Learn To Play Snare And Bass Drum, Book 2

SKU: GI.G-317069

UPC: 073999170696.

An easy ensemble that introduces mallet percussion using basic scale passages. Intermediate players will have fun and learn from this work (no super-stars needed). Only standard instruments are required: 2 timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, bells and xylophone. Click here for a YouTube video on Interplay for Percussion Sextet.

SKU: CF.CPS245

ISBN 9781491158128. UPC: 680160916726. 9 x 12 inches.

ABOUT THE MUSIC Future of Tomorrow (Concert March) was commissioned by the Arts Education Branch, Ministry of Education as the set piece for the Singapore Youth Festival 2016 Arts Presentation for Concert and Brass Bands (Primary Level). This march uses brief excerpts from the well-known Malay folk songs Katak Lompat and Rasa Sayang. Our youths are indeed our future of tomorrow. This joyful-themed march aims to bring out the best in each of your young players. I hope that students, band directors and audiences will enjoy preparing, performing and listening to this work. EDUCATIONAL NOTES Key: Eb Major SECTION BARS EVENT / SCORING / SUGGESTIONS Introduction 1-4 Opens in Eb major with dotted rhythm motif. 1st Strain 5-20 Take note of melodic phrasing above the (light) oom-pah ostinato; melody repeats at m. 13 with the addition of countermelody in the inner lines; although written at mf dynamic, this anew ideaa needs to be heard clearly for contrast with the previous statement. 2nd Strain 21-36 C minor (relative minor); excerpt from Katak Lompat; melody in the lower brass/wind from m. 21 with a contrasting attitude/style from 1st strain; back to a more lyrical treatment from m. 29. Trio 37-56 Stays unmodulated in the same key; opens with a percussion solo feature before the start of the softer Trio theme; keep this section controlled and be sensitive to the balance; the metallic timbre of the muted trumpet/cornet needs to be heard clearly (might suggest to bring the dynamic level up to mf when muted); if cued-notes are played, make sure they are played throughout the melodic phrase as written to avoid awkward leaps. Break Strain 57-62 Excerpt from Rasa Sayang with some play in tonality and instrumental dialogue; quasi grandioso-style before the final strain. Final Strain 63-82 Back to Eb major with the reprise of the Trio theme; festive-like style with fuller orchestration and new countermelodies; dotted rhythm motif from the introduction concludes the march in a codetta-like section from m. 79. NOTE TO THE CONDUCTOR This march has been carefully written with reasonable technicalities and range in mind for younger players. Generally, optional cued notes in parenthesis are given for less experienced players who have yet to develop their range on the instrument. However, they should never be taken as an easy alternative for all players in the section; otherwise, this may result in a less than ideal flow of the musical lines. Marches are good tools to train tempo consistency, articulation and rhythmic precision as well as musical phrasing. I hope that there will be great learning opportunities for your students as they learn this piece. This march is separately orchestrated for both wind and brass bands to maximize the instrumental colors within each ensemble. The parts are therefore not exchangeable between the wind band and brass band sets. I wish you the best in the performance of this work. - Benjamin Yeo.
ABOUT THE MUSIC Future of Tomorrow (Concert March) was commissioned by the Arts Education Branch, Ministry of Education as the set piece for the Singapore Youth Festival 2016 Arts Presentation for Concert and Brass Bands (Primary Level). This march uses brief excerpts from the well-known Malay folk songs Katak Lompat and Rasa Sayang. Our youths are indeed our future of tomorrow. This joyful-themed march aims to bring out the best in each of your young players. I hope that students, band directors and audiences will enjoy preparing, performing and listening to this work. EDUCATIONAL NOTES Key: Eb Major SECTION BARS EVENT / SCORING / SUGGESTIONS Introduction 1-4 Opens in Eb major with dotted rhythm motif. 1st Strain 5-20 Take note of melodic phrasing above the (light) oom-pah ostinato; melody repeats at m. 13 with the addition of countermelody in the inner lines; although written at mf dynamic, this 'new idea' needs to be heard clearly for contrast with the previous statement. 