Blog Moved

My blog has been moved to my new website and can be found here:

http://josiahbode.weebly.com/blog.html

I am making an attempt to consolidate my online presence in once place.  It is a work in progress, but I hope to eventually host my music on that website, as well as keep up with my blog and update people about my performances, etc.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and like my page on Facebook!

My Life

You may have noticed I haven't updated anything in a while.  I'm dealing with a couple big things in my life right now and need to sort those out before I can really focus on composing, but I will be back.  I'm still working on some music, but it's taking me much longer than expected to get through it.

Keep an eye on this page for updates in the future.  You can also follow me on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/josiahbodemusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pinktux2prom

Tuba Sonata I

I've uploaded the first movement of my tuba sonata as a free download, which includes a 1-year performance license.  Here's the link:

http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-180461_tuba_sonata_op_2.html

Be sure to check it out soon.  When I finish the other movements it will no longer be available free!

Audio

I now have audio files uploaded for all of the sax quartet transcriptions on my website.  These are all still available as free downloads, and now you can listen to them as well!  Check them out here:

http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/

Also, in case you don't know, I have a recording of my Sonata for Saxophone Quartet on YouTube.  This is from an old edition so there are a few differences from the current edition, but it's basically the same.  Here's a link to the whole thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyb2ApTMDM&list=PL638A0431F02785E2&index=1

And last but not least, I am done with the first movement of my tuba sonata.  It just needs a little more formatting before I upload it.  Look for it in the next couple of days!  Here's an audio sample of the tuba sonata:

https://soundcloud.com/pinktux/sonata-for-tuba-and-piano

Deadlines, Schmeadlines

Well, my music is taking a little longer to write than I expected.  I have been making progress, so that's good.  I am, however, notoriously bad about keeping deadlines, whether I set them myself or they're set for me.  So I do like to set deadlines because it gives me a goal to work toward, but...it doesn't always work out as planned.

Like I said, I have been making progress, especially on my tuba sonata.  I am nearly done with the first movement; I just have some minor editing and formatting to do.  Once the first movement is done I will upload it as a free download while I write the rest of the piece.  (And yes, I have started the other movements.)

Other things I have been working on include an arrangement of "Loch Lomond" for a cappella male voices, a piece for solo clarinet, and a transcription of Gabrieli's "Canzon septimi toni a 8" for saxophone quartet and brass quintet which is finished but needs formatting.  I will also soon upload some computer generated audio of the pieces I have on my site, as placeholders until I get real recordings of them.

Little Fugue in G Minor

As promised, here is the first upload for this week: a transcription of Bach's "Little" Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578, for saxophone quartet.  This is one of Bach's most well-known works.  I kept the original key for this transcription (which means that the baritone sax should ideally have a low A key), but made a few editorial choices.  First, I was rather sparse with my trill markings, leaving additional trills up to the discretion of the performer.  My thought is that if you know Baroque music well enough to feel that it needs another trill here or there, you're welcome to add them.  The other editorial choice I made was to add some dynamic markings.  These can be seen as just suggestions, but I feel that they are appropriate and add some direction to the music.  Here's a link:

http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-179230_fugue_bwv_578.html

In case you're wondering why I've been uploading mostly sax quartet music, there are a couple of reasons for that.  Saxophone is my primary instrument, so it makes sense that I would write for saxophones often.  But more than that, I currently lead a sax quartet at Concordia University, Saint Paul, so I have been writing specifically for that group lately.  If you're not a sax player, don't worry: the next couple of uploads will be for different instruments.

New Year's Sale Extended!

Wow, it's been a little while.  I've been busy moving into a new house for the past couple of weeks, so I've had rather limited time for composing, let alone formatting the music for publication.  Because of this, I've decided to extend my sale through this week.  All of my current prices, including the free pieces, will remain at their current price, and any new pieces this week will start at a discounted rate.

We're pretty settled and I have more time on my hands now, so I will be uploading several new pieces this week.  Keep an eye on this blog and my website:

http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/

Also, here are a few pictures of my new house :)

Go Tell It on the Mountain

My arrangement of "Go Tell It on the Mountain" has been processed and is now available on my website.  Here's the link again:

http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-178387_go_tell_it_on_the_mountain.html

Don't forget to answer the poll on the left of the page!  It is very helpful to me to know who my audience is.  And if you have any comments about my music, my blog, or anything else, feel free to leave them down below!

1 Transcription, 1 Arrangement

Well, I missed last week's upload and blog post, but I'm making up for it this week with TWO new pieces.  The first is Mozart's setting of "Ave verum corpus" transcribed for saxophone quartet.  You can download it free here:

http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-178388_ave_verum_corpus_k_618.html

The second is an arrangement of the spiritual "Go Tell It on the Mountain," also for saxophone quartet.  This arrangement was originally conceived as a piano solo, later adapted for choir, and finally for sax quartet where I feel it has found a permanent home.  The jazz style and interplay of parts makes it particularly appropriate for a group of saxophones.  It will be available for $2.99 here:

http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-178387_go_tell_it_on_the_mountain.html

Unfortunately at the time I am writing this, the arrangement is still being processed.  That's the trouble with uploading on the weekend, I suppose.  But the real reason it hasn't been processed yet is that I've included an audio sample of the piece.  For now, you can listen to the sample here:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3223169/gotellit_sample2.wav

I bought myself a portable audio recorder for Christmas, so I will be uploading more sound samples of my works in the future.  And just for fun, here's another recording I made while testing my recorder early on:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3223169/Colours.wav

Don't forget all of my music is currently 25% off!  This is only through the end of January, so act fast if you want this deal!  If you're a sax player, make sure to check out my transcriptions; they're all currently free!

New Year's Sale

Happy New Year!  This year my New Year's resolution is to compose more actively and upload new music every week.  Sometimes this will be my original compositions; other times it will be arrangements or transcriptions I have done.  This week, I uploaded a transcription of Chopin's Waltz in A Minor (Op. 34 No. 2) for saxophone quartet.  You can check it out here.

Also, to celebrate the New Year and promote my resolution, I have discounted all of my music that is online.  For the whole month of January, my original compositions are 25% off, and I am offering transcriptions (including the Chopin Waltz) completely free of charge.  So if you're interested in checking out some of what I've done, now is the perfect time to do it!

Here's a link to my main site: http://josiahbode.musicaneo.com/

Lastly, I plan to have a different poll on my blog each month.  This time I want to know what my audience is, so I'm asking about your role in music: whether you are a performer, composer, simply a listener, or something else.  You can find the poll on the left side of the page, and you may select as many roles as apply to you.

Any feedback regarding my music or my blog is appreciated!