Wind Bands of Every Flavor is here to help you select the right music for your bands in the upcoming year!
Click HERE to join host Chad Nicholson and his guest panelists as they make suggestions for a variety of concert openers, chorale/lyrical pieces, “big” pieces, and closers to help directors plan their concerts! Matt Brunner from Temple University and Matthew Arau from Loveland, Colorado, discuss their favorite pieces–from Bernstein to de Meij, from new works to old Hindsley transcriptions, there will be something for everyone!
If you would like more podcasts that focus on wind band repertoire, let me know at windbands@gmail.com, or leave a comment below!
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Having the chance to hear bands from all over the country is a wonderful perk for a college band director! Truly, every region has it’s own approach to band, it’s own flavor (!), and I always take new ideas with me after judging at a festival.
So, in the interest of passing on a few repertoire-related observations, here are the things that I have seen first-hand (or hear from judges/colleagues sitting nearby in the balcony) that relate to the music selections–it is by no means definitive, but it might help pull the curtain back just a bit!
3. Myth: Avoid standard repertoire (in other words,”Pick tunes the judges won’t know!”) Adjudicators will expect all directors to adhere to their own interpretations of standard rep., so do not even bother trying to perform it, as there is no way to predict what they want!
Fact: I mean this with all seriousness–what adjudicators want is an understanding of style (dance vs. lyrical, and so on), a good sense of intonation, melodic and accompanimental phrasing, notes that reach the end of the bar lines, and clear technique. I have never seen a clinician dock points because a director chose to broaden time in, say, a Grainger piece, as long as it is evident that the ensemble had a superb sense of time throughout. Or, if a director has their own take on a Sousa march, fine! That’s what they were made for! Obscure music does not mean the adjudicator will ignore the need for the musical elements listed above!
2. Myth: Harder=Better! Last year’s state champion played a hard piece by Mackey, so if we want to compete, we must play a similarly hard piece.
Fact: See the “Fact” above–if last year’s state champion accomplished those musical goals previously listed, then it is largely irrelevant that they played Mackey or Steve Bryant or Maslanka! Judges often look for an appropriate level of challenge, but once that level surpasses the student’s collective ability, it is almost impossible to perform musically! In this sense, harder music can cause more problems than it solves. This does not mean challenge is to be avoided, but challenges tend to call for a moderately high degree of mastery if one is attending an adjudicated event. Experiment with tunes that may, at first, seem a tad bit less of a technical challenge, and see how the students respond with phrasing, style, and musicianship!
1. Myth: Every band must play “Wind Ensemble” music. ”Symphonic Band” may seem like an old-fashioned word to some, and it may feel less progressive. However, I can assure you, when a band has been artificially cut down to the bare minimum of numbers reflecting nearly one-to-a-part, it does not mean that “wind ensemble” music is appropriate!
Fact: If we recall that Maestro Fennell developed the wind ensemble concept with the finest wind, brass, and percussion musicians at Eastman, then we might expect that the music for such an ensemble would highlight the virtuosity of those very individuals. Virtuosic wind music that is sparse in texture was not conceived by starting with a set number of players; rather, it was simply the number required to hear each and every tone color in the ensemble with clarity, allowing for virtuosity to speak.
So, if your players are not yet to the point where they EACH have a virtuosic control over tone, technique, intonation, and expression, it may be a greater benefit to combine your bands and perform some of the outstanding repertoire for larger symphonic ensembles. Consider the sounds each player creates to inform your band’s repertoire style (symphonic band vs. chamber-like wind ensemble music) so that you may provide the best possible performing environment!
As the new schoolyear looms closer, dig around the back of those cabinets in the music library! There might be a good, old, yellow, aged, symphonic band standard waiting to knock your students right out of their seats.
Hey, it is new to them! Like a prime time re-run in the summer!
For more repertoire ideas, check out the latest episode of Wind Bands of Every Flavor, featuring a panel discussion of great openers, chorale-style pieces, “big” pieces, and closers!
Band Students Make It Happen!
January 30, 2011
The students here at Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne have had a busy spring semester. They helped host IMEA state ensemble rehearsals, they served as a demo group for a lecture I gave on “Finding the Sweet Spot” of band sound, and they were selected as a featured university ensemble and did a fantastic job with a challenging concert program. This week, those same students helped in hosting our annual Three Rivers Honor Band Festival for middle school and high school students. With faculty masterclasses, performances for the attendees, and endless logistical concerns, that same core group of students rose to the occasion and resolved problems indepedently and professionally. (As more seasoned directors know, there can be some eyebrow-raising surprises when you pool together several hundred 7-12 graders…!)
Both of these experiences went beautifully, depite the long hours and high expectations on these students. I could not be more proud!
