For privacy reasons, Yahoo!Groups won't let me modify your membership information or your e-mail address. Here's an easy way to change your address with them:

Subscribe your new address here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DeFord_Music_Update/join

...and remove your old one by sending an e-mail from the address you wish to unsubscribe to DeFord_Music_Update-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

If the address you wish to unsubscribe is no longer a valid e-mail address, don't worry--it will be deleted automatically.

Some things you may do with this music:

--You may make as many copies of the scores as you need provided you are not reselling them.
--You may store the free downloadable MP3 files, and copy and share them with family and friends.
--You may download the MP3s and burn CDs for personal use. If you wish to use the MP3 files for mass distribution to classes, organizations, Christmas cards, etc., see the "Can I copy and share your recordings?" section below.
--You may include the lyrics on printed programs.
--You may reprint the music on printed programs for congregational singing.
--You may use the accompaniment tracks to produce your own recordings for personal use. Please see the "Questions About Recordings" section for further information.
--You may perform this music royalty-free for church, school, or community events, including those for which there is an admission charge..
--You may use the scores for music lessons, provided the only charge to students for the scores is the cost of printing or copying.

--You may not print copies for commercial sale.
--You may not burn or copy CDs for commercial sale.
--You may not alter or arrange lyrics or music. See "Can I Arrange Your Music?" for more details.
--You may not produce commercial recordings for public sale of this music without permission. See the "Questions About Recordings" section for further information.

Here's a short rundown on some of the software I use:

Music Notation: The notation program used for most of the scores on this site is Personal Composer. Visit them on the web at www.pcomposer.com. Their site contains a downloadable demo version that is fully functional with only one exception--you can't save your work. A few scores were produced using Finale--there won't be more, and the only ones available in that format are marked on the individual song pages. I guess it's just the renegade in me, but I'm not big on Finale. One of these days I'll do a "My Take" on these two programs and compare them for you. One of these days.

PDF Creation: Try the Cute PDF Writer. It's free. Free is good.

Audio Playback: For MP3 playback and encoding, and for ripping CDs, try the QCD Player. A most excellent player/encoder--the best I've found. I actually prefer older versions (mine is 4.51) before they decided to compete with Windows Media Player and got unnecessarily complicated.

HTML Editors: I use Adobe's Dreamweaver. My only complaint is that, like all Adobe software, it's constantly trying to update your world.

Browsers: Well, I like Firefox but lately it's become slow-loading and I think it's outgrown itself. I've switched to Chrome, and though I wasn't thrilled with it when I tried it a year or so ago, I really like what they've done with it since.

Sequencing: I'm using Steinberg's Cubase. It's pricey, but nowhere near the price of ProTools, and it does exactly what I want so I'm happy.

If you would like to translate any of the songs on this site into a non-English language, feel free. If you e-mail me your translation I can make it available to others on my Translations page.

I'm not a publisher, and I just don't have the time to offer feedback on original music. Please do not send me scores for publishing, arranging, voicing or notation, or for critique or feedback.

I do, however, accept and post user-submitted programs in text format as a resource for other site users. If you have programs you have put together for Christmas, Easter, Relief Society, or other holidays or functions, I'd love to post them to my user submission pages. Please be sure your submission does not violate copyrights, and include as much information on the music as possible (composers and publishers are especially helpful) so others can find it. If the music is your original material, please indicate how the scores may be obtained. I prefer MSWord documents, but plain text in the body of an e-mail works too.

Do you have...

...other songs that aren't available here?
...instrumental scores that aren't listed here?
...scores for the accompaniments used in the recordings?
...guitar chords for your music?
...recordings that aren't listed on your recordings page?
...MIDI files?
...etc. :)

The long answer: Everything I have ready for public consumption is available here on the website. I always have a few things in the works, and they'll be posted when they've been subjected to sufficient worry, husbandly critique, editing and proofreading. I tend to be a perfectionist (though I never hit perfection) and I fuss over things for quite awhile before they're ready to post. Who was it that said, "Do your best... that's bad enough..." ??? ;)

The long and short of it: If you don't find it here on the site, it's not available.

Well, mostly out of my pocket, but I use the few dollars I make on audio CDs and the Site DVD to subsidize my habit. I do not solicit or accept donations. I accept some text-only advertising, provided it's relevant and of interest to my site users. I don't do banner/graphic/flash etc. ads. They slow things down too much.

Running a site like this does cost a bit, but if you're thinking of creating your own, don't be discouraged! Some of the free web hosts will work just fine until the size of your site gets out of control... ;)

The way this site looks to you will be determined to a great degree by your own browser settings, but here are a few handy general hints that will make exploring here easier:

--The right (as in, "not left") mouse button is your friend. The popup menu that appears changes depending on the context, allowing you all sorts of choices: you can save linked files to your drive; you can copy a link to paste into an e-mail; you can add a link to your bookmarks... you can do many clever things, all with the right mouse button. Try it. You'll like it!

