Daniel Powers

Archive for March, 2008

I’ve been to ERM Media’s website, where they have posted a release date of April 15 for Masterworks 12. So it looks like its actually going to be a reality soon!

Finally! (I’ve been waiting for two years!)

The arrangement of “Back Home Again In Indiana” is done, and will go to the choir on Monday.

Now the only thing left is the fanfare for brass quintet. A few sketches are written, but I think I might wait a few days, just to take a breather. Anyway, I feel like I need a weekend off.

Also: we had a student composition recital tonight. It was fun, and went off without a hitch. Well, not a major hitch, anyway. There might have been one or two minor ones. Kudos to all who participated. My students were Curt Pennington, Jason Ausban, and Bradley Buedel. I expect great things from you all.

Just got an e-mail from ERM Media to let me know that Masterworks of the New Era, Volume 12, is almost ready to be released! Finally!

They will release it when the discs arrive from the factory, which they say will be late March to early April. (So I’m figuring on May or June.)

Further updates will be posted here as they arrive.

Euphoria is nearly finished, finally. And I’m now thinking I’ll keep the title. Yes, it’s been used already, but I like it.

I just printed out the first version of the score. It need some editing and correcting before it’s ready to join the larger universe. Also, I have to extract the parts for trombone and euphonium. But that shouldn’t take long.

Now…I have to put the finishing touches on the “Back Home Again In Indiana” arrangement, and I’ll be all caught up.

Actually, no I won’t. I’ll just be able to move on to other things. Let’s see…

I’ll need to get back to the scoring book. Next is a chapter dealing with approaching the orchestration of an entire piece. Then several chapters on arranging. At least I’ll be able to devote more time to it.

I have to make a lot of corrections to a large Finale project that I’m doing for a client. I’m behind on it, but maybe now I can get caught up.

In my capacity as librarian for the Terre Haute Symphony, I have to be getting folders ready for the children’s concert next month. That shouldn’t take very long either, but I just need to find a few hours in the next few days when I’m not doing anything else. Maybe I can do that tomorrow.

Soon I’ll be able to start something new, or get out one of several pieces I’ve started but haven’t had time to finish. And of course I’ll post an update here.

I usually like to do these at the beginning of the month, but it was hard finding free time for a few days. The only reason I’m even doing it now is that we weren’t able to go to Bloomington today. Martha was supposed to accompany a recital there, but the weather turned bad and we couldn’t make it. The recital’s already been rescheduled, so that worked out. Meanwhile, we have an unexpected evening off! So I’m taking part of it to do some updates.

1. {Euphoria} Still no idea what to actually call this thing, but it’s nearly done, so I’ll have to settle on a title very soon. I probably have less than a minute’s worth of music to write, so it shouldn’t be too much longer on this.

2. Basic Scoring textbook. The section on orchestration is almost done. We had our last class before spring break this morning. Over break I’m planning to write a fairly lengthy chapter on the process of orchestrating a complete work (as opposed to the brief excerpts that we’ve been using so far as excercises). Then a few chapters on arranging, and I’ll be done with this version.

The process has been kind of frustrating. I know I can write a better book, but it’s all I can do to just finish each chapter in time to give it to the class. So, as a summer project, I’m tentatively planning to revamp the whole thing from start to finish, so the next class will have something a bit better. Perhaps it will continue to get revised every semester for a while, and eventually I’ll have a book to my credit that isn’t too embarrasing!

3. Arrangement of “Back Home Again In Indiana.” Again, nearly done. I hope to have time to wrap it up over the weekend, but more likely it’s going to need a few days into next week.

That’s all for now. I have a few ideas for future projects, but they’ll have to wait.

A bit late to report this, but the Concerto Piccolo received its world premiere on Saturday (March 1). Kate Prouty was the wonderful soloist, and the Terre Haute Symphony was conducted by David Bowden.

It seems to have been a success. I was playing in my usual spot in the first viola stand, so I didn’t really hear what the audience heard, but from what I could tell, Kate played beautifully and the orchestra played well. I got a lot of nice compliments from orchestra members and after the concert, many audience members took the time to tell me how much they enjoyed it. At the Concert Comments before the show, David said he expects it to become a repertory item and be played all over the country. Let’s hope he’s right.

This e-mail from Kate just arrived. She said I could post it on my website if I like, and I will next time I update it, but for now, I’ll just put it here.

Hello!
We just did our world premiere of CONCERTO PICCOLO on March 1, at Tilson Hall at Indiana State Univerisity (Terre Haute Symphony), and if I say so myself, it was a fantastic success!

So many audience members commented on how much they liked the melodic parts, and how impressive the “fireworks” were! 

When we played it together (the orchestra and me), it got better and better.  It felt like the orchestra was the engine, and my part simply emerged from it.  I hope many piccoloists all over the world get the chance to play this in its orchestral version.  While the piano reduction is good, it simply does not give the same support. 

Thank you for creating such a funny, witty, challenging and enjoyable piece, Dan! 

You’re welcome, Kate!