1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Welcome to our podcast, Band BFFs! 2 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,640 The podcast where we make your music selection less complicated. 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:18,400 On today's episode, we're going to be discussing Japanese pictures by Kevin Mixon. 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,400 Cheers to starting the conversation! 5 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:23,720 Alright let's dive in. 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,640 So this piece is in the key of Concert B Flat. 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,680 It remains in the key of Concert B Flat and in 4x4 time throughout. 8 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,400 It has a pretty upbeat tempo all the way throughout. 9 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,640 There are two clarinet parts that are split, two split trumpet parts. 10 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:42,040 The trombone and euphonium part are split though often they double each other through 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:43,440 the piece. 12 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:48,680 Every piece of percussion equipment in this is important to pulling off the effect of 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:49,680 this piece. 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:51,680 So you want to make sure that you have a healthy percussion section. 15 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:56,280 Yeah, this piece is so cool and kids love it because it is, as it says at the beginning, 16 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:57,760 dramatico. 17 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:04,160 And it starts off very fanfare-ish with the cool low brass accented part. 18 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,600 It's a conversation between highs and lows. 19 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,880 That's how I always teach it. 20 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:14,040 You want to make sure that the style is very firm and almost like a little hairline of 21 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,440 space between the dotted quarter and eighth at the beginning. 22 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:23,040 Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, maybe not quite that short. 23 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,480 But you want to make sure that you can hear a tiny, tiny bit of space between them just 24 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,280 because that goes with the style. 25 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:35,120 There is a part for a taiko drum at the beginning and I have played it before with them which 26 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:36,440 is really cool. 27 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:41,440 But if you don't have that, of course, you can just use a regular tom or a clarinet. 28 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:46,360 When we've played this before, we did not have taiko drums and so we took old marching 29 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:51,160 bass drums and turned them on their side and we were able to tune them in a way that they 30 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,440 sounded pretty darn close to taiko drums. 31 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,000 So that was kind of a cool experience for the kids. 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,760 It elevated it a little bit more than just traditional concert toms. 33 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,640 Though certainly those are effective too. 34 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:08,480 And if you're playing this not for a big old contest, maybe for a spring concert or festival 35 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:12,480 or something like that, it would be cool to put, I've seen it done where they put a taiko 36 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,440 drum on either side of the stage and kind of do a double style. 37 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,200 And teach the kids, show them some taiko drumming. 38 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:23,120 They can do some of the arm movements and make it dramatic. 39 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,760 Yeah, anything you can do. 40 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,120 One cool thing that Mr. Mixon does on this piece too is if you look with me on the trumpet 41 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,680 one part in measure three, you can see that he does have the trumpet one part going up 42 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,920 to the E but if your trumpets don't feel comfortable with that, they can just play the C. And he 43 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:39,920 does that a few times throughout this piece. 44 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:44,440 So I think that's pretty smart just to kind of keep it where it's not too difficult for 45 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,400 your trumpet players as they're growing. 46 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:51,440 Most of the range considerations are totally appropriate for a traditional grade two piece. 47 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:56,000 The low brass part sits right within an octave range going up to a concert B flat. 48 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:01,360 The upper woodwind part, flutes go up to high D in this and then of course you have the 49 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,480 optional split for some of those brass players. 50 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,840 Horns, do horns are really important in this and they do go up to a D as well. 51 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:12,240 As we're getting into the piece, like I mentioned, it's a conversation for a while and then 52 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,680 we have all of us having accents together at measure seven. 53 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:20,880 Again, keeping a very firm articulation in eight and nine and then you have this low 54 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,480 brass crescendo into 10 and then a day crescendo into 12. 55 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:30,040 Make sure that your students do not crescendo past their best sounds. 56 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:36,400 And I always say crescendo from your low brass voice is your tuba more than anything else. 57 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,800 Don't let it get too reedy where like the low reeds are doing the most crescendoing. 58 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,360 It'll just make your band sound more mature and more full. 59 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,680 These accents here in the percussion part from 10 to forever are really important to 60 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:54,080 get the one and then the other and a four. 61 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,720 That's really important to keep the groove going the whole time. 62 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,920 So back to that crescendo and day crescendo. 63 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,960 One thing, it's going to be really important especially because some of this sits just 64 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:11,080 in the low brass and low reeds that your kids are educated about the fact that volume changes 65 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:15,120 on reed instruments function the opposite as they do on brass instruments. 