And the winner is…

Interested in a notebook which stores your 8 & 1/2 x 11 inch sheet music AND prevents page turns?!  Every church pianist can greatly benefit from this special designed notebook!

I just recently purchased one of these ChoreoKeeper notebooks and absolutely LOVE it!

The ChoreoKeeper notebook easily displays  up to six pages at once. (see video HERE where Catherine (the designer) shows how to display more than six pages with minimal turns)  There’s more….the notebook can also accommodate 11″ x 17″  landscape format sheet music!  See info HERE on Catherine’s blog.  (scroll down a ways to see)

The notebook will easily hold up to 50 pages of music which is stored in  bi-fold or tri-fold reduced-glare sheet protectors.

See the following link for more details:  CHOREOKEEPER

Catherine, the inventor of the Choreokeeper, is graciously willing to give away one free Choreokeeper in a drawing to be held next Monday, July 15th!

To enter the drawing, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment at bottom of this article to enter your name one time.  If you want to enter your name a second time…

2. Share the link to this  giveaway on your personal blog, facebook or twitter and leave a second comment…providing the link in your comment.  This allows you to enter your name a second time in same drawing. (use my social share buttons at bottom of article for your convenience).

3. A random drawing will be held on July 15th, 2019…  8pm EST.

The winner will be announced here on my website sometime after 8pm EST on Monday… July 15, 2019

Quite often, while surfing facebook, I would come across a video advertisement for this Choreo Keeper notebook.

I never clicked on the video until recently and was very intrigued with the idea of no more page turns!

I decided to buy one of these notebooks and try it out for myself.  Absolutely LOVE it!

No more page turns for offertories!  (notebook size paper arrangements fit the page protectors for this notebook)

More details soon!

Just finished creating video recordings of the songs from my book entitled “My Redeemer and Friend”.

Lorenz Publishing owns this book of my arrangements and can be purchased HERE

I will upload them to Youtube as time permits.

Three Early Intermediate offertories on the way to publication soon!  I have a surplus of arrangements that I write for my students and find it a challenge to take the time to input them into my computer program (Finale).

The titles are:  Great is Thy Faithfulness,  Lead Me to Calvary and The Love of God.

Just need to do a little tweaking!

Wow! I already have a list of at least twelve different left hand patterns for hymns with busy melodies in 4/4 time!

Can’t wait to complete this first booklet of ideas!

It’s a challenge for me to focus on just one aspect while preparing instructive material because I come across so many other ideas closely related but don’t want to give you all info overload!

I’m  jotting my random ideas down and saving them for another time.

I think the greatest challenge during the prep time is coming up with a simple, concise way to present the concept.

Here’s an example of how I may display the left hand patterns on the master content list. (There will be PLENTY of visual examples to accompany these ideas)

1. octave-chord-octave-chord (all quarter notes)
2. octave-chord-octave-octave (all quarter notes)
3. octave-chord-octave-quarter-rest  (three quarter notes plus one quarter rest)

As of now….I plan to number the visual examples with the number that corresponds to the numbered list of patterns on the master content list.

There are SO many variables to this topic. I will have to discuss right hand activity as well since the left hand is affected by what the right hand plays.

For example: It’s easier on the pianist (truly!) to omit notes here and there during a busy melody  and focus more on the main beats. The singers can fill in the missing notes 😉  The key is… omitting melody in places that don’t throw off the singers.

Simple:  Start by playing melody at the beginning of the song and then omit a note here and there once you get them going 😉

More on that topic in my first booklet.

My husband told me this day would come 🙂

One of my website readers approached me in a parking lot this past weekend… and said,”Are you the church pianist!?”

I told her it was a first for me to have a total stranger recognize me out and about in the middle of nowhere!

I asked for a picture with her 🙂

Thanks to all of you like this lady…who encourage me to keep writing!

I’m working on a new Easter piano offertory at the moment. I’m actually inputting it into Finale right now.

I hope to publish “There is a Fountain” by no later than tomorrow.  Sorry for delay but many things on my plate right now.

This particular arrangement of ‘There is a Fountain” is for the early to moderately advanced church pianist due to the big, full chords.

Oh…I started out with a “flowing water” sound to depict an overflowing fountain filled with God’s redemption.  🙂

Click title to hear sample: ” There is a Fountain”

Are there other church pianists besides myself who work with instrumental or vocal groups for special music at your church?

Over the years I’ve developed some guidelines to help us use our time wisely. I know every church has its own level of abilities.  That being said, you may need more or less practice than what’s suggested below.

We stick with unison or two part arrangements for our ladies’ and two to three parts for our men’s groups. You would be amazed at how nice unison can sound… especially if the pianist can make up for lack of harmony by using  chord substitutions…creating a colorful; rich sound.

I try to allow for a total of six rehearsals when the arrangement is new to them. The group just stands around the piano for all but the last practice.  (Details below) In addition, I email practice audios for those wanting additional practice.  With the group providing surround sound around the piano…I’m able to listen to their blend, balance of parts, etc. and better coach them as they sing.  Once the group becomes familiar with the words…say…maybe after the first three practices…I’ll ask them a question about the approaching sentences in the song (while they’re singing and I’m playing)… forcing them to think about what they are singing. I LOVE doing this, because you can hear the difference in their voice expression…making for very effective communication!

For example, I’ll use the hymn “Amazing Grace” since everyone knows it 🙂   While the group is singing the first sentence..”Amazing grace how sweet the sound…”

I’ll ask the following question for the upcoming sentence…”What did God’s grace do for you?!”  They’ll answer in singing response “That saved a wretch like me!”  🙂   The results: A more meaningful delivery!

If it’s an arrangement they have done before…we may only have four practice sessions.

Our practice sessions are generally no more than 10 minutes.

General checklist for carrying out the group rehearsals:

1. Beginning of 1st practice (may need to cover at second practice too in case someone was missing at first practice), hand out practice schedule which includes the date and service for when they are singing.
2. Kindly tell the group that it will work best to attend all of the scheduled practices in order to be adequately prepared. Otherwise…they can wait until the next scheduled time. (Exception: missing one practice due to sickness or other unavoidable reason).
3.  Make following suggestion:  Arrange someone to watch your young kid(s) during these practices. (Our ladies are SO good about doing this)
4. Please remind them that each person is essential to the group as a whole. (Have them stand in the same order for each practice.)  Each person gets accustomed to singing by the same person for each practice so it can throw a person off when they’re missing a team member.
5. The vocal ensemble will practice on stage around the pulpit during the final rehearsal for  a sound check. (Arrange for sound person to be at this rehearsal so he or she can do the sound check.)
6. Our ultimate goal is to honor Christ by being adequately prepared. I Corinthians 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.”*I usually have groups practice around the piano that I’m playing for a more up-close

Most of the above suggested guidelines will also apply to instrumental ensembles….depending on the age of your members.

Hopefully the information above has been an encouragement to other church pianists who work with vocal and/or instrumental ensembles.

*Next article: What details I work on with ensembles during these brief rehearsals

Special Note!

Just to make my readers aware…

I’m attempting to adapt the Palm Sunday ensemble… to a two piano number due to reader’s request.

I’ll let you know for sure if it works out ok.

The instruments in the original version of the Palm Sunday ensemble depends upon each other for the melody except for Piano #3 which is optional.