Welcome to our podcast, Band BFFs. The podcast
where we make your music selection less complicated.
On today's episode, we're going to be discussing
The Oncoming Storm by McKell Rogers. Cheers to
starting the conversation. This piece is a grade
one on the Texas PML. We like it because it's
high energy. It's in 3 -4, so I like that. It's
a great teaching tool for 3 -4. It's in the key
of concert E flat. It does not change tempos.
It doesn't change time signatures or key signatures.
Lots of percussion in this one. So we've counted
up. We feel like you need probably a minimum
of eight percussionists to play this. You could
get creative with how you were you know you could
have one player doubling a couple of parts they
would have to be a pretty coordinated yes but
you know you could get creative but it's probably
safe if you want to use all percussion parts
that you need about eight players the low brass
low reed part is all the same which is kind of
nice it does have split clarinet parts and split
trumpet parts but they are often unison range
is not Really a big issue in this there are some
articulation considerations, but really I think
it's tempo and and the three four Counting yeah
leading through and things like that. Yes, so
it's written at 152 as the tempo the whole piece
is Just kind of mimicking like what what it might
feel like as a storm is approaching approaching
it's kind of a tough time in Texas right now
and so it's I don't know. I'm just saying that
because we can remember that this was the time
of our lives for the podcast. But, you know,
as oncoming storms are happening, you want to
hear lots of warning bells and sirens and things
that would kind of get your heart rate pumping.
And so Mr. Rogers does a good job throughout
this piece of kind of mimicking that through
the composition. So the whole band starts off
with one two and three and one two and three
and they're all marked as accents with staccatos
or just only accents so the lifted eighth notes
are gonna be lifted and then just a little weight
on the quarter notes snare drum is driving the
tempo here and then we have this and there are
sixteenth notes so this tempo 152 yeah gotta
have really even hands. Yes. The higher brass
have this one and two moment at measure three
where the trumpet one is going ascending along
with clarinet one. And then alto and tenor sax
and horn are descending. So it kind of gives
it this cool sound to it as they both go indifferent.
I know there's a word for that. Like asymmetrical
directions or whatever. Sorry music theory people.
There's a word for what he did and wrote it and
it sounds neat. And then there's this long note
that happens on beat two and it holds all the
way through the next measure and it kind of sounds
like an alarm going off. So I like that it just
kind of invokes that tension. as we go through
the piece then the flute oboe and bells where
you could leave bells out on this piece because
it is doubled in the upper people part except
it's just like the flute and oboe have this bells
part by itself often yeah bells might help beef
it up a little bit anyway they have this conversational
piece where they play three and one and two and
three one and they're like the only part that's
playing this over the long siren part And then
the lows have one, two, three, one, and then
we're all back to doing the same thing again.
One, two, and three, and one, two, and three,
one, and two, and again it does, yep, and it
does the same thing with the long note, the siren,
and then at nine, same thing again, one, two,
and three, one, two, and three, but now the lows
are kind of doing like a chordal change underneath
them. Almost like bell -tone little hits. Now
the flute and oboe part are They need to be able
to move their fingers pretty decently, right?
They're the only woodwinds that are really actively
changing notes. Everybody else kind of... hangs
out on one note. And this piece does center around
concert C a little bit. Yeah. And so you have
to make sure that your oboes are making sure
their Cs are not sticking out. You have to make
sure your flutes are not flat on there in the
staff Cs. You have to make sure your trumpets
are kicking out on their Ds. So that's a thing
in this piece. You do need to watch that tuning
across the ensemble. So, nine, we've got this
part where we're kind of building and building,
and then at measure 12, the full band has dotted
half notes, except for percussion, kind of building
it up. We start softer, we get louder, and then
we land for this really cool little part here.
On all of these, you wanna make sure the kids
are not breathing on the bar lines, so that it
doesn't lose the momentum. the cord at measure
14 It's a cool sounding cord. I'm not sure It's
got an accidental in there that makes it sound
really neat So it's the clarinet to the trumpet
to and the alto sax part. So make sure in the
horn part So make sure that those people are
in tune that you balance that chord really well
and hold it really steady So it sounds nice and
then the lows get one two three one. So it's
kind of like the end of that first little section
Percussion small little percussion break. Yeah,
just really kind of of keep an energy going we
get to measure 18 and now we have kind of a woodwind
and percussion feature so this is gonna be again
everything is really fast this is gonna be more
connected one three one two three one and two
three one and then the brass come in and respond
to there's also a little sleigh bells part here
so yes sounds a little bit more like I don't
know It's no, I mean it's noticeable. Yeah, when
you listen you go. Oh, that's a different. Okay.
