| The Church Pianist |
| A help ministry for church pianists all over the world! |
I thoroughly enjoyed the Composer’s Symposium this past July in Atlanta. I made a connection with someone there (thanks Marty Parks!) who strongly suggested I try submitting “Abide With Me” via Lloyd Larson of Lillenas Publishing Co.
I finally emailed my arrangement to Lloyd just a couple months ago. He responded by asking me to do an early intermediate piano solo book instead. Wow!
We’re in the beginning stages of deciding on a book title and song list. I look forward to this new adventure! This will be my second book to be published by another company. My first solo piano book is entitled “Showers of Blessing” (early intermediate) published by Soundforth who is now under Lorenz Publishing Co.
My new book will be published (hopefully) by November of next year. At my age, a year’s time goes in a flash…especially with many other writing projects at hand!
Thanks for everyone encouraging me to write more! I plan to!! I’m living my dream…always wanted to write and share with others.
Just had to share one of my favorite transitional parts of the “Gesu Bambino” two piano arrangement. I will be entering this arrangement in the Holiday Arranging competition hosted by SMPress.
I’m feverishly writing an advanced two piano Christmas duo for another SMPress competition. I have to turn it in by October 10th!
Meryt Wilson and I will be premiering this Christmas piano duo on October 12th at 8pm….live on facebook at the following link… https://www.facebook.com/thechurchpianist/
Please join us for an evening of fun as other church pianists gather round to learn a few tips on modulation and accompanying 6/8 hymns.
Here’s a sampling of “Gesu Bambino” two piano arrangement (It’s similar to the arrangement on my “Simply Christmas” CD.
I met a nice young lady at the Composer Symposium this past summer who attends the church where my husband and I were married!
She is a great violinist and offered to add the violin bow & slur marks to my arrangement of “Nearer My God to Thee”. It has taken me a while to finalize the arrangement but now complete and available in our music store.
A big thanks to Abby Phillips for adding the violin markings! See video of Abby below playing her own arrangement of “I’d Rather Have Jesus” in her home church.
The critiqued version of Abide With Me is a result of my critique at the Composer’s Symposium this past summer in Atlanta.
Most of the editing was the result of a private lesson with Marty Parks. Very thankful for his input! He shared a great pointer on how to better communicate rhythmic interpretation in written music.
(Thanks to Robert Sterling and Brad Nix for pointing out the 9 over the tuplets for clarity). I just honestly had shied away from learning how to input tuplets with Finale and FINALLY learned how! 🙂 Thanks to Joseph Martin for his overall encouragement and teaching spirit 🙂 Also, thanks to John Parker for his written comments on the arrangement!
For example, instead of a breath mark (large looking comma)…just insert a rest…makes a clearer statement. Also, NOT to show key change too early which is what I ALWAYS do! 😉 *See key change illustrations below the video.
Due to requests for the critiqued version…there are now two different arrangements of Abide With Me in our music store…the advanced original version & Critiqued version. Those who like a challenge will enjoy playing the critiqued version….which contains minor editing changes…ending with a run up the keyboard. Listen to the critiqued version below…
Now to show you the original and new key change correction 🙂
Original key change:
The new key change:
One of my former piano students approached me at church a couple months ago and asked if I would write her an offertory arrangement of “I Must Tell Jesus”.
Well…I finally got around to it! 🙂 But what a surprise! This arrangement just flowed out of my little brain this week and I quickly penned it to paper. It’s not always that easy for me to arrange a hymn!
I tried to arrange this piano solo well within her early intermediate level…hoping she could learn it soon. Even though I’m an advanced pianist…I wouldn’t mind playing this for offertory.
