Selecting Repertoire for Your Band Why is Choosing Music So Important? Frank Batista says: “the kind of music you play matters”(quoted in Dvorak & Floyd, 2000, 11). Bruce Pearson: “without a doubt, one of the band conductor’s most important responsibilities is the selection of music for their ensemble” (Pearson, 2001, 45). While this may seem obvious, many instrumental music teachers do not make music selection very seriously. They do not see how important repertoire is to the musical growth of their students. Teachers should choose music to accomplish a number of goals: 1. The music must develop technical and musical skills at a suitable level of difficulty. 2. It must be artistically “Good Music”. 3. Motivate the student to further their musical interests. 4. Provide a variety of styles of music. Other factors must be considered. Band directors are required to perform a great deal of music that is intended for a specific purpose: school plays, special events, and civic ceremonies. In addition, there is pressure from administrators and parents to program music that is entertaining rather than educational. You cannot ignore this kind of music, it is important to them; you must remember the saying “he who pays the piper calls the tune.” It must not become the focus of your program, however, and “your judgment” in the right amount of this style of music you include in your program is vital. Artistic Evaluation This is the most difficult part of evaluating music ‐ trying to decide the artistic (aesthetic) value of a composition. This debate is far to complex to discuss in this short paper. Conductor/Teachers need to make their choices of music through some form of evaluation criterion. This is made more difficult for educators where the level of difficulty and technical growth must be considered. So what factors should we consider? What makes one piece better than others or “good?” A musical composition can be accepted as excellent if: (a) The structure (form) is evident. (b) Thematic materials are clearly identified. (c) Harmony should be a central point of attention. ronmac music (d) Has a sense of motion and continuity. (e) Filled with varieties of tonal colour. (f) Dynamic changes. (g) Rhythmically interesting. In many of the “educational pieces” the criteria above is completely absent. One example of this is writers who compose in a formulaic manner (predictable, in form, harmony and scoring). Once you have successfully performed one you can usually perform them all. These types of music do give the student some degree of motivation and satisfaction, however, the development factor is limited. This style of composition should be performed only occasionally. Unfortunately, much of this type of repertoire has become a staple performed in concerts and festivals. Many teachers choose music on premise they have to perform mostly “pop” music to keep them interested in the band. Teachers should not be afraid that the study of “serious music” will discourage their students from participating in band or orchestra. The “pop music” you select should be interesting and one of the styles of music they should learn, however you should not develop an over reliance on the performance of popular music. Music educators generally choose music that helps advance the students’ skill. This should not be the final goal. We need to find music of artistic value as well. So our selection of repertoire should not be either educational or “artistic” it must be both. We need to rely on our professional training as musicians to help us make sensible judgments on the music we perform with our ensembles. Pieces considered “Masterpieces” should be used as guidelines for selecting less difficult works. So time spent in studying major works for band, even if you do not have a band that has reached that level, can give you the tools for selecting music for your ensemble. Selecting music for bands at level (III) ‐ IV ‐ V ‐ VI is and easier choice to make if you have the instrumentation ‐ technical ability and have developed your ensemble “musically” enough to present a mature performance. (I have heard many school ensembles perform near technically perfect performances, with out a note of “music”...what have they learned?) Most of the “Masterpieces” have been catalogued, analyzed and performed by many exceptional high school bands, university bands and professional ensembles. Unfortunately, it is the Levels I ‐ II ‐ III, where the difficulty lies. Selecting Music for Level I ‐ II ‐ III There are a number of considerations you must make when you select music for your band/ensemble and at these levels, most are technical. ronmac music 1)
