In this miscellaneous section I plan to place anything and everything else that I have that simply doesn't fit under any of my other sections that does relate to music or trombone. I've finally gotten around to adding some more arrangements, both for brass quintet and trombone ensemble. For the items that are actual files, simply right click and select "Save As" or something to that effect. You can also left-click the midi files and they should play in a seperate browser window. Keep checking for updates! I've finally found a program that allows me to create PDF files for free (CutePDF...download it, it's GREAT). I've gone back and changed all the finale files into PDF files. I've given up on making more MIDI files...Finale just isn't good at that (at least not the copy I have). It leaves out too many important voices. If you would like a copy of anything I have up here, please let me know. I'd be more than happy to send you a zip file with all the individual parts in PDF format...all I ask in return is that if you do play something of mine either for fun or for performance, please let me know and send me a recording!
This is the first piece of music I have ever written from scratch. I wrote this two-part invention as my midterm project for the tonal counterpoint class I took in my senior year of undergraduate study. I'm proud to say that it received a score of 98. I never did go back and "reinvent" the section that my teacher did not like, however. In my opinion, if you can find it, you should be teaching a tonal counterpoint class at a university. I've included the file in Finale format as well as in midi format. Perhaps later I will add the music in another format, but unfortunately I don't currently own a copy of Acrobat!
Tonal Invention #1 - Finale File
Tonal Invention #1 - MIDI File
This piece is the three-part fugue I had to write as my final project in the same tonal counterpoint class. This composition received a grade of 100, so I guess I must have learned from my mistakes! As above, the file is only available in finale format and MIDI format.
Tonal Fugue #1 - Finale File
Tonal Fugue #1 - MIDI File
This selection is a trombone quartet arrangement I wrote of the "Raiders March" from the Indiana Jones movies. I did this arrangement for the UNCG Summer Music Camp trombone ensemble and it is the first arrangement I've done so far. Personally, I think it sounds pretty good (played by real trombones - I never have liked the MIDI version of my favorite instrument) although I made the mistake of making the third trombone part quite difficult and third trombone is usually where the people who don't really play trombone sit in the camp trombone choir (literally)!!! I'm hoping to complete some more arrangements this upcoming year.
Raiders March - PDF File
Raiders March - MIDI File
This selection is a ten-part trombone choir (plus timpani, bass drum, and tam-tam) arrangement of Aaron Copland's fanfare for the common man. I had to arrange a piece for trombone choir for my intensive arts project at school, so I chose to do this piece as I was already writing an anylitical paper about it in my theory class. I'm not going to post a MIDI file of it (at least not yet) as I can't seem to get the conversion to work %100. Some of the parts are sometimes left out for whatever reason so hopefully one day I can get a good recording of it. There are actually two versions - one that is transposed down a perfect fifth to "Eb," and one transposed down an "octave" to "Bb." The version in Eb requires two alto trombone players, preserves all the intervals of the original work, and is a chop buster. The version in Bb is a little more managable for a group that is not at a professional level. The only drawback for the Bb version is the fact that there was some necessary interval compression. Also, many of the original parts are doubled, giving the piece a much thicker sound. This was done at the request of my teacher. If you do play them, please let me know which version you prefer. For the time being, they are only posted in finale format, and only the full scores are posted to save space. If you have finale, simply extract all the parts.
Fanfare for the Common "Trombone" - Eb - PDF File
Fanfare for the Common "Trombone" - Bb Down One Octave - PDF File
One of the pieces I played on my recital was "Le Grand Tango" by Astor Piazzolla. The piece is a very long, multi-section tango written originally for Cello. Wanting to make things easier on myself, I took the cello part and, with the help of my teacher, Jim Miller, I created a trombone part (removing things such as double and triple stops, as well as adding in some rests). Although there were some changes to the piano part, I did not rewrite it in finale. I'm posting the trombone part here in case anyone happens upon this site who is playing this piece. If you aren't planning on it already, you might consider giving it a try. You can obtain the original cello part and piano part from a music store. Based on my created trombone part, you should be able to figure out the edits to the piano part. If not, let me know, and I'll help you out!
Piazzolla - Le Grand Tango - Trombone Part - PDF File
My newest arrangement is a set of three pieces from Leonard Bernstein's opera, Candide. After I read the book by Voltaire for a class my senior year in college, I fell in love with the story, and thene the opera. I'd heard the overture, but never really much music from the rest of the opera. My fiance also fell in love with this music, and as she was doing an entirely unaccompanied recital this semester, she asked mem to arrange a few movements from the opera. I chose three of my favorites: The Best of All Possible Worlds, I am Easily Assimilated, and Make our Garden Grow. After several revisions, I think the finished products work very well for brass quintet. As usual in my arranging of vocal music, I stayed true to the melodic line. MOGG is transposed down to facilitate the trumpet players, but you could easily have a vocalist sing along with any of these arrangements. Also, with these arrangements, I've discovered free PDF file creation, so now anyone can download the music. I've posted just the scores, but if you want the parts, simply send me an e-mail and I'll send those right along.
The Best of All Possible Worlds - PDF File
I Am Easily Assimilated - PDF File
Make our Garden Grow - PDF File
Every year at my school we are required to do what is called an "Intensive Arts Project" by our teacher, Jim. This is part of a two week "Intensive Arts" time after thanksgiving where students concentrate on their "art" form exclusively. Last year my piece was the Fanfare for the Common Trombone, found a little further up on this page. This year I did an arrangement of Schubert's "The Erlkonig" for trombone 10-tet. This piece, despite being sung by one vocalist, is actually four "voices" - the voice of the Narrator, the voice of the Father, the voice of the Child (son), and the voice of the supernatural Erlkonig. With the diveristy of sound offered by a trombone choir, I decided to split the solo line up. The narrator is played by a tenor trombone, as is the Erlkonig. The father's part is taken down an octave and played by the bass trombone, and the son is played by the alto trombone (I used the alto specifically for the smaller, child-like sound). This arrangement was a difficult one to do thanks to the driving triplets that occur throughout almost the entire piece. I arranged it in such a way that players trade off the triplet chords, passing all over the ensemble. Ideally this can be acomplished (we did it at NCSA pretty well after a few rehearsals and some yelling from our teacher!).
The Erlkonig - PDF File
Last year I also did my second arrangement for the UNCG Summer Music Camp Trombone Chior. Unfortunately we were unable to play it as it was slightly too difficult for some of the non-trombone players in the group. It still sounded pretty good (if I do say so myself). It is an arrangement of the Throne Room March from the end of Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope. This is for six-part trombone ensemble.
Throne Room March - PDF File
For my wedding we're having a trombone quartet, and I'm doing a mix of arranging and buying. The first thing I've arranged is the procession for my beautiful bride, Michelle. She will be walking in to "Trombone Tune" (without the aire). This is a quartet version I arranged of the popular "Trumpet Tune" by Henry Purcell. This arrangement is simple, but it works well on the trombone (doesn't most music???).
Trombone Tune - PDF