1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,480 Welcome to our podcast, Band BFFs. 2 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,120 The podcast where we make your music selection less complicated. 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,840 On today's episode, we're going to be discussing colliding visions by Brian Balmages. 4 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,760 Cheers to starting the conversation. 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,480 All right, this is a great piece. 6 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:29,080 This is a grade two on the Texas PML. 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,520 It is in concert B flat throughout. 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,120 It starts in three, four time. 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:39,880 It has a 16 bar slow introduction and then transitions into a fast four, four. 10 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:46,320 It does have two clarinet parts, two trumpet parts and a fair amount of percussion. 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:51,840 The timpani part is optional, though we think it's a good idea to have timpani if you have 12 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,120 the players for it. 13 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,520 And the rest of the percussion you definitely, definitely need. 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:01,280 So clarinets, by the way, do not cross the break in this piece at all. 15 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,480 There are no dotted quarter rhythms in it. 16 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:11,880 So if you are interested in starting the grade twos with your band, this is a very well written 17 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,880 piece and one that is fabulous to start with. 18 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:15,880 Yep. 19 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:20,320 So at the very beginning, as Laura mentioned, we start off slow and lyrical. 20 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:22,680 The whole piece is lyrical in style. 21 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,080 So this is again a great teaching piece for your kids. 22 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,120 You need to make sure that whenever you're talking to the students, you talk a lot about 23 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,960 follow through three leads to one, three leads to one. 24 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:40,080 I would, when marking my parts for my students, I would draw crescendos between the measures 25 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:46,240 and vibrato for like flute and alto sax that just helps the music sound like it's pushing 26 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:53,680 forward and that helps it sound even more fluid and musical to any of the listeners. 27 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:58,400 As she mentioned, percussion is important and has a lot of little like textural and 28 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,760 color parts in this piece. 29 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,800 So they are very important. 30 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:08,840 A lot of times he likes to compose with these little like what I call like crunchy notes, 31 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:10,560 like look at measure four. 32 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:15,880 You can see that the alto part is divided there and you've got to be against to see. 33 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,400 Encourage your students to lean into that. 34 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,360 You're going to see it come back in the clarinet part and the trumpet part later. 35 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,640 And that just helps like draw some interest as you're moving to the next section. 36 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:31,040 It's also very important to teach your, your flutes follow through and saxes from four 37 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:36,000 to five that their sound has to touch the rest because that's where the, the horn part 38 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:37,560 takes over. 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:42,320 And that comes back over and over and over in this piece where your part is going to 40 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,960 be constantly going into another part. 41 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,240 And so it's really important to teach your kids that follow through. 42 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,880 So when another group comes in there, you know, there's not a big gap in the sound before 43 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:53,880 they enter. 44 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,520 If you do concert F around the room as part of your daily drill, that is a great way to 45 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,160 transition your fundamentals to the music. 46 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:06,040 So talking about seamless sound as we transition from one section to the next and concert F 47 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,360 around the room, it's the same concept here. 48 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:14,120 You can also have, when I have taught this piece, I have had my students subdivide the 49 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,760 eighth notes initially so that it is, they can't take a breath. 50 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,680 It's easier to go one and two and three and one. 51 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,120 And then you can do that crescendo that Katie is talking about. 52 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,960 Once they get the feel of that, take the subdivision away and then it really helps with their 53 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:31,960 air follow through. 54 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:32,960 Absolutely. 55 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:38,240 And then going into measure six, the tubas come in and they have, or they came in before, 56 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:44,240 but they have this really important low part here and they're descending down an octave 57 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:45,240 below. 58 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,040 And I think that that's just something to really beef up the sound of the band when 59 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,640 they enter with the lows. 60 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:57,480 Your clarinet one and two parts are both very critical throughout this piece. 61 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,760 And so it's important to tell your clarinet twos. 62 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:01,120 You're so important. 63 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:06,680 Like please bring out your part and to point out the specific sections where they are important. 64 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,160 Right here at measure six, the horns have this cool part. 65 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,840 And if your horns are struggling getting into the upper notes like C and B flat with a good 66 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:22,200 sound and with good tuning and not sounding forced, it's also written with alto sax cues. 67 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,320 So you could even have it be a horn solo and have your altos all play. 68 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,440 You could have it be one sax and one horn, whatever works for the instrumentation of 69 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:31,440 your band. 70 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,160 But that's a really great option if it's needed for you. 71 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:41,120 All mages is great about like this is so smartly written these cues in all of these parts. 