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
Danza Zanzare by JaRod Hall. Cheers to starting
the conversation. All right, this is a piece
that Katie and I had the privilege of playing
this summer at the TBA, Texas Bandmasters Association
Convention with our Phi Beta Mu reading band.
That's always a highlight of the convention,
I think. I love getting to play some of the new
music and see it from a student or performer
perspective. We loved this piece when we played
it. Like all the band directors on stage, we
were all like, oh, this is so fun. It was so
cute, so cute. In fact, it's so great that I've
decided to play it with my band for my fall concert
so it's super duper fun and the kids absolutely
love it so far. Of course they do how can they
not. Right. This is really it's pretty straight
ahead it's 4 -4 the key of concert B flat throughout
it's only two minutes in length it's got split
clarinet split flute part split trumpet parts
all of this and percussion is pretty heavily
written I think Gerard did a really nice job
of giving your percussion some things to keep
them interesting or interested. Six percussion
You could probably do it with five but six or
seven is going to make sure that all the parts
are covered and a lot of these parts are really
cute programmatic add to the whole effect. Yep.
And this piece is called Danza Zanzari, which
means dance of the mosquitoes. A little background.
He wrote it when he was visiting Italy because
he was like kind of taken aback by how many mosquitoes
were out in the morning and the evening. And
he said that you could like hear them and everything.
And so he was kind of inspired to write this
piece about mosquitoes so there's a lot of like
little features here and there and the kids really
enjoy getting to like figure out you know all
the little nods to like and if you are from the
south you have a you you have a a relationship
with mosquitoes for sure so yes this is relatable
for sure for sure so the piece starts out um
with just percussion and the chimes get the melody
which is so fun yeah i really love that chimes
you know are not they're often used as an effect
and i loved here that they're featured yep And
all the percussion parts are cool. It's like
a nice groove, the kids love it. They're gonna
come down in volume after their initial opening
at measure four, which is where the clarinet
melody comes in. And they are gonna want to play
very strong, even though they're the only ones
playing. They have the melody and it's written
really well in the staff. The style and articulation
here is really important. For one, two, three.
four, one, and two, and three, ta, ya, ta, ya,
ta, ya, ta, ta, ya, ta. So the articulation is
the thing that makes it a little bit trickier
because it doesn't stay the same every single
time and you just have to either mark it in their
parts, but make sure you're teaching all the
accents and the lifts from the very get -go.
And I like how he marks it. He has the accent,
or he has the quarter notes marked. the lower
of the notes marked is accented, and then the
upper note that you would want to be floated
marked as staccato. And so I really like the
visual of that. It helps we talk all the time
about floating the high note, floating the high
note, and it's written in that way. So making
sure that the kids don't energize or emphasize
the staccato note, but do the reverse of that.
Ta, ya, ta, ya, ta. So that, I mean, that's kind
of tricky. Yeah, but it goes on the clarinet
melody goes on for eight measures and so they're
the opening statement and it ends the way that
I kind of like to think of this is like It's
the first little mosquito army coming out of
coming out to get us um, and then it ends one
and two three four one and then you get this
like Strong entrance on beat three from horn
trombone euphonium and low reeds and now they're
they're in the background but they've come in,
they've made their presence known. The flute
and oboe are now playing the melody with the
clarinet. Percussion is continuing on in their
own little thing. The horn and low brass and
low reeds kind of every once in a while have
little interjections to bring out, but other
than that they're just playing chords. The tuning
is a little bit trickier in measures 18 and 19
in the trombone There's some accidentals thrown
in euphonium has a G flat So just making sure
that all that tuning lines up the flutes go up
a little higher here, too They're up above the
staff and then piccolo comes in at measure 20
Along with the trumpets. So this is the first
time that they've played and the alto sax So
they've got one two and three four and now the
flute doing it too. This is the Melody at 21.
