I suppose I've never been a huge fan of women's trio literature. I was in a children's choir, so I've sung quite a few SSA pieces, but I love the fuller sound and increased chord options available with only one additional part. But some type of bug must have bitten me the other night, and thus I arranged Father in Heaven for SSA women's voices. I'm really happy with the result. Get the sheet music at http://gratemusic.com/songs/Father_in_Heaven.html
I hate to restart my participation in this blog with something so tragic, but I have found something that must be shared.
I am somewhat a connoisseur of bad music. Whether it's poorly written, ill-conceived, or just plain annoying, I have a love-hate relationship with songs that make me cry for non-sentimental reasons.
To introduce today's installment, I have to say that there is nothing funny about any disease. I believe that it's generally good when people are healthy (unless those people are trying to destroy freedom and justice). I am sad when people are sick.
Glaucoma is a serious problem. The people at the World Glaucoma Association think so, too. They deal with it all the time. Apparently, one of the ways they have decided to fight Glaucoma is by writing and distributing a hymn about it. As a hymnist myself, I was interested, so I downloaded the WMA file and had a listen. Let me just say wow. I have never heard a song like it. I hesitate to say this, but after listening to the Glaucoma hymn, I'm not positive whether the author was for or against the disease.
You can read the lyrics and download the song through this site. You have to click on the little yellow "Glaucoma Hymn" link at the bottom right.
Again, wow.
Overall analysis:
Of course we have made progress, but I forsee that the next ten years will be significantly more challenging for the LDS music industry. There will be increased demand, but it will be fulfilled more and more by several small companies rather than a large Deseret/Seagull conglomorate. And Deseret will fight back, trying to buy out the little guys as they become popular. I predict that the songwriting and arranging styles will have to undergo a major overhaul in the next decade, and that LDS consumers will start becoming more discriminating in their tastes, so LDS musicians will have to rise to the challenge of producing higher quality music for which the LDS consumer will willingly pay. Overall, our industry is suffering from piracy and divisions within, and I do not see that those problems will be easily solved in the next several years. However, some will succeed, and they will be the ones whose focus is on sharing the truth more than turning a profit.
Other Considerations:
Vocal performance:
Again, at the high end, we see that it has improved slightly, but the style has not changed radically. On the amateur hobbyist end, things are worse than ever because we hear so many more of them. (I should say at this point that I probably ought to consider myself an amateur hobbyist, but I do take pride in what I do and try to make it the best possible considering my resources.) I have not heard a new LDS singer/songwriter in the past 5 years whose voical stylings were irresistably wonderful beyond what is already available. So much is ptich-corrected, overproduced, and overcompressed (especially in the EFY subgenre) that actual vocal talent seems less of an issue today than it was ten years ago.
Arragements:
I hesitate to say they are better. For recorded music, they require more gadgets. Synthesizers have improved, so the arrangements sound better in production. Some, like Mack Wilberg, Tyler Castleton, and Enoch Train, have certainly bloomed in their arranging skills in the last decade. But as far as the overall quality of most arrangements we hear, both on CDs and in Church, I think we are continuing to settle for less.
Production values and Recording Quality:
They have increased and decreased at the same time. Part of this has to do with the reduction in cost for decent recording equipment and software. If I had started out doing what I do ten years ago, the technology I have now would have been far beyond my means, and I run a pretty bare-bones operation. It is possible to set up a home studio for $500 if you already have a computer. This means that more people have access to recording and distribution of music.
On the high end, production values have increased tremendously. You can listen to the current EFY CDs, and they are much better in sound quality and production than in 1997. However, a flood of amateur music is washing over the industry in general, and that is especially the case in LDS music where (as I mentioned above) the consumers don't seem to care about quality.
Songwriting (as a craft):
Much improved. I am especially encouraged that more LDS musicians seem to be writing on themes of the Restoration. Looking a decade back at the songs of Michael McLean and other similar artists, many of them were quasi-ecumenical songs (pretty, but with not much doctrine) which were mostly designed to make the listener feel good. I sense that among the good LDS songwriters of today (and there are also plenty of bad ones, as always), we have learned to teach truth with more accuracy and boldness while improving the music to which it is set.
On the other side of the coin, the LDS consumer has been conditioned to accept and perpetuate musical rubbish simply for the fact that it is "LDS." Listen to KZION, for example (I do), and within an hour you will hear some lovely, well-conceived, well-developed music alongside some terrible, yet heartfelt, songs with four chords and lyrics that don't fit into the musical lines. Many LDS people are well educated in music, but consciously ignore their musical sensibilities when it comes to Church music. This was necessary ten or fifteen years ago because of the lack of good music, but we need to have a paradigm shift as a people and begin demanding excellence. We also need to become willing to pay for excellence when we find it.
