recording & arranging

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Please choose from the following three categories: Production & Recording Work, Arrangement/Chart Preparation Work, Instructional Work.

Congruent Music Co. serves as a "one-stop-shop" for my music production, recording & arranging skills and services. These services, provided through my home studio, include chart and score preparation, MIDI track sequencing, pre-production song demos, electric and upright bass overdubbing, and more. All production work is generated in a timely, professional manner, and exhibits the highest standards of musical and technical integrity.

Extensive experience performing, recording, and arranging music in a wide range of genres have provided me with invaluable preparation for the role of Producer. I have been honored to have opportunities to work with numerous songwriters to help bring their music to life, and to present it in a way that both captures the intent of the artist at the same time as raising it to higher levels of musicality and interest. Production work can involve any combination of sequencing and pre-production work at my home studio, chart or lead sheet preparation if needed, as well as overseeing recording and mixing sessions at rental studio facilities and delivering a finished master.

My home studio provides a comfortable and efficient setting for the preparation of audio and midi-tracks to be used for song demos, or as the pre-production or overdubbing and/or "sweetening" stage for projects to be completed at larger commercial studios. My sequencing work combines technical skill with a rare sense of musicality so that tracks and sequences have a warm, "human" quality to them. Additional reference may be made to the charts/scores that are available for a few of these examples in the "Arrangement/Chart Preparation" section of this website.

Producing, Arranging, Orchestration, and Recording examples: :

Set this Bridge on Fire - Contemporary Country Ballad
Come Fly with Me - Swing/Jazz vocal
Into the Night - Smooth-Jazz/Bossa Nova vocal
Nature Boy - Smooth-Jazz vocal
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Pop/Rock
When the Tide Rolls In (CD Version) - Pop Ballad/Contemporary Christian
Mack the Knife - Big Band/Swing vocal
Long Gone - New Age/Smooth-Jazz instrumental
Two by the Window - Smooth-Jazz instrumental
Jesu Joy - Classical
Light It Up 60 sec version - Alternative Rock/Pop
Georgy Porgy - Funk/R&B/Pop
Laser Built 1 min - Techno/Funk/Orchestral
The Game clip 3 - Funk/Techno/Jazz Fusion
The Beauty of the Lord - Contemporary Christian Music/Pop
The Power of the Cross - Contemporary Christian Music/Pop Ballad
Best of My Love - Pop/Dance/Disco
Bad News 1 min - Big Band/Swing/acoustic (upright) bass
I Could Have Told You So - Jazz ballad/acoustic (upright) bass
Sway 1 min - Latin/Salsa-Cha Cha/acoustic (upright) bass
It Might As Well Be Spring - Brazilian Samba/acoustic (upright) bass
Sound of the Wind - Jazz Samba/acoustic (upright) bass
People Make the World Go 'Round - Smooth Jazz/acoustic (upright) bass
Center Stage TV 3E - TV theme (Swing/Smooth-Jazz)
Center Stage TV 4 Bowed - bowed acoustic (upright) bass feature
Center Stage TV 4 Pizz - plucked acoustic (upright) bass feature

With 30+ years of studio session experience, my recorded work is known for its broad versatility, creativity and musicality. A large reservoir of basses and bass "sounds," from modern (i.e. Ken Smith, Modulus, etc.) to classic (1962 Fender Jazz Bass), make my bass work an asset to any recording project. Those interested in my (bass) studio work may also want to review some of the excerpts from my released CD's in the "recordings" section of the website (cross-linked to Congruent Music's section on CDBaby.com)

Though I am frequently called on for recording sessions at commercial studios, my skills and sounds as a session bassist can be utilized "remotely" through the use of my home studio. In this current "digital age" individual parts of a production are increasingly often recorded at multiple studios, including home ones and combined for mixing and completion elsewhere. I have been called upon to add bass work to projects for clients within the Dallas-Fort Worth area and in other cities including Los Angeles, Nashville and Houston, and other cities in the Southwest. The recording formats do not even have to be directly compatible. For those interested in using me in this capacity, an initial conversation would include a discussion of the technical options available.

The set of tracks below contains examples from sessions done at commercial studios as well as numerous examples of bass overdub work from my home studio. Note that a couple of the excerpts are "rough mixes" since the track since the track has not been fully mixed and completed yet (at the time of this website preparation).