I wasn't expecting that Yeah, right just a new
little thought And then the brass take over.
And then the brass come back in. So we kind of
end up doing this conversational thing between
what's happening in the upper woodwinds. This
is a little, like to me, I think of this almost
like the eye of the storm. Everything is a little
calmer here in terms of volume. Very lyrical.
Yes. And you need to make sure that you've done
a good job teaching the kids or marking in their
parts. Like for instance, the Flute Oboe Clarinet
melody at 18 has a full, it's like a four measure
phrase and they have to release on beat one of
measure 22. Well, if they release early, then
they kind of take away from the response that's
happening in the trumpet and the low people.
So you have to make sure that there's no gaps
in the sound. Just. Double check that you when
you're listening listen back to the rehearsal
and make sure that you don't have everybody taking
a breath and measure 23 between the half note
and the quarter note or That you don't have people
releasing early in the upper woodwinds at 24.
It's supposed to all sound this Yeah, this whole
section goes back and forth between woodwinds
and brass like that And it needs to be like that
seamless sound like Haiti's talking about right?
Absolutely, no gaps and not letting the sound
not even just no gaps not letting it die away
the end of the phrase as well. Timpani gets a
cool little part at measure 24, kind of driving
a little bit further as we're getting into the
next section at 26. So we have pick up notes
on beat three and we all know how younger players
like to play pick up notes which is with not
any energy and confidence. So make sure that
they feel confident entering, make sure that
they take a breath on beat two, one, three and.
one and make sure that it's crescendoing going
into 26 so it sounds like it's all a part of
the same thought. The woodwinds continue. There
is no brass playing here. It's like a little
woodwind choir moment. We're ending on that same
chordal tone at measure 29 with saxes again on
C sharp, clarinet on F sharp and then the lows
do rejoin. They play a little response on beat
two, two, three, one, two, and three, one. And
so they have a little conversation there. Then
we're back to the energetic style where we've
got some accents again in like trumpet, horn,
one, two, three, and one. But the flute and the
oboe and the clarinet one get to have a little
finger wiggle. One and two and three and one.
Luckily, it's under the break for clarinets,
just A to B flat. And then the timpani gets two
and three and then we're at 34. And this part
is not like accented yet, but we're we're getting
into a little bit more like staccato type style.
So it's still going to be connected, but just
not quite as like thinned out and texturally
as it was before and still firm. fronts to notes
right so even though it's touching yes so at
34 the flute oboe clarinet one um have like the
melody and then we've got the alto and the horn
with the counter melodies and again making sure
that they're not all breathing in the same spots
continuing it on we've got a little accents as
we're kind of um Harpening back to the beginning
of the piece and then the bells gets to kind
of have the exposed part with them there and
there's a tambourine part and then at 39 we continue
on With this new thought now the trumpets get
to come in with the melody along with the upper
woodwinds everyone starts on a half note right
here, which is what you know, I I Think you can
spend some time making sure that that one measure
sounds really good. Yeah because Everyone is
on a half note and they are going to want to
decay. They're going to want to decay that half
note. Don't let that happen. Just keep teaching
them three leads to one three leads to one, you
know, and the half note has to lead to three
Um, then we have some accents finally on beat
three and measure 30 Uh 41 sorry as we're kind
of leading back to what we had at the beginning
stylistically the timpani Gets a little moment
here alone with some percussion too, but the
timpani is the most important part Then they're
going to decrescendo out and at 44 We're gonna
start kind of building up again to 52 I think
this is one of the trickier sections of this
because it has more independent Parts here and
the counting is a little and there's not as much
percussion, right? Yeah, right, right Yeah, but
we have the brass with dotted half notes the
upper brass dot dotted half notes and this really
is kind of like a You know, yes. Yes, and then
the upper woodwinds are Responding rest two and
three rest two and three one two three and a
long beat three Yes, all the way all the way
to the rest three, but then you have this motor
thing That's happening in the lower voices, which
I which is you know the storm one and three one
and three one two and three one And so all of
these different things working together, which
everybody has to be moving time together, be
really independent, and then prioritize what
is most important to you. So the balance is appropriate.
