Elaine Snowden

MUSIC 518
2/23/19
Concert Program Development (Project #2)
Concert 1:
• Opener: American Fanfare by John Wasson (3)
o This piece displays contrasting styles, having both marcato and legato.
Technically, students must keep vertical alignment in mind, especially with 16th
notes. This is also a good piece that the audience can make sense of while also
being at a good tempo (bpm=132) to keep them awake at the start. Something
special for the students is that the important parts are not only given to the flutes
and trumpets, for example, but are given to various sections. There are also some
solos and solis which provide a good experience for stronger musicians.
• Ballad: La Bella Roma by John Cacavas (3) (Italian)
o Overall this is a pleasant piece and it has some unique color like when the
trumpets play muted. It passes the melody from trumpet to saxophones,
eventually to the flutes and it builds parts onto one another. This is good for
students to play because of the development of the melody—rhythmically,
dynamically, melodically—that happens as the piece progresses. The ending of it
is also pretty sudden and left me thinking that it was a cute piece so I imagine the
audience would do the same.
• Novelty: Chanteys by Robert Sheldon (3)
o The sea and sailor theme (and accompanying mode) is entertaining and unique for
students to play something outside of the usual. (The opening is described as
jaunty if that gives a better idea of tone of this piece) This piece requires light and
clean playing so that the pieces all fit together. This also has the key of concert
Ab as the piece goes on so that is good practice to get students away from the
typical keys of Bb and Eb. This composition also requires some part
independence because it isn’t just melody and harmony, there are counter-lines to
listen for. This piece also features a short trumpet solo.
• Biggie: Glaciers by Scott Director (3)
o This is a less obvious piece. What I mean by that is that this is more about the
feeling and color, the visual imagery, rather than a melody to get stuck in your
head. So the parts from each section fit together in ways different than students
might expect. Like in the beginning, there are some unique jumps in the flute part
that plays at different times with the Bells. There are also some triplets to look out
for and accelerandos. This piece is a good chance for students to be expressive in
their playing. This composition also features a lot of growth and fall throughout in
order to build and release tension. In terms of difficulty there is also a flute solo,
change to 12/8 time and unique percussion features in the allegro non troppo
section.
 • March: Rough Riders by Karl King (2.5)
o This piece follows a typical march form with the A section, the B section, and the
trio adds a flat to the key signature. There are repeats and a D.C. al trio for
students to keep in mind. One reason I like this piece is that it is a lower grade and
so it gives students confidence to sound good especially as they end the concert.
Concert 2:
• Opener: Into The Storm by Robert W. Smith (3)
o The opening of this piece is exciting and builds tension so that both the
performers and the audience sits on the edges of their seats. It is good practice for
the students in the sense that it calls for strong articulations. There is a neat time
signature change from 4/4 to ¾ (and change in articulation to slurs) that gives a
rocking feeling that students need to emphasize and not ignore in order to have
the full effect. Another reason I would pick this for my ensemble to play is part
independence. For example, within the first minute, there is a time when the flutes
play a light and quick melody and then the clarinets offset that with a different,
slower, and more melodious part. There is also an obvious shift in style that calls
for students to play lyrically and the contrast provides a good opportunity for the
students to be musicians. Overall, this piece is a good attention grabber.
• Ballad: Loch Lomond by Frank Tichelli (3)
o This gives the students opportunity to play musically, emotionally, and lusciously.
The overall tone of this piece seems sentimental to me and so it is up to the
players to make it mean something more than the notes on the page. This
composition both calls for strength at times but also delicacy at other times. So
the difficulty doesn’t come from the rhythms or tempo but rather from the
dynamics and emotion of it.
• Novelty: The Trombone King by Karl King (2.5)
o This is also a march, but the fun feature of the trombones leads me to want to
categorize it as novelty. This gives a starring role to some lower instruments that
may not have had so much attention in their younger musician years. This is
educationally beneficial because they cannot hide behind the rest of the ensemble,
they have to play out and play their parts well—which requires air support and
clean tonguing (something trombones can be lazy about). And because the piece
is in cut time, it makes the rhythms a little harder for all instruments in the band.
