In my lessons I focus on the three core disciplines shown above: composition, orchestration and arrangement. All three of these are based on music theory on the one hand and technical skills on the other. Depending on your level of knowledge in these fields, I will compile a custom course for you suited to what you want to learn.

Music Theory

A good grasp of some theory is essential. It is like a toolbox that you can use to build stuff. I will touch on melody, harmony, counterpoint, form and - a bit of my speciality - figured bass. I come from a background in church music and have found that knowledge of figured bass helps to understand how music works. Besides, it allows you to make accompaniments in no time. Together we will build a set of theory tools that will allow you to express your creativity in the best way possible. The idea is to make the mechanical process of composing a subconscious thing you never need to consciously think about.

Composition

I will teach you how to effectively write music in a variety of styles, from baroque to twelve-tone music (no, you don't _need_ to do this if you don't want to) to make you ready for whatever project you may encounter. We will also deal with composition techniques, sketching, writing for unfamiliar ensembles, writing for ethnic instruments and many more. A good part of the time will be spent with looking at scores and analysing what the composer has done to achieve a certain result.

Orchestration

We will look at instrument colours, how to write for real instruments, especially concerning playing limitations, tonal range, special articulations, and so on. You know, these wind people actually need to breathe from time to time! Again, the focus lies on practical examples. from classic to pop, but with a focus on contemporary film orchestration. We will also look at what is different when writing for sampled instruments or for a real ensemble. This topic also includes special music notation, how to write a score, score layout, how to prepare parts and how to make them easily readable for musicians and many more things.

Arrangement

We will take given pieces and arrange them in totally different styles. Ever taken a power metal "shredfest" and made a nice bluegrass piece out of it? We will do that! Arrangement also heavily touches on dealing with musicians, especially if they are from other musical backgrounds. You will not only learn how to arrange tracks, but also how to explain to people your visions. This intersects with the orchestration and composition parts as concerns dealing with directors, producers and the likes.

Technical Skills

One may like it or not, but no one can deny the tremendous changes technology has brought to the market. Today a composer needs to have his technical skills at their best all the time. Therefore, writing music with the aid of a sequencer, notation software for engraving and other tools is an important part of my lessons. I usually use Logic Pro and Sibelius, but that is not set in stone. We will deal with programming samples, making great sounding renditions of scores from MIDI files and will have a look at creating sequencer templates.

This should give you an overview of what I focus on in my lessons. Everything will be adjusted to your wishes and your needs with an emphasis on certain topics.

You should have a basic understanding of music theory, i.e. know what a scale is, know a bit about notation and have at least written a few pieces so you have an inkling of what you want to learn.
On the technical side, a reasonably fast computer with a sequencer and some basic music tools would be great, as well as a notation software. Sibelius is preferred as I use it myself and can therefore assist you better, but Finale, Notation, Capella and the likes should be fine, too.
You will get a bit of homework after each lesson, so you will also need some free time to do this homework :)

I do lessons either in person or (more and more common) via Skype or iChat. We will do screen sharing, so you can see my screen and see what I do as well as hear my voice. One lesson usually is 60 minutes, but that is negotiable. Lesson times usually are in the evenings, but that, too, is subject to arrangement.
Lessons are held in English or German, with course material usually in English, but most of the time music is international :)
If you are interested, drop me a line and we can get in touch. If you have some material to show me, send me a link to it. This helps me to see how I can plan your lessons so you get the most out of them!