Full Transcript for Darklands March

--> 00:04:05.550 and the clarinets join the trumpets So first 00:04:05.550 --> 00:04:07.430 time through just the trumpets you have to make 00:04:07.430 --> 00:04:09.030 sure that you're teaching them to not breathe 00:04:09.030 --> 00:04:13.110 on the bar line between 10 and 11 One two and 00:04:13.110 --> 00:04:15.969 three a four and one and two and three and don't 00:04:15.969 --> 00:04:18.769 breathe one a two and three So teaching them 00:04:18.769 --> 00:04:20.790 to be sneaky with their breaths either breathing 00:04:20.790 --> 00:04:23.370 after the dotted eight between the dotted eighth 00:04:23.370 --> 00:04:26.439 and the 16th or between the two 8th notes, wherever 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:29.199 it is, but don't let them breathe every two measures. 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:31.300 They need to have no breaths written in. The 00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:33.420 way this is written, I really like the way Standridge 00:04:33.420 --> 00:04:35.139 writes this and he does this in a lot of his 00:04:35.139 --> 00:04:37.199 pieces. So like first time through, we're featuring 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:39.560 trumpet, right? Second time through, even though 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:41.600 we've added other supporting cast instruments 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:44.000 on that melody, really the important part is 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.180 the counter melody, which is a new part that 00:04:46.180 --> 00:04:48.920 comes in on horn and alto. He does that a lot 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:51.879 in this piece. So it's really good for teaching 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:54.139 and like again, Katie mentioned that this really 00:04:54.139 --> 00:04:57.310 is the format of a traditional march. So you 00:04:57.310 --> 00:04:59.629 can teach that, like, okay, first time through 00:04:59.629 --> 00:05:01.610 on the first string, we want to feature this 00:05:01.610 --> 00:05:03.589 instrument, and second time through, we want 00:05:03.589 --> 00:05:05.769 to feature this instrument, just like you would 00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:07.889 do on a traditional march. But I think keeping 00:05:07.889 --> 00:05:10.769 that same formula and making sure as you attack 00:05:10.769 --> 00:05:14.110 this piece that we are prioritizing correctly. 00:05:14.329 --> 00:05:17.649 Absolutely. The lows just have the same kind 00:05:17.649 --> 00:05:21.389 of ostinato rhythm, one and three, and one, two, 00:05:21.569 --> 00:05:25.339 three. four, one, and three, and that beat four, 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:27.439 having the tenuto marking is really important 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:31.160 to teach that style. I also like this march because 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:33.560 the Tuba Berry Sax Bass Clarinet gets to do cool 00:05:33.560 --> 00:05:36.160 stuff every once in a while. They just have like 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:37.899 little eighth notes leading into the next measure. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.079 Three and four and one, and it's like kind of 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:43.819 chromatic -y. So that part is really neat whenever 00:05:43.819 --> 00:05:45.860 it comes back. It comes back multiple times, 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:48.680 but in this case it's in measure 10 leading into 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:51.910 measure 11. Like Laura already mentioned, second 00:05:51.910 --> 00:05:53.750 time through we're gonna feature the horn and 00:05:53.750 --> 00:05:56.449 the sax and then we take the second ending with 00:05:56.449 --> 00:05:59.110 a hard cut off on beat four from the whole band 00:05:59.110 --> 00:06:02.209 which I would mark in their part a slash off 00:06:02.209 --> 00:06:06.009 on four release the time yep at 16 we come in 00:06:06.009 --> 00:06:09.850 and we're soft this is true like a traditional 00:06:09.850 --> 00:06:12.009 March we're gonna do quiet for two measures loud 00:06:12.009 --> 00:06:15.949 for two measures it's the melody is in the flute 00:06:15.949 --> 00:06:19.949 in oboe and then the saxophone has a counter 00:06:19.949 --> 00:06:22.060 melody and you the phonium is also playing again, 00:06:22.459 --> 00:06:25.439 kind of like a traditional march. Then the trumpets 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:28.459 come in with a response and it's loud and it's 00:06:28.459 --> 00:06:31.399 forte. So it's like kind of creepy is what I 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:32.740 taught the students, like kind of like you're 00:06:32.740 --> 00:06:35.660 in the background. One and three and four and 00:06:35.660 --> 00:06:39.160 one and two and long. Then the trumpet bum, bum, 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:41.660 bum, ta, dum, dum. So it's like different styles. 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.300 I would also, the way that this is written, the 00:06:45.300 --> 00:06:48.879 woodwinds play one and three and four and one 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.379 and two and three. It's all slurred and it's 00:06:51.379 --> 00:06:54.220 an eighth note release followed by an eighth 00:06:54.220 --> 00:06:57.759 rest. Like I would write on my kids' parts, A 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:00.920 -H, to remind them like that needs to end in 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:05.120 a vowel sound, ah, ah, like don't clip that note 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:11.199 short, make it as long as possible, ta, ta. Lift 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:14.370 and keep it open throat release and don't Like, 00:07:14.529 --> 00:07:18.310 it looks like it should be short, but it shouldn't 00:07:18.310 --> 00:07:21.310 be. Yeah, definitely keeping it long. And then 00:07:21.310 --> 00:07:23.269 the trumpets come in and they have that cool 00:07:23.269 --> 00:07:26.069