Welcome to our podcast, Band BFFs. The podcast
where we make your music selection less complicated.
On today's episode, we will be discussing Choose
Joy by Randall Standridge. Cheers to starting
the conversation. This piece is a grade three
on the Texas PML It is but it is something you
could program. I think it just about any time
of year not just for contest season It's about
four minutes in length. It's in the key of concert
e -flat double clarinet alto trumpet and trombone
parts and in typical standard fashion a lot of
percussion you you really really in order to
cover all of the parts really well need a bodies
and like I am currently weird playing this for
a winter concert I think because it is it quotes
owed to joy I thought it would be appropriate
and fun to do at a winter concert I only have
seven percussionists so even one of my percussion
teachers is sitting in and helping cover a part
because I didn't want to leave anything out so
lots of percussion this piece is super high energy
super high energy like the entire piece yeah
there There is no downtime. Well, that's not
true. There really is a calm middle section to
it, but it is book -ended with lots of energy.
It's marked at 160 in 4 -4, so the tempo is incredibly
brisk. We have this idea at the very beginning,
it opens with a two measure percussion, kind
of build one and two and three and four and,
and then the winds come in on beat four and there
is four e into one, two e into three, four e
into one, two and, and four. one. So there is
this technique that happens in the flute, oboe.
alto saxophone and first trumpet. Of course,
it's doubled in some of the mallet instruments.
It lays pretty easy in the fingers. So even though
the speed is really fast on it and it's 16th
notes, it's scalar and does lay relatively. And
that's the easiest scale on trumpet, obviously.
But that first trumpet part, you have got to
put somebody who has a great range. You need
a host. It sits in a high tessitura the entire
time. So they need to have the range. and they
need to have the clarity of articulation. The
second trumpet part is not the same, so definitely
put people up there that can function. That can
handle it, that's right. So when I've heard some
groups play this, I think one of the things that
stands out to me most to be like a Danger Will
Robinson is on this 16th note, four E into one,
two E into three, do not clip the quarter note
short. Oh yeah. Four E into one, two E into three,
four E into one, that is gonna be the kid's natural
tendency. that we get air all the way through
those quarter notes and through that really that
entire measure every time that happens. Lots
of accent and style there's there's accent and
style in all of the accompaniment parts in here
so making you know sure that we execute that
really well. I love this this whole introduction
repeats a couple of times through the piece so
that's kind of nice once you get it down it's
a nice copy paste. You have a forte piano measure
five a whole note tied to a dotted half note
where everybody needs to get out of the way and
make room for the horn and saxophones two and
three and four and one two three it's a really
really cool part and again like I said it comes
back several times and then the horn is gonna
end up sitting on a top line F for a little bit
of time. So again, this one's a big horn feature
type piece. And then this in particular is a
big little feature moment. When we transition
into measure 11, it does get a little calmer
right here. We've got some really cool vibraphone
and bell and xylophone stuff going on. This is
a flute melody. So the clarinets and tubas and
some of the tenor reed people are just sustaining
with like a harmonic foundation and the flute.
have a melody in a very nice comfortable range
for them four and one two three four one two
three very easy very calm beautiful playing the
altos end up joining them with the same little
idea we add some horn interjections in there
as well but this really pretty melody very little
percussion in this section except for mallet
percussion and the euphonium doubles that horn
interjection that she was talking about and it
goes up a little bit higher to like high E flat
and high F so your euphoniums need to be pretty
good at being able to do that kind of stuff too
because they're sitting in the same range. So
back to percussion for just a second we had that
really high energetic opening and I know we talked
about some of the mallet instruments the snare
part when it is big and full is often really
active and of course at that tempo at 160 BPM
when you're playing that digga that digga that
digga digga digga that that's that's not easy
and there's accents you need to make sure that
they can play that and then that they can play
that with a pretty soft touch otherwise that
can get that can get noisy it can get really
really noisy for sure and then at 19 we've got
this really cool like big moment again with everybody
kind of having a similar rhythm together one
two and and four one two and and four one and
and it's again it's written real high up for
pretty much all the brass the trumpets are at
the top of the staff trumpet one um the horns
are up on higher e flat trombone is above the
staff the lowest low brass is a high b flat yeah
that's the lowest low brass yeah so it's it's
It's up there, yep. The range sits up there.
