Piano Arrangement for "I Sing the Mighty Power of God"

August 12th, 2013

I have made a Kickstarter: I want to write a 3-4 minute original piano arrangement of “I Sing the Mighty Power of God” for solo piano. It will be perfect for concert halls and church services. If you’d like to see this written, you can back the project for as little as $1 and get an mp3 when I’m finished writing! Other rewards involve getting a copy of the score, or even working with me directly to help me write the piece. I only need to raise $120, so every little bit really helps!

piano-arrangement

Piano Music I’ve Written

The best way to get a feel for how the piano arrangement is going to turn out is to listen to some of my other hymn arrangements:

Wedding Music for Piano – Oath of Unity (Be Thou my Vision, Take my Life, and O Perfect Love)

Violin and Clarinet Duet – Proclamation (Amazing Grace)

What Child is This? (Greensleeves) for Solo Saxophone

O Come, O Come Emmanuel – Saxophone Duet

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – Solo Saxophone

What Wondrous Love Is This? – Solo Saxophone

Some basic ideas are to begin with sparse motivic development, build to a good strong introduction of the melody, mix traditional sounds with contemporary classical styles throughout, and exploit some of the natural strength in the melody through richly orchestrated and colorful passages. I haven’t decided on a form yet. Rondo might work pretty well…

I’m always open to requests and suggestions!

Every piece has its own challenges. Sometimes I sit down and have a piece of music a few hours later. Other times it’s a tedious and frustrating uphill battle. But I always finish in the end and I almost always finish on time.

No matter the size or scope of a piece, it takes a large amount of resources to get something like this done. Professional opinions from accomplished pianists, time in my studio, and putting up videos and webpages are among a few things required to get a new piece out there.


Piano Arrangement for “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”

August 12th, 2013

I have made a Kickstarter: I want to write a 3-4 minute original piano arrangement of “I Sing the Mighty Power of God” for solo piano. It will be perfect for concert halls and church services. If you’d like to see this written, you can back the project for as little as $1 and get an mp3 when I’m finished writing! Other rewards involve getting a copy of the score, or even working with me directly to help me write the piece. I only need to raise $120, so every little bit really helps!

piano-arrangement

Piano Music I’ve Written

The best way to get a feel for how the piano arrangement is going to turn out is to listen to some of my other hymn arrangements:

Wedding Music for Piano – Oath of Unity (Be Thou my Vision, Take my Life, and O Perfect Love)

Violin and Clarinet Duet – Proclamation (Amazing Grace)

What Child is This? (Greensleeves) for Solo Saxophone

O Come, O Come Emmanuel – Saxophone Duet

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – Solo Saxophone

What Wondrous Love Is This? – Solo Saxophone

Some basic ideas are to begin with sparse motivic development, build to a good strong introduction of the melody, mix traditional sounds with contemporary classical styles throughout, and exploit some of the natural strength in the melody through richly orchestrated and colorful passages. I haven’t decided on a form yet. Rondo might work pretty well…

I’m always open to requests and suggestions!

Every piece has its own challenges. Sometimes I sit down and have a piece of music a few hours later. Other times it’s a tedious and frustrating uphill battle. But I always finish in the end and I almost always finish on time.

No matter the size or scope of a piece, it takes a large amount of resources to get something like this done. Professional opinions from accomplished pianists, time in my studio, and putting up videos and webpages are among a few things required to get a new piece out there.


Quoting God in Song

July 31st, 2013

Some friends and I were listening to a contemporary song last night. Had it been written down, most of the song would have been in quotes; the singer was quoting God and the promises he has made. I then casually said, “I would feel awkward singing this.” But then I realized that the technique of quoting God in song is far from unprecedented. I then followed the statement up with, “Actually, now that I think about it, ‘How Firm a Foundation‘ does the same thing.” Here is how the hymn reads:quoting-god

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

God has made promises that are not only good to read, but good to hear. Quoting God in song should be a regular practice in our worship. Quoting God in song from memory is even better. Let us remind each other daily of God’s promises. You can start today by learning how to sing “How Firm a Foundation” in parts with some close friends.


Make Music Everywhere!

July 30th, 2013

Make music everywhere; even at work.

make-music-everywhere

My Favorite Hand Drum

There is a big clear blue 5 gallon container we use at the coffee shop to haul ice from the back (where it’s made) to the front (where we use it). One day I hit the bottom of it like a hand drum, and it resonated at a perfect 4th! Later, I started playing the container using a regular pattern. My coworker then picked up a yogurt scoop and started banging on another (very small) metal container. It was fun and sounded great (and yes, we did still get our work done)!


We westerners tend to be way too reserved when it comes to audible expression. Just make some sound! It’s fun and you’ll be in a better mood when you’re done. You can’t play an ice container like a drum at work and not put everyone around you in a better mood. Just do it briefly, tastefully, and at an appropriate time (maturity guys, come on).

Make music everywhere you are…just because.


How to Play Drums for Hymns – Amazing Grace

July 29th, 2013

If you’re a drummer playing in church on Sunday mornings, you’ve probably run into this problem. How to play drums for the traditional hymns? The answer is in the music. Listen, play the melody, and sneak in some improvisation whenever it seems appropriate. Here’s a good middle of the road example of how to play drums for Amazing Grace: Amazing Grace with Drums (please excuse the glitchy trigger on my electronic drum set. :))

how-to-play-drums

Me and my acoustic set.

Obviously, you wouldn’t be able to get away with that at more conservative churches. And that’s fine because we’re here to serve, not to play a sick beat. You want as many people to like what you’re doing as possible. Aim for the middle. If your church likes the hymns to be very traditional but they still want some drums, this should give you an idea of what to do: Amazing Grace with Light Drums


On the other hand, maybe your church thinks that hymns are boring. They want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Color the hymn with a heavier style while making sure that the melody stays intact somewhere within the texture you’re making: Amazing Grace with Heavy Drums

Learning how to play drums for hymns can be challenging, but it’s very fun and rewarding in the end. Keep at it and ask for lots of feedback from every generation in your church. Most importantly, know what the words are and worship while you’re playing.

Send Caleb a message!

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