dal Segno

I’ve made some good progress this past week on the list I posted last week, and also had a couple of neat creative experiences. First, the list:

• Dad’s finances: while it never ends, we are about to close on a loan which will allow us to fix up Dad’s house
• Beginning stages of fixup work on Dad’s house: windows are ordered; final preliminary plans for other needed work should be done this week
• 2005 ASCAPlus list: done and submitted (as prep for next year, I’m updating a sadly out-of-date “What’s New” section of my website that really makes putting the list together much easier)
• Making an SATB version of a recent men’s piece: rehearsals are going well; the piece is scheduled for the end of June
• Did I mention Dad’s finances?
• Still looking into some additional sources of income: A couple of part- or short-term teaching slots I was looking into didn’t pan out
• Dealt with an overbooking at the Kauai condo: a financial loss for us, but I think our guests will be pleased
• Have I brought up Dad’s finances?

But there were also some nice creative moments this week…

I received a copy of the concert program that flautist Dawn Grapes and organist Joe McConathy presented in Fort Collins on April 30, 2006. They performed two of my works on Jesus Loves Me. The accompanying CD was quite nice. It was a fun program. If I can get permission, I’ll post their performance of my pieces, either here or at New Music Jukebox (a site maintained by the American Music Center where I have a few works posted–I really need to make sure it duplicates my own site).

I composed my postlude for last Sunday: an electronic arrangement of Nicaea (better known as Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty). I basically used a big band setup: lots of saxes, trumpets and trombones, with some guitar and piano assistance. Eventually I hope to have a CD’s worth of pieces (this is number 2). You can hear it here. I’d intended to use a sequencer, but got started with Finale. I added more dynamics and articulation detail than I might have done for acoustic performers.

The main reason I composed Nicaea was so that I wouldn’t have to play a postlude after the service, since, in addition to my usual musical duties, I was preaching the sermon. I had a wonderful time. I was somewhat nervous before getting to the podium, but calmed down as soon as the choir and I started presenting the old testament lesson. I’ve spent a good bit of time over the last two weeks on the sermon–not much different than the sort of time I spend on a new composition, where I am both writing and performing the work.

So it’s been a good week. I hope to have another post in a few days. Until then, it’s all

…music to my ears.