tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384500792024-03-12T23:14:12.663-05:00So Many Tunes ...original tunes with sheet music and home recordingsJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.comBlogger326125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-89911740774045000352021-08-10T19:07:00.000-05:002021-08-10T19:07:17.545-05:00The New Hat<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtjupNqQmo76P_BwZQa-frmXoIWGB45B_i0dnC1kN2lz1E9HCrudwh-l91hnysb1nZ3GdP-WDItfBtZ3JNizP5PLkKluSshJeiUFFiF3kpfEykKvjhvp-I5mwEqenEU43jrShIg/s2048/Not+Quite+Rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtjupNqQmo76P_BwZQa-frmXoIWGB45B_i0dnC1kN2lz1E9HCrudwh-l91hnysb1nZ3GdP-WDItfBtZ3JNizP5PLkKluSshJeiUFFiF3kpfEykKvjhvp-I5mwEqenEU43jrShIg/s320/Not+Quite+Rain.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />The New Hat (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/NewHat.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/NewHat.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Same photo twice in a row? This is because today's tune is named after the hat in the photo above.</p><p>Back in July I received a wonderful gift of a new hat. This would be the first new hat with a brim that I have ever owned. It's become my go-to head covering for summer outdoor gigs and works great.</p><p>The night after I received the hat this tune came to me in a dream. This never happens. Once in a while I might remember a snatch of a tune when I wake up but this was a vivid memory of a complete, albeit simple, tune. </p><p>The dream itself involved our Contratopia band relaxing at the house of a generous host after playing a dance somewhere. As we were sitting around, unwinding from our labors, another band arrived coming back from their gig. This was a group of young Irish players (no one in particular) who were a little more wound up than we were at this hour of night. </p><p>The Irish group was very friendly and we were all thrilled to meet other musicians and share stories. After a minute or two one of the newcomers, who was out of sight, down the hall from the living room where we sat, began playing a tune on a whistle or flute. By it's simplicity we all perceived it as an invitation to join in and we began unpacking instruments. A fun jam session ensued.</p><p>When I woke up, before dawn, the dream was very clear and the tune was insistent. After a while I figured I'd better get up and write it down. I resisted any urge to "improve" the tune as I transcribed it from my dream memory and this is what we have here. (The harmony part didn't appear in the dream but was composed later.)</p><p>Even though there were no hats in the dream that I can remember I still knew right away what the title of the tune should be.</p><p>Hope you enjoy it.</p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-24527667763800065002021-08-01T12:00:00.000-05:002021-08-01T12:00:19.803-05:00Not Quite Rain<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQG3wRKUDIFJ3S_-a0_DwVMMPHGIl_0aee9jeqW0uMFwiRPlpA82DCva-Xz2bIvD8Yft9JFY56B9e-gmfsutPNzhsWkKtD0AQuCgyNL0q5uVlRzXgtDWVLZ_CDUSjxB5h_P_VRXA/s2048/Not+Quite+Rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQG3wRKUDIFJ3S_-a0_DwVMMPHGIl_0aee9jeqW0uMFwiRPlpA82DCva-Xz2bIvD8Yft9JFY56B9e-gmfsutPNzhsWkKtD0AQuCgyNL0q5uVlRzXgtDWVLZ_CDUSjxB5h_P_VRXA/s320/Not+Quite+Rain.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p></p><p>Not Quite Rain (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/NotQuiteRain.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/NotQuiteRain.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p></p><p>I've got some tunes backed up, waiting to be recorded, and I finally got around to one this morning.</p><p>July was a pretty busy month with lots of fun gigs and great music opportunities. I've got several things scheduled this month also but I'm worried that the combination of a resurgent virus (especially the delta variant) and the reluctance of so many of my friends and neighbors to "take one for the team" will combine to make playing out in public less common once again. I remain hopeful, but concerned.</p><p>The photo above was not intended for this blog, or anything for that matter. I was just getting ready to take a different picture and I liked the way this looked.</p><p>I hope you enjoy the tune.</p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-55451429540959475262021-06-22T12:12:00.002-05:002021-06-22T12:13:36.105-05:00Joslin Farm<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0dH4ucnpXZK12fR792bQlJun9er2yJseEDzbOB8-wDT0AOy6YUQmhb4ZkpGkeFigv1cgr34pXEgioYNEETJoVaHdsmKHdqDmHkBvKgPW5vkHY3C_s9jaTCwl296j_bdWgsRJ-A/s2048/Joslin+Farm+.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0dH4ucnpXZK12fR792bQlJun9er2yJseEDzbOB8-wDT0AOy6YUQmhb4ZkpGkeFigv1cgr34pXEgioYNEETJoVaHdsmKHdqDmHkBvKgPW5vkHY3C_s9jaTCwl296j_bdWgsRJ-A/s320/Joslin+Farm+.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p>Joslin Farm (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/JoslinFarm.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/JoslinFarm.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p></p><p>One of my favorite places is the <a href="https://kingslanding.nb.ca/" target="_blank">Kings Landing</a> living history historical settlement, nestled along the St. John River just west of Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Joslin Farm is one of the features of a visit to the park and I've enjoyed visiting it several times.</p><p>There is apparently another very nice place with a similar name in Vermont, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joslin_Farm" target="_blank">Joslin Round Barn Farm</a>. I think I would enjoy visiting there someday too. So the title of this tune, like many tune titles, can evoke different reactions depending on your own history.</p><p>Even though I have zero interest in the Game of Thrones phenomenon I do realize that "King's Landing" is a place in that universe as well. I think our imaginations are probably big enough for both fictional places to coexist. I can guarantee, however, that a physical visit to the Joslin Farm at Kings Landing in New Brunswick will add some pleasure to your life.</p><p>I've had this tune for a couple of years with a different title and I realized that I was holding it back because something about the title wasn't just right. With a little thought I found this solution, I hope you enjoy the result.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-29987953290027285652021-06-13T20:42:00.001-05:002021-06-13T20:43:27.258-05:00Assisi Heights<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohHilZJKp-F1b8Ov30Qeum9wSopu3RApBL5ysQ8r_Yc44m4UF-GkJjdquBKryCqdQdn8SBLtUe2OkZ9NPBW6nlrM9fcBWMoEYGRxYbMweAnyViWEk2S_rr4K8c3z-tDm7Vc4hLQ/s1532/AssisiHeights.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="1532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohHilZJKp-F1b8Ov30Qeum9wSopu3RApBL5ysQ8r_Yc44m4UF-GkJjdquBKryCqdQdn8SBLtUe2OkZ9NPBW6nlrM9fcBWMoEYGRxYbMweAnyViWEk2S_rr4K8c3z-tDm7Vc4hLQ/s320/AssisiHeights.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Assisi Heights (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/AssisiHeights.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/AssisiHeights.