Musical Loose Ends

I suddenly have all my musical loose ends on my mind.  Maybe it's musical "nesting" as I'm pregnant with number 9.  I wanted to make myself an accountability check list on here.  This will also give me a place to come see what I still have left to do.  In no particular order:

• Notate choral and solo version of original song "Homecoming" into Finale to share online.  (including key change before last verse)
• consider having Justin's family sing and record the choral version of this to have an mp3 of that version to share
• enter choral arrangement of "How Great Thou Art" into Finale (again....grrrr) to hopefully publish onto sheetmusicplus-green label website.
• start writing devotionals for each scripture song for kids
• find kids to learn, sing, and record scripture songs for CD or YouTube
• create actual book or PDF of Scripture Songs for Kids

Peace In Christ for Youth Choir

Well, there hasn't been much posting on this site from me for a while.  I've had a lot going on.  We homeschool and I changed curriculums about a month and a half ago.  I'm the Stake Music Chair and we had our Stake Conference in April, and I got to play some of my original music in a benefit concert this past Saturday.  In the mean time, we're 5 months pregnant and I keep working on painting various parts of the house, because that's just what I do when I'm pregnant.

I've been pretty excited about my most recent idea for my Stake music calling.  Every May there is a seminary graduation that they ask me to plan a special musical number for.  This year I thought it would be awesome if the youth were in charge of every part of the music for this graduation.  As part of that I decided to put together a youth choir, and assign a youth conductor and pianist.  They will be singing Peace In Christ-the youth theme song for 2018.  As you probably know if you're reading this, there is only a solo version available online.  I went ahead and wrote parts in for the chorus and re-entered everything into Finale and am making it available to you.  It's nothing super fancy or complicated, and I felt silly adding my name as arranger because I barely did anything--but it's still worth sharing and making your life easier!  We will be having the girls sing verse 1 unison and the boys sing verse 2 unison.  You could always cut each verse in half and go back and forth more, OR you could throw in a soloist or two.

As a side note--we are having our pianist play the piano part off of the original free PDF because it's more simple--only 2 pages versus 5 or 6.  She is just referencing my version for when she needs to plunk out the parts.

Hope you enjoy this! I would love to know if you use it and what you use it for!

Peace In Christ SAB

P.S.  It is now 2 months later.  I took this post down to get permission from the church to share this arrangement.  I now have official permission!  Yay!

Also, the youth choir ended up performing it a little different than I thought they would.  They had a soloist for verse one, then everyone sang verse 2 together unison.  It turned out so beautiful with all the youth and the parts.  I hope you are able to use it in your wards and stakes!

Sincerely,

Amber

The Close of a Project I've Loved

Well, I just shared the free sheet music for my final kids scripture song of the year.  For those of you who don't know, at the end of 2016 I wrote a song to help my kids memorize a scripture.  As one of my New Year's resolutions for 2017, I decided I would write a new Scripture Song for Kids every month this year.  Well, I pulled it off! (minus July when I worked long on hard on releasing free sheet music for a different original song)

I have totally mixed feelings now that the project is complete.  It has been such a great stretching experience.  Some months it was hard to choose a scripture.  Some scriptures had tons of words and were harder to make fit rhythmically, but in the end, my children learned more scriptures and I ended up with a lot more music I could share with YOU. 

I feel relieved that this is over, and excited to just print and enjoy all these songs when I feel like it.  I also look forward to maybe spending a little editing time on the music and creating a little spiral bound book of the Scripture Songs.

I'm also excited now to move on to one of my next little musical projects that have been on hold in my mind.  I want to choose a hymn to arrange for my Stake choir.  That is next.  Fun and exciting right!?  I love new projects!!  I also have some lyrics floating around for regular songs more the style of the songs on our first album, The Gurrs--but I think the hymn arrangement is coming first. (click on Soundcloud link on the side bar to hear practically the whole album) 

And um....yes, we have a first album!  I just picked up the CD's TODAY and I'm pretty excited about it.  We ran into two Sister missionaries at Taco Bell right after we got the CD's and gave them both a copy.  So fun!

There you have it.  One door closes, and others open.

The Least of These

This has been one of my favorite scripture song to write.  I love it.  It feels good to my heart.  I love that the chorus is Christ's words and that the words are the essence of Christianity, and Christmas, and the goal we all have to become more Christ-like.

I hope that this song can help your family come closer to Christ and that it can help keep a beautiful spirit of service in your homes and hearts even when the Christmas season passes.

December Scripture Song Matthew 25:40

November Scripture Song: Helaman 5:12

Hi everyone!  I'm excited to share the sheet music with you for the November scripture song.  This scripture is super powerful.  When we focus on Christ and go to Him for our strength, we can withstand the storms that the devil sends our way.  The scripture promises that if our foundation is built on Christ we CAN NOT FALL!  That's a pretty amazing promise. 

I look forward to making these scripture songs available to you in a spiral bound book in the next several months.  May you all be uplifted by the power of this music and these scriptures in your homes!  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families.

Helaman 5:12 Free Scripture Song

October Scripture Song

The October Scripture Song is here.  This one was extra fun because during General Conference the spirit gave me a little nudge so I knew that we needed a scripture song for this verse!  We have actually had part of this verse in our unofficial, seldom recited family mission statement for a couple of years and it's about time we memorize the whole verse!  While this verse was first given about a temple, it is a model for what we want our home to be. 

What are your goals to make your home more of a safe haven from the world?  Are there ways that the adversaries influence is leaking into your home?  Would it be worth the sacrifice (and possible initial resistance from children or even your own natural man) if it would make your home feel like more of a place of spiritual renewal? 

Here are some ideas of ways you could improve the spirit of your home.  Trust me, these are areas that can always be improved upon and that WE always have to revisit.

• adults media choices
• children's media choices            (including commercial content that comes up during either)
• adult and children's music choices

Are these uplifting?  Do they help me become better?  Am I rationalizing something that is lowering my vibration and my ability to feel the spirit?

• family scripture study
• family prayer
• and all of the things listed in this scripture song/verse

I promise that every sacrifice you make, and every step you take closer to God, he will take leaps toward you.  He's just waiting for you to be ready for more blessings that He has in store when you're ready!

 D&C 88:119 Click the verse to access the scripture song

September Scripture Song

September's scripture song is short and sweet and feels like a camp song.  We taught it to our backyard visitors a few days ago and took a video to share with you.  We sing through it lots of times so that you and your kids can learn it easily!  This song should be catchy enough to help you apply the counsel it contains because it will get stuck in your head and will be easy to pull back up in your memory any time you want or need it.

One of my favorite things about General Conference this time around has been hearing several scripture songs quoted and my kids lighting up because they know them! 

                                                   Here's the video for D&C 6:36