In the end, *you *will develop insights
> 4. There is certainly value in having *someone else *teach you the basic building blocks of several of these fields, however only on the understanding that it should be an intensive course focused only on that area AND simultaneously an understanding that you're learning the bare rudiments of that field. For obvious reasons, online courses don't pitch themselves that way. Instead they want to make you think you can learn all the tools you need in a 70 minute recorded seminar of someone fooling around in a DAW. I think* a private tutor or a university course *can be especially helpful if you're starting from scratch in learning one or more of the following: 1) piano performance, 2) reading sheet music, 3) learning music theory, 4) learning instrumentation & orchestration, 5) learning the basics of mixing. However once you get beyond what you could learn from a book with a private teacher or college course, it's really up to you to keep teaching yourself throughout life. I think a lot of online courses don't really grapple with the reality that developing yourself as an artist (and that's what 4 of these 5 skills are really about) is a multi-year and sometimes multi-decade process.


So much truth in all of this. Like most things, no course is going to replace the hard work you have to put in on your own. There isn't a secret to composing or playing the violin or playing the piano or mixing that a master simply reveals and instantly transforms your skills. It's disingenuous to suggest otherwise (this thread has gone slightly off topic so I'm certainly not implying anything about the SVO course, which, imo, looks like a pretty solid course). One of the most important things an educator can do is point the way to further learning and study outside the structure of their curriculum.


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## larry777

I might be mistaking , but I am under the impression that Mark was a teacher at Berklee.
A USC student for sure.


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## DivingInSpace

So, can anybody else who took the course comment on it? 

I find it really tiring reading through the posts assuming things without experience with it (i mean, he is credited as a composer on 39 shorts and features on IMDB. I don't see where his lack of practical work should be. Is it just because he never scored a marvel movie?)

It just popped up on youtube and seemed like it could be interesting. I've been considering getting a subscription to Scoreclub in the near future, but this seems like it could be a good way to get some better mock up chops, which could probably be nice before getting into the stuff from scoreclub.

It all does seem fishy, but i guess you gotta do what you gotta do to drag in costumers. That might not mean the content is bad. So can anybody who tried it comment on it? Is it worth the money, or are there better out there?


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## DivingInSpace

So, today i decided to give in and get it. Shit, it is a lot of money for a poor university student like me, but if it can help me get better at doing mock ups and producing orchestral music then it will most likely pay for itself in a near future.

I've been watching the first handfull of videos, a lot of overlap with the knowledge i've been collecting over the years, but actually still a lot of good stuff for someone like me who is still very much a beginner in a lot of aspects. I will update as i go through the course.

Also, included seems to be a lot of live classes, so that's pretty cool. Gonna attend one tomorrow and see how it is.


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## korgscrew2000

The ads have been flashing up on my Facebook for the past week.

Funny, because I have been looking for a course.

I have the gear, the libraries (too many) and I consider myself to be musically talented . I have the ideas in my head, I can play them in and edit the piano roll. It's just getting them to sound good.

I need to work on how to layer my tracks, add interest and thicken the sound because most of what I have tried to do sounds thin and lacklustre with hardly any sonic interest. I have so many projects that are sketches then I got bored and tried something else.


I signed up to the Thinkspace Orchestration Course years ago for over £1000 (it's now about 200 quid!). I never managed to finish it because of the situation I was in. It relied heavily on theory, something I am not highly proficient in. I wanted to learn how to make my tracks sound full, thick and interesting, but CO wasn't the best course for that.

The thing that has worked best for me is mocking up film scores. I have recently done a couple of Hans Zimmer cues and they sound pretty spot on (to me anyway). I've always been good at listening and being able to pick apart music and I'm a play by ear guy which pisses a lot of people off! Anyway, recreating these cues has helped me to understand what makes these tracks sound the way they do, but I want to put it into practice and expand.

So, if anyone has a recommendation for me, that would be great!


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## DivingInSpace

korgscrew2000 said:


> So, if anyone has a recommendation for me, that would be great!


I am not sure what you are asking for recommendations on exactly?


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## korgscrew2000

DivingInSpace said:


> I am not sure what you are asking for recommendations on exactly?



I'm not either haha! 

