Services

Composition, arranging, recording

Examples of Jamie's compositions, arrangements and recording work can be found on the audio samples section of this page.

Music copying

There are two main categories of copyist work:

taking music written by hand and reproducing it in a form that musicians can read easily; or

preparation of parts for which only a score is available.

For copyist jobs, Jamie uses a software package called Musicator, which is primarily designed as a composition tool rather than a music publishing package. It can also take MIDI information, whether via diskette or direct transfer from another MIDI instrument, and transform it into musical scores, which then can be cleaned up for easier readability. Via a sound card or a connection to a MIDI instrument, the package can even play the score, which is useful for correcting entry errors. Here is a sample of its output, from the Bach chorale "Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ":

Because Musicator was designed more as a composition/arranging tool than as a music publishing package, it does have some limitations that you should be aware of right up front:

Available note values range from breve notes to sixty-fourth notes (hemidemisemiquavers).
Sixteenth notes (semiquavers) are the shortest notes that can get the beat in a time signature.
Scores originally written in keys with seven sharps or seven flats in the key signature cannot be entered as written. They have to be transposed into their five-flat or five-sharp enharmonic equivalent keys. For example, a score that is written in C♯ major will have to be transposed to D♭ major in the process of entering it into the computer.
The alto and tenor clefs (B-shaped in this package) are the only C clefs available. C clefs cannot be used as soprano, mezzo-soprano or baritone clefs, and the bass clef cannot be shifted down one line to serve as a baritone clef or up one line to serve as a sub-bass clef. Nor can the treble clef be shifted down to serve as a French violin clef.
For keys involving sharps in the key signature, the sharp arrangement in the key signature has been incorrectly programmed to follow the treble clef key signature pattern in the tenor clef rather than the standard "inverted" tenor clef key signature pattern. This can be manually corrected on a staff-by-staff basis via image editing software if absolutely necessary, but will take extra time to prepare.
When playing a score entered with the mouse, there are no dynamics to the music aside from a slight accent on the first beat of each bar. Dynamics can be added on a note-by-note basis, but this is a tedious and time-consuming task: it would probably take Jamie about as much time to prepare a polished recording of the arrangement. However, Musicator includes a 32-channel MIDI mixing console, with which the volume levels of each part can be adjusted to simulate dynamics.
Score playback normally ignores repeat signs, dal segnos, codas and first- and second-time endings, but can, to a limited extent, be programmed to observe them.

Please note that since CBC rates apply for copying services, and this is a service Jamie does not often do, he will need time to consult with the Musicians' Association of Ottawa-Gatineau for the latest rates.

Solo musician for private events

For shows like these Jamie prepares MIDI backing tracks minus the piano part, which he performs live. Some of the material involves acoustic instruments such as clarinet, trumpet, guitar, didgeridoo and even vocals. See the repertoire section of this page for the material that he has already prepared.

Audio-visual production

Multitrack audio production and mastering with Cubase Lite 5 (see the audio samples section of this page for examples)

Video production with Corel VideoStudio (see the videos for "Elegy for My Father", "So Surreal and Yet So Real" and the Adolf Mayer material on the videos section of this page as examples)

Organist for weddings and funerals

See the repertoire section of this page for the repertoire Jamie is familiar with. Though Jamie is open to doing special material, he would appreciate being given the extra time involved in preparing it. See the guidelines section of this page for details.