Hey Alexis Ffrench fans

ShiroKuro

So how many Alexis Ffrench fans are there here? I am desperate to get the score for Miracles, but it’s not available. Tunescribers will transcribe it for $112, which is just a wee bit over my usual sheet music budget 😅

But it occurred to me that if a few other people wanted to the score, maybe we could split the cost. (I am inspired by what @Pallas has done with the upcoming zoom session).

Anyway, if you’re not familiar with Miracles, give a listen.

Pallas

ShiroKuro I have a small positive balance leftover from my event, and I would be happy to donate it to your project. Does the composer usually take FOREVER to publish his work in sheet music? I love this piece. So lovely!

Sgisela

ShiroKuro Have you tried using the Contact page on his website to see if he has plans on releasing the sheet music?

MusicMe

Sgisela I have written to him on instagram several times over the years asking when he would be publishing the sheet music to "Radiate" for solo piano, as played in his YouTube channel. One would think that when you have fans of your music asking for sheet music that it would be motivating to do so, not to mention the financial gain.

ShiroKuro

@Pallas thank you for the offer! Let's see if other folks are interested.

Re publishing his sheet music, there are some pieces of his that seem to never be released as sheet music. I'm not sure why, esp. since he does publish a huge amount of his music in score books and as individual pieces of digital sheet music

@Sgisela yes, on his contact page there are separate emails for both "management" and "publishing" and I've emailed both. No response so far...

Pallas

ShiroKuro Re publishing his sheet music, there are some pieces of his that seem to never be released as sheet music. I'm not sure why

It could be an intellectual property issue. I can't find any official sheet music for a bunch of film music I love. I have to buy pieces from hobby arrangers!

ShiroKuro

Pallas It could be an intellectual property issue.

I'm sure that happens a lot, but I don't think that's the case for Ffrench, because these are his original compositions, and I'm pretty sure Miracles hasn't been used in any film etc.

With Ffrench's September Song (an original composition, despite there being other others with the same title), he never released his own sheet music version, and at some point someone must have paid full price (i.e, $100-300) to have it transcribed, then Tunescribers started selling it (which is when I bought it) and now that version is available for sale.

Having played Sept Song, I always suspected that he improvised it and that's why he never released the sheet music.

I can't decide if Miracles sounds like it's improvised though, I kind of don't think so....

Pallas I have to buy pieces from hobby arrangers!

Are there any arrangers or websites that you use for this? (I want to make sure I'm not missing anything as I hunt around for options to get the score for Miracles...)

Pallas

ShiroKuro Are there any arrangers or websites that you use for this?

I search the piece on YouTube with "solo piano" in the query, and look for people playing the piece. If I find someone, there's a good chance you'll find a link to their website in the description box, or a link to MusicNotes or some other online sheet music dealer. They vary in quality.

I bought this guy's arrangement of the LA LA Land Reprise for solo piano:

Pallas

ShiroKuro these are his original compositions, and I'm pretty sure Miracles hasn't been used in any film etc.

He is signed with Sony Masterworks, so it's possible they're sitting on an option to license it. So maybe we will get a new Alexis Ffrench playbook next year, or maybe Sony will sit on the option forever (shades of Taylor Swift). I feel you in the desperation department. If I want a Twin Peaks playbook for solo piano, I might have to buy a self-published Japanese arrangement off of eBay for $150. 😜 I probably won't, because who knows if it's any good, but I irrationally still want it.

ShiroKuro

Ummm.... so look at this video, it certainly looks like that's sheet music on the music desk there.....

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=283202797725551

I'm gonna message him on FB too....

ShiroKuro

Umm.... So, I actually sent him a Facebook message on Sept. 23, 2023 asking him to release the score for Miracles.
😂

He (or more likely, the social media manager of his FB account) opened the message on Oct. 1 2023, but no response.

Sigh. I messaged him again just now.

In the meantime, hopefully when more people come online here, there will be more interest in chipping in....
(Also, I'm desperate, I'm gonna ask over at PW too....)