They're up kind of high flutes and piccolo are
above the staff. flutes are in thirds so just
making sure that the tuning is definitely there
those A's tend to be a little bit out of tune
with the upper C's both of those against each
other. And the second flutes are doubling the
oboe which is not always awesome. Sometimes that's
great but sometimes not so just make sure you're
being aware of that. And the oboes are above
the staff too. And I think this is so interesting
I like the way the percussion parts are written
here they're real like nothing is overly complicated
but it really adds to the mood and the groove.
Yeah. But really interesting Interestingly, so
far we have not had any tuba play. So this is
which in a... In a Gerard piece, I always think
that is so interesting because he's a tuba player.
But yeah, here we are at measure 21 and there's
still no tuba. Nope, my tubas really enjoy counting
and showing me how long they're resting in the
back. But then when they come in, they're in.
So here's 21. We have the melody is in the trumpet,
alto, flute and piccolo and oboe. So they're
playing the counter melody is in tenor sax and
horn. It's up kind of high for trumpet up to
like E flat. and D. Flutes are above the staff.
It's important to make sure that they're playing
four -measure phrases. It's written that way,
but just making sure you're drawing an arrow
or an energizing. Flutes need to use lots of
vibrato with oboe, going over the bar line, but
it's written to where, you know, it's obvious
where they're gonna take their breath. But that
half note at the end of the second measure is...
Don't breathe. Yeah, that's right. It's gonna
make young players think that's an okay place
to breathe. Yep, and then they're doing kind
of like everything's... pretty connected tonguing
wise. And then we have da, da, da, da, da, da,
da, da. So it just sounds like heroic and like
I said, it's kind of like a mosquito army coming
to get you. So the kids like it and it's got
like some contrary. Motion motion. That's what
you call it, right? Yes the euphonium and the
like trombone are going down one and two and
the flutes are going one and two and Then the
tubas come in finally and they pump up the volume
and then everybody's playing at 29 And it's the
same thing that we were playing before but now
it sounds way beefier Just with the addition
of those tubaloo reeds. Yep, the melody now.
Well now we have both melodies happening at the
same time So we have the normal the first melody
bottom We have that melody, but we also have
the... So in his program notes, he talks about
the first melody is the mosquito. The other melody
is like the beauty of the Italian countryside.
So that's pretty cool. You know, it's just got
just, it's just nicely written and the kids like
it because they get to have like different fun
parts that are equally as important. So this
is continuing. on you want to again balance to
the the horn part here with the danza zanzari
part with the clarinets and the flutes now piccolo
is up on high f's and high c's so if you're not
sure if and that is optional yeah you can play
it down the octave right right right don't be
afraid right yeah because i was gonna say it's
a little bit tricky to be in tune at measure
35 so this is where the whole band again has
one and two four and one and then we have a hard
cut off on beat three and the percussion is continuing
on with their cool groove here chimes have the
melody again it's just like the beginning. I
love this part. She's smiling over here just
getting excited. I am getting excited it's so
cool first of all I love the way he utilizes
the percussion yeah I think it's written yeah
it's written really really well within this you
know this is where really the mosquitoes come
out and I just I think it's just so precious.
It is precious. So at 42, the woodwinds start...
Our true language, which Katie loves. In this
piece, I don't have a problem with it. It starts
out with a forte piano trill so it's really quiet
and they're just fluttering and it's like the
mosquito coming at you and then they're getting
louder and then they get softer because now the
brass come in and they're gonna mouthpiece buzz
and they have the melody so they're just vibrating.
Four, one, two, three. Four, one, two, three.
Percussion still grooving. and then the woodwinds
get to clap. So it's like you're smacking the
mosquito. It's fun. I think it's adorable. If
two really like old... People think this is so
fun. Think about the children. I promise there's
just water in our cups right now, but this is
it's adorable. I just love it. It's so cute and
the kids think it's really fun too. And it's
actually not as easy as it seems because the
the part keeps getting like more different counting.
