Author Archives: Greg Scheer

Music Unites Us: Dòng máu Lạc Hồng (The Children of Lac Hong):

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Greg Scheer

Lương Chí Cường moved to America a few years ago after a successful singing career in his home country of Vietnam, even winning Vietnamese Idol. The song we chose for his collaboration with the Holland Symphony Orchestra was a rousing … Continue reading →

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Music Unites Us: Babirye

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Greg Scheer

Samuel Nalangira is a Ugandan songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has lived in West Michigan for several years. He is a consummate performer, an Adungu virtuoso, and a lovely human being. He wrote a song when his twins were born called … Continue reading →

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Music Unites Us: Sufro Por Tu Amor

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Greg Scheer

Grupo Super Nova is Cumbia band from Holland, MI, comprised of the Garcia brothers, who immigrated from Mexico when they were children. We decided on their original song, “Sufro Por Tu Amor” (“How Long Must I Suffer for Your Love?”) … Continue reading →

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Music Unites Us: Minka Variations

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Greg Scheer

The first collaboration was with Nina Tritenichenko. She sings and plays Bayan Accordion, an all-button accordion that is common throughout the world, including her home country of Ukraine. The tune she chose was “Ikhav Kozak za Dunaj” (“The Cossack Rode … Continue reading →

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Music Unites Us: Overview

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Greg Scheer

This year I was asked by the Holland Symphony Orchestra to work with four global musicians to choose and arrange a selection they would perform with the orchestra. I was thrilled: I have a lifelong interest in global music, have … Continue reading →

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Can We Begin This Again?

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Greg Scheer

Continuing the series of jazz demos I recorded with Steve Talaga, here is something a little different. “Can We Begin This Again?” is perhaps at the edges of jazz, depending on how you define jazz. It leans toward the pop … Continue reading →

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Content

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Greg Scheer

Sometimes you have to cut through all the angst and just be happy, right? This song is a light and airy pop tune whose instructions say: “Without a trace of cynicism.” Indeed, it is one of the happiest tunes I’ve … Continue reading →

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Big Bottom Blues

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Greg Scheer

This is just a quick demo of a song I introduced previously. Interestingly, shortly after Steve Talaga and I recorded this demo, I changed the key of the song to put it in a better range for the horns that … Continue reading →

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Sky Blues

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Greg Scheer

A while back, I was playing with the minor blues form. Songs like “Sugar” or “Stolen Moments” are so simple, yet seem to provide endless possibility. I actually sat down at the piano and sketched out a half dozen directions … Continue reading →

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Flutter

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Greg Scheer

After a long absence (from blog posting, not from composing), I am back with a series of new jazz tunes. You may be aware that my jazz group, Outside Pocket, just came out with an album titled Grace Notes. But … Continue reading →

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