WEBVTT 00:00:06.779 --> 00:00:10.599 Welcome to our podcast, Band BFFs. The podcast 00:00:10.599 --> 00:00:13.019 where we make your music selection less complicated. 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:15.599 On today's episode, we are going to be discussing 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:19.399 Echo Ridge Express by Matt Neufeld. Cheers to 00:00:19.399 --> 00:00:23.379 starting the conversation. Okay. This might be 00:00:23.379 --> 00:00:28.399 one of the most adorable pieces. I cannot tell 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.059 you how much I love it. It is in the key of concert 00:00:31.059 --> 00:00:35.899 B flat. This is a grade like point five to one. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:37.880 Yeah. And I would really lean more towards one 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:40.119 because of some of the technical demands on the 00:00:40.119 --> 00:00:42.340 percussion section and the low brass section. 00:00:42.659 --> 00:00:45.460 But it's in the key of concert B flat throughout. 00:00:46.060 --> 00:00:48.899 It's really fast. It almost feels like it's in 00:00:48.899 --> 00:00:53.119 cut time at one 52. Lots of fun percussion, including 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.490 a train whistle, which must be played. So we 00:00:56.490 --> 00:01:00.770 played this Laura and I at the Texas Bandmasters 00:01:00.770 --> 00:01:04.010 Association Conference in July with the Phi Beta 00:01:04.010 --> 00:01:07.709 Mu Reading Band as one of the sessions. And the 00:01:07.709 --> 00:01:11.109 band, and mind you, these are all like a hundred 00:01:11.109 --> 00:01:14.329 professional band directors or retired band directors 00:01:14.329 --> 00:01:17.390 loved this piece. This was probably my single 00:01:17.390 --> 00:01:20.049 favorite piece that we played. It was so cute 00:01:20.049 --> 00:01:24.090 and fun. And you'll see why it's so fun for kids. 00:01:24.510 --> 00:01:28.140 And everybody. gets something everybody in the 00:01:28.140 --> 00:01:30.620 group gets something and it's just it's adorable 00:01:30.620 --> 00:01:32.840 so it's well written and your kids will love 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:35.879 it so the whole piece starts off like Laura mentioned 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:39.180 it's got a lot of a lot of percussion I would 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:42.620 venture to say you've got to have at least Six 00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:45.760 or seven people. Yeah, really seven percussionists 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:48.840 to cover everything. It starts with brushes, 00:01:49.219 --> 00:01:50.900 which if you're playing with a younger ensemble, 00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:53.760 I think that's so cool to get to expose them 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.620 to that color of sound. Just, oh, I love it. 00:01:57.709 --> 00:02:00.469 It's got woodblock, it's got tambourine, it has 00:02:00.469 --> 00:02:02.730 the train whistle. Like Laura mentioned, it's 00:02:02.730 --> 00:02:05.310 got vibraslap, it's got bass and snare, it's 00:02:05.310 --> 00:02:08.949 got timpani. And the timpani does not do just 00:02:08.949 --> 00:02:11.030 what the tuba does, but it is a part that you 00:02:11.030 --> 00:02:15.110 could do without if you had to. So again, it 00:02:15.110 --> 00:02:18.189 starts off really fast, but of course you can 00:02:18.189 --> 00:02:20.990 start it slower and then build it up, which will 00:02:20.990 --> 00:02:23.810 be fun for young players because then they start 00:02:23.810 --> 00:02:25.669 to kind of understand what it means. You could 00:02:25.669 --> 00:02:28.680 even teach them to play the piece with their 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:31.060 foot tap and cut time if you wanted to eventually. 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.020 Yes. Where they're not tapping, you know, at 00:02:33.020 --> 00:02:37.000 150. Yeah. That's pretty fast. Yeah. So we got 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:38.979 the brushes and then the train whistle comes 00:02:38.979 --> 00:02:42.060 in and it's real cutesy. It's always going choo 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:48.680 choo. It's so cute. And it comes back over and 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:50.580 over and over and like whoever your train whistle 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:53.389 part is. Like, ham it up, y 'all. Like, either 00:02:53.389 --> 00:02:54.370 have them... Listen, I played the train whistle 00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:56.969 in the weaning band. I'm not saying exactly that 00:02:56.969 --> 00:02:59.169 I nailed it, but I basically nailed it. She did, 00:02:59.169 --> 00:03:01.669 because we all thought it was so cute. And I 00:03:01.669 --> 00:03:05.569 mean, like, put it, like, mic it or put the player 00:03:05.569 --> 00:03:07.830 at the front of the ensemble on the stage. It 00:03:07.830 --> 00:03:10.669 needs to be heard, for sure. Put a conductor's 00:03:10.669 --> 00:03:12.530 hat on that person. Oh, my gosh. I mean, whatever 00:03:12.530 --> 00:03:14.129 you need to do. It's just adorable. Listen, if 00:03:14.129 --> 00:03:15.569 I had known, I'd have come prepared. I know, 00:03:15.569 --> 00:03:18.110 right? You know I would have. I've got hats for 00:03:18.110 --> 00:03:23.539 days. Yes. It's true. She does. We're getting 00:03:23.539 --> 00:03:26.419 totally but y 'all it's so it's so cute it is 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:29.500 so cute so at measure three the band comes in 00:03:29.500 --> 00:03:34.139 and it's most everybody minus the the the upper 00:03:34.139 --> 00:03:38.199 woodwinds and we have long tenuto marked notes 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:41.840 and everybody else umpahs has short staccato 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:45.099 notes so you're getting to teach different styles 00:03:45.099 --> 00:03:51.180 to different groupings so it's just it sounds 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:53.580 just like a cute little train it sounds like 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:56.199 a little like a little hoedown yeah it's just 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:58.919 it's adorable only marked mezzo forte little 00:03:58.919 --> 00:04:01.340 vibra slap hits the little train whistle little 00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:03.120 woodblock certainly if you're playing this with 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:06.150 a younger band which the degree of the of literature 00:04:06.150 --> 00:04:09.409 would suggest that you need to be careful that 00:04:09.409 --> 00:04:11.389 the kids that are playing on two and four are 00:04:11.389 --> 00:04:13.550 not reacting to what they're hearing on one and 00:04:13.550 --> 00:04:16.170 three, right? Because you'll have a tempo nightmare 00:04:16.170 --> 00:04:18.910 if that happens, making sure everyone is confident 00:04:18.910 --> 00:04:21.949 independently so that when it is put together, 00:04:22.050 --> 00:04:25.129 the puzzle fits correctly. At measure seven, 00:04:25.930 --> 00:04:30.069 the flute and oboe part is written together and 00:04:30.069 --> 00:04:32.879 so you can divide it where like, Literally, the 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:34.600 oboes play the low notes, flutes play the high 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:36.800 notes, or you could do divided for everybody. 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:38.639 If you don't have any oboes, just divide it in 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:41.480 your flutes. Same with clarinet. It's like split 00:04:41.480 --> 00:04:43.860 only sometimes on the chords on the choo -choo 00:04:43.860 --> 00:04:49.720 part. Choo -choo. Yes. So on the choo -choo, 00:04:49.860 --> 00:04:52.060 it's a... It's a chord. And I think it's really 00:04:52.060 --> 00:04:53.759 smart the way he's written that he does that 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:55.899 he throws those da vici notes in there for flute 00:04:55.899 --> 00:05:00.660 clarinet and trumpet and eventually um and that's 00:05:00.660 --> 00:05:03.019 it so instead of dividing and have two completely 00:05:03.019 --> 00:05:05.740 separate parts you just have those moments where 00:05:05.740 --> 00:05:08.720 you get to split into harmony. Yep and the style 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:13.060 is very intentionally written. short, long, da, 00:05:13.220 --> 00:05:16.740 da, da, short, long, short, da, da. So you wanna 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:19.699 make sure that you talk about the different styles. 00:05:19.779 --> 00:05:22.560 And this is a great introduction for younger 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:24.199 bands about how to make it different. This was 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:28.180 end of beginner year, start of a seventh grade, 00:05:28.339 --> 00:05:32.379 exactly. And then we just have those cute little 00:05:32.379 --> 00:05:34.620 vibra slaps and train whistle parts thrown in 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:38.540 slapstick. It's just so cute. The low brass part 00:05:38.540 --> 00:05:46.740 is pretty, And they're playing long quarter notes, 00:05:46.939 --> 00:05:49.120 which we like because they're not playing bunches 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:52.019 of staccato stuff at the beginning of, you know, 00:05:52.899 --> 00:05:54.899 a time or end of their time where they're trying 00:05:54.899 --> 00:05:57.560 to play it too short and rushing. Yes. So the 00:05:57.560 --> 00:05:59.759 melody is just in the flute oboe clarinet part. 00:06:00.170 --> 00:06:06.490 Alto has the same part as well. And then we end 00:06:06.490 --> 00:06:09.449 it with the lows going tall, tall, tall. Then 00:06:09.449 --> 00:06:13.410 it's just timpani and snare and bass playing 00:06:13.410 --> 00:06:16.769 like a part one, two, three and four. And then 00:06:16.769 --> 00:06:19.230 train whistle and slapstick one, two, three, 00:06:19.329 --> 00:06:22.709 choo, choo. And then 17, the trumpets