Piano Solo: ~Easy~ Deck The Halls

This song is great for a beginner student who loves Deck The Halls but has yet to learn 8th note counting. This arrangement has 4/4 time and some good PRIMARY CHORD practice!
(This one's for you, Miss J!)


Click here to download the PDF sheet music:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cbEkzcUFQOW5Zcms/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~ : What Child Is This

This is a more difficult intermediate level piano solo.  It's busy on the left hand, so keep that in mind if considering this for a student.

(I play this one all the time.  It is a bit crazy with the demands on the left hand, but a fun solo to perform at a Christmas recital or party!)


Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cWTloWWcxWlVPSDA/view?usp=sharing

Here is a link to the piece being played in recital by one of my students:

Choral ~SATB~ Christmas Medley Of Hymns

Here is a great compilation  of Angels We Have Heard On High, What Child Is This and O Come All Ye Faithful.
I pulled these three together because of the chronological storyline they follow. 

There's some extra OPTIONAL notes to stack the chords in if you have some ambitious 1st sops who know how to damp......or go full voice. Either way.  It's ward choir, so, ya know. ;)
And somewhere out there, a ward choir accompanist is going to want to kill me. I apologize in advance.  :D


Click the link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cVnZtYXBWcHp6TDQ/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: 30 Second Song

Yes, I call this my "30 second song". Written in High School, I enjoyed noodling around with this one because it only took about 30 seconds to play. (Hence the name)
It a fun, past paced little piece that is over before you know it!

( Why hummingbirds? Because they are quick little dudes. )


Click here for the PDF sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cY3ktc21LaVJxYlk/view?usp=sharing

Choral Arrangement: Thanksgiving Medley Of Hymns

Here is a nice Thanksgiving Medley written for and performed by the Montelena Ward Choir (Queen Creek) in Fall of 2013.
This medley features  Father Thy Children To Thee Now Raise, We Gather Together To Ask The Lord's Blessing, and Come Ye Thankful People, Come.



Click this link to get the PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cVTBPOWZDZU84SFE/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~EASY~ Twirling Leaves

Depending on your Climate, this song could be referring to deciduous activity that happens in the Autumn OR Winter .   (over here, it's more a winter thing)

Twirling Leaves is a  moderate beginner piece written in 3/4 time,  has triplets, 8th notes, and spans a couple octaves.

click here for the PDF of sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cVzNweWtJalgzUXc/view?usp=sharing

Vocal Solo Arrangement: St.Maarten National Anthem

While in school, Robert was asked to sing the St.Maarten National Anthem at the upcoming White Coat Ceremony. The only copy on hand was a very old, poorly/inaccurately notated sheet of "music".  I did my best to FIX it in accordance with the ACTUAL  rhythm and notes that most people use when singing it.

Originally, after fixing all the faux pas (like 5 beats in a 4/4 measure, etc) I changed the rhythm even moreso that it would be easy for anyone to perform. But after listening to several youtube vidoes of native islanders singing their beloved Anthem, I went back and tried to make it as close to the original as possible out of respect to the local tradition. That meant bouncing back and forth between 3/4 and 4/4 quite a bit in the beginning of the song. Also, the original sheet music was in G Major which means that it was somewhat out of reach of the general populace, unless you are a confident tenor or a soprano. I took it down a third to E Major, so that more people could sing it without so much stress. Ha!

It went over pretty well at the Ceremony because they asked him to do it again the next semester!  :D






Oh sweeeeeeeeeet St. Maarten's land.......
click here to download the PDF of EM sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cU1JOS0g5WnBOb1U/view?usp=sharing

Here is a PDF of E FLAT Major, in case you find that easier on the fingers or the voice.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cRG1jdmpvN3psVWM/view?usp=sharing


And here is the streamlined version for those who want a consistent rhythm the entire piece:
E Major all in 3/4 time:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cdnZuSnZuYk1oUXc/view?usp=sharing
E Flat Major all in 3/4 time:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cd0l6cGRWTFdreXM/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: Pelican Dive

Finally!!! Barely finished 10 minutes ago, and ready for the music blog!! I've been working on this song for the past several days, but the labor and delivery is over. (ha) Seriously,  it really feels like giving birth to write out new material...If not that, then defintely like pulling teeth. I'll take either comparison. Transcribing into sheet music form is my least favorite part about creating music. OY!!!!  (All the second guessing, back and forth decisions to scrap a piece or not, and mini internal meltdowns don't help either. You fellow composers know what I mean!)

