I offer high-quality writing, editing, and speaking services, with the goal of bringing readers and listeners closer to classical music and the stories behind it.
What I Offer & What to Expect
Program notes
- Experience writing about a wide variety of music (from J.S. Bach to Christopher Cerrone)
- Approachable, engaging, and concise style
- Illuminates historical context and notable musical details
- Thoroughly researched and edited
- Can do single notes or longer, unified essays
Pre-concert talks
- Experience speaking to both large and small audiences
- Engaging and lighthearted speaking style
- Finding relevant themes and points of interest
- Can include audio and/or visual examples
Editing
- A keen eye for detail—spelling, grammar, and punctuation
- Skilled at locating and cleaning up clutter
- Language and style suggestions
- Familiarity with Chicago Manual of Style
- Experience working with college students and professional arts organizations
Other
- Liner notes
- Blog posts
- Articles and essays
- Interviews
- Academic talks
Past & Present Clients Include…
- Aspen Music Festival and School
- Music Academy of the West
- Seattle Symphony
- Philharmonic Society of Orange County
- Chamber Music Northwest
- Chavdar Parashkevov
- South Coast Symphony
- UC Santa Barbara
Samples
Program notes
- J.S. Bach: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106, “Actus tragicus”
- Christopher Cerrone: I will learn to love a person
- Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, op. 51
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 487
- Frederic Rzewski: The People United Will Never Be Defeated!
Liner notes (samples available upon request)
- Brahms and Shostakovich: Piano Trios No. 2 – Chavdar Parashkevov, Louis-Marie Fardet, & Victor Valkov (Francoeur, 2021)
- Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler: Works for Violin and Piano – Chavdar Parashkevov & Natasha Kislenko (Chavdar Music, 2018)
Blog posts
- “Driven into Paradise: Émigré Composers at the Music Academy of the West” (Music Academy of the West, July 2020)
- “Serious Frivolity: Juggling the Profound and the Lighthearted in Beethoven’s Third and Fifth Cello Sonatas” (Aspen Music Festival and School, July 2020)
Interviews
- The Arching Path: A Conversation with Christopher Cerrone (May 2021)
- Living with an Opera: A Conversation with Laura Poe (October 2022)
Starting Rates*
Program notes: $100 (for individual note), $250 (for full concert set or program essay)**
Liner notes: $250 (for booklet essay)
Editing: negotiable
Pre-concert talks: $250
Other: contact for more info
*Prices vary depending on lead time, word count, and other project needs.
**Some previously-written program notes are available for reprint. See “Program & liner note database” above for more info.
Dr. Kevin McBrien 
