WEBVTT 00:00:06.819 --> 00:00:10.880 Welcome to our podcast, Dan BFFs. The podcast 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:13.160 where we make your music selection less complicated. 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:16.179 On today's episode, we are going to be discussing 00:00:16.179 --> 00:00:19.760 Hypnotic Fireflies by Brian Balmages. Cheers 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.730 to starting the conversation. All right, this 00:00:23.730 --> 00:00:26.429 piece is fantastic. It sounds like movie music 00:00:26.429 --> 00:00:29.809 to me. That's what I think of when we played 00:00:29.809 --> 00:00:32.450 this. It is split clarinet, I'm sorry, split 00:00:32.450 --> 00:00:35.509 flute parts, split clarinet parts, alto, trumpet, 00:00:36.409 --> 00:00:38.850 lots of percussion. There is a split trombone 00:00:38.850 --> 00:00:43.270 part as well, sorry. There is a piano part that 00:00:43.270 --> 00:00:45.929 is really important. You need to have a piano 00:00:45.929 --> 00:00:48.469 player for this. I would not program this unless 00:00:48.469 --> 00:00:50.009 you have someone who can play piano because it's 00:00:50.009 --> 00:00:53.570 really important. Lots of percussion. Parts and 00:00:53.570 --> 00:00:56.030 we have that we brought in a special guest. Are 00:00:56.030 --> 00:01:01.570 you ready introducing? Nathan Lewis. Hey, how's 00:01:01.570 --> 00:01:04.950 it going everybody? So here's why we brought 00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:08.709 him in. This piece is cool and it has an amplified 00:01:08.709 --> 00:01:12.810 slinky part in the percussion. And I remember 00:01:12.810 --> 00:01:16.010 back when Nathan was a band director or a percussion 00:01:16.010 --> 00:01:19.090 director, he actually made a slinky for this 00:01:19.090 --> 00:01:20.650 piece. So you're going to take us through what 00:01:20.650 --> 00:01:23.510 you did. Right. So you want to go to like Home 00:01:23.510 --> 00:01:27.510 Depot and get one of their big buckets. And to 00:01:27.510 --> 00:01:30.010 prepare for this, like you're going to on one 00:01:30.010 --> 00:01:32.730 side of the bucket, you're going to cut out like 00:01:32.730 --> 00:01:35.480 a square that's roughly the size that a slinky 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:37.959 could fit through without having to do any shenanigans 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:41.780 and then opposite of that hole on the other side 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:43.959 you're gonna drill a small hole the hole needs 00:01:43.959 --> 00:01:46.439 to be just big enough that you can thread the 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:48.840 slinky through and you're gonna basically thread 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:51.340 the slinky through this the bucket is gonna be 00:01:51.340 --> 00:01:54.079 sideways and you can figure out a creative way 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:56.280 to mount it we put a we drilled a small hole 00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:58.420 in the bottom of the bucket and mounted it to 00:01:58.420 --> 00:02:01.560 a symbol arm and what this turns into is like 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:04.540 basically megaphone for the slinky so you set 00:02:04.540 --> 00:02:07.560 it up sideways the slinky hangs all the way down 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.620 to the ground through that square hole that you've 00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:13.659 cut and you can play this part with it and you 00:02:13.659 --> 00:02:15.780 don't need an amplification system for it you 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:18.500 can just use this giant megaphone if you want 00:02:18.500 --> 00:02:20.240 to amplify it obviously you could do that too 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:23.080 but okay so let me make sure I have this correct 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:26.439 Nathan the square hole the bigger hole is on 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:29.900 the bottom of the bucket no it's the square hole 00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:32.990 is going to be on the side So imagine that bucket 00:02:32.990 --> 00:02:38.569 is turned sideways. So the slinky is threaded 00:02:38.569 --> 00:02:41.330 horizontally through the bucket, not vertically. 