The texture is thicker. Yeah. Yeah, and it's
just it's not always four one rest rest. It's
four one clap. three four clap two four so they
have to really be counting because it changes
a little bit and the pitches the brass are buzzing
are supposed to be the written pitches yeah making
sure like i mean i think that's great oh my gosh
we worked on that quite a bit because you know
not everybody is actually vibrating the right
pitch and so talking about oh you're actually
a little bit high um and then they get to vibrate
two one and two and three, just like what the
clarinets had before. That's not super duper
easy either, just moving like little chromatically
to make it sound the right way. Everybody's gonna
be doing it. And it slurred. Yeah. And it slurred.
Yep. Then the woodwinds come back in playing.
After all their clapping, they haven't quite
gotten all the mosquitoes yet. So now they've
got another forte piano trill. and they come
in and they have like this new melody part while
the brass are vibrating underneath it. You are
supposed to hear the woodwinds a little bit more
here than the brass, but like the little brass,
you know, mouthpiece army is still occurring,
yes. And percussion is still playing too, just
way softer underneath. The timpani part's really
cool too, in this whole little section, so I
did tell my timpani player he could come out
of the mix just little bit more than everything
else. Then the woodwinds have like a melody.
Where they're gonna go one and two and three?
rest two and three rest two and three and four
and one and two and three four and There's no
percussion when they do that. So they have to
stay together under a slur move their fingers
together Then they're up higher one and two and
three and four and then the woodwind or the brass
come in Trumpets come in on their instrument.
Yeah this time. Yeah not vibrating anymore one
two and three Four and one and then it's like
very heroic lots of like crash cymbal big like
trombone counter melody part Lots of accents.
It's exciting. Yes. It's just supposed to be
I think like the mosquitoes are winning. Yeah
triumphant even though the little Dang bugs.
Yeah. Yeah, it's it's really fun. So it's written.
It's pretty like, you know busy so you have to
make sure you can always hear the the Mosquito
part the horns the alto the clarinet to those
are the parts I like the new part in the trombone
and euphonium here We have this, you know kind
of interjection from them, which I think is really
cool. Yep It's continuing on. Woodwinds, like
Laura mentioned, are doing some cool doodlies.
One e and a two e and a three. So it's just kind
of sounding like little mosquitoes buzzing all
around. And then we kind of all land on one and
two and sixty -six one and two. And then, timpani,
bass drum, toms, they go, one, two, and it's
supposed to be like, I think it's like stomping
on the mosquitoes. That's how I get them. And
the kids like thinking of it that way too. And
then the horn and the altos come in with the
new part. Three, four, one, two, three, four,
and one and two. It just sounds like a triumphant
like mosquito. The mosquitoes are winning. Yeah,
they are winning for sure. Damn, the mosquitoes,
they're winning. I know, they're gonna win. They
always do. Then we end with like a little modulation.
Is it one of those things? It is, right? Are
you talking about a Pickardy third? Pickardy
third again? Yeah. Is that what it is? Oh my
gosh. We go major. Yeah. Yeah, it's a Picardy
third for sure. I know if you've listened to
us you understand Yeah, how she's so ashamed
of me. I'm not ashamed. Okay. Yeah, right. So
but yeah, no, this is yeah, yeah Yeah, so we
end with this cool part. I haven't gotten this
far with my band yet So it's it's modulating
to the major key now. I've been in G minor this
whole time Yes, but the horn and sax and clarinet
kind of have the part with the flute It's the
last little moment then we have another stomp
stomp from the percussion and then the brass
ended out three and four one two and a three
so it just ends like cute and fun it is super
cute I am a little offended them the mosquitoes
one. Listen, everyone needs their day in the
sunshine. But this piece is super cute. Like
I said, it's kind of like an earworm. The kids
are going to enjoy singing it, which is going
to be good because then they can mouthpiece buzz
it correctly. It's just a catchy tune and it's
just fun. It's programmatic. It's well written.
It's scored well and fun. Rarely ever do I...
deviate away from not playing spooky music at
my fall concert, but I thought this was spooky
enough sounding and just fun that it kind of
fits with the theme and the kids love it. So
yeah, I agree. Well, we hope you will program
Danza Zanzari in the future, brand new piece
2025, and thank you for joining us on this episode
of Band BFFs.