A Hero's Journey

SKU: FJ.B1730

UPC: 241444388334. English.

This programmatic piece represents heroes persevering through challenges and adversity. Beginning quietly, the music soon transports the listener into a world where obstacles appear at every turn. Ultimately, the hero is victorious, exemplifying good prevailing over evil. And even better... every section of the band has an opportunity to be the hero!

About FJH Concert Band

Designed for high school groups and upper-level middle school groups. Independence is encouraged, but many lines are cross-cued. Usually includes an expanded percussion section. Grades 3 - 3.5

SKU: HL.268960

UPC: 888680737153. 8.5x11.0x0.271 inches.

This 5-movement, multi-media choral drama honors one of the great heroes of the emancipation era. The journey of those who sacrificed becomes a story we can relive and honor. Dr. Kean's goal was to compose and arrange original music and traditional spirituals in a style that is evocative of the enslaved Africans' frame of mind. The spirituals are accompanied with kalimba (thumb piano) to honor the sub-Saharan African musical tradition of connecting with ancestors and with the marimba to sound like the west African balafon. This is a work that will move an audience to tears. Medium to difficult. The Journey of Harriet Tubman has generated a much needed discussion of African American enslavement and and cultural appropriation. The composer has dedicated half of his royalties from this work to â??The Equal Justice Initiative,â? a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. Please visit https://eji.org/about for more info.

SKU: GI.G-10054

ISBN 9781622774548.

We all need creativity in our lives. It is key to our happiness. Music, according to author Clint Randles, is one of the best ways to feed our longing for self-growth through engagement in creative processes. And music brings us together for the purpose of making beauty with sound. It provides us with a pathway to the good life. In To Create, Randles answers the critical question: What can I do with my time that will give me the best chance at achieving daily happiness? This amazing book unpacks what it means to engage in creative processes. Since story is the best way of feeding our imagination, the book unfolds by way of life stories that express the author’s unique perspective of the hero’s journey. Along the way, Randles inspires us to think about creativity and music as a pursuit that is not only truly worthy, but accessible. He addresses rules for creative performance, what we can learn from exceptional musicians and teachers, the link between spirituality and creativity, understanding our own stories in light of the meta-story, and the art of trust and starting small. To Create is a book that is unlike anything written on the topic—entertaining, wise, inspiring, and layered. It is for anyone who is interested in pursuing creativity through music but can’t quite figure out how or where to start. States Randles: “It is my hope that you will be able to imagine the good life through music, that you will be inspired To Create!” Clint Randles, PhD, is Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of South Florida, husband, father, multi-instrumentalist, and passionate lover of music.   Full of resonating stories, To Create is a profoundly pedagogical book about potential pathways into life’s learnings through and in music. To Create seeks and embraces the value embodied in the multiple, individual, and sociocultural authoring of diverse creativities. By analogising the good life (‘eidaimonia’), with lived-through experiences by which our desire (and drive) to create, to grow, to navigate, and to achieve extraordinary things in life is inextricably linked, Clint Randles stories his own journey of being awakened ‘To Create,’ by creating and living ‘the good life’ in and through the symbiotic domains of music and music education. —Pamela Burnard, Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations     University of Cambridge, UK To Create is the rare achievement that seamlessly blends how-to curriculum with why-so philosophy, making the case that creative activity is an essential right that all children deserve from an education in music. Randles’ vivid illustrations prod us to think differently about teaching when well-being—when the good life—is both destination and design. —Randall Everett Allsup, Professor of Music Education     Teachers College Columbia University Randles takes readers on a real and figurative road trip during which he demonstrates how to live life to its fullest by embracing creativity and repeating a mantra of possibility. He shows us how the good life is achievable, walking readers through deeply personal accounts of creativity in everyday situations over a lifetime. This book binds the individual and cultural, imaginative and practical, tangible and intangible, light and dark, yin and yang. It’s all about the power of three, weaving through everything the vital, intangible element of spirituality, energy, chi to achieve eudaimonia. Through the lens of his experiences as a musician and teacher, the author celebrates relentlessness and hard work, providing a window into what it means to engage in the good life. Open that window to hear life’s call to adventure! —Gareth Dylan Smith, Assistant Professor of Music Education     Boston University Professor Randles’ stimulating book prompts memory of the seminal work of Joseph Schumpeter who suggested the importance of creative deconstruction in a democracy. Both authors focus on attaining the good life through a fuller understanding of the logic of the process of change—change that is driven by knowledgeable and innovative entrepreneurs. The immediate application of Randles’ suggested dynamic creativity processes applies to both teacher education and professional development, although both he and Schumpeter advance general ideas in creativity designed to achieve the highest level of human growth. —Richard Colwell, Professor Emeritus of Music Education     University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign In recent years, Aristotle’s concept of ‘Eudaimonia’—meaning Happiness in the robust sense of full human flourishing (a life of joy, fellowship, self-growth, meaningfulness, ethical ‘good work,’ and more)—has entered and transformed the philosophy and practice of music education. To Create: Imagining the Good Life through Music is a highly original, emotional, practical, and exciting journey through the natures and values of creativity in/for music education and life itself. —David J. Elliott, Professor of Music and Music Education     New York University.

SKU: AP.49521S

ISBN 9781470649432. UPC: 038081570211. English.

Spirit of the Dauntless by Adrian B. Sims, is an anthem of power and courage. The ideas develop as our hero moves through different challenges and landscapes---some foreboding, and some treacherous. Some moments depict challenges and struggles while others are filled with triumph. Powerful musical statements bring the work to a rousing finish, concluding our hero's fearless journey. (4:24) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

SKU: CF.BPS132

ISBN 9781491158463. UPC: 680160917068. 9 x 12 inches.