Something that can help me get a better track, sonically really. Building on the ideas I already have.


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## FabIV

DivingInSpace said:


> So, today i decided to give in and get it. Shit, it is a lot of money for a poor university student like me, but if it can help me get better at doing mock ups and producing orchestral music then it will most likely pay for itself in a near future.
> 
> I've been watching the first handfull of videos, a lot of overlap with the knowledge i've been collecting over the years, but actually still a lot of good stuff for someone like me who is still very much a beginner in a lot of aspects. I will update as i go through the course.
> 
> Also, included seems to be a lot of live classes, so that's pretty cool. Gonna attend one tomorrow and see how it is.


Did you buy the whole package? I cannot figure out what the "*Film Music Cliches*: " Pack is supposed to be.

The sale page loks strange anyway.

Thanks in advance


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## damcry

Film Music Clichés is a course that consist in short analysis (rythm, melody, harmony, orchestration) of a dozen of movies excerpt, in different style (Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama ...). 
Quite interesting .


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## DivingInSpace

FabIV said:


> Did you buy the whole package? I cannot figure out what the "*Film Music Cliches*: " Pack is supposed to be.
> 
> The sale page loks strange anyway.
> 
> Thanks in advance


I only bought the Symphonic Virtual Orchestration Light course. That was what my wallet could handle. It is missing the mix and master section (if this is really good, i might see if i can buy that later). I got the offer of buying the Film Music Clichés course too, but passed on it.


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## FabIV

DivingInSpace said:


> I only bought the Symphonic Virtual Orchestration Light course. That was what my wallet could handle. It is missing the mix and master section (if this is really good, i might see if i can buy that later). I got the offer of buying the Film Music Clichés course too, but passed on it.


I think I will give it a try, too. Still not sure if Evenant is better for an overall overview. 
The SOV course looks like it covers a lot of general preparations and basic stuff like articulation changes etc.


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## damcry

Having both, my preference goes to Evenant, hands down ... But it’s more expensive .


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## FabIV

damcry said:


> Having both, my preference goes to Evenant, hands down ... But it’s more expensive .


Do you have the Orchestral Sketching or Cinematic Composing Course, because the last one is not available at the moment


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## damcry

Both


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## Matt Donovan

Well said. 



NoamL said:


> If you want the actual keys to music success I think there are 5 of them.
> 
> All this for the low low price of $0
> 
> 1. *MUSIC THEORY MASTERY - *As deep a knowledge of music theory as you can get, allowing you to express yourself in a *highly varied*, *nuanced* and *precise* musical language that communicates what you want to communicate and not some half-assed impersonation of somebody else.
> 
> 2. *SOUND MASTERY -* As deep a knowledge as you can get of *the way the tools you use create musical sound*, so that you can achieve *the sound you want* instead of an approximation. For old school composers this was instrumentation and orchestration knowledge; for people in our generation it still includes those fields but also probably a healthy amount of knowledge of electronic music production, virtual instruments, and at least the basics of mixing.
> 
> 3. *KEYBOARD FLUENCY* - at least a basic high school level fluency at playing the piano. You don't have to be a pro. This is a necessity for composers regardless of what instrument you currently play. Everything else becomes harder without this. Notice that this does _not_ include sheet music reading ability :dodgy: , although that's nice to have. See next point.
> 
> 4. *LEARN-FROM-OTHERS ABILITY *- the ability to *learn what makes music you admire really work*, so that you can absorb lessons and insights from other composers. This point encompasses a lot of different skills depending on how you learn from others. It can include ear training (recognizing harmonies, melodic intervals etc. by ear) as well as the ability to read sheet music _if_ the composers you admire happened to write and publish sheet music. If the composers you admire don't have published scores, then you better develop your ability to transcribe music by ear (either to paper or your DAW), as well as the ability to listen to mixes analytically, listen for orchestration details analytically, and so on.
> 
> *5. MUSIC BUSINESS ATTITUDE *- the ability to navigate the music world *as a business*. Managing your clients, meeting the vision of your collaborators, being reliable, being productive, not throwing an ego fit at necessary revisions, knowing how to manage time and money sensitive issues like running a recording session or hiring assistants, being well organized, having a logistical plan for achieving big projects, managing revenue and expenses - basically all the same skills as someone running a small business.
> 
> 
> 
> Having typed all that out, I have 4 observations about why a lot of online courses kind of fail to prepare people with these 5 skill areas -
> 
> 
> 
> 1. You won't get all five skills in one place no matter how hard you try or how hype someone's pitch is. Mike Verta isn't gonna teach you to play the piano, HZ's masterclass isn't going to teach you music theory, a university music course isn't going to teach you how to use a DAW. There is no one curriculum out there for all these skills despite the proliferation of "scoring for screen" university modules.
> 
> 2. Once we get beyond the dichotomy of "classically trained" vs "not classically trained" it becomes a lot clearer that all successful composers have these skills, regardless of what *educational credential* they have, because these skill areas don't naturally fit into college degree terms apart from the music theory one. Hans Zimmer may not have read sheet music for much of his career but he clearly had the sufficient skills to succeed in each area.
> 
> 3. A lot of these skills are *not really teachable *but rather *"learn by doing"* once you get through the basics. In the end, *you* will teach yourself most of the orchestration knowledge you develop over your lifetime, if you keep studying scores. In the end, *you *will develop insights and techniques by studying the composers you enjoy. In the end, only years of working with directors (and apprenticing with working composers who work with directors) will make you capable of understanding a director's vision, meeting their expectations and managing the business and artistic relationship at the same time.
> 
> 4. There is certainly value in having *someone else *teach you the basic building blocks of several of these fields, however only on the understanding that it should be an intensive course focused only on that area AND simultaneously an understanding that you're learning the bare rudiments of that field. For obvious reasons, online courses don't pitch themselves that way. Instead they want to make you think you can learn all the tools you need in a 70 minute recorded seminar of someone fooling around in a DAW. I think* a private tutor or a university course *can be especially helpful if you're starting from scratch in learning one or more of the following: 1) piano performance, 2) reading sheet music, 3) learning music theory, 4) learning instrumentation & orchestration, 5) learning the basics of mixing. However once you get beyond what you could learn from a book with a private teacher or college course, it's really up to you to keep teaching yourself throughout life. I think a lot of online courses don't really grapple with the reality that developing yourself as an artist (and that's what 4 of these 5 skills are really about) is a multi-year and sometimes multi-decade process.




Well said.


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## Macrawn

Matt Donovan said:


> Well said.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well said.


Except these are not all of the things, unless you go out and try and find a way to learn them on your own. 

There is a lot of stuff I didn't know or was doing wrong despite finding other sourses of info. 

For example, I did not know that cutting below 20 HZ on individual tracks in orchestral music is something to consider becuase there are so many tracks and you get build up low end more than you would in say a rock song with less instruments. That low end just stacks quickly. You could find info about that in a mixing book or find the right online video. 

Different instruments and articulations require different types of reverb and reverb can be used to create separation in instruments. Had no idea about that. I though most orc instruments had enough built in reverb. Most pros though use additional reverb in certain ways. 

I thought building an orc template was just adding instruments and busses. I didn't really know how to fix the delay that different instruments have in attack. I also never paid attention to panning and the overall balance of all of the instruments together. I just thought orcs were all balanced out of the box. I thought just use the natural orcestral panning was enough. 



There is a lot on mixing I didn't kow about either as well as methods for orchestrating and why. 

These are just simple things that were not obvious to me. There is a lot more information I'm picking up. 

It could take years of slowly gathering information about all of the necessary things you could do and all of the small things you can do to improve your work that last 20 percent. You can do this method patchwork over a long period of time. I think having that information in one place spelled out is really useful and can save a lot of time. 

You can learn completely on your own. You can do things wrong for a long time too until you figure out why it was wrong or why there is a better way for something too on your own. There are different ways of doing things but some very basic and not so obvious things as well that can improve a piece.
I've bought a lot of virtual instruments. Thousands of dollars. And in equipment too. But next to zero on information. I thought I'd learn as I go. I realize now that I had only half the picture. I think the information is more valuable than the instruments. 