72 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:42,120 It's helpful. 73 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:43,120 It's great. 74 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:48,440 The trumpets again, just like I mentioned with clarinets are both very important, both 75 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:49,440 parts. 76 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,840 I would make sure that I don't have my quote unquote two best players on trumpet one. 77 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:57,880 I would make sure that I have good players on both parts because they're really important. 78 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:02,400 And honestly, the trumpet two part is harder at a lot of times because they're constantly 79 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:03,920 on D's and E's. 80 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,640 They've got to kick more, they have to make sure that their tuning is really nice. 81 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:13,240 So just be really aware of that and make sure you pick this piece if you have a really good 82 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:14,480 trumpet section. 83 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,240 They have the melody a lot over and over on this piece. 84 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,720 Going from eight to nine again, making sure that the sound touches seamlessly back up 85 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:27,640 to the upper woodwinds and you see the clarinets have that crunchy effigy that I mentioned 86 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:28,640 before. 87 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,280 So really trying to bring that out. 88 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:35,720 And then the clarinet part is very important going from 10 to 11 along with the horn part, 89 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:37,760 but especially the clarinet too. 90 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,520 It gets its own little cool thing descending into 11. 91 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:46,560 So really just bringing that out is going to make your band sound more mature and older 92 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:47,880 than they are. 93 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,000 Once we get to measure 11, so check out the horn part. 94 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:58,080 Again, this is doubled in the alto, but that's a big skip going from F to C in horn. 95 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:02,480 So you want to make sure that you're spending time on the mouthpiece, letting the students 96 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:08,400 vibrate that interval until they get really comfortable with that. 97 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:14,040 And again, if you need to modify that in any way, if they're struggling with that, that's 98 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:15,840 totally fine, but that's a big skip. 99 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:18,720 That's something that you're going to want to isolate and make sure that you work on 100 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:19,720 with them. 101 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:23,200 And your altos are on a D there with the horn on a C. 102 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:24,200 Yeah. 103 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,800 So the B key for alto sax to be better in tune also to bring the pitch down. 104 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:34,800 And then, you know, if they want, if the horns do better playing, not trigger C, that's appropriate 105 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:36,640 as well, but do what works best for you. 106 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,280 But that's an important part where they need to sound the same and not stick out. 107 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:41,280 It's really important. 108 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:47,760 This whole section from 11 up to 16, I would go player to player on my horns and see if 109 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:53,120 the kids need to use trigger or no trigger on the A's, B flats and C's. 110 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,640 Just find what's going to be best for those students. 111 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:01,680 Melody is in the upper voices, but we have unison rhythm you can see through some of 112 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,080 this section in here. 113 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:09,200 So just making sure, again, in this slow 60 BPM that we are pushing through all of the 114 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:14,080 half notes, you want to try and not hear bar lines as much as possible. 115 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,480 Second clarinet and second trumpet have a really important part in measure 12. 116 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:22,280 They're the only people with moving quarter notes going from 12 to 13. 117 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:27,000 So they're going to really give you that feeling of three to one, helping to push across the 118 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,720 bar line. 119 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:33,240 When we get to 13, 14, again, we have all of these moving eighth notes. 120 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:38,320 Two note slurs happen a lot in here and it's going to be really important at this tempo 121 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:43,960 and with this style of this piece that we're not clipping the second note of the slur, 122 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:48,880 making sure that we're feeling d-ya-da, d-ya-da. 123 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,880 So lots of air going through all of those slurs. 124 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,680 Bells have a critical moment in measure 15. 125 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:02,880 Most of the time in this, they're doubling or complimenting the flute part, but they get 126 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,580 a little feature here at 15. 127 00:08:04,580 --> 00:08:08,000 They have a really important one down later on in the piece as well, but they get a little 128 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:09,880 feature here. 129 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,320 Measure 16 is we're getting to transition into this new section. 130 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,440 Again, we're talking about this being so well written. 131 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:23,080 That horn, again, we have that big interval F to C, but now it happens in eighth notes, 132 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,000 not quarter notes, and it's slurred. 133 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,200 So that needs to be something you spend a lot of time working to vibrate with them, 134 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:31,640 but it's cued in trumpet. 135 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:36,440 So if you only have one horn player that can do that well, then help to kind of beef it 136 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,120 up by allowing some trumpet players to support them. 137 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:45,520 When we get ready to transition into 17, make certain that those people that have half notes 138 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:51,320 in 16 go all the way to the rest in measure 17. 