While things have quieted a little from my last post, I'm really enjoying preparing for the upcoming WomenSing concert. There's nothing like being able to collaborate with an ensemble that's on top of its game, with an outstanding conductor and piano accompanist. What I'm most enjoying is that the music is challenging enough that I really need to practice every day. I know--I should practice every day anyway; I need a goal or deadline to motivate me--and I am real motivated right now!
Between preparing the organ part of my Christmas Toccata, written for the concert, and becoming more familiar with the various choral accompaniments, including Kirke Mechem's delightful Seven Joys of Christmas (four movements of which I'm transcribing from piano to organ), I have no trouble filling a substantial practice session each day. It's gratifying to see that I'm making some progress, as I retain at leasts some benefit from my previous day's workout.
A challenge that is common for organists is that I don't get much actual rehearsal time on the instruments I'll be playing in concert. So one tries to simulate the sound and the physical setup of the concert locations so as to make the best use of the concert hall rehearsal time. The easiest part is learning the notes; the hardest thing is becoming familiar with a strange console.
And in the midst of all this, focusing on my church position with various upcoming Christmas season activities, as well as--just about as regularly as I breathe--working on a new composition.
There's no shortage of music to my ears...
2 comments:
I don’t quite remember how I stumbled upon this site, but.. Here I am. All is well in Massachusetts.
Bob, It’s good to see that you are actively composing. I only wish I could find more mp3s of your work out there - Of what I could find, it was nice to see Finale files accompanying some of them (although for some reason I couldn’t load them - and I have the 2006 Windows version). Maybe some pdfs would be nice for some of us? Anyways, I’ll try and make a point of checking in on your blog.
-Mark
Mark, it's a delight to hear from you. I do think it's better to be actively composing than...decomposing! I've been doing more with pdfs, but haven't put much on the website (I'm assuming you visited adamsworks.com.)
I intend to have more stuff there. I haven't decided if I want to put complete works up or not. On the one hand, since I'm not good about promoting myself, I might as well just put it all out there and let people use my music as they will. On the other hand, if I could tease out a few sales, it would be nice to have some monetary encouragement for my efforts.
I may end up taking a middle route: analytical descriptions of some works with a number of short excerpts, so you get the idea how the piece goes, and the full pdf of other pieces, with an accompanying mp3 or midi realization.
I have a few other things filling my free time this week (like the upcoming concert I mentioned in my post), but I'll find some time to put several pdfs up. I'm thinking of a couple of pieces I sent to my cousin Michael, who is working in Norway this year, as well as a couple of recent instrumental works.
I'd love to hear more about how y'all are doing. If I don't get around to writing you, drop me a note at robert at adamsworks.com.
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