SKU: A0.992073

This is a sad, wistful piece which would make an ideal accompanyment for part of a sad film, video, or stage production. It also stands on its own as a relaxing, restful piece. The busy, repetitious left-hand is a great opportunity for improving finger coordination. Any comments are welcome at: jamesmcguirkmusic@gmail.com

SKU: A0.1144944

The Tumbling Stream Through The Forest Shadows, an original piano composition, seeks to present the listener with an experience of forest mystery. The right hand chordal pattern, being somewhat repetitive, represents the sound of a small mountain stream gently descending through a shadowed forest. The melodic stylings of the left hand, increasing in lyrical complexity, represents the mysteries found in the forest depths. It is a piece of only moderate difficulty in its structure but the opportunity for a very advanced technique, sensitive application of dynamics, and lyrical phrasing provides an opportunity for the superior pianist to present a masterful performance.

SKU: A0.1320692

'Stumbling Fingers' is an atonal piano solo approximately 2:17 in duration. 
Sometimes, I like to experiment with nontraditional composing methods. To create this piece, for example, I took the melodic rhythm of a well-known (public domain) work by another composer and changed each pitch using a twelve-sided die. I set the notes and C above middle C (C5) and then went up or down the scale in half-steps based on what I rolled. After a little tweaking, I added the accompaniment from another source (also well-known and in the public domain), 'Stumbling Fingers' is the end result.

SKU: HX.449562

SKU: A0.1000157

SKU: A0.1012724

Music and song composed by me

IN MUSIC AND WORDS

I will entrust

To wind  these my words

I'll wait

Anxiously to get up the sun

And the world will watch

With all its woes and its fake colors

And reborn

In music and words

while salt the pain

and turns the head

vanishes love or what remains of it

I ordinary woman

Stumbling and erring

I already feel lost in this battle

And I dance but always alone because

I do not find anybody that looks like me

This is why, grateful, I return to you

You're the music and word

I’m frail   (tired)

worthless woman   (dull)

I'll turn to you that  are the friend

Protect me (always) by my excesses (fall)

If I dash

You  take me in flight

Only you can

And bridging know

My empty (nostalgia)

You will color them

Just you and me

Against the cold there is

You will warm  (embrace me)

You give life to these thoughts

And my sorrows

I do not remember more

and I will find myself

with you I'll have a pair of wings

and I tell myself

in music and words

ghosts within me

with you I will defeat

because you're light

emerges and disappears

a tear ever born

and I amazed me

with your magic

beautiful alchemy

rust and gold

What a disorder  in my life

 dust of regret in me

are you by my side

and I will reinvented me

in music and words ... ..

                                                      Monica Bergo

SKU: A0.1414362

Donald Ashwander's Traditional Patterns is a remarkable 25-page musical journey inspired by the rich tapestry of American folk art. Through this suite of eight pieces, Ashwander masterfully weaves together melodies that evoke a myriad of emotions and imagery.

The suite opens with Dove in the Window, a gentle yet haunting composition that pays homage to the Sacred Harp tradition with its modal echoes and soul-stirring melodies. From there, the journey continues with Crow Tracks, a jaunty march that seamlessly transitions into the exuberant revelry of a hoe-down.

Road to California paints a vivid picture of early westward treks, with its march-like rhythm in the beloved 6/8 time signature of the 19th century. Meanwhile, Drunkard's Path explores shifting meters, mirroring the lurching and stumbling of the town drunk on a Saturday night.

Sunshine and Shadow offers a gentle yet vivacious waltz, showcasing Ashwander's talent for capturing the true essence of American country music. Pine Trees utilizes juxtapositions of 3/4 and 4/4 measures, evoking the distant echoes of church singing amidst the tranquil scenery.

Goose in the Pond is a celebration of rural dance, bursting with extroverted energy and lyrical evocations of banjo plucking. Finally, the suite concludes with The Moonflower Vine, a magical and solemn piece reminiscent of midsummer nights filled with enchantment and mystery.

Through Traditional Patterns, Donald Ashwander invites pianists to immerse themselves in the rich history and evocative imagery of American folk art, as each composition unfolds like a vibrant patchwork quilt, revealing new layers of beauty and meaning with every note.

SKU: A0.1343120

Premiered July 15, 2023 at the Cascadia Composers In Good Hands student piano concert at Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Composed in 2023.

Level: Intermediate level; great for a high school student recital, but could be a very managable piece for a college student as well. 

Composition notes: The first of a trio of pieces called Breathing Structures, 
this piece was written for and premiered/performed by Andrew Bren as part of the Cascadia Composers' In Good Hands program (where composers write custom works student performers). This is a expressive, post-minimalist influenced composition, with flexible tempos and dynamics. Great for students who are interested in late 20th-century/early 21st-century classical music influenced by Philip Glass, John Adams, Michael Torke, and Ludovico Einaudi. The following poem serves as the program note for this work: 

The Emergence 

Stepping out that place of hiding
An infernal state of comfort
With smothering holds of safety
Shielding from rays of lucidity. 

Stumbling forward
One step past
The formerly towering limit.

A rush of adrenaline
An urge of retreat
But staying firmly planted
With bristling follicles
And quickened breathing.

Transformation is jarring
Shedding skin is tiring
Yet soon will exhilarate
Releasing onward
Leaving old paths
As distant dreams
Painted by the haze
Of the oncoming gleam.

Performing Rights Organization: ASCAP

Composer's website: https://www.nicholasyandell.com.

SKU: A0.934916

A suite of piano miniatures evoking scenes of the four seasons, from the fragile First flowers of spring, through Summer dragonflies and Tumbling leaves in autumn, to an icy Song of Winter.