WEBVTT 00:00:06.739 --> 00:00:10.640 Welcome to our podcast, Band BFFs. The podcast 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.880 where we make your music selection less complicated. 00:00:13.220 --> 00:00:15.919 On today's episode, we will be discussing Atlantis 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:19.260 by Anne McGinty, which is a Texas PML grade one. 00:00:19.620 --> 00:00:23.219 Cheers to starting the conversation. All right, 00:00:23.260 --> 00:00:26.420 this is just like a rite of passage. I mean, 00:00:26.460 --> 00:00:30.339 honestly, I feel like it is. So this piece, Atlantis, 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:33.100 this is in the key of concert B flat. It's four, 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:36.939 four throughout. It is about two minutes long. 00:00:38.259 --> 00:00:41.600 It has split clarinet parts and split trumpet 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:45.119 parts. Pretty minimal percussion, but you need 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:49.929 to have a good snare drum player for this. Accidentals 00:00:49.929 --> 00:00:52.869 galore all over this piece. She wrote this piece 00:00:52.869 --> 00:00:55.509 with like lots of what I call like color chords. 00:00:55.750 --> 00:00:58.750 So everything sounds really pretty together as 00:00:58.750 --> 00:01:02.009 long as everybody's making their best sounds. 00:01:02.350 --> 00:01:06.189 and can play in tune. And balanced correctly. 00:01:06.469 --> 00:01:08.969 It can sound great, but it can also sound really 00:01:08.969 --> 00:01:10.609 immature if you don't think about those things. 00:01:11.150 --> 00:01:13.329 So the whole piece starts off with snare drum 00:01:13.329 --> 00:01:17.750 playing fast at 120 and piano. One, and a two, 00:01:17.769 --> 00:01:19.709 and a three, and a four, and a one, and a two, 00:01:19.730 --> 00:01:21.590 and a three, and a four, and a... And then the 00:01:21.590 --> 00:01:24.230 whole band comes in on beat four with a forte. 00:01:24.590 --> 00:01:28.310 There are no style markings. So... Play this 00:01:28.310 --> 00:01:31.790 all long and connected. Everybody comes in with 00:01:31.790 --> 00:01:36.989 the same rhythm. Four, one. Four, one. Three, 00:01:37.569 --> 00:01:40.909 one. But it's like a big jump. So flutes are 00:01:40.909 --> 00:01:43.989 above the staff now. Trumpets are on an upper 00:01:43.989 --> 00:01:47.849 C. Just kind of pointing that out to you. One. 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:53.180 accidental one, three, accidental, accidental, 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:56.599 accidental for most, regular note, accidental 00:01:56.599 --> 00:02:00.939 for most, regular note, one, off. And that whole 00:02:00.939 --> 00:02:03.299 time the percussion is getting softer along with 00:02:03.299 --> 00:02:05.500 the band, the snare drum. Now the positive of 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:09.460 this is it is 2D rhythm throughout this. So it's 00:02:09.460 --> 00:02:12.419 a couple extra tuba notes. Yes. I mean like rhythm 00:02:12.419 --> 00:02:15.860 wise, that makes it really really great, but 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:19.409 you have got to make sure that. that we tongue 00:02:19.409 --> 00:02:22.449 together and that I cannot stress enough, like 00:02:22.449 --> 00:02:26.169 the balance of the chords. Yeah, for sure, for 00:02:26.169 --> 00:02:29.810 sure. So making sure that sounds really nice 00:02:29.810 --> 00:02:32.229 and just like kind of programmatic as you open. 00:02:32.830 --> 00:02:35.310 Snare drum is now at a mezzo piano. We've added 00:02:35.310 --> 00:02:38.590 in some rolls and then the full band comes in 00:02:38.590 --> 00:02:42.870 at 12. The melody is in flute and trumpet and 00:02:42.870 --> 00:02:45.629 they have a cute little syncopated rhythm. One, 00:02:45.629 --> 00:02:51.069 two, three, and, and one. Two Don't breathe one 00:02:51.069 --> 00:02:55.750 two three and four and one Now breathe so you 00:02:55.750 --> 00:02:57.389 want to make sure that when you're learning this 00:02:57.389 --> 00:02:59.689 that they're doing a four measure phrase So it 00:02:59.689 --> 00:03:04.310 sounds more mature the low people have just chords 00:03:04.310 --> 00:03:10.289 on one three long one Three four agreed so they 00:03:10.289 --> 00:03:12.330 don't they should not be short and they should 00:03:12.330 --> 00:03:14.569 be touching if you have two quarter notes in 00:03:14.569 --> 00:03:18.639 a row clarinet Sax and horn kind of have background 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:20.919 parts as well. It's just a little bit different 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:23.860 and more of those like color chords underneath. 