66 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:20,080 So they have to make sure that they are really, really listening for those tuning tendencies 67 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:21,720 when they're changing dynamics. 68 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,280 Yeah, like a bassoon G. 69 00:04:24,280 --> 00:04:25,680 Also echoing what Katie said. 70 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:29,480 So the biggest way, even though it is marked fortissimo right here for percussion, the 71 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:35,240 biggest way to make that contrast in the accents is they need to make their taps really low. 72 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,640 So the unaccented notes are what they need to focus on. 73 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,760 If the unaccented notes are really low and they treat them like taps, it's going to make 74 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:46,280 this section really, really effective and establish that groove like Katie was saying 75 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:49,040 that remains in effect for the whole piece. 76 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,080 When you get to measure 14, so now we start a little woodwind feature. 77 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:57,760 This starts off with just flute and oboe and we add a cool little clave effect in the percussion. 78 00:04:57,760 --> 00:04:59,080 It's real important here. 79 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:00,520 This is not too loud. 80 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,760 You don't need every one of your flute and oboe players on it if they don't all sound 81 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:06,640 good and match each other really well. 82 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,120 But one of the biggest things that I hear bands do my own band included when we've played 83 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,760 this before is clip the second note of the slur. 84 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:13,760 I'm really short. 85 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:19,160 So we want to make sure that we're getting da, di, ah, da, di, ah, da, di, ah, da, and 86 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,480 not da, di, ah, da, di, ah, da. 87 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,040 They'll kind of compress that eighth note pattern and clip that second eighth note. 88 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:30,080 One other thing I've done at 14 to help because these octaves immediately every single time 89 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,760 in the B-flat for flute and oboe can get pretty shrill is I've only had one flute player play 90 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:40,160 the upper B-flat and the rest of the flute players play the bottom B-flat like the oboe. 91 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:41,720 So it's easier to match. 92 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,520 It's way easier tuning that way. 93 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:49,520 Clarinets come in with the melody at measure 18 and though it is cued in euphonium, if 94 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,880 you have a healthy low reed section, we really like the way that sounds when we can keep 95 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,560 that in the woodwind choir. 96 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:01,560 And because of where the clarinets are down here, I personally like balancing to that 97 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:07,280 low clarinet sound so making the alto sax color the clarinet sound in this section. 98 00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:12,240 When we get to 22, we add in that upper woodwind back again and we get kind of this cool almost 99 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,720 little counter melody thing that happens in some of the low reeds with their moving half 100 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:17,720 notes. 101 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,080 But it's the same concept. 102 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,360 Now you want to make sure when the flutes and oboes come in that they are not covering 103 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,920 up what's happening in the clarinets as well. 104 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,920 And the clarinet one part changes to what the flute and oboe have. 105 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,160 So now you just hear people on the melody. 106 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,160 Yeah, and maybe when you assign your parts on this piece, keep that in mind. 107 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,080 Maybe you only want like two first clarinets and like four second clarinets. 108 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:42,080 Beef up that second one. 109 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:45,280 Yeah, I think that'll just make you sound darker. 110 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:50,440 You have these moving eighth notes from measure 25 into 26 that are really, really important. 111 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:57,040 Then when we land at 26, now horns and altos kind of are featured as the melody here. 112 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,760 But there are a ton of people on this syncopated ostinato rhythmic pattern that's happening 113 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:02,960 underneath it. 114 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,920 It's real important that the eighth note in that syncopated pattern be really lifted. 115 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,440 De-da, de-da, de-da, de-da. 116 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,480 I talk to my kids about making the eighth note sound softer than the quarter note and 117 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:15,480 the half note. 118 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,040 So if they almost think about just a little bit of an accent on the quarter note or in 119 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,760 the half note, it's going to really make that style effective in this section. 120 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:24,840 But there are so many people on that part. 121 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,200 It's easy to cover up. 122 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:27,200 The trumpet melody. 123 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:28,200 Yeah. 124 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,920 The alto horn counter melody and what's going on in the trumpet part. 125 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,840 So you want to make sure that you're working to balance that. 126 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:37,160 And this trumpet part here is really easy to make sound good if you spend time on it. 127 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,760 Like making sure that the students push through, measure 27 and 28. 128 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:42,360 27, no breath after that half note. 129 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:43,360 Yeah. 130 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,480 But then you have the D versus the B in 29. 