Without waiting for Cliff to respond, Ronan took charge and got straight to the point.
"Ollie thinks the first verse should feature the piano as the primary instrument, whereas I believe the guitar should take the lead, and that's where our disagreement lies."
In one sentence, Ronan succinctly identified the focal point of their dispute.
Then, he turned to Ollie and said, "Ollie, I'll present my viewpoint first, and then you can share yours. Let's engage in this discussion together. How does that sound?" Ronan preemptively settled the matter before Ollie could protest.
Ollie rolled his eyes in mock protest.
Ronan couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll take that as agreement." He then shifted his gaze to Maxim and Cliff.
"In my vision, I aimed to create a sense of progression."
"Beginning with a cappella, stripping away all embellishments and adornments, the guitar then enters, followed by the bass, and the drums, including the drum kit. Here, we can introduce different layers—starting with the tom, then the bass drum. It's like building emotions layer by layer, perfectly complementing the melodic lyrics."
"Finally, as the chorus kicks in, we use the piano to enhance the three-dimensional and depth effects of the auditory experience and release all the built-up emotions."
"The clarity and brightness of the strings, serving as an accompaniment in the introduction stage, should remain subtle, so as not to disrupt the song's balanced structure, yet harmonize perfectly with the emotions conveyed by the lyrics. On the other hand, the fullness and richness of the keyboard sounds, especially in the chorus, can delve deep into the emotions, allowing the underlying unease to settle."
As Ronan spoke, his eyes brightened gradually, and his initially vague thoughts began to crystallize.
For Ronan, he had never formally studied musical arrangement; he relied on intuition and feeling for many aspects of music. Expressing his ideas in words accurately and clearly had been challenging.
However, tonight presented an opportunity. Through expression and discussion, he found himself generating various thoughts on instrument use, melody texture, and song style.
Bit by bit, clarity emerged. It was an intriguing, if somewhat perplexing, process. Overall, the direction was right, and Ronan couldn't help but become excited.
In fact, during the songwriting process, composition and arrangement were distinct tasks.
Many people mistakenly believed that "composition" simply entailed creating a vocal melody or the main theme of a musical piece.
However, academically speaking, composition encompasses all the work in music that results in a playable musical piece.
In the classical era, before computers, composing meant completing all the creative work. A composer would write the main melody and then pair it with harmonies and instruments that suited it.
Every melody created had to be applied to actual instruments or performed by singers for the music piece to come to life.
Arrangement, on the other hand, was a concept that emerged as the music system evolved and became commercialized. In particular, with the advent of computers in the 1990s, music creation no longer relied solely on live band performances and in-person rehearsals.
Composers and arrangers could do all the work directly on a computer, replicating the sound of real instruments as faithfully as possible. This led to the separation of composition and arrangement.
As the music industry became more industrialized and commercialized, each task became further specialized.
Song creation could be divided among different individuals, such as one person composing the melody and harmony while another focused on creating keyboard or instrumental parts.
Arrangement became an independent step.
Thus, in contemporary music production, composition typically involved creating the vocal portion of a song or a specific instrumental melody.
Arrangement, on the other hand, encompassed a range of complex tasks, from writing lyrics and adjusting chords to selecting and matching instruments, applying effects, and exporting music files.
Arrangers held a position akin to that of producers. They needed in-depth knowledge of music theory, proficiency in various musical instruments, a keen sense of style, and an understanding of the market positioning of the music.
Whether a piece of music could become popular often hinged on the quality of its arrangement. Creative inspiration was also crucial, as it determined how different styles of the original song could be extracted for various performers.
In essence, while composing relied more on talent, arrangement depended on a rich knowledge base.
Now, Ronan had only scratched the surface of arrangement. Despite his lack of formal training, he depended on inspiration and talent to realize his vision.
With the full commercialization of the music industry, the role of arrangers gained even more prominence. Even the Grammy Awards featured a category to recognize arrangers, highlighting their significance.
A top-tier arranger could transform a mediocre song into a good one and elevate a good song to classic status.
Returning to Ronan, it was clear he had only begun to explore the world of arrangement. He relied on inspiration and innate talent to bridge the gap between composition and the complex task of arranging.