If you are reading this blog, you are probably a musician. And if you are a musician, you probably stay with music (either as a hobby or profession) because you enjoy it, right? It's certainly true for me.

I'm mentally composing an article for a later time about enjoying playing AND practicing music. But for today's post I'd like to focus on the fun of writing/arranging music.

I've been writing arrangements since I was in college. And sometime several years after that, my arrangements actually started sounding good. Truth be told, I ALWAYS enjoy arranging. It's a little like doing a puzzle - how do you make a piece for full orchestra sound right when played by a euphonium-tuba quartet? How can I keep the harmonies sounding clear without putting the top parts in the stratosphere? How can I work it out so that every player in the ensemble has an interesting part? And so on.

But this past year I have had an especially fine time! For one thing I got back to pencil and paper to do the drafts. It seems less efficient, doesn't it? If I could only draft it using Finale, then I can just tweak it right there. Otherwise I write the whole thing out in pencil (well, "scribble" might be a better word) and then I still have to enter it into Finale. But I find that I think more freely using pencil and paper. I'm not thinking about layouts, formats, etc. - just the notes. It was a nice reminder about how well "old technology" can work.

This Fall I set out to do a few arrangements that were even more fun than usual. I chose some "novelty" songs that were written around the turn of the century (the previous one, not the one from just 10 years ago). They were great fun to arrange, and have the potential to be great fun to play, too.

First was "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow" by Tabrar. The original song was a tale of a young child who wanted a dog, but whose father would not buy one (maybe you figured that out already). The composer made the melodies fit the lyrics, which are at the end of this post. As with the other songs discussed here, arranging a novelty song like this means one can be a bit more "cute" in the shaping of lines, articulations, etc. I have no doubt, given the imagination of many groups, that some might have a little more "programmatic" fun during performances.

Then I wanted to do "Learning McFadden to Waltz" by Carey. Here we have the story of a man who wanted to learn to dance, but who was "blessed" with feet too large to seem dance-able. Look at the lyrics below to get an idea. I decided to guild the lily and write a little more graphic "learning curve" into the arrangement. The first time through the chorus, I wrote the solo tuba waaaaay off the 3/4 beat. But by the final chorus, the tuba solo waltzes easily along with rest of the ensemble. Here is an audio file, which was thrown together quickly but might give you an idea of the piece: Learning McFadden to Waltz

Last on this list was "Mosquitoes' Parade" by Whitney. This one has no lyrics, but a very clever melody that works well when set in a ponderous mode. So I renamed it to "Parade of the Giant Mosquitoes" to fit the low brass medium. It is basically a march in 6/8 time with engaging harmonies that help move the verses along.

What's next? Stay tuned, because soon I'll have a new arrangement that will be just as much fun, but will be a little more traditional musically. And probably later this summer I'll have a nice new solo/piano piece ready.

Below are links to the pieces and the promised lyrics. I hope groups enjoy playing them as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow

Parade of the Giant Mosquitoes

Learning McFadden to Waltz

Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Bow

I love my little cat, I do
With soft black silky hair
It comes with me each day to school
And sits upon the chair
When teacher says "why do you bring
That little pet of yours?"
I tell her that I bring my cat
Along with me because

Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow!
Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow!
I've got a little cat
And I'm very fond of that
But I'd rather have a bow-wow
Wow, wow, wow, wow

We used to have two tiny dogs
Such pretty little dears
But daddy sold 'em 'cause they used
To bite each other's ears
I cried all day, at eight each night
Papa sent me to bed
When Ma came home and wiped my eyes
I cried again and said

Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow!
Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow!
I've got a little cat
And I'm very fond of that
But I'd rather have a bow-wow
Wow, wow, wow, wow

I'll be so glad when I get old
To do just as I "likes"
I'll keep a parrot and at least
A half a dozen tykes
And when I've got a tiny pet
I'll kiss the little thing
Then put it in its little cot
And on to it I'll sing

Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow!
Daddy wouldn't buy me a bow-wow! bow wow!
I've got a little cat
And I'm very fond of that
But I'd rather have a bow-wow
Wow, wow, wow, wow

Learning McFadden to Waltz

Now Terrence McFadden he wanted to waltz
But his feet were not gauged that way
So he saw a professor and stated his case
Said he "Sure I'm willing to pay"
The professor looked down in alarm at his feet
And he viewed their enormous expanse
Then he tacked on a five to his regular price
For teaching McFadden to dance

Chorus:
Oh, one, two, three, balance like me
You're quite a dancer but you have your faults
Your left foot is lazy, your right foot is crazy
But don't be uneasy I'll teach you to waltz

He took out McFadden before the whole class
And he showed him the steps once or twice
But McFadden's big feet got tied up in a knot
Sure, he thought he was standing on ice
At last he broke loose and struck out with a will
Never looking behind or before
But his head got so dizzy he fell on his face
And chewed half the wax off the floor

Chorus

When Terrence had practiced the steps once or twice
Sure he thought he had put them down fine
He went to a girl and he asked her to dance
And wheeled her out into the line
He walked on her feet and he fractured her toes
And said that her movements were false
Sure the poor girl went 'round for two weeks on a crutch
For learning McFadden to waltz

Chorus