Anyhow, this my second composition specifically dedicated to our island home. While in St.Maarten, we spent a lot of time staring out at the ocean. (That's about all you can afford to do down there!) And one of our favorite things to observe were the pelicans.  (Robert knicknamed them "Gulpies" because of their large beaks that could could gulp up water and fish.)

It is pretty entertaining to see the Gulpies dive bomb into the ocean, disappear for a bit, then emerge again.   :D

Pelican Dive is a LIVELY intermediate song in D Major  that keeps both hands pretty busy! Have fun!

click here for the PDF of sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cZnJsQ09iSmU2NEU/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Easy~ Jingle Bells

How about a simple arrangement of Jingle Bells that is NOT in the key of C???  Get your student used to G Major with this version!

Click here to download the PDF sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-ceGZXUTZ5ZEhELTg/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Easy~: Oh Holy Night

During a piano lesson today, I brought up that the next Recital will be Christmas themed. My student mentioned that he really wanted to play Oh Holy Night because it is his favorite Christmas song.
I came straight home and got to work, creating a simple version that includes the entire tune, but has just a handful of left hand chords, thin voicing, a 4/4 time sig and a polite key of C Major.

(This one's for you, Mr.J!)

P.S. (Note for teachers):If you want/need to abridge this due to student needs or time constraints, I would suggest skipping from the middle of measure 16 over to the middle of measure 32....(just a thought)

Click the link for a PDF of sheet music.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cZVAwdkRob29wLUk/view?usp=sharing

Vocal Solo: That's Where We'll Meet

Having grown up watching several of those Bing Crosby/Bob Hope classics such as "On the Road to Morocco, On the Road to Singapore, etc, etc,  I wanted to write a tropical song that had a charm/quaintness similar to the songs you hear on those shows.  :)

This is not only my first attempt at a vintage styled parlor song, it is also my first song dedicated to our years spent in St.Maarten!  I made sure to include a tribute to the Johnstone whistling tree frogs that were such a major part of the island experience.

(Side Note: D Major was chosen on purpose because it's not too difficult to play most of the chords on the Uke..except for maybe that darn B7 chord. Lol)

Click here for the PDF of sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cMElLUjRqWXBwZ3c/view?usp=sharing

Choral Arrangement~SATB~My Heavenly Father Loves Me

Behold the very first choral arrangement I ever attempted. This one dates back to 1998! Our Ward Choir Director, Jennie Green, asked me to do a little tweaking of the Primary Song "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" and....well....I went a little overboard. The Neely ward choir pulled it off though! Those altos deserved Klondike Bars! It was awesome!

I added a third verse just to make things interesting.
This song has some stretched rhythmic lines in the beginning, subtle dynamic changes that ebb and flow, as well as a rather busy accompaniment. This was intentional in order to simulate running water and butterfly wings, if you will. I hope you enjoy it!

(I've also been present in a Sacrament meeting where this was performed as a solo. Pretty cool! Thanks for inviting me, Melissa!)


PDF for "MY HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES ME" Choral Arrangement

Vocal Solo ~ART SONG~: Sea Fever

Here is a lively new Art Song of John Masefield's Sea Fever poem, arranged by Robert Wright. It's a great piece for male voices!

Click this link for a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cMkdZZmlYSmpBS2c/view?usp=sharing

Vocal Solo ~ART SONG~: Trade Winds

Here is a lovely Art Song with text by John Masefield and arranged by Robert Wright. It's a great piece for male voices.

Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cbVJadDJvdkozaDg/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Easy~: California Bound

Here is a fun, beginner level piece that conjures up visions of an old fashioned steam locomotive heading to the Gold Rush.  Originally written for my student,Taryn, to use in recital, this song is a great piece for practicing syncopation and accents!

Your student will love the train horns in California Bound!

(Yes, this picture was taken from inside a car, but in all fairness, we were driving to California at the time!)



Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cM3R2N0dQbEh1NVU/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: Custer's Last Stand

This is a challenging and exciting intermediate piece with lots of tempo and mood changes, as well as frequent movement through multiple octaves. This is a good piece for students who have  strong rhythmic competency, as well as decent left hand dexterity.
(That's what happens when a lefty writes the song.)

Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-ceWlFaXpRUVBCeTA/view?usp=sharing

Choral Arrangement ~SATB~: Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Are you looking for a unique version of Hark The Herald Angels Sing, or something Baroque sounding that isn't as hard as The Messiah? Then this is the piece for your group!  With piano(or organ), 2 violins and SATB comprising the voicing, get ready for a little polyphony and some slightly tricky key changes.

Click this link to get the PDF for the sheet Music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cV3pFMmZ1cHpHdjA/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Easy~: Carol Of The Bells

A nice version of Carol Of The Bells that spans a couple octaves for some fun flashiness,  but has thin chord density, and is simple enough to learn quickly.

(this one's for you, Maleelah!)

Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cU2Q2RnhtWGZxQkE/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Super Easy~: Beach Sand

A great, Tropical themed ULTRA EASY piece for a beginner student.
Basic left hand chords for accompaniment, and key of C.
(This one's for you, Wesley!)


Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cV3NTYzVJUFRMYlU/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Super Easy~ Boogie Boarding

Here's another ULTRA BASIC Tropical song for your brand new beginners! Key of C, and a couple left hand chords on the second line. Piece of cake!

(This one's for you, Ethan!)

Click the link for a PDF of sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cNThLa2RiMEtBRkU/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Easy~: Tropical Flowers

Simple piece with some C scale practice included!

(This one's for you, Claire!)

Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cRWtfcGEybHdsclk/view?usp=sharing

Vocal Duet ~Hymns~: Abide With Me; 'Tis Eventide

Robert was asked to sing Abide With Me, 'Tis Eventide for the August 18th, 2014 Sacrement Meeting.

This was another one of those last minute episodes where most of the creativity and road mapping happens the day before the performance.



The Bakersfield East Stake’s Young Womens’ President was in attendance during Sacrament Meeting, and asked for a copy of the music, so that made me buckle down and actually write out the notes, finally. (I tend to just do fake book style transcription or chord numbers scribbled into a hymn book when tweaking a hymn for a musical number) This PDF is pretty close (not exact) to the original performance.  The voice parts do overlap a couple times, so head’s up on that.
Thanks Elder Nine, for singing with Robert!


Click this link for a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cMTBmTS04eVVqZ28/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: Spaghetti Western

And here is a great mash-up of several recognizable tunes.  :) The Perfect Spaghetti Western Medley!
( I uploaded a desert pic that has obvious jet trails in the sky...kind of fitting for the song topic. Lol)

Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cT0dkekE5NjItTms/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: Painted Desert

This is a nice, tranquil, mood builder.
This was written specifically for my student, Lexi, to use in a western Recital.

Painted Desert is a great, reflective piece that I love to play when the house is really quiet. Don’t forget to use the pedal on this one!


Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cbmxJNUMtQ1U5S1U/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: Tombstone

Get ready for some left hand work on this awesome, infamous gun battle!
Tombstone is a hit with boys and young men.  You can almost see the chaps, spurs and gun smoke in this piece!

Click this link to get a pdf of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cN2RFV05ISnN5Y0U/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Easy~ : Joy To The World

This is a simple, abridged version of Joy To The World for beginners. No 8th notes, a metrically even  4/4 time signature, and the good ol' Key of C..It's a great piece for young students who really, really, really want to play Joy To The World! Lol.

(This one's for you, Jonas!)





Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cbmdzTi02cEhSb0U/view?usp=sharing

Choral Arrangement ~SATB~ Silent Night

This sonorous version of Silent Night is versatile. Though written for SATB, it was performed by the Women's Jazz Ensemble. Cadence, at Mesa Community College a few years ago. (That took some creativity to reroute the mens’ parts for all women voices. ) This is no whimpy piece!  The voice parts split into 6 and sometimes more on certain chords. Have fun with the possibilities! Silent Night is a great, candlelit-type  mood piece, perfect for a concert's end.


Click this link for the PDF of sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cMm5oZ3pYc083Tmc/view?usp=sharing

Vocal Trio: Aloha Oe

Here is a simple arrangement for three voices of the classic Hawaiian send-off.

Side note: G Major is a great key when accompanying on the Ukulele. (GM, CM, DM, and even one simple A7 in there before the chorus) I like to throw I some G6 chords here and there for that classic "tropic" sound.


