The 2015 ACDA National Conference Post Two

Continuing today with post number two leading up to the ACDA National Conference in Salt Lake City which starts next Wednesday.

On Thursday morning next week  I will have pieces on two reading sessions. I'll start off at the children's choir reading session (chaired by Cheryl DuPont) where my arrangement of  "Clap Your Hands" (SA/piano/opt glockenspiel) is on the session. I will be conducting this piece, which I found in Ruth Crawford Seeger's American folk song collection from around 1940 (Seeger was a gifted modern composer and the mother of Pete Seeger). The tune is "Old Joe Clark" but the words are about clapping your hands, tapping your feet, and other such fun stuff. After I finish this piece I will have to run off to the women's choir session where I also have a piece represented. Dear children's choir directors- I'm not being rude when I run off- just trying to be in two places at once, basically.

There is a sweet little glockenspiel part (optional) which gives the piece some added sparkle. And you know, sparkliness is important!

Clap Your Hands       Cat HL00123567  $2.25 Series: Henry Leck Creating Artistry Publisher: Hal Leonard 2-Part w piano (tambourne, optional glockenspiel) Arranger: Paul Carey Clap, stomp, shake and sing this lively variant of the American folk tune! With rhythmic twists, percussion and movement suggestions, this is a fun treble chorus showstopper that will be a fantastic closer for elementary, middle school and children's choirs.

This was my first piece in Henry Leck's Creating Artistry series. Henry is such a great guy and such an influential conductor over the past thirty or so years. I'm honored that he has included some of my music in his series.


Here is a youtube video of the piece, recorded by Courtney Connelly and her wonderful choir At the time, the piece was still in manuscript. There are some slight differences from the final published version. s far as learning moments - this piece is highly syncopated, yet feels very natural. I think the piece also gives kids a chance to do some handclapping and so on and learn to not rush these percussive elements. I am always shocked at how much rushing happens during pieces like this. In fact, I usually shy away form writing in claps and so on-- but I went ahead and gave it a shot on this piece.

If you are in Salt Lake City I hope you can come to this reading session next Friday morning!