00:03:23.860 --> 00:03:26.460 And I would consider, there are no style markings 00:03:26.460 --> 00:03:29.860 like Katie mentioned, but I would consider either 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:34.199 writing in for the kids on the syncopated part. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.500 Yes, all of that needs, all of the half note 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:40.840 stuff needs to be tenuto. But on the syncopated 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:44.319 stuff writing accents, staccato, accent, staccato, 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:48.330 dee da, dee da. But I thought you were talking 00:03:48.330 --> 00:03:51.129 about the underneath part. I would draw a tenuto 00:03:51.129 --> 00:03:53.669 on the quarter note, quarter rest, quarter note, 00:03:53.710 --> 00:03:56.270 quarter rest. I would draw a tenuto on the quarter 00:03:56.270 --> 00:04:03.240 note. Duh, don't breathe either, duh. Yeah, so 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:05.259 a lot of times I've heard bands play this and 00:04:05.259 --> 00:04:07.520 everybody breathes right there, like a two bar 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:10.560 phrase. Yeah, that's not gonna be okay, especially 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:13.479 when you go on 120. So make sure that kids are 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:15.599 really paying attention to that. Draw it in for 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.920 them on their part. No breath with an arrow. 00:04:18.609 --> 00:04:23.050 Lows get a little bit of a moment in the sunshine 00:04:23.050 --> 00:04:25.370 at measure 15. They just get to move and play 00:04:25.370 --> 00:04:28.610 four quarter notes. 16, we go back to the melody 00:04:28.610 --> 00:04:30.649 still in flute and trumpet. Everybody else has 00:04:30.649 --> 00:04:33.050 kind of the background part. Again, it's quarter 00:04:33.050 --> 00:04:34.529 note, quarter rest, quarter note, quarter rest 00:04:34.529 --> 00:04:37.870 for everybody. So not letting those notes rush 00:04:37.870 --> 00:04:40.889 and not letting them be short because that's 00:04:40.889 --> 00:04:43.170 what causes the rushing is people going one, 00:04:43.389 --> 00:04:47.089 three, one, three. So just making sure that that's 00:04:47.089 --> 00:04:49.279 accurate together. and not loud. And then we 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:52.779 have concert D flats and the low brass and and 00:04:52.779 --> 00:04:55.959 low woodwind so making sure and like they actually 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:58.040 have some the low brass part even though it's 00:04:58.040 --> 00:05:02.339 not very challenging rhythmically they move around 00:05:02.339 --> 00:05:04.420 and they have to have a good ear they need to 00:05:04.420 --> 00:05:06.379 get it in their ear what some of these skips 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:09.579 are supposed to sound like that's going to be 00:05:09.579 --> 00:05:11.639 really important for that harmonic foundation 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:14.509 for the rest of the band. At measure 19, right 00:05:14.509 --> 00:05:16.709 before the next big box number, there's a little 00:05:16.709 --> 00:05:20.730 harmonic one, three, which is fun to bring out 00:05:20.730 --> 00:05:23.850 in the horn, alto sax, and clarinet, too. Clarinets 00:05:23.850 --> 00:05:27.990 have not gone over the break yet, she says, softly 00:05:27.990 --> 00:05:31.589 checking. Oh, we do have one C in the first clarinet 00:05:31.589 --> 00:05:33.889 so far. Other than that, it's been under the 00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:38.180 break. At 12. The same oh not 12. I'm so sorry 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:42.579 at 20. The melody is now passed to clarinet and 00:05:42.579 --> 00:05:46.860 alto Trumpets still have the melody Horns also 00:05:46.860 --> 00:05:49.180 have a harmony part with alto. Sorry, not the 00:05:49.180 --> 00:05:51.500 melody about harmony part And this I think is 00:05:51.500 --> 00:05:54.139 tough because the section that had this before, 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:56.600 you had flute, what? Flute and trumpet, right? 