I can’t believe it’s been three months since I’ve posted. Since I retired from gigging and decided to concentrate on arranging music, I’ve been busier than ever.
I now have a publisher page at SheetMusicPlus and have added more than a dozen new arrangements since mid-March, when I last posted.
My goal of arranging a second group of ten Broadway/popular songs was met back in April. Feeling as if I’d arranged and uploaded all of my best selections eligible for publication through SMP’s licensing agreement, I returned to Celtic selections, rediscovering songs I’d heard but never considered bringing to life on the harp.
My “popular” song compendium does not include Christmas selections, which are in a category of their own, at least as far as I’m concerned. I did include, though, a few Christian contemporary songs which I felt were “naturals” for the harp.
In the midst of all of this, two fantastic things occurred: SMP obtained licensing rights for 1,000,000 new songs…that’s right, one million! Because of the sheer volume, songs are being added about 5,000 at a time, providing people like me a plethora of music and genres to work through.
A few titles I asked SMP about at the end of May have already shown up in the new list — great songs from classic movies and Broadway shows. And there are more on the way!
The second thing: completely unexpected and unsolicited, I was contacted by a major publisher of harp music with a request to submit some of my work. I quickly asked myself, “Of everything I’ve done, what I should I send?”
I decided on something I thought would give them the best glimpse into what I’m about while at the same time providing an idea of my favorite songs. As requested, I provided a bio — rewritten and tailored to the audience — and other information available at my fingertips — literally.
The next day I received a “thank-you” with a promise that they’d be back in touch in the next several weeks.
Wow! While nothing is guaranteed, it certainly served as an impetus to continue arranging and expanding the harp repertoire.
And before we know it, the Christmas season will again be upon us, and it will be time to find some great new songs to arrange.