Nor am I surprised. This “make it happen” mentality is not unique to my university. It is not unique to university students.
My years spent teaching high school in Beaverton, Oregon, revealed a similar “go big or go home” attitude amongst an invaluable core group of students. They were completely dedicated to having great musical and social experiences, regardless of the hours of required effort. I was amazed by their endless energy and genuine desire to see the entire group succeed.
I was not surprised. This “make it happen” mentality was not unique to my high school. It is not unique to high school students.
I have friends and relatives who are teachers (not music) and those who are professionals in other fields. Many of them do not get to see this side of our culture.
When reflecting upon how we, the wind band folk of the world, accomplish meaningful things like commissions, massive festivals, contests, parades 1,000 miles from home, halftime shows that entertain and elevate, performing groups from combos to chamber groups to 300-piece athletic bands, combined performances with hundreds of students, and so on, and so on, and so on, a singular truth remains.
We are one of the few “make it happen” core groups in our society. This may sound like an over-estimation of what we do, but after 15 years of teaching, I simply do not see this desire, commitment, and ability to function at a high level of organization outside of the band world.
The ability to plan into the long term, to develop programs, concerts, and student skills patiently and methodically, and the willingness to believe that the end result is greater than the sum of its parts is a hallmark of our industry.
And that is why we do it!
Perhaps, someday, we can impart this attitude across a larger swath of our society. There is no question that the greater good would benefit from this attitude that is common to our teachers and students.
As teachers, we’ll keep doing what we can, one student at a time!
Now, all of this talk about organization makes me feel the need to clean my desk….
…nahhhhh! I’ve got a rehearsal to plan!
ECU Marching Band Rocks!
October 18, 2010
A huge shout-out to Dr. John Franklin and the East Carolina University Marching Band–they did a terrific job with my Proud Mary arrangement this weekend!
Click here to see it on the field (Facebook video):
Click HERE to download the newest episode of the Wind Bands of Every Flavor Podcast! Composer Steven Bryant joins host Chad Nicholson to discuss the completion of his massive new work for winds, the Concerto for Wind Ensemble, to be premiered by Jerry Junkin and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble! Then, Staff Sergeant Leigh LaFosse stops by from Washington, D.C. to talk about an new competition for college students–the grand prize is an all expense-paid trip to D.C. to solo with the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own”!
Recently finished the Concerto for Wind Ensemble
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My Day with Samwise Gamgee
September 14, 2010
Mr. Frodo, I marched trumpet once!
Perhaps the title is an overstatement. Unless “day” also can mean “5 minutes”. If so, then yes, I spent the day with Sean Astin. Funny things, I had just finished carrying 2 euphoniums, a 35-year -old bari sax, and another unusually empty bari sax case (don’t ask…band directors know what strange things are found in storage), and just as I walked out of the band room, BOOM! Samwise! Rudy! Goonie! Trying to find the door to get into the hall where his lecture would later occur…a helpless Hobbit whom I was happy to aid.
“Just..a..few…more..steps..Mr. Frodo”….was what I thought, but did not say, as I have a suspicion that Sean Astin gets more Lord of the Rings lines thrown at him than an Orc who can’t hear through the his helmet. Yes, I resisted to gush over the Goonies, rollick about Rudy, and be a general fanboy. Just a regular Joe helping out a guy who’s not altogether unlike me.
Except I never went to Notre Dame to play football.
Nor did I stop an Italian crime family with Cory Feldman.
I do think my house is about the same size as his was in the Shire, though. That counts for something, right?
Maybe doing my spot-on Golem impression was a bit much. But it IS really, really good…
Don’t Smile Until December….
August 28, 2010
…at least, that is the sage advice passed down from one generation of teachers to the next. I have heard it at every stage of my professional career, starting with the earliest field experiences, and again from my middle school colleagues, fellow high school teachers, and university professors.
The concept seems sound: set the tone of a disciplined environment early in the school year beacuse (as is said) it is much harder to “lock things down” later in the year if things start too loose.
While I do not argue this concept, one could safely argue that it is not connected to smiling! Nor making a joke, nor having a freindly, approachable demeanor. In fact, some of the best September experiences in my career have come out from chances to connect with the students that involve…gulp…smiling.
I freely admit it can be a tightrope to walk, especially with younger students. There is no doubt that some students have great difficulties swtiching gears from a funny interlude back to a productive musical rehearsal. However, if a director can successfully move the ensemble from intensity to relief and back to intensity, the result can be musically remarkable.
Beyond that, it makes ‘em want to come back the next day!
Many times, those 30-second moments of levity stick in the brains of students for years. And years. When I get a Facebook message from a student I taught in high school, they will say, “Do you remember that one day (ten years ago) when you said…..” Frequently, I will not remember that day at all (which scares me a wee bit). But students remember, and the impact can be significant.
