ELEANOR GOW SCOTTISH AND OTHER SONGS EASY ARRANGEMENTS FREE SHEET MUSIC
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Hard Work

5/14/2019

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Arranging is hard work. Working on Dvorák’s Largo from his New World Symphony (No. 9, Op. 95) was very difficult but I learned a lot.

I came across a very simple version of the Largo in one of my music books which was nice but not interesting. So I searched the internet and came across some other versions, one of which was the spiritual derived from the Largo. I decided, too quickly perhaps, that I would arrange both for my website. The original was fairly easy as arranging it followed the pattern I set up – arrangement, chords, proofreading, making the .pdf, .jpeg and audio files. All went relatively smoothly, although as usual I had trouble with my chords. The spiritual version was, however, a completely different matter.
I love the singing of the late American bass-baritone Paul Robeson and his version of Going Home sends shivers up my spine every time I hear it. So I had to persist. First decision – should I try replicate the lovely piano accompaniment in my left hand? Answer – no! It was beautiful but far too complicated for me to play, even without my small hands and arthritis. Second decision – would I include the whole song or try to abridge it? Answer – the whole song. Any shortening would leave out vital parts of the sentiments expressed. So I spent nearly three weeks working on this. What did I learn? Many things. How to listen carefully to a piece of music for the expressions used such as tempo and dynamics. (I had to listen to Paul Robeson sing Going Home more than a dozen times, no hardship.) How to replicate them in my music software, Finale. (Given my frequent struggles with computer technology, I thought this would be harder than it was.) Final thing – working on a beautiful and inspiring song is worth every minute of the effort.

I hope you enjoy it.

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web site developing when you are over seventy

3/6/2016

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When my piano teacher suggested I put my folk song arrangements on a web site, I really wondered whether I could do this.  Since I was born in 1941, I did not grow up with computers.  However, I had used computers in my career so I thought I would give it a try.  I found the Weebly site and signed up. 

This was the start of a long learning process.  I eventually figured out that you don't need to have everything on the home page. The concept of hidden pages seems obvious once you realize it but it took me too long to grasp the idea.  Some days were very frustrating.  The worst one was when, somehow or other, I destroyed my home page not once, but three times.

I really thought no one would find my web site but I was wrong.  I followed my "hits" with astonishment as they increased, not quickly, but steadily.

While this has sometimes been frustrating, it has also been both interesting and fun.
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hard work

2/23/2015

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Happy New Year

12/31/2014

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October

10/15/2014

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Some more songs added in October.  October's task is to learn chords so that I can play them automatically without thinking.  More training for the mature brain.
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more songs

9/12/2014

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I am working on an arrangement of Morning Has Broken. Look for this in the near future. 
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songs added

8/28/2014

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Picture
This is a picture I took at the Chaco Culture National Monument, a place of fascination and haunting beauty.

I have now added the links for my own compositions.  This web site is still very much a work in progress so please check it again, when you get a few minutes.
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another blog

8/26/2014

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Progress is very slow on adding pages and links.  Summer time is not the best time to work.  Too many distractions: nice weather, places to go, gardening.
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first blog

8/12/2014

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Learning how to set up a web site has not been easy for someone not brought up on computers.  So anyone looking at my web site might have found it frustrating.  I did, too.  However, choosing the pictures to go with the songs was fun.  There are so many lovely ones on the web.
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    Picture

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