--Ctrl+f is a great little combination. (I believe it's Command+f on a Mac. :) Translated, it means "find on this page the text I am about to type." For instance, if you were looking for the word "hippopotamus" on this page, you could hold down the Ctrl button (bottom left of your keyboard) and press "f" at the same time, and a little box would pop up, allowing you to type the word "hippopotamus," for which it would then search, finding it exactly twice.

Short question... long answer. Grab a soda. First, you'll need to get your music into a format that is accessible by the majority of web users. I use PDF because almost everyone has a PDF Reader already (unless they're still running a Compy 386). You'll need either Adobe's full-blown Acrobat program (a bit pricey) to produce the PDF files, or a freebie that works for you. Other formats can work as well--people have used .jpg files, Finale files (which have to be read with proprietary Finale software), Personal Composer files (for which you need the Personal Composer demo freebie), and various and sundry other formats.

After you have your music in a share-able (another made up word I think) format, you'll need to concoct a web site to make it accessible to others. HTML isn't really too difficult if you want a simple site. More complicated features on a site will require more knowledge and work. I keep mine very simple because I don't have the time or inclination to add all the gadgets, and I don't think that's what my site visitors are after anyway. If basic HTML scares you, a Google search for "html editor" will give you a staggering number of options.

Next, you'll need a place on the web to store your pages. This is called a "host." There are many hosting companies out there, some good, some bad, some cheap, some pricey. If you're just starting out, you might want to look for one with a web-based uploader (the tool you use to get those pages you created from your computer to the host's computer). If you're familiar with FTP, you won't need to worry about that. Once again, just Google "web hosts" or something similar, and you'll get plenty of options.

That's really all there is to the basic site. If you add audio files, you'll also need to think about how to host those. If you use your web site host, audio files will chew up a lot of data transfer (the bytes your host sends to the users that click your links) and you could end up paying quite a bit for it. Soundclick is a good option if you're looking for a low-cost audio host. There are plenty of other online music services out there--again, just Google it.

There are many other fun things that can be added to your site if you're interested. (I'm not, but you may be!) By the way, if you want to see the Cadillac of sheet music download methods, check out the Interactive Music Player (hymn playback/transpose/print functions) at lds.org. Nice!

All of the scores on this site are available as PDF files. PDF stands for "Portable Document Format." You need a PDF Reader to read/print files in this format. Most computers these days have a PDF reader installed already. (You might want to occasionally check for updates though--most of the printing problems people have with the sheet music is caused by using very old PDF readers.) Music in this format can't be transposed.

.mus is a proprietary format used by the Finale family of products. To read/print these files you can use their free reader. Files in this format can be transposed if you have purchased one of their Finale products. Only a few files on this site are currently available in this format, and no more will be added.

.pc is a proprietary format of the Personal Composer program. To read/print these files you can use their free Personal Composer Demo. Files in this format can be easily transposed. Most files are available in this format.

Files for each song are available only in the formats linked on the individual song pages.

I can't provide transpositions of individual songs on demand--I have to sleep sometime--but there are a couple of options that may help:

You can download the demo version of Personal Composer from their website. This demo will allow you to transpose the .pc files linked on the song pages into any key you like.

For the few scores that are available in .mus format, transpositions can be done using any version of Finale products. If no .mus file is listed, the song is not available in that format.

Notes:

--The Personal Composer demo will not allow you to save your changes. Be sure you print your transposition before you close the program.
--The Personal Composer demo prints a small watermark on your pages. (This is much less obnoxious than in the olden days. If you're still using an older version of the downloadable demo, it's worth your time to get the new one.)
--Any fonts used in the score that aren't installed on your computer will revert back to your system default. You may want to change them, or download the missing font and install it on your computer.
--See the Personal Composer help file for transposition instructions.
--The Personal Composer demo works on pc only. If you're on a Mac, I unfortunately still can't do your transposition for you--hopefully a local friend can help.
--Please do not distribute transpositions beyond your performers. Refer interested parties to this site.

--All scores are available as PDF files. You'll need a PDF reader to view or print them. If your computer tries to open the PDF scores with something other than your PDF reader, it's probably because the file associations on your computer are incorrect. The simplest way to correct this is to just re-install your PDF reader. It is also possible to manually re-associate .pdf files, but it's a pain. :)

--Many problems are caused by using older PDF reader programs. If you're having trouble, make sure your reader is up to date.

