New Music Release Thread

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I've got a file up on SoundCloud for your listening pleasure of one of my arrangements for band. This one is of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Prelude No. 7 in Eb Major" from "The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1." Just like with the Bruckner 6th Symphony, it's been rendered using Dorico Pro 5 and NotePerformer 4.

I'm hoping to get this polished and published on Sheet Music Plus soon, by way of the ArrangeMe.com service, so if you're in a band, be it high school or above, and you'd like to play this, keep your eyes on this thread - you'll probably get the chance if you can talk your band director into it!

If you've got any questions or comments, drop them here or on SoundCloud. Thanks for listening!

Here's the link: https://soundcloud.com/lee-jackson-12/prelude-no-7-in-eb-major

 

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I've updated the recording of the Bach Prelude No. 7 in Eb Major on SoundCloud. Only the audio has changed, slightly - the link remains the same as in the above post.

In other news, I'm getting ready to send off the Prelude to the Austin Symphonic Band to see if they'll play it. They're a high-level community ensemble that comes recommended to me by a fellow member of a professional music fraternity (Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia) who is now a Doctorate and a Professor at Texas A&M. (I'm quoting his recommendation in my intro letter.) They'll be getting a printed and bound score, plus a thumb drive with PDFs of the parts and an MP3 rendition of the music. I'm hoping this will convince them to take up the piece and play it. (See the cover of the score below.)

I'm going to go get it bound today, along with the Bruckner 6th / 1st Movement arrangement, which by itself is going to cost me $15 to get bound. (It's due to the odd size of 11" by 17" - one place wanted to charge me $30 bucks to bind it!) I'll update here on the status as things proceed. Wish me luck.

where can i upload photos

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

The Bach Prelude has been mailed to the director of the Austin Symphonic Band! I put it in the mail yesterday after getting it bound at a place called Dallas Bindery.(they don't have a web site). Along with it, I sent a thumb drive that had my two woodwind quintets ("Woodwind Quintet No. 1" and "Theme and Tangents") and the Bruckner 6th Symphony, 1st Movement. All had MP3s, PDF scores, and PDF parts. The PDF parts for the Bach Prelude are also on the thumb drive.

Likewise, the Bruckner 6th Symphony, 1st Movement has been mailed to the conductor of the Wind Symphony of the University of Texas at Arlington (their top band), I also got it bound at Dallas Bindery (more on that experience in a second). Since it was so huge (11" x 17"), it had to go via a special 2-day postal rate that cost $9.00. I figured as much and was prepared. Again, like with the Austin Symphonic Band mailing, I sent a thumb drive with the woodwind quintets on it. However, I sent the score, parts, and MP3 of the Bach Prelude as a bonus feature this time, and included the basic PDF parts for the Bruckner at the top of the directory structure. In other words, the opposite of what I sent to the Austin Symphonic Band.

Now, my experience with Dallas Bindery was interesting. The guy who runs the place is a character. He told us a few stories, listened to one or two of mine, and was sympathetic to what I was trying to do with my binding of the musical scores. In the end, I got the scores bound for no charge, on hopes that I might be able to bring him back more business. I hope I can.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

No replies yet on the Bach or the Bruckner. Fingers still crossed.

Meanwhile, I've taken it upon myself to enter an International Composition Competition with a $1,000.00 grand prize. The competition rules "suggest" that your piece should include parts for Trumpet, Trombone, and Bass Clarinet (plus Baritone male voice, but it's not required) - definitely an odd combination. Thing is, I like odd combinations in musical voices, so this competition is right up my alley.

I would appreciate your, the 4um denizen's,  help in this. I'll be posting my works in progress at a private link on SoundCloud and will share that link here. I'll try to update the music at the end of that link every evening, but that will depend on how much progress I make during the day. In other words, if I only make one or two measures headway, I probably won't update for that day. When I do post an update, however, I'd appreciate it if you would kindly listen to it and tell me what you think. I'm not looking for a music theory breakdown: I'm looking for your opinion.

I hope I'm not asking for too much. Please tell me whether or not you can help. Thank you, either way.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Here is the first baseline, unfinished work for you:

https://on.soundcloud.com/h9DfC

Please do not share this link. Thank you.

[ChronosCat 155]

I wish I could help, but with my limited internet connection, my opportunities to download (or stream) large files (such as most music) are rare.

[mlooney 3,417]

I listened to it, I've got to say if you are doing that all on a keyboard I'm impressed.  Sounds like real instruments.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

5 hours ago, mlooney said:

I listened to it, I've got to say if you are doing that all on a keyboard I'm impressed.  Sounds like real instruments.

I've got NotePerformer 4.2.1 to thank for that. It's a good sample playback library. https://www.noteperformer.com

I'm more interested in how the actual music sounds, though. Any comments?

[mlooney 3,417]

I liked it.  Not really my kind of music, but pleasant 

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

19 minutes ago, mlooney said:

I liked it.  Not really my kind of music, but pleasant 

Pleasant, eh? Hmm. Not really sure how to read that. In other news, I spent over 2 hours on the phone with my son last night talking about the piece, so there was no ambiguity once we finished with each other.  He thought he had a problem with a whole section, but it turned out he only had a problem with one note. I liked the note as is, so nothing got changed. Such is life.

