With Healing in His Wings

I finally found time to write another song for the cantata. It has been a wonderful summer, and we have been able to do some fun things with the kids. But, between swimming lessons and going on vacations and dance camps, etc....it sure is hard to find time to write. Somehow, I found the time to write another song. I wrote the song that the women will sing. It is written for SSAA. I was trying to write a song about why we need a Savior. I read a scripture in Malachi 4:2. " But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." I loved that phrase, "with healing in his wings." I really felt like this is what our Savior has done for us, he has taken us under his wings and healed us, and without this, we could not be healed, or return to live with Him again. I was also reading in Jesus the Christ about the need for a Savior, and Talmage talked about how just as a flower needs the living waters, so do we need a Savior. So, I put both of these ideas together and wrote "With Healing in His Wings". I really like how it turned out. It is a very light almost lullaby feel, just perfect for womens voices. As always, I can't wait to hear it actually sung, it really brings it to life.
So, be looking for this on the site. I need to edit it and get it looking how I want to look, then I will put it on the site.

He Comes Again

So the cantata is going to be titled, "He Comes Again."  I just finished writing this song. It will be sung at the end of the cantata. I am really happy with how it turned out. I had a really incredible experience while trying to write it. I knew what I wanted the song to be about, but I was having a really hard time getting it started. I couldn't decide how I wanted to start it. Well, my husband and I had a date to the temple planned, so that whole day, I kept praying that I might be able to receive some inspiration for this song. There is not a better place in the world to think about the Savior, than at the temple. So, we pulled into the temple parking lot, and I just knew that I would be able to figure it out. I got dressed, and made my way up to the chapel. As I sat down in this beautiful room, I looked up and there is a huge picture of the Savior, coming down from heaven with His arms opened wide. I felt the spirit so strongly tell me that this is what the song was to be about. It was to be about our Savior, coming for us, with His arms outstretched wanting us to come to Him. So, I was able to come home, and that very next day, write all of the words to this song. It starts, "He came to us with open arms, surrounding all with love." I think this is one of my favorite songs that I have written. (I think I might say that about a lot of the songs I write though) So, it is on the website.....check it out!
I also have a few more new ones on there, I Seek Him, which is the song that I wrote about what Mary Magdalene might have been feeling. Alleluia is on the site. I also just wrote a fun little song called Our Mission is Possible for our stake young women's camp. Their theme was Mission Possible, so I hope this fits in with what they were wanting.
So, there's quite a few new ones. Check it out!

Recordings

So, I took a little break from writing and have been working on trying to get some recordings on the site. I have an incredibly talented brother-in-law who is a sound engineer, and he sacrificed A LOT of his time to help me do some recordings. Thanks Nic! I will put those on the site when they are finished. I was also lucky that my very talented stake music director was willing to come sing these songs for me. So, be looking for recordings of Master of Charity, There is a Green Hill Far Away, and How Great the Wisdom and the Love, all sung by the one and only Ben Dee. Thanks Ben! It sure is humbling to be surrounded by such talented people. Now, back to work on the cantata!

Alleluia!

So I am really glad that I started on this cantata so early. I really had no idea how long it would take, so I am happy to have the extra time. I never can tell when I will be able to write. It always just depends on if the kids all decide to nap at the same time.  I finished Mary Magdalenes song called, "I Seek Him". I am really happy with how it turned out.
Now I am working on the song for the choir to sing about when the Savior was resurrected. It is a very upbeat, exciting song and I hope that when it is sung, the congregation is able to feel the excitement and happiness that the world must have felt. It has been a fun one to write. I think it will be titled "Alleluia". But the jury is still out. I have to wait until it is done. I have an amazing stake choir director that is always very encouraging and gives great advice and ideas (Thanks Ben!). He gave me the idea of writing this song for a double choir, so it is written for an SSAATTBB choir. With choir I and choir II singing almost like a duet. I hope it will sound big and glorious, as this is the reason why we celebrate Easter....the Savior's resurrection! Can't wait until its done so I can hear it all together!

Abby's baptism song

I got Abby's baptism song on the site as well as a recording of her singing it. She is so cute!! I love it. She really loved being able to sing, and I love being able to share this with everyone. It is called I Want to Be With My Savior Again. Take a listen!