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:00.120 And so it's pretty easy as a color group to match 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:02.540 style between flute and trumpet. But now when 00:06:02.540 --> 00:06:05.399 you're talking about clarinet, alto, horn, and 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:09.259 trumpet, and we've split into harmony, it is 00:06:09.259 --> 00:06:12.839 tough to match that same style, but it's important 00:06:12.839 --> 00:06:16.339 for you to spend time on that, making sure that 00:06:16.339 --> 00:06:19.360 just because it's... thicker and we've added, 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:21.660 you know, like conical brass in the horn that 00:06:21.660 --> 00:06:24.139 we still get the same note length in the style, 00:06:24.459 --> 00:06:28.259 dee -dah, dee -dah. Yep. um snare drum has kind 00:06:28.259 --> 00:06:30.579 of dropped out here we have a little crash cymbal 00:06:30.579 --> 00:06:32.699 and then they come back in as like a response 00:06:32.699 --> 00:06:37.240 so all the melody has one two don't breathe one 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:40.699 two three and four and one snare drum has a little 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:43.240 conversation with them during the long note so 00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:45.019 just making sure that they don't rush that and 00:06:45.019 --> 00:06:48.720 it's not too loud the flutes uh flutes come in 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:53.139 with a new little melodic part at measure um 00:06:53.139 --> 00:06:58.790 22 with altoing trumpet one on the melody with 00:06:58.790 --> 00:07:01.069 them. Everybody else continues to now play chords 00:07:01.069 --> 00:07:04.550 underneath them. At 24 we have the same thing 00:07:04.550 --> 00:07:07.449 we had before where most of the band has quarter 00:07:07.449 --> 00:07:10.350 note, quarter rest chords. Trumpet has melody 00:07:10.350 --> 00:07:14.750 alone here and then the alto saxophone comes 00:07:14.750 --> 00:07:17.529 in and has like a little response at measure 00:07:17.529 --> 00:07:20.329 27 as the rest of the band is getting softer. 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:26.519 I guess it's the crash cymbal part moves to bells. 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:29.560 Yeah, I can't tell but somebody moves to bells 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:32.800 and now bells have the melody with At measure 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:36.060 29 and this is like a woodwind. Yeah, this part 00:07:36.060 --> 00:07:39.220 can sound really not okay If your kids can't 00:07:39.220 --> 00:07:42.879 play with good tone and good tuning because it's 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:45.019 goes up a little bit higher This is where the 00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:48.699 clarinets do go up higher in the staff So making 00:07:48.699 --> 00:07:51.240 sure that your clarinets don't get louder as 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:54.800 they go higher That they still sound dark and 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.819 not bright as they go higher and they're not 00:07:57.819 --> 00:08:00.180 the melody yeah they're just chords underneath 00:08:00.180 --> 00:08:02.959 but I've heard this piece played sometimes where 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:06.220 like All you can pay attention to is the high 00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:08.480 clarinet sticking out. You can't even hear like 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:11.399 the flute melody. So and we want that like where 00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:13.819 they're written with the clarinets. We want the 00:08:13.819 --> 00:08:15.579 when the clarinets go up in this part and this 00:08:15.579 --> 00:08:17.420 is we're talking when they start to get really 00:08:17.420 --> 00:08:20.920 high 35 36. Corners need to come in. They need 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:22.939 to be snug against the mouthpiece. Obviously 00:08:22.939 --> 00:08:25.620 voicing needs to be high and that air needs to 00:08:25.620 --> 00:08:27.420 be going straight across the top of the tip of 00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:30.939 the reed. So not letting that their air get too 00:08:30.939 --> 00:08:34.570 wide up there and I would put one clarinet player 00:08:34.570 --> 00:08:37.389 on it, and that's only if you have one clarinet 00:08:37.389 --> 00:08:39.730 player that can play it and sound good. If you 00:08:39.730 --> 00:08:43.250 don't, that part is... Double -ish in the sax. 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:47.570 In the flute. So do not feel like you have to 00:08:47.570 --> 00:08:49.809 have a first clarinet player play that if they 00:08:49.809 --> 00:08:53.279 can't play it with a good sound. I agree. Again, 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.659 percussion bells part is very important here, 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:58.279 too, and they can help beef that up. 37, now 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:01.059 the trumpets get the melody, but it's not even 00:09:01.059 --> 00:09:02.980 a full melody. It's like a little conversation 00:09:02.980 --> 00:09:05.700 with the lows. So trumpets go one, two, three, 00:09:05.940 --> 00:09:08.620 and, and low. One, two, three, and, and low. 