What's New?

2021

Inca Roads

• The Inca Roads was moved to the Vision Quest section. (12-21)

Vision Quest

• The Vision Quest index page was getting long so it was further delineated into parts for easier visual navigation. (11-4)

Dreamcatcher

• Dreamcatcher was moved to the Vision Quest section and the Nature Suite index updated accordingly. (10-23)

Instrumentals

• The navigation on the Instrumentals Index page was getting a little "long-winded" so I added another category and re-arranged the order. (10-18)

Child's Play

• A new sub-section called Child's Play was added to the Listen section. (8-29)

New Color Palette For Site

• I recently created a Native American website that used a very similar maroon color scheme to RichCoffeyMusic so I decided to update this site with an organic green/brown look and feel. (6-11)

Home Page Modal

• The Home page was getting a little crowded and disjointed and a better drill-down path to the Nature Suite offering was needed. A modal seemed to be the best solution. (1-26)

Nature Suite Trimmed

• In the interest of gaining more server space, I deleted a few Nature Suite Pieces and revised the index page. (1-22)

Nature Suite CD Pages

• A "Please Note" alert was added to all the Nature Suite CD Supplement pages (example) that detail the Suite pieces now on CD. This should alleviate any confusion for visitors to these pages as to where the music audio is located. (1-21)

Instrumental Accordions

• Fixed a CSS issue in the Instrumental page that uses accordions. The pop up is no longer transparent. (1-11)

Interactive Scores

• The Interactive Scores page was updated with lots of new links (1-10)

Vision Quest

• Created a new section featuring (IMHO) the best of my Native American Flute tunes. (1-1)

Retro Update

• Due to limitied server space, I removed a few songs and will reupload and link them to this page for a short time (1-1)

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2020

Fixed an issue with Playing/Stopping Music

• JQuery Script now automatcally stops a tune if another tune is clicked on and started. (12-12)

Added a Retro Link Section on the Home page

• Periodically I will swap in links here to music from the archives. (9-30)

Added Social Media Icons

• Facebook and YouTube Links to my social media channels globally added to footer ((7-26)

Improved Nature Suite Navigation

• Links to lower level pages remade as divs (block) rollovers (7-22)

Influential Albums

• This curmudgeon weighs in on his favorites. (5-18)

Search Added and Revised Navigation

• Finally I've added Google Search functionality for the site. It's a toggle. In addition, the NavBar was revised. (4-24)

Instrumental Studio Arrangements page

• The accordion navigation on the Instrumental Studio Arrangements page was getting way too long so it was reorganized into six separate accordion pages. (2-29)

Live Performances on YouTube - Clean Up

• All the embedded YouTube videos were fixed to size correctly in Mobile view.
• A couple of videos from Jude Johnstone were added (she's a fantastic songwriter).
• In addition, a few missing videos were relinked to the correct version. (1-9)

2019

iPad Portrait Glitch

• Finally got around to fixing the Quote Author overlap in the Nature Suite when using the iPad in portrait mode. (12-10)

YouTube References

• My YouTube channel listening info pulled from the Listen Main page and exists now on a separate page. (11-24)

Instrumental Section Update

• At the end of October, I did a major reorganization of the Listen-Instrumental section, basically creating separate pages for the original tunes. URL names and other back end stuff in this section were changed which subsequently updated the entire main Nav system so it required reposting the entire site. (11-1)

Events

• An Events page was created to begin to document a few live events of interest. Events has been added to the main Navigation Menus as well. (10-25)

Through the Years

• I've updated the page detailing my instrument collection to include my Native American Flutes.

"Life After Music" series

• Jan 2019 - Yes - it's time for a new installment of my Bio/Essays pages. Links to Part 1 and 2 of the "Life After Music" series were added to the About page. A commemorative plaque at work prompted essay #3 in July.

On the Horizon

• I will be creating a couple of YouTube samplers of my music/arrangements - each will contain short snippets of a few selections:
• Nature Suite
• Instrumental Arrangements (featuring the trombone) Posted on Jan 5th
• I am working on creating a CD of the best of my Nature Suite - stay tuned!

2018

Nature Suite Home Page (December 22nd)

• Finally got around to redesigning the home page of the Nature Suite. It has grown exponentially since I began the project back in January and was getting mighty long and unwieldy.

Misirlou

• Not just a surf rock hit, this tune has fascinating origins!

