American-Composers-Forum

Steps Ahead is a new BandQuest work by Michael Gandolfi that takes young players on a journey! Along the way there are musical/compositional techniques that are intended to educate the performers about basic compositional techniques that areintended to educate the performers about basic compositional techniques. ?Steps Ahead is a delightful piece with something interesting for every instrument in the ensemble. Each of its three sections addresses a kind of compositional technique ?transposition tutti (a 2-part homophonic section) and developing tutti (parts of the band enter to build to a 2-part homophonic tutti). Less experienced players might enjoy the challenges of easy syncopation and musical lines constructed with largerintervals.? ?Tom Duffy series editor.BandQuest® an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Visit www.bandquest.org to learnmore about this innovative series and email bandquest@composersforum.orgto request a free downloadable audio catalog.

From the composer: “Nature's Way for intermediate level band was commissioned by BandQuest a project initiated by the American Composers Forum. Their mission is for major composers of national reputation to writeworks of high quality that take into consideration the (still comparatively limited) levels of musical development--both technical and conceptual--typical of such ensembles. I eagerly accepted the commission and the challengesimplied thereby--that is to reign in my creative imagination to some extent and limit the technical/conceptual demands to a more moderate level than is to be found in my previous compositions for band. Nonetheless since theprocess of rehearsing studying and performing a work created specifically for the school student market is--and must be in my view--primarily educational it was very clear to me that my work would (and should) challenge theplayers at least to their top levels and even a little beyond that. Thus Nature's Way in no way represents a compromise of my personal style nor my long held concepts of form continuity texture and instrumentation. Ihave known for a long time that young inquisitive minds are eager to learn from new experiences from previously never encountered challenges that is to say to be pushed--gently--to rise above their present levels ofachievement. That's what education is all about.”

for Youth Symphonic Band Full Score-(2003)Award-winning composer Michael Daugherty's first published work for young band describes a stretch of Interstate 75 that crosses through Florida's Everglades National Park. Alligator Alley celebrates thisnoble beast that has remained largely unchanged from prehistoric times. The first theme (“Alligator's Theme”) features the woodwinds (predominantly bassoons) while the second theme (“Hunter's Theme”) isperformed by the brass. Program notes and staging suggestions are included in this marvelously descriptive work. Duration - ca. 4:30 (American Composers Forum)

This set of pieces by Alice Parker to poetry by Nancy Wood was commissioned by the American Composers Forum for the ChoralQuest program allowing middle school choirs to discover music of varying moods and rhythms. The first in theset “What I Am I Must Become” creates a thoughtful quiet mood through four riddle-like statements. “Song Woman” celebrates the voices and lives of women through cheerful lighter motion and the final song“When Trouble Comes to Me” gives voice to the young men gathering up their energy and strength and offering a positive outlet for their emotion. Additional interdisciplinary curriculum materials are available fordownload at choralquest.com .'

American Composer's Forum – BandQuest Series – Grade 3Mosaic is an aural representation of the varied qualities each of us possess and contribute to the whole of our American society. As a kaleidoscopeof various musical elements coming together this work evokes a visual of mosaics – tiny tiles individually glued together to create a broader image. Composer Stephen Paulus integrates layers of sound with varying metersthat feature every instrument in the band.

BandQuest Series Grade 3-American Composer's Forum – BandQuest Series – Grade 3Rhythm Stand pays tribute to the constant presence of rhythm in our lives: from the pulse of a heartbeat to the rhythmic sounds of the world aroundus. Celebrating the regular order in our lives composer Jennifer Higdon incorporates traditional and non-traditional sounds within a 4/4 swing style setting to heighten student awareness and enhance their creativity. Organized inunique compositional and rhythmic patterns this work invites students to explore multiple ways of organizing sounds and making music.

