As a student arranger, I have written multiple orchestral pieces by ear for my pops orchestra at Yale. These include scores from movies/tv that I’ve enjoyed in the past. If you’re interested in acquiring any of these for your own purposes, please email me with an explanation of how/why the music will be used.

British Ladies: Scenes from Downton Abbey (Lunn)

Program Notes

Having won numerous awards which include an Emmy and a Golden Globe, it is clear that the British-based TV show Downton Abbey has found its way into the hearts of Americans everywhere. Downton takes place in England from 1912 to 1926, a time of turbulent social change where class lines were beginning to blur and women began to join the workforce. The plot centers around the Crawley family and their servants as they navigate death, birth, and the chaos of their changing environment.

As the show progresses, one of the main themes present is the growth of the Crawley sisters into strong, courageous women - traits that disrupt society’s view of females. They become leaders, writers, creators, and activists, shocking the traditionalists that govern British aristocracy. Many of the servants show this same drive, moving out of servitude through self-education. At a time where women’s rights were few, these were the first challengers to the patriarchy.

This arrangement, titled “British Ladies,” is a tribute to the corset-wearing patriarchy smashers before us. It begins with the theme from Masterpiece Classic and moves to different musical entities within the show. The movie for Downton Abbey was released on September 27th, 2019; with all our hearts, we hope that it is as femme-forward as we deserve.

Castle in the Sky (Hisaishi)

Program Notes

We can always count on Hayao Miyazaki to direct a film that includes loss, love, science, and flying objects, and Castle in the Sky is no exception. Also known as Laputa, the film was the first animated film of Studio Ghibli, released in 1983 in Japan. It tells the story of a young pair, Sheeta and Pazu, who are trying to find the floating castle in an old legend while escaping from both a gang of pirates and government spies. The plot contains references to both Biblical and Hindu religious scripts, also playing on the motive of the flying castle ‘Laputa’ in Gulliver’s Travels. Drawing upon ideas of future utopian society, the film serves as a complex social commentary on man’s relationship with nature and technology.

The score of the movie was written by the famous Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi in both movie snippets and a symphony, and I have taken aspects of both for this arrangement. The melodies are prevalent and simple, but beautiful, and many of the motifs are repeated across different instruments. The arrangement takes three of the main themes and links them together, one being the title theme, one being a fanfare, and the last being the theme for Laputa. I find that every time I listen, it puts me back in the peaceful, magical world of Miyazaki.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Hisaishi)

Program Notes

From acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind tells the story of a fearless princess in a post-apocalyptic world trying to save her kingdom from both a toxic jungle and a power-hungry queen. The movie ties darker themes, such as nuclear destruction and the relationship of man to nature, into what appears to be a harmless children’s movie.

The first collaboration with Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi, the score was originally written for electronic instruments, but was later transcribed for orchestra. My arrangement focuses on four aspects of the score: the serenity of Nausicaä’s home, the Valley of the Wind; Nausicaa’s death after saving her people; the surreal experience of making contact with an ohmu; and, the happy ending (we think). Motifs of flying occur throughout the piece, alluding to Nausicaä’s vehicle of choice, a glider. I hope you enjoy my arrangement!

All-Star (Smash Mouth)

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This was written for the Yale Symphony Orchestra’s Halloween show, a Yale tradition, and performed on the night of October 31st in 2018.