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/AssisiHeights-harmony.pdf" target="_blank">pdf harmony</a>)</p><p>Shortly after we arrived in Decorah, Iowa, in the summer of 1994, I was driven off to Rochester, MN to participate in a Luther College all faculty retreat at a place called <a href="https://rochesterfranciscan.org/" target="_blank">Assisi Heights</a>. This was a wonderful experience for me, especially given my lifelong interest in St. Francis and all things Franciscan. </p><p>I haven't returned there for a lengthy visit since 1994 but I always look off towards the site as I drive by on my way to and from the Twin Cities. It always does me good.</p><p>I really like this tune and I've had it for several months. Erik, Patrice and I gave it a world premiere at the Decorah Farmers Market just over a week ago and I discovered a few more changes I needed to make. I hope now it's a finished piece but I never know for certain.</p><p>In any event I hope you enjoy it and that it brings a little Franciscan moment into you day.</p><p></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-7990624209382934212021-05-09T10:27:00.000-05:002021-05-09T10:27:01.347-05:00November Waltz, 2020 - Deer Track, December 27, 2020<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFp2EB6b82dXFKzuRXOfEWzdgeeT4tlvpCgN8ZFtADov0cI6LQdaJ9b8xm_g-guvhT4VelDYsyLD59qLagjzA6Sbbiol0ZSs5fH_7k4dzXaD4UyBfVrLs5CXtpLpAaVOX0erDNpA/s2048/20201108_113046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFp2EB6b82dXFKzuRXOfEWzdgeeT4tlvpCgN8ZFtADov0cI6LQdaJ9b8xm_g-guvhT4VelDYsyLD59qLagjzA6Sbbiol0ZSs5fH_7k4dzXaD4UyBfVrLs5CXtpLpAaVOX0erDNpA/s320/20201108_113046.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>November Waltz, 2020 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/NovWaltz-2020.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/NovWaltz-2020.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/NovWaltz-2020-harmony.pdf" target="_blank">pdf harmony</a>)</p><p></p><p>Deer Track, December 27, 2020 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/DeerTrack-12-27-2020.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/DeerTrack-12-27-2020.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Here's a nice waltz from last November, along with another Deer Track composition from late December 2020. I've got something of a backlog of tunes from the last few months and I'm just being slow about bringing them to the blog.</p><p>I like the accidental light I unwittingly captured in the photo above, also from last November.</p><p>Spring is almost, but not quite, here, although we did hit 90 degrees for a few hours last Sunday.</p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-22309391239586477772021-05-02T20:19:00.000-05:002021-05-02T20:19:12.136-05:00Telemann: Menuets for Two Mandolins (1728)<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTa29sjvETq7s9SxUpYWheHwAKb0g7ZlkVtKrTwGWqbwR_f-jW9wOMygAnhBqoHSvEEJz2Vd9QgEuR6wFUO89GpRCohHK1wcMmbl8yCIUeCug74972friQs3l-6x-_zCvHgpcDw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTa29sjvETq7s9SxUpYWheHwAKb0g7ZlkVtKrTwGWqbwR_f-jW9wOMygAnhBqoHSvEEJz2Vd9QgEuR6wFUO89GpRCohHK1wcMmbl8yCIUeCug74972friQs3l-6x-_zCvHgpcDw/" width="240" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recording currently available for streaming or purchase only at <a href="https://johngoodin.bandcamp.com/album/telemann-menuets-for-two-mandolins-1728" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a></div><p></p><p>No new original music this time but yesterday, on May Day, I released my recording of 19 Menuets from G.P. Telemann's 1728 collection of 50 pieces. These were self-published by Telemann on a subscription basis. Customers signed up and received groups of seven new menuets (plus one extra, presumably at the end) throughout the year.</p><p>I have played these pieces for years and I have intended to record some of them for a long time. I picked my favorites, although next week I might choose some different ones. It was hard to settle but I didn't want to present too many at once. This group comes out to about a half hour so I'm happy with that length.</p><p>Head over to Bandcamp and give them a listen if you are interested.</p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-45692195356715021372021-04-19T22:55:00.003-05:002021-04-19T22:58:57.019-05:00Deer Track, January 3, 2007-April 18, 2021<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7P-tPmKmIw56UwvcHLeaE0JFxL3Nx1GMe65wLZAcJcbbiKu9wFzVQQtx6OJSFy6Pafz-vI4CpIWkHKMvG529DLvfqCRsyg3f0hi7KIdi__dwIMk1t5irlfQ7Kdh7e_srBb9e7A/s320/deertrack1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7P-tPmKmIw56UwvcHLeaE0JFxL3Nx1GMe65wLZAcJcbbiKu9wFzVQQtx6OJSFy6Pafz-vI4CpIWkHKMvG529DLvfqCRsyg3f0hi7KIdi__dwIMk1t5irlfQ7Kdh7e_srBb9e7A/s0/deertrack1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /></p><p>Deer Track, January 3, 2007-April 18, 2021 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/Deer Track-April18-2021.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/Deer Track-April18-2021.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>I had several tunes planned for this next blog post but too many projects got in the way. I'll get to them eventually.</p><p>In the meantime I found myself picking up the thread of an unfinished Deer Track from early 2007 yesterday and following where it wanted to take me. I figure that less than 10% of the Deer Tracks pieces are written in 6/8 time but I see that this one follows my Deer Track from February that was also, mostly, in 6/8. Just a coincidence I'm sure.</p><p>It's only about a minute long, hope you enjoy it's wandering nature.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-81301476286552781612021-03-20T13:07:00.000-05:002021-03-20T13:07:33.885-05:00St. Francis and the Bunny<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLzrGON-jczGBa8XrOkqODT0RsRrO4zqIaleq1UABH3oyp8qNiCytHLDEmDaq65ZUu_K2WxYmV75u2cw34zmYH7wvm786F-Q4lmCmfG7yWXpI9Bp2JXTpSyx8hKRgM0ueX_JByQ/s2048/St.+Francis-Bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLzrGON-jczGBa8XrOkqODT0RsRrO4zqIaleq1UABH3oyp8qNiCytHLDEmDaq65ZUu_K2WxYmV75u2cw34zmYH7wvm786F-Q4lmCmfG7yWXpI9Bp2JXTpSyx8hKRgM0ueX_JByQ/s320/St.+Francis-Bunny.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">St. Francis and the Bunny (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/StFrancisandtheBunny.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/StFrancisandtheBunny.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</div><p>I didn't have a plan to share this tune on the first day of Spring but it's a happy coincidence. I've had the tune for a couple of months but it took a long time to settle on the final version. Plus the title was a problem. That was finally solved a few weeks ago when I saw this statue in Fayette, IA while driving south.</p><p>I guess the melody might seem a little somber for a bunny tune but I don't think of it that way. To me it's more of a warm and fuzzy feeling. In any event I really like the tune.</p><p>All of the guitar intro stuff just kind of happened as I was finally getting around to making a recording. I'm playing a recently acquired <a href="https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/junior-series/000Jr-10.html" target="_blank">Martin 000 Jr-10 guitar </a>which is super comfortable to play and sounds pretty good for a modestly priced instrument. It's maybe not the guitar you want for playing hard and loud and the bass notes don't ring out like a bigger box but it's good for this.