Similar to the first assignment, they were given very specific guidelines to govern the creative process.  As they are writing 2 parts for their instrument, there were a couple of minor changes that would hopefully assist them. For example, the assignment due during tomorrow’s rehearsal used the following guidelines:

1) B-flat concert and Common Time
2) 8 measures in length.
3) Assigned notes per measure (notes listed in concert pitch)

m.1                        m.2                        m.3                        m.4
(B^b, D, F)             (E^b, G, B^b)            (C, E^b, G)                  (F,A,C)

m.5                        m.6                        m.7                        m.8
(G,B^b,D)            (C, E^b, G)             (F,A,C)                   (B^b, D, F)

The one thing I discovered is that I had to remind them frequently that there note choices for the harmony line were the same as the melody line.  In a couple of instances, we had some definite tension in the sound between the lines, but nothing that Stravinsky would say “wouldn’t work”.  In addition to the notes listed above, they may choose to use one beat of non-assigned notes per measure (For example, in measure 1 they could utilize an E^b or G as long as it does not exceed one and a half beats within the measure).

4) The Winds may use any of the following note values so long as it equals four beats:

The percussion may use any of the following note values for the snare drum part as long as it equals four beats:

After the winds finished composing, they would sit down with a partner and perform the duet for a percussionist.  After hearing the composition a couple of time, the percussionist would begin constructing a percussion part consisting of two different instruments.  While most used snare and bass, a couple of students chose to use triangle, tambourine, and woodblock to accompany the winds to which they were assigned.

Again though it was optional, students were encouraged to begin including expressive elements within their melody including varying dynamic levels (piano through forte), accents, slurs, and also make use of crescendos and decrescendos.

My rule of “If you write it, you better be able to play it” definitely clicked with a couple of students.  After playing through their initial melody sketch two different students looked at me and said “That’s not what I wanted at all.”  A couple more didn’t realize the awkwardness of what they wrote until they tried performing it – one clarinet in particular has new appreciation for going over the break!

One of the big concerns is evaluating each composition.  My biggest concern is not to pass artistic judgment, but find a way to evaluate their music.  There are some objective items that can be assessed, but also a number of subject ideas that may not fit so neatly into the assessment process.  For that reason, I am using a rating scale to show the students where they are standing with the assignment.

Tuesday will be a mini-recital during band periods with the students.  I am in the process of developing a check list so they can do peer critique of the compositions they hear. Our next assignment on which we will embark will be asking the students to compose in 12 bar blues form.

First Suite in E-flat – Holst
Greensleeves – arr. Alfred Reed
Flourish for Glorious John – Vaughan Williams
The Pines of Rome – Ottorino Respighi
I Am – Andrew Boysen Jr.
O Magnum Mysterium – Lauridsen/arr. Reynolds
The Liberty Bell – John Philip Sousa
Lincolnshire Posy – Percy Grainger
Washington Post March- John P. Sousa
Dedicatory Overture- Clifton Williams
Allegro Animato- Frank Erickson
March to the Scaffold- Hector Berlioz (arr. Leidzen)
Shenandoah- Frank Ticheli
Incidental Suite- Clarke
Sleigh Ride-Leroy Anderson
Jupiter- Holst
Concerto For Orchestra-Bartók
Syphonic Metaporphosis- Paul Hindemith
Adagio for Strings- Barber
Irish Tune from County Derry – Grainger
Dusk – Whitacre
Blue Shades – Ticheli
Chester – Schumann
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves – Horner (arr. ?)
American Overture for Band Jenkins, Joseph W.
Russian Christmas Music – Alfred Reed
American Salute – Gould, Morton
March from 1941 – John WIlliams
Of Sailors and Whales – McBeth
Amazing Grace – Ticheli,
Loch Lomond – Ticheli
America the Beautiful – Carmen Dragon
Daphnis and Chloe – Ravel
Manhattan Beach March – Sousa
Variations on a Korean Folksong – Chance
Hands Across the Sea – Sousa
March of the Belgian Paratroopers – Leemans
Flourish for Wind Band – V. Williams
Overture for Winds – Charles Carter
Salvation is Created – Tschesnokov
Canterbury Chorale – Van der Roost
An American Elegy – Ticheli
Courtly Airs and Dances – Nelson
La Fiesta Mexicana – H. Owen Reed
Rushmore-Alfred Reed
Canzona-Peter Mennin
Abram’s Pursuit-David Holsinger
Pagent-Vincent Persichetti
American Patrol-FW Meachum (concert band, not jazz)
Shiny Stockings-Frank Foster (jazz band)
Switch In Time-Sammy Nestico (jazz band)
Symphony No. 1 – Lord of the Rings – de Meij
Gran Partita- Mozart
A Child’s Garden of Dreams – Maslanka
Armenian Dances – Reed

My sincere thanks and appreciation to Joe Pisano at Mustech.net who helped get this post out there and generate a significant amount of attention to it.  If you have not been keeping up with Joe – the man has been more than a little busy lately.  Get on over to the Music Educator Blogger campaign and you will have a little understanding why.  He has really opened so many doors and avenues for all of us and started a lot of people talking about music education in a productive matter.  While you are there, do some searching and buy the man a cup of coffee!!!

For the rest of you courageous directors who decided to risk your life in this little exercise, a humble thanks for joining in this conversation. If you haven’t decided to save anything yet, head back into the band room and make some choices (chances are the fire hasn’t got down burning up that alto clarinet yet, and besides we all know it will take twice as long to go burn through a bassoon). List the seven pieces you would save and contribute to a great resource list!