Arranging Alfie by Burt Bacharach for trombone and voice as part of our group project was one of the most creatively rewarding and technically challenging experiences I’ve had as a student musician as we progressively applied and learned more skills as the semester progressed. Taking such an iconic and harmonically rich piece and reimagining it in a new context pushed me to think deeply about tone, texture, and balance—especially between the melodic role of the trombone and the supportive voice line. As a trombonist, this project allowed me to explore the expressive capabilities of the instrument in a more lyrical and exposed setting, which strengthened my interpretive and ensemble skills.

This project was also a turning point in developing my musicianship from a compositional and arranging perspective. Collaborating with peers, notating a full score, and making decisions about harmony, spacing, and phrasing taught me how to write not just for function, but for emotion and flow. It required me to apply the aural training, theory, and score-reading skills I’ve been building in Musicianship I–IV, and turn those tools into something real and performable. More importantly, it reminded me why I make music in the first place: to tell stories, to communicate something honest, and to create something meaningful with others.

Arranging Du bist wie eine Blume by Robert Schumann for voice and string quartet was a transformative step in my journey as a developing musician and arranger. Taking a classic Romantic art song and building a full chamber arrangement around it not only deepened my appreciation for Schumann’s compositional style but also challenged me to think more holistically about voicing, balance, and instrumental color. Starting from the full score, I had to break down the piano accompaniment and creatively distribute its harmonic and textural elements across two violins, a viola, and a cello—all while maintaining the integrity and beauty of the vocal line. This was a major learning experience in translating something intimate and piano-based into something broader and more dynamic without losing its emotional core.

One of the most significant skills I developed through this process was the use of double stops in the inner string voices, especially in the viola and second violin. Learning how to incorporate them effectively for richness and harmonic support—without overcrowding the texture—was a real milestone. I also became more confident in writing lyrically for strings, thinking about bowing, phrasing, and articulation in a much more detailed way. This project pushed my musicianship to new heights by requiring me to not only hear and analyze harmonies but also to write them into a polished and performable score.