come in 00:06:22.709 --> 00:06:24.870 with the melody with the horn. So it's basically 00:06:24.870 --> 00:06:27.430 the same thing we had before, but now brass are 00:06:27.430 --> 00:06:31.189 taking the lead and then We have the mallets 00:06:31.189 --> 00:06:40.410 joining the trumpet and horn melody. Now the 00:06:40.410 --> 00:06:42.870 low reeds and low brass are still continuing 00:06:42.870 --> 00:06:46.800 with that same accompaniment. four measures in 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.000 then it changes a little bit and then they get 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.500 a little statement one two three four and one 00:06:52.500 --> 00:06:54.759 yes so they get that little statement and then 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:58.120 the woodwinds come back in with two two so they're 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:01.339 kind of doubling what's happening or it's really 00:07:01.339 --> 00:07:03.660 kind of an echo to what's happening to the train 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:07.819 whistle part we do get a couple of slurs thrown 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:11.839 in here most of this is articulated but we do 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:13.959 get a couple of slurs thrown in here and i think 00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:15.709 if i remember correctly every Everything is just 00:07:15.709 --> 00:07:18.050 two -note slurs. Yeah, and every time the slur 00:07:18.050 --> 00:07:20.629 happens, it's staccato on the end of the slur. 00:07:24.069 --> 00:07:26.689 So teaching that style is good, but not letting 00:07:26.689 --> 00:07:29.069 it be like a... Not closing their throat, yeah. 00:07:30.459 --> 00:07:34.660 um and so then at 25 we go to a new part in the 00:07:34.660 --> 00:07:36.740 upper woodwinds so now trumpet and horn are laying 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:41.939 out low brass changes now they have one two four 00:07:41.939 --> 00:07:45.660 one three four one so they still have a background 00:07:45.660 --> 00:07:48.220 part but it's more active it is definitely more 00:07:48.220 --> 00:07:50.980 active the melody is happening in the upper woodwinds 00:07:50.980 --> 00:07:52.699 percussion are still cranking along with all 00:07:52.699 --> 00:07:55.459 their cool fun colorful stuff that's happening 00:07:55.459 --> 00:07:58.620 um but i what in fact it's one of the things 00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:01.370 that i like a lot about this piece the low brass 00:08:01.370 --> 00:08:04.810 even though the range is simple the rhythms are 00:08:04.810 --> 00:08:07.629 simple they are moving around yeah and they're 00:08:07.629 --> 00:08:09.790 changing it's not just the same thing the whole 00:08:09.790 --> 00:08:11.889 time so they're gonna be excited like Laura said 00:08:11.889 --> 00:08:14.470 everybody has something yes so they're excited 00:08:14.470 --> 00:08:16.250 because it's like a different part it's not like 00:08:16.250 --> 00:08:19.089 oh it's the same thing we just played and the 00:08:19.089 --> 00:08:20.829 same with the upper woodwinds their parts different 00:08:20.829 --> 00:08:25.930 here one two one and two three one two three 00:08:25.930 --> 00:08:29.250 and four one and two three so it changes it's 00:08:29.250 --> 00:08:32.750 not the same melody as before. Timpani does come 00:08:32.750 --> 00:08:35.070 in and have some cool little moments with the 00:08:35.070 --> 00:08:38.490 low brass and then the lows get to end it off 00:08:38.490 --> 00:08:42.809 one two three and four one and then at 33 now 00:08:42.809 --> 00:08:45.389 the trumpets are joining the flute clarinet oboe 00:08:45.389 --> 00:08:49.870 part along with xylophone and horn even the tenor 00:08:49.870 --> 00:08:53.529 sax joins in so Everybody's playing at 33. We've 00:08:53.529 --> 00:08:56.210 got this cute little vibra slap part. We've got 00:08:56.210 --> 00:08:59.629 the cute little tambourine part going on underneath. 00:09:00.409 --> 00:09:03.029 So percussion is just adding a lot to this piece. 00:09:03.070 --> 00:09:05.389 And this is really the same melodic statement. 00:09:05.429 --> 00:09:07.610 We've just thickened up the texture a little 00:09:07.610 --> 00:09:09.710 bit. We've changed the color a little. Then we 00:09:09.710 --> 00:09:12.049 get a two measure percussion break where the 00:09:12.049 --> 00:09:14.750 train whistle gets to be special again. And then 00:09:14.750 --> 00:09:18.210 at 43 we have a hoedown. I think this is where 00:09:18.210 --> 00:09:20.370 I think like all the band directors were like 00:09:20.370 --> 00:09:23.029 this is a Adorable we got to like stomp and clap 00:09:23.029 --> 00:09:25.250 and yeah, who doesn't like that in the piece. 