And then we are starting off softer at measure...
48 We all have a mezzo piano the lows are playing
alone here. This is like building it up again
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 and then trumpets come in 1 2 3
1 2 3 Lows go 1 2 and 3 and 1 and then we land
at 52 There's a little trill in the upper woodwinds.
You can have one kid play it You can have all
of them play it but make sure it's nice and soft
So it doesn't take over that moving part in the
low brass with the axe then we have a big timpani
moment along with some snare drum and other accessory
instruments at 52 then we start the like the
storm back up one one three in one And then the
upper woodwinds take over again. So it's back
to what we had before, where it's more lyrical,
thinner. Yeah, it's just the upper woodwinds
again. We have now the snare drum is playing
on the rim. So is the... I think that's a cymbal
part. Probably like a suspended cymbal on a stick.
Yeah, play with a stick on the suspended cymbal.
Got little triangle hits, but it's very soft
here. There's a little cool harmonic resolution
at measure 62 in the second clarinet part. And
the alto part that you'll want to bring out and
then again, we've got those pickups make sure
it's very seamless and 63 no gap between the
flutes and oboes and trumpets coming in so Don't
let those flutes breathe right there or if you
do let them breathe Then you have to make sure
that the the clarinets are sustained through
that's right. That's right I would probably not
have them breathe there though and I would have
them stagger breathe during the long note in
62 so that it's continuing to push forward into
64 just to make it sound more lyrical. Then the
trumpets come in with the upper woodwinds to
kind of help out again making sure that this
is all seamless and long and connected. There's
a big long D in the trumpet part and C in the
flute part again so we want to make sure that
we are kicking on that and making sure it stays
in tune. Then we are all crescendoing up. in
71 to hit in 72. Timpani has another big moment
along with snare drum and then at 73 we're back
to the storm part. It's an almost identical recap
of exactly what we had at the beginning. Yep
with the storm siren and everything and the responses
from the flutes and then we're basically done.
So and I love the harmonies here at the end how
he writes this. At 79 we've got that that cool
harmony back that I can't think of the name of.
with the Alto sax trumpet 2 and clarinet 2. Are
you trying to think of Pickardy 3rd? Yes! That's
it! Pickardy 3rd! Okay, thanks ladies and gentlemen.
Yeah, it's a Pickardy 3rd. Oh, it happens a lot
in this piece. It's cute. It's fun. Why could
I not think? I don't know. I don't know. I don't
know. But thanks. Yeah, you're welcome. That's
what I'm here for. That is what I was thinking
of. Well, I was looking at going, that's surely
not what she's talking about, right? But that
is what you're talking about. Okay. So we know
now, um, I've been out of college a long time.
I just, yeah, my coworker, he's the composition
person. So he knows all this. Um, so timpani
is really big here at 79, one, two, three, and
one, two, three, and one. It's literally driving
along with the snare drum. with the 16th notes,
everybody has like these. And every time a new
chord tone comes in, like bring it out, because
it's really cool. Yeah, trumpet and flute, two,
one, and it resolves. And then it just sounds
really neat. It's so fun. And then the lows ended
out with two, three, one, and you're going to
choke cymbals and everything shuts off. So this
is an exciting piece. I think that it's reminiscent
of kind of like The Tempest. Do you ever play
that back in the day? Gosh, yeah. Yeah, it's.
It's kind of got a little spice of that, a little
phantom ship type vibe to it too. But it doesn't
change time or key, and it's in a great range.
Very playable. I also like the versatility. This
could be a fall concert piece, a spring concert
piece. It could be a region band piece. It could
be a UIL piece like this. There's a lot of versatility
in this, which I think is very cool. the kids
will definitely like it and it's a fun like piece
to do in three four so if you're looking for
something especially if you're considering doing
a 3 -4 piece maybe that's a little bit more difficult
than this for UIL. This would be a good one to
program in the fall so that your kids are getting
that exposure to counting in 3 -4 and also the
leading through the measures and everything that
comes with playing in 3 -4. Well we hope you
will consider playing the oncoming storm in the
future and thank you for joining us on this episode
of Band BFFs! you