During my basement renovation, everything that had been in my basement was packed into boxes and moved out to my garage. That means that much of the physical sheet music I own has been unavailable for more than a year. I have boxes and boxes and files and files of sheet music. And now I am trying to go through and eliminate some that I really don't need anymore.
But how do you part with what you worked on so diligently in the past?
Going through these boxes and files has only made me realize how old I am now. As I look back on some of these titles, I have to decide whether they would be useful for any future generations. I have packets and packets of choral titles that I have stored and saved for future choirs I may or may not ever have the opportunity to direct. Then I realized how some titles have had their day in the sun, and may be seen now as too old and outdated. (Some were popular 20 or 30 years ago, but are not considered "classics" now by any means.)
Then again, who is to say what may become popular again. Look at current fashions --- bell bottoms, platform shoes, and miniskirts are very reminiscent of trends from 40 years ago.
But how do you part with what you worked on so diligently in the past?
Going through these boxes and files has only made me realize how old I am now. As I look back on some of these titles, I have to decide whether they would be useful for any future generations. I have packets and packets of choral titles that I have stored and saved for future choirs I may or may not ever have the opportunity to direct. Then I realized how some titles have had their day in the sun, and may be seen now as too old and outdated. (Some were popular 20 or 30 years ago, but are not considered "classics" now by any means.)
Then again, who is to say what may become popular again. Look at current fashions --- bell bottoms, platform shoes, and miniskirts are very reminiscent of trends from 40 years ago.
The Wasatch Chorale, Provo Utah Last weekend, the Wasatch Chorale sang a concert where, for this organization's 50th anniversary, they invited 5 former directors to come back. Each conductor pulled three of their favorite pieces that they used during their time leading our chorale. Some of these pieces were from decades past and not necessarily popular today. However, some were definitely classics --- Haydn, Mozart, Randall Thompson, Mack Wilberg, Moses Hogan, John Rutter, etc.
So what makes a song a classic and why does it return to popularity again and again?
So what makes a song a classic and why does it return to popularity again and again?
Over the years, I have made so many quick arrangements for students and choirs that I never notated properly to eventually publish them. They are in my quick messy handwriting on manuscript paper. Yet they have survived in my files. Do I save them? They may or may not be available to offer for legal publication. Does that make them illegal? Do I get rid of them before I get arrested? (What becomes of my little pencilled in changes to the originals?)
And what about old photocopies of copyrighted works --- even just for reference sake? Should I dispose of them? (Well, the answer is probably "yes" to that one.) It may be time to trust that data bases and publishing houses online will have anything I could need -- past, present, and future and I could obtain music legally from them as desired. (But not my ideas...)
And what about old photocopies of copyrighted works --- even just for reference sake? Should I dispose of them? (Well, the answer is probably "yes" to that one.) It may be time to trust that data bases and publishing houses online will have anything I could need -- past, present, and future and I could obtain music legally from them as desired. (But not my ideas...)
Mary Had a Pretty Little Baby published by Jackman Music Then again, during this time of purging, I was reminded of a piece I wrote a very long time ago. It came from somewhere, but I don't know where. It was just a song my mother taught me and my sister when were were children. I liked it so much, that my 12-year-old self made an original arrangement of it. (My mother hardly bothered to write anything down. She just played from memory. And this was not her arrangement.)
In Middle School, I showed my arrangement of "Mary Had a Pretty Little Baby" for SA and Piano to my chorus teacher. She liked it so much, that she allowed the girls of the choir to sing it for the Christmas Concert. Since then, I have used it on many concerts, even for Elementary School choruses.
When I gave it to the publisher (much later), he thought that it may have come from an old African Christmas carol. Perhaps. We will likely never know. Enjoy my daughter Camilyn Bailey (Workman) singing both parts.
In Middle School, I showed my arrangement of "Mary Had a Pretty Little Baby" for SA and Piano to my chorus teacher. She liked it so much, that she allowed the girls of the choir to sing it for the Christmas Concert. Since then, I have used it on many concerts, even for Elementary School choruses.
When I gave it to the publisher (much later), he thought that it may have come from an old African Christmas carol. Perhaps. We will likely never know. Enjoy my daughter Camilyn Bailey (Workman) singing both parts.
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