</p><p>I hope that some of you enjoy this tune as much as I do. It's also a friendly tune to play.</p><p>Here's to Spring!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-18838351406587106692021-02-25T19:21:00.000-06:002021-02-25T19:21:27.283-06:00Poets in Time<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g2p7zoYcaOI" width="320" youtube-src-id="g2p7zoYcaOI"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p>Poets in Time (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/PoetsinTime/PiTscore.pdf" target="_blank">pdf score</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/PoetsinTime/PiTparts.pdf" target="_blank">pdf parts</a>)</p><p>The Cairo Sessions (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt2017/CairoSessions1.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt2017/Cairo1combo.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p><i>Poets in Time</i> is a mandolin orchestra piece that I wrote on commission for the group Fretworks back in 2010. Above is the video of the premiere performance, conducted by Douglas Back, in spring 2011. I have fifteen or so mandolin orchestra/ensemble pieces available from my <a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/mandolinorchestra.htm" target="_blank">Mandolin Orchestra and Ensemble</a> page at my Mandotopia site. But there are another half dozen or more that I need to add. I'm very slow at it but this morning I woke up thinking of this piece and made it my project for the day.</p><p>I hadn't heard this music in years and I was happy to see how much I enjoyed it. I hope that some of you enjoy it too. If you are a member of a mandolin orchestra feel free to download the music and give it a try with your group.</p><p>Also this morning I learned of the passing of the great Peter Ostroushko. I was privileged to meet him a few times and even play a little music with him but, mostly, I was a great fan of his playing and his writing. A few years ago I wrote a tune, The Cairo Sessions, that was meant to remind me of the great recordings that Peter made with Norman and Nancy Blake. The title represents an imaginary meeting of Peter and the Blakes in Cairo, Illinois to record another album together. The idea was that they could meet about halfway between Minneapolis and north Georgia. I really like the result and I think that Peter, Norman and Nancy would be OK with the tune.</p><p>I'm heartened to know that all around the world tonight people, especially mandolin players, are keeping Peter's memory alive with music and stories. A true Poet and a great man.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-15796311536314069342021-02-21T09:46:00.002-06:002021-02-21T09:48:32.181-06:00Partially Covered<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N1UFd9rnmDL7o5rbULdKmxWcf2B1FTXk1RUlhE7A4azj8AmDi7H7P-FcMxUCsTHGF1YajnNQEt4l2KiRXVx0yznEDmoURbfCZH8-6btzmcI1SEhzFk1k_dRo-ZJ9NQGv3E8gyw/s2048/PartiallyCovered.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N1UFd9rnmDL7o5rbULdKmxWcf2B1FTXk1RUlhE7A4azj8AmDi7H7P-FcMxUCsTHGF1YajnNQEt4l2KiRXVx0yznEDmoURbfCZH8-6btzmcI1SEhzFk1k_dRo-ZJ9NQGv3E8gyw/s320/PartiallyCovered.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p>Partially Covered (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/PartiallyCovered.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/PartiallyCovered.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Blevins' March (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt2018/BlevinsMarch.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt2018/BlevinsMarch.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>The Wedding Broom (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/weddingbroom.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/Weddingbroom.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Today's new tune was written shortly after a trip to La Crosse, WI a couple of weeks ago. Don't try this at home, it was not the smartest move, but we managed to stay out of the ditches and returned home safely. </p><p>There's actually a much longer story about the genesis of the tune but I won't get into that today. I'll just say that I was inspired by a recent tune written by an old friend that is a model of elegance and simplicity. I think my tune captures some of the simplicity but I'm not sure how much elegance I managed. Still, I like it fine and it's fun to play.</p><p>I didn't create any harmony parts for this one but I did record it in multiple octaves using my recently acquired <a href="https://www.petercoombe.com/" target="_blank">Peter Coombe</a> Classical Flattop mandolin, my main old Gibson mandolin, and a nice, recent Taylor guitar. Hope you enjoy it.</p><p>On a more somber note, we have had several deaths recently involving treasured members of the local community. One of those was the wonderful Mike Blevins. You can read my comments on Mike in my <a href="https://somanytunes.blogspot.com/2018/08/blevins-march.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a> that followed a benefit concert that I was honored to be a part of back in 2018. The tune "Blevins' March" was written for Erik Sessions and myself to play at MikeFest and it still gets played pretty often.<br /></p><p>Continuing with tunes from the early years of this blog I am resurrecting "The Wedding Broom" from <a href="https://somanytunes.blogspot.com/2007/02/wedding-broom.html" target="_blank">February 18, 2007</a>. Still one of my favorite tunes and I really like this simple recording. Now, as then, we are awaiting new snow here today and the song of the snow blowers will ring out loud and clear later this afternoon.</p><p>Hang in there ...</p><p> </p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-5173833732234913952021-02-13T19:03:00.001-06:002021-02-13T19:04:35.077-06:00Deer Track, February 10, 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35HRY8tR6aGH948dpK5N9BN1031oLSClaKBGh8NfXhQ5J8SwCMJpJ0KXNLOQ0J3LMNa9gWN5fxiC0sN5x9tH5EHZPIheEUydjWlLlo2Cpvm0Vp9J-WaXSzTaLrKbrbhRdndcS5w/s2048/Riversnow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35HRY8tR6aGH948dpK5N9BN1031oLSClaKBGh8NfXhQ5J8SwCMJpJ0KXNLOQ0J3LMNa9gWN5fxiC0sN5x9tH5EHZPIheEUydjWlLlo2Cpvm0Vp9J-WaXSzTaLrKbrbhRdndcS5w/s320/Riversnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Deer Track, February 10, 2021 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/DeerTrack-February10-2021.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2021/DeerTrack-February10-2021.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>We are in the middle of a brutal cold spell here in northeast Iowa. It's been a week of subzero nights and there are at least three more double-digit below zero nights ahead of us. Next Saturday we might see a high temp of 30 degrees. Today's high was around -2, it's -8 now at 7:00 p.m.</p><p>Good weather for writing tunes though and I have written several recently. Today, however, we meet a new Deer Track piece from a few days ago. I really like this one, even though I know that these aren't everyone's cup of tea. I like where it's path leads me and it's a pleasure to actually play.