139 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:57,120 Now measure 17, we tempo transition, major tempo transition, it more than doubles in 140 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,160 speed and we go to four, four time. 141 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:04,040 This is going to be a section that as you transition, you need to make sure that your 142 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:08,880 percussion, your marimba, that's where the pulse is in the quarter note marimba, that 143 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,760 the marimba and the cabasa player are a team. 144 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:17,280 They need to be working as a unit together, making sure that their stuff is lining up. 145 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,800 And also on that cabasa part, it doesn't need to be overly loud. 146 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:26,400 I have had, I have had players before where I've needed to take some of the beads off 147 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,200 of the cabasa to make it a little quieter. 148 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:33,880 That is something you are totally able to do or have your student just use two fingers. 149 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,840 And just teach your kids the correct way to play the cabasa too so that that way it doesn't 150 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:38,840 slow down. 151 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:40,200 They don't need to move it a lot. 152 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:41,960 This is just really short. 153 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:42,960 Exactly. 154 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,560 So it's important to kind of teach them that. 155 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:50,160 When the horns and trumpets, if they're, if you're having trumpets play cues and then 156 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,960 of course upper woodwinds, flutin, opal come in with the quarter notes, they need to match 157 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:55,600 the style of the marimba. 158 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:57,920 So this is going to be full value notes. 159 00:09:57,920 --> 00:09:59,280 They need to tongue firmly. 160 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,440 So we need to hear the clear start of every one of those notes, but there does not need 161 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,080 to be space between those notes. 162 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,080 These should not be lifted at all. 163 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,760 Now the eighth notes on the other hand, I do think it's okay to have the eighth notes 164 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,600 that are repeated in the alto sax line. 165 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:14,840 Those can be a little crispier. 166 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,240 De-de-da, de-de-da, de-de-da. 167 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:22,320 But the, as long as the quarter note stays long, then it'll match the style underneath. 168 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:23,320 That's exactly right. 169 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:24,320 Right. 170 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,360 Now at measure 19, we've got a little octave tuning issue between flute and oboe. 171 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:32,680 You've got the flutes on B-flat above the staff and oboes on B-flat in the staff. 172 00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:37,920 With younger groups, that B-flat above the staff for flutes can be really very, very 173 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:39,720 sharp sometimes. 174 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,240 So that is an area, and it happens again at measure 23. 175 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:47,240 You may need to only have one or two of your flute players on that upper B-flat and everybody 176 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:48,240 else on the third line B-flat. 177 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:49,720 I definitely think that's worth doing. 178 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,920 It's like a little solo or something if they're struggling to make that B-flat sound 179 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:54,920 in tune. 180 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:56,240 Absolutely. 181 00:10:56,240 --> 00:11:01,800 When trumpets enter at measure 26, now we're on this new melodic line. 182 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,000 This part, it is real easy for the quarter notes. 183 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,560 For clarinets that had the little ostinato at 24, the same one that Altos had back at 184 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:14,040 19, when they're on that same note, it's easier to make sure the style is correct, where we 185 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:15,800 get the full value quarter notes. 186 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:20,360 Now when trumpets come in and they take over this little opposing ostinato, their notes 187 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:25,480 are changing, and we find that the tendency is for kids to clip the quarter note short 188 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:26,480 when the notes are changing. 189 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,640 So just make sure that you drive that home with them. 190 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:35,240 And now the trumpets just came in with da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, and they're in 191 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:36,240 octaves. 192 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:37,240 Oh boy. 193 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:38,240 Oh man. 194 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,360 I can hear this in my brain from playing it before. 195 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:46,000 So you have to make sure that the upper C and the lower C are in tune on these trumpets 196 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,000 and that they come in. 197 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,640 And this is a solid chord because they're leading us into this new section. 198 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,800 You also want to make sure that you're really talking a lot about layering here at 27 because 199 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:00,160 now we're starting to add in new voices, but it's written really well where they're not 200 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:01,800 going to come in really loud. 201 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:03,760 Make sure the clarinet stays softer. 202 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:08,200 And this clarinet part should be very seamless with the eighth notes going back and forth 203 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:09,960 between first and second. 204 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:14,240 You want to make sure that it just sounds like da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, 205 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:18,000 like all the way throughout teaching them that that should sound like one clarinet 206 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,440 player even though it's on two parts. 207 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:27,480 Saxes get to add in as the new featured color at 27 with the flute and the oboe. 208 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:31,520 So they could play out a little bit more, but again, just remind them to make sure that 209 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,640 they don't overplay. 