On the LDS Musicians group, Michael R. Hicks proposed that we look back on the past ten years in the LDS music industry and reflect on our progress in specific areas. To avoid posting one huge block of text, I will post my "State of the (LDS Music) Union" address in topical segments, beginning with the preamble:
Disclaimer:
In 1997 I was a freshman in high school and I had never heard of EFY (I subsequently attended in 1998). I started seriously writing LDS music in 2000, but I did not do any performances of it in the U.S until 2004 or make any attempt at publishing until 2006. However, I am quite familiar with what is out there - when I go to Utah, I always stop in at DI and look for "vintage" LDS recordings, and I have analyzed much of the currently available repertoire with some detail.
Essentially, I am new, but not inexperienced.
First off, I think we need to define the difference between "LDS music" and secular/general Christian music by LDS artists. They are not the same. Kenneth Cope and Jon Schmidt, for example, have significant followings outside the Church because they produce a segment of their products for the general non-LDS public. In this analysis, I am talking about music specifically produced for and marketed toward members of the Church.
Now to the list...
This one was a bit of a rushed job, but it turned out better than some pieces I have done with plenty of time to spare. I wrote this arrangement for one of our local missionaries to use at a conference this weekend with Elder Henry B. Eyring. I hope it goes well.
Noisebox 07 March 2007
Volume 2, Issue 3
Crusader's Hymn
Basses and altos, rejoice! In response to popular demand for solos written for lower voices, Grate Music presents Nathan Howe's new solo arrangement of the Crusader's Hymn, also known as Beautiful Savior or Fairest Lord Jesus. A higher version for baritone and mezzo types will be released soon. Get it through our solos page.
It's still in early development, but I am working on a new site, NoiseBox.net. It is a place where musicians and poets can get low-cost profile pages for people to sample their work and find out where to buy it. Still in the process of getting artists and poets on board (so far, I've just been working hard to get the site up and running). But that's one reason I haven't posted much lately. Also, my sister is getting married.
Here's the latest Noisebox. This one took quite a while due to the current busy circumstances of my life at the moment.
20 February 2007
Volume 2 Issue 2
Abide with Me
It took a bit more than a week, but new music is back, with an arrangement of the beloved hymn Abide with Me now available on gratemusic.com and LDSmusic.us. Nathan Howe has arranged it for TTBB chorus and baritone solo, and this arrangement may also be used as a baritone solo with piano or organ playing the chorus parts.
During our long vacation, we have upgraded the site in several ways, including easier navigation and updated browser compliance. Also, we have added a song index to gratemusic.com. You can find any available piece on gratemusic.com or LDSmusic.us, listed by title.
The site redesign is finally complete! I can't believe it! Check it out. http://gratemusic.com
Here is the new Noisebox:
Noisebox 15 December 2006 - Volume 1 Issue 18
New design, new carol
Sorry for the long delay in releasing new music. We have been quite busy on the technical end of things. Gratemusic.com has been completely redesigned for easier navigation and future growth. Have a look around and contact us with your feedback.
We proudly announce the release of a new Christmas carol, Peaceful the Night, available through our Christmas page. With lyrics by David Macfarlane and music for SATB voices by Nathan Howe, this carol addresses not only the nativity of Christ, but his role as our creator and redeemer as well as his second coming.
Grate Music, LLC
http://gratemusic.com
http://LDSmusic.us
On the discussion board at KZION LDS Internet Radio, John Hesch asked me:
"...Nate, can you please explain why you think that spiritual music should be given away for free? Why should an LDS artist like yourself give away your music just because you song is about our faith? I don't understand that way of thinking and you're not the first person I have heard this from. LDS authors don't give away their books, LDS movie producers don't give away their movies, LDS artists don't give away their paintings. As an LDS consumer I expect to pay for your music, art, books, etc. What I don't want to do is pay more for your music, art or books just because it is about our faith."
Good question. I don't think all music of a spiritual nature should be just given away, but I do think that it should be accessible. At this point I choose to give mine away because I have reasonably low overhead and I can afford to do so. But any way you slice it, 17 to 20 bucks for a CD with one good song is highway robbery (pardon the pun). Sometimes the ones who really need to hear it are those who can't afford it.
I suppose it depends on the nature of the music and the goal of the artist. For fun songs or songs mostly for entertainment purposes rather than spiritual teaching, I have no problem charging whatever the market will bear. However, if I actually believe the concepts about which I sing in my so-called spiritual songs, I should share that testimony freely to all who would benefit from it. If I claim any degree of divine inspiration in writing a song, it should be primarily for the building up of God's kingdom.
There are production costs. There are administrative costs. I don't generally give away or sell my copyrights or place much music in the public domain. Music is still a business. I just feel that by allowing free access to the music and asking for donations, in time those with more resources will pick up the tab for those who cannot afford to pay. Call me a hippie public radio tote-carrying idealist fool. Maybe I am. At the moment, we are doing better than breaking even on web hosting costs, so I have no real complaints.