About Arabic Music

• Stylistic details and links to audio examples, etc. About Arabic Music

How the West Was Lost

• A Discovery Channel documentary series featuring great music and a powerful message... How the West Was Lost

We Wonder Why

• A poignant reminder of our country's shameful past and how often it repeats itself. We Wonder Why

Nowhere Man

• I took a little time out from the ongoing Nature Suite project to rearrange a Beatles Classic.

Nature Suite

• An ongoing project this will encompass a potpourri of musical styles, the Nature Suite is series of musical vignettes accompanied by a quote on nature. Many of the pieces are conceptualized around drum grooves that weave in and out of the soundscape.

2017

One With The Land

• Written way back in 2003, this song — One With The Land — was finally arranged and recorded. It features frame drums and an actual Native American wooden flute.

Fate or Faith Song Update

• Fate or Faith? was finally updated: The B section of the song was rearranged and a music transcription screenshot was posted to illustrate the string and bass parts of the B section.

September Listen Section Updates

• Four Jazz Standards were added the Covers (Rearrangements) section of the Songbook: East Of The Sun, September Song, Indian Summer and I Believe in You.
• Every Night When the Sun Goes Down and After the Goldrush / Birds* were added to the Instrumental page.
  *This was pulled from Jukebones.

August Listen Section Updates

• A hands-free "Easy Listening" mode was added. Features include a shuffle mode.
• Modal Interface was changed to an accordion. There were just too many songs to keep them all as modal pop ups...
• Summertime, Mona Lisa and a Keith Jarrett Song were added to the Instrumental page.
• Breadcrumb navigation was added to the Songbook section.
• The Songbook Cover Tunes (Rearrangements) were separated out into a new page.

July Updates

• July 26 - The Instrumental page was updated to include sub-categories and a couple of definitions.
• July 25 - The Spirituals page has been reformatted to match the style of the rest of the site
• July 18 - Something from the archives:
  Iwo Jima Dude (exploring the boundaries between taste and the tasteless…)
  I finally dug up the lead sheet for this crazy rendition so it warranted reposting.

Retro - Top 10 Instrumental Hits

• Through the years... Top 10 Instrumental Hit Songs - YouTube selections replete with Billboard statistics and a bit of historical detail about each tune. Whenever available, a live version is chosen.

Spreading the Message...

• While up in Portland Maine attending my niece's wedding, I was contacted by the Unitarian Universalist Association for permission to feature my song "We Utter Our Cry" at the UAA General Assembly in New Orleans. Details and Link to the Performance Video.

New Featured Items (ongoing)

I have been focusing more on my music site and the Featured page has seen a new flurry of activity. New songs and arrangements, remixes, etc. are all accessible using the list of links at the bottom of the page.

2017 Featured Songs

• What Is Love? - Gypsy Fire, To Get Back Home - June 12th
• The Joy of Children: Sleep My Little Child, Child's Play - May 16th
• Trombone Instrumentals: Estate, I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face, You Are So Beautiful - May 5th
• Shenandoah (featuring the trombone) - April 30th
• Two Russia-Influenced Original Songs - April 2nd
  The Taste of Freedom (dug up from the archives), Silence, It Grows… (remix)
• Hymn of Promise - February 26th
• Bonified - February 19th
• Remixes: We've Lost Our Way, That's What They Say - January 27th
• Every Grain of Sand (Bob Dylan) - January 22nd
• Islands, Urge For Going - January 19th
• The Jack-Booted Thugs - January 14th

Trombone Instrumentals (May 5th)

• New series of customed-crafted studio arrangements featuring the trombone.(Standards, Contemporary Hits, Spirituals, etc.)

Instrumentals (April 16th)

• New modal interface and graphics for the Instrumental page.

YouTube Piano Demos (March 21st)

• I have had a few live piano demos posted on YouTube for a while so I've added a link to a YouTube PlayList on the main Listening page and—where applicable—added a link to the corresponding YouTube Piano Demo on each associated song page.

Chancel Choir Arrangements (March 10th)

• Audio recordings of a few short pieces I have written for a cappella chancel choir (a few more still to come...)

Growing Old (March 4th)

• Growing Old - An eclectic collection of three songs by Kurt Weill, John Mayer, and Simon & Garfunkel are a poignant and powerful testament to what it is like to grow old.