00:02:41.610 --> 00:02:44.009 Yes. Got it. Okay. I was envisioning it the other 00:02:44.009 --> 00:02:46.789 way. I understand now. So when you play it, it 00:02:46.789 --> 00:02:49.229 bounces up and down and vibrates. It comes out 00:02:49.229 --> 00:02:51.289 as like a megaphone. And you want, yes, you want 00:02:51.289 --> 00:02:53.610 that bucket faced like a megaphone towards the 00:02:53.610 --> 00:02:57.710 audience. Thank you. Thank you, Nathan. Okay. 00:02:58.030 --> 00:03:01.969 So back to this piece, as Laura mentioned, it's 00:03:01.969 --> 00:03:06.150 marked at the beginning as mesmerizing at 144 00:03:06.150 --> 00:03:08.729 and this piece is fun because it has so many 00:03:08.729 --> 00:03:11.129 little like sound effects moments that sound 00:03:11.129 --> 00:03:14.009 like fireflies or hypnotic like it just sounds 00:03:14.009 --> 00:03:15.650 like it's going and going and going which you'll 00:03:15.650 --> 00:03:17.750 hear throughout the piece. Now what I think makes 00:03:17.750 --> 00:03:20.430 it, they do love it, but what makes it challenging 00:03:20.430 --> 00:03:22.949 is that there's not always a melody to latch 00:03:22.949 --> 00:03:25.870 on to, right? Because it is just this pulse kind 00:03:25.870 --> 00:03:28.550 of going through all the way. So the whole piece 00:03:28.550 --> 00:03:30.930 starts out with, and you do have to have a lot 00:03:30.930 --> 00:03:33.009 of percussion. Sorry, we mentioned there is a 00:03:33.009 --> 00:03:36.310 lot, but you've got to at least have one, two, 00:03:36.310 --> 00:03:39.870 three, four, five, six, seven, probably six to 00:03:39.870 --> 00:03:42.250 seven, maybe even more. And then a piano player. 00:03:42.250 --> 00:03:45.129 Not counting your piano player. Right. So it 00:03:45.129 --> 00:03:47.430 starts out with just piano, and they're doing 00:03:47.430 --> 00:03:49.870 the same little chordal thing over and over. 00:03:50.009 --> 00:03:54.990 The piece changes time signature a lot. A lot. 00:03:54.990 --> 00:03:56.650 That stays in the key of F, and I don't think 00:03:56.650 --> 00:03:58.620 I... Yeah, it does it stays in the key of F the 00:03:58.620 --> 00:04:01.800 whole time just changes meter so I want to talk 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.039 for just a second before we dive in when you 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:06.900 play something with piano like where I set a 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:11.000 piano up where you so like yeah, I Anytime I 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.560 play something with piano I set the piano up 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:17.180 between the podium and the front row So the piano 00:04:17.180 --> 00:04:19.680 player is literally right in front of me We put 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:23.079 the amp if it's not a a an acoustic piano. We 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:27.879 put the amp next to the podium so that like the 00:04:27.879 --> 00:04:31.439 volume of it is easily controllable and the piano 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:34.379 player can see me there's no doubt about that 00:04:34.379 --> 00:04:37.899 so um only one time have I put a piano player 00:04:37.899 --> 00:04:42.509 off to the side and it did not it was not successful. 00:04:42.689 --> 00:04:44.589 So I moved it to right in front of the podium. 00:04:44.629 --> 00:04:46.550 Where do you put yours? I put mine off to the 00:04:46.550 --> 00:04:48.949 side. They play along with the percussion section 00:04:48.949 --> 00:04:52.370 with the mallet instruments always. So they're 00:04:52.370 --> 00:04:55.170 always on the same side as where my mallets are 00:04:55.170 --> 00:04:57.370 so that that way they're having the same pulse 00:04:57.370 --> 00:04:59.850 as them. And in this piece it makes sense to 00:04:59.850 --> 00:05:02.569 have it be with the mallets because it's kind 00:05:02.569 --> 00:05:05.870 of doing percussion plays for a long time alone 00:05:05.870 --> 00:05:08.829 which we'll get into in a second. But in other 00:05:08.829 --> 00:05:11.160 pieces it might work. in the middle because it's 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:14.680 more like melodic with other sections but I mean 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:16.620 you do whatever is gonna work best for your group. 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:20.420 Absolutely. So, and again, when I've played this, 00:05:20.579 --> 00:05:22.779 I've always done it with an actual keyboard with 00:05:22.779 --> 00:05:26.319 an amp. I never rely upon a venue to have a piano 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:28.620 just because you just never know how it's gonna 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:31.300 feel for the kid either. So I always have the 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:33.540 kids play it on what they've practiced it on. 