This piece is written progressing through the Circle of Fifth's or Cycle 5.  Grace was inspired to write this in the midst of writing a piece in the style of J.S. Bach's Inventions for Dr. Sutton's Canon and Fugue Class at Kansas State University.  In 2012, she transcribed the melody line for clarinet and piano, which she performed with Mr. James Eisenhower, clarinetist, in the Washington, D.C. area for The Woodbridge Music Club and The National League of American Pen Women.

Vinnie Ream - Grace Reid's original piano solos

Theme in D Minor

Grace wrote this piece while her father was deployed as a Chaplain during the first Gulf War, under President George H. W. Bush.  Since he was deployed to Babylon, modern day Iraq, Psalm 137 really spoke to her.  Although this is the piano version, the original version she wrote for Baritone and Piano, was performed by Grace and her husband at the Woodbridge Music Club's Composer's Concert in November of 2012.

By the Rivers of Babylon

While sitting down for an hour and half just writing down musical ideas on manuscript paper with a pencil, the initial motive jumped out to me and I knew I had to develop this idea further.  So, I did.  Then came then next part when the left hand takes over the melody while the right hand plays a counter melody.  Then it's goes back to the beginning motive again.  As you guessed, it's an ABA form.  I entered it into a composition contest for the NLAPW.  Although I didn't win any prizes, this is probably one of my favorite melodies.  The reason I called it Genesis is because this is where it all began.

Genesis

The 3rd Movement, "A Scottish Dance," was created to honor Vinnie's Scottish mother with a festive folk song as it might have been performed by a small country band of fiddlers, drummers, and dancers.  The movement builds in intensity with a repetitive motive until it ends on an interval of a Major seventh.  Although the Major seventh is a dissonant interval, it is a satisfying end to my ears for this country dance.

Vinnie Ream:  A Scottish Dance, 3rd Movement

A Collage Piece:  My compositional process was to first choose the speech.  I chose Dr. Martin Luther King's, "A Letter from a Birmingham Jail," because it addresses many of the same issues we face today.  Then, I listened to it over and over and over again.  I highlighted key phrases to bring out in my music.  Then, I copied and pasted those phrases onto my music.  Then I decided how long I wanted my song to last, which was 2 minutes, so I set the markers accordingly.  Then I stumbled upon the drum sound that I liked.  Then, I copied and pasted it throughout the entire song.  Then, I recorded myself playing the piano part to go in the background, although it might be too busy. I don't want the piano part to obscure the words of King's speech.  This is a letter that Martin Luther King wrote to the local, Birmingham clergymen who believed that the timing of the protests were wrong and unChristian.  However, King crushed their argument with this cordial and well written letter in reply as he sat in jail for no good reason.

A Letter From A Birmingham Jail

I wrote this song many years ago and developed it by adding instrumentation and more lyrics for a class assignment for Berklee Online College of Music.  After writing all of the parts out on manuscript paper, I recorded myself singing, playing, and sequenced it all into Ableton Live.

More Of Your Love By Grace Joy Reid

I wrote this short soul groove for an arranging class for Berklee Online.  My son helped me write the words, which are, "I am cooking' red beans and rice, ahhh, It's smelling' pretty and nice, Ohhh, I've added too much hot spice, whoah, I'm drinking milk tonight, Oh no."

My Own Soul Groove I'm Cookin' Beans & Rice

RR Piano Music for Saturday edited 1.29.2021

Spring Score Final by Grace Joy Reid January 31.2021

I wrote this song to honor my mom, who is from the Visayan Islands in the Philippines.

Visayan Serenade by Grace Joy Reid 1986

Composer - Pianist - Teacher - ASCAP MEMBER - B.A. Music from Kansas State University - Biola University - Berklee College of Music - Delian Society member - NACUSA - Women in Jazz, South Florida - NLAPW - WMC - McLean Symphony - Reston Community Orchestra - SRPC - Choir Director - Creator of Music Programs - NCKP presenter - Hymn Arranger - Composer of original music for a local theatre production company -  and an accompanist for Opera Singers, and local church choirs/churches.

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