The cantata has officialy been started

So I finished my first song for the cantata yesterday. It is a song that talks about what Mary Magdalene felt when she found the Saviors body gone from the tomb and then when she sees the Savior in the garden. It is written as a soprano solo and  I am really excited about it. When I get the final copy all done, I will post it to my site. It always takes me a while to get it looking exactly the way I want it to look. I can't wait to get started on the next song.....don't know what it will be yet, but I have an idea of how I want the cantata to go, so I will get working on the next song in the next few days.

Another project that I just finished today is a song for my daughter. I have always liked the idea that Sally DeFord had to write all of her kids a song when they were baptized. Sally always has the best ideas, doesn't she? Anyways, I wrote a song today called I Want to Be With My Savior Again. My daughter turns 8 in May. This is our first 8 year old (I can't believe how old I am getting!!). We are so excited for her to be baptized, and I am so proud of her for making this decision. She talks about it all of the time and can hardly wait. This song talks about all we need to do in this life to be able to return to live with our Savior again. The reason why I thought it would be a good song for her, is that she has always been so incredibly obedient. We have never had to worry about her, she always does exactly what she is supposed to do. She really keeps us on our toes. I know that she will always do what she needs to do in order to live with her Savior again. Thanks Abby!! You are the best. I am going to have her learn it, then have her sing and record it to put on the site. She is excited about this. Her big debut!

Easter

I really love the music that goes along with Easter. I love how it focuses on our Savior and the incredible sacrifice he made for all mankind. I wrote an arrangement a few weeks ago that my ward choir is going to sing for Easter. It is an arrangement of the hymn, "How Great the Wisdom and the Love". I added one more verse at the end with words taken from the hymn "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". I really hope this helps people feel of the importance of the Savior in their lives.

I am also really grateful to have a ward choir that will humor me and let me use them as guinea pigs. They are always the first ones to try out a lot of my arrangements, and then let me make changes before putting them on my site. Thanks guys!!

So my latest project idea is to write an Easter cantata. I grew up in Sally DeFords ward (which is still the same ward when I go home to visit the fam), and I always remember every year looking forward to Sally's cantatas. I had the privilege of playing the piano for some of them. She is truly amazing, and it is such an honor knowing her. Anyways....I was just talking to my mom the other day about how she has been going to cantata practices with Sally, and the idea came to me that I would love for my stake to be able to do something like this. So, I have no idea if the stake is going to do it, but I have started writing a cantata for next Easter in hopes that someone will be able to use it. If anything, I have been learning so much as I have been focusing on reading Jesus the Christ by Talmage, and the scriptures. My life has truly been blessed already with a new understanding of what my Savior did for me, and the feelings of those people that were closest to Him. This has definitely been keeping me busy.

I will keep you posted on how it is going!

My first post

The idea came to me the other day that I should start a blog about my music writing. I have had so many incredible experiences that have strengthened my testimony, and then these experiences are forgotten as life gets busy and I get busy doing other things. I wish I would have started this a long time ago.

So, better late than never.

Here goes....

I just finished writing I Will Stand as a Witness for the Young Women in our ward. They will be singing it at their New Beginnings. It was a challenge to fit all of the values into one song, but when it was done, I sure felt good about it. I really like the fact that when I start writing a song, I usually find myself in my scriptures, and in frequent prayer, pleading for the right words to come. Then, they always do. Thats the miracle....they ALWAYS do. I feel so blessed as I receive the inspiration for these songs.
I can't wait to hear the Young Women sing it. I will let you know how it goes.

I don't have anything currently in the works, but I have had an idea floating through my head and a little melody. So, in the next few days, when I find time, I will start writing it. Thats always the tricky part...finding the time. My kids really keep me on my toes, and I love it. I am also trying to get more recordings on my site. I have had many many people tell me that it would be a lot easier for them if they could just hear the songs. So, with my very amateur recording capabilities, I am making recordings (they are not wonderful by any means) that will hopefully let you decide if you like it or not.

Well, I am glad you visited this blog. Now, hopefully I will keep up on it. As always, I love to hear from anyone and everyone about experiences they may have had with my music. Leave a comment or send me an email. I will do my best to respond.