2nd Strain 21-36 C minor (relative minor); excerpt from Katak Lompat; melody in the lower brass/wind from m. 21 with a contrasting attitude/style from 1st strain; back to a more lyrical treatment from m. 29. Trio 37-56 Stays unmodulated in the same key; opens with a percussion solo feature before the start of the softer Trio theme; keep this section controlled and be sensitive to the balance; the metallic timbre of the muted trumpet/cornet needs to be heard clearly (might suggest to bring the dynamic level up to mf when muted); if cued-notes are played, make sure they are played throughout the melodic phrase as written to avoid awkward leaps. Break Strain 57-62 Excerpt from Rasa Sayang with some play in tonality and instrumental dialogue; quasi grandioso-style before the final strain. Final Strain 63-82 Back to Eb major with the reprise of the Trio theme; festive-like style with fuller orchestration and new countermelodies; dotted rhythm motif from the introduction concludes the march in a codetta-like section from m. 79. NOTE TO THE CONDUCTOR This march has been carefully written with reasonable technicalities and range in mind for younger players. Generally, optional cued notes in parenthesis are given for less experienced players who have yet to develop their range on the instrument. However, they should never be taken as an easy alternative for all players in the section; otherwise, this may result in a less than ideal flow of the musical lines. Marches are good tools to train tempo consistency, articulation and rhythmic precision as well as musical phrasing. I hope that there will be great learning opportunities for your students as they learn this piece. This march is separately orchestrated for both wind and brass bands to maximize the instrumental colors within each ensemble. The parts are therefore not exchangeable between the wind band and brass band sets. I wish you the best in the performance of this work. - Benjamin Yeo.
ABOUT THE MUSICFuture of Tomorrow (Concert March) was commissioned by the Arts Education Branch, Ministry of Education as the set piece for the Singapore Youth Festival 2016 Arts Presentation for Concert and Brass Bands (Primary Level). This march uses brief excerpts from the well-known Malay folk songs Katak Lompat and Rasa Sayang.Our youths are indeed our future of tomorrow. This joyful-themed march aims to bring out the best in each of your young players. I hope that students, band directors and audiences will enjoy preparing, performing and listening to this work.EDUCATIONAL NOTESKey: Eb MajorSECTIONBARSEVENT / SCORING / SUGGESTIONSIntroduction1-4Opens in Eb major with dotted rhythm motif.1st Strain5-20Take note of melodic phrasing above the (light) oom-pah ostinato;melody repeats at m. 13 with the addition of countermelody in the inner lines; although written at mf dynamic, this ‘new idea’ needs to be heard clearly for contrast with the previous statement.2nd Strain21-36C minor (relative minor); excerpt from Katak Lompat; melody in the lower brass/wind from m. 21 with a contrasting attitude/style from 1st strain; back to a more lyrical treatment from m. 29.Trio37-56Stays unmodulated in the same key; opens with a percussion solo feature before the start of the softer Trio theme; keep this section controlled and be sensitive to the balance; the metallic timbre of the muted trumpet/cornet needs to be heard clearly (might suggest to bring the dynamic level up to mf when muted); if cued-notes are played, make sure they are played throughout the melodic phrase as written to avoid awkward leaps.Break Strain57-62Excerpt from Rasa Sayang with some play in tonality and instrumental dialogue; quasi grandioso-style before the final strain.Final Strain63-82Back to Eb major with the reprise of the Trio theme; festive-like style with fuller orchestration and new countermelodies; dotted rhythm motif from the introduction concludes the march in a codetta-like section from m. 79.NOTE TO THE CONDUCTORThis march has been carefully written with reasonable technicalities and range in mind for younger players. Generally, optional cued notes in parenthesis are given for less experienced players who have yet to develop their range on the instrument. However, they should never be taken as an easy alternative for all players in the section; otherwise, this may result in a less than ideal flow of the musical lines. Marches are good tools to train tempo consistency, articulation and rhythmic precision as well as musical phrasing. I hope that there will be great learning opportunities for your students as they learn this piece.This march is separately orchestrated for both wind and brass bands to maximize the instrumental colors within each ensemble. The parts are therefore not exchangeable between the wind band and brass band sets.I wish you the best in the performance of this work.- Benjamin Yeo.

