Who this book is for
This book is for musicians, aspiring composers, music producers, and music students. Although we do explore a little theory, this book is more focused on the practical application of software tools and techniques. It's geared toward the aspiring professional who wants to know about the tools and techniques in the craft. This book assumes no pre-existing skills or experience prior to reading.
If your goal is to compose music just for fun, this book will provide you with a practical music foundation to help improve your music compositions. You'll be supplied with music theory to understand the fundamentals of composing songs. You'll learn how to compose for orchestral instruments and make orchestral arrangements. You'll learn how to do this with software without needing to know how to play any actual instruments prior to reading (although some familiarity with the piano will prove helpful). You'll learn how to improve your songs and tailor them to fit specific emotions and moods. You'll also find tips for coming up with music ideas to avoid writer's block.
If you want to get paid for making music, this book will set you up with the tools and techniques to embark on a career as a music consultant. If you want to compose music at a more serious level, rather than just as a hobby, you need to think about how to compose efficiently to a deadline. Once you get an assignment, you need to focus on the important tasks so you can deliver a high-quality score that meets the client's requirements. This book will show you how to manage a music project efficiently.
