Years passed and I went to university and studied voice performance, organ and composition. I held my first organ post those early university years (for a church that is no longer there) and have held an organ bench ever since. While I might not have written great works of music heard by millions, I have continued to write all though the years. So, my music has been heard and performed by others. It is a thrill to have other people study and perform a piece of music that you've written. Whenever anyone studies one of my pieces and talks to me about it, its as if that piece of music has taken on a life of its own. The performers often see things - patterns, motives, themes - that I didn't know I had written or hadn't heard or would never have realized on my own.
While in university, I was in the last class that required to take music manuscript as a class. This is where one learned the art of "writing" out a musical score correctly. Stem position and direction, notehead size, dynamic markings position, etc. It was anologous to learning cursive. No one teaches manuscript anymore (as most schools no longer teach cursive). I'd give my choirs handwritten scores to perform in those days.
Then computer layout software came about. Someone could do a lot with music layout software but it was never quite the same as "real" music. There is a difference between music layout and music engraving (to learn about the differences, click here). Then I learned about "lilypond", an open-source computer system that makes compiled musical scores. This system makes beautiful music (didn't I mention, like any good classical musician in America, I got a real world job as a data scientist, which is a glorified computer programmer). Lilypond is not as easy to use as using a WYSIWYGWhat You See Is What You Get layout software. Its all done in text. No fancy screens - then you have to compile - view - correct. It takes a bit to learn. So, I thought to myself: "wouldn't it be great to offer this as a service to my fellow musicians"?
Through the years, I built up quite a portfolio of music. My choirs would sing my works and other organists would play some of what I had written. And they would often say "You should get this published" - and so I tried. I'd send scores off to different publishing houses in the hopes that one of them would publish my works. Not to make money, but to have a wider audience. An author wants people to read his work, an artist wants people to see her paintings, and a composer wants people to perform his works. But the two responses that I'd often get were: 1) "Your work doesn't fit into our catalogue style" [read: too classical] , or, 2) "You don't have a big enough audience for us to take a risk on an unknown composer". So, I'm turning to my computer skills. I'm starting vonMenchhofen Urtext Editions to self-publish my works. But why stop there? There are probably a lot of people like me who write wonderful music that will not be heard by a larger audience because they aren't already famous ...
I started vonMenchhofen Urtext Editions with a two prong mission in mind:
- To bring new music into being: Music that might not otherwise be seen or heard. The art of musical engraving coupled with the use of great technology - an old art using new tools
- Allow new voices to be experienced and shared: From composers that have a limited reach for audience to a much great audience. Using an open-source concept to self-publishing.
Read though my website, and if I can assist you, please get in contact.