Listen - Instrumentals (March 2nd)

• Instrumentals - Flash version (and auto redirect) removed

The Tragic Deaths of Famous Composers (February 3rd)

• Blood Poisoning, Typhoid, Head Bashing Accidents, Syphilis, Depression, Alcoholism, Mental Collapse, Insanity… There seems such an inordinate amount of tragic deaths -- What is it: Is there a curse of being a composer?
  - The Tragic Deaths of Famous Composers -

Through the Years (January 11th)

• A listing of all of my musical instruments (electric AND acoustic) that I have had through the years. Includes a few interesting anecdotes on "Rhodes orgasms”, applesauce and gurgling sounds… Through the Years

Social Media additions (January 7th)

• I finally succumbed and added a couple of FaceBoook and GooglePlus buttons to a few pages. I may add a few others on "strategic" pages only. I hate sites where "like me please" is in your face all the time - AARG! Well with that being said, I would appreciate you using the sharing functionality if you like something or find something interesting.

What's next "in the oven" for 2017?

• New Roland synth rack modules have been added to the studio!
• Choir arrangements (original introits, etc.) are being recorded.
• I will focus more time this year on some long dormant recording projects: revisiting perestroika, a question on fate vs. faith, 3 bone fusion, a re-arrangement of a great but somewhat obscure Bob Dylan tune.. and a few other things "up my sleeve" :-)
• The Music Bizness section of Thoughts will be reorganized and focused on the tragic effects of the streaming business model.

2016

Finding Spirituality in Contemporary Popular Music - October 1st, 2016

A catalyst for personal reflection and/or collective discussion, Finding Spirituality in Contemporary Popular Music is an illuminating look at the spiritual side to pop music.

Featured Original Songs

You can access previous “featured” tunes using the jump menu at the bottom of the Featured page.

2016 Featured Songs, etc.

• Interactive Scores - December 30th
• Sensing the Sacred... - October 1st
• The Power of Positivity - August 28th
  Only You, We Utter Our Cry
  
• Visions (Fleeting Dreams...) - August 9th
  Perdida (Lost). Moon Over Midnight
  
• Freedom on the Open Road - August 1st
  The Big Wide Open, Where I Belong
  
• Two angry grunge tunes - July 26th
  Shock!, For Pleasure
  
• Not Glenn Miller! - July 24th
  Code of Honor, Channel Surfer
  
• Tasty Trombone Treats - July 20th
  
• Two Mellow Favorites - July 13th
  Questions Unresolved, Driftwood

A Brazilian Music page has been added (August 8th)

• About Brazilian Music - Brazilian Music Tidbits now in the Links Section
• This page is actually an “answers page” to a series of postings I started on FaceBook introducing a Brazilian word or name each day in hopes it will entice folks to learn more about Brazilian music and its culture.

Reflections on America (July 22nd)

• A three song comparison... troubling political trends prompted me to feature this...

Site officially relaunched as a responsive site (July 13th)

• There is now a Featured Page that will be periodically updated with new and reposted material
  
• Breadcrumbs added across the site for easier navigation
• Many new YouTube Live Links 
• Flash Version of Songbook eliminated
• 90% of the Flash media now have auto redirects

Site has been rebuilt as a responsive site (July 2nd thru July 9th)

• There were expected glitches here and there
• It was unofficially relaunched on July 9th when all the kinks were worked out
• Breadcrumbs added across the site as a navigation assistant
• Many YouTube Live Links were updated

Multiple versions of a few great tunes

• Ooo yeah: Big Yellow Taxi, Got to Get You Into My Life and Time After Time
• Check out multiple versions (Joni, Counting Crows, Beatles, EW&F, Chet Baker, etc.)

2015

But We Go On (Dec. 15th, 2015)

• New Song - A bittersweet perspective on the "other side of love". This is not necessarily a terrible thing, just the way it is for many folks...

Nav Bars made taller (Nov. 24th, 2015)

• A concession to mobile users: Nav Bars made taller. Someday I will rebuild this site to be responsive...

We've Lost Our Way (Nov. 21st, 2015)

• New Song - A reflective look back to a more innocent time - wondering what the hell happen to our country… :-( FYI: the trombone has been dusted off.

Odes to be Young Again (Oct. 30th, 2015)

• Youthful Optimism - Listen and compare John Mayer's, the Zac Brown Band's and John Cougar Mellencamp's take on what it means to be young, rebellious and full of passion.

A unique (controversial?) look at polarization today (Oct. 4th, 2015)

• New Song - Facing an ever-escalating aura of fanatics; hope, ignorance, frustration and desperation can be a volatile mix. That's What They Say connects the dots between Joe and Omar.