</p><p>I'll try and get a couple of more conventional tunes recorded soon but this one is a good fit for tonight's weather. The photo above is from a couple of weeks ago when the temperature was much more comfortable. I was on the Ice Cave Road looking down over the Upper Iowa River.</p><p>Wherever you are, if it's cold, I wish you a warm fire. If it's warm already then I hope you appreciate it! I'm certainly grateful for our furnace tonight.</p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-20038040249991643822021-01-21T22:10:00.001-06:002021-01-21T22:10:53.981-06:00Heavens On Earth (virtual CMSA En Masse Orchestra)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/15WtF9v8dNQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="15WtF9v8dNQ"></iframe></div><br /><div>Heavens On Earth - CMSA 2020</div><div><br /></div><div>From January 2007: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Ekin Avenue (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/Ekinave.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/Ekinave.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/EkinaveH.pdf" target="_blank">pdf harmony</a>)</li><li>Winter Leaves (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/winterleaves.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/Winterleaves.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</li></ul><div>I shared the above video of the members of the Classical Mandolin Society of America En Masse Orchestra presenting a virtual performance of my mandolin orchestra piece Heavens On Earth on Facebook a week or so ago and, so far, it's been watched over 2,000 times. I thought I should put it into this blogpost also, just for the record.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>It's an amazing virtual performance, conducted by Jim Bates and very artfully created by <a href="https://www.jeffbrumley.com/" target="_blank">Jeff Brumley</a>. We've all seen these Zoom type videos in the last few months but Jeff (along with all of the great musicians involved) created a first class presentation. I am so honored that my piece was used and it's one of the best performances of it ever.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again I am also presenting a couple of tunes from the early days of this blog for your consideration. "Ekin Avenue" and "Winter Leaves" both appear on my 2011 CD <i><a href="https://johngoodin.bandcamp.com/album/mandolin-tunes" target="_blank">Mandolin Tunes</a></i> and are still a couple of my favorites. If you haven't heard them in a while, or ever, take a minute and check them out.</div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, I am honored also to have a piece of mine for solo mandolin included in Marilynn Mair's new Mel Bay publication <a href="https://www.melbay.com/Products/30782EB/the-complete-mandolinist-volume-2.aspx?src=16297" target="_blank">The Complete Mandolinist, Volume 2</a>. My <i>Sonata in L(ou)</i> was written for former CMSA President Lou Chouinard and appears in this new book alongside works by some of my favorite composers. I highly recommend the book.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay safe.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-33465366709101887862021-01-06T12:17:00.001-06:002021-01-06T12:20:35.427-06:00Welcome 2021 - Deer Tracks, December, 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmfZHApQqyGVmQU9nGnCFMpRnszoDel6PeuavXD7fXBn4m4o-P435_6kmZ6rk1E7PqcztA_1Ym5gFMQeXVWBuaVpYr6IDtao8Nt-Pb5QjQtbPB0K-Ycq0k3b67_YNnUeWHU-N3A/s2048/20210101_103819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmfZHApQqyGVmQU9nGnCFMpRnszoDel6PeuavXD7fXBn4m4o-P435_6kmZ6rk1E7PqcztA_1Ym5gFMQeXVWBuaVpYr6IDtao8Nt-Pb5QjQtbPB0K-Ycq0k3b67_YNnUeWHU-N3A/s320/20210101_103819.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Deer Track, December 16, 2020 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-16-2020.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-16-2020.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</li><li>Deer Track, December 17, 2020 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-17-2020.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-17-2020.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</li><li>Deer Track, December 22, 2020 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-22-2020.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-22-2020.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</li><li>Deer Track, December 23, 2020 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-23-2020.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-23-2020.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</li><li>Deer Track, December 31, 2020 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-31-2020.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DeerTrack-12-31-2020.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</li></ol><div>From January 1, 2007: Shelter Dogs (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/shelterdogs.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/Shelterdogs.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) ; Needle in the Sawdust (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/needlesaw.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/smt/Needlesaw.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</div><div><span> </span><br /></div><div>This post, coming on the feast of the Epiphany and the traditional end of the Christmas season, marks the beginning of the 15th year of the So Many Tunes blog. Looking back at the very first post I can see that I never really managed to keep up with the tune-a-week idea, except for the year 2017. This is, however, the 314th post and, in those posts, I have made available well over 300 original tunes and compositions. If each tune is 2 minutes long (in reality some are longer, some shorter) that equals over 10 hours of free, recordings of my original music, almost always with accompanying sheet music.</div><div><br /></div><div>Quantity doesn't always equal quality but, overall, I'm OK with the music I have presented here over the years. Hopefully the visitors here have found, at least occasionally, something fun or interesting to make their visit worthwhile.</div><div><br /></div><div>I start this new year with a group of five short Deer Tracks pieces that I wrote in the second half of December 2020. In each case I wrote most of the tune on the day of its title, sometimes with a little tinkering on the next day or two. I know that these unusual pieces aren't everyone's cup of tea but they are a very important part of my overall musical life. I've also included links to the two tunes from the very first SMT blog post for readers who might have missed them back in 2007.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every year I wonder if I have a plan for this blog and, usually, I don't. We'll just have to see how often I put new stuff up here. Many thanks to everyone who has read these postings over the years. It's really nice knowing that there are a few people nearby and around the world who take a little time to listen to my work and see what I have to say.</div><div><br /></div><div>As everyone knows, 2020 was one of the strangest, if not the strangest, years ever. I hope we all have a very good year in 2021.