Tagged: band, Charts, instrumentation
nafmeadmin.
nafmeadminHelp! I just got my class lists and one of my high school “orchestra” classes has this crazy instrumentation listed below. Anyone want to throw out ideas of what repertoire might work (besides our method book)?! I’m thinking we might need to do R&B charts at this rate (and if you know any good arrangements please let me know). Thanks for you input!
Flute (1)
Clarinet (1 intermediate/advanced)
Alto Sax/Bari Sax (1 intermediate)
Trumpets (3) (1 advanced, 2 advanced beginner)
Piano/Synthesizer/Singer (1 – advanced at all)
Drums (1 – advanced)
Percussion (2 – beginning)
nafmeadminI fell into this early on, so I feel your pain! There are a few method books/series that have flexible instrumentation (Hal Leonard’s Big Band Play-along and Little Big Band, for instance), but given the breadth of skill level those might not work well for you. Regardless of the style you plan on teaching, you’re probably going to have to do some arranging/rewrites. How comfortable are you with Finale/Sibelius/arranging? I think you have a good instrumentation for some Latin tunes (Oye Como Va, for instance) with the flute, Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters, i.e. Watermelon Man, etc. (for jazz fusion), some easy swing/blues tunes, etc.
For the vocalist I would suggest tunes from Poncho Sanchez’s “Out of Sight” – mostly blues tunes, easy melodies, but you’d have to transcribe them. I’ve been using tunes from that album for my MS’ers and they really dig them!
I really think it’s not as bad as you might think – I’d be optimistic! You can have the flute play melody, harmony on alto and clarinet (any chance they can play tenor?) or have your alto player play the bari to thicken the stack. Sorry I can mention specific arrangements – I eventually gave up on buying charts and now arrange everything due to my “unconventional” instrumentation. Good luck!
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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