• Biggie: This Cruel Moon by John Mackey (3)
o The opening of this piece is vulnerable and requires control from the ensemble in
order to perform it sensitively. There is some meter change within it to watch out
for (2/4-4/4, this is a good learning opportunity to think about why Mackey would
do this one measure at a time). This is an expressive, colorful, and emotional
piece that gives room for ensemble members to play from the heart and do more
than just read the music as it is on the page. Pieces like this can be powerful for
the ensemble and audience if done expressively rather than mechanically.
• March: Washington Post March by John Philip Sousa/arr. By Jay Bocook (3)
 o This is probably a familiar tune, but it is also in 6/8 time, the key of F, and has
plenty of accidentals. So this isn’t just a song students can play because they
know it, they still have to pay attention to what is notated. I also like the baritone
part in the B section and how the trombones join in like a small feature. Overall,
this is an entertaining piece to perform and listen to.
Concert 3:
• Opener: In The Bleak Midwinter by Robert W. Smith (3)
o This gives a touching spin on the familiar tune that is introduced with a clarinet
solo. Beginning in fanfare, and diving into the clarinet solo, this piece keeps the
element of surprise up by bouncing back and forth from majestic to delicate. This
piece makes a good ensemble because the strong sections are emphasized by
having the ensemble play them as a group, introducing a deliberate tone of the
concert.
• Ballad: (Risk) Everything For A Dream by Richard L. Saucedo (3)
o This piece opens with a few somber solo: flute, alto saxophone, and trumpet. I
like this piece in contrast with the others because of the slurs and the way they are
grouped. So this is more than just legato, but also emphasizes different notes.
Something important about this composition is that it does have percussion parts,
some of the slower pieces could leave out the percussionists but this one gives
them something meaningful to do.
• Novelty: Bugler’s Holiday by Leroy Anderson (3)
o This is a fun. Energetic piece that features the trumpet section. It can sound very
impressive if the parts are allowed to build on one another—in harmony and
rhythm. This is also a good experience for the ensemble to practice being
accompaniment to solo parts. And while this may be grade three, if the tempo is
too fast, the tonguing could be pretty complex—for the trumpets especially.
• Biggie: Courtly Airs and Dances by Ron Nelson (3) (Baroque period)
o This composition is made up of 6 movements that each use a different renaissance
style. So each movement is like a short song in and of itself that the ensemble has
to switch between. For example, they have to go from a processional in the 1st
movement to a slower and elegant dance in 6/4 or 3/2 in the next movement.
There is even a Sarabande in ¾ time that ties the second and third beats
together—not something students will be used to—and an allemande from the
baroque era. This fast, duple meter dance is quite different from the second
movement but then the students can still find a commonality in each of the
movements that make them all part of the larger composition.
• March: Normandy Beach Concert March by John Edmondson (3)
o This is a British-style march so this is educational in the sense that though it is not
a Sousa March, it is still and march and students can find similarities in style and
form. The overall tone is regal and the whole ensemble ends together. The
rhythms are not too difficult but the 16th notes still need to be aligned with the rest
of the band.
Concert 4:
• Opener: City of Lights by Andrew Watkins (3) (French culture)
o This is an energetic piece that would be effective at opening a concert. The
change in mode is also a good change of pace that the ensemble needs to pay
attention to. Technically, this piece is quick and needs to be light so that
students—especially in the higher instruments—can perform it efficiently while
also setting up for contrast in the lower parts.