</div><p></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-1332605890187582952020-12-31T23:20:00.000-06:002020-12-31T23:20:06.124-06:00October Snow (again)-Stumbling On - Burning Bright 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mwv7xIWK2_U" width="320" youtube-src-id="mwv7xIWK2_U"></iframe></div><br />October Snow (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/OctoberSnow.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) : Stumbling On (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/StumblingOn.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)<div><br /><div> It's the end of 2020 and tonight I'm embedding the video that Erik Sessions and I filmed as our contribution to the annual Decorah Burning Bright holiday concert. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first tune, October Snow, has already appeared here by itself but Erik and I play it as the first tune in a set that includes the aptly titled "Stumbling On." That title refers to both the character of the tune itself and the fact that this has been a year where it was often difficult to keep our balance and continue to move forward. </div><div><br /></div><div>For the last 20 plus years Erik Sessions and I have played music together regularly; as members of Contratopia, in other Decorah area bands (The Western Home String Band, etc.) and as a duo. This year we played together only a handful of times, especially since March. </div><div><br /></div><div>The video above was recorded quickly, I think sometime in late October. I had sent Erik the music for the tunes in advance. We had a brief conversation about how many times through and some simple arrangement ideas. Then we ran through the tunes once and made the recording. There are plenty of mistakes on my part but I'm OK with them.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm fervently hoping that Erik and I will be able to play together much more in 2021 than in 2020. Despite the challenges ahead in the coming months I hope that everyone reading this blog manages to have a happy new year. Stay safe and take care of each other.</div>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-87791931952501802902020-12-29T14:54:00.001-06:002020-12-29T15:00:14.452-06:00Emma the Baker and Little Bread<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-zqSU4lnMvpJucnZT_LDiGz7_3hvHsv9RORS9fZBoNdCzMxBtwmeWYJ_Nw6jKHbQxPaAjpWSu3mcNiIoIs2tWjmz20AI-rdUjnncI46IvtOANqawfWzWxROpKTOlqCQ603YoMg/s640/LittleBread.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-zqSU4lnMvpJucnZT_LDiGz7_3hvHsv9RORS9fZBoNdCzMxBtwmeWYJ_Nw6jKHbQxPaAjpWSu3mcNiIoIs2tWjmz20AI-rdUjnncI46IvtOANqawfWzWxROpKTOlqCQ603YoMg/s320/LittleBread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Emma the Baker - Little Bread (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/EmmatheBaker-LittleBread.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/EmmatheBaker-LittleBread.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Today's tunes are the result of a commission by some good friends, Bill Deutsch and Martha Davis, who asked me to write a couple of tunes as a Christmas gift for their fiddler daughter, Emma. Bill was one of the first musicians I met when we moved to Decorah over 25 years ago and we have played together, off and on, in several groups and settings over the years. Martha was my colleague when I worked at Luther College's Preus Library.</p><p>Emma has grown from a talented young fiddler into an excellent player in that time and now lives in Germany where she is a professional baker and an active musician. Among other things, she is the long time fiddler with the popular Irish music band Paddy's Last Order (<a href="http://paddyslastorder.de">paddyslastorder.de</a>). So today I can share the demo I made of "Emma the Baker" and "Little Bread." Many thanks to Bill and Martha for bringing these tunes to life!</p><p>The end of the year is upon us but I hope to add one more post on New Year's Eve. I hope you enjoy these tunes and that you give them a try on your instrument as well.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-47775521407952781342020-12-18T14:59:00.000-06:002020-12-18T14:59:24.209-06:00Seasonal Suites for Octave Mandolin or Mandocello (including the new Autumn Suite)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmfvvCnFzOKeLpmxsHyqQ8p1sDB8hPauy3hrlSYUc0V4ZE30LClW5qKU3aceyh9-fdXIK8K3L-v7aNRh6o1KGyzQkmDEzD7aDm9Br0ryzh1HsO4atuOqBt61fgPHRJY9i6s70qA/s550/WHPpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmfvvCnFzOKeLpmxsHyqQ8p1sDB8hPauy3hrlSYUc0V4ZE30LClW5qKU3aceyh9-fdXIK8K3L-v7aNRh6o1KGyzQkmDEzD7aDm9Br0ryzh1HsO4atuOqBt61fgPHRJY9i6s70qA/s320/WHPpic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i><b><a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/SuitesBook/SuitesBook.html" target="_blank">Seasonal Suites for Octave Mandolin or Mandocello</a></b></i>, (pdf book combining Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn Suites from this blog, only $5).</p><p><i>Autumn Suite, November, 2020</i> (for Octave Mandolin or Mandocello)</p><p>(Octave Mandolin version <a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/AutumnSuite-2020-OM.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) (Mandocello version <a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/AutumnSuite-2020-MC.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>1. Amber (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/Autumn-1-Amber.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>2. Russet (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/Autumn-2-Russet.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>3. Golden (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/Autumn-3-Golden.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>4. Scarlet (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/Autumn-4-Scarlet.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>5. Auburn (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/Autumn-5-Auburn.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>Today's post completes a project begun in February 2019. The Autumn Suite presented here is the final piece of what I am now calling <i>Seasonal Suites for Octave Mandolin or Mandocello</i>. I have really enjoyed putting these suites together for the the players of the "big mandolins" and I have been very pleased by the positive responses I have received from the Big Mandolin Community.</p><p>If you have been following the deployment of these suites over the last two years, and you have been printing out the sheet music for your own use, then you can simply print a copy of the Autumn Suite and you will have a complete set. </p><p>My hope is that some folks will decide to pay the price of a cup of fancy coffee and buy the new book I have compiled in order to have all of the pieces together in one handy place. Just click on the link above for the web page for the book which includes a Paypal Buy Now button. I'll send it out to you quickly.</p><p>I may someday compile all of my recordings of these pieces into one album as well, but that's a project for another year. Right now I'm just happy that I managed to finish the Autumn Suite and put together the book before the end of this very strange year.</p><p>Just a reminder, while these pieces were created and arranged with the octave mandolin and mandocello in mind there is no reason that players of the regular mandolin can't play them as well. I think these pieces would sound good on the "little" (CGDA) mandola also but I didn't create versions in alto clef. If you play the CGDA mandola and can read bass clef that is your best bet.