So this is kind of a full band moment where we're
restating this one, two, and, and four, one,
two, and, and four. When we get to measure, the
whole ensemble is doing this together, when we
get to measure 25, we have a dotted quarter,
double 16th, one, and a three, and a lot of the
upper voices have that first trumpet, the horn
has it, your upper woodwinds, your altos all
have that rhythm. So being really and lining
that rhythm up together. Obviously when you learn
it slower I would do it tongued and then add
the slur and then speed it up so until their
fingers are really comfortable with what that
rhythm is. Yep at 27 the whole band is kind of
coming down we have a tied note but now the two
mallet parts get to really be featured we add
in sleigh bells so percussion is kind of getting
a little moment and then there's a chimes little
feature, one, two, three, four, one, two, three.
So that's pretty fun. And then it goes into a
really pretty little flute solo. Now once the
sleigh bells come in, they stay in for most of
the piece and they are straight eighth notes
at 160 BPM. So you are either going to need to,
we have not gotten to this point in our preparation
on this, but I know when I've played a piece
similar, well it was a standard piece, Brave
Spirit, before that had the sleigh. that were
like that at a really fast pace, we mounted,
we had like a single rack sleigh bells that were
flat and we were able to mount it and have the
student play it with mallets. So it kept the
tempo really consistent and the jingle really
consistent all the way through. That is so smart,
I've never even heard of that. So that may be
something you consider doing or at the very least
you may have to trade it out between players
because that... is physically taxing. Yes, no
kidding. And like that would slow down. Yes.
Yeah, playing it with mallets is way smart. Yeah.
That's awesome. When we get to 31, now we're
in this new idea. So the mallet instruments like
Katie mentioned are doing all of this one and
two and three and four and one and two and three.
So there's this busyness there. And there is
a flute solo. It starts off similarly to the
beginning, four and one, two and three, four
and one and two and three, four and one and two.
It's a nice little, it sounds like a little,
like you're riding on a sleigh. Really, really
cute little melody. It passes off, the solo line
passes off to the altos. And then there is accompaniment.
There is support coming from the low reeds, but
most of it really is in this flute clarinet.
A clarinet comes in with a little small interject
in solo as well. And they join the sax and the
flute part. But it really is like these three
solos. and percussion. Yep, yep. and that's only
for eight measures though and then 39 now the
trumpets are gonna take over the melody and they
have something real similar but now both trumpet
parts are playing the same thing but it's written
down the range is easy finally yes and then it's
just four one and two and three and four you
know one and two and three four one and two and
three and four you know one so like the rhythms
are not ridiculously difficult it's just the
execution of the time every They do the 16th
notes. It's slurred. Yes, so that's good where
you're not having to articulate at that speed
But it doesn't mean that everything is slurred
So you have to kind of make sure that you clean
up all the stuff that isn't the slurred moments
then the lows get this little like three and
four and one, leading into measure 43, which
I just always think it's fun when lows get to
do something cool. And then we have this part
where everybody's tonguing together. One and
two and three and four and one and two and three
and four and one and two. Yeah, so. Just lining
that up is gonna be like I would put brackets
around 43 and 44 and like do that probably on
a loop just to make sure that it all lines up
because then the melody part and the trumpet
and the clarinet now is still 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
1 & 2 & 3 so they're moving but the accompaniment
is all on one note It needs to be way underneath
and that's not easy to articulate that fast,
that staccato, that soft. Right? All of those
factors. This would definitely be a rep section.
