The perfect Christmas carol arrangement doesn't exist.
Until you write it.
Three days. One Christmas carol. An arrangement that finally sounds the way you've always heard it in your head.
Write Yours This JulyYou've looked for it.
In the music store. In the online catalogs. In the stacks of arrangements other harpists have published. You've played versions you respect, versions you enjoy, versions that get you through the December gigs. But somewhere, you've been waiting for the one — the arrangement that makes this carol sound the way it's always sounded in your head.
It hasn't shown up yet. It isn't going to.
Because the arrangement you've been looking for is the one only you could write.
In three focused days this July, we'll write it together.
The arrangement you've been hearing in your head - finally on the page.
Complete. Notated. Yours.
The Plan:
Before We Begin — Musescore Setup Call
Friday, July 10th at 10:30AM Eastern
Before the music begins, we quiet the tech fears. By the time Day 1 opens, Musescore will feel familiar, your file will be ready, and the only thing in front of you will be the work that actually matters — the music.
Sketching Your Ideas
Monday, July 20th at 11AM Eastern
Today we make the first decisions — the ones that turn an idea you've been almost-hearing into a shape on the page. By the time Day 1 closes, your arrangement exists. It is rough. It is yours. And that is the beginning of everything.
Building the Structure
Wednesday, July 22nd at 11AM Eastern
A sketch is a promise. Day 2 is when we keep it. We give your arrangement shape and arc — a beginning that earns attention, sections that build on one another, an ending that lands. By the time we close, the music you began with feels like a real piece. Because it is.
Adding the Magic
Friday, July 24th at 11AM Eastern
Every detail you add today is a signature. The glissando that surprises. The dynamic that breaks open the climax. The harmonic that hangs in the air for half a beat too long. These are the choices that turn an arrangement into your arrangement — the ones that, when you play this piece in December, will make you smile.
Plus, a bonus you'll treasure:
Anne will be creating her own arrangement of the same three carols alongside you. When the challenge ends, you'll receive Anne's completed arrangement as a thank-you for joining - yours to play, study, or perform.
This challenge is for the harpist who…
- has been hearing an arrangement in her head she hasn't yet written down
- has flipped through the same arrangements year after year, looking for the right one
- is ready to stop being only an interpreter
- wants a December that feels different from the last ten
- is willing to give herself three days to find out what she can do
You do not need a composition background, advanced theory, or prior Musescore experience. I'll teach you everything we use.
You vote, we play:
Before the challenge begins, registered participants will vote to choose the three carols we'll arrange. Your voice shapes the challenge.