</p><p>However you come at this music I hope that you find something to enjoy in playing and hearing it. I certainly had a good time composing these tunes and playing them on my own octave mandolin. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me with this project.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-24586564430950774722020-12-14T10:15:00.000-06:002020-12-14T10:15:21.297-06:00Ten Easy Duos, no. 8<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDePCy4ySy7ZINFiZ8i1XUKEjq9Jh6h8_uyyNONGBikD8U8-EmkPv7I101JYrtkbY9YrH84Xt5pxswUTQAv9UO5xLoXyV7nVd__p3WiklXQsEqf9dcpUz_CVlDBsHi3F7sLjTlQ/s2048/December+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDePCy4ySy7ZINFiZ8i1XUKEjq9Jh6h8_uyyNONGBikD8U8-EmkPv7I101JYrtkbY9YrH84Xt5pxswUTQAv9UO5xLoXyV7nVd__p3WiklXQsEqf9dcpUz_CVlDBsHi3F7sLjTlQ/s320/December+River.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Ten Easy Duos, no. 8 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/TenEasyDuos-8.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/TenEasyDuos-8.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Back in 2017 I wrote a little duo for two mandolins. At a loss for a title I foolishly called it "Ten Easy Duos, no. 1", thinking I would just toss off a few more in the next few days. Now, years later, that "Ten" has become something of an albatross.</p><p>I have posted nos. 1,2,3, and 6 on this blog but nos. 4,5,7 have yet to be completed, or maybe even started. I do, however, have no. 8 here today. Who knows when, or if, there will be more.</p><p>In any event, I had fun writing this one and fun recording it. Find a duo partner and see what you think. As usual, I leave things like dynamics and fingerings up to the player. Have some fun with it. Or you can just play along with my version.</p><p>The photo above was taken last week along the Upper Iowa River, near where the stream from Dunning's Spring enters. We are facing upriver towards the College Drive bridge.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-87728095992586381512020-11-30T18:06:00.000-06:002020-11-30T18:06:43.796-06:00Boulder on the Tracks<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUuXPmXvdzBRbNUIR82PzJmtO6vDvCV-8Mrqw-YFByoJqS4WnWFYjWr3AgpEm6lDnB3FiPvaT5J9Rax_V7YbTOgcr-VGA28bQgc94X8hCPpJbh9Kx6VuKPRon5LKZck4SEq_6tw/s610/BotT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUuXPmXvdzBRbNUIR82PzJmtO6vDvCV-8Mrqw-YFByoJqS4WnWFYjWr3AgpEm6lDnB3FiPvaT5J9Rax_V7YbTOgcr-VGA28bQgc94X8hCPpJbh9Kx6VuKPRon5LKZck4SEq_6tw/s320/BotT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Boulder on the Tracks (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/BoulderOntheTracks.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/BoulderontheTracks.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Back in August of 2014 (I think) we indulged in sleeper accommodations on the <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/cardinal-train" target="_blank">Amtrak Cardinal</a> for a trip out East to visit some of the kids. Not long after entering the scenic New River Gorge portion of the route our train came to surprise halt, luckily not the kind of emergency braking where everyone goes flying. Our friendly attendant explained that there had been a mudslide ahead and there was a boulder blocking our way. (Our rock was not as large as the one pictured above, maybe half that size, but it wasn't something you would want to drive your train into.)</p><p>This was the start of a Grand Adventure involving backing up carefully, waiting hours for engines to come from Charleston, WV to bring us back, boarding buses, having our bus break down in the mountains on the interstate highway, waiting hours for a replacement, driving through the night and, finally, being deposited in Charlottesville, VA around 4 a.m., where we rented a motel room to sleep for four hours until our connecting train would arrive the next morning. The ride had been very pleasant until the unplanned stop and we had an uneventful return on the Capitol Limited a few days later.</p><p>This tune may have started around that time but I know for sure that it appears in a 2017 notebook. I made a number of changes to it this year and finally recorded it today. Just the melody three times through; first on mandolin, then with octave mandolin added, finally with guitar playing the tune also on the third time. I took it at a relaxed tempo but it can go really fast if you prefer that approach.</p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-48819634813456724372020-11-21T14:09:00.000-06:002020-11-21T14:09:38.721-06:00Yew Sunday - CMSA 2020 - Telemann<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7SOJ-XBrCGiK_iKZlOH0QWEiVbrXaDIWRdfVvUhQ90iZpKlbMms7hd1GzPpGfYHG8VWJ7_JKMn5vUohGGK2G8Fm0p8_V_FO0F51qumKstHmA-98Pk-4L8jAof0wn_7ptR1n-vA/s2048/YewSunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7SOJ-XBrCGiK_iKZlOH0QWEiVbrXaDIWRdfVvUhQ90iZpKlbMms7hd1GzPpGfYHG8VWJ7_JKMn5vUohGGK2G8Fm0p8_V_FO0F51qumKstHmA-98Pk-4L8jAof0wn_7ptR1n-vA/s320/YewSunday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Yew Sunday (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/YewSunday.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/YewSunday.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Telemann - Con Tenerezza - TWV 41:D3 (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/Telemann-ConTenerezzaTWV41D3for2mandolins.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/Telemann-ConTenerezzaTWV41D3for2mandolins.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>It's been a busy few weeks, despite the ongoing 2020 Troubles.</p><p>Last weekend was the amazingly inspiring online version of our annual <a href="https://classicalmandolinsociety.org/" target="_blank">Classical Mandolin Society of America</a> convention. This all volunteer organization put together an impressive program of workshops, concerts, meetings and Zoom hangouts that convincingly simulated the real thing. I got to visit with old friends without catching anything or infecting anyone. I learned quite a bit and played a lot of mandolin.</p><p>I was especially honored that CMSA chose my mandolin orchestra piece "Heavens On Earth" as the material for this year's virtual en masse orchestra. We all practiced in advance, had a sectional workshop on Sunday and then "performed" the piece together in real time by playing along with a video. Even though we weren't in the same physical space it sure felt to me like we were playing together. The plan is for everyone to submit videos of themselves playing along, post-convention, and a technical wizard will compile these into one of the giant Zoom videos that you see online.</p><p>One of the highlights of any CMSA convention are the open mic performances. This year people video recorded themselves, or their groups, and we all got to watch the concert from the comfort of our homes. I was able to be a part of two open mic performances: </p><p>My friends in the <a href="http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/" target="_blank">Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra</a> invited me to join them in a recording of "Epilogue", a beautiful piece by Enrique Granados, arranged for mandolin orchestra by MMO conductor Lon Hendricks. I was especially happy to see that my old friend <a href="https://www.marilynnmair.com/" target="_blank">Marilynn Mair</a> was also a guest member of the group for this video.