131 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,560 And I've heard that when I've adjudicated lots of times. 132 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:50,880 Be like really, like not in tune. 133 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:52,760 It sticks out as a really bad part. 134 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:53,960 It doesn't sound super great. 135 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,920 So again, this might be another part where maybe you only have two kids on the first 136 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:02,480 trumpet part and a few more on the second trumpet part, just to make sure that the tuning 137 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,680 is there all the way throughout because they have this over and over and over in the trumpet. 138 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,800 And don't be afraid to use alternate fingerings for a couple of those players up there. 139 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:15,880 If we need to, I mean, we have that C in the horns and, you know, and the D in the trumpets 140 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:17,480 and the B in the trumpets like Katie said. 141 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,400 So don't be afraid to use some alternate fingerings on any of those to kind of help 142 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,200 with some of that pitch. 143 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:26,200 And then as we're kind of just leading, like we said, try to balance to the trumpet here 144 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,840 and then you're like layering in more voices again with the flute. 145 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,400 Clarinet two is now with the oboe and the other clarinets. 146 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,960 So just try to make sure you don't lose that trumpet melody as you're layering in. 147 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,840 Then we've got a crescendo into 34. 148 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:42,240 You don't overdo it. 149 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:43,240 Yep. 150 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,040 And the timpani has to change pitches. 151 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:49,760 So that's just good to make sure you have somebody good on that part that you can trust 152 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:51,440 to do that in the middle of the piece. 153 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,760 And I want to say real quick on that crescendo, especially crescendo like this that's leading 154 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:57,160 into an arrival point. 155 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:01,400 Like I teach my students that a crescendo does not just mean to gradually get louder. 156 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,760 It means to start softer and gradually get louder. 157 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,160 So when they see that crescendo, they need to back their volume off at the beginning 158 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:12,240 to give themselves somewhere to grow so that they don't end up outside of their best sound 159 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,120 at that arrival point at 34. 160 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,560 And then we're back to the percussion groove here at 34. 161 00:09:18,560 --> 00:09:22,640 And we're going to change here in a moment stylistically. 162 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:28,560 Be sure that your percussion do the dynamic de crescendo from 37 to 38 makes them sound 163 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:32,800 really mature when they actually follow that and do it like more than just down to mezzo-forte 164 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:34,840 like all the way down to piano. 165 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:39,680 You get this really pretty horn line that comes in at 38 and it's very mellow because 166 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:43,040 now the piece is kind of changing style. 167 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,360 You want to make sure that the altos again are coloring the horns and not playing louder 168 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:48,640 than the horn here. 169 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,040 And we definitely don't want space in this part here. 170 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:52,040 No, this is more likely. 171 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:56,240 But you do want to make sure it is firmly articulated so it's, it's, there's really clear 172 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,400 starts to the notes but no space. 173 00:09:58,400 --> 00:09:59,400 Right. 174 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:04,120 And this is a conversation between horn and trumpet one in particular. 175 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:08,120 So just making sure that your students understand that especially with all these low brass parts 176 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:13,360 underneath, you want to make sure they're not covering up the moving parts. 177 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:18,600 And then at 41 it literally says more tranquil so I mean when you're teaching this to your 178 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,640 students make sure that they understand that now we're adding in some slurs. 179 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,840 We now want to make sure that everything is very connected. 180 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,720 Make sure that whenever the flutes are going up above the staff that they're trying to 181 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:35,600 place softer up above and stronger when they're in the staff. 182 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:40,160 So that way it's same with clarinet one to make sure that it just sounds really nice 183 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:41,680 and peaceful here. 184 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:46,400 And also in those accompaniment parts that are half notes and dotted half notes and whole 185 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:47,800 notes here. 186 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:52,880 It's real easy for them to start that day crescendo right at 41 because of those long sustained 187 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:53,880 notes. 188 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,600 So while they obviously do not need to cover up the moving part, they need to also remember 189 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:01,360 that they need to use good follow through through those longer notes so that we, that 190 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,320 day crescendo can start at 43 where it should. 191 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:05,320 Right. 192 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,200 And they're kind of taking over the conversation there at 43 too. 193 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:13,480 So they don't want to day crescendo too quickly because that is the conversational part between 194 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,480 the flute and clarinet. 195 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,080 And then it goes to the low brass there and a little bit of trumpet at the very end going 196 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,080 into 45. 