SKU: CF.YPS232F

ISBN 9781491158197. UPC: 680160916795. 9 x 12 inches.

Jam on Top was commissioned by Thomas Wittig for the Forest Lakes Elementary School fifth grade band, under the direction of Amy Thornsen, in memory of beloved music teacher, Mr. Dominic (Nick) Selvi. Nick had a passion for jazz and loved playing the style with his students. This piece is written in a standard blues chord progression (with courtesy accidentals written to introduce the blues scale) and can be performed in a straight rock or a swing-jazz feel. Special care should be taken to play all articulations to ensure the proper style. Nick was a saxophonist, and m. 39 could feature a solo, duet, trio or a saxophone soli section. In addition, mm. 39a50 could be opened up to have multiple soloists perform the solo in the style of an open jazz vamp. The drum parts are written for multiple players or could feature one player on drum set and the others improvising on accessory instruments such as cowbell, shaker, tambourine, etc. It is my hope that the performers will use this piece learn about blues chord progressions, blues scales in a pop, rock or jazz style.
Jam on Top was commissioned by Thomas Wittig for the Forest Lakes Elementary School fifth grade band, under the direction of Amy Thornsen, in memory of beloved music teacher, Mr. Dominic (Nick) Selvi. Nick had a passion for jazz and loved playing the style with his students. This piece is written in a standard blues chord progression (with courtesy accidentals written to introduce the blues scale) and can be performed in a straight rock or a swing-jazz feel. Special care should be taken to play all articulations to ensure the proper style. Nick was a saxophonist, and m. 39 could feature a solo, duet, trio or a saxophone soli section. In addition, mm. 39-50 could be opened up to have multiple soloists perform the solo in the style of an open jazz vamp. The drum parts are written for multiple players or could feature one player on drum set and the others improvising on accessory instruments such as cowbell, shaker, tambourine, etc. It is my hope that the performers will use this piece learn about blues chord progressions, blues scales in a pop, rock or jazz style.
Jam on Top was commissioned by Thomas Wittig for the Forest Lakes Elementary School fifth grade band, under the direction of Amy Thornsen, in memory of beloved music teacher, Mr. Dominic (Nick) Selvi. Nick had a passion for jazz and loved playing the style with his students. This piece is written in a standard blues chord progression (with courtesy accidentals written to introduce the blues scale) and can be performed in a straight rock or a swing-jazz feel. Special care should be taken to play all articulations to ensure the proper style. Nick was a saxophonist, and m. 39 could feature a solo, duet, trio or a saxophone soli section. In addition, mm. 39–50 could be opened up to have multiple soloists perform the solo in the style of an open jazz vamp. The drum parts are written for multiple players or could feature one player on drum set and the others improvising on accessory instruments such as cowbell, shaker, tambourine, etc. It is my hope that the performers will use this piece learn about blues chord progressions, blues scales in a pop, rock or jazz style.

SKU: CF.YPS217F

ISBN 9781491156551. UPC: 680160915095. 9 x 12 inches.

