The last track on my album Christmas Piano is an arrangement of the beloved carol O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. And because this is my husband’s favorite Christmas song, I wanted to make the arrangement extra special. Check out the sheet music here: A Brief Recap You might remember that O Come, O Come, Emmanual had its origins in 9th […]
Read MoreTo kick off December’s first blog post, here is my piano arrangement of The First Noel: You can find the sheet music here: I’ve already talked about the history of this beautiful Christmas carol; check that post out here: Now I want to share a funny story with you about my arrangement of The First Noel. Back […]
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In the nativity story, angels play an integral part in the proclamation of Baby Jesus’s birth. So today let’s listen to some Christmas music inspired by those heavenly messengers. There are many Christmas carols about angels, two of which are the most popular: Angels We Have Heard on High and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Check out my […]
Read MoreThis week I posted the video for my arrangement of What Child is This? up on YouTube! For the history behind this beautiful Christmas carol, read my post here. And if you’re interested in the sheet music: I wrote this arrangement in the spirit of a contemporary waltz. Notice the waltz accompaniment in the left hand beginning […]
Read MoreAway in a Manger is one of the most loved Christmas carols of our time. And it’s easy to understand why! The beautiful lullaby describes that special night over 2000 years ago, using text and melody to create an emotional response in the listener. While Still, Still, Still is not as popular as Away in a Manger, it’s just […]
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Lead, Kindly Light is a prayer in the form of a hymn that seeks comfort and guidance from God. I personally love this hymn, so I wrote my own piano arrangement and researched the history of the music: *If you like my piano arrangement, download the free sheet music here! History of Lead, Kindly Light […]
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Happy Friday! On deck for today: a film/classical mash-up of Beauty and the Beast and “Aquarium” from Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals. But first, some background. The Carnival of the Animals In 1886, French composer (and organist/pianist/conductor) Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) composed and premiered his fun and humorous chamber work The Carnival of the Animals. Each of the 14 […]
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As you may know, classical music of all kinds inspired composer John Williams as he wrote the Star Wars score. But what I’m really interested in is how master composer Beethoven exerted his influence on a galaxy far far away. Because there’s so much wonderful music to discuss in regards to the Star Wars score, […]
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Merry Christmas! Yes, I know it’s still November, but I believe Jesus’s birth is something to be thankful for. 🙂 I’m celebrating a lot of things right now including (but not limited to) Thanksgiving, Christmas, family, and the opportunity to do what I love all the time – learn and write about, compose, and perform […]
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My heart is heavy. There has been much in the news lately to cause distress regarding human nature, and it’s shocked and saddened me. In response to those actions of hate, I’ve turned to music. Specifically, church hymns. *Disclaimer: I understand and respect that not everyone is religious. I really do. All I ask is […]
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