I'm a self taught visual artist and (mostly) self taught guitar player. I learned blues with a couple of books and playing along with songs. I've gone through that learn on your own method for a lot f thing. I have no regrets on either one. It's a longer path filled with a lot more mistakes and bad habbits. However, I also know that the unique qualities of my visual art probably wouldn't exist if I had gone to art school. The downside of some of these courses is that everyone is composing in the same way using the same templates and methods. Everyone's epic trailer music sounds good, but the same as everyone else's. That's the trap I guess. But with that said, I know the course I took wasn't as much about teaching creative methods, just the tools necessary for overcoming problems or making things sound clearer and better, more realistic that won't get in the way of the creative process. 

Even as a professional in another line of work, I invest in information. Conferences, books, subscriptions and so forth. This is despite the fact that I have a master's degree in my field. New information is always coming out. Why is this any different? There is a very technical side to making computer music. It's not all artistic and there is information you need to have about it. 

I would not overpay for these courses but if you are new and don't have the information yet at the cost of a good library you can get what you need to bring your qualiy up immediately. It will take you years to figure this out otherwise unless you already have a background in it. 

Just yesterday I got to sit in on a 2-3 hour lecture by Andy Hill that was about the concepts in his book. It was one of the most fascinating lectures I've ever watched thanks to Marc. I really think it was worth the money for the course , but I understand why some would not want to spend that money. I am glad I got a discount on it. How much that information is worth depends on the person.


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## Jackdaw

Im in SVO, paid $90+ for it and for me it has been worth every single penny. Just like dude above, there has been so many little things that I was not aware of because I have no formal education in this field, just self learned hobbyist.

As a side note I must mention that you can find similar nice little cheap things from Udemy. Of course they are not professional courses, but still they may include that little stuff you weren't aware of. And they cost only 11 dollars (of course every other of them is more or less garbage, but there is still wisdom to be found in those too).


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## Dennys

marclawsonmusic said:


> https://filmscoringcourse.com/andy-hill-scoring-the-screen-course-a


Andy Hill scoring the Screen is not for dale any more


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## Dennys

hibhardwaj said:


> Hello Folks,
> I am posting this to inquire about Marc Jovani’s Symphonic Virtual Orchestration (SVO) Course. I have following two questions:
> 
> Would like to know about the experience if there is somebody who took it? I am mainly looking to improve my production capabilities- Arranging, mixing, making instruments sounds more natural etc. etc.
> This site is selling the SVO currently for $97: https://svocourse.com/course28183954 And this site is selling the same course for $775: https://cinematiccomposing.com/courses/symphonic-virtual-orchestration#prices What’s the catch here? Even though the first website is calling it a _Flash Sale_, I want to know if this is some kind of stripped down version of the actual course. This discount seem like too good to be true.
> Any pointers here would be much appreciated. Cheers.


ok...I know most of us have a degree in music. I recently found Marc Jovani's Cinematic page. I tried and decided to buy several of his courses and I am having a blast. Some things I did not know, but all of the theory, harmony, analysis, composition, orchestration, instrumentation, etc. I learned in the Music Conservatory in my country. I have great respect for this young man. I just watched a free video where he tells us what he did to land jobs as a composer. I mean, FREE VIDEO. He did not have to do that. His courses are very instructional and worthy of every penny I paid for them. What we should never do is to apply the Lottery Syndrome to his effort. He exposed how he and his wife were struggling to rub two pennies. He made it with much sacrifice. Just like the Lottery. I play it seriously, but that doesn't mean I may ever win it. I will take his course and follow his advice, but it doesn't mean I may land a contract to compose music for a film. It is s question of having the talent, following the tracks left by those who succeeded, effort, networking, constant dedication, patience, luck, faith, and God's blessing. So, if people have won the Lottery, why not me? If Marc landed several jobs as a compose, why not you? After all, what he is selling is how to compose cinematic music. Everything else is free stuff that he kindly shares with us.