• Ballad: Ammerland by Jacob De Haan (3)
o One thing that I liked about this piece is that while I was listening two it, I had
two different people say, “this song makes me sad.” I think that that is important
for both students and ensembles to play because we cannot always explore the
lighter, more exciting emotions we get from songs like “Bugler’s Holiday” and
“City of Lights.” This is an important opportunity for students to create a different
tone and perform with different colors. It is also important that students know that
even if the rhythm isn’t technically hard, playing musically isn’t any easier.
• Novelty: Dance of The Spirits by Michael Sweeney (2.5)
o First, I liked the cultural context that I could incorporate into my rehearsals of this
song. I can explain that this is about something real, the Northern Lights and can
give ensemble members helpful visual imagery. It also has a good amount of
meter change so that students have to focus on internalizing pulse. And then the
reason I would call this a novelty piece is because of the unique sounds and
textures the percussion has to create that they don’t get to do so often like rain
sticks, placing a suspended cymbal on a timpani, or a synthesizer if available.
There is also some unique stacking and harmonic layering for the band to create
as well as stylistic shifts.
• Biggie: Suite Divertimento my Jay Gilbert (3)
o This 3 movement composition begins with an engaging prologue with unexpected
harmonies to provide a unique listening and performing experience for the
audience and the ensemble. The rhythms are also syncopated some providing
interest in that area. It then contrasts the pastorale second movement that calls for
slow and warm playing. There is a feature in this section to calling for strong
saxophones that can play through tight intervals. The third movement, Parade, has
some solos throughout and still asks for another different style other than warm or
light. It gives a strong finish to the composition. Overall, it sounds like a mature
composition, not a silly elementary school band piece.
• March: The Liberty Bell by John Philip Sousa/arr. by Jay Bocook (3) (Historical)
o This march is in 6/8 and that sort of galloping feel could be new to younger
musicians. This piece also provides good opportunity to play strong and then
lightly again because while the lows will have an important part, they will need to
back off again so that the melody of the A section can be heard. I also like the
fanfaric ending of this piece where the ensemble gets to end the piece loud,
confident, and deliberate.
Concert 5:
• Opener: Fortius by Rob Romeyn (3)
o With a “triumphant” start, this is a good piece to open a concert while also
preparing your band to succeed. The rhythm difficulty comes from some
syncopation but the strength comes from articulation and strong, supported tone.
Overall this is not a very long song and it is perfect for boosting ensemble
confidence.
• Ballad: At Morning’s First Light by David Gillingham (3)
o Though this is a lovely song, there are also some more complex rhythms that have
to be played just as lyrically as the longer notes. For example there are some
triplets and then there is even a transition while the triplets are happening from
common time into cut time. I also liked the importance in the French horn parts
because sometimes its beneficial to give instruments a part that makes others wish
they played that instrument.
• Novelty: The Great Steamboat Race by Robert W. Smith (3)
o This is another piece with good visual imagery and also has historical context that
can be used within rehearsals. There are also some different instrumentations for
the percussion that would be fun to use such as water jugs and a ships bell that are
part of why a student might think its cool to be a percussionist. There is also some
cool color differences with the trumpets and trombones in harmon mutes and
pitch bending. This piece just has a lot of technically unique things to do to put
everything together and create a “steamboat.”
• Biggie: Heart Songs by David Maslanka (3)
o Maslanka described this piece as musically demanding but profitable of even
older ensembles. As suggested by the title, this is more about emoting musically
than having a fun tune to have stuck in your head. This is a composition with a
deeper meaning for ensemble members to find and share with audiences. They
also have to be comfortable with dissonance at some times and be confident
enough in their playing to perform this. And while the first movement is slow and
lyrical, the second picks the tempo. What I mean by this is that while the first
movement is just as meaningful, this composition isn’t made up of the same idea
and style for 12 minutes.
• March: Grand Galop by Johnnie Vinson (2)
o This is a circus march, not a Sousa march, so it is different but also provides the
opportunity for students to find similarities in form and style. This is also a grade
2, so while it is not technically demanding, it provides the chance to play this as
fast as we want which is exciting and would make a great end to the concert.