The main goal of this research was to take an indepth look at how vocalists can be used in many different ways in big band or large ensemble settings. I looked back into what has been done before me, and realized that most of the assumptions I had made going into this research were correct.
I looked into many composers and got a lot of recommandations from teachers and other composers into whom I could also look into. At the end of the day I found that it is still highly unusual for composers and arrangers to use multiple vocalists in their big bands or large ensemble. Especially in ways different to the role of the "presenter of lyrics".
In going deeper into my own music, I saw that I still intrinsically used a lot of techniques that I learned to use during my studies, even when oftentimes I was probably not actively aware of what techniques I was using.
The handbook I wrote also was a bit much to take on my plate, as I had to realize towards the end of my research, that the voice being such a personal instrument, it was very hard to write a generalized "rulebook" about how to write for voice. If I continue with this research in the future, expanding the handbook would definitely be my number one priority. For now, I kept it quite simple, and put all the ideas that I saw in my analysis in a compiled "masterlist" of examples. I arranged them out crudely for a big band horn section and four vocalists. What would be more interesting in the future, but would have taken up too much time now, is to maybe compose a piece, record it with actual instruments and so being able to show the theory of these findings I made in a much more creative and interesting way. For now, I am glad that I have this compiled list of different ideas, like a hat of tricks that I (and other composers/arrangers) can come back to and pull ideas out of.
I am aware that I did not reinvent the wheel with this research. In the end I was a bit disappointed in my findings, especially after spending many hours searching for scores and analyzing other people's music. The music that I analyzed is still some of my favorite music, and I am aware that my "way" of writing music for vocals is not everyone's cup of tea. I have a great little anecdote to share on this regard:
I had a lesson with the great arranger and composer Vince Mendoza during our school trip to Los Angeles in April of 2022. Since he is one of the most well known and accomplished arrangers of our time, I didn't want to let this opportunity slip me by, and I prepared a huge load of questions about him and how he writes for vocals for my research. I thought to myself: "Wouldn't it be just fantastic to have an interview about my research field with the great mastermind of arranging Vince Mendoza?" My attempt at an interview sadly came to a very quick halt when I asked him my first question: "How do you use vocals in your arrangements other than in the position of the "frontsinger"?" His answer was simply (and rephrased): "You know what? I actually don't really like writing for vocals when they are not singing lyrics, so I usually don't do it". As you can imagine, the interview was pretty much over after that. I asked some last questions in general, but most of my questions were of course about the use of the voice when not singing lyrics, so he often just shrugged his shoulders and skipped the question.
But to get back to my findings: As I had "feared" a little bit when I started my research - most big band and large ensemble music with vocalists I found was with one vocalists, and that one was often singing lyrics or doubling a leading melody in the horns. So finding Dan Weiss' music for example was actually very refreshing, even though it might not have been the easiest to analyze since the scores were so chaotic and not very well layouted and formatted (also regarding the fact that I paid to get these scores to analyze them).
It was sometimes also a bit hard to get the people I was relying on to send me scores to look at, which is understandable, as they are all very busy, and are often travelling, but in hindsight, I should have been a bit more persistent in my role as the researcher to get exactly the scores I wanted and not settle for whatever was sent my way.
Another thing that strikes me every time I look deeply into my field of work as a composer is how male-dominated this field still is. As a female composer and arranger, I am often the only or one of very few women in this job. But it's of course not just composition, the whole world of jazz, especially instrumental jazz is still heavily dominated by men. It starts with encouraging young girls to learn instruments that in the past have not been deemed "girly" instruments, like drums or bass for example. But for now, it is also an act of "rebellion" against those patriarchal structures we still live in today, when I include as many women as I can in my music. My band in Switzerland is pretty much exactly 50/50 in this regard. And it was no problem for me to find the women I played with on guitar, piano, saxophone, trombone and tuba for example. You just need to look for the women who play these instruments, they are there and they are more than willing and able!
So when I write music for large ensembles including vocalists, and I write about including more vocalists as "instrumentalists" in your band, it is also a feminist issue for me. It did not have a space in my research in general, as it is not of importance for the analysis part of it, but in this reflection of my process, I definitely wanted to have stated this issue, since it is a very personal issue that concerns me as a composer/arranger and vocalist every day.
I am very happy with how this research has changed the way I look at composition and arranging. It has also made me a more confident vocalist, and this is one of my main takeaways of my studies here in the Netherlands. I know myself better now - be it as an arranger, composer or vocalist. Through this, I can also confidently stride towards my final recital this June - knowing that through my research, I will be able to use the voice section in my large ensemble in many different ways of arranging, hopefully opening up new inspirations for others as well.
Thank you...
to Yvonne Smeets, Loes Rusch, Susanne Abbuehl, Bart Suér, Milda Mačiulaitytė, Martin Fondse, Ed Partyka and David Grottschreiber for helping me to gain access to scores, for helping me organize this very difficult period of grief to still finishing this research and for all your patience with and your trust in me.
Thank you to Gabriela Grossenbacher, Cynthia Zwicker, Hannah Wirnsperger, Björg Blöndal, Katrina Kabinecka, Jim Base, Emma Davidson, Isaac Barzso and so many more amazing friends who laughed, celebrated, cried and talked with me, hugged me when needed, and kept pushing me also when needed.
Thank you to Roy, without whom I probably would have not been able to finish this in time. For all his help in your way always and for cheering me on the whole way through.
Thank you always to Benjamin, you made our worlds go round.