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Any Old Music

George Marshall

Hello. My name is George Marshall and I am the founder of Any Old Music. I am a composer with over 10-years of experience, having completed work on 50+ projects for video-games, films and the concert hall. In 2020, I completed my doctorate in Music Composition. My PhD was on constraint and how it emerges in creative projects. For example, team discussions in video-game projects. If a video-game team presented a mood-board and certain briefs, these constrain and challenge the composer to compose in a particular way or style. Less quantifiable than, say, the application of serialism, but probably just as (if not more) constraining and creatively directing. It was during my PhD that I realised that there would only be two outcomes for me as a composer: I became a professional composer who needed to compose lots of music in not enough time. I became an amateur/hobbyist or semi-professional composer who needed to compose less music but still with not enough time. With this in mind I eventually opted for something more along the lines of semi-professional, but with an ambition of setting up Any Old Music as a means of helping similarly time strapped music makers. Particularly those in the second group, the hobbyists and semi-professionals, whose composing competes much more for time against other aspects of life. Composition is incredibly rewarding. You never stop learning and developing as a composer. Furthermore, many of us boast renegade autodidactic personalities to a certain extent. My hope is that Any Old Music’s self-paced composition courses can help composers to continue growing, by learning through creating and doing so in their own time.

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Featured Post

Free Preview of 30 Days of Counterpoint - Now Available!

Hello Reader, I hope you're doing well! It's George from Any Old Music, and I’m excited to share that the first day of 30 Days of Counterpoint is now available as a free preview. If you're interested in counterpoint, especially at a beginner or intermediate level, feel free to dive into the first day’s content. Here’s what you’ll find: Day 1's Video Lesson: Foundations of (1st Species) Counterpoint Lesson Quiz: Test your understanding of the first lesson Skills Quiz: Focused on interval...

8 months ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader, I'm thrilled to invite you to this week's episode of Breaking Down Morning Mood, where we'll dive into a score annotation of Grieg's "Morning Mood" (link to score video, YouTube) from his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1. Get ready for an exciting exploration of this musical gem! Here's what we'll cover in the video: Uber quick recap of last week's preliminary episode where we gathered resources and background information to set the stage. Simple prepping of the score, ready for...

almost 2 years ago • 1 min read

Starting today, we're embarking on a new approach to provide you with practical and engaging music composition lessons and insights. Say goodbye to the "Term of the Week" newsletter. Instead, I'll be sharing in-depth analyses of compositions, meticulously breaking them down to provide you with insightful observations. Don't worry, I'll keep them concise and free from excessive images and links, making them perfect for your Monday work break or an evening read. I understand that this shift may...

almost 2 years ago • 4 min read

Term of the Week: Una Corda From Any Old Music Una corda (It.; “one string”, Eng.) is an Italian term used in the context of piano music. It refers to the soft pedal of a piano, which, when depressed, causes the hammers to strike only one of the strings per note instead of the usual two/three*. This results in a softer and more muted sound that is often used for expressive purposes in a wide range of musical styles. Tre corda (“three strings”) or tutte le corda (“all the strings”) are the...

almost 2 years ago • 6 min read

Psst, Reader! Fancy a peek at the working schedule for "Introduction to Orchestration"? (If you can't see the image, click here.) Some serious gear, am I right? And to think... I'm only offering pre-enrolment for less than £1 a day over 5-months. Anyway, enjoy tickling that multi-mic orchestral sample library. All the best, George P.S. Pre-enrolment closes in... Click here if you would like to pre-enrol. Here are five ways you can improve as a composer, arranger or orchestrator today:...

almost 2 years ago • 1 min read

Pre-enrolment for Introduction to Orchestration is NOW OPEN and will close on Monday 22nd May, 7pm BST. Join our comprehensive adventure into the world of Music Orchestration. Pre-enrol today and secure your place on: 8+ Brain Bursting Live Online Lectures 3 Dedicated Q&A Sessions, to answer your questions an Exclusive Course Discord to meet, discuss, critique and help your peers optional Weekly Worksheets to put your new skills into action optional Breakout Team Orchestration Challenges to...

almost 2 years ago • 4 min read

5-days until pre-enrolment opens for Introduction to Orchestration. Here is some extra information on Introduction to Orchestration, along with a further demo of teaching: Become a confident music orchestrator With over 8+ live online lectures, excluding additional, dedicated Q&A sessions, weekly (optional) worksheets, an exclusive and supportive Discord student community we want to help you: Unlock new music opportunities; Learn from a vast array of great composers; Improve orchestration and...

almost 2 years ago • 3 min read

Term of the Week: Tierce de Picardi From Any Old Music The tierce de Picardie (Fr.; Picardy 3rd, Eng.) is a musical technique commonly used in Baroque and Renaissance music, in which a parallel major chord is played at the end of a piece that is otherwise in a minor key. This creates a greater feeling of resolution and brightness, providing a better sense of finality and completion. The technique can also be used in the middle of a composition, creating a momentary shift from the prevailing...

almost 2 years ago • 4 min read

Term of the Week: Sautillé From Any Old Music Sautillé (Fr.; springbogen, Gr.; saltando, saltato, It.) is a bowing technique used in string instrument playing, involving rapid bouncing of the bow on the strings. It creates a quick and articulated sound, often used in fast and lively passages for a staccato effect. Sautillé could be thought of as a hybridisation of ricochet and spiccato techniques, using the spring of the bow on both up and down strokes. Technically an off the string*...

almost 2 years ago • 4 min read

Term of the Week: Rhapsody From Any Old Music A rhapsody is a musical composition that is often expressive and free-flowing in nature. It typically features melodies that draw upon folk music or other cultural traditions. The term "rhapsody" comes from the Greek word "rhaptein," which means to stitch together, and this is an apt description of how a rhapsody is constructed. Rather than following a strict form or structure, a rhapsody allows the composer to freely weave together different...

almost 2 years ago • 3 min read