This is not to knock artists who use different business models. When I go into the studio to do session work, or when I teach private lessons, do I turn down my rightful payment? Of course not. I also encourage donations when people download my music, I do occasional commissions, and if I was offered a good job making LDS music, I would seriously consider the offer. If I decide to release a CD, I will certainly charge for it. But I will do my best to make it affordable, and I will always offer a good amount of spiritual music for free.
Possibly the worst version of this song you may ever hear, but somehow also heartfelt. Not for the weak of stomach.
O Holy Night
New Noisebox:
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Noisebox 25 November, 2006 - Vol. 1 Issue 17
Merry Christmas, Part 2
Exciting news! The Women's Glee Club at the University of Northern Colorado will perform Nathan Howe's setting of Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains at their holiday concert on December 3rd, 2006 at the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley, COlorado at 7:00. They have commissioned an SSAA version with piano accompaniment. We have now posted both SSAA and SATB editions, unaccompanied and with piano. See the music and hear the MIDI files here, and come to the concert on December 3rd if you are in the area.
http://gratemusic.com
http://LDSmusic.us
(By fame and fortune, I mean fortune in the sense of good things happening, not in the sense of money in pocket.) It was a good day Friday. I showed the new arrangement of Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains to my choral conducting professor, who is also the director of the Women's Glee Club at the University. He wanted to use it for his women's choir for a concert on December 3rd. Great!
Yes, great. But he wanted an SSAA arrangement with piano accompaniment. No problem. Finished it this morning. Well, actually, I worked from midnight to 5:30, then gave up and finished it at 10:00 after a class. Those easy little projects never are, are they? But I am thrilled that the Women's Glee Club is going to sing this piece, and the annual Christmas concert is a fairly big one. They also rebroadcast it closer to Christmas on KUNC, our local public radio station, where I do my internship. Yes, I'm living high on the hog in the lavish lifestyle of a choral composer. I think we may even move into a place with a bathtub and a dishwasher next year!
Don't take the last part of that last paragraph as whining. I love my life. I love doing what I do. Money means nothing. I just visited some friends whose new baby is having a bit of a rough start. I am reminded once again of the fragile nature of life and the blessing it is simply to breathe. If you are reading this and you are a religious type, a prayer for little Austin couldn't hurt.
New noisebox. I am quite fond of the compound meters in this piece. The author of the text is actually related to David somehow, which is neat.
Vol. 1 Issue 16
Merry Christmas, Part 1
December is too late to start working on Christmas music for those who perform. Thus, we present today our Christmas page, an easy way to access all the Christmas music we will release in the coming weeks. We also proudly present our first offering of the Christmas season, Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains. This well-known text by John Menzies Macfarlane has been set to new music for SATB chorus by Nathan Howe. It features jubilant compound meters and a memorable melody. Access the sheet music and hear a MIDI demonstration through our Christmas page or our Choral page.
Grate Music, LLC
http://gratemusic.com
http://LDSmusic.us
Everything is about to go very well.
(Important note: This is not an election night commentary. This is not a political commentary. Although I appreciate the democratic process and I am grateful to have been born in a country where I can vote, my current cheerful mood has little to do with the early returns that are just coming in.)
From time to time, I just have to believe that good will come of what is happening in my own life and in the world around me. I have just recommitted to be a better optimist. I have added it to my 43 things. I have started keeping better track of the motions of my mind.
It strikes me once in a while, this unshakeable idea that I have every reason to be thrilled with life. When I have this feeling, good things generally happen. Do they happen because I feel this way and expect them, or can I somehow sense good times in advance? This is an interesting philosophical question which I will continue to ponder.
As for right now, I am completely thrilled about gratemusic.com and LDSmusic.us and what we are doing there. I am optimistic about my family and my personal financial situation. I am thrilled about our marriage. I am excited about my education. I don't believe that I will live without inconvenience or difficulty, but I feel that the good will completely override the effect of whatever problems arise.
Perhaps the election does have something to do with my focus on this subject of optimism. All the analysts and the different parties and candidates are talking about the future. On the radio in the morning, there will be many prognositcations about how our next two years will be in America. There are many doomsday voices. There are many who say that our new leaders will fix everything. Neither side is accurate. Some laws and policies have noticeable effect in the lives of the governed, but generally our happiness and our life situations are governed primarily by our thoughts and desires and how we go about realizing them in the framework of God's plan. This new political season ought to be a new season of optimism and new commitment to make life good for ourselves and those around us.
New Noisebox today. I am really impressed with David's work on this. It's definitely worth a listen.
Noisebox 03 November, 2006
Vol. 1 Issue 15
New MP3 and new arrangement for Like Sunlight Gleams Thy Grace, O Lord
David Macfarlane has just released a rich new recording of his hymn Like Sunlight Gleams Thy Grace, O Lord. In conjunction with the release of the MP3, a new TTBB edition of the hymn has just been published. This hymn addresses the topic of grace in our relationship with Christ and its connection with faith and works. Access the new files through our hymns page.
Grate Music, LLC
http://gratemusic.com
http://LDSmusic.us
