Music Commissions (Closed)

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I have experience composing and arranging choral, band, orchestral, and small ensemble works. I have a B.S. in music education and have studied composition under Jackson Berkey, co-founder of Mannheim Steamroller. My arrangements and original compositions have been performed on tours all over the United States, as well as in Germany, the Czech Republic, and China.

This fall, I will start my masters in music theory and composition.  The character theme prices will increase a bit at that time, so get 'em while they're cheap!

Here are a few examples of my full works:


(This work is officially copyrighted in the Library of Congress. Please do not steal or reproduce.)


(This is an a Capella SATB piece. Just the soprano line is showing.)


(This is another a Capella SATB piece, again with only the soprano line visible.)


(Here is the first movement of a full orchestral expansion of the piece To Neaera. Only the choral parts are shown.)


(This is a hymn arrangement for woodwind quintet: flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon. Don't ask me why French horns are included in woodwind quintets...)


(This is a percussion arrangement of Deck the Hall: floor tom, suspended cymbal, chimes, sleigh bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone.)

Full Works:

Full works are pricier, as it takes hours of intensive creative effort to compose an entire piece. My ballpark rate is $100 per instrument (except keyboard instruments and harp) per minute of music. Accompanying keyboard or harp is $150 per minute. Solo keyboard or harp is $200 per minute. If you're looking for a full orchestration, give or take a few instruments, it will be about $1,500 per minute.  A 3-5 minute piece may be estimated to be completed between 6 and 9 months, depending on my schedule.

Here are a few flat rates for pieces that are 3-5 minutes in length:
SATB a capella choir piece: $2,000
Choir with accompaniment: $2,500
Wind ensemble: $3,000
String orchestra: $2,000
Full orchestra: $5,000
Full orchestra with choir: $6,000

An example of a full work commission could be a piece to commemorate a memorial service, retirement ceremony, wedding, anniversary, or any other milestone one may have in one's life.  Payments may be made in increments if necessary.

Character Themes:

I would also like to offer smaller compositions, such as simple melodies as character themes for any who would like their OC to have a musical theme. One of my life goals is to become a film composer and this will help me build my portfolio. These themes would be around 8-12 bars in length. If the commissioner desires a longer piece, the price will increase accordingly.
  • For one instrument of your choice playing the melody: $10 (takes up to 2-3 days to complete)
  • If you want just piano: $15 (3-4 days)
  • If you'd like to add a simple accompaniment (either strings or piano, but if you'd like to substitute a different instrument group, ask me): $20 (about 1 week)
  • If you'd like the work to have multiple melodies intertwined (also known as counterpoint, which is very complicated to write): $20 for two melodies, +$10 for each melody added on top, +15 for strings or piano accompaniment (1-2 weeks)
  • For a full orchestration of the piece (including woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion): $80 (2-4 weeks, depending on the complexity)
DISCOUNT!!!
If you order three character themes, you can get a fourth one (of equal or lesser value to the lowest price ordered) 1/2 off!  This includes any previous orders, meaning you don't have to buy three at a time.

Here are examples of character themes:

(This is an English horn accompanied by pizzicato strings.)


(This is a little longer than a usual character theme. It is three instruments: flute, oboe, and clarinet.)


(Solo flute.)

Here are a few more examples. As you can see, I can do a wide variety of themes.
Completed Music Commissions (June 2016)If you are interested in commissioning me, here is the info:

6/18/16
Finn's Theme, commissioned by Gut-Funk:
Instrumentation: flute, oboe, violin I, violin II, viola, cello, string bass.
6/21/16
Ezelea Zeraphim's Theme, commissioned by Gut-Funk:
Instrumentation: violin, piccolo, piano.
6/22/16
Alias Dark's Theme, commissioned by Gut-Funk:
Instrumentation: solo violoncello, violin I, violin II, viola, cello, string bass.
6/27/16
Shukotsu's Theme, commissioned by Shuko
  Completed Music Commissions (August 2016)If you are interested in commissioning me, here is the info:

8/8/16
Salix and Lewisia, commissioned by Gut-Funk:
Instrumentation: clarinet (Lewisia), bassoon (Salix), violin I, violin II, viola, cello, string bass.
8/26/16
Ro's Theme, commissioned by Canis5lupus:
Instrumentation: oboe, violin I, violin II, viola, cello, string bass.

