Finally! The Love of God advanced piano solo is complete! I wrestled with the ending for quite a while.

Thanks to Hannah Myers, one of my advanced students, for giving some excellent suggestions!

This hymn is one of my favorites.  Have you heard the story behind the writing of verse three?  Very touching!  I will have to share it soon 🙂

Just wanted to share the video of my completed arrangement for The Love of God.  Sheet music coming tomorrow!

News for my church pianist readers: I’ve been creating video recordings of The Piano Invitation Collection and publishing them on my youtube channel.

Wow!  I just finished writing the hand-written copy for The Love of God.

I just started it yesterday!  That doesn’t happen too often.  Thank you Lord!

Now…to input it into Finale which takes at least three hours to complete along with layout details.

I  allow several days for the piece to settle before I finalize it.  Reviewing the piece after a day or so allows me the chance to catch mistakes I may not have caught otherwise or…discover a different chord path altogether, etc.

Yesterday, I started a new advanced piano solo arrangement of “The Love of God”.

I have struggled in the past trying to write a piano solo version of The Love of God. Several years ago I created a vocal trio with piano accompaniment for this hymn.  It was easier to write since I didn’t have to stick to the melody.

As I sat at the piano yesterday…a motive (a melodic pattern)… just came to me which you will hear in the introduction. I tried to stay true to the style of the song so as not to distract from the message.

This particular arrangement will be written in my “free style” of playing which I enjoy the most. ( no structure!)  yay!  Although structure does make the arrangement more user-friendly.

Thanks to many such as Ashley & Karen who have requested that I write an arrangement for The Love of God.

The Love of God (audio sample)

I just published the piano invitation collection!  I thank the Lord for giving me the strength and clarity of thought through the editing process.

I originally planned twelve arrangements for this collection but added a bonus arrangement without extra cost 🙂  The bonus arrangement is  “Draw Me Nearer Medley”.

The entire invitation collection is on sale now through July 4th for $15!

Playing background music is my ultimate favorite way to play 🙂  I just play in  a more conversational style to enhance the message of the hymn.

The overall level of playing for this collection is late intermediate to early advanced. I always play more lightweight in nature during the invitation… to create a more appropriate atmosphere.

I will be posting youtube videos of each selection as time allows.  You can also hear a sampler of the collection above.

Please note: If you want to purchase additional items with this collection…go to “Advanced Piano Solos” in the music store to buy this collection.  The following “buy now” button doesn’t allow for purchasing additional items.

Piano Invitation Collection

Late intermediate to early advanced piano solos, 33 pages Song titles include: Have Thine Own Way Lord, I Have Decided, I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go, I Must Tell Jesus, I Surrender All, Just As I Am, Lord I'm Coming Home, Only Trust Him, Softly and Tenderly, Take My Life and Let it Be, Take the World but Give Me Jesus, Throw Out the Lifeline. Special note: Bonus piece included! "Draw Me Nearer" Price based on twelve arrangements. This collection contains a total of thirteen arrangements.

Price: $16.00

I know it has taken me a while on the piano invitation collection… but I’m VERY picky about my writing!  Sorry….but I want to do my best 🙂

The piano invitation collection (pdf format)  should be published by this Monday!  The level of the songs are late intermediate to early advanced.

While you’re waiting….listen to a sampler of the invitation collection…

You need to have the Audio Player Plugin installed to use this shortcode

Just wanted to let my readers know I’m working on the 11th invitation song now…only one more to go!  My invitation collection will contain 12 arrangements designed as “background invitation” music.

One of my favorite pieces in the collection is “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”. I got a little carried away with this particular one but REALLY enjoyed creating it!

What’s neat about this collection is that the arrangements can also be used for offertories!

If you have been a church pianist for very long or played in different churches as church pianist…then you may have run across this scenario…”playing for an inexperienced leader”.

The intention of this article is not meant to minimize the willingness and faithfulness of the inexperienced leader but rather to give constructive pointers to church pianists on how to deal with such a situation.

My dad, who was my first leader to follow,  emphasized to me the importance of the pianist following the leader.  I’m thankful for his teaching and preparing me for my role as church pianist.  He was the best teacher!

Over time, through experience…I have learned there are exceptions to rules 🙂

I have had to play for at least several different leaders in various situations who  just didn’t know “how” to lead and were doing the best they could.  Not all of them were non-musical people either.  I’ve had the joy of helping some of those leaders along…ONLY because of having a trusting relationship with them; giving me the liberty to do so.

I’ve found it necessary to “lead” as a pianist in some cases IF it was the only way to keep everyone singing together at the same tempo.

On occasion, when a lay person in our church has had to  substitute  for our regular leader…he will ask me before the service… to help him during congregational singing by keeping things moving since he’s not comfortable with leading.

The following video (taken from the 2013 Wild’s Music Conference) contains more discussion about this topic of “The Experienced Church Pianist vs. The Inexperienced Leader.”

My favorite quotes from the video:

“Part of our role is… we’re support, we’re ministry, we’re behind-the-scenes…serving and helping someone else try to do their job effectively…part of the philosophy of being a good church pianist.”  

 ~   ~   Faye Lopez   ~   ~

“You can infuse the service with energy and vitality in the singing…from the keyboard.” 

~   ~   Duane Ream   ~   ~

Enjoy the following brief… yet informative video on:

“The Experienced Church Pianist vs. The Inexperienced Leader”

Finally!  Just finished a sacred piano duet (early advanced) of “Come Thou Fount”.

Many people have requested that I write piano duets.  I had SO much fun writing this one that I plan to do more.

Below is an audio sample of this piano duet of “Come Thou Fount”.

Come Thou Fount (piano duet)

Early advanced sacred piano duet, 4 pgs. *Price covers two copies.

Price: $5.25

I know other church pianists would agree that it’s so important to be training other pianists in the church to become church pianists or simply to fill in while other pianists are out of town.

At our church, we have  a couple college male students who commute to our church..one of which helps us out on the piano, among many other areas.  There are actually a total of three pianists available:  Sunshine, Hunter (college student) and myself. We rotate on a monthly basis to allow each one of us ample opportunity to serve.

I’m usually out of town at least 6 times during the school year calendar. To provide extra experience for Hunter, I’m having him play second piano along with me when I accompany instrumental specials for offertory. This opportunity allows him to learn the art of accompanying with an “on hands” approach.  (A lot of “give and take” in rhythm occurs when accompanying someone to sing or play their instrument.)

Hunter also plays second piano for congregational singing on Sunday nights and main piano on Wednesday nights giving him a chance to play introductions on his own. He has also used the congregational notebook I’m creating (which was destroyed in our church flood)..another story. He says the congregational notebook was a great help to him.

I can’t wait to start creating the congregational notebook again! I do have some of the songs in the computer…but most were not in the computer due to me accidentally deleting the original files on my computer about a year ago…(which was also a about a year’s worth of music…ugh)

Hunter has progressed by leaps and bounds!  I’m so excited to see how the Lord is preparing him for future ministries.  I’m also honored that the Lord has allowed me to be a part of his training.  Unfortunately, we only have him one more year since he’ll be graduating.

It seems God has allowed our church to be a training post for young male college students training in the area of music ministry and children’s ministries over the past (at least six years).  We’ve been SO blessed to be a part of this important training process.