210 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:38,280 And then we have this cool little conversation back and forth with the upper woodwinds going 211 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,220 into the tenor sax and the horn part. 212 00:12:41,220 --> 00:12:45,280 They're kind of finishing the conversation going into 31 again. 213 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:49,880 So just teaching them to bring that part out will make it just sound seamless. 214 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:54,720 As we said before, you also get down here in percussion, the suspended cymbal part comes 215 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:55,720 in. 216 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:56,720 Which this is really cool. 217 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:57,720 I like this. 218 00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:58,720 I love the color. 219 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,960 Yeah, often, you know, suspended cymbal players are not playing on with a stick. 220 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:04,800 They're rolling with mallets. 221 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:10,080 So just making sure that they know not to hit too close to the dome, but also not too close 222 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,560 to the edge where it rings too much. 223 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:18,360 They just have to find that exact perfect spot to make it sound a lot like the cabasa. 224 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:23,640 And of course, this is unique to a director preference, of course, but I like the cabasa 225 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:30,560 sound and the cymbal sound to be as close to the same length as possible. 226 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:33,720 So again, because it's kind of mimicking what the clarinets are doing. 227 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:34,720 Exactly. 228 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:35,720 Exactly. 229 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:42,320 Then at 31, you get the claves come in as another new voice, another new color. 230 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:46,200 So make sure that that part comes out and maybe ask your suspended cymbal player to 231 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:51,320 come down in volume so that way it's the new thing that's being featured. 232 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,920 And then we still have the upper woodwinds on the melody. 233 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:58,400 And then we have this tied part at the end of their melody where the trumpets and the 234 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:01,840 horns kind of get to take over at 33 and 34. 235 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:06,800 So teaching your long note people to do kind of like not necessarily a forte piano, but 236 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:11,480 just to get out of the way on the long note and not to do too much crescendo going into 237 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:12,480 34. 238 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,640 That's going to be a lot more up to the trumpets to kind of help out with that. 239 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:21,320 And then making sure that the horns really hear that B flat at 33 so they don't miss 240 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,480 that pitch as they're coming down. 241 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:29,040 Bum, bum, bum, bum, because they're doing what the upper woodwinds have for melody. 242 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,360 Again you got a little crunchy C versus D at 33. 243 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:38,000 So bringing that dissonance out will just add more to the excitement for sure. 244 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,440 And then at 35, we have our first style shift. 245 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:47,040 So up until now it's been just very connected in sound. 246 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:48,280 Now we've got accents. 247 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:52,720 So you do want to make sure that that comes across to the listener. 248 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:54,600 And it's 2D band here. 249 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:59,280 So we finally get this low brass, like finally you have this thick chord. 250 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,440 This is the first 2D part of the fast section. 251 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,480 So we want to hear the chords and the harmonies here. 252 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,640 This is also the first time that the snare drum plays. 253 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,320 So just making sure that they don't come in too loud. 254 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:17,640 They are important, but you don't want percussion to overpower your band here when they first 255 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:18,640 come in. 256 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,320 This is also the first time that your lows get their little moment in the sunshine at 257 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:23,320 36. 258 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,760 Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. 259 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:27,720 That's like a very cool part that they get to have. 260 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,520 It kind of comes back over and over. 261 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:36,960 Again first and second trumpet part, very important at 37 along with the upper woodwinds, except 262 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,720 the upper woodwinds don't always have the melody here. 263 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,560 Sometimes they have repeated notes, not as important. 264 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,560 And then sometimes they have the melodic line coming downwards. 265 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:52,080 So you want to make sure that you teach the flutes and oboes, you know, here at 37 you're 266 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:53,080 not as important. 267 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,080 The trumpets get to be the most important color here. 268 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,180 Clarinet 2 gets to be important because they're moving around. 269 00:15:59,180 --> 00:16:02,040 And then they do get to be important again back at 39. 270 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,640 So just teaching your kids to like look for those sections too. 271 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,960 When you have repeated notes, not as important. 272 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,400 When you're moving, that's when you need to bring your part out. 273 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,600 And this is another great time for you. 274 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:16,720 You see all the flutes on those B-flats above the staff, like the same note. 275 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,960 So because it's a repeated note, it's not as important. 276 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,840 And of course it's up there in the higher register for them for this piece. 277 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,000 So that's going to be something you need to likely thin out. 278 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,600 So either taking it down an octave or cutting players. 279 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,840 And then the style changes again at 39. 