--If you click a score link and find that the PDF shows up as gibberish, or the staff lines are missing, or the notes are little boxes, or the screen stays blank... or... or.... any number of other graphic glitches, try this:

Click the download link using your RIGHT mouse button, and choose "Save target as..." or "Save link as..." (the exact wording depends on your browser) to save the file to your drive. Open the file manually (either from the inside the PDF reader, or by double-clicking the file). This removes the browser from the loop and solves almost every graphic problem I've encountered.

Much as I wish I were as smart as the local library information desk, I'm not. (What a dilemma. If I post this, my kids will find out I don't know everything after all... hmmm.) If you're looking for sheet music by a particular composer, or a song sung by a particular singer, or a published song arranged for a particular voicing, try www.daymurraymusic.com--they seem to have just about everything, and a searchable database as well.

Unless specifically noted on the download page for a particular song or program, I do not permit arranging of the music, or altering or modification of the lyrics, with one exception:

If you would like to modify voice parts to fit your particular group of singers or instrumentalists (e.g., change SSA to SATB, etc., or score the music for instruments), you may do so provided you do not distribute the modified copies beyond your performers.

When it comes to changing my lyrics, just don't ask. (And just so you know, any e-mail I get that includes the phrase "I know you said not to ask, but..." may be pinned to my dartboard, but will not be answered.) My lyrics are sometimes less-than-masterful poetry, but they are... mine. My children... my babies... hmmm... if they were real babies I might let you change them. ;)

Since I am my own editor, mistakes do occur--more often than I'd like! If you find an error in the scores, or on any of these web pages, I would be very grateful if you'd let me know, using the e-mail address at the bottom of this page. Please include the name (or, even better, the URL) of the page on which the error occurs. Thanks so much for you help!

A few things are available to purchase from various sources. Check the "Commercial Products" page. Be aware that if these products are produced by someone other than me, they may not be copied.

CDs of some of the audio files on the site are available on the CDs page.

I cannot provide paper copies of scores via snail mail.

If there's something you would like to request, I'll be happy to hear about it. The bad news is... this is my hobby, not my paid profession. I'll add requests to my "good ideas" folder (yes, I really do keep one), and hope to get to them at some point during this millenium, or possibly the next. Please bear in mind that I rarely arrange music that is still under copyright, for which I have to obtain permission and pay royalties. (Many of the hymns in the LDS hymnbook are still under copyright.)

If you're requesting a specific voicing or harmonization for any of the music on this site, I'll also be happy to hear about it. However, (maybe that should be HOWEVER...) it isn't likely that I will get to it in a hurry, so don't depend on it if you have a deadline.

My CDs are currently manufactured and shipped by Kunaki.com, and yes, they occasionally goof. So far, I'm pleased with their over-all service... knock on wood!

If there is any problem with your order, contact them directly at CustomerService@kunaki.com. (If you contact me about it, I'll forward your message on to them, but it will add an extra step... which means extra delay.) Be sure to include your order number.

The only way I will know how they perform is from your feedback, so I'd certainly appreciate hearing your comments on them.

Some computer settings will stream all MP3 links instead of downloading them, which can cause problems when you try to save a file. If your computer streams the file when you click the "download" links provided, click the link using your RIGHT mouse button and choose "Save target as..." from the popup menu that appears.

Most of the demos I use are done by local talent (Colorado Springs area), and are recorded in my home studio. Singers outside my local area will need to have free access to studio facilities or high-quality home recording facilities. A couple of things you should know:

--I can't possibly use every singer who sends me a demo--that doesn't mean you're not talented!

--There is no money involved in this. Singers on this site do it for the love of the Lord, and a little exposure along the way.

If you're not deterred by any of the above, drop me a note using the e-mail address at the bottom of the page.

The audio files on this site are in 128mbps MP3 format. I do have a bandwidth limit, so if you want to play the same song several times, you would do me a huge favor if you'd download it and play it from your local disk.

Songs may also be played from MP3 playlists fround here.

Audio CDs contain higher-quality versions of the same recordings used for the MP3s.

If you would like to make recordings of these songs for your own personal use, and for limited distribution to family and friends, feel free. (Send me a copy! I'd love to hear you.) You're welcome to use the accompaniment tracks provided if you wish.

If you would like to make recordings of these songs for wider distribution, this is the arrangement I like best: You may use my material royalty-free, and in return you agree to allow me, should I choose to do so, to post your recording(s) to my website as streaming-only demo material for site users and to include your recording on demo CDs. (Not every recording submitted will be used.) Your name will appear as the performer, and will be linked to your website (if you have one). You will need to send a finished recording to me, either as a physical CD or 192 Kbps or higher MP3 file. This usually works out well for both of us--my site users get good quality demo material, and you get some extra publicity for your project. If that arrangement doesn't work well for you, contact me and we'll do the standard mechanical license.

If you would like to use my material on albums for commercial sale, contact me by e-mail.

