CASA Arrangement library
Joachim Van Brandt
reason was to take advantage of the arrangement library.
I'd like to know what experiences people have had with the library. For example, how
long does it take to get the arrangements, how good and how easy/difficult are the
arrangements. I suppose I will email the librarian and ask if it is possible to find
out ranges.
Also, I noticed there is an arranger code for each arrangement. Is there any way to
find out who these codes belong to, or are these helpful at all?
Thanks in advance!
--
_________________________________________
Joachim Van Brandt, jvan...@wam.umd.edu
Co-Musical Director, UMD Kol Sasson
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1178
ICQ: 4170700 - AIM Screen Name: joachimvb
Helen Phare
It took months and months (about four from memory) and many reminders for the arrangments
to arrive and when they did the quality was extremely poor. I'd expressed a preference
for gospel but instead got hokey Christmas novelty songs; most were so messily
hand-written as to be illegible and of those that I thought might be worth approaching
only one worked musically. All in all very amateurish.
Helen Phare
S. Brooks
My experience was much the same. It took a long time to get what I ordered.
I did, however receive the numbers I wanted, but like you, was not happy
with the shape that they arrived. I'm used to having readable sheet music
and most of mine ended up being very sloppy.
Scott Brooks
Deke Sharon
>long does it take to get the arrangements,
We has problems earlier this year, but since then have scanned all the charts
into PDF format, and have been emailing them. We say that it takes about 2
weeks, but most people have been getting them sooner than that.
>how good and how easy/difficult
>are the arrangements.
Quality is subjective, of course, but I can answer that by saying "mixed." No
terrible arrangements are in there, but there are some that are just OK - we
don't view the arrangement library as merely a place for perfect arrangements;
it's the only place in the world to get a cappella arrangements of many of the
1400 titles in there, and as such we believe it's better in some cases to have
something rather than nothing at all.
Many of our members use the arrangements for study purposes, and/or as a
stepping stone to their own chart, making the OK arrangements useful.
And there are plenty of good, great, and amazing charts as well!
As for ease or difficulty, that too is subjective. A barbershop or close
harmony arrangement may be difficult for a vocal band, etc. In general, the
more vocal parts, the more difficult, but that's only a rough guideline.
>I suppose I will email the librarian and ask if it is possible
>to find out ranges.
That's not listed anywhere, I'm afraid. Maybe one day we'll get around to that
- it's a large project (listing vocal ranges for every part in every
arrangement, with up to 12 parts per arrangement).
>Also, I noticed there is an arranger code for each arrangement. Is there
>any way to find out who these codes belong to, or are these helpful at all?
In our latest directory, we list arranger's name and the first group to perform
the arrangement. This directory isn't up on the web site yet, as it's still
being updated, but we can email the latest copy to anyone interested. :)
D The House Jacks @ http://www.housejacks.com
E American Vybe @ http://www.americanvybe.com
K A Cappella Arranging @ http://www.casa.org/uaas
E Contemporary A Cappella Society @ http://www.casa.org
Deke Sharon
>and most of mine ended up being very sloppy.
We're sorry about this. The arrangement library does not include arrangements
of any songs that are commercially available (we don't want to take money away
from anyone publishing a cappella music), and started back before computer
notation. As a result, many of the charts are handwritten.
We've taken the cleanest copy we can find, and scanned it in to insure there
will be no further loss of quality when we either email or print and scan a
copy for members.
Nonetheless, there are some sloppy handwritten charts, and with each we've had
to make a decision between "offer this song in this form, or don't offer this
song at all." As mentioned in my previous post, almost all songs in the CASA
arrangement library are not available in an a cappella arrangement anywhere.
The percentage of charts that are sloppy or hard to read are few, but it's
still possible to have an order contain a fair number of them (since we have
1400). If you, or anyone else, is unhappy with the legibility of an
arrangement, we'd be happy to replace it with a different chart.
Most of the new songs we're adding to the library each year are computer
notated, so the percentage chances of this happening decrease over time. :)
jes...@ecn.ab.ca
: My experience of the CASA arrangement library about a year ago was very
: disappointing.
Since Helen was probably only the first of many people to want to (quite
legitimately!) post something like this, I thought I'd get it over with:
CASA is in the process of revamping the library system. With the help of
(oh, I KNOW I'm going to get this wrong or forget someone...) Volker
Bauer (CASA Germany), Janine Skinner (CASA AZ), Jeff Liebknecht (CASA ...