280 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,640 We kind of have this accented on, accented off feel. 281 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:39,840 Four on, four off, yeah. 282 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:40,840 Yep. 283 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:45,800 So you want to make sure you really make that be obvious to the listener like I mentioned. 284 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,760 So teaching the kids now we're going to go back to our smooth style and then at 43 back 285 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:50,760 to the accented style. 286 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:54,840 And again, we get the low brass with their little moment. 287 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:59,680 And it kind of continues that way for a little bit until 47. 288 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:03,200 Once we get to 47, now we've thinned everything out. 289 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:09,720 We have what I call this waterfall effect where we take this line that starts up in 290 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:14,960 the high voices, it starts in flute and it goes all the way down to the low brass part 291 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,240 and then comes right back up. 292 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:18,240 All the way to 55. 293 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,040 So from 47 to 55. 294 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,000 So I would isolate that part. 295 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,400 The quarter notes, the quarter note melody. 296 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:28,840 I would isolate that and have your kids pass that back and forth. 297 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:34,000 So they get the idea of what that feels like and sounds like going all the way down the 298 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:38,600 band and then back up to the upper voices before you even consider adding the accompaniment 299 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:39,600 in. 300 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:40,600 All right. 301 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:42,920 And then making sure that the accompaniment, the clarinet accompaniment maintains the 302 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:44,600 style that we've had. 303 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:46,160 Bells are really important here. 304 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:51,600 Again, they have a part that is totally different than everything else but complimentary. 305 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,240 So bells are going to be super important here. 306 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,160 And then some of the other percussion that adds in. 307 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:58,160 All right. 308 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:03,680 So the outfits need to match the style that the clarinet set up when we go from this 309 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,400 woodwind part to kind of brass taking over the melody. 310 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:13,800 And in measure 51, this is the first time the low brass have an A natural in this piece. 311 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,480 So definitely you're going to need, it is nice. 312 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:20,960 You're going to need to reinforce a high second position, just an inch of silver. 313 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:27,200 Now in measure 50, the altos also have an A above the staff. 314 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,640 That is not a good tuning note for them often. 315 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,320 It's not unusual for that note to be flat, that octave A. 316 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:38,000 So making sure- And they're going to play it really loud because it's not the end of 317 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:39,000 their melody. 318 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:40,000 Yes. 319 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,360 So just go easy on it is what I've always told my kids because then they get excited 320 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,080 and they add vibrato and it can like really stick out. 321 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,040 And that's not their moment of glory anymore. 322 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:51,680 The horns get to come in with the clarinet too. 323 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:53,840 So just teaching them to be softer. 324 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:54,840 Absolutely. 325 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,920 And I tell my saxophones, we talk a lot about gripping the mouthpiece with the corners of 326 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:04,240 your omniscient and keeping the air focused using laser pointer air and not flashlight 327 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:08,120 air, not air that is wide and spread but air that is really focused. 328 00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:11,800 So I use those terms, flashlight air and laser air a lot. 329 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,680 And let's be honest, if it's not very good, even after all of that teaching, just take 330 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,400 it down an octave and that way it's taken care of itself as well. 331 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:26,600 Now as we transition into 55, we have a huge low brass, low reed or tuba, low reed moment. 332 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:31,560 It's just marked mezzo forte but again because we have thinned out the instrumentation as 333 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:37,360 we get ready to transition into 55 and it's a bigger moment, that tuba and low reed that 334 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:40,720 comes in on beat three of 54 is really important. 335 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:45,400 So we want to make sure that they really emphasize that crescendo and help that transition into 336 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:46,400 55. 337 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:52,800 And percussion, I always feel like percussion can help an ensemble with a crescendo. 338 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:57,480 You just have to make sure that they understand, the percussionist understand after the crescendo 339 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:01,880 to back the volume back down so they're not smothering the ensemble. 340 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:08,140 At 55, this low brass part needs to be really firmly articulated and the quarter note needs 341 00:20:08,140 --> 00:20:09,640 to touch the rest. 342 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:10,640 De-de-da off. 343 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:11,880 De-de-da off. 344 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:17,240 So make sure that that is something you emphasize, melody is in the first clarinet and first 345 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:18,240 trumpet. 346 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:23,160 So you need to, this is a piece that we, I definitely think you need strong clarinets 347 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:28,080 and trumpets for even though the technique is not super demanding and the range is not 348 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:29,680 demanding, they need to be confident. 349 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:34,400 Yeah, it helps if you have bigger sections in those two areas too, just more kids if 350 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:35,400 possible. 