This two-semester course enables advanced students to develop a personal style of composition and arranging that goes beyond the song form. It includes intensive analysis of recordings and scores (both jazz and modern classical), writing assignments, sophisticated compositional techniques, and end-of-semester writing projects that are performed by top New York professionals. The spring semester focuses on big bands and other large ensembles. In addition, both semesters include writing projects for unconventional instrumentations played by the students in class; one recent assignment was for trumpet, trombone, bass clarinet, violin, and guitar.