Originally Posted by Jamie Whitmarsh

I think the only way to really be able to create decent orchestration is to work on it. It's just like notating melodies. You know what the relative notes are and such because you've worked on it, or you know from playing or whatever. I think the same applies with orchestration - you don't know what produces certain sounds until you've created them, or at least observed how they are created. I would suggest score study, as well as writing for different instruments and their combinations. And definitely get your music performed. I think someone on here said they don't need their music to get performed, and that person is an idiot.