BandQuest Series Grade 3-“Grandmother Song” is an introduction to the Mohican tradition of “sung syllables ” or what Native Americans call “vocables.” Combining them with traditional wood flute songs composer BrentMichael Davids offers a fresh look at the “sound” of Native American songs. Band instruments are performed less as musical instruments and more as talking sticks singing reeds rustling winds and shooting thunder.Through this beautiful ballad students are given the materials to understand how Native Americans celebrate the world around them through the blending of words and song. (Includes score and parts.)

An outstanding addition to the BandQuest series “Sweet like that” features low brass emphasis at the beginning and end trap set and other requests from students with whom Mr. Theofanidis workshopped the piece. Thiswork is exuberant joyful and with a whiff of gospel; capsulizing the sound of the American street instrumental doo-wop; an urban march. Free interdisciplinary curriculum for the piece is available for download athttp://www.BandQuest.org. (Grade 3)

Alegre is a Spanish word meaning “joyful.” Utilizing the style of a Latin groove the piece is a showcase for rhythmic dexterity. It also demonstrates the inextricable link in Latin American cultures betweenmusic and dance. Tania León incorporates the stylistic elements of ostinati with off-beat accents and improvisation to create a brilliant piece that excites both mind and body.

Composer Alex Shapiro's piece Paper Cut is reminiscent of a movie soundtrack to which the musicians can imagine their own dramatic scene. Paper Cut is written to make the players themselves part of the action withchoreographed maneuvers that look as compelling as they sound. In fact the band members don't even play their instruments until halfway into the piece – instead they “play” paper along with a prerecorded track!The unusual element of paper and the myriad sounds that can emerge from something so simple offers a fresh view of what music-making can be and opens everyone's ears to the sonic possibilities found among everyday objects.Although Paper Cut was composed with middle schoolers in mind it's also suited to more advanced musicians since the paper techniques and the skill of playing against a prerecorded track are interesting for all ages.

Composed by 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winner Kevin Puts Charm is a short joyful piece written in the meter 7/8. Of the title Puts writes “I decided to call it Charm because for me the music conjures up magic good-luck charms and such and I was also thinking of the other meaning of the word that intangible quality possessed by certain people and places that truly can cast a spell.” Free interdisciplinary curriculum for thepiece is available for download at http://www.BandQuest.org.

Playing one wrong note can ruin the performance of a piece right? Well composer Thomas Duffy actually wants the performers to make mistakes in this clever composition! The precise imprecision comes to life as students are askedto intentionally play wrong notes in various parts of the march. After performing this work you and your students will never look at “perfection” the same way again! (Includes score parts and CD-ROM.) Freeinterdisciplinary curriculum for the piece is available for download at http://www.BandQuest.org.

Deep Dish is an engaging new piece for band inspired by the quintessential pizza in Chicago from where composer James M. Stephenson hails. Deep Dish serves up a bluesy feel with challenging chromatic passages and saucy harmonies and gives students the opportunity to create their own percussive sounds with kitchen utensils.

for Youth Symphonic Band - Score and Parts-(2003)Award-winning composer Michael Daugherty's first published work for young band describes a stretch of Interstate 75 that crosses through Florida's Everglades National Park. Alligator Alley celebrates thisnoble beast that has remained largely unchanged from prehistoric times. The first theme (“Alligator's Theme”) features the woodwinds (predominantly bassoons) while the second theme (“Hunter's Theme”) isperformed by the brass. Program notes and staging suggestions are included in this marvelously descriptive work. Duration - ca. 4:30 Free interdisciplinary curriculum for the piece is available for download athttp://www.BandQuest.org.

Composed by 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winner Kevin Puts Charm is a short joyful piece written in the meter 7/8. Of the title Puts writes “I decided to call it Charm because for me the music conjures up magic good-luck charms and such and I was also thinking of the other meaning of the word that intangible quality possessed by certain people and places that truly can cast a spell.” Free interdisciplinary curriculum for thepiece is available for download at www.BandQuest.org.