Just decided to share an evening of hymns with my listeners.  Thanks for your encouraging notes!

I enjoy winding down in the evenings with the great hymns of the faith.

Last Sunday I had to play for our church’s guest missionary couple. I had never heard of the song and there were at least five page turns.

I had one of our flute players turn pages for me.  Another quick tip helped a bunch!  I simply wrote the approaching chord on the last measure of each page so it would sound like I knew what I was doing at the turn of each page.  😉  Seriously,  this tip helped me stay in the right chord frame for each page turn.

The Choreo Keeper would have been a life saver that morning  but I left it at home where I use it the most.

I just finished publishing “His Eye is on the Sparrow” very advanced piano arrangement!

This arrangement is another one of my homespun piano arrangements 🙂

I tried to capture the notes flowing out of my fingers as I felt them from my heart.

NOT an easy task! Definitely for the advanced church pianist, in my opinion. (even if it is in the key of C Major)

I’m almost finished with the handwritten version of “His Eye is on the Sparrow”

Warning:  For the advanced church pianist, LOTS of runs!  🙂

I wrote this arrangement for “Will Jesus Find Us Watching” several weeks ago after someone requested I play it for one of my recent facebook lives.

This particular hymn has a lot of life to it!  The melody and words go hand in hand.  The level of this arrangement looks to be about late intermediate to early advanced level.

I enjoyed creating this simple; straight forward arrangement requiring minimal practice for the early advanced church pianist. The arrangement begins in the key of F Major and ends in G Major. (two verses and choruses)

Time for me to update/revise our church special music schedule!

I want to better utilize my progressing piano students during the service.

Here’s a picture of the updated schedule.

Students will be playing during prelude & offertories to keep in shape!

For those who haven’t heard…I write hymns for my piano students to play for congregational singing or to use as a piano solo for offertory.

Having them play during prelude provides that extra opportunity to keep them well-versed in their hymn playing.

My piano students tell me they are not as nervous when playing for prelude. (Another benefit of using them for prelude music)

Our church family loves seeing the young ones so involved in the music ministry!

Just this afternoon I had one of my intermediate students ask me, “What could I play during the echo section in the chorus of “It is Well?”

She enjoyed learning the left hand patterns I entered as a suggested route.  I told her if she would learn to recognize her chords in the hymnal…it would open up a whole realm of  improvising choices!

Click on the title below to download your copy of the chorus ideas for “It is Well.”

It is Well D Flat Major

Answer key for D flat major version (below)

My new sacred piano solos: “My Savior’s Love” arranged for one of my intermediate church pianist students.

“America the Beautiful” ready to use for any patriotic holidays!  Sorry for publishing this too late for July 4th but ideas wouldn’t flow until I got away for a much needed vacation!

I decided at the last minute to record myself playing comforting hymns on the piano this afternoon.

I hope these hymns bring comfort to you all during this season of life.

May God bless each one of you!

I was blessed this morning to hear Molly Madden, a wonderful harpist, playing a couple of my piano hymn arrangements.

Molly was able to adapt them for harp. (special permission given)

Thank you Molly for sharing your God-given talent.