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## aeliron

Macrawn said:


> Except these are not all of the things, unless you go out and try and find a way to learn them on your own.
> 
> There is a lot of stuff I didn't know or was doing wrong despite finding other sourses of info.
> 
> For example, I did not know that cutting below 20 HZ on individual tracks in orchestral music is something to consider becuase there are so many tracks and you get build up low end more than you would in say a rock song with less instruments. That low end just stacks quickly. You could find info about that in a mixing book or find the right online video.
> 
> Different instruments and articulations require different types of reverb and reverb can be used to create separation in instruments. Had no idea about that. I though most orc instruments had enough built in reverb. Most pros though use additional reverb in certain ways.
> 
> I thought building an orc template was just adding instruments and busses. I didn't really know how to fix the delay that different instruments have in attack. I also never paid attention to panning and the overall balance of all of the instruments together. I just thought orcs were all balanced out of the box. I thought just use the natural orcestral panning was enough.
> 
> 
> 
> There is a lot on mixing I didn't kow about either as well as methods for orchestrating and why.
> 
> These are just simple things that were not obvious to me. There is a lot more information I'm picking up.
> 
> It could take years of slowly gathering information about all of the necessary things you could do and all of the small things you can do to improve your work that last 20 percent. You can do this method patchwork over a long period of time. I think having that information in one place spelled out is really useful and can save a lot of time.
> 
> You can learn completely on your own. You can do things wrong for a long time too until you figure out why it was wrong or why there is a better way for something too on your own. There are different ways of doing things but some very basic and not so obvious things as well that can improve a piece.
> I've bought a lot of virtual instruments. Thousands of dollars. And in equipment too. But next to zero on information. I thought I'd learn as I go. I realize now that I had only half the picture. I think the information is more valuable than the instruments.
> 
> I'm a self taught visual artist and (mostly) self taught guitar player. I learned blues with a couple of books and playing along with songs. I've gone through that learn on your own method for a lot f thing. I have no regrets on either one. It's a longer path filled with a lot more mistakes and bad habbits. However, I also know that the unique qualities of my visual art probably wouldn't exist if I had gone to art school. The downside of some of these courses is that everyone is composing in the same way using the same templates and methods. Everyone's epic trailer music sounds good, but the same as everyone else's. That's the trap I guess. But with that said, I know the course I took wasn't as much about teaching creative methods, just the tools necessary for overcoming problems or making things sound clearer and better, more realistic that won't get in the way of the creative process.
> 
> Even as a professional in another line of work, I invest in information. Conferences, books, subscriptions and so forth. This is despite the fact that I have a master's degree in my field. New information is always coming out. Why is this any different? There is a very technical side to making computer music. It's not all artistic and there is information you need to have about it.
> 
> I would not overpay for these courses but if you are new and don't have the information yet at the cost of a good library you can get what you need to bring your qualiy up immediately. It will take you years to figure this out otherwise unless you already have a background in it.
> 
> Just yesterday I got to sit in on a 2-3 hour lecture by Andy Hill that was about the concepts in his book. It was one of the most fascinating lectures I've ever watched thanks to Marc. I really think it was worth the money for the course , but I understand why some would not want to spend that money. I am glad I got a discount on it. How much that information is worth depends on the person.


Just came across this and had to register on this forum to agree. I just emerged from songwriting hibernation a few years ago, and there are so many bits of knowledge about orchestrating and mixing and reverbing and such that I wish I had known earlier, so I would not have to cringe when listening to my recordings  I don't know about $700, but they are certainly worth at least $100 for all the time that could be saved. And it opens your eyes to so many new considerations.

I am currently wondering whether to keep the Rozman bundle from Evenant or spend the money on a subscription to Cinematic Composing, which looks like it has a lot of great resources. Or, whether the Groove3 subscription that came with the Izotope MPS upgrade has enough info. Rozman had some good info here and there but there's also a lot of time watching him move around MIDI notes in Cubase. I would like to pay something for the good bits, and not as much for the half hour I spent watching him enter MIDI notes to come up with the basic theme to be used in the rest of the course. Maybe there's a better payment model in there somewhere.

As to credentials, some of the most amazing musicians in the world go unnoticed and even die penniless. As others here have stated or implied, success in music is not just talent; it's also marketing and well, life. And the most successful don't have the time to offer detailed lessons at an affordable price. Those who do, have to find a way to navigate between lowering our buy-in risk and getting shafted by students who consume, get value, but still decide not to pay. Thus some mind-boggling refund terms.

But now I am wondering how many of my recordings have that 20 Hz buildup ... and I'm guessing ALL OF THEM!!!


----------