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:37.100 That's just a... Like we would for all musicians 00:05:37.100 --> 00:05:38.980 except percussionists who are expected to play 00:05:38.980 --> 00:05:40.899 on different instruments every time. Yeah, which 00:05:40.899 --> 00:05:42.480 is, unless you take all your other ones. But 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:46.439 anyway, but anyway. Yeah. So the vibraphone comes 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:49.379 in after the... along with China symbol and then 00:05:49.379 --> 00:05:51.259 triangle has like a little they're having a little 00:05:51.259 --> 00:05:53.959 like chiming effects the vibe part is really 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:57.139 important and make sure you have them on strong 00:05:57.139 --> 00:05:59.860 enough mallets where you can hear the articulation 00:05:59.860 --> 00:06:02.399 because it's like a syncopated part yeah so we 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:05.899 have in bells one two three one two three and 00:06:05.899 --> 00:06:11.220 then the vibes one and one and one so that effect 00:06:11.220 --> 00:06:13.939 one two and three one two and three is what you 00:06:13.939 --> 00:06:15.600 get and like what Katie's saying that mallet 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.050 choice is really important At measure eight the 00:06:18.050 --> 00:06:21.730 flutes come in on a low E trill one person so 00:06:21.730 --> 00:06:24.889 it's just supposed to sound very like Far off 00:06:24.889 --> 00:06:27.350 and a little bit like what's happening or first 00:06:27.350 --> 00:06:29.949 flutes? So yeah, you have to have more than one 00:06:29.949 --> 00:06:33.829 because they can't yeah Yeah, so they're holding 00:06:33.829 --> 00:06:36.449 a long note and then the clarinet firsts come 00:06:36.449 --> 00:06:38.589 in and they stagger breathe and they're trilling 00:06:38.589 --> 00:06:42.610 Fluttering adding adding in new percussion each 00:06:42.610 --> 00:06:45.769 time. This is where the amplified slinky comes 00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:52.029 in at measure 14 so you can do whatever to make 00:06:52.029 --> 00:06:54.730 that happen but that's a really cool effect because 00:06:54.730 --> 00:06:57.769 when you can hear it it sounds like just real 00:06:57.769 --> 00:07:00.629 tingy and like vibrating E and it makes you go 00:07:00.629 --> 00:07:03.709 what is that? It sounded like a laser like I 00:07:03.709 --> 00:07:06.250 when we did it because we created our own not 00:07:06.250 --> 00:07:08.230 as fancy as what Nathan was describing but we 00:07:08.230 --> 00:07:10.170 did our own too but I remember thinking that 00:07:10.170 --> 00:07:12.970 like it sounded like a laser. It's very cool 00:07:12.970 --> 00:07:16.300 so make sure that you actually Make it be amplified 00:07:16.300 --> 00:07:18.120 enough where you can hear it. Otherwise, it's 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:20.120 like why are you even going through the trouble? 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:22.920 Piano part is still continuing to the same thing, 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:26.000 but the left hand comes in at measure 13 as well 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.339 Now they're playing some like longer and more 00:07:28.339 --> 00:07:30.980 deep chords Along with what the vibes are doing. 00:07:30.980 --> 00:07:35.879 Yep, and then at measure 18 we start to have 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:38.240 the saxes come in and the full band full band 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.939 comes in on a piano chord very quiet and holding 00:07:41.939 --> 00:07:44.379 but the saxes are doing one and two and and three 00:07:44.379 --> 00:07:46.699 and one and two and three and and you will want 00:07:46.699 --> 00:07:50.500 to do like a crescendo crescendo there. Yep and 00:07:50.500 --> 00:07:53.459 then at 21 we finally have our first like melody 00:07:53.459 --> 00:07:57.920 and it's in the clarinets and then the the response 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.720 the one and two and three and response that comes 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:03.500 back over and over in this case is in the flute 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:08.879 and the saxes have the one and so it's almost 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:17.439 like little just reverberations. It's cool, it's 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:21.480 written so well. So it comes back again, clarinets 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:24.339 build it up again, flutes and saxes have the 00:08:24.339 --> 00:08:27.680 response. And then it moves to brass. And 29. 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:29.800 The brass kind of do the same type of thing. 00:08:29.899 --> 00:08:32.500 Now we have the trumpets coming in with that 00:08:32.500 --> 00:08:35.659 and the low voices supporting and clarinets. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:37.960 Horn. Yeah, horn is, yes, and then clarinets 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:39.820 and altos are doing the noodles. One and two 00:08:39.820 --> 00:08:42.340 and three, yeah. So we're kind of building it, 00:08:42.340 --> 00:08:45.159 building it, building it, and then the piano's 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:48.340 still doing it. eighth notes, we are not peddled 00:08:48.340 --> 00:08:52.700 anymore though. I don't remember when we, or 00:08:52.700 --> 00:08:56.860 were we ever, yes, peddling the whole time until, 00:08:59.460 --> 00:09:03.080 I think it still was 13, that's peddled. I'm 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:04.779 sorry, we're just checking to see if we're right. 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:07.659 I don't think it's peddled anymore at some point, 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:11.100 at 21 I believe, yeah. At 21, we go back into, 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:14.519 we're not 8VA anymore. We go down, and I don't 00:09:14.519 --> 00:09:16.480 know that we're pedal, but maybe we are still. 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:18.279 Sorry. I think we are. I'd have to look at the 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:21.919 part, but it's not as high anymore. And so now 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:23.940 that we've added in the low people, the piano 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:27.740 part has come down an octave as well. So we're 00:09:27.740 --> 00:09:30.899 building up to 35, and then we're back into 4 00:09:30.899 --> 00:09:34.559 -4. We were in 3 -4 for quite a while. And this 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:37.679 is like a really cutesy little part where the 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:40.899 flutes and the clarinets are kind of conversing 00:09:40.899 --> 00:09:44.320 with percussion. One and two, one and two, three 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.100 and four, one and two, three and four. Then the 00:09:47.100 --> 00:09:50.039 trombones come in with the melody. So they're 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:53.320 gonna back off, trombone, two, three, four, one, 00:09:53.340 --> 00:09:56.580 two, three, four. And it's got accents on it. 00:09:56.679 --> 00:09:59.940 So this whole part so far has been like cute 00:09:59.940 --> 00:10:02.419 little fireflies in the glowing dark and like 00:10:02.419 --> 00:10:06.100 little effects, but then the trombones get to 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:09.960 come in and have that first little accented part 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.080 along with euphonium. On the upper woodwinds, 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:14.059 while they're doing that one and two, three and 00:10:14.059 --> 00:10:17.220 four, one and two, that just continues over and 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:19.480 over and over, I would make sure that your vibrato 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:21.539 instruments, your flute and your oboe are giving 00:10:21.539 --> 00:10:23.639 a little vibrato weight to the quarter note to 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:26.080 keep from clipping those notes short. They don't 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.460 get one and two, three and four, one and two. 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:30.399 They don't need to be lifted that way. One and 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:33.179 two, three and four, one and two, three and four. 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:37.919 The staccato part is obviously marked in saxes 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:40.320 instead of the upper people. The upper people 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:45.220 are playing it just like an ostinato. Trombone 00:10:45.220 --> 00:10:47.419 euphonium have the accents then the trumpets 00:10:47.419 --> 00:10:50.840 come in with a response one and that same response 00:10:50.840 --> 00:10:53.720 from before Then the trombones keep going the 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.000 uppers are still not playing anything louder 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.259 than them Then the euphonium comes in with the 00:10:59.259 --> 00:11:03.759 trumpets one and four and one two three So this 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:07.320 part is accented and it's got to be very stylistic. 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:09.519 You have to make sure that that is the melody 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:11.740 We're still not to a forte. We're just building 00:11:11.740 --> 00:11:16.320 it up than the Lowe's tuba berry. bass clarinet, 00:11:16.379 --> 00:11:19.220 get a little moment, one, two, three, four, and 00:11:19.220 --> 00:11:21.500 then it gets quiet again. With just marimba. