WEBVTT 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:10.539 Welcome to our podcast. Band BFFs. The podcast 00:00:10.539 --> 00:00:12.740 where we make your music selection less complicated. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.400 On today's episode, we are going to be discussing 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:18.699 Christmas Around the Band Room by Lisa Galvin. 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:23.359 Cheers to starting the conversation. This is 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:27.579 a really cute arrangement that combines up on 00:00:27.579 --> 00:00:30.179 the housetop Jolly Old St. Nicholas and Jingle 00:00:30.179 --> 00:00:34.219 Bells. Great for a beginner band or a young sub 00:00:34.219 --> 00:00:36.359 -non -varsity band. It's in the key of B -flat. 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:39.799 It's about two minutes in length in 4 -4 time. 00:00:40.100 --> 00:00:43.759 No split parts anywhere, but lots of percussion. 00:00:43.979 --> 00:00:46.000 There is a good amount of percussion to spread 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:49.259 out amongst your percussion section. Called Christmas 00:00:49.259 --> 00:00:51.079 Around the Band Room, everybody gets a chance 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:53.640 at the melody, which is always fun, especially 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.270 with a younger group for sure. And Laura and 00:00:56.270 --> 00:01:00.229 I were discussing before this episode that a 00:01:00.229 --> 00:01:02.149 lot of people are reaching out to us right now 00:01:02.149 --> 00:01:04.810 about beginner winter music and what are you 00:01:04.810 --> 00:01:07.250 playing and do you have any good new ideas. And 00:01:07.250 --> 00:01:10.730 this is a piece that is tried and true and appeals 00:01:10.730 --> 00:01:13.670 to the entire audience, parents and students 00:01:13.670 --> 00:01:16.530 alike. Because again, like she mentioned, it's 00:01:16.530 --> 00:01:18.530 like a little mashup of three different pieces, 00:01:18.549 --> 00:01:21.769 which is super fun. So at the very beginning, 00:01:21.969 --> 00:01:24.590 it's marked 120 for the tempo, but of course, 00:01:24.590 --> 00:01:27.310 go whatever speed the kids need to go to be successful. 00:01:28.629 --> 00:01:32.310 It's got, everybody has one, two, three, percussion, 00:01:32.549 --> 00:01:36.090 two, three, four, and then everybody, one, two, 00:01:36.109 --> 00:01:40.269 and three, four, low brass, low brass, one. So 00:01:40.269 --> 00:01:43.569 it's very typical introduction, but it's great 00:01:43.569 --> 00:01:46.530 for teaching the low brass how to have a beautiful 00:01:46.530 --> 00:01:50.189 little miniature scale going downward, decrescendoing 00:01:50.189 --> 00:01:52.409 as they go down so they're out of the way of 00:01:52.409 --> 00:01:54.840 the melody when they come in on up. on the housetop. 00:01:55.159 --> 00:01:58.230 At five we've got... Up on the house top melody 00:01:58.230 --> 00:02:01.930 in trumpet, clarinet, oboe and flute, and sax 00:02:01.930 --> 00:02:05.730 has the harmony part to them. And then the bells 00:02:05.730 --> 00:02:10.210 part is not on the melody. They have jingle bells 00:02:10.210 --> 00:02:13.030 underneath up on the house top. So one of the 00:02:13.030 --> 00:02:16.150 things I like about this, obviously there are 00:02:16.150 --> 00:02:18.349 lots of different versions. Sometimes you may 00:02:18.349 --> 00:02:22.610 want a piece that is written like in half notes 00:02:22.610 --> 00:02:24.750 and quarter notes so rhythmically it doesn't 00:02:24.750 --> 00:02:27.379 look really challenging. But I think if you have 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:30.460 a band that can handle it, I love that this is 00:02:30.460 --> 00:02:33.300 written in quarter eighth note fashion. So they 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:36.740 can start being exposed to that in music. Certainly 00:02:36.740 --> 00:02:40.219 at this point in the year, they understand eighth 00:02:40.219 --> 00:02:41.699 notes, they're counting eighth notes, they're 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:43.539 playing eighth notes. So I think it's good for 00:02:43.539 --> 00:02:46.039 them to have an opportunity to see it in the 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:49.360 music as well. For sure. So after the little 