351 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:40,640 Going from 56 to 57, you want to make sure that that note touches the rest. 352 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:45,760 So sound to silence all the time as we transition into 57. 353 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,280 We add in the upper woodwinds at measure 59. 354 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,120 This is a lot like what we had before. 355 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:57,160 So we want to make sure again, the people that have changing notes are brought out, 356 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:04,080 the people that have the same notes are underneath the rest of the ensemble and then we get set 357 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:08,480 up as we start to transition for the big finish into 63. 358 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:14,360 And at 63 now we have this little cool part in the flute and oboe and alto sax that's 359 00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:17,000 different from anything else we've had in the piece. 360 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,840 Laura and I both said it might be reminiscent of what like the mallet player had back at 361 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,040 48 sort of ish. 362 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,000 But you want this part to be brought out just because it's a new and different color at 363 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,640 the very end and they're kind of heralding like we're almost done with this fast part 364 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,080 and then we're going to go back to the slow part. 365 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:38,680 Anytime I've played this piece, I've also added a crescendo from 65 to 67 just to be 366 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:44,720 very excited going into the change because it's quick and it's very immediate. 367 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:51,240 You will notice that your clarinet one part already comes down in volume going into 67. 368 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,040 That's because that's the only voice that's going to carry over. 369 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,840 So they're going to come in quietly and continue holding and you can even like audition that 370 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:05,560 G to make sure that it's your best sounding players only on it and everybody in the band 371 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:11,280 has got to have their sound go all the way to beat one of 67 so that it's a very distinct 372 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,200 layer of cut off. 373 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:18,440 Then here like I mentioned trying to find the right players in some of the times that 374 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:24,560 I've played this we've made every one of these a solo a flute solo at 68 and alto solo at 375 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:25,560 68. 376 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:30,040 If you've got everybody that can play great if they sound like one player more power to 377 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:31,040 them. 378 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,280 But there's you know nothing saying that you can't work it out since there's only like 379 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,840 three parts playing here to make it sound your best. 380 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,280 Making sure that you pick the right players flutes and saxes need to use lots of vibrato 381 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,840 here go all the way to the bar line at 70. 382 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:50,240 Then we have this cool wind times effect at 70 and you want to make sure that you go over 383 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,440 this with your kids because lots of times my kids have just like slam their hand. 384 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:59,960 Yeah, the wind chimes and it's like it's supposed to be very delicate and it has to take two 385 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:02,240 full measures to be brought out. 386 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:07,040 I think one of the best ways that you can get that effect instead of having the students 387 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:12,280 just scrape their finger down the center of the bars which is kind of loud and jarring 388 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:20,440 and of course you do get that you get the pitch effect of going high to low there. 389 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:25,520 What I like to have my students do is we just kind of take their have them take a hand and 390 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:32,360 they just kind of flutter the bottom of the wind chime bars and move from top to bottom 391 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:36,640 move from high to low and it gives a way cooler effect. 392 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:41,320 It makes it sound a lot more like wind chimes that you would have on your porch instead 393 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,960 of you know the type of wind times we're used to hearing. 394 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:46,680 So I would I love that idea. 395 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,560 Yeah, I would consider using that effect. 396 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,800 Then you want to make sure that you spend a lot of time on this trumpet part here at 397 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:56,880 71 and 72 making sure that it sounds very seamless that your kids are making the jump 398 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:58,560 up to the upper notes really well. 399 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,560 You can have them vibrate in on mouthpiece to make sure that they really hear the pitches 400 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,680 especially because the first and second parts are not the same here. 401 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:11,720 And then your first trumpets may want to kick on E with their first valve slides since they're 402 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:13,600 holding for so long. 403 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:19,200 And then you get a nice little bell solo at the end at 73 and when this when you teach 404 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:24,680 the sh to the kids make sure that they don't start too loud and that together you're just 405 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:29,200 fading out and once the bell sound has gone away I feel like you're kind of done with 406 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:30,200 the piece. 407 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,760 So don't feel like you have to hold it for like eight beats or something like that just 408 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:38,880 whatever fits your band and the texture at the very end of the piece. 409 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:43,760 And one other quick thing about the trumpet solely going into those last four measures 410 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:49,880 I know that it's marked piano but I would not like do not like play it. 411 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:50,880 That's right. 412 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,600 They just need to have a beautiful sound. 413 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,760 That's the most important thing. 414 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:00,320 All right well we hope that this was helpful for you on your journey to learning colliding 415 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:01,480 visions. 416 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:15,880 Thank you for joining us on this episode of Band BFFs.