Skip to content Skip to footer

Dave has extensive experience writing original music for theatrical productions. His services include writing lyrics, music, and arranging vocals and orchestrations for use as song demos or accompaniment tracks.

Dave also collaborates with lyricist, librettists, and other composers to complete their songs. His skills have been used as a “song doctor” to improve existing compositions and orchestrate them to finished form. He has also created music tracks for several artists, including Broadway’s J. Mark McVey and others.

Composing fees

Writing both music and lyrics for typical 32 measure song – $350

Simple demo (piano and vocal only) – $100

Rhythm section demo (piano, bass, drums, guitar) – $200

Full demo (rhythm section plus strings and brass) – $350

Song doctoring (fixing music and lyrics of existing song) – $250

Upon completion of project, songs will be posted at private webpage for client’s listening and approval. When client pays, song will be delivered in MP3 or WAV audio files. Songs may be made into videos for posting online at an additional fee of $150.

Prices are negotiable based on varying complexity of song and amount of work needed

  • a 50% deposit is required for all new clients

Below are examples of songs Dave has composed, at differing levels of finished form (simple sing demos to fully orchestrated performance tracks):

HERE’S A RECENT DEMO (completed 09/01/23) – the first 5 measures are what the client sent, the rest is a short sample of the final full demo…

POLLYANNA WHITTIER – from Dave’s new musical POLLYANNA

FIREFLY – from Dave’s new musical POLLYANNA

THEME FOR HIT TV SHOW “TRADING SPACES” Dave received a 2005 BMI award for his music –

Commissioned Song to celebrate a friendship

Opening theme music for televised church service

CHANUKAH – original music composed for production of Coney Island Christmas, commissioned by The Naples Players, Naples, FL

https://vimeo.com/190763246

Original song to celebrate a wedding anniversary

WELCOME TO CLASS – Commissioned song to supplement an existing stage musical. The script was set in a class for songwriters in New York City, and this song is the professor introducing himself to the students. In the process, he shows off and riffs on classic musical theatre songs (piano and vocal only demo)

SIMPLE – from the same project. This song was composed to bring to life the client’s concept of the character’s thoughts (piano and vocal only demo)