My Daughter, The Artiste!

I commissioned my first art work, specifically for my own purposes.  COOL!!


I feel so important now.  I am very proud of my daughter.  She is only a sophomore, but her art teacher told her she wants her in studio for the next two years at the school, and she is going to groom her for a Sterling Scholar in Visual Art.  This is very exciting!

She wasn't enjoying the monoprint unit in art class, so I asked her to do something "music" for me.  I was hoping that would make it more interesting for her.  She had designed a treble clef with a rose winding around it, for our headstone.  I got a double headstone for my husband, that way when I died, there would not be that added expense.  My name is on the headstone.  My husband had a beautiful plaque from the "Sons Of The American Revolution" above his name, so I wanted something significant and beautiful above my name, too.

As a result, my daughter designed the clef sign and rose for the headstone.  I asked her to make a monoprint of it that I could frame and hang in my studio.  She did it, but she didn't do monoprint, she used three colors.  She had already done a monoprint as her assigned task, so this was an extra assignment, and the teacher allowed her to use multiple colors.

I loved it!!!  I am extremely proud of her.  Now I am going to use this as my exclusive logo.  We have copyrighted it to protect it.  Now I can say "I knew her when...."

Lyndsi Houskeeper "Higher"

I finished "Higher" yesterday.  So check out Lyndsi's blog for information on how to get the sheet music.  Give her a couple days to check it for accuracy and to get it posted.

It's a very pretty song, and it was quite easy to make into a second verse and signo and coda.  I like it when songs do that.  It makes for less page turns.

The Garden Overture and Three Days Passing

I received permission from Michael McLean to transcribe a piano reduction score of the "Overture" and "Three Days Passing" for our performance last weekend.  So, I did it, and then on Monday, I finalized it and sent it off to him to approve.  I liked the way it played on the piano.  I think it is great.  So, hopefully, in the future, for anyone that wants to perform "The Garden," these songs should be available to play on the piano.

Computer help

I helped someone with her computer today.  She was blocked from the internet, so I could tell that she had an "anti-virus" virus.  I hate those.  They make you think you need their anti-virus software, but they actually give you a virus and keep you from being able to function until you pay for their software.  Unfortunately, I had learned that the hard way a very long time ago.

I fixed that for her, and got her back on the internet.  I installed the "real" microsoft security essentials and firefox for her, so that she will be better protected.  I showed her some tricks at how to bookmark her favorite pages across the top of Firefox, so that she can find them easier.

Her virus deleted her "word" program, so I showed her how to use "Open Office" and installed that for her.  She's a happy camper now.

Easter Performance - "The Garden"

WOW!!!  All I can say is OMG!!!  (Oh my goodness)

I had no idea that this show would turn out so well.  I enjoyed transcribing the Overture and the Three Days Passing instrumental music, and turning it into sheet music.  Then I had to learn how to play it.

We performed this in the Chapel, so we had to strike everything after Saturday's performance, so that all the wards could hold their Sacrament Meetings on Sunday.  It took a while to get everything set up again after the last meeting at 4pm.

I am so amazed at how well the show went.  Our soloists were wonderful!  The scenery was luscious and green.  The mics worked well.  We had great audiences.  Saturday was well-attended.  However, Sunday evening was full, as I knew it would be.  And I had a blast playing the piano for the entire time.  It was only one hour and ten minutes.

Our cast was incredible.  And even more amazing was that every person involved in the show was from one of the three wards in our building.

Director - Staci Langston
Accompanist - Brenda Reep
Narrator - Jill Christian Di Pietro
The Man - Rex Oliver
The Gardener - Matt Valantine
The Landlord - Jim Sevy
The Millstone - Ken Sizemore
The Barren Tree - Kayleen Leith
The Ram - Lee Sizemore
The Seedling - Shannon Sizemore

You guys were awesome!!!   Thanks for a great show!  What a wonderful way to spend this Easter Weekend.

Where Is Your Heart?

My mom, Dorothy ReNee' Crofts, drove all the way down here to St. George just to do an audio recording of her new book.  It was fun!  She has that cute little "central Utah" accent, and it was nice to hear the story again.

Her book is now available on Amazon.com and in selected stores - and other places I cannot remember.

Where Is Your Heart? is a 25 minute presentation of scriptures done in poetry.  It is absolutely beautiful.  When I get this audio recording done for her, it will be available with the book.

The Garden

My performance project for the month has been "The Garden," by Michael McLean and Bryce Neubert.  I saw it the first time when Ryan Norton did such a wonderful job putting it together a few years ago at the Dixie High School auditorium.