</p><p>In addition I was invited to join in with my old friends, and regular open mic favorites, the Mandobabes in creating a video performance of my own piece "Halfway Home." Everyone played beautifully and made my piece look and sound great. All in all a wonderful convention experience.</p><p>I finally made some time this morning to do a little recording. First I recorded a short piece from Telemann's sonata no. 4 of his Sonate Metodiche collection. This is a great bunch of music and I have a nice, sturdy hardcover book of the whole set. This particular piece doesn't appear in either of my Mel Bay published Telemann collections (there is so much great Telemann music to choose from) but I've been playing this almost every day for the last month. I created a 2nd mandolin part from the original bass line of the piece.</p><p>I recorded "Yew Sunday" back in the spring in a video but here I am finally getting around to re-recording it with guitar backup. In fact, just for fun, I used two guitars playing basically the same thing. As always, I hope you enjoy the music!</p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-27380601049183833882020-11-01T10:23:00.000-06:002020-11-01T10:23:02.618-06:00October Snow<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoU4HHTkVITg1wRytGtVXRQDlxtLDk-jXk5t5GCVQI8zIZrhtEKz64pqy7yrXuXfVSUGZCrHjIM1kY5SruEZAg-MNpaYuRBinaVszWdndemWWdJaMtEywohB6kdoC8rDJD8gDFw/s2048/OctoberSnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoU4HHTkVITg1wRytGtVXRQDlxtLDk-jXk5t5GCVQI8zIZrhtEKz64pqy7yrXuXfVSUGZCrHjIM1kY5SruEZAg-MNpaYuRBinaVszWdndemWWdJaMtEywohB6kdoC8rDJD8gDFw/s320/OctoberSnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>October Snow (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/OctoberSnow.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/OctoberSnow.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Snow in October is not uncommon around here. You can see from the photo above, taken on October 26, that we only had a light dusting this year. Up in the Twin Cities, however, they had some serious snow around the same time.</p><p>In any event, this prompted me to write a simple jig in F. Hope you enjoy it.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-44890230644024043292020-10-25T17:02:00.000-05:002020-10-25T17:02:54.166-05:00Harpers Ferry Station<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAu1E8hrgkaZByobN_POXVmB3tGPBnCGeoIWlW7ibcbc2_wc037lGXm6ZCqyhG6RoHPCDAklpJ3A8In3k0YFbDGy29IO6enhL-2ZI_0RjoObD3ig0eCma8jAIETpP3HkSiN_C5A/s2048/HarpersFerry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAu1E8hrgkaZByobN_POXVmB3tGPBnCGeoIWlW7ibcbc2_wc037lGXm6ZCqyhG6RoHPCDAklpJ3A8In3k0YFbDGy29IO6enhL-2ZI_0RjoObD3ig0eCma8jAIETpP3HkSiN_C5A/s320/HarpersFerry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Harpers Ferry Station (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/HarpersFerryStation.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/HarpersFerryStation.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/HarpersFerryStation-harmony.pdf" target="_blank">pdf harmony</a>)</p><p>There are many lovely, professional photos available online of the picturesque train station at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The photo above is not one of those. I took this photo on March 2, 2020 from my roomette window (or maybe from the observation car) while riding the Amtrak Capitol Limited, returning to Iowa after a great weekend playing music in the Washington DC area with my Contratopia friends. Passing through Harpers Ferry is always one of the highlights of the Capitol Limited trip because of the panoramic views you see as the train crosses the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.</p><p>(You can see a few photos from our visit to Glen Echo Park at <a href="https://contratopia.blogspot.com/2020/03/thanks-for-memories-cd-baby-store.html" target="_blank">this post</a> on our Contratopia blog.)</p><p>You may recall that the first weekend in March came shortly before the world of all performing musicians was turned upside down. Now it's nearly November and there is still no clear path forward on the horizon. This train trip seems somehow more significant than it should.</p><p>The tune that I'm presenting here today was actually written in 2013 as part of a larger piece that I composed for <a href="https://loumando.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Louisville Mandolin Orchestra</a> in recognition of the LMO's 25th anniversary. As an original member of the group I was honored that they would commission a piece from me and I titled it "Schroeder's Idea" in recognition of Mike Schroeder who founded the orchestra back in 1988.</p><p>I remember as I was writing the middle section that features this tune thinking that it would be a fine, stand alone waltz. I made a mental note to come back and extract it some day. That note popped up again in my aging memory this week and I finally retrieved the tune and turned it into a simple dance piece with the title "Harpers Ferry Station." It appears in the key of F sharp minor in "Schroeder's Idea" but I've cast in E minor here. I hope you'll enjoy it.</p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-91840927851186822092020-10-19T10:51:00.000-05:002020-10-19T10:51:09.074-05:00One for the Team<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IyxXraMY1cOy5h0xH76oZvO03Qh1xOMcoN_SFVXG6DqBI7vQt5njTBCrbRO514BH9qpuv6aatcLkUyy0Ha4aP3PwfG4RnskJXBB6jponmBLIIx6tsAX5ipxn08vW8HUC7urVIA/s2048/autumn+tree+side+yard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IyxXraMY1cOy5h0xH76oZvO03Qh1xOMcoN_SFVXG6DqBI7vQt5njTBCrbRO514BH9qpuv6aatcLkUyy0Ha4aP3PwfG4RnskJXBB6jponmBLIIx6tsAX5ipxn08vW8HUC7urVIA/s320/autumn+tree+side+yard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>One for the Team (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/OnefortheTeam.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/OnefortheTeam.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Today's tune title is meant to be a statement of appreciation and admiration for those folks who, for whatever reason, act in ways that benefit all of us. People who give more than they take. </p><p>The truth is that we all (with rare exceptions, you can make your own list) behave this way from time to time. Usually we think "I should do this more often" but, for me at least, that's a hard lesson to learn. Maybe when I play this tune it will help me remember my better angels.</p><p>Winter is making an early appearance here this week, cloudy and cold. Brighter days to come.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-91419795957079736992020-10-03T17:24:00.002-05:002020-10-03T17:34:17.958-05:00Summer Suite, August, 2020 (for Octave Mandolin or Mandocello)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeFlt-qFHh8m-j20iF0pmXkGkSi-ljrelCKxepTLbjey9DFd-dWX1PI1yRdKl7CfOKHLDtPFitctv6DuJb4mXAFdq8BXHHV96CYCX80kyCbmnGL9vi7pzmndCq7vLd7u7asvpGg/s2048/Phelps+trail+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeFlt-qFHh8m-j20iF0pmXkGkSi-ljrelCKxepTLbjey9DFd-dWX1PI1yRdKl7CfOKHLDtPFitctv6DuJb4mXAFdq8BXHHV96CYCX80kyCbmnGL9vi7pzmndCq7vLd7u7asvpGg/s320/Phelps+trail+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Summer Suite, August, 2020 (for Octave Mandolin or Mandocello)</p><p>(Octave Mandolin version <a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/SummerSuite-2020-OM.