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.799 With 46, just marimba. One and two and three 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:25.279 and four and one and two and three and four. 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:27.960 And then the little slinkies. So then the slinky 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:31.759 plays again, you've got vibraphones doing one 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:35.120 and the response with clarinet this time in flute, 00:11:35.740 --> 00:11:38.720 and then a little trumpet, one, one and, and 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:42.279 then we're back to quiet little moments, one, 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:46.340 two, three, four. two, four, and the trumpets 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.120 have these little responses. Interjections different 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:52.860 than everybody else. And those to me are like 00:11:52.860 --> 00:11:56.240 little fireflies making their appearance. Just 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:59.220 to hear it is, hey, look at me, look at me. Then 00:11:59.220 --> 00:12:02.960 the flute and the clarinet have the one and four 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.320 and one two three the same part the trombones 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:08.600 had a minute ago But not accented this time way 00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:11.139 softer. It's like it's in the distance. It's 00:12:11.139 --> 00:12:14.960 just a reverberation Then the trumpets take over 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:18.379 with pickups or beat four playing on measure 00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:22.879 53 And then we've got little interjections again 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:24.940 from the lows trumpets are continuing to have 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:29.259 their little moment Then we switch and 56 The 00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:31.480 mallet percussion is still playing the eighth 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:34.720 notes, keeping the pulse. Now the piano comes 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:37.799 back in and it's got chords, so it's helping 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:40.759 with pulse two. And we have this little hypnotic 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:43.120 part where it's one and two, three and four, 00:12:43.179 --> 00:12:45.779 and this time it is short. It's marked staccato. 00:12:46.059 --> 00:12:48.379 And it's opposite. So altos are going one and 00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:50.580 two, three and four, and clarinets are going 00:12:50.580 --> 00:12:53.379 rest two and three, four and one, two and three. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:57.559 And it has to match. It has to match. to sound 00:12:57.559 --> 00:13:01.960 balanced like exactly the same then you have 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:03.840 this to me is the trickiest part of the whole 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:06.620 it is tricky sounds good yeah because we're we're 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:09.820 very thinned out here flutes come in with the 00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:13.120 one and and they're holding and there's lots 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.840 of effects happening in the percussion here like 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:18.820 just little triangle hits a little finger cymbal 00:13:18.820 --> 00:13:22.019 hits little sling just all these little colors 00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:24.340 like these little metallic colors coming yeah 00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:28.779 are supposed to sound like Yep at 64 the flutes 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:31.779 continue on the oboes join them and then we have 00:13:31.779 --> 00:13:34.840 these little inner tiny soft interjections and 00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:38.240 the trumpets and the lows Everybody is playing 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.620 very short, but very it's got to be a beautiful 00:13:41.620 --> 00:13:45.690 chord or whatever it is, it's gotta be exact. 