Then you've got the trumpets continuing on. And
then horns. Then trumpets higher. All the way
up to an A. Yeah, so it goes up pretty high for
those trumpets, first trumpets. Then another
little percussion feature for our measure and
then we're back to four and a one, two and a
three. The recap of the beginning. It's exactly
like the beginning. So this is where it comes
back for the first time. Now this next section,
this is one of my favorite sections when we arrive
at measure 59, it gets softer, it goes to a feeling
into, it feels almost like this, well it says
into, like it's in cut time. Like we have totally
stretched out the melody just a little bit. The
percussion still stays active. So there are still
eighth notes in the mallets. The sleigh bells
are still going. We got the little chimes moment
again. One, two, three, four, one, two, three,
four. But then we get this really, I love this
section. It is in the tenor voices. They are
playing, you know, one, two, three, four, one,
two. and cut time, but it's one, three, one,
three, one. It's really lovely, very pretty.
They do have a measure. An octave jump from 67
to 68. And we have spent a lot. Six, seven. Oh,
God, Katie. I had to do it, I'm sorry. You guys,
please don't judge. Just judge her, not me. Just
me, not Laura. We really have spent a lot of
time. I'm glad I haven't actually identified
the measure to them, but we have spent a lot
of time working that octave. Oh they know. I
assure you they do. Because it is slurred and
it needs to sound relaxed. This whole N2 thing
is very calm. Very calm. And then it continues
on. The bass line is just supporting it. Then
after they've had their, the tenor voices have
had their moment. Now the upper woodwinds are
going to come in and have the same little, like
it's not the same melody. It's a counter melody,
but it's got to be featured this time around,
but it's still smooth. It's slurred. It's in
like Laura mentioned, like it's the melody, but
stretched out. And then the trumpets trumpet
one comes in and kind of has its own little moment
for two measures. And then it's, 79 we get this
cool horn and alto part that is marked soaring.
So it needs to be coming out of the mix and now
the tenor voices have gone down. Flute and oboe
are just doing straight up eighth notes. Kind
of like what the marimba part has been the whole
time. It's doubling what's happening in the xylophone
here and it needs to be a whisper. It really
is just the feeling of like... Kinetic energy
underneath the other part, but you don't you
really don't want to hear it, right? You want
to feel the movement, but you don't really want
to hear it So it needs to be very very controlled
very subtle not overbearing in any way What needs
to come through is the alto and horn line like
Katie said and it's really beautiful The trumpets
still have this kind of melodic idea, but then
this horn and alto have this cool counter melody
that soars over It's really really pretty rhythmically.
It's very easy. What is no easy is making it
sound calm, making it sound relaxed, and the
range in the horn is up there. It gets up to
E flats and Fs at the top of the staff. That
really really pretty section. Yep. then this
continues on for a while but now as Laura mentioned
the trumpets are kind of like playing a different
part with the horns and they just keep going
higher and higher and higher so they're just
doing like three one three one three one three
one three one and they're going up to high A
flat and possibly B flat. I don't know, it got
cut off on this score. But I mean, it's going
up really, really high and then it kind of comes
down. So your first trumpets, like she mentioned,
have to be really solid because we are 100 measures
in and that's when they're playing above the
staff. then we reach like another moment and
now it says in four back to the energetic moment
so we're less like slurry now we're going back
to like the feeling from before with the transition
we've got a big percussion moment again big chimes
moment again times are super important yep and
then we go back to the and the flutes but now
the upper brass and well the trumpet one trombone
one and you phony get to have the Ode to Joy
melody. And tenor sax. They actually, yes. So
there's still this active stuff in the woodwinds
and percussion. This is one of the parts I'm
talking about about the snare drummer needing
to be able to like demonstrate great control.