Hope Remains Within was commissioned by and composed for the Mount Nittany Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Concert Bands. Having heard the students of Mount Nittany perform another work of mine, I was very excited when their director, Johanna Steinbacher, approached me about writing a piece specifically for them. I knew right away that I wanted to write something that would tie in with their non-music curriculum in some way, but I wasn't exactly sure how, or what. Johanna talked to some of her students and learned that, in 7th grade, the students spend a good deal of time studying mythology in their English class. In particular, two clarinet students mentioned how much they enjoyed the story of Pandora. As such, I decided to use that story as the basis of this composition. Hope Remains Within doesn't attempt to re-tell the story, event by event, in musical terms. Instead, my goal was to address what seems to be one of the central issues of the Pandora myth. Though there are some variations, we probably all know the basics as told by the ancient Greek poet Hesiod. Zeus decides to punish Prometheus for stealing fire from heaven and giving it to humans. He and the other gods create Pandora, a beautiful and deceitful woman, and they give her to Prometheus's brother Epimetheus as a bride. Pandora is herself given a jar (according to many sources, jar seems to be a more accurate translation for what we commonly call Pandora's box) which contained numerous evils, diseases, and other pains. Out of curiosity, Pandora opens the jar and releases all of these evils into the world. But one thing remains in the jar: hope. The issue of hope seems to be one of the big interpretive questions of the Pandora myth. Why does hope remain within the jar? Why doesn't it come out of the jar to help humanity? Is hope being held on a pedestal of some sort? Is hope deliberately withheld from humanity? Why was hope in the jar with all those evils in the first place? I'm not enough of a mythological scholar to claim to have definitive answers to those questions, but these are the questions that I've tried to engage from a musical perspective in Hope Remains Within. I encourage the students and listeners to consider their own ideas of what hope is, and where you can find your own hope when needed. Musically, Hope Remains Within draws one of its main themes from the Prometheus Symphony by Alexander Skryabin (Scriabin). The note sequence F-D-Gb -F, heard near Hope's beginning played by alto saxophones and chimes, comes from the opening measures of Skyrabin's work. Given the important role that Prometheus plays in the Pandora myth, this seemed like an appropriate musical gesture to quote. This Prometheus motive is varied throughout the course of the piece, and even provides closure at the end, recast in a major key. Additionally, I have tried to involve a manageable amount of chromaticism in this piece. I have worked from the key of Bb major, no doubt familiar to every student who has ever played an instrument in a band. But I have added three extra notes: Db, Gb, and Ab, which are drawn from the key of Bb minor. During the piece's slow opening, I have allowed these minor key pitches to mingle freely within the Bb major tonality, adding extra color and (I hope!) beauty. As the piece progresses, though, the tempo increases, and we lose sense of the Bb major key entirely, and these extra notes play a more important role. But finally, Bb major returns triumphantly and all the extra notes are gone, except for a brief memory near the very end. (Ok, there are a couple of E-naturals that sneak in there along the way. I couldn't resist.).
Hope Remains Within was commissioned by and composed for the Mount Nittany Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Concert Bands. Having heard the students of Mount Nittany perform another work of mine, I was very excited when their director, Johanna Steinbacher, approached me about writing a piece specifically for them. I knew right away that I wanted to write something that would tie in with their non-music curriculum in some way, but I wasn’t exactly sure how, or what. Johanna talked to some of her students and learned that, in 7th grade, the students spend a good deal of time studying mythology in their English class. In particular, two clarinet students mentioned how much they enjoyed the story of Pandora.As such, I decided to use that story as the basis of this composition. Hope Remains Within doesn’t attempt to re-tell the story, event by event, in musical terms. Instead, my goal was to address what seems to be one of the central issues of the Pandora myth. Though there are some variations, we probably all know the basics as told by the ancient Greek poet Hesiod. Zeus decides to punish Prometheus for stealing fire from heaven and giving it to humans. He and the other gods create Pandora, a beautiful and deceitful woman, and they give her to Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus as a bride. Pandora is herself given a jar (according to many sources, “jar” seems to be a more accurate translation for what we commonly call “Pandora’s box”) which contained numerous evils, diseases, and other pains. Out of curiosity, Pandora opens the jar and releases all of these evils into the world. But one thing remains in the jar: hope.The issue of hope seems to be one of the big interpretive questions of the Pandora myth. Why does hope remain within the jar? Why doesn’t it come out of the jar to help humanity? Is hope being held on a pedestal of some sort? Is hope deliberately withheld from humanity? Why was hope in the jar with all those evils in the first place?I’m not enough of a mythological scholar to claim to have definitive answers to those questions, but these are the questions that I’ve tried to engage from a musical perspective in Hope Remains Within. I encourage the students and listeners to consider their own ideas of what hope is, and where you can find your own hope when needed.Musically, Hope Remains Within draws one of its main themes from the Prometheus Symphony by Alexander Skryabin (Scriabin). The note sequence F-D-Gb -F, heard near Hope’s beginning played by alto saxophones and chimes, comes from the opening measures of Skyrabin’s work. Given the important role that Prometheus plays in the Pandora myth, this seemed like an appropriate musical gesture to quote. This Prometheus motive is varied throughout the course of the piece, and even provides closure at the end, recast in a major key.Additionally, I have tried to involve a manageable amount of chromaticism in this piece. I have worked from the key of Bb major, no doubt familiar to every student who has ever played an instrument in a band. But I have added three extra notes: Db, Gb, and Ab, which are drawn from the key of Bb minor. During the piece’s slow opening, I have allowed these minor key pitches to mingle freely within the Bb major tonality, adding extra color and (I hope!) beauty. As the piece progresses, though, the tempo increases, and we lose sense of the Bb major key entirely, and these extra notes play a more important role. But finally, Bb major returns triumphantly and all the extra notes are gone, except for a brief memory near the very end. (Ok, there are a couple of E-naturals that sneak in there along the way. I couldn’t resist.).