00:13:45.870 --> 00:13:48.549 Everybody together, everybody quiet enough, everybody 00:13:48.549 --> 00:13:51.370 balanced, everybody the same length. That's hard. 00:13:51.990 --> 00:13:54.230 So making sure that you take time on that, because 00:13:54.230 --> 00:13:56.250 it comes back over and over where we're just 00:13:56.250 --> 00:13:56.529 gonna go back and forth. This happens several 00:13:56.529 --> 00:13:58.909 times in this section, is that right? Yep. Yeah, 00:13:58.990 --> 00:14:01.389 and then making sure, percussion wise, that everything 00:14:01.389 --> 00:14:05.590 just lays nice and in time. We add in this suspended 00:14:05.590 --> 00:14:07.850 cymbal part, so marimba is still keeping on with 00:14:07.850 --> 00:14:10.049 one and two and three and four and just holding 00:14:10.049 --> 00:14:12.500 down that pulse. Then we add this... suspended 00:14:12.500 --> 00:14:14.600 cymbal part, one into two and three into four 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:16.519 and one into two and three. And it's cool, but 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:18.200 it can't be too loud. That's right. But it's 00:14:18.200 --> 00:14:19.500 like it's driving everything forward. And it 00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:22.679 has to be clear. We have to be able to hear it. 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:27.279 We've got, you know, you want all of the stickings 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:28.960 totally even. You don't want to hear anything 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:31.399 louder or accented. And then all the wind players 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:33.980 are continuing the same idea that we had before. 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:36.299 Still, everything is mezzo forte. We are in the 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:38.240 land of mezzo forte, not letting it get out of 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:42.899 control. As we lead into measure 72, Now we have 00:14:42.899 --> 00:14:44.440 something a little bit different. We have this 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:49.779 little Woodwinds the flute clarinet and and alto 00:14:49.779 --> 00:14:52.259 one and two and three and we've added a slur 00:14:52.259 --> 00:14:54.899 here and what is gonna happen? Yeah, you're gonna 00:14:54.899 --> 00:15:01.879 clip The time signatures are changing often. 00:15:02.360 --> 00:15:04.879 Yes. So making sure that we're full value. T 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:07.600 -I -T -I -T -I. I would have them slur everything 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:12.220 and then add a light tongue in later. And low 00:15:12.220 --> 00:15:16.259 voices have trumpets and low voices really still 00:15:16.259 --> 00:15:18.860 have these same little interjections again. So 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:21.519 firm articulation making sure we're moving together 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:23.960 in time. Everybody lands on a double whole note 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:26.580 together with percussion keeping our pace. And 00:15:26.580 --> 00:15:30.720 they get to be really important. And piano are 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:32.539 really, really important here. They get this 00:15:32.539 --> 00:15:36.620 little chromaticism. And you want to hear that 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:40.360 over the chord of the band. Then the flute and 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:42.840 oboe and sax take over that part and now they're 00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:46.320 playing it along with them. And then we've got 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:50.200 the one and again from trumpet, horn and clarinet. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:52.960 This gets passed through. And we're more accented 00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:58.539 here. One and one and four and one. And at the 00:15:58.539 --> 00:16:02.759 2 -4 measure, we're all playing together one, 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:05.179 two, and then we've got another whole note. So 00:16:05.179 --> 00:16:07.940 it's like a really strong section here. This 00:16:07.940 --> 00:16:09.940 is a good moment where we're all building up. 00:16:10.019 --> 00:16:12.500 And all of these dotted quarter patterns that 00:16:12.500 --> 00:16:14.139 we have, this little hemiola rhythm, I would 00:16:14.139 --> 00:16:16.759 treat every one of them, especially here, like 00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:19.179 forte pianos. Yeah. Because now we're forte, 00:16:19.299 --> 00:16:21.440 we're at a stronger dynamic level, we want really 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:24.440 firm fronts to the notes, and da, da, every one 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:25.600 of them. And then soft, because then the next 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:27.870 group comes in. That's right. You've got to hear 00:16:27.870 --> 00:16:30.850 each of those reverberations throughout. Then 00:16:30.850 --> 00:16:34.190 we've got lows on a long whole note. We're decrescendoing 00:16:34.190 --> 00:16:36.350 for four, but then we're crescendoing for four 00:16:36.350 --> 00:16:38.809 too. That's a cool effect and moment, so make 00:16:38.809 --> 00:16:41.549 sure that you make that happen. And then at 86, 00:16:41.649 --> 00:16:43.509 we're soft again. We've all gone away. We've 00:16:43.509 --> 00:16:45.610 got the little suspended cymbal groove again. 