New Songs (Sept. 25th, 2015)

• I have added a couple of new tunes/arrangements in my Listening Room.
• The good news is that I've got the studio cranking again and I have about 5 new songs "in the oven" right now!
• We Utter Our Cry is a 12/8 shuffle with a bit of bluesy Hammond B-3 in the background. The lyrics are based on an extraordinary poem by Fred Kaan that’s a timeless and powerful message about the sad state of our world.
• (Come and Find the) Quiet Center is just a simple pseudo folk song setting based around the acoustic guitar. An Andes flute keeps it plain and “earthy”.

Strange Lower Brass Instruments (July 16th, 2015)

• See and Hear the Cimbasso, the Ophicleide and others...
  About the Cimbasso and Ophicleide (YouTube Links provided)

Another Three Song Comparison (Feb. 16th, 2015)

• Crossing the Line has been the theme of many songs, yet the moral ambiguity between acceptable and unacceptable is what makes this theme all the more intriguing and thought provoking.

First Recordings (Jan. 18th, 2015)

• A few Traditional Spirituals arranged for an a cappella male quartet.
• Mark Larsen sang a couple ages ago. So I could hear the antiphony, I sang the new ones...

Updated My Studio (Jan. 1st, 2015)

• Hardware and Software had to be replaced -!No More SCSI or mini 8 pin cabling. Finally all USB updated...
• Software: MOTU DP8 < (awesome), Finale 2014 (< Yeah!)
• I may eventually spring for a CZ Virtual Plug-In ( I loved the flute sound)
• Hardware: Souped up MAC Mini (It freakin' flies!), MOTU MIDI Express (USB version),Presonus AudioBox

2014

Christmas Cheer - resurrected from the archives (Dec. 22, 2014)

• Modern Rearrangements of Christmas Carols >
  It will stay posted until Jan 1st [It’s a seasonal thing :-)
• A little personal story of Donald Trump as well... Can you believe the grinch was cool this time?

The YouTube Live Music Viewer has been updated (Dec. 20, 2014)

• Progressive Rock: King Crimson, Gentle Giant, EL&P, Jethro Tull
  Horn Bands: new links for Chase, Lighthouse
• Plus the full array of Soul/Funk; Jazz -Tinged; Rock/Pop and
  Special Mention live performances... “Rare moments of priceless true live music- gems that only the timeless collective synchronicity of like-minded musical talents can create” Check It Out >

New Tunes / Arrangements (late August 2014)

• After a really lengthy hiatus, I finally dusted off the studio, plugged in the audio and MIDI cords, and carved out a bit of time to record a few tunes and rearranged covers. Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring inspired the original song Silence, It Grows..., while a curious sus2 progression I toyed with one day birthed the Joni/Tom Rush rearrangement.
• This was all done on an ancient system: a MAC G3 (SCSI - pre-USB - yikes!)
• Long overdue: It's time to upgrade to the Modern World - I plan on a revamped studio in a month or so. USB, HDMI... there have been so many tech advances thru the years that should make things a little easier. 
• Visit the Listening Room (both mobile and a hipper non-mobile Flash version). There are the now seemly ubiquitous social media buttons on the bottom of the page. Do "like"- If it's Earned Your Merit - Please Share it!

Favorite Songs? (early August 2014)

• My favorite songs
  A list of my favorite songs (vocal tunes)

Thoughts Section Updated (Jun. 2014)

• The Thoughts Section has been reorganized.
  There are three main categories and a few new items have been added throughout.
  
  The most significant addition is the Loss of Innocence, a Three Song Comparison featuring Don Henley, Was Not Was and Jimmie Spheeris.

Another Rumination (April 2014)

• Are You a Creative?
  Thoughts on what makes us "creative types" tick... Damn hippies! :-) Short Essay >

More Interactive Scores (Feb. 13th and Feb. 15th, 2014)

• Contrapuntal Renaissance polyphony scored - ala Walter/Wendy Carlos - Switched on Bach
  (Flash authored) Kinda cool >
• Videos of Scores Synched with the Music - From the San Francisco Symphony to phenomenal synchronizations of scrolling scores and virtuoso performances...
  Check Out Interactive Video Music Scores >

Listening Room Updated (Jan 12th, 2014)

• Flash Interface updated so now all songs reside on separate URLs
• New Song Categories and DropDownMenu behavior improved
• A few new songs added

2013

Another Three Song Comparison

Songs of Hope
The Five Stairsteps, Jethro Tull, Steely Dan (Launched Sept. 16th, 2013)