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.960 opening two measures, flute and the oboe, clarinet, 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:58.550 then only clarinet along with saxophone now has 00:02:58.550 --> 00:03:03.969 one two three four one two three then flute oboe 00:03:03.969 --> 00:03:07.150 trumpet joined back again one two and three four 00:03:07.150 --> 00:03:11.150 one two three then clarinet and saxophone only 00:03:11.150 --> 00:03:14.669 so I like it because it's just like the song 00:03:14.669 --> 00:03:16.289 where it's kind of like highs and lows having 00:03:16.289 --> 00:03:19.189 a conversation but we don't quite have the low 00:03:19.189 --> 00:03:22.250 brass doing the melody yet that's right so we're 00:03:22.250 --> 00:03:25.610 passing it around the the higher high and the 00:03:25.610 --> 00:03:30.810 medium upper voices. Then at 13 we have the ho 00:03:30.810 --> 00:03:34.449 ho ho who wouldn't know now the lows get the 00:03:34.449 --> 00:03:37.650 melody and this is a great opportunity to teach 00:03:37.650 --> 00:03:41.509 balance so all the upper voices now need to change 00:03:41.509 --> 00:03:45.129 their dynamic down to mezzo piano or even softer 00:03:45.129 --> 00:03:48.449 so they don't overpower the low voices that have 00:03:48.449 --> 00:03:53.719 the melody at 13. Percussion is not as busy in 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:56.960 this section either. Again, written smartly so 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:59.680 that the lows don't have to try to fight to be 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:02.740 heard. They're in a great range though. E flat, 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:08.039 E flat, G, F, F, D, don't breathe, C, C, E flat, 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:12.319 and then don't breathe, D, F, B flat, C, D. Then 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:14.680 they get to take a breath. So we're teaching 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:17.939 them to try to do a four measure phrase as much 00:04:17.939 --> 00:04:22.189 as possible. I think this is smart. Katie is 00:04:22.189 --> 00:04:23.970 obviously right, like you want to teach your 00:04:23.970 --> 00:04:25.790 students not to breathe after every one of those 00:04:25.790 --> 00:04:29.189 half notes in the melody, but the way the accompaniment 00:04:29.189 --> 00:04:32.790 part is written, they are playing one, rest, 00:04:32.889 --> 00:04:38.149 rest, four, one, rest, rest, four, one. So if 00:04:38.149 --> 00:04:41.389 you have a kid sneak a breath in there, there 00:04:41.389 --> 00:04:44.209 is some support. Yeah, there's some support. 00:04:44.449 --> 00:04:46.050 So I just think that's, I think that's written. 00:04:46.050 --> 00:04:49.290 Smart writing, yeah, for sure. And then at measure 00:04:49.290 --> 00:04:52.430 17, the highs come back in with the melody. One, 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:55.430 two, and three, four, one, two, three, don't 00:04:55.430 --> 00:04:58.889 breathe and touch the rest. And then lows. One, 00:04:58.889 --> 00:05:01.069 two, and three, four, one, three. And they do 00:05:01.069 --> 00:05:03.449 have eighth notes, yeah. Oh yeah, lows have the 00:05:03.449 --> 00:05:05.589 tongue. Yep, they have to go from first to fourth 00:05:05.589 --> 00:05:10.699 position. They can do it. And then. 21 this section 00:05:10.699 --> 00:05:12.759 is a little bit different now the sleigh bells 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:16.000 come in and It gets a little bit thinned out 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:19.319 and like the snare drum part and the upper people 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:23.759 with the melody now have staccatos one two three 00:05:23.930 --> 00:05:28.670 One, two, three. It's totally up to you. If you 00:05:28.670 --> 00:05:31.610 don't want to teach staccato articulation in 00:05:31.610 --> 00:05:34.490 December to your beginners. Which I personally 00:05:34.490 --> 00:05:36.930 would not. Right. Just tell the kids, we're going 00:05:36.930 --> 00:05:39.769 to ignore those little dots right now. And instead, 00:05:39.790 --> 00:05:42.569 we're just going to play it normal style. That 00:05:42.569 --> 00:05:45.350 way, it also still matches up with what the lows 00:05:45.350 --> 00:05:47.910 have underneath them, which is not staccato. 00:05:48.009 --> 00:05:49.870 They have the same accompaniment they had before. 