Staci Langston organized a tri-ward choir and chose soloists, and I agreed to play the piano for it.  Deciding whether to use the professional performance track or to play the piano live for something as big as this is a very tough decision.  There are benefits and downfalls with either choice.  We chose to perform it with a live piano accompaniment.

However, she really liked the Overture and wanted it to be prelude.  We could do that and it would be nice.  But I was concerned that switching from a fully orchestrated CD of the "Overture" then to just piano would be too much contrast.  I know that I can make the piano sound great.  However, the contrast would be too drastic, and then the piano would not seem as beautiful.

I am always one who prefers to perform with live musicians.  It doesn't seem so "karaoke bar" that way.  And it emphasizes the full musical potential of the performance.

I told Staci that I would look for the sheet music for the "Overture" and "Three Days Passing."  Upon looking for it I was told that there was not a reduction score for those two instrumental numbers.  So, I got Michael McLean's permission to write it into sheet music so that I could play it live.  I am going to send him the sheet music, and if he likes it, hopefully he will make it available to others who might want to do the same as we are doing.

The rehearsals are coming along nicely.  We will be performing this on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 & 24, 2011 in Santa Clara, Utah.  If you are in the area during Easter break, please join us for this special evening.

"Print Music" Finale' Software

This isn't my software of choice.  I use an Encore product.  I LOVE Encore.  However, I gave a coaching session today to someone to learn how to use her software that she already owns - which happens to be "Print Music."  The session went well.  I was able to help her work out some kinks in the system, update her software and make it more compatible to her laptop.

I just want to say that it takes a little while to learn any new software.  Be patient with yourself and don't be afraid to experiment.  She made "glissandos" and "five against four sixteenth note tuplets."  It was great.  I love how excited a person becomes when he or she "gets" something and figures it out.  I love it!

There Is A Green Hill Far Away

It's time for my church youth choir to sing again soon.  I needed a song ready to practice with them on Sunday.  So, two mornings ago, I was walking my dog, ACE, and the hymn "There Is A Green Hill Far Away" popped into my head.  I have always loved that Sacrament Hymn, and I started a tradition of choosing that hymn for the sacrament hymn whenever there is a mission farewell.  I started that with my step-son Richard, when he went to Scotland for his mission.  It seemed so appropriate - you know - green hills - Scotland.

So I guess, knowing that the next time my youth choir has to sing, it is for a farewell of a young man going to Russia.

Anyway....I couldn't stop singing that hymn in my head on the whole walk.  A nice arrangement started coming together.  After I sang it once through, I said a quick prayer, "Please God, let me remember this when I get home."

When I got home, I had to spend an hour driving different children to their various schools.  One of which is 6 miles away.  Then I had to do some laundry - so that I could get dressed.  Finally, in the afternoon, I was able to sit down - at my new, awesome Clavinova, and start writing.

I finished it, and I like it.  So we started it yesterday.  I think it will be nice.

Orchestrated Accompaniments

I'm winding up a job I have been working on.  I am creating ten recorded accompaniments for a high school's spring theater show.  It sure is nicer to do with my new Clavinova!  I'm using the new piano, but still having issues with the new computer.  Thank goodness my old computer is still working well.  There is something to be said for spending the money to get a good, custom-built computer, made especially for your own needs.  My recording computer is 7 years old - the oldest computer in the house, and it has hung in there the best.  It's still fast, too.

I'm not sure that switching to Mac was all that great of an idea.  But it hasn't gone to waste.  I have switched over my sheet music transcriptions to the Mac and it is doing a great job with that.  Except there is a small latency issue that is bugging me.  It is only a fraction of a second off, but it sure is annoying.  I am sure I will get that figured out soon.

I guess if I don't ever get on the internet with my old "built" computer, and I do all the paperwork and sheet music on the mac, that will take a ton of pressure off it, and it will continue to do well for me with my recordings.

Musical ElectronicTechnical Help

I had the opportunity to help a local musician I had met at the Piano Gallery here in St. George connect her new Clavinova to her laptop so that she could write sheet music for herself.  I love being able to help someone else be able to do for themselves the things that I love to do.

I don't know why I feel such joy and excitement when I can help someone else understand how the computer and the piano can work together.

I helped a neighbor a couple years ago.  He is a wonderful pianist and he was leaving for a mission and he wanted to record his compositions, and someday write them down for himself.  He is an outstanding musician and has great potential.  It would be sad to see him have to use someone else for a service he is capable of providing for himself.  The excitement I saw in his face as he learned how to do these things was priceless.  He has been well-trained by a local master musician.  However, it has all been classically, acoustically trained.

These two areas of music don't need to be like apples and oranges anymore.  There is so much we can do with electronics.