Revving Up

I always hate the way the word "revving" looks when you type it ... the two "V"s turn into one "W" and it looks like "re-wing", which looks like some sort of surgery on a bird. Sadly, "revving" is the only word that fits, so I have to use it.

But I digress ...

Over the three and a half years I've been in the world of music composing and publishing, I've always found it funny how almost everything seems to go in cycles. Some of that makes sense -- publishers put out annual or bi-annual releases, so that in and of itself is cyclical. What's stranger to me is how much my involvement with things is cyclical. I'll have a period of two or three months where nothing happens -- no pieces are released, I don't hear back from publishers, no proof copies to edit, and even I seem to slow up on composing -- and then I'll get a frantic two or three month time where all of that and more happens with gusto.

Well, I think I've just come off of a lull and am revving (there's that word again!) up for a bit more frantic time. Last Wednesday I got a proof copy of a piece from Kevin McChesney at Jeffer's to approve before their recording of it this coming weekend. Then yesterday, I heard back from Alan Lohr at SoundForth, and they're going to publish my "Be Thou My Vision" and "Rock of Ages" (my 25th and 26th pieces). Last night, I got an email from Dave Harris sharing with me a press release for the Westminster Concert Bell Choir from Rider University in Princeton, N.J., who will be offering a free concert in Raleigh on January 22. The theme of the concert is "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day", and all of their selections appear to be dance-related. They list several pieces they're going to do (arrangements of "Sabre Dance" and selections from the "Nutcracker" ... that sort of thing), and the only living composer they mention is me and my "Winter's Waltz." Talk about a boost for the ego!

Anyway, it seems like things are speeding up, at least for a few months' time. I know my composing has picked up. I've been working on piano pieces lately, mainly to help fill some of our service music at church. I have a 5th arrangement I'm working on today, then once it's finished, I hope to send the batch of 5 off to see if any publisher will nibble. After that, I have a few handbell projects I want to get done, and then possibly a choral piece or two. As always, I'll keep things updated here.

Now to go get myself revved up for my day ...