Welcome to Music Nation StudioWise. This month I’ve been spent more time that I would like to admit learning some rather excellent orchestral “hacks” called Recipes, time well spent I believe.
When it comes to learning orchestration, most courses either drown you in theory or leave you chasing elusive “magic formulas” that never quite deliver. Orchestration Recipes by Philip Johnston finds a rare middle ground: it’s practical, grounded in real-world examples, and surprisingly entertaining for a subject that often feels like homework.
In time for the upcoming release of orchestral Spices vol6, lets look a little deeper into whats currently available.
First Impressions
The dashboard immediately sets a good tone. Clean, intuitive, there’s a simple progress counter (a small touch, but oddly motivating), and everything you need is where you’d expect it. Each lesson includes downloadable MP3s and MIDI files, which is a huge win for anyone who learns by tinkering rather than just watching. Being able to dissect the actual material – hear how a passage evolves, then open the MIDI and experiment with your own tweaks – gives the course real, tactile value.
I started with Orchestral Recipes Vol. 2: Emotions and Scenes, and Orchestral Spices Vol. 5 (lessons 11–14). Between the two, you’re looking at several hours of dense, concept-heavy instruction that rewards repeat viewing. Johnston’s delivery is quick, confident, and to the point – he never wastes time on filler or self-indulgent chatter. Personally, I love that. It’s easy enough to pause and rewind when you need to digest something, but the pace keeps your brain firing instead of drifting.
The Content
Let’s start with Spices Vol. 5. It only includes four lessons, but don’t mistake that for brevity. Each one dives deep – not just “how” something works, but why. You get to see the orchestral engine from the inside out: how colour, contrast, and density combine to create emotion.
The lessons aren’t cheap tricks or flashy “hacks”, they’re genuine techniques explained so clearly that they feel like magic shortcuts. These also aren’t simple the kind of tutorials you casually watch over lunch; I found myself revisiting them multiple (many multiple) times over the last four weeks, notebook in hand, pausing to try the techniques in my DAW.
The lessons ramp up beautifully in complexity. By the final one, I was completely out of my comfort zone, which is exactly where I wanted to be. There’s a tangible sense of progress – each new “recipe” builds on the previous one until you start to think like an orchestrator rather than just a plugin pilot.
Then there’s Orchestral Recipes Vol. 2. This one’s more about conceptual understanding, how instruments relate and interact with each other in given situations – emotions, narrative tone, and scene setting. On its own, it felt more observational than actionable.
You’ll gain perspective, sure, but I found the Spices lessons essential to show how these recipe ideas translate into the actual writing process. Together, though, the two volumes click into place perfectly. The Recipes give you the “why,” the Spices the “how.”
Teaching Style
Philip Johnston’s Ozzy style approach to teaching deserves its own spotlight. He’s one of those rare educators who manages to make serious learning fun without talking down to his audience. There’s a lot of humour sprinkled throughout – not forced jokes, just genuine light-heartedness that breaks up the technical density. He knows his material inside out, and it shows, but there’s also a self-awareness that keeps everything grounded.
The pacing is brisk, but it’s never overwhelming. Think of it as being in the room with someone who’s excited to show you something rather than reading off a script.
Each lesson is packed – 30 to 60 minutes of concentrated insight that feels like it could easily be twice that long if he slowed down. I often had to hit pause just to absorb what I’d heard, but I never once wished he’d slow down.
Value for Money
At $79 for the original two Recipes and $119 for three newer Spices volumes, it’s frankly astonishing value. I’ve spent more than that on single orchestration textbooks that didn’t come with an ounce of practical application. Even the full bundle at $219, which includes The Icon Project, feels like a steal.
Still, for the price of a decent plugin, you’re getting a masterclass-level education in orchestral thinking. And because the materials are downloadable, you’re not stuck rewatching streamed videos forever – you can integrate them into your long-term workflow, using the MIDI examples as building blocks for your own templates.
The Experience
I think what makes Orchestration Recipes so effective is that it doesn’t treat orchestration like an abstract academic discipline. Johnston constantly ties ideas back to emotional and cinematic outcomes – what the listener feels, what the scene demands, what musical gestures can accomplish beyond the notes themselves. It’s practical and creative at once.
There’s also a strong sense of progression. You start with familiar musical ideas, and by the end, you’re juggling textures and colors like an arranger with a few years under their belt. The learning curve is steep, but it’s deeply satisfying. And unlike some courses that leave you feeling inspired but directionless, this one actually pushes you to do the work.
Some may also find the pace a little too fast on first viewing, though I personally appreciate it. You’ll definitely need to pause and rewind often if you’re new to orchestration, but that’s more a reflection of how much he packs in than any flaw in delivery.
Final Thoughts
After finishing these lessons, I came away not just smarter and definatly more musically smug, but creatively refreshed. Johnston’s approach reminds you that orchestration isn’t about memorizing rules – it’s about communication, story, and emotional nuance. Each lesson sharpens your instincts a little more, giving you tools you can actually use in your own work rather than just admire on paper.
I have used specifically the Octatonic Swatches technique now on a number of projects, so I can confirm there is solid real-world applications for these lessions almost immediatly.
If you’re serious about orchestration – whether you’re an aspiring film composer, a hobbyist arranger, or a DAW-based producer wanting to get more out of your orchestral libraries – Orchestration Recipes is easily one of the best educational investments you can make.
Affordable, engaging, and endlessly rewatchable. Just be ready to take notes. Lots of them.
Head over to www.orchestrationrecipes.com for full details