197 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:23,480 And then it's definitely very flowing here. 198 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:25,200 You have no percussion anymore. 199 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:31,520 So that's important that students know how important it is to get the pulse in there. 200 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,400 Just like internalize the pulse and also to watch the director really well. 201 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,520 You have a little tiny triangle for effect here, but that's about it. 202 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:42,320 And a little bells make sure that they're not too loud, but they do have a different 203 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:43,320 part. 204 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:44,320 They're not doubling. 205 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:45,320 That's right. 206 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:46,320 They're not doubling. 207 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,400 So it is an important part to have. 208 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:53,320 But again, not like brass mallets or anything, something just really nice and light. 209 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:58,520 And then here, whenever I've played this before, I'll sometimes have like, I will for sure 210 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,640 assign breathing parts here. 211 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,920 So like you're either having an odd breather or an even breather where they're breathing 212 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,160 on a bar line if they have to. 213 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:13,120 But then that way you don't have people playing where they're like all breathing in the same 214 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:14,120 spots. 215 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,280 So I think that's really important just to make it again sound really mature. 216 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,440 Then you've got the horn and alto melody again here at 50. 217 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,160 And this is where we're going up way higher on the horn. 218 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:26,160 So it's okay. 219 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:27,160 You don't want it to sound strange. 220 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:31,920 So again, if you have one player that can play that beautifully great, that's fine. 221 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,440 But it doesn't, it doesn't need to be pinched or strained. 222 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:39,240 And if that means that you have to cut a few students out or like take turns with this 223 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:45,520 flute and the Ogo and Clarinet part that starts at 46, you may want to say like you two play 224 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:49,440 46 and 47 and then you two play 48 and 49. 225 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:53,120 That way it's not like so loud because I have heard it. 226 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,400 Yes, mother in the blue ends where you can't hear the horn and then you're like, Oh, more 227 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:57,400 horn, more horn. 228 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,080 Well, the horn might be playing as loud as they can with a good sound and in tune. 229 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:05,280 So see what you can do to kind of layer down the other parts as needed. 230 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:10,040 When the timpani comes in at 52, that's a really cool effect along with the tuba. 231 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,480 So just make sure that they're rolling nice and lightly underneath. 232 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,520 They're just building the momentum as we're going through this part. 233 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:23,560 And it continues to be this horn and trombone euphonium conversation like we had before. 234 00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:27,240 Again, make sure that the low reeds understand their role that they're not as important as 235 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:28,800 trombone and euphonium. 236 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:30,800 So we get that really pretty mellow color. 237 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,600 I think that's really cool that Mr. Mixon does that. 238 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,800 To me, it's like a horn and euphonium duet. 239 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,520 And I think that that sounds really pretty. 240 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:44,040 And then we get a little slight crescendo going into 57, but it's all leading up to 241 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:45,400 a part later. 242 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,000 So we don't want to get like too excited too soon. 243 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,360 I've heard some bands get like really strong on every crescendo and it sounds kind of like 244 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,280 out of style when they do that. 245 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,840 So just make sure it's obvious that it's there, but it's not like too much. 246 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,760 And I mean, this crescendo just goes to mezzo-piano. 247 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,040 Use this suspended cymbal to really help fulfill that. 248 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:12,040 That percussive element can really give the illusion of more of a crescendo than the wind 249 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,040 players. 250 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:18,320 And the low brass have an A natural here at 57 with the crescendo and a bassoon A. So 251 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,200 be sure that that's really in tune when you're doing that. 252 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:26,800 As again, it's leading in and we don't want students to go past their best sounds either. 253 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,760 Same exact thing here at 58, except now we kind of all have the melody together. 254 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,320 The woodwinds are joining in with the horns. 255 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:41,360 And this again, you're keeping it very long and legato tongue here for a long time. 256 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,080 Then we're going to go into 64. 257 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:48,360 We've got some of the lower voices that are getting like kind of a little conversational 258 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:49,680 part at the end. 259 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:51,920 We're doing a little day crescendo and we're loo... 260 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,520 And then this is again where I've cut students down at 66, where I've only had like one 261 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,560 flute, one clarinet, one on each... 262 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:03,360 Sorry, one on each clarinet part, one oboe, just so that it's not like too loud because 263 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,600 this is supposed to be a very soft part going into 74. 