00:05:50.009 --> 00:05:55.089 One. Four one. So I think that's totally appropriate. 00:05:55.129 --> 00:05:56.970 It's not like you're playing this for a judge. 00:05:56.990 --> 00:05:59.350 That's right So you do you and whatever is gonna 00:05:59.350 --> 00:06:02.129 help your kids sound sound the best. They need 00:06:02.129 --> 00:06:05.389 to sound the best. Absolutely Then they have 00:06:05.389 --> 00:06:09.810 a little bit more articulation 1 2 3 4 tongue 00:06:09.810 --> 00:06:14.430 slur tongue don't breathe 1 2 3 4 1 stick a breath 00:06:14.430 --> 00:06:17.189 3 And then they have the same thing again with 00:06:17.189 --> 00:06:20.410 the staccatos again, you can leave it out and 00:06:20.410 --> 00:06:23.949 low are again on the accompaniment part on any 00:06:23.949 --> 00:06:26.769 whole note like Laura just mentioned where they 00:06:26.769 --> 00:06:28.910 might need to like they might be dying away a 00:06:28.910 --> 00:06:32.009 little bit with their sound the lows get one 00:06:32.009 --> 00:06:36.170 two three four one so they can kind of help cover 00:06:36.170 --> 00:06:40.370 up support yeah yeah yeah and then it ends with 00:06:40.370 --> 00:06:45.170 the lows going one two three four then the high 00:06:45.170 --> 00:06:50.870 people one three and now we're to a jolly Saint 00:06:50.870 --> 00:06:53.779 Nicholas, bum bum bum bum bum. lend your ear 00:06:53.779 --> 00:06:55.959 this way. There you go. Yeah. Nice job. Nice 00:06:55.959 --> 00:06:58.959 job. Yeah. And so the high people have it. The 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:01.680 lows have just whole note chords, really soft 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.899 underneath. Snare drum is there to help, you 00:07:04.899 --> 00:07:07.399 know, just give a little bit of a pulse. Got 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:09.699 a little triangle now because it's mostly the 00:07:09.699 --> 00:07:11.779 high woodwinds that have the melody. I like that 00:07:11.779 --> 00:07:13.939 this is a little easier. This section. So now 00:07:13.939 --> 00:07:15.500 we've come from something that was a little bit 00:07:15.500 --> 00:07:17.459 more challenging. Now everybody. Yeah. Dolly 00:07:17.459 --> 00:07:21.639 old St. Nicholas. We're grooving. Yes. Then we 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:23.860 all have a beat. three entrance again it gets 00:07:23.860 --> 00:07:28.420 to be forte going into 45 that's the jingle all 00:07:28.420 --> 00:07:31.899 the way hey and then jolly old st. Nicholas kind 00:07:31.899 --> 00:07:35.600 of like again like a little mashup the low people 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:38.240 get to just keep going on the whole notes and 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.300 half notes supporting the uppers then we're all 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:44.699 crescendoing leading to the last little section 00:07:44.699 --> 00:07:48.959 at 55 we have that same staccato one two three 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:51.500 yeah the jingle bells so again if you don't like 00:07:51.529 --> 00:07:54.189 just keep them long. So it's jingle bells for 00:07:54.189 --> 00:07:56.689 two measures, then it's up on the house top for 00:07:56.689 --> 00:07:59.529 two measures, and then it's a whole note with 00:07:59.529 --> 00:08:02.230 timpani getting to have a little solo. One, two, 00:08:02.410 --> 00:08:05.610 three, four, one, and everybody's off on beat 00:08:05.610 --> 00:08:07.509 one. There's not a cha -cha -cha, but I really 00:08:07.509 --> 00:08:10.870 feel like Laura will do it on sleigh bells. But 00:08:10.870 --> 00:08:13.649 it's written very well to where everybody gets 00:08:13.649 --> 00:08:16.370 to have something fun, it's not out of your comfort 00:08:16.370 --> 00:08:19.730 zone, it's not written up high, the trumpets 00:08:19.730 --> 00:08:22.149 aren't playing, you know. up above this you know 00:08:22.149 --> 00:08:26.269 above a you know it's just those first like six 00:08:26.269 --> 00:08:28.670 -ish notes on your instrument and it everybody 00:08:28.670 --> 00:08:32.649 gets to be fun. Very doable melodies they recognize. 00:08:33.330 --> 00:08:35.490 Yes super fun well we hope you will consider 00:08:35.490 --> 00:08:37.970 programming Christmas around the band room in 00:08:37.970 --> 00:08:40.610 the future and thank you for joining us on this 00:08:40.610 --> 00:08:43.529 episode of Band BFFs!