Click this link to get the PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cXzg5VTZ2ZFVHWkU/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Easy~: Hermit Crab

Here's a spunky piece for your more experienced beginner students. You can almost hear the little crab scuttling about.  :)

(this one's for you, Ben!)


Click this link to get a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cS2NlaFBFZFhKRkE/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Super Easy~: Tiny Shells

Here is an ultra basic tropical themed song for a brand new beginner! It's Treble Clef dominate, but there are a few notes to get the Bass involved as well!


Click this link to get the PDF of the sheet music:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cN1hzX3NrQXdzVTA/view?usp=sharing

Vocal Trio ~Hymns~: How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord

My lovely friend, Melissa, Taylor, requested an SSA version with VIOLINS of How Beautiful Thy Temples Lord for her parents' mission farewell. Here it is for all to enjoy!


Click here for the E FLAT Major version:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-ca3I2SkI1bzlIV0E/view?usp=sharing

Click here for the original D Major version (fair warning, it transitions into B Major):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cTWdMajlSdEZ0ZTQ/view?usp=sharing

Choral Arrangement ~SATB~:How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord

The awesome Melissa Taylor requested a choral version of the duet: How Beautiful Thy Temples Lord, for her ward choir. I was happy to oblige!


Click the link for PDF sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cNTZpbXVfeWRKM28/view?usp=sharing

Vocal Duet ~Hymns~ How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord.

Robert and I were asked to sing at the Stapley Stake Conference  back in APRIL 2011. The song theme was temples, but the stipulation was that we had to choose a song from the hymn book….what to do, what to do? After accepting the assigment, I thought selecting a hymn would take all of 5 minutes..but nope!
I had been hitting one dead end after another. None of the choices were striking me as “the one”.  Some of the temple themed hymns, as is, come across sounding a little hokey, and they just didn't seem right for the situation. Around 10pm that night, I thought, “Why not create an arrangement with a modified melody?”  Hymn #288 started floating through my mind, but with a different tune. In a flash of major inspiration, I stayed awake that whole night and wrote out the entire thing. No really! It was all finished by 3.a.m! Well……Cool! THIS IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER FINISHED A SONG THAT QUICKLY. Heavenly Father obviously helped!!
Warning:This duet voicing was not necessarily written to be user friendly to the masses.. I'm married to a guy who has a very large range, so I get away with writing some peculiar/difficult/questionable  range and voice leading when I know he's going to sing it.
If you have a male voice that can handle lows and highs(including using male head voice at the very end), and a female voice who has a meaty mezzo-ish  mid/low range,(unlike myself........cough cough) then this is the duet for you!!!  :D



You will find almost all of the dynamic markings in the piano line.  They apply to the singers as well.

The original key is DM, but because of the key change to B in the middle of the piece,  I have made a transposed version that starts in E flat M and changes to C.  Guess which version that most pianists prefer????  Lol.
(kudos to Wally Taylor for playing the original version like a boss)



Click these links for PDFs of sheet music!
E FLAT MAJOR
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cbDctb0g5VGZ3VEk/view?usp=sharing

D MAJOR (original version) if your pianist isn't going to like a key change ending in B Major...then choose the E FLAT version  Lol.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cUkRLMllhVzRSWkk/view?usp=sharing


Here's the post that has an SSA version:
http://soundswrightmusic.blogspot.com/2016/07/vocal-trio-hymns-how-beautiful-thy.html

Here's the post that has a SATB Choral version:
http://soundswrightmusic.blogspot.com/2016/07/choral-arrangement-satbhow-beautiful.html

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: Tumbleweed

This fun, western piece gives students an opportunity to strengthen chromatic skills as well as triple vs. duple rhythms!

(No tumbleweed pictures on hand. Just pretend there's a big one right in the middle of this empty field. Lol)

Click this link for a PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-cd1pBeWxMQ01QOFU/view?usp=sharing

Piano Solo ~Intermediate~: Fools Gold

Fools Gold is a carefree piano solo with a classic, saloon-esque swing rhythm. A few slightly dense chords, but the tune is catchy! Play it a few times and you'll be hooked!


Click the link for PDF of the sheet music:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A_oLvMRe-ccHFYNWhWTmxUbGc/view?usp=sharing

And here is a youtube vid of the song being played in Recital by one of my former students.
Go Serena!