BandQuest  Up a Level         

Playing one wrong note can ruin the performance of a piece, right? Well, composer Thomas Duffy actually wants the performers to make mistakes in this clever composition! The precise imprecision comes to life as students are asked to intentionally play wrong notes in various parts of the march. After performing this work, you and your students will never look at “perfection” the same way again! (Includes score, parts and CD-ROM.)

Here is the first published work for young band from award-winning composer Michael Daugherty! Describing a stretch of Interstate 75 that crosses through Florida's Everglades National Park, Alligator Alley celebrates this noble beast that has remained largely unchanged from prehistoric times. The first theme (“Alligator's Theme”) features the woodwinds (predominantly bassoons) while the second theme (“Hunter's Theme”) is performed by the brass. Program notes and staging suggestions are included in this marvelously descriptive work. (4:30)

“Grandmother Song” is an introduction to the Mohican tradition of “sung syllables,” or what Native Americans call “vocables.” Combining them with traditional wood flute songs, composer Brent Michael Davids offers a fresh look at the “sound” of Native American songs. Band instruments are performed less as musical instruments and more as talking sticks, singing reeds, rustling winds and shooting thunder. Through this beautiful ballad, students are given the materials to understand how Native Americans celebrate the world around them through the blending of words and song. (Includes score and parts.)

Mosaic is an aural representation of the varied qualities each of us possess and contribute to the whole of our American society. As a kaleidoscope of various musical elements coming together, this work evokes a visual of mosaics – tiny tiles individually glued together to create a broader image. Composer Stephen Paulus integrates layers of sound with varying meters that feature every instrument in the band.

Rhythm Stand pays tribute to the constant presence of rhythm in our lives: from the pulse of a heartbeat to the rhythmic sounds of the world around us. Celebrating the regular order in our lives, composer Jennifer Higdon incorporates traditional and non-traditional sounds within a 4/4 swing style setting to heighten student awareness and enhance their creativity. Organized in unique compositional and rhythmic patterns, this work invites students to explore multiple ways of organizing sounds and making music.

Soundfile coming soon!

Gregorian chant is one of the earliest forms of notated music, using free flowing rhythms and simple melody. In Old Churches, composer Michael Colgrass uses these elements to create an aura of voices echoing in the monastery. Using easy graphic notation, students have a fun and creative way to explore sound production along with the compositional process. (Includes score and parts.) (5:20)

Designed to enhance the musical experience, the CD-ROM for Michael Colgrass' Old Churches includes video clips of the St. John's Abbey monks singing, photos of various sacred spaces such as Ayer's Rock in Australia, as well as a history of standard Western notation. In addition, this CD-ROM enables students to explore graphic notation and composition with built-in notation software Finale Notepad®. Guaranteed to engage your students and provide added insight into this unique work.

Smash the Windows is a vigorous piece full of energy and motion. The work is based on a traditional Irish jig with the same name. Robert Xavier Rodríguez calls the piece a “toccata moto perpetuo,” the music gradually builds from its quiet beginning to a brilliant flourish that, with sound effects, truly befits the title.

The Chinese Lunar New Year is a celebration of renewal and reconciliation. It is also a holiday steeped in ancient melodies and traditions. Composer Chen Yi's piece captures the spirit of this month-long event and brings Chinese culture and customs to the traditional band setting. (Includes score, parts and CD-ROM.)

An outstanding addition to the BandQuest series, “Sweet like that” features tuba solo, trap set, and other requests from students with whom Mr. Theofanidis workshopped the piece. This work is exuberant, joyful, and with a whiff of gospel; capsulizing the sound of the American street, instrumental doo-wop; an urban march. American Grade 3