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Range of instrumentation (see attached guide) Key of the piece Chord structure (Traditional or complex) Structure (Form) Style Technical demands (articulation/tempo/rhythm) Avoid block scoring though out the piece There should be some transparency in the scoring, e.g. solo or soli etc. Pay special attention to percussion parts. 8) Phrasing 9) Then check the following: a) Will it be a listening experience for the ensemble? b) Will it be a learning experience for the ensemble? c) What musical goals will we reach? d) Will it motivate the ensemble? e) Does it have audience appeal? Not all pieces will meet this criterion. If they do you would have selected a good piece for your ensemble. Selecting music is a very important decision for your resent group and future groups so choose wisely. Tips Here are some tips to help you. You have probably heard them all before. 1) Decide on the level of music they should be performing and set an attainable performance goal you can reach over a pre‐set period. School grade should not enter into this decision. 2) Do not expect your group to perform Level II or III if you have not finished the first Year Band Method. They all have correlated band arrangements to assist you in programming. 3) Know what range level each section of you group can perform comfortably. (See range guide) 4) Understand your instrumentation the higher the level the more instruments you need. Strive for a balanced instrumentation right from the beginning or do your best to adjust the situation or be prepared to do a lot of editing (which could change the composers original intentions) 5) Know where your weak and strong sections are in your band. 6) Make sure that your colleagues’ suggestions for pieces for bands will fit into your situation. They are probably good suggestions, but every band is different, check before you purchase. ronmac music 7) When you listen and buy, make sure you have a score to read along with it. Most demo recordings are performed by professional musicians and will sound a lot easier than they really are. 8) Avoid pieces that have percussion parts that just give them “something to do”. Good percussion writing is hard to find, so check it out. 9) When you wish to purchase music try to do it in person and give yourself some time to make the right choice for your band. 10) E ‐mail or fax in orders ‐ when it is in writing it can be processed a lot faster. 11) Be prepared to wait if you order an older piece, many times they are out print. When you order music: 1) Make sure you know the: composer/arranger ‐ publisher ‐ grade level ‐ instrumentation. 2) If you phone, do not expect the person who works in the band score department “to know your band”. They will not. Some voice mail I have received: You heard my band in the festival so you know what I want. Or Hi, this is Johnny Corn, I met you at the Conference could you send me some pieces for my band I need blah, blah, blah. Or Send me some jazz charts something that swings... you know about a grade I. The kids really like those Rob McConnell charts they heard one the other day so if you can find one at level I, it would be great. 3) Make your decision on what you wish to perform in a music festival early. The beginning or end of the school year is best. Choosing 3 or 4 weeks before is self ‐destruct! Order your extra scores at the time you purchase the music. Only music stores with large inventories carry extra scores. The process to photocopy an out of print score, takes three to 4 weeks or longer and you still have to pay full price for the score. 4) Know the arrangers and composers that consistently write well for band. If you know how they arrange and what level they write the best in, it makes your selection much easier, because you know they are competent writers. You should still read the scores, as once and a while your favorite writer compose or arrange a questionable piece. Here are some that I feel write well for Level I ‐ II ‐ III – IV. I will not include the publisher because many of them write for a number of publishers. ronmac music COMPOSER/ARR: LEVEL Stephen Bulla I ‐ II Michael Sweeney I ‐ II ‐ III (Pop) Cora Gable * I ‐ II Johnnie Vison I ‐ II ‐ III (Pop) John Kinyon I ‐ II Timothy Broege I ‐ II ‐ III+ Dale Lauder * I ‐ II William Himes I ‐ II ‐ III+ Brian Appleby I ‐ II ‐ III Paul Lavender I ‐ II ‐ III+ Andrew Balent I ‐ II ‐ III Douglas Wagner I ‐ II ‐ III+ Larry Clarke I ‐ II ‐ III John Higgins I ‐ II ‐ III+ (Pop) Lloyd Conely I ‐ II ‐ III Steve Hodges II ‐ III Douglas Court I ‐ II ‐ III Calvin Custer II ‐ III+ Chuck Elledge I ‐ II ‐ III Carl Strommen II ‐ III+ Sandy Feldstein I ‐ II ‐ III John Edmondson II ‐ III+ (Pop) Bob Margolis I ‐ II ‐ III Frank Erickson II ‐ III ‐ IV John O’Reilly I ‐ II ‐ III Holsinger II ‐ III ‐ IV Robert Pearson I ‐ II ‐ III Eric Osterling II ‐ III ‐ IV Scott Rogal I ‐ II ‐ III John Moss II ‐ III ‐ IV (Pop) John Wasson I ‐ II ‐ III Paul Murtha II ‐ III ‐ IV (Pop) Mark Williams I ‐ II ‐ III Richard Saucedo II ‐ III ‐ IV (Pop) Jay Chattaway I ‐ II ‐ III ‐ IV+ Donald Coakley II ‐ III ‐ IV+ Ralph Ford I ‐ II ‐ III ‐ IV+ James Curnow II ‐ III ‐ IV+ Anne McGinty I ‐ II ‐ III ‐ IV+ Larry Daehn II ‐ III ‐ IV+ Robert W. Smith I ‐ II ‐ III ‐ IV+ Robert Sheldon II ‐ III ‐ IV+ Jack Bullock I ‐ II ‐ III (Pop) Claude T. Smith II ‐ III ‐ IV+ James Ployhar I ‐ II ‐ III (Pop) Jay Bocook II ‐ III ‐ IV+ (Pop) Gerald Sebesky I ‐ II ‐ III (Pop) Elliot Del Borgo III ‐ IV+ Michael Story I ‐ II ‐ III (Pop) Warren Barker III ‐ IV+ (Pop) This is by no means a complete list but contains enough for a start. Note those marked * are all “John Kinyon”. Selecting Music for the School Year The best time to select music for your band is in later part of the school year (spring) or during the summer months. You have more time to visit your music dealer and spend