[mlooney 3,417]

27 minutes ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

Pleasant, eh? Hmm. Not really sure how to read that.

Read that as good.  Like I said, not my kind of music, but unlike other not my kinds of music I've been exposed to, I listened to the whole thing.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

New release of the competition song:

https://on.soundcloud.com/TLyxR

I've made a lot of progress, but I'm not finished. I could really use your help again.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I've written past the above link. Forget it and use this one instead:

https://on.soundcloud.com/jFEcB

Still not finished, but close. Thanks in advance for your help.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I think I have finished the piece. Please give it a listen. It comes in at around 6 1/2 minutes. Here's the link:

https://on.soundcloud.com/cQGzw

I'm hoping that this is going to be worth a $1,000.00 commission toward writing a new piece for the sponsoring ensemble. Feedback appreciated.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I have finished another piece for another competition. Please give it a listen and tell me what you think. It comes in at 4:42 and is called "Fanfare and Processions." Here's the link:

https://soundcloud.com/lee-jackson-12/fanfare-and-processions-v01j

This one has a very far outside shot at an $800.00 First Prize and a publishing contract for the contest, considering that I had less than 2 weeks' notice of the competition and wrote it in less than 10 days. Still, I did my best. I hope you enjoy it.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Thought you might enjoy listening to this work in progress up on SoundCloud:

https://on.soundcloud.com/b5sx2

It's a French Horn Sextet that I'm writing for another competition. No money attached to this one, just a public performance in front of a bunch of French Horn bigwigs.

The piece can be described as "jaunty" at present, although Mrs. Prof described it as a "drinking song." You be the judge and report back.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I've expanded the "jaunty" Horn Sextet. Here's the new SoundCloud link:

https://on.soundcloud.com/W7uFc

Enjoy with your favorite beverage.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

On 11/16/2023 at 9:13 AM, ProfessorTomoe said:

I have finished another piece for another competition. Please give it a listen and tell me what you think. It comes in at 4:42 and is called "Fanfare and Processions."

Well, the first round judging has been completed, and I did not make it into the final five. C'est la guerre. I'm not giving up on the piece, however. I've contacted one of my former band directors and asked if he would kindly help me out. He's going to try, I hope, but he's got his own issues to take care of first.

Turns out the link I posted last time was bad. Guess no one clicked on it. If you want to click on a link this time, here's what you need to click on to listen to the piece:

https://on.soundcloud.com/EdUKh

Thank you for your support.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I don't remember if I posted anything about this here, but I think I did. Anyway, I've arranged a Beethoven Piano Sonata, specifically Sonata #18, Opus 31, No. 3, for Woodwind Quartet. I finished this quite some while ago - a few months, in fact - and I'm just now getting around to submitting it for publication to E. C. Schirmer. The Score and the MP3s went online last night.

One thing I didn't do in the past was post the arrangement with a good rendition to SoundCloud. I have now rectified that problem. If you would like to listen to a damn fine Beethoven piano sonata, being played by a woodwind quartet, please click on the following link:

https://on.soundcloud.com/Rjqc6

I would appreciate your opinion of the arrangement. Thank you very much.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

The "jaunty" Horn Sextet is, I believe, finished, more or less. I'm not quite sure about how the last note sounds - it might not be beefy enough. I would appreciate your collective opinion on the matter. Please click on the following private link to listen to it:

https://on.soundcloud.com/9SbVq

Thank you for your help.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

I'm getting ready to send in one of my works for consideration in a competition, and as always I could use a bit of help. This time, I could use help with my Curriculum Vitae. I just need someone to look at it and give their opinion on whether it looks acceptable or not. Drop me a PM and I'll make arrangements to e-mail a PDF - it's just 2 pages long. Please help, and thanks.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

No takers?

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

A potentially momentous occasion will take place tomorrow, January 9th, beginning some time after 7pm Honolulu, Hawaii time, when the Honolulu Wind Ensemble tries to tackle my transcriptions of Anton Bruckner's "Symphony No. 6 in A Major, 1st Movement," and Johann Sebastian Bach's "Prelude No. 7 in Eb Major," from "The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1" for concert band / wind ensemble. If they are capable of playing them and if they like what they hear, then they may decide to schedule them for performance on their Summer or Fall Public Concert listings for 2024. I won't find out until I hear the feedback from the rehearsal in a few days, so I'm going to be a nervous wreck until that comes in. I could use some emotional support cats until then.  

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

Take about 15 minutes out of your day and listen to this track:

https://on.soundcloud.com/51at8

It's my latest arrangement of a movement from Bruckner's 6th Symphony, this time the 2nd movement (Adagio), again for concert band/wind ensemble. I'm happy with it, but I'd like your feedback, please.

[mlooney 3,417]

Not my kind of music but I played while I was doing my morning chores.  It made them more pleasant.  Explorer jumped on the desk while it was playing, but I don't know if that was due to her normal jump on the desk or not.