264 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,640 You're losing again all that percussion. 265 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,120 Now we're down to just the bells and the triangle again. 266 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:19,760 So for effect, you want this to be very bass clarinet heavy because they're the tuba of 267 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,560 this little like woodwind choir. 268 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,480 When we get to 74, we're kind of changing ideas here. 269 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,480 One thing about the percussion part in this that we haven't mentioned, there are a lot 270 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:31,640 of roles in the percussion part. 271 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,920 So you want to make sure that the kids that are on those instruments have good quality 272 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:35,920 roles. 273 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:40,480 Otherwise, it can become a big distraction to the sound of the ensemble. 274 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,880 So here at 74, it says with growing intensity. 275 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,400 So we're starting to build, but we start metzopiano. 276 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:52,400 It's really important that those dotted half notes do not end softer than they begin. 277 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:58,880 That way we are adding to that growing intensity, you know, the idea through all of this. 278 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:00,080 Again, percussion can help. 279 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,040 We add in more instruments, more instruments until we arrive at 78. 280 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,960 And by the time we get to 78, it's almost full band here. 281 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:10,360 We go back to the same type of idea that we had earlier in the piece. 282 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:14,960 We still went the same stylistic considerations here with the articulation on the syncopated 283 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:22,040 ostinato, knowing that trumpets are the primary voice and horns and altos are the counter 284 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:23,040 melody. 285 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,160 If you chose to feature the trumpets more prominently earlier, this might be a part 286 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:32,680 that you want to feature the horn and alto a little bit more since it is an idea, a melodic 287 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:34,480 idea that we've already heard. 288 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:35,480 I like that idea. 289 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:36,480 That's pretty cool. 290 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,480 I was going to say also at 77, make sure that that timpani entrance is a little fuller than 291 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:45,800 it's marked because it's again, it's leading us in and growing in anticipation into the 292 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:47,800 78 section. 293 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:53,160 And then please note that like the Xylo and Matt and Bell's player goes back and forth 294 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:54,360 a few times. 295 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,280 So now they're back on the Xylophone at 82. 296 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:00,600 And those Xylophone roles, once again, those roles are really important. 297 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:04,720 You want to make sure that that you're working with your percussion student on, on having 298 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,560 a role base for what those roles are going to be on Xylophone so that it's consistent 299 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,200 and it sounds good every single solitary time. 300 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:16,640 Don't let your flutes scream out at 85 when they go up to that upper D. That can sometimes 301 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:21,400 be a little bit jarring, especially with the first clarinet trill writing. 302 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:26,160 So just be careful to make sure that everybody's got, you know, just their, their place in 303 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:27,160 mind again. 304 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,200 Now we're kind of back to the more accented style at 86 for sure. 305 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:32,200 Yes. 306 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:36,000 With the little bit of space between the dotted quarters and the trumpet again. 307 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,120 When we get to 93, like we have all of this. 308 00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:40,880 Do you usually do this trill in the mallets just out of curiosity? 309 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:41,880 Yes. 310 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:42,880 Yes, I do. 311 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:47,000 So in 86, there's a trill in the mallet, just make sure that it's not like crazy sounding, 312 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:48,000 I guess. 313 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,000 Yeah. 314 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,040 And it's easy for it to sound really obnoxious. 315 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:53,040 Yeah. 316 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:57,040 And especially if you have a student playing that who has one hand that is dominant over 317 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,640 the other, then it, then obviously that becomes really apparent. 318 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:05,000 So I think last time I played it, I actually told the mallet player not to do it because 319 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,440 it was obnoxious to me, but that's just a personal preference. 320 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,760 So yeah, that's why I asked if you did that or not. 321 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:11,760 Yes. 322 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:12,760 Yes. 323 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,680 So if you have trills, I think they can be really like overtaking. 324 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:19,560 So just make sure again that you find somebody who can do it the right way. 325 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:20,720 It's meant to be an effect. 326 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:21,720 So it needs to be effective. 327 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:22,720 Not taken over the world. 328 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:23,720 That's right. 329 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,800 It doesn't need to, it's not meant to be the primary thing. 330 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:30,240 So we have, again, this is like it was in the beginning. 331 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:31,760 We have this accented style. 