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>) (mandocello version <a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/SummerSuite-2020-Mandocello.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>1. Queen Anne's Lace (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/QueenAnnesLace.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>2. The Morning Glory (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/TheMorningGlory.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>3. Dame's Rocket (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/DamesRocket.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>4. The Sunflower (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/TheSunflower.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>5. Prince's Feather (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/PrincesFeather.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>)</p><p>By chance, it was exactly one year ago today when I posted the announcement of my Spring Suite for Octave Mandolin or Mandocello. This followed the earlier Winter Suite and today's publication leaves me with the expectation that I will produce a Fall Suite (Autumn Suite?) soon.</p><p>Not a cutting edge naming convention but then the music I'm writing for these instruments is not wild and crazy either. I am definitely looking backwards for my inspiration here and my intent is to provide nice tunes for my friends who love to play the big mandolins.</p><p>While the first two Suites consist mostly of new music written particularly for these instruments this Suite (and I expect the Fall Suite as well) involves me re-working already existing short pieces taken from my <a href="http://www.mandotopia.com/Postcards.html" target="_blank">Postcards From the Crater</a> collection. Re-purposing earlier work is a time-honored tradition among composers but I have always tended to think of it as a kind of cheating.</p><p>However, while reading Christoph Wolff's recent book, <i><a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/bachs-musical-universe" target="_blank">Bach's Musical Universe</a></i>, a light bulb went off in my head when he started describing in some detail Bach's own re-use of some of his older music (some of it now lost) in new ways. I knew Bach had done this sort of thing but Wolff's writing gave me the idea to use the same approach for this suite.</p><p>So I took five of my favorite sections from the Postcards and played around with them on my octave mandolin. I added short introductions to a couple of the pieces, I changed keys a couple of times and I added drones here and there.</p><p>The first piece, here titled "Queen Anne's Lace", has appeared in more than a couple of my other mandolin pieces. It's simply one of my favorite tunes and always reminds me of the great James Oswald. I've set it here in a different key with quite a few double stops and drones and even some brief division-like variations. It doesn't need to go too fast.</p><p>I have chosen not to present this Suite as an "album" on Bandcamp, mostly because it takes a while to put together. I may do something later though.</p><p>I've used wildflowers for titles, as Oswald might have done. The photo above is another shot taken on the trail that leads from Phelps Park out towards highway 52.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-43625864314245296092020-09-20T18:30:00.000-05:002020-09-20T18:30:28.065-05:00Three to Get Ready<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R9wSDUVpYXZW1YWsE1SPqSLNmCDoYBVOuwRPQsQxvs0c3QZH4_TEnqf3rTl1iUnBxlAWpqAskC0S9DWc1wsnsZNIZGi8E9eHEN-F68yF828tpA-Rp5n9QKXzbWbYC3JEbyOAdg/s2048/Phelps+trail+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R9wSDUVpYXZW1YWsE1SPqSLNmCDoYBVOuwRPQsQxvs0c3QZH4_TEnqf3rTl1iUnBxlAWpqAskC0S9DWc1wsnsZNIZGi8E9eHEN-F68yF828tpA-Rp5n9QKXzbWbYC3JEbyOAdg/s320/Phelps+trail+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Three to Get Ready (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/ThreetoGetReady.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/ThreetoGetReady.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>"Well, it's one for the money, two for the show ..."</p><p>Last week I had a dream and this verse from Carl Perkins' immortal "Blue Suede Shoes" popped up. There was no reference to the song in the dream, just the first three lines of the nursery rhyme with an emphasis on the "three to get ready." When I recalled the dream I figured I had a good title for a tune.</p><p>I wrote most of this tune the next morning, still without Blue Suede Shoes intruding, and did a little tinkering the next day or two. I had an unusual amount of trouble getting a recording I can live with but I like what I'm sharing here. I hope you enjoy it.</p><p>The photo comes from a walk near Decorah's Phelps Park taken earlier this week. There is a trail that runs above the Dug Road Trail which features several classic WPA style bridges, steps and markers. Many thanks to the young workers from so long ago who created this path and to the men and women who have maintained it all these years for our public use. Our tax dollars at work.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38450079.post-16377282299942554622020-09-14T15:49:00.000-05:002020-09-14T15:49:19.504-05:00Safe Travels, Safe Return<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyXqphhrPM8aV1rtVa0snTZrY31GZvUYVNnfjmuRN3Gq5nWIpmw6FXndPUh-haxPWb4Wyhm8zECqbTeOVQKpZfc3y7rDbvYGFVsKrhhlFb_YNvljzSAPgc_6IbjpYGkU86K5gBA/s2048/Train+snow+2-28-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyXqphhrPM8aV1rtVa0snTZrY31GZvUYVNnfjmuRN3Gq5nWIpmw6FXndPUh-haxPWb4Wyhm8zECqbTeOVQKpZfc3y7rDbvYGFVsKrhhlFb_YNvljzSAPgc_6IbjpYGkU86K5gBA/s320/Train+snow+2-28-2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Safe Travels, Safe Return (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/SafeTravelsSafeReturn.mp3" target="_blank">mp3</a>) (<a href="http://mandotopia.com/smt2020/SafeTravelsSafeReturn.pdf" target="_blank">pdf</a>)</p><p>Today's tune began back in 2017 but was left unfinished. Last week I spent some more time with it and, now, here it is. I like the major to minor bit at the start and in general how the tune wanders around. I realize that a certain percentage of excellent musicians will be put off by the half-diminished (minor 7, flat 5) chord in the A section. If it helps, you can think about it as an A9 chord with a C# in the bass. I also know this is two waltzes in a row. I'll try and not make it three next time.</p><p>The photo comes from my window on the Capitol Limited while going through the mountains on my way to D.C. on Feb. 28 of this year. Contratopia was able to have one final weekend of fun playing for dancers just before we began to realize that we probably wouldn't be playing together again anytime soon. Our travels, and returns, were safe and I'm looking forward to another train ride in better times.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09601588363569293061noreply@blogger.com0