# (Career Update 9 Years Later) New member 15 year old musician getting into orchestration



## SyMTiK (Jan 18, 2013)

9 YEAR UPDATE: 
I was curious what my first post looked like here 😂

9 years later, and this forum helped me further develop a passion for music that took me to Berklee, across the country to LA, and now just getting my start working in the industry as a composers assistant.

Just wanted to find this post and share my career update, to hopefully inspire some other composers who might be hoping to make a career out of this. Anything is possible, just try! Nowhere near where I want to be yet, but there is all the time in the world to get there 

This forum gave me so much wisdom and information over the years, and I am so glad to have discovered this little spot on the internet 

ORIGINAL POST: hey all, i am a 15 year old electronic musican who has been producing for about a year now, and im slowly getting into orchestration. i was recommended this forum from a user on another forum, who recommended that i check this forum out for my pursuit of orchestration.

i started out making computer based music a year ago as i said, and was mainly producing many different styles of electronic music, from the over used dubstep to industrial idm, house music, trance, and some stuff i couldnt even really put a genre on. i have been slowly gaining more and more interest in creating symphonic music over this past year, and now i want to take it full on, and incorporate the knowledge i hope to gain along the way with my electronic background to try and really create some original pieces. i am not one to stick to any particular genres, but a musician who sticks to music. i have a very wide taste of music, and appreciate everything from some pop music to symphonic death metal and very underground genres. if its music, chances are i'l enjoy it 

i apologize if i come across ignorant as i start out, as i dont really know much about creating this style of music, and have really just played around with it up to this point. and i would also like some recommendations as to composers i should listen to, as i dont know too many composers 

i hope to quickly fit in with the rest of you, and will greatly appreciate the help that this forum will give


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## bryla (Jan 19, 2013)

Welcome!

It's great to hear of your passion and at 15 you have all the time in the world, and your time is fairly precious.

I would find a Beethoven symphony and scoreread, scoreread, scoreread if I were you.


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## SyMTiK (Jan 19, 2013)

thanks! i'l certainly try that. were would i get said scores?


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## bdr (Jan 19, 2013)

Hi symtik...go to imspl.com where you will find tons of free and legal public domain scores often you are able to find the audio on utube (which is probably not so legal but there you go).

A great resource for you would be to go to Garritan.com, under the 'education' tab you will find an excellent free course on orchestration as well as jazz arranging.

Orchestration has been discussed on this forum many, many (many!) times, you will find tons on information here by searching (as bad as the sach function is here).

Have fun!


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## SyMTiK (Jan 20, 2013)

thank you bdr for those sites, il certainly check those out!


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## mducharme (Jan 20, 2013)

The URL for online scores should be "imslp.org", not "imspl.com"


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## mark812 (Jan 20, 2013)

http://www.musictheory.net/lessons

http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/forumdisplay.php/77-Principles-of-Orchestration-On-line (http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/for ... on-On-line)

The best free online resources for learning music theory and orchestration.


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## Cinesamples (Jan 20, 2013)

Hi SyMTIK,

I find one great exercise is to pull up scores from websites like imslp.org and create mockups from those scores. That exercises two skills simultaneously: score reading, and mockup production.

Then compare your mockup to an actual performance.

I have found that to be helpful for my own writing at least - and helps you get out of the same old quicky composition patterns when you have been writing a lot.

MP


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## SyMTiK (Jan 20, 2013)

thanks all for the tips and warm welcome  thanks mducharme for the link correction, il certainly check out those sites mark, and il try that some times CineSamlpes  

thanks again everybody


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## bryla (Jan 20, 2013)

Don't neglect your local library! It's a good way to start and helps you sort out. Then when you are more comfortable you can buy scores on Amazon.


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## SyMTiK (Jun 1, 2022)

I was curious what my first post looked like here 😂

9 years later, and this forum helped me further develop a passion for music that took me to Berklee, across the country to LA, and now just getting my start working in the industry as a composers assistant. 

Just wanted to find this post and share my career update, to hopefully inspire some other composers who might be hoping to make a career out of this. Anything is possible, just try! Nowhere near where I want to be yet, but there is all the time in the world to get there 

This forum gave me so much wisdom and information over the years, and I am so glad to have discovered this little spot on the internet


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## vancomposer (Jun 1, 2022)

I just saw the title and your profile pic and thought, damn you have a lot of facial hair already for being only 15! I remember at that time some would have been super envious for it! 🧔‍♂️😄

Good luck with everything!! 🙋‍♂️


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## Denkii (Jun 1, 2022)

You're a boss.
Sounds like you're doing great.
Wishing you all the best!

Also: I am much older than you but you always had such good manners, better than I ever will, even when you were 15.
I think you'll do just fine.


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## SyMTiK (Jun 1, 2022)

Denkii said:


> You're a boss.
> Sounds like you're doing great.
> Wishing you all the best!
> 
> ...


I appreciate that!

Was always taught to be humble and kind to others, and willing to learn


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## SyMTiK (Jun 1, 2022)

vancomposer said:


> I just saw the title and your profile pic and thought, damn you have a lot of facial hair already for being only 15! I remember at that time some would have been super envious for it! 🧔‍♂️😄
> 
> Good luck with everything!! 🙋‍♂️


Hahaha I think I was 18 or 19 in that picture, I need to update it I look nothing like it now 😂 I could grow a beard at 15 though, sadly went to an all boys catholic School that required students to be freshly shaven every day, never got to show it off back then

Best of luck to you as well! Love your van life content, welcome to LA!


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## vancomposer (Jun 1, 2022)

SyMTiK said:


> Hahaha I think I was 18 or 19 in that picture, I need to update it I look nothing like it now 😂 I could grow a beard at 15 though, sadly went to an all boys catholic School that required students to be freshly shaven every day, never got to show it off back then
> 
> Best of luck to you as well! Love your van life content, welcome to LA!


Thanks buddy! I could be your father age wise technically but good is a musicians mind doesn't get old. You will come back to this post in 20 years (lets hope the forum is still around) and realize nothing has changed except hopefully your career of course.

Well you might also have to shave your back hair off by then and dont need much top hair cuts either. 😄


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## Gil (Jun 3, 2022)

Hello,
You can check https://www.youtube.com/user/OrchestrationOnline: it's an incredible orchestration resources! I advice you to look at the playlists and begin with the basics ones (the oldest ones).
Regards,
Gil.


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