332 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:36,200 We have a little bit of, starting at 93 where we're kind of thinning out a little bit and 333 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,640 entrances on beat one, entrances on beat three. 334 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:44,800 I teach my students to treat those like forte pianos or forte mezzo pianos so that they 335 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,480 know they strike the note like a bell tone and get out of the way, make room for the 336 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:54,000 new entrance, especially when we have the upper voices that come in in 94 on beat three. 337 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,560 Another good way to teach this, like I've recently done this in my own band hall, not 338 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:04,480 this piece, but this idea is at 93 have them raise their hands for which beat they enter 339 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:10,200 on one, three, one or three and have them look around the band hall and notice like, 340 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,480 oh, there's all the low brasses on beat one. 341 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,720 That's like 25 kids or whatever low brass low reads. 342 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:21,440 And then look at how many people come in on beat two or sorry, beat three of 93. 343 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,280 It's like seven children. 344 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,640 So you want to like make sure that you give them visual elements. 345 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:30,320 Yeah, I think that that opens their eyes up to it because they're like, oh, whoa, that's 346 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,440 why we can't hear that entrance because there's only five people playing that one or one or 347 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:35,440 whatever. 348 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:36,560 So I don't know. 349 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:41,080 It worked in my band hall is a little bit eyeopening like Laura said at 95 when the full band comes 350 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:45,320 in here and this is an arrival point one and two, they need to make sure that they're I 351 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,480 always make the wind players match the articulation of the percussion here. 352 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,720 So like have the percussion play it get that sound in their ear and then the woodwind or 353 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,520 the winds rather need to match that same firmness of articulation. 354 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:02,520 The good little crescendo from 95 to 96 is really nice right there too. 355 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:08,640 One and two, one, two and three because that's the ending portion for sure. 356 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:12,920 And then the very end, this is real nice again, kind of like what we just talked about. 357 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:14,920 You've got people with staggered entrances. 358 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:20,160 Yep, you want to make sure everybody gets heard there and you're landing with some G's 359 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:21,640 in the trombone part. 360 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:25,360 So just make sure that that's my least favorite note on me too. 361 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:27,320 I don't know why fourth position is such a mystery. 362 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:28,320 I don't know. 363 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:31,520 But also like G on bassoon, make sure they're adding their pinky. 364 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:36,160 Like, you know, there's a lot to make sure that you're checking on this pitch. 365 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,640 So just make sure that it's nice and in tune at the very end. 366 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,040 And again, that kids aren't going beyond their best sounds. 367 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:47,160 Trumpets aren't an E. Make sure they kick their thumb slide if they need to. 368 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,360 And again, no breathing right before 99. 369 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:51,000 Make sure it leads into the very end. 370 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,920 Yeah, so that last measure, I mean, this is unison. 371 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,200 Everybody's on a concert G in that very last measure. 372 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,160 So that like Katie said, that tuning is going to be really important here. 373 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,240 And percussion is super important driving into the end. 374 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:04,240 Absolutely. 375 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,600 And then that last note, making sure that the last note is a full body of sound note, 376 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:11,000 the sound to silence, making that note touch the rest. 377 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,640 I always have my kids write the word tone over it when in tone. 378 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,000 Like we need to make sure that it's long enough that we can say the word tone. 379 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:22,560 And maybe like your taiko drum can be like more prominent on the last measure. 380 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:27,240 I don't want you to go crazy, especially if it's for like a big adjudicated festival. 381 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,320 But well, and that is something that is. 382 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,360 So I guess final closing remarks on this one. 383 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:39,120 The percussion is so cool in this piece, but it can take over the entire ensemble, especially 384 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:42,120 if you were on a stage with shells. 385 00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:47,720 So I would make sure that if you have the opportunity to let your percussion play around 386 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:54,200 a little bit before you perform this on a stage, especially if it does have shells, 387 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,960 it honestly can make or break things on this piece. 388 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:04,440 So just just making sure and even just the staging of that equipment can help a lot. 389 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:08,960 So if you have the ability to move those taiko drums or whatever you're using as taiko drums, 390 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,680 maybe not right up next to shells, anything like that can can certainly help keep the 391 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:14,680 percussion from overbalancing. 392 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:16,240 But it's such a cool piece. 393 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,880 This is such a cool piece to program for your band. 394 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:19,880 All right. 395 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:34,040 Thanks for joining us on this episode of Band BFFs.