Regardless of what happens after they graduate, giving students the gift of positive nostalgia about their band experiences is without equal. Maybe it is that memory that will bring them back into a communty band when they are 40, or perhaps they will find themselves attending local band concerts, even though they do not have child performing. Maybe it will be just the thing that encourages them to vote “Yes” when the referendum comes around that will save your program.
Musical memories are powerful and last a lifetime. But, a “smile” in September can be just the thing to inspire those musical moments.
I could be wrong about all of this. If I am, it’s gonna be a looooong year.
I accidentally smiled on Wednesday.
Wind Bands of Every Flavor Podcast Episode 10 is UP! Composer Jonathan Newman stops by for a chat!
August 12, 2010
Click here to check out renowned composer Jonathan Newman as he joins host Chad Nicholson for Episode 10 of Wind Bands of Every Flavor! He shares many insights into his creative processes, as well as musical elements we might consider with our own ensembles. Then, Minnesota band director Nicholas Ellison hosts a guest segment that gives us all food for thought when starting the new school year!
Jonathan chats about all things music!
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Click Here to join host Chad Nicholson in this summer episode of Wind Bands of Every Flavor! Matthew Arau joins the show to talk about the latest news of the American Band College. Next, Nicholson delves into the wonders of Aaron Copland’s Emblems for Band. Then, part 2 of a fascinating interview with composer Kevin Walczyk finishes up the program, including a Ray Cramer-conducted performance of Celebration Fanfare. So, pop on the headphones and stretch out on the beach–this is a great episode to enjoy in the sun!
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A garage sale lends perspective….
July 21, 2010
What better way to spend a 93-degree July day than by selling off all of those lonely toys that have been warming the floors of my kids’ closets! Have no fear, we were sure to set aside the really special toys to avoid a Toy Story 3-like regret when the kiddos hit their college years.
We firmly believe that garage sale prices should be ridiculously low. That’s the whole point, right? Get rid of stuff that someone else could use more than us–if we get a few bucks in return, great. Besides, I can’t help but roll my eyes when I poke around a g-sale and someone has priced their 1970s flower-print couch for a low $125. Hopefully they will throw in those stains for free.
Mid-day, a van puled up with a good-looking group of folks who looked to be hard workers trying to get some items for an unseen kid. I am a fairly social type, so when I saw one of the guys sporting a Texas Longhorn t-shirt, I was sure to mention my allegiance to the OU Sooners, my alma mater (with a wink and a smile, of course). His father, a towering man somewhere between 50-60 years old, let me know that his son (with the Texas shirt) lived near Amarillo. I asked the obligatory question about the Big Texan restaurant (eat a 72-ounce steak in an hour and it’s free!), and left it at that.
I sat back down, and the older man brought up a big handful of my son’s old gear–an outgrown scooter, helmet, pads, etc. I asked if he was buying for a grandson, and that opened a floodgate of discussion about his family.
“FIFTEEN grandchildren!” he proudly stated with his chin in the air. “I am a migrant worker from Mexico! I pick tomatoes in US for 20 years!” He continued, “I have two sons in Texas and three in Indiana! Can you believe it? Fifteen grandchildren!”
At this point, he was so vehement, I was confused. I actually thought I might have upset him in some way–there were some glitches in our communication, so I was very focused on listening to what he was saying.
“I came to America with nothing. And now I live in all of this!” He spread his sizable arm across the sky. “God Bless this place!” GOD BLESS THE U.S.!!”
Then I understood. Here was a man who is healthy and still working in the fields, even as a grandfather. He has a large family he loves and that gives him pride. He wants to provide for them, and a garage sale helps him to do this.
And he loves America for giving this to him. I would contend this man has given as much or more back to America.
After he left, I digested the experience. I consider myself a person who gives every decision tremendous attention. It is the middle of July, and I have literally spent nights awake to consider the best music for the university wind ensemble. ”Paris Sketches? Or maybe Outdoor Overture would be better for this group….”
I have felt the stress of running an instrumental music department and have been faced with a healthy stream of issues to address. Sometimes things seem globally important and I focus all of my energies on the best resolutions.
But, how often do I stop and consider that choosing between Paris Sketches and Copland is, indeed, a privilege that few enjoy. I wave a stick, and people do amazing things! It is as close to Harry Potter as one can get. And with benefits!
We work hard, we, the team of band directors of the world. We earn our keep and make peoples’ lives more meaningful. We feel the hustle and bustle and put out many fires. But we certainly have a tremendous advantage over those in other parts of the world who hope to have the chance to pick tomatoes for one more day so that the family can eat. This man humbled me.
Needless to say, I gave him a great deal on the scooter. ….and what the heck, let’s do both Paris Sketches and Copland!
