lento ma non troppo

Well, I've not exactly been setting the blogosphere on fire! Life seems to have been pretty full, although there always seems to be a list of things I still have to do. Main sources of time-passing (some more fruitful than others):

• Dad's finances
  
• Beginning stages of fixup work on Dad's house (roof, with walls, electrical, windows, plumbing and painting still to come)
  
• Getting my 2005 ASCAPlus list done and submitted
  
• Making an SATB version of a recent men's piece (I tried it with the choir last night; it looks to be very successful)
  
• Did I mention Dad's finances?
  
• Looking into some additional sources of income, including a couple of part- or short-term teaching slots (but either they're slow or I'm not in the running!)
  
• Dealing with an overbooking at the Kauai condo (communication is REAL important)
  
• Have I brought up Dad's finances?
  

It seems like music is getting slighted. But I have some thoughts on a couple of upcoming projects...

Project 1

A couple of weeks ago the children presented a musical as part of worship (Sermon on the Mound). It was cute. The kids clearly enjoyed themselves, and had a number of strong moments. The adults who assisted and guided the project also did wonderfully. The song Out in Right Field, recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, is featured--it's a great moment.

So I started thinking...is it time to write a musical for the kids myself? I'd have a good six months to work on it. I noticed some areas in this work that could be improved upon:

• The vocal range is too great for kids (at least a 10th, I think). It should be kept within an octave, and not higher than c5 (an octave above middle c).
  
• Through-composed or complicated melodies should be minimized ("Right Field" worked--a great example of story-telling in song--but it was sung by an adult). While one doesn't want the piece reduced to a set of simple choruses, simplicity is important.
  
• There's an almost glib use of bible verses, reflecting the evangelical focus of the author and composer, I sure. Less would be more, I think.
  

Project 2

I'm playing organ and/or piano for a wedding the first weekend in August (the organ isn't much). The bride is the daughter of a good friend of high school vintage. I may play more piano than organ, and so I'm thinking of writing a postlude. Probably along the lines of a trumpet voluntary, but for piano rather than organ. Could be a fun challenge.

...and I thought of a project that is still in progress that I'd like to say a few things about: a setting of Isaiah 6:1-8, originally written for chorus and organ, but arranged for chorus, organ and cello. I'm thinking of some comments on the process of transcribing for different resources--both in my music and in some interesting works for violin and organ I purchased recently.

As usual, it's music to my ears...