 You may not know Jeff Arnold by name, but if you have ever
bought a guitar book from Hal Leonard you definitely know his work. As a high
ranking editor within the guitar department, Jeff oversees the development and
release of dozens of books each year, many of which we are all familiar with.
Aside from his work at Hal Leonard, Jeff is an accomplished performer who has
been a mainstay on the Milwaukee
music scene for decades.
Jeff sat down with us recently to talk about how he made the
move from performer to editor, and what role he sees Hal Leonard playing in
modern music education.
MW: You started off your musical career as a performer and
teacher. How did you make the move to publishing, and was it a tough transition?
JA: I started taking guitar lessons at the age of nine and
continued for the next twelve years, which includes my years at the Wisconsin
Conservatory of Music. I also was an alto sax player through high school. My
private lessons and schooling included a lot of theory, ear training, and
reading. Being in the school band, and even choir, was very helpful too. Both teaching and playing in local bands
started in my teens.
One of my former students, Jeff Schroedl, did a sample
transcription for Cherry Lane
music for which they hired him. He eventually went to work for Hal Leonard and
contacted me about doing freelance work. After studying the company style
manual, and asking a lot of questions, I began transcribing, arranging, proofreading,
and editing various guitar books in-between playing and teaching.
When an editor position opened up, I applied and was hired.
There was, and still is, a lot to learn on the publishing end, but my years of
training and experience paid off. I still play in a local band on the weekends.
MW: Can you talk a bit about the process that a new book
takes from the initial idea to final publication?
JA: I’ll give you my role in the process as an editor: Once
a project is conceived, a PCR
(product clearance request) is drawn up outlining projected costs, size, legal
issues, etc. The PCR is then given
to an editor to assign to a transcriber or arranger, depending on the book. The
editor assembles recordings, and other source that would help the arranger.
When the manuscripts come back, the editor checks over every
aspect and makes red marks to indicate changes. The edited manuscripts are then
sent to an engraver. When the engravings come back, the editor assigns the
project to a proof reader. The proof reader’s task is to compare the edited
manuscript with the newly engraved version. The proofer makes his/her red marks
on the engraved proof. The proof is then
sent in for corrections. After this stage, the editor usually does any
additional proofreading until the music is considered clean.
I also put together an art request form outlining the
concept of the book for the art department. This request also contains
information needed on the front and back covers, pagination, series logos, etc.
A business affairs person checks copyright notices and other legal issues, and
a production person sets up all the information needed to send the book to
print.
MW: What are the different types of books found within the
Hal Leonard guitar catalogue?
JA: I’m in charge of the song book area which includes: easy
guitar, fingerstyle, classical, EZ rhythm, and author arranged books. I also
oversee all the Real Book projects.
The most popular series is the Guitar Recorded Versions
(GRV), where guitar parts and vocals are transcribed note for note from
recordings. Guitar Play Along is another popular series. The concept is taking
a GRV and arranging it for one guitar. The play along series comes with a demonstration
CD.
Other series include: Signature Licks, Guitar Chord
Songbook, various method books, and countless instructional DVDs, just to name
a few. Hal Leonard just started a website called Guitar Instructor where you can purchase lessons and songs. We
also put out Guitar Edge magazine. As a contributing editor, I play through all
the songs with the recordings as a last step – kind of “road test”.
There’s a series for just about every style and level of
player.
MW: As well as being an editor at Hal Leonard you have also
published several books of your own. In regards to the chord melody books you
have written, did you find it difficult to write musically interesting
arrangements that appealed to guitarists of varied experience levels?
JA: We have many chord melody books in the catalog, but most
of them are quite advanced. We saw the need for a chord melody series designed
to fit a guitarist who’s just getting into that style of playing. The goal was
to have professional sounding arrangements that used most of the standard chord
voicings players first learn.
We were going to hire this out, but the company decided to
have me to do it instead. It was challenging, and gave me a chance to use my
jazz training. It’s not policy to give arranging credits to in-house editors. I
was surprised that they allowed it.
MW: In your opinion how has technology, especially the
internet, changed the landscape of music publishing in recent years, and where
do you see it headed in the future?
JA: When I was first trying to copy licks from recordings,
I’d use a turntable that went down to 16 rpm which allowed you to take a vinyl
33 and drop it an octave. You were lucky not to ruin an album after numerous
times of dropping the needle trying to figure something out. I was in heaven
when ½ speed tape decks hit the market! Transcribers now use programs that
allow you to do about anything to a CD.
The most common program is Transcribe. All the editors have
it on their office systems. I use it every time when editing with a recording. YouTube
is also a valuable tool as you can often view guitarist’s hand positions on
videos. Lyric sites can be helpful if there’s a question involving lyrics. All
of these advances result in better and more accurate books.
With the internet you have sites such as Guitar Instructor
which allows a person to purchase single song transcriptions. It’s like the
iTunes of guitar music. Sheet Music Direct is another site that functions the
same way.
There are, of course, many guitar tab sites on line. The
issue here is that Hal Leonard, and other publishers, have paid for the legal
rights to publish certain songs and these are sites are a violation of
copyright law.
Engravers and arrangers also use the internet to send files
back and forth which saves both time and money. As long as there’s music, there
will be a need to write it out. How that’s done and access to it may change,
but the need still exists.
MW: In your opinion, what role does a company like Hal
Leonard play in the landscape of music education?
JA: There’s a whole section in the catalog devoted to
instructional books. Hal Leonard publishes all the Berklee Press as well as the
Musician’s Institute books. The Hal Leonard Guitar method, which has been
around forever, was recently given a facelift with input from Greg Koch.
On top of that, there are the band and choral departments
that supply music to school systems worldwide. Just like any other series,
there’s a book for everything.
MW: What advice do you have for people who are interested in
pursuing a career in music publishing?
JA: Publishing is the written part of music. As an editor, being
able to read and write music, along with a strong foundation in theory and ear
training is a must. Understanding musical presentation, such as routing and
page layout also matter.
Being familiar with what’s out there is a good idea. When
interviewing a new editor, the question always comes up: “Are you familiar with
Hal Leonard books?” Engraving skills are helpful. Many of our outside arrangers
engrave in the same format as we do and are often paid for both arranging and
engraving.
Send a resume to a publisher listing your training and
experience. We often receive sample transcriptions from people wanting to get
in to transcribing. Hal Leonard uses freelancers in all areas:
arranging/transcribing, editing, proof reading, and engraving.
If contacted, take the time to send in your best work as
first impressions do matter.
MW: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk
to us today.
JA: Anytime.
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