"Studio Session & Overdubbed Bass" examples:

Far From Home - Rock/Alternative
So Cold - Rock/Alternative
Sid's Song - Rock/Alternative/acoustic/fretless bass
Light It Up 60 sec version - Alternative Rock/Pop
Georgy Porgy - Funk/R&B/Pop
Laser Built 1 min - Techno/Funk/Orchestral
The Game clip 3 - Funk/Techno/Jazz Fusion
Every Little Thing - Pop/Funk
No Greater Love - Pop-Rock/Ballad
Thanks to Him - Pop-Rock/Contemporary Christian
Houston - Contemporary Country-Rock
I'll Pay For This In The Morning - Contemporary Country
Livin' - Contemporary Country
Lone Star Tears - Country/acoustic (upright) bass
Set this Bridge on Fire - Contemporary Country Ballad
It's All About Love - Funk-Pop-Rock/Contemporary Christian
Let Your Kingdom Come - Pop-Rock/Contemporary Worship
The Beauty of the Lord - Contemporary Christian Music/Pop
The Power of the Cross - Contemporary Christian Music/Pop Ballad
Faith to Faith - Pop-Rock/Contemporary Worship
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Pop/Rock
Best of My Love - Pop/Dance/Disco
Bad News 1 min - Big Band/Swing/acoustic (upright) bass
Mack the Knife - Big Band/Swing vocal
I Could Have Told You So - Jazz ballad/acoustic (upright) bass
Sway 1 min - Latin/Salsa-Cha Cha/acoustic (upright) bass
It Might As Well Be Spring - Brazilian Samba/acoustic (upright) bass
Sound of the Wind - Jazz Samba/acoustic (upright) bass
I'm Here For You - Smooth-Jazz vocal
Two by the Window - Smooth-Jazz instrumental
Nature Boy - Smooth-Jazz vocal
Long Gone - New Age/Smooth-Jazz instrumental
People Make the World Go 'Round - Smooth Jazz/acoustic (upright) bass
Your Hand - Smooth Jazz ballad/acoustic (upright) bass
We Three Kings - World Music-New Age/ fretless bass solo
Center Stage TV 4 Bowed - bowed acoustic (upright) bass feature
Center Stage TV 4 Pizz - plucked acoustic (upright) bass feature
Thumbs Up clip 2 - Jazz Fusion/Funk/fretted bass feature
Eagle Bird 1 min - Contemporary Gospel/Funk
Open My Eyes Lord - Acoustic Gospel/Pop/acoustic (upright) bass

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With over 30 years of professional arranging and performing experience, in a wide range of genres, I can provide arrangements, scores and/or charts in a quick and professional manner. My skills using the latest version of Finale (the music writing software program) combined with exceptional musicianship, and extensive knowledge of counterpoint and musical styles have given me a growing reputation as a first-rate arranger. Chart preparation can also be combined, if needed, with sequencing/midi-programming and producing for many types of pieces (see the page on "Production/Recording Work"). Compensation for arranging work can be done by hourly rates or, as circumstances may dictate, by flat fees.

Examples:
Best of My Love
Think
Mack the Knife
Waltz for Julia
Amanda's Song
The Reason for Music (vocal)
The Reason for Music (rhythm section)
Twinkle, Twinkle (for intermediate guitar student ensemble)

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Drawing from 14 years of university and junior-college teaching experience and 25+ years of private instruction, I currently maintain a limited schedule of private lessons in my home in Richardson, TX. A large body of rare unpublished, detailed bass transcriptions and technique worksheets which were developed during these years of college instruction, are passed along free of charge to students as needed. Inquiries regarding lessons and openings may be made via email (john@congruentmusic.com) from this website. On a periodic basis, other (non-bassist) musicians and or vocalist/song-writers of any type may receive instruction in any of these additional areas as well: Improvisation, Music Theory, Composition, and Arranging. Potential students with those interests may want to peruse the "Production and Recording Work" sections of this website.

In addition to the years of classroom and private instruction, I have also had numerous opportunities to do clinics and master classes at universities throughout Texas and the Southwest, as well teaching at numerous workshops and conferences around the U.S., including: Jamey Aebersold's Summer Workshops, The University of Wisconsin Summer Music Clinic, I.A.J.E. and I.S.B. conferences, and UNT's Summer Jazz Workshops. I always try to make a point of creating an interactive and stimulating atmosphere in workshops and master classes. The topics to be covered can include any of the instructional areas indicated in the "Private Instruction" section above: bass concepts and techniques, jazz, improvisation, composition, arranging, and/or ensemble & performance coaching. Inquiries for this area may also be made via email to john@congruentmusic.com.

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