This question has a three-part answer:

1) If you would like to copy and share these recordings with family and friends, feel free. Most of the recordings are freely downloadable. The ones that have no "download" link are older recordings of dubious quality that I would prefer not to have distributed.

2)If you would like to copy and distribute these recordings on a larger scale than just family and friends... for example, classes, groups, Christmas cards... let's see, what else have I heard of? Youth Conference attendees, Relief Society birthday gifts, Mother's Day ward gifts... Please copy the recordings from the DeFord Music on DVDROM Edition. The DVD includes a license for unlimited copying and distribution for non-commercial purposes. It will cost you $19.99+S&H. This does a couple of things for me: it helps to pay for the production and maintenance of this site, and it offers high enough quality MP3s to produce good audio copies.

3) If the download link for a recording has a "$" after it, there is a charge for downloading the MP3. These links take you offsite to the artist's download area. Recordings marked this way are from commercially-produced albums, and the artists need to recoup the often-astronomical costs of creating a professional CD project. These downloads are subject to the terms of the artist, and usually can't be shared.

Here's a page dedicated to showing you just how sophisticated and high-tech my facilities are. Prepare yourself to be underwhelmed. :)

Eventually. Maybe. Choral demos are harder to produce in a home studio than solo or duet renditions. There's the problem of where to put the singers, how to mic them, how to come up with enough headsets... Choral recordings done in the typical chapel aren't "present" enough to make good MP3s. Eventually I'll figure out this pretty little problem, but it would be easier if I could just win a million dollars in the McDonald's Monopoly game and build my own studio. (Anybody got a spare "Boardwalk" ?? :)

Some of the recordings you can stream here appear on commercial releases by various artists. In these cases, the artists have agreed to allow free streaming, and a ($) symbol will appear after the download link. This indicates that you will be taken to the artist's site where the MP3 is available for purchase. I appreciate the opportunity to offer the streaming links so you can hear the beautiful interpretations offered by these artists. The cost of a professionally-produced album is staggering--do these wonderful performers a favor and drop some coins in their jukeboxes!

Briefly... I was born June 10, 1959 in Eugene, Oregon, USA. I have lived in Colorado Springs, CO, since 1988 with my husband, Dennis, and our four kids--Jennifer, Holly, Amy, and Danny. I have one amazing grandson, Damien, and one amazing granddaughter, Lyric. I love to read anything I can get my hands on (provided it's reasonably well-written); I am an avid BYU sports fan; I have made dieting a life-long hobby.

There's more on the About the Composer page, but I'm afraid it's even less serious than the above. I'm hopeless. Ah well, at least there is a high-resolution picture there if you need one.

Occasionally I'm invited to do firesides, youth conference sessions, etc, and I'm happy to do that as my schedule permits. A couple of things... I'm not available at all between January 1 and Easter, and I can currently only do single-session weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) assignments, not extended workshops, weekday or multi-day events. If you would like to check on my availability, drop me a note and include your event information, location (tropical islands get first priority... kidding... unfortunately), and date/time.

No, sorry. I just don't have the time to do it. You only get so many hours in so many days and years, and you have to pick the things on which you spend them. I currently can't work in anything but trying to keep up with my own compositions.

Occasionally people ask if I can arrange their melodies (no, sorry) or produce a written score for them from an audio (a chore rather akin to cultivating your garden with a teaspoon), or write words for their melodies. I just don't have enough hours to add those things to my list at this point. Perhaps if I were the kind of genius who could write The Messiah in 7 days (or 14 or 33 or whatever the currently accepted number is) I'd be able to work it in, but... no.

Yes, people seriously want to know this. For your edification, I am including here a picture of my staff. In it you will see my manager, my sound technician, my scheduler, my data entry clerk, my HR chief, and my janitorial crew:

Her name is Tokio, and she belongs to my daughter. Anything involved in this composing/publishing/recording operation that she can't do, I do myself.

a. I'm insane
b. I'm already filthy rich
c. To spite my hard-working husband
d. I'm doing penance for the jawbreaker I shoplifted* when I was five

Okay, okay, it's none of the above, although a. might well be true. I guess it's just because I can. The Lord has placed me in circumstances that currently don't demand extra income, he has inspired the creators of technology to produce programs that I can use to publish the music without the assistance of typesetters, and he has given me a gift that I did nothing to earn. Sharing seems logical.

*And yes, I really did shoplift a jawbreaker when I was five. I took it from its place among its fellows, and held it clutched tightly in my hot little fist, intending to beg my grandmother for a nickel with which to buy it. But it fit so comfortably and felt so nice that I soon forgot it was there. By the time we left the shop it was also comfortably sticky and mutilated, and I ate it with enthusiasm, only remembering afterward that I had not paid for it. I cried for hours, but was too afraid to tell anyone and atone for my terrible misdeed. Ah, the trials of childhood.