00:16:46.070 --> 00:16:48.350 Clarinet and sax have that back and forth moment 00:16:48.350 --> 00:16:50.690 again, but this time... With no staccatos. Right, 00:16:50.690 --> 00:16:52.929 but this time the euphoniums get to have the 00:16:52.929 --> 00:16:55.029 little interjections instead of the trumpet. 00:16:55.129 --> 00:16:58.470 We're getting lower. and then we're kind of building 00:16:58.470 --> 00:17:01.009 it back up. Again, as Laura mentioned, no staccatos 00:17:01.009 --> 00:17:04.089 here. We're playing more connected. Our suspended 00:17:04.089 --> 00:17:09.410 cymbal is back, laying that. At 94, we're playing 00:17:09.410 --> 00:17:12.089 pretty strong. This is getting towards the end. 00:17:12.410 --> 00:17:15.609 The trumpets have the melody, and they have every 00:17:15.609 --> 00:17:18.210 quarter note has accents on it. So making sure 00:17:18.210 --> 00:17:20.750 that that sounds different than before. The flute 00:17:20.750 --> 00:17:22.670 and the oboe have it with them, but they're the 00:17:22.670 --> 00:17:26.200 more important part. Saxes are secondarily. important 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:28.980 but not very loud they have like that same little 00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:31.079 chromatic key thing that the xylo had before. 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:33.960 Ensemble dynamic here is fortissimo but ensemble 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:36.960 dynamic does not like not every individual needs 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:38.920 to be playing fortissimo. And you want to hear 00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:42.059 this cool horn and tenor sax part at measure 00:17:42.059 --> 00:17:46.259 96 so it's it's passing back and forth you've 00:17:46.259 --> 00:17:48.019 got to make sure you can hear the moving part 00:17:48.019 --> 00:17:50.299 so the lows come in first and then you got to 00:17:50.299 --> 00:17:53.839 hear trumpet and flute and oboe at 95 and then 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.019 at 96 on beat You got to hear that horn, alto, 00:17:57.259 --> 00:18:02.019 tenor sax. Three, one, three, four, one. And 00:18:02.019 --> 00:18:04.240 then we start it again. Then it's the trumpets 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:06.960 first. And then just bringing out all the moving 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:09.880 half notes with the accents. Everything is accented. 00:18:09.980 --> 00:18:11.579 Again, if you see it on the page, you need to 00:18:11.579 --> 00:18:13.740 hear it, right? Yep. And then the accents go 00:18:13.740 --> 00:18:16.980 away at 102. And we're back to a little bit more 00:18:16.980 --> 00:18:20.019 just like firm articulation, but not accented. 00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:22.859 The trumpets have the melody again. The horns 00:18:22.859 --> 00:18:25.920 have a little bit of a cool. after them and we're 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:28.400 kind of thinning out. So we reach the pinnacle 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:31.660 right? We landed at that fortissimo and now we're 00:18:31.660 --> 00:18:33.819 backing off everything's getting softer as we 00:18:33.819 --> 00:18:37.039 get to the end. Yep we're thinning out at 108 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:39.220 now we have nobody playing it's just like the 00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:42.299 beginning except not piano this time it's chimes 00:18:42.299 --> 00:18:45.759 vibraphone and wind chimes and at 108 we've got 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:51.400 a flute trill again then the lows come in the 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:56.470 low brass come in at or 110 with the low reeds, 00:18:56.509 --> 00:19:00.089 and they just have like this really mellow half 00:19:00.089 --> 00:19:03.369 note line. It's the melody, but it's not accented. 00:19:03.670 --> 00:19:05.670 It's really just like a harmonic foundation. 