ShiroKuro

Pallas They vary in quality

That is the concern isn't it. I would want a transcription of the original, not an "arrangement." I have searched for covers of Miracles and not really found other people playing it...

Pallas

ShiroKuro Yes, it's definitely a concern. If you commission a transcription, or we do, if you crowd-fund, someone will still need to read it against the audio to make sure it's good. The transcriber could be one of my daughter's friends from college who do this kind of thing for gig work.

ShiroKuro

Pallas so it's possible they're sitting on an option to license it.

This could very well be! I wish they wouldn't sit on it though!! (cue whiny teenager voice "I want it now!" 😅

Pallas If you commission a transcription, or we do, if you crowd-fund, someone will still need to read it against the audio to make sure it's good.

When I purchased a score from Tunescribers (they had already made it, so it was $10 instead of $300!), I was able to check it myself and they changed part of it for me.

Pallas The transcriber could be one of my daughter's friends from college who do this kind of thing for gig work.

I would assume that's how most of the sites work, it's like Uber for sheet music! 😛

Pallas

ShiroKuro This could very well be! I wish they wouldn't sit on it though!! (cue whiny teenager voice "I want it now!" 😅

I know that voice! Omg, guilty! 😂

ShiroKuro

@MusicMe I'm glad I'm not the only one hounding him for sheet music! 😅

Unsteady9722

I'm interested @ShiroKuro. Though my concern is how good is the transcription service? They say it's a week turn around. I'd be willing to bet that they use an automated application that's using "AI" as a first pass and then do minor corrections. This is a bit more involved than a standard pop piece. My worry is that it's given to one of their musicians who has a 9-5 like us and isn't able to adequately transcribe the entire piece due to time, effort, skill.

Regarding why he wouldn't release it - once it's out there in sheet music, there's no control over who uploads it to Youtube, SheetMusicPlus, Musescore, etc. I imagine that the creative control over the piece is important to him/his team.

ShiroKuro

Unsteady9722 Though my concern is how good is the transcription service?

I have a Tunescribers transcript and it's ok. If we go forward, I will ask about how they do it. An "AI first pass" isn't a problem IMO, what matters is how much effort they put into polishing after that first pass!

Unsteady9722 Regarding why he wouldn't release it - once it's out there in sheet music, there's no control over who uploads it to Youtube, SheetMusicPlus, Musescore, etc.

Considering that he releases tons of sheet music for his other pieces, I would imagine that this isn't the reason. There just seem to be some pieces he hasn't released. I wish I knew why. Maybe they think this one won't sell as well so it's not worth the effort? No idea.

I would love to know how much editing his scores receive before being released.

Unsteady9722

ShiroKuro I have a Tunescribers transcript and it's ok. If we go forward, I will ask about how they do it. An "AI first pass" isn't a problem IMO, what matters is how much effort they put into polishing after that first pass!

Oh I 100% agree; I definitely have no problem with a AI first pass, but am more concerned with the time someone devotes after it, coupled with their skill. If you trust Tunescribers, then I'm good with it.

I actually already took a first pass to get a midi file from the track...I just don't posses the skill/time to modify it to be proper rather than this ugliness:

Anyways, keep me included on your list for interest and willing to split costs.

kanadajin

Interesting thread. Several excellent points raised. I can certainly relate to wanting a transcription of the original song and not an arrangement which is often sadly watered down.

As stated, the final step of validating a just transcribed piece against the original audio is paramount (!) and I have the impression that in many cases, this important quality control task is not done with very critical ears (just my experience in the past) although there certainly are notable exceptions.

Any of you might have used the Transcribe! software in the past? It works quite well in my opinion and may provide what you are looking for it seems to me. I do not know this composer nor this song but had a cursory listen of 2 or 3 segments of the video link above. It really does not seem all that complicated from a transcription point of view. There seems to be some reverb effect in the recording which might « muddy » things up a little bit (spectrum analysis clarity).

(BTW This song would not be an appropriate first introduction for using the software, better start with something more basic from a harmonic perspective. Practice makes perfect 🙂)