MD? Also email-meister) and the lovely lady with the scanner, Kahlene
Oh-at-3am-I-can't-remember-how-to-spell-your-last-name, the ENTIRE CASA
arrangements library is being scanned in.
That means, rather than waiting months for order fulfilment, your orders
(when everything is done, and 1,200+ arrangements are a lot to scan in)
will simply be emailed to you. We are also setting up a multi-tiered
system where, if one person with a CDR of arrangements is unavailable, the
next person will step in and handle the order. We also have one person
who'll handle the paper-copies for the people who don't have email.
Also: CASA has been through two arrangements librarians in the last year.
The people most of ... well, anyone who ordered arrangements more than
about two months ago, the people they dealt with are gone.
In other words, the short version: We're modernizing the system and
replacing the staff to avoid the problems Helen and others have had! Deke
can better say than I could what the expected ETA on the new system is -
all I know is "ASAP." :)
'ka
--
Varsity Vocals: The National * The Contemporary A Cappella News
Championship of Collegiate * concert calendar. DEC 25 deadline
A Cappella. Shows start in Jan '01. * for FEB/MAR dates. Open to any
http://www.varsityvocals.com/ncca * a cappella concert, *anywhere*
amylee
library system, i think that something should be said for those who worked
around the clock trying to satisfy everyone with the old system. i don't think
it is fair to hang so much blame on the two past librarians who were working
hard with an outdated method of delivery, especially since the number of orders
got so demanding.
i volunteered plenty of time trying to help the second of these past
librarians, as did many of our friends and family, trying to make these orders
happen, as jessika says, asap. no one seems to realize that these arrangements
are often several pages apiece, and each order is numbered twelve to
twenty-four per, and these pages had to be photo-copied one page at a time once
they were located from their haphazardly alphabetized manilla file folders that
lay in stacks on the office floor.
what i am trying to get across is that i don't think it is fair, or
particularly appreciative, to celebrate the fact that the past librarians are
'gone' when they both tried very hard to help the cause. i know first hand how
time consuming filling the orders the old way was. the time delay in some of
your orders was not in anyway for lack of effort.
'bring me the sun, cause i'll slide off the moon'
AJ
>had
>to make a decision between "offer this song in this form, or don't offer this
>song at all."
Theoretically, (since I suspect a large portion of CASA members now use
computer notation) there might be kind souls out there willing to spend some
time computerizing the handwritten charts. I don't know at this point whether I
could volunteer myself, but I simply wish to throw this out as a possible
solution.
~~~AJ
"Yes, I believe that, in the proper context, a pencil can be viewed as art."
jes...@ecn.ab.ca
: Theoretically, (since I suspect a large portion of CASA members now use
: computer notation) there might be kind souls out there willing to spend
: some time computerizing the handwritten charts. I don't know at this
: point whether I could volunteer myself, but I simply wish to throw this
: out as a possible solution.
AJ
Be careful!
Many CASA staff learned early on that if we suggest tasks in front of
Deke, we end up appointed to run them... :)
'ka (who, you'd think, has been with CASA long enough to have stopped
suggesting!)
Deke Sharon
>computer notation) there might be kind souls out there willing to spend
>some
>time computerizing the handwritten charts. I don't know at this point whether
>I
>could volunteer myself, but I simply wish to throw this out as a possible
>solution.
It's an excellent solution, and one we've considered and pursued.
The problem (as you guessed) is that we haven't had any luck finding people to
actually do the conversion. Unless you're very fluent with a notation program,
it takes a couple hours or so per arrangement.
It seems to be easier for us to get newer, computer notated arrangements to add
to the library, and even to add some electronic files in Finale or Midi format
(a new branch of the library that Paul's been working on).
Of course, if anyone out there reading this is interested in donating some time
to computer notate arrangements, just let me know. :)
Lil Lamb
>>some
>>time computerizing the handwritten charts.
Actually, some of the 'value' of these less than pristine charts are the
performance notes (and cute artwork) by the arrangers. It's been fun for me to
read the notes and messages in the margins as I've scanned a large part of the
library.
>
>Of course, if anyone out there reading this is interested in donating some
>time
>to computer notate arrangements, just let me know. :)
Not to discourage anyone, but knowing how long it's taken me to scan this puppy
with a high speed, self feeding scanner.....be prepared to donate a major chunk
of time!!!!!
kahlene
>