Great control. It's marked piano or it's marked
forte but it does not need to be forte. Get them
down. Let that Ode to Joy melody and the tenor
voices and first trumpet come out and we've heard
the four A into one, two A into three, four A
into one. yeah that we can keep those upper woodwinds
secondary. Yep and so they just have one two
three four one two three four one two three four
one and three don't breathe one two three four
one two three four and then trombone two and
trumpet on the second phrase add in so it's like
getting stronger just by sheer numbers one and
three four and now Everybody in the band is playing
articulated eighth notes at 160. One and two
and three and four. It's not everybody in the
band. I mean everybody who's playing. That's
right. It's the low brass and low reeds. My low
brass and low reeds love this section. It is
the section they practice more often than anything
else. But the clarity of articulation, it is
just them and xylophone. Xylophone is not playing
the same thing, but what I have talked about
is even though xylophone doesn't have the same
part, same melodic part they are doing eighth
notes like the wind players are and to listen
to the clarity of articulation and the xylophone
and try to match that so it's one and two and
three and four and one and two and three four
and one and two and three and they are moving
they are moving that slide is moving those fingers
are moving keeping everything nice and light
it's mezzo forte it's not meant to sound heavy
it's not meant to sound loud it's meant to sound
clean mm -hmm so that is the key just making
sure that it is really really clean and then
the trumpet add in and they're playing not the
melody but they're just doing like straight eighth
straight eighth notes on one note and you want
to make sure that you're they're not the focal
point because you still want to be hearing the
lower people that are being featured and then
there's a melody in the sax and horn part for
one for one for one it's a nice little counter
idea to what you've been hearing the low breast
and so that's the part that needs to be brought
out and everybody else needs to be underneath
then at 119 besides those voices now everybody
is entering like flute and oboe and clarinet
are now coming in and joining and they are also
on the eighth note part so like Laura said this
is about being clean and precise because there's
a lot of people playing straight up, you know,
staccato eighth notes together. And some people
are changing notes and some people are staying
on the same note. So making sure that that's
appropriate. Yep. And then the trumpets have
a little moment of melody. Then horn and clarinet,
then the trumpet. It's kind of like the beginning.
And then trumpets are up nice and high on A,
G. Then it goes back to the beginning again.
Oh, and there's one little key. Yes, the adorable
little ding. Three ding on the bells. Oh my,
on the bells. It is, it's so adorable. Yep, then
it's literally like a recap from the beginning
again. We still have another little horn and
alto feature We go back to a little flute moment
like the flute solo But now it's the flute oboe
and first clarinet playing and it's easier Rhythms
and everything and then the trumpets take over
that melody and then we're building everybody
up again one two three four one and The xylo
and marimba and the flute oboe clarinet get a
little moment of a cute little scale one two
and three three, four, and one, three, four,
one, and dum, bum, bum. And then it goes to the
flutes. Then it's every one. Then it's the little
flutes there. Yep. And then we get another little.
Ode to Joy -ish moment. Yep, in the low grass
and low reeds. Yep, and then this is like the
end of the marching band like part. And down.
This is really what I think of. It's like Forte
piano and the upper people. I mean this literally
could be a marching show. So you've got the bum
bum bum bum bum bum bum and then flute and trumpet.
They're getting the excitement going. Everybody
else has one, three, one. Three and then horn.
It literally and down. Yeah, it it does sound
like be a marching band. Yeah, it could be a
show Yeah, so it's like the most high -energy
It piece ever like you definitely have to choose
joy every day when you play this like it is super
high energy It definitely has some technical
demands and some articulation. Yes and huge kid
magnet. Yes. Yeah, kids will love it because
it's fun and The rhythms are not you're not gonna
have to sit there and be like when do you come
in, the and, beat one, blah, blah, blah, right?
Like the rhythms are a little bit more easy.
It's just, it's a long piece and just lots of
fun stuff. And the range, I think the range is
one of the more challenging aspects of the piece.
For sure. Lots of fun, your kids will love it.
So fun, yes. Well we hope you will consider programming
Choose Joy in the future and thank you for joining
us on this episode of Band BFFs.