SKU: KJ.WB486F

ISBN 9788402704832. UPC: 8402704832.

Red Sky at Morning is a great piece for teaching young musicians to play long phrases and expressive dynamics. The brass players blow air through their instruments (without buzzing) at the beginning and the end to imitate the wind and waves of the sea. The melody in the minor mode portrays the uncertainty one might feel on a ship with inclement weather on the way.

About Tradition of Excellence: Excellence in Performance

Excellence in performance is a concert band repertoire series correlated with the Tradition of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method by Bruce Pearson and Ryan Nowlin. The compositions in the series correlate to a specific page in Tradition of Excellence Books 1, 2, or 3 and reinforce and expand on skills and concepts introduced in the method.

/Selections include exciting parts for every player, grade-appropriate cross-cueing, accessible ranges and rhythms, creative percussion writing, electric bass and rehearsal piano parts, and full conductor scores with rehearsal suggestions, program notes and composer biographies. In addition, the Grade 1 works provide an Advanced Snare Drum part for percussionists who have achieved a higher level of ability, playable simultaneously with the more basic Snare Drum part to facilitate differentiated learning.

SKU: KJ.WB486

UPC: 8402704838.

Red Sky at Morning is a great piece for teaching young musicians to play long phrases and expressive dynamics. The brass players blow air through their instruments (without buzzing) at the beginning and the end to imitate the wind and waves of the sea. The melody in the minor mode portrays the uncertainty one might feel on a ship with inclement weather on the way.

About Tradition of Excellence: Excellence in Performance

Excellence in performance is a concert band repertoire series correlated with the Tradition of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method by Bruce Pearson and Ryan Nowlin. The compositions in the series correlate to a specific page in Tradition of Excellence Books 1, 2, or 3 and reinforce and expand on skills and concepts introduced in the method.

/Selections include exciting parts for every player, grade-appropriate cross-cueing, accessible ranges and rhythms, creative percussion writing, electric bass and rehearsal piano parts, and full conductor scores with rehearsal suggestions, program notes and composer biographies. In addition, the Grade 1 works provide an Advanced Snare Drum part for percussionists who have achieved a higher level of ability, playable simultaneously with the more basic Snare Drum part to facilitate differentiated learning.