Super excited to announce the publication of my advanced piano solo arrangement of God Bless America! I’ve always dreamed about being able to publish such an arrangement but copyright prevented that.
Thanks to SMP Press, aka Sheet Music Plus, ( a site I also publish sheet music through) … now offers a chance for its publishers to arrange 1000’s of copyrighted songs through ArrangeMe with SMP Press. I plan to use this platform of opportunity as time allows.
The advanced piano solo arrangement of God Bless America is only available through SMP Press at the following link:
My heart is full…had to share an experience that just happened today…
Just returned from playing for a funeral. It was the funeral of a former piano student’s grandmother.
The Lord’s presence was unmistakable! I played about a half hour prelude and it was as though God was moving my hands…you could have heard a pin drop….everyone else must have sensed God’s presence too. Nothing to do with me.
God’s presence was felt upon meeting Nathan’s warm and caring grandfather sitting by his wife’s casket prior to the service. You could tell he walked with God and God’s peace surrounded him and his sweet family. I would love to have known his wife. How he will miss her…married for 67 years. What a testimony!
I taught Nathan years ago when he was first learning piano. He took so well to the old hymns… which he enjoyed playing for his now deceased grandmother. He’s now in his second year of college. At the beginning of the service, Nathan came up and played one of my arrangements I taught him many years ago….”It is Well”. What I didn’t know until the end of the service..was that he played this very arrangement for his grandmother as she entered heaven’s gates.
Sorry…getting a little emotional as tears run down my face while typing.
All I can say is, “God…thank you for allowing me to have a small part in your training of young people for your service and for using my music as a balm for dying saints.” God is good!
I discreetly videoed Nathan while he played “It is Well”. You can tell he was giving all he could for his grandmother. But now…she was hearing Nathan from heaven above 🙂
I recently published fill-in ideas for The Old Rugged Cross.
One of my readers asked me today if I could include the fill-ins on the printed hymnal version for ease of use.
I had to cut and paste and resize the fill-ins to fit the printed copy of the hymnal version so it’s kind of rough looking but it’s the best I could do with time allowed in my schedule.
Thanks for the suggestion Becky! 🙂
Click on following titles to download your free copies of the following:
Just published a new sacred vocal solo by Mina Oglesby that’s never been recorded until now..called “Rest Will Come in the Morning”.
I first discovered this piece in a songbook collection by Mina called “I Would See Jesus” published in the 1980’s. After playing through the piece, I immediately called Mina and said, “This song needs to be shared! It’s beautiful!” She allowed me to create an arrangement of this comforting song. I can’t wait to look through her books and share more of her wonderful songs filled with her love for Christ.
Appropriate song for any time of the year and would also make a nice funeral vocal solo too.
Thanks to Casie Schmidt for the wonderful recording of Mina’s song. I played in E flat for the recording. In case that’s too low for some people…I also included the arrangement in F Major but didn’t charge extra for having both arrangements.
I’ve been in the writing mood ever since our recent snowstorm. (Guess I need more snowstorms to blow in) 😉
Just wrote this early intermediate sacred piano arrangement of Day by Day for one of my teenager lady students who plays in church quite often. I’ve been grooming her for church pianist material 🙂
She’s been needing an offertory requiring minimal practice… because she’s already trying to learn a new congregational song I gave her recently on top of reviewing all the ones she’s learned.
Remember the two congregational collections I published? Well, I’ve been writing early intermediate level for some of them along the way and Hannah (the student I’m speaking about) plays for congregational singing when I’m out of town.
She recently had to cover the whole service on a moment’s notice this past Sunday night. (I wasn’t able to make it due to road conditions with snow and ice.) She said it went well….great experience for her!
As a church pianist, I’m always looking for offertories that don’t require alot of practice since I play quite often. I also attend a small church so shorter offertories work best.
While snowed in this week, I decided to write and finish a piano hymn arrangement in one day like I use to when I first started this website.
Grace Greater Than Our Sin has been on my mind a lot lately, so decided to try writing an arrangement and the thoughts just flowed for a change!
Hope you enjoy this early advanced arrangement of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin with Amazing Grace”.
Low to medium range sacred Christmas vocal solo; 4 pgs *Price covers two copies.
The haunting melody of this selection takes our Lord from the manger to the cross.