some time reading and listening to the music in stock. You also can get a better price, because new stock comes in during the summer. The next best is as early as you can in September. If you are going to a new position try to hear the bands in the new school, evaluate, establish what level they are and plan. Ask the teacher who is leaving what is in the library and what your music budget is. If you have several schools to work, try to use some of the same pieces in each school to cut down your workload and pave the way for a massed band program. If you are going to a brand new school and program establish a library of standard band repertoire, check ronmac music music festival lists, they usually have two or three pieces of exceptional quality. Make sure you have music for special occasions e.g., anthems, seasonal and yes, a few pop style or Broadway pieces. When you are programming your work for the year try to select a variety of styles. Always have a “challenge” piece, on level higher than their level work on it for the year. It just might be good enough for your final spring concert. What a musical goal to reach and finish the year. You can also use it to start your next year. Do not forget our Canadian composers/arrangers we have some fine writers in Canada and in the USA. By the way, if you have a tight budget music published in Canada is less expensive. I hope this paper on repertoire will be helpful to you. If I can help E‐mail me: [email protected] [email protected] All the best! Ron MacKa ronmac music Malcolm Arnold Johann S. Bach Leonard Bernstein Houston Bright Charles Catel John Barnes Chance Elliot Del Borgo Norman Dello Joio Arthur Frackenpohl Girolamo Frescobaldi Vittorio Giannini Reinhold Glière Francois‐Joseph Gossec Percy Grainger Howard Hanson Gustav Holst Anthony Iannaccone Gordon Jacob Robert Jager William Latham Martin Mailman Robert Margolis W. Francis McBeth Vincent Persichetti Alfred Reed Gioacchino Rossini William Schuman Dmitri Shostakovich Claude T. Smith Franz von Suppé Terig Tucci R. Vaughan Williams Richard Wagner John Zdechlik Selected Grade 4 Literature English Dances Four Cornish Dances Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo Fantasia in G Selections from West Side Story Prelude and Fugue in F Minor Overture in C Elegy Variations on a Korean Folk Song Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Scenes from The Louvre American Folk Song Suite Toccata Fantasia for Band Russian Sailors' Dance Classic Overture in C Handel in the Strand Irish Tune from County Derry Shepherd's Hey Chorale and Alleluia Suite No. 1 in El, After a Gentle Rain An Original Suite William Byrd Suite Third Suite Three Chorale Preludes Liturgical Music Color Beowulf Chorale Prelude: So Pure the Star Pageant Psalm for Band A Festival Prelude Italian in Algiers Overture When Jesus Wept Folk Dances Emperata Overture Eternal Father, Strong to Save Poet and Peasant Overture Lola Flores English Folk Song Suite Liebestod Trauersinfonie Chorale and Shaker Dance arr. Johnstone, Belwin arr. Marciniak, Carl Fischer arr. Paynter, Carl Fischer arr. Leist‐Goldman, Mercury arr. Duthoit, Schirmer Shawnee Presser Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes Shawnee Marks Shawnee arr. Slocum, Belwin F. Colombo arr. Leidzen, Carl Fischer arr. Liest, Mercury arr. Goldman, Carl Fischer arr. Kent, Carl Fischer Schirmer Carl Fischer Boosey & Hawkes Shawnee Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes Volkwein Summy Belwin Manhattan Beach Southern Elkan‐Vogel Carl Fischer Elkan‐Vogel Marks arr. Cailliet, Fox Schirmer arr. Reynolds, Carl Fischer Wingert‐Jones Wingert Jones arr. Safranek, Carl Fischer arr. Krance, Marks Boosey & Hawkes arr. Bainum, Kjos arr. Leidzen, AMP Kjos 4 4 4 4 4‐5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4‐5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4‐5 4 4 4 4 4 4 The Instrumentalist ‐ January 1991 ronmac music Music Selection for Levels 1 and 1 ½ Styles 1.
March 2.
Chorale 3.
Waltz 4.
Overture 5.
Pieces based on a single theme – for example: (a) Folk songs (b) World music 6.
Simple pop/rock tunes 7.
Simple contemporary piece Selection Considerations Scoring 1. Low Brass in octaves ‐ okay, but not strong 2. Low Brass in 6th/10th ‐ strong 3. Independent bass line ‐ strong 4. No exposed part should be doubled. 5. Limited mixing of colour. Following combinations are acceptable: a. clarinet/trumpet b. alto sax /trumpet c. flute/clarinet in octaves 6. Avoid block scoring. 7. Avoid pieces with more than one part for Horn or Trombone. 8. Avoid percussion parts written just to keep them busy. 9. Two flute parts or two sax parts are acceptable. 10. Parts for oboe, bassoon, or alto clarinet should not be essential for the performance of the piece. 11. Clarinet parts should not cross the break (i.e. A ‐ B – C). 12. Avoid awkward fingerings and slide positions. 13. Remember, instrument ranges are limited ‐ see chart 14. Avoid accidentals when possible. 15. Avoid frequently changing meters. 16. Avoid changing syncopated patterns. ronmac music 17. Avoid key changes. 18. Percussion: a. Pitched ‐ bells b. Non‐pitched ‐ tambourine, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, snare drum, wood block c. Limited use of special effects ronmac music