00:19:05.730 --> 00:19:08.349 Yeah, you're just hearing the end credits. And 00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:11.690 it's really pretty, but it's hard to play in 00:19:11.690 --> 00:19:14.009 tune, especially when the kids are tired at the 00:19:14.009 --> 00:19:16.769 end of the piece. So just making sure that they're 00:19:16.769 --> 00:19:18.750 playing in tune. They're not breathing on the 00:19:18.750 --> 00:19:20.630 bar lines. They're not all breathing at the same 00:19:20.630 --> 00:19:23.009 time. It's just supposed to sound Yeah, like 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:25.410 little chords playing to the end. Then it gets 00:19:25.410 --> 00:19:29.549 softer and it's slowing down little by little. 00:19:29.930 --> 00:19:33.269 So they're doing the same thing. The low people 00:19:33.269 --> 00:19:35.609 are playing these chords together and there's 00:19:35.609 --> 00:19:37.950 not like a piano part helping you with the tempo. 00:19:38.029 --> 00:19:41.869 So they have to watch and play together. You've 00:19:41.869 --> 00:19:44.309 still got the trill going on. Then they get even 00:19:44.309 --> 00:19:47.549 softer and keep going. Then we're down to pianissimo 00:19:47.549 --> 00:19:54.579 again at 123. earlier, only now. Yep, and the 00:19:54.579 --> 00:19:57.259 trumpets get to play with a cup mute. And this 00:19:57.259 --> 00:19:58.819 was at the beginning too, they had a cup mute 00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:01.200 at the beginning. With piano playing again, but 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:03.980 now we've got these little like, sighing chords 00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:07.519 is what I always call it, like... You're just 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.579 like kind of holding and getting softer and softer 00:20:10.579 --> 00:20:15.339 Then we're exactly half as fast at measure 127. 00:20:15.339 --> 00:20:17.680 We're in three four and we've got we've retard 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.500 on doughed enough This is a like a hard skill. 00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:24.200 This is really hard. Yeah, just going 1 2 3 4 00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:31.460 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Yeah one. Yep The piano is now 00:20:31.460 --> 00:20:34.680 playing the same thing. It looks like it's faster 00:20:34.680 --> 00:20:37.000 But they went one and two and three and one and 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:39.119 two or one and two and three and four and one 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:42.460 E and two E and three Yeah, so just telling them 00:20:42.460 --> 00:20:44.000 you're playing the same thing. It just looks 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:46.579 different And then there's all these cool little 00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:49.440 effects again in percussion underneath the slinky 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:53.240 is back Vibraphone is marked to play random notes 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:56.779 at random a B flat a C and an F just in whatever 00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:59.670 order and it's meant to be twinkle the same thing 00:20:59.670 --> 00:21:01.869 yeah and you don't want it to be too crazy it's 00:21:01.869 --> 00:21:04.049 marked soft but they're little twinkles like 00:21:04.049 --> 00:21:06.589 Laura said then we got our last moment of melody 00:21:06.589 --> 00:21:10.170 with clarinet and sax it's just beautiful and 00:21:10.170 --> 00:21:13.730 rich sounding horns kind of have a little response 00:21:13.730 --> 00:21:18.109 and then at 132 we're getting even slower the 00:21:18.109 --> 00:21:20.289 piano is gonna help with this because they've 00:21:20.289 --> 00:21:22.910 got the moving part it's hard for them to hold 00:21:22.910 --> 00:21:26.150 their air and oh my gosh yes this dynamic level 00:21:26.150 --> 00:21:27.730 like it's something you'll need to practice yeah 00:21:27.950 --> 00:21:31.470 to sound really good. For sure. And then our 00:21:31.470 --> 00:21:33.509 last little moment of melody again is with the 00:21:33.509 --> 00:21:36.730 clarinets and saxes then the whole band basically 00:21:36.730 --> 00:21:39.730 at 135 comes in on beat two and plays the last 00:21:39.730 --> 00:21:43.910 chord that we're gonna hear and then at 137 it 00:21:43.910 --> 00:21:47.150 says optional repeat fade to nothing. And it's 00:21:47.150 --> 00:21:49.970 just the piano and percussion playing us to the 00:21:49.970 --> 00:21:53.269 end. This piece is so much fun. I love it. It 00:21:53.269 --> 00:21:55.569 really is like movie music. It's great. Your 00:21:55.569 --> 00:21:57.589 kids will love it. Well, we hope you will consider 00:21:57.589 --> 00:21:59.950 programming Hypnotic Fireflies in the future. 00:22:00.029 --> 00:22:02.150 And thank you for joining us on this episode 00:22:02.150 --> 00:22:04.329 of Band BFFs.