00:09:25.470 --> 00:09:27.950 Absolutely Absolutely. So percussion are still 00:09:27.950 --> 00:09:30.549 cranking along. But yes, we have stomps and claps 00:09:30.549 --> 00:09:35.590 The bass line is still playing right? So bass 00:09:35.590 --> 00:09:38.029 line. In fact, this is their voice is a real 00:09:38.029 --> 00:09:40.909 This is their feature Everyone else is doing 00:09:40.909 --> 00:09:43.110 stomps and claps and now they're moving around 00:09:43.110 --> 00:09:46.389 like choo choo choo just open Yeah, just open 00:09:46.389 --> 00:09:50.309 fists. Yeah, just power chords. Yeah um and so 00:09:50.309 --> 00:09:52.789 everybody else is stomp clap stomp clap stomp 00:09:52.789 --> 00:09:56.149 clap clap clap stomp clap so it's kind of it's 00:09:56.149 --> 00:09:59.210 really fun and you could be as fun with it or 00:09:59.210 --> 00:10:03.049 not as you want but I mean it was really adorable. 00:10:03.289 --> 00:10:05.509 Low Brass Low Reeds take over the melody that 00:10:05.509 --> 00:10:08.990 the upper woodwinds had way back when like maybe 00:10:08.990 --> 00:10:12.730 back all the way to 13 or whatever so it is moving 00:10:12.730 --> 00:10:15.049 around and there's style markings on every note 00:10:15.049 --> 00:10:19.230 so again range wise and rhythm wise it's not 00:10:19.230 --> 00:10:22.450 difficult but they do have to be able to move 00:10:22.450 --> 00:10:24.110 and they do have to be able to execute the style 00:10:24.110 --> 00:10:27.019 the low voices I'm referring to. Every time there 00:10:27.019 --> 00:10:29.159 are eighth notes though, I will say that they 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:31.279 are on the same pitch. Yes, they're not changing. 00:10:31.299 --> 00:10:34.539 So that's good for you to know for like low people. 00:10:34.700 --> 00:10:37.039 We're not having to change trombone slides quickly. 00:10:38.139 --> 00:10:40.980 They have, they're just articulating it. And 00:10:40.980 --> 00:10:43.659 then everybody comes back in, pick up to 51. 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:46.419 Now we get a fun little counter melody part in 00:10:46.419 --> 00:10:50.559 the flute alto sax tenor line with mallets. One, 00:10:50.580 --> 00:10:53.820 two, three, four, one, two, three and four. They're 00:10:53.820 --> 00:10:56.039 just holding. It's just like a little. statement. 00:10:56.100 --> 00:10:58.379 Yep, and then the trumpet and horn have the melody 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:01.299 again with the clarinet. We're just kind of recapping 00:11:01.299 --> 00:11:05.720 it, bringing it all home. 57, one, two, three, 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.840 and four, lows, three and four, and then everybody 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:14.039 together, one. One, two, four, one, three, lows, 00:11:14.279 --> 00:11:18.320 bum, ba, dum, bum, every one. So it's just like 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:21.919 an adorable ending. It's so fun. Everybody gets 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:24.179 to have fun with it. I don't know how you can 00:11:24.179 --> 00:11:26.320 listen to or play this piece without a smile 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:28.220 on your face. Not feel joy. Yeah, it is. That's 00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:31.000 it. It's just joyful. It's just joyful. It's 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:33.960 fun. Kids get to do like you could ham it up 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:37.639 like Laura said, like you could literally have 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:40.720 everybody wear like a fun little hat or at least 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:44.259 your bandanas on. Yeah, it's totally up to you, 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:47.799 but this would be a fun piece to do at a beginner 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:50.240 winter concert, even though it's not winter themed. 00:11:51.750 --> 00:11:53.750 programmatically kind of an okay time to do it 00:11:53.750 --> 00:11:56.710 at the end of the year for your Spring concert 00:11:56.710 --> 00:11:58.730 with a beginner band for you the beginning of 00:11:58.730 --> 00:12:01.549 the year fall concert with a sub non or a non 00:12:01.549 --> 00:12:05.350 varsity group Just to review style. Yeah and 00:12:05.350 --> 00:12:08.549 review Everybody gets these special parts and 00:12:08.549 --> 00:12:11.549 how do we balance it? And so it's and because 00:12:11.549 --> 00:12:14.370 everybody everybody gets that melody. It's a 00:12:14.370 --> 00:12:16.830 great opportunity to utilize a melody sheet I 00:12:16.830 --> 00:12:18.490 know you've talked you've heard us talk about 00:12:18.490 --> 00:12:20.750 that before but yeah writing out that simple 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:23.539 melody for everybody in your band and teaching 00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:27.940 the melody all at one time including the stylistic 00:12:27.940 --> 00:12:30.139 components of the melody so you're hearing it 00:12:30.139 --> 00:12:32.139 in unison and then when you get to the piece 00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:35.179 man it's easy to just plug and play. Yep well 00:12:35.179 --> 00:12:37.840 we hope you will consider programming Echo Ridge 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:40.659 Express in the future and thank you for joining 00:12:40.659 --> 00:12:44.019 us on this episode of Band BFFs!