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:10.220 One, two, three, and, and low. One, two, three, 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:11.159 and, and low. One, two, three, and, and low. 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:11.159 One, two, three, and, and low. One, two, three, 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:11.340 and, and low. One, two, three, and, and low. 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:11.340 One, two, three, and, and low. One, two, three, 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:11.340 and, and low. One, two, three, and, and low. 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:11.340 One, two, three, and, and low. One, two, three, 00:09:11.340 --> 00:09:11.340 and, and low. One, two, three, and, and low. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:19.320 One, two, three, and low. One, two, three, and 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:24.340 low for them to be mezzo piano or piano at most 00:09:24.340 --> 00:09:27.059 so we can hear all these differing conversations. 00:09:27.299 --> 00:09:29.379 And again, you just have the same style like 00:09:29.379 --> 00:09:31.320 Laura said, one, two, three. Consistency is key. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:38.840 And one, yep. At 41 the trumpets and altos come 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:41.639 in with a little harmony part to the melody and 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:45.200 now the upper people like flute and clarinet 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:47.820 are having another little conversational piece 00:09:47.820 --> 00:09:50.779 along with the saxophones too. Now the low voices 00:09:50.779 --> 00:09:54.960 right here have a skip of a seventh so like that's 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:56.679 that's one of the things I'm talking about about 00:09:56.679 --> 00:09:58.659 this part being a little more challenging for 00:09:58.659 --> 00:10:01.220 low voices not rhythmically but making sure that 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:04.080 they hear the notes that they are supposed to 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:06.000 play. So they're going from a low B -flat to 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.080 an A -flat top line of the staff. So I mean that 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:13.399 is not easy. That is not easy to do. Nope. And 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:17.740 then they're going to a D -flat. Trumpets have 00:10:17.740 --> 00:10:20.820 the end of the melody here at 43. They end the 00:10:20.820 --> 00:10:24.220 melody alone and then we kind of get softer and 00:10:24.220 --> 00:10:28.480 we have that same 1 -3 at 44. Snare drum now 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:32.799 picks up and gets louder and at 45 the flutes 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:34.870 come in with the melody we kind of have a repeat 00:10:34.870 --> 00:10:37.149 of what we have before where the clarinets are 00:10:37.149 --> 00:10:39.789 playing soft chords underneath them but now they're 00:10:39.789 --> 00:10:41.909 kind of conversing back and forth with trumpet 00:10:41.909 --> 00:10:45.850 the trumpets alone have the melody at 47 clarinet 00:10:45.850 --> 00:10:47.850 and flute have a little bit of a conversation 00:10:47.850 --> 00:10:50.889 piece at the end of the clarinet or the trumpet 00:10:50.889 --> 00:10:57.409 solo and then at 49 the the middle voices have 00:10:57.409 --> 00:11:01.590 two three four and one and it's like it's very 00:11:01.590 --> 00:11:04.100 chordal got to make sure the style is matching 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:07.159 up there. Then it goes back to the flutes with 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:08.720 the melody, then the trumpets with the melody. 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:11.039 So it's pretty obvious who has melody because 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:14.120 it's the moving part, but everybody's still playing 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:16.720 underneath them. So you have to layer this really 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.960 well to where your ear knows who to listen for 00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:23.179 and isn't overwhelmed by all the color chords 00:11:23.179 --> 00:11:26.159 that were written. Then we get to this next spot 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:29.360 at 53 and it is piano and it is so important 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:32.720 like please do not back up. Yes, please do not. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:37.240 Like use this piece to teach that dynamic level. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:39.879 Use that in your fundamentals. Make sure that 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:42.059 you're working on that. This is a section in 00:11:42.059 --> 00:11:45.080 here that I hear bands not sound very good on, 00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:47.840 not, I mean, just because, simply because the 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:50.940 dynamic, they tonally do not sound good when 00:11:50.940 --> 00:11:53.379 they're playing piano. And the low brass have 00:11:53.379 --> 00:11:55.720 to come in on an upper B flat here. They've now 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:57.320 jumped up again. That's right. But they have 00:11:57.320 --> 00:12:01.139 to come in really soft. Piano on a high B flat. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:03.830 Good luck. some low brass players that is not 00:12:03.830 --> 00:12:06.009 easy so make sure again that you're using your 00:12:06.009 --> 00:12:08.289 fundamental time to address that and that your 00:12:08.289 --> 00:12:10.090 kids can play with a good sound. They also have 00:12:10.090 --> 00:12:12.649 a G flat here so it's like a scale going down 00:12:12.649 --> 00:12:20.649 B flat A flat G flat F E flat D flat so like 00:12:21.269 --> 00:12:24.309 That's a lot of yeah stuff for trombone. Yes 00:12:24.309 --> 00:12:28.029 it is So I mean like maybe don't choose it unless 00:12:28.029 --> 00:12:30.610 you're you know, like my low brass can play fifth 00:12:30.610 --> 00:12:33.029 position That's right. Otherwise, this is not 00:12:33.029 --> 00:12:35.750 gonna sound good. It says crescendo poco a poco 00:12:35.750 --> 00:12:38.149 I would draw the crescendo and on their part 00:12:38.149 --> 00:12:40.649 showing them talking about the number system 00:12:40.649 --> 00:12:42.750 Like we're gonna start at a number one here We're 00:12:42.750 --> 00:12:44.690 gonna be at a three by this time at a five at 00:12:44.690 --> 00:12:47.509 this time That way they don't crescendo to too 00:12:47.509 --> 00:12:50.509 fast and too quickly. That's the same word. Sorry 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:55.200 long day at school. At 57 the snare drum is continuing 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:57.379 kind of this like very active part underneath 00:12:57.379 --> 00:13:00.820 don't let it take over the rest of the band then 00:13:00.820 --> 00:13:03.600 we have our big finish the brass have these chords 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:05.899 kind of like the beginning but we have this little 00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:09.559 cute interjection from flute and clarinet two 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:13.059 three and we have to make sure we're in tune. 00:13:13.419 --> 00:13:17.980 It's big octaves in everybody. Two, three, and 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:20.120 the lows are moving around, playing those chords. 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:23.440 Again, really tough to tune, but they're there. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.980 And then the whole piece start ends with two, 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:30.059 three, two, three, and the whole band finishes 00:13:30.059 --> 00:13:33.299 with like a nice little. last note and I would 00:13:33.299 --> 00:13:35.240 make that last note longer than you think you 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:38.279 need to right we talk about like that obviously 00:13:38.279 --> 00:13:40.100 you've heard us say before I always like to use 00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:42.919 the word tone but I mean I would even write like 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:45.559 t -a -h we talk about in my band hall making 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:48.440 sure that our notes end with vowel sounds and 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:51.480 not consonant sounds so we want to hear a ah 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:55.519 at the end and not a not a uh you know don't 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:58.059 close their throat open throat release otr yep 00:13:58.059 --> 00:14:02.629 so this piece is fun. It has a lot of hidden 00:14:02.629 --> 00:14:06.769 challenges, but it's a great piece to choose 00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:09.549 if your children don't need to rhythmically work 00:14:09.549 --> 00:14:13.590 on much, but only if they can play with good 00:14:13.590 --> 00:14:17.370 intonation and tone in different ranges of their 00:14:17.370 --> 00:14:19.549 instrument. Yes, I agree with that completely. 00:14:20.110 --> 00:14:22.190 All right, well we hope you will consider programming 00:14:22.190 --> 00:14:24.789 Atlantis in the future, and thank you for joining 00:14:24.789 --> 00:14:34.000 us on this episode of Band BFFs! you