Google Day 5 (11/27)

This was our last in-class Google workday, so it was imperative that I finished my project (which I did). Having used Finale notepad at home to write out the original 8 parts, I needed to use Finale itself to put the music into a full score. After about 30 to 40 minutes of frustrating and comical technical difficulties, with Mr. Matthys' help I was able to arrange the final few parts. The part that took the longest (longest being a relative term) was that of the pitched tenor drums. I actually enjoyed writing that part, although it is fairly simple, because I had previously been simply adding rhythms and not notes or pitches for the other percussion parts.

Now that the music is done, the only thing left to do is present and/or play it. I'm excited to see how it will actually turn out, because Finale's playback often exaggerates the flutes (which is an instrument I rarely hear when playing in pep band) while muting the bass and percussion sounds. Furthermore, I want to hear how the parts sound for each instrument, based on the chords that had to be broken up because of the nature of wind instruments being able to play only a note at a time.

Google Day 4 (11/9)

As far as the google days have gone, this was probably the most productive in-class day yet. That is due mostly to the fact that I was able to use a computer in the Bandroom with Finale Notepad. I've also got Notepad at home, so I just continued to work on adding the different instrument parts. At this point, I pretty much know where the music is going, so the more difficult tasks will arise when I'm done with the initial transcribing/arranging. I'll have to both add more parts (using Finale), such as percussion, possibly baritone, bass clarinet, etc., and I'll also have to switch key signatures and move the notes around so that they are in easy-to-play registers for each instrument.

The music is coming along nicely. I've given the trumpets the melody line and the root of the chords (and I may leave the fifth in, in a divisi, as well), the flutes and clarinets the fifth and upper notes of the chords, and the saxophones the thirds, in most cases. I had initially written the tuba and trombone parts in the wrong key, so I'll have to go back and fix that. Otherwise, I'm feeling pretty good about the progression of my project thus far.