Dave Metzger, part 2: Workflow and tech

Scoring Notes

Dave Metzger joins Philip Rothman and David MacDonald for the second part of a two-part interview. Dave is one of Hollywood and Broadway’s most accomplished orchestrators and arrangers, and if you haven’t heard the first part of our conversation, definitely check it out to learn more about his career path and approach to orchestration.

In today’s discussion, we learn more about Dave’s work on Frozen, and discover how a split second decision he made ended up setting the course for one of the show’s hit songs. Then, we cover how to get from a MIDI mockup in a sequencer like Cubase to a fully notated score in Sibelius via MusicXML, and get Dave’s thoughts on the state of the field and where the programs are headed. We also talk tech and get a tour of Dave’s setup, and explore everything from his hardware choices to software tricks he’s picked up over the years that help him work as effectively as possible.

More: Dave Metzger, part 1: Arranging and orchestrating