2012

New Links

• The Injustice of Music Bizness (posted late Fall, 2012)
• Song Name Trivia

Mobile Device Friendly Listening Room

HTML 5 Listening Room
Listen to original songs on an iPhone, iPad, DROID, etc. Future updates will include a multi-player for instrumental music. etc. (Launched Nov.. 14, 2012)

Three Song Comparison

The Futility of War and Nuclear Holocaust
Barry McGuire, The Fixx and Pink Floyd

Updated YouTube Viewer and Interactive Scores

Check out the new links in the Interactive Scores page
(Sugarloaf, King Crimson)

A couple of Favorite artists added to the YouTube Viewer >>

Live Performances by:

• Allison Krauss, Jimmie Spheeris
• Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, CSNY

More Thoughts On the Music Bizness

New Spots in the Thoughts Section >
(1) Lana Del Ray Live (Eech!); and
(2) How Technology Has Cheapened the Art...

Three Songs - Reflections on Nature

Songs by the Beatles, Tom Jobim and Chicago. Iconic testaments to Mother Nature. Another three song comparison, enlightening when listened to as a trilogy...

The Power of Music

A shortcut to the subconscious levels of our mind, music unites people across cultures and inspires soul searching...

Three Songs - Reflections on America

Steppenwolf, Simon and Garfunkel and Ozomatli wrote three great tunes on their own, but listened to as a trilogy, they each become even more intriguing and enlightening...

2011

From the Archives... Remembering 9/11

A thought-provoking tribute to the World Trade Center victims
Don't Let It Bring You Down (Neil Young / Rich Coffey)
Watch, Listen, Absorb... (first posted elsewhere on October 2001)

Plato's spawn cold ivyed eyes - May 4th, 2011

Stumbled upon a site analyzing King Crimson lyrics and found it utterly fascinating, yet chaotic and poorly presented. I snatched a bit and reorganized and posted it in the Thoughts section...

Live Performance From Way Back When - January 29th, 2011

Convinced by some cronies from yesteryear to post our performances — Verkaelak was an eclectic attempt at progressive rock. King Crimson with horns... Driving rock guitars counter-balanced by oboe and flute... all in all not too shabby for bunch of high schoolers.

A Message in the Metrics - January 27th, 2011

A "rankings" reminder (I've needed) for self-motivation, in the Thoughts section > Life After Music - PART II

2010

New Songs Finally Posted - August 3rd, 2010

As previously mentioned, my "nature boy" side of me has reigned supreme for the last year* so updates to this site have fallen by the wayside. But the good news is that I finally got around to swapping in some original tunes today... They were "shovel-ready (already "Flashified") ages ago. Visit the Listen section for further details

I've pulled a few previously-posted songs to keep the selection list short. There are more compositions and songs on the horizon:

• A Steve Khan-esque 3 trombone piece;
• A few more social and/or spiritual "connection" songs;
• A long-overdue essay on the Power of Music; and
• ... a few other assorted creatives

I even have some audio snippets from yesteryear of great artists I've collaborated with (Paul Lieberman, Mark Cohn, etc.). Just need to dig 'em out to post.

Stay tuned -- as always, I promise your visit here will be different and enlightening!

What Happened? - July 25th, 2010

My intentions to update this site monthly fell by the wayside. My interests took another detour for the last couple years (?!) to an entirely different universe... Mountain biking, interactive map building and the outdoors became top dog for a change.

For anyone interested, here's one of my sites that's representative of my current weekend activities: daytime riding and trail building in the woods, interactive map building during the midnight hours...

Yin and Yang
Spending rough and tumble time in the woods has actually been a welcome and needed "Yang" — an active opposite to counterbalance the "Yin" of my day gig: writing code and staring at a computer for hours at an end!

March, 26th, 2010

Hearing a live band of talented and creative musicians (see Batik) got me itching to get back to this site and at least update a few things in the interim. I had another five or six tunes already built as "shovel ready" interactives for the site ages ago. Those will be posted shortly. I have a few more tunes written - dusting off the studio to record 'em is the next step...

2009

August 17, 2009

• Posted Spirituality Slideshow (Thoughts)

July 20, 2009

• Launched Site

What's Missing?

• Post Missing Instrumentals & Iwo Jima Dude PDF
• Post/Swap-in New Songs
• Finish Essays in Thoughts Section (The Power of Music, Interactivity and the Web)