I've been behind on posting news, so let's do some catch up - one month at a time. 

Let's start with January...

Once again I had the opportunity to be a judge for the annual Gulf Coast Steinway Society Concerto Competition. It's always enjoyable to see these young performers (Middle School, High School and Collegiate level) and encouraging to know that great teaching is still alive and well. It was different this year, of course. Live performers were masked, there was no live audience (thankful for streaming options!) and although some competitors performed in person, others participated live via Zoom. I appreciate the GCSS's commitment to providing this opportunity in a pandemic year and looking forward to a return to a more normal event next year. For information on the 2022 competition, go to the GCSS website: gulfcoaststeinwaysociety.org

It's always good to look back at the year we are leaving - even 2020...in all of it's *glory* - and think about the connections and interactions we've had with other people during that time. (Everything important in life ultimately comes down to people and not stuff, right?) For me, it's interesting to see how this website (which I know is, like me, NOT really a big deal) has managed to connect with thousands of people all over the world. I've had visits from people in 43 different countries this year. Most hits have been from the US, of course - though my Brazilian friends have come in a pretty close 2nd, particularly when it comes to listening to music! I do wonder how many of you EVEN FOUND this site, if you discovered anything of value, if you were encouraged or inspired in some way...all those sorts of questions. Whatever the answer, I'm grateful that you stopped by. You have reminded me that our world really is quite small and deeply interconnected at many levels. I hope that you will come again and pray that you will indeed find something to lift your spirits and perhaps enhance your personal, academic or ministry related music worlds. 

Until then, may you have a blessed New Year and may the peace of our Lord be at work in your heart and life in 2021.~~~Steve Dunn

I was given the great treat yesterday of participating in a surprise Christmas "gift" presentation - virtually, of course. The members of the Trinity Baptist Church Orchestra in Raleigh, North Carolina, commissioned me to create an orchestra arrangement as a gift to their Worship/Music Pastor, Mr. Steve Byers. The arrangement is of the old American hymn tune "NETTLETON", which most know as "Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" - one of Steve's favorite hymns. They surprised him during a group Zoom call and allowed me to be a guest for the presentation. It was incredibly heart warming to see the love each of these individuals have for one another and an honor to be part of the process. 

A premiere performance will have to wait, of course, until the pandemic subsides enough for groups to safely gather, rehearse and perform - something for ALL of us to look forward to sometime this next year. For all commissions that I fulfill, I grant exclusive usage of the work to the commissioning individual or group for a period of time up to a year. So this piece will be publicly available for purchase late in 2021.

Now that Thanksgiving is past here in the US - though the extra pounds will take a while longer - it is "officially" the Christmas season. (I know, many stores have had Christmas decorations up or on display for two months now...but still...) My tradition here on SDunnMusic.com for many years has been to move all of my available Christmas recordings to the front of the site wide audio player. At the bottom of any page, you can find the player and press "Play" for almost an hour's worth of Christmas music. Most of these are recordings of pieces available in print for orchestra, choir, string quartet and small, mixed ensemble. Some of the pieces are not available for purchase (like "Sleigh Ride" - which is a long story - and a couple of pieces written for and recorded by the Celtic group, Welsh Revival, for example); but everything is available for listening. I do hope you enjoy it AND I hope you'll share it with others. Merry Christmas!

There has been less "happening" to talk about and share during this time of global pandemic, so I thought I'd bring back something from a few years past. This was part of a video series from the University of Mobile, where I teach, featuring faculty on various topics of interest to them. I hope this will be of interest to you and, perhaps, be a point of some thinking and conversation. Hang in there during these challenging times! 

I am happy to announce the addition of two new works for Wind Band now available here at sdunnmusic.com! You can hear recordings of both pieces here: https://sdunnmusic.com/concert-band-works.

First of all, we have "Morning Song" - a beautiful setting for solo flute and band of a 200+ year old Appalachian folk hymn. This was commissioned and premiered by retired flute professor Robert Pritchard with the University of Mobile Symphonic Winds, in October, 2019, and it was a really lovely moment. The band parts are a musical challenge more than a technical challenge (about Grade 3), though the solo part requires a good player. 

Next we have "John Henry", which was written for our annual University of Mobile Honor Band held in February of this year. (I compose a piece for that group of high school students to premiere every year...and students can sign up for 2021 starting in August at umobile.edu/honorband.) 

"John Henry" is the 5th and final installment in an ongoing "American Legends" concert band series. You can "hear" John Henry's name in the opening motif, listen to the chant of a railroad crew laying down track (sung by members of the band), then follow the contest between him and a steam powered drilling machine. Dramatic and exciting stuff. Grade 3+

As part of the University of Mobile's "Faculty At Home" series during the current Covid-19 quarantine, here is an installment in the Alabama School Of The Arts "Ask Me Anything!" interview series. This is a replay of a Facebook Live video where we discuss Composing, Arranging, Conducting and Dad Jokes. Enjoy!

This isn't new, but I found this video of the Brazilium String Quartet playing an arrangement of the hymn, "Saviour, Like A Shepherd Lead Us" that I wrote some years ago now. It is part of the series Stringscapes, Vol. 1, which I arranged for Lillenas Publishing Company and which may be purchased through Lorenz (https://www.lorenz.com/instrumental/small-groups/stringscapes-vol-1). They do a nice job here!

It has taken quite a while, but I am pleased to announce that an online/credit card payment option is now available for music sold at Sdunnmusic.com! For all instrumental works we sell, you may add that work to your shopping cart, purchase it through PayPal and then download the PDF files. 

For choral works, you will still need to contact me (steve@sdunnmusic.com). There does not yet seem to be a clear way to set the required 5 copy purchase minimum in the store parameters; so we'll still have to take care of that one the old-fashioned way. I'm sorry for that inconvenience.

You do always, of course, have the option of contacting me directly (again, it's steve@sdunnmusic.com) if you wish to pay by check. I can send the files and an invoice very quickly. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions or issues of any kind. We want to make this as easy and accurate as possible.

For the third consecutive year, I will have the privilege of being part of the Concerto Judging Panel for the Gulf Coast Steinway Society's 2020 Music Competition for Piano and Instrumental Concerto, January 18, 2020. This is the fifth annual competition for the solo category and the third year for the concerto competition. It is always a treat to hear these young people (middle school, high school and collegiate divisions) present wonderful musical offerings - and a treat to hear them again each September as the winners perform with the professional GCSS Orchestra.  

https://gulfcoaststeinwaysociety.org/student%20competitions.htm