“The Popcorn Man” (TPM, henceforth) is an example of a project that I started and stopped multiple times —first beginning to arrange its music and draw the accompanying cartoons in July, 2019 —and, now finally posting it in Feb. 2024.
My cartoon rendition of TPM was inspired by one of the Mario Brothers. I drew it first in pencil, and then used brush-pens to fill-in the colors. I scanned that to use as a basis for redrawing it as an outline-drawing using Inkscape.
It was during my first year of piano lessons from my Mother that I encountered the “Popcorn Man” song. For reasons unknown to me, the song was really appealing and made me want to play it —over and over… I don’t remember my Mom asking me to move on from playing this song, but she probably should have. Maybe it was her voice I heard, telling me in Feb. 2024 —to move on and share what I’ve done. So be it.
It is odd that I played TPM at all. I remember only a couple of the pieces preceding or following it in the “John Thompson 1st Grade Method.”
Additionally, I wrote in a previous post that my first song was “ABC” and “ABC” is definitely is NOT the first song in the 1st John Thompson Method. Before searching to find the John Thompson First Grade Book that contains #34, “The Popcorn Man,” (TPM) I falsely remembered there being a picture of the “Popcorn Man” with the music. I see now that he was imaginary and only in my mind.
While I reacquainted myself with this song, I realized several things about it:
- It was the first piece I learned that changed keys, twice in fact.
- It was the first piece I learned that used a “D.C. al Coda” to create a song with ABA form.
- That it is one of the few pieces in the book that does NOT have an illustrative picture on the page. This picture introduces a new hand position.
- Staccato notes are used and notated without having ever previously introduced them, that I could find…
My arrangement of TPM is in 12/8 meter, is syncopated and incorporates several bass-line, melodic, harmonic and rhythmic variations — hopefully for your listenening amusement.
Harmonic variations include diatonic, chromatic and circle-of-fifth progressions. Additionally, harmonic selections include chord-qualities: diminished, augmented, altered chords of various types and quartal-harmonies.
Kurzweil synthesizers optionally feature a pitch-ribbon that can be used to inflect the pitch (pitch-bend) like a guitar does with a whammy-bar, a steel-guitar does with its pedals, or a synthesizers does with pitch-bend wheel or knob. While I was arranging and performing in preparation for recording pitchbend in certain parts, I significantly advanced my proficiency with the ribbon.
I hope that you enjoy my arrangement of “The Popcorn Man.”
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