Social Distancing for me will include some extra time to arrange music, and I’m incredibly excited to get started on some new vocal arrangements thanks to the new class of public domain songs in 2020. If you’re an arranger, I encourage you to do the same – check out this Wikipedia page to get started. Songs published in 1924 are now in public domain, which includes songs like:
- Little Jazz Bird, Fascinating Rhythm, The Man I Love, Lady Be Good, and a number of other pieces from George and Ira Gershwin.
- Tea For Two by Vincent Yeomans and Irving Caesar.
- What’ll I Do, by Irving Berlin.
- It Had To Be You, by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn.
and, of course, many, many other songs that have been part of the jazz standard repertoire.
We have just now begun to have a collection of songs that are part of the jazz repertoire and are not subject to copyright – a great opportunity for writers who enjoy arranging these classic songs. I’m looking forward to digging into this newly free repertoire, and to simultaneously begin to learn how to use Dorico, which I have just installed on my computer.
Take advantage of the distancing and the newly available music to make your own art!