  Completed Music Commissions (September 2016)If you are interested in commissioning me, here is the info:

9/4/16
Oregano's Theme, commissioned by Gut-Funk:
Instrumentation: Korean pan flute, gayageum (Korean zither)
9/10/16
Ro and Nathan, commissioned by Canis5lupus:
Instrumentation: oboe (Ro), horn (Nathan), violin I, violin II, viola, cello, string bass.
9/16/16
Sigyn Specter's Theme, commissioned by ShadowAxe:
Instrumentation: violin, piano.
 
  Completed Music Commissions (October 2016)If you are interested in commissioning me, here is the info:

10/1/16
Shiori's Theme, commissioned by Little-Chiisai:
Instrumentation: harp
10/5/16
Moonlight's Theme, commissioned by LaEscritora:
Instrumentation: piano
10/12/16
Josh Zhao's Theme, commissioned by LaEscritora:
Instrumentation: piano
  Completed Music Commissions February 2017If you are interested in commissioning me, here is the info:

2/8/17
Slater Stone's Theme, commissioned by DonnyAnne:
Instrumentation: piccolo, violin, piano
Completed Music Commissions April 2017If you are interested in commissioning me, here is the info:

4/18/17
Hinata's Theme, commissioned by mahiwatanuki:
Instrumentation: English horn


For a character theme, the commissioner would send me a description of the character, including looks, personality, and a little bit of history. This helps me decide on a tone and texture of the piece in order to best represent the character.

For all commissions, I will send a PDF of the sheet music along with an mp3 file and an unlisted YouTube video of the playback of the full score (I use Sibelius Sounds, which are a much higher quality than simple midi). The videos you see in the examples only have one line (sometimes completely blank) for protection purposes.

The final scores will be professionally done, complete with dynamics, articulations, etc. I have 10+ years of experience in notating music and understand the engraving process at a professional level.

Rights:
  • I, the composer, retain any and all rights to the piece. You are commissioning my creative services, not buying the rights to the music. However, you as the commissioner may share the music and associate your character to the theme however much you'd like. All I ask is that the commissioner credits me and, if possible, provides the link back to my DeviantArt account or my Facebook page.
  • Should I desire to use the melodies in a composition to publish, I have the right to do that. However, in order to continue to allow the commissioner to freely share the music, I will attempt to publish it through a company that allows me to hold all rights.
  • If the commissioner wants to record a live performance of the piece for personal use only, contact me and I will send the individual parts. The commissioner is allowed to make however many copies of the parts to fit the demands of the ensemble. I would also request a copy of the recording (this is mainly because it's really exciting to hear one's pieces performed).
Disclaimers:
  • I may refuse the commission for any number of reasons, which I am not obligated to disclose. This will most likely not happen, though.
  • I do not write lyrics. If you'd like me to set text, make sure it is in public domain or I have permission from the writer to do so. I'd rather not pay an arm and a leg for royalties and I'm sure you don't want to either.
If you'd like to commission me, please send a note with your request along with your email. After we decide on what I will be writing as well as a price, I will send you a contract for each of us to sign and scan back to the other. This process protects both the commissioner and composer so that neither are cheated.

I accept PayPal only. A partial down payment (sometimes full payment) is requested before I begin (specifics will be included in the contract). The number of payments made depends on the complexity of the piece.

I know this is a lot of information and I may sound intimidatingly professional, but I promise I don't bite! I am easy to get along with and love writing music, especially for other people. All this information is just to make sure everything is fair for all parties involved. :)

Thank you for considering!

Commission list (unlimited as of now):

If you are pleased with the commission, please share this journal with anyone you believe might be interested!
© 2016 - 2024 CDupre
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Niveous-Leogriff's avatar
Some of them I can see and some not. Waiii? ;-;