Case Study: Santana achieves seamless live performance with Avid Technology

Benny Rietveld on Perfecting Live Performance

Santana’s bassist and musical director, Benny Rietveld, needed a flexible way to create rehearsal and performance charts for a band with mixed reading abilities, frequent last-minute changes, and little or no soundcheck time. Using Avid Technology’s Sibelius Ultimate, he built tailored charts, cue notes, lyrics, and individual parts to keep everyone aligned on stage.

Avid Technology’s Sibelius Ultimate helped Benny quickly transcribe ideas, edit arrangements, and produce clear parts for different musicians, including classically trained players who needed multiple clefs and more detail. The result was faster preparation, easier coordination in rehearsals and live shows, and the ability to handle new songs and onstage “audibles” with confidence, keeping Santana’s performances tight and responsive.

Santana

Benny Rietveld

Bassist And Musical Director