Marketing, Guatemaya and Goulash

The title of this post sounds like goulash, but it highlights the three things I'll be reflecting on.

Yesterday, I had a table to sell my music and CDs at a Tuba/Euphonium conference being held at Millersville University. Normally, I market through internet news groups but I thought I would try something different. My publishing company is a print-on-demand establishment, so my first task was to decide what music to print and bring with me. I settled on some of my euphonium and tuba duets. I also had some copies already left over from other seminars I have done, so I brought that music along even though it was not tuba or euphonium oriented. I also made catalogs of my tuba and euphonium music for distribution. All in all, I'd say the day was a positive experience. I would have attended this event anyway as I am a tuba player, and it was nice to share my music with some of the people in attendance. I actually sold some of my there music as well as some of my tuba and euphonium music. My setup consisted of a display board with my publishing company and Cd label name, plus some graphics of things we offer. I had nice display racks for my music and CDs. I had a credit card swiper from CDBaby for credit card sales and had my laptop computer and headphones with me so that people could hear recordings or MIDI versions of my music. I will consider doing this type of marketing in the future, but it does take time and can be expensive.

This morning, I made what I hope will be the final revisions to Guatemaya. I have had excellent correspondence with Meggie Aube, for whom this piece is written. She has sent me rehearsal recordings and with the help of her teacher, made some suggestions for changing some of the octaves in the piece. I also made some adjustments to a few measures to facilitate the technique. The biggest change is in the 3rd movement where I adjusted the tempo slower as its sounds more majestic and mysterious that way.This is a good example of how collaboration can work between composer and performer.

To see and hear the revision, go to http://www.cooppress.net/guatemayablog.html

I have also been working on the third movement of Goulash. I have settled on alto saxophone and marimba for this movement. It will be in the style of a Csárdás beginning with a slow section with some freedom of tempo and followed by a fast, fiery section. I started in 6/8 time because I haven't used that meter in the other movements and I'm consciously trying to stay away from imitating the famous Csárdás by Monti. Even though I like what I have written thus far, I am not sure where this is going and whether it will sound like a Csárdás. As you can see and hear, the opening is quite free in tempo. In measure 6 & 7, I develop the triplet motive first stated at the beginning of m. 6 in the saxophone to lead to a climax at the end of measure 7. Measure 9 begins a transition to a section of steadier rhythm. The marimba part of harmonic eighth notes becomes a steadier rhythm at m. 14. The saxophone dotted rhythm motif that ends the section at m. 9 becomes another unifying factor in the new section.

To see and hear what I have composed thus far, go to http://www.cooppress.hostrack.net/goulashblog.html