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Joy to the World with Vivaldi’s Gloria
It’s that time of year again when I have to admit that I love Christmas music. There is something in the songs that fires up my creativity. Just look at the publications page and you’ll see… But one of my students pointed out to me that all my Christmas arrangement tend to be slow and lyrical. She is one that loves fast and loud, and the faster and louder… the better. And I have to admit that I was like this at her age. So, for all my fast-song-loving students, I arranged Joy to the World with Vivaldi’s Gloria just for them this year. Mashing up two of the Baroque greats, Handel and…
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Carol of the Bells – Easy Violin
It’s November! Can you believe it?!?! 2020 has flown and dragged on all at the same time. I’ve been teaching some classes online and haven’t had time to blog. But hopefully you’ll see some of the fruit of that work sometime. But, here is a free easy Christmas violin arrangement that I just did for my group class. I’ve been working on Christmas music with my private lesson students the last few weeks. There is so much good Christmas music out there. And I’ve just finally admitted to myself that I really love Christmas songs. Although by January I’m usually ready to not hear Jingle Bells for a veeeeerrry long…
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Violin Arrangement of Psalm 137
Here is an arrangement for violin and piano of a tune for Psalm 137 or Isaiah 53.
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Violin Worship Song: How Deep the Father’s Love
Here is a new arrangement for violin and piano of the worship song How Deep the Father’s Love for Us, by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. And when you purchase this violin arrangement you get both the intermediate violin part as well as an advanced violin part. The piano accompaniment can be played with both violin parts. So, depending on the level of the player you can choose either the intermediate or advanced level solo part. Or as the player develops, they can incorporate the harder techniques and play the advanced level. The different techniques required for each level are listed below each sample. Overall the hardest aspect for this arrangement in either of the levels is…
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Be A Composer Worksheet
Give your beginning students a chance to be a composer with this worksheet! To strengthen reading notes for the kinesthetic learner without the instrument we can have them write. Even if it’s not the student’s primary learning style, I have found that having them write music solidifies their understanding of what is on the page. We all have a learning style, whether it is visual, kinesthetic or aural. One of these ways that we absorb information more quickly than other methods. When teaching note reading, we rely heavily on the visual aspect. And rightly so, we are learning to read notes. The other learning styles are present especially as we play (kinesthetic, aural)…
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The Overlooked Violas
I was recently reminded about the overlooked violas. Especially the overlooked beginning violists. How often do they just have to play violin music transposed down a 5th. A friend emailed and asked if I knew of any hymn arrangements for a beginning violist, and I discovered there aren’t very many collections available. I actually had several hymns that I already had arranged, but hadn’t published or made available. This summer I’m working on making those available over at www.sheetmusicplus.com. I thought I would make available for free as a viola solo the one that I’m working on typesetting this week. Come Ye Sinner Poor and Needy It’s the old hymn tune ARISE…
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How Far Is It To Bethlehem?
I learned the Christmas hymn “How Far Is It to Bethlehem?” when I was in 4th grade. I remember it because my family moved from Chicago to South Carolina. We began attending a small church in Clemson, SC. That year the children’s choir learned the song “How Far is It To Bethlehem?” for the Christmas program. Recently, I read an article on Frances Chesterton, wife of G. K. Chesterton. She is the author of the poem How Fari Is It To Bethlehem. I still remember most of the words for the hymn. But I didn’t realize it’s beauty and depth until I re-read it now as an adult. Who was Edith Chesterton? The…
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The Everlasting Song
My mom and I have a new collection of arrangements for violin and piano that was just released this summer, The Everlasting Song. I’m not sure I can describe it any better than what we wrote in the foreword for the book. We are thrilled to share another collection of violin solos with you. We have been collaborating on musical adventures together for the last thirty years as a mother-daughter team. Beginning with those early days of playing all the Twinkle Variations and then creating arrangements of “Jesus Loves Me” and other children’s songs, we have played together in church , at nursing homes, for family concerts, for recitals, and for…