Secret Mission is a cinematic depiction of a spy on a mission to defeat a nefarious villain. This was inspired by my love for several spies and superheroes from movies and television series, both serious and humorous. With exciting parts for all players, I hope your imagination is sparked by this accessible and melodic piece. In the opening, the spy receives his mission in grand fashion, as the title sequence rolls across the screen. After a dramatic pause (m. 10), the spy is on the chase! The melody at m. 11 depicts the spy doing reconnaissance on his enemy. The villain reveals his evil plan, and soon, the hero and the villain face off in an epic battle! Who do you think wins? Is it a serious thriller or a hilarious cartoon? Decide for your own as you see the end credits scroll! Itas an epic journey sure to spark your imagination. For smaller ensembles, the power chords in the low brass can be divided such that trombones take the top note, and euphonium the bottom, or divide it as is appropriate for your ensemble. At m. 9, and as it recurs, the students should choose a note that is comfortably in their playing range that they can play beautifully. They should, however, strive to choose a different note than their neighbor, and can change the note as this technique recurs. The melody at measure 11 should sound soft, light, and sneaky! Do not let the students get too loud at m. 17. If anything, this section should be slightly softer. The woodblock and cowbell add a touch of urgency (like the ticking of a clock) and humor (I got a fevah!). Make sure the countermelody at m. 25 can be heard clearly. At m. 33, dynamic contrast is very important. If needed, a crash cymbal from a drum set can be used, and both cymbals can be struck by a drumstick. In either case, suspended cymbal should be played with a drumstick (unless rolling: then, use a pair of yarn mallets). I sincerely hope you and your students enjoy the cinematic journey, and thank you for choosing my music!.
Secret Mission is a cinematic depiction of a spy on a mission to defeat a nefarious villain. This was inspired by my love for several spies and superheroes from movies and television series, both serious and humorous. With exciting parts for all players, I hope your imagination is sparked by this accessible and melodic piece. In the opening, the spy receives his mission in grand fashion, as the title sequence rolls across the screen. After a dramatic pause (m. 10), the spy is on the chase! The melody at m. 11 depicts the spy doing reconnaissance on his enemy. The villain reveals his evil plan, and soon, the hero and the villain face off in an epic battle! Who do you think wins? Is it a serious thriller or a hilarious cartoon? Decide for your own as you see the end credits scroll! It's an epic journey sure to spark your imagination. For smaller ensembles, the power chords in the low brass can be divided such that trombones take the top note, and euphonium the bottom, or divide it as is appropriate for your ensemble. At m. 9, and as it recurs, the students should choose a note that is comfortably in their playing range that they can play beautifully. They should, however, strive to choose a different note than their neighbor, and can change the note as this technique recurs. The melody at measure 11 should sound soft, light, and sneaky! Do not let the students get too loud at m. 17. If anything, this section should be slightly softer. The woodblock and cowbell add a touch of urgency (like the ticking of a clock) and humor (I got a fevah!). Make sure the countermelody at m. 25 can be heard clearly. At m. 33, dynamic contrast is very important. If needed, a crash cymbal from a drum set can be used, and both cymbals can be struck by a drumstick. In either case, suspended cymbal should be played with a drumstick (unless rolling: then, use a pair of yarn mallets). I sincerely hope you and your students enjoy the cinematic journey, and thank you for choosing my music!.
Secret Mission is a cinematic depiction of a spy on a mission to defeat a nefarious villain. This was inspired by my love for several spies and superheroes from movies and television series, both serious and humorous. With exciting parts for all players, I hope your imagination is sparked by this accessible and melodic piece. In the opening, the spy receives his mission in grand fashion, as the title sequence rolls across the screen. After a dramatic pause (m. 10), the spy is on the chase! The melody at m. 11 depicts the spy doing reconnaissance on his enemy. The villain reveals his evil plan, and soon, the hero and the villain face off in an epic battle! Who do you think wins? Is it a serious thriller or a hilarious cartoon? Decide for your own as you see the end credits scroll! It’s an epic journey sure to spark your imagination.For smaller ensembles, the power chords in the low brass can be divided such that trombones take the top note, and euphonium the bottom, or divide it as is appropriate for your ensemble. At m. 9, and as it recurs, the students should choose a note that is comfortably in their playing range that they can play beautifully. They should, however, strive to choose a different note than their neighbor, and can change the note as this technique recurs. The melody at measure 11 should sound soft, light, and sneaky! Do not let the students get too loud at m. 17. If anything, this section should be slightly softer. The woodblock and cowbell add a touch of urgency (like the ticking of a clock) and humor (I got a fevah!). Make sure the countermelody at m. 25 can be heard clearly. At m. 33, dynamic contrast is very important. If needed, a crash cymbal from a drum set can be used, and both cymbals can be struck by a drumstick. In either case, suspended cymbal should be played with a drumstick (unless rolling: then, use a pair of yarn mallets). I sincerely hope you and your students enjoy the cinematic journey, and thank you for choosing my music!

SKU: WD.080689353970

UPC: 080689353970.

Christy Semsen and Daniel Semsen - the groundbreaking creative team who brought you The Agape League and We Three Spies - are back again...this time better than ever! Isaiah Jones and the Seekers of the Lost Christmas Treasure delivers action and adventure galore as your Kids Choir is transported into a video game world of mystery, intrigue, and adrenaline-generating Christmas fun!

Join in the excitement as our young hero, along with his friends and companions, search for the Lost Christmas Treasure, navigating levels of the video game as they go. Cheer them on through challenge after challenge as they follow the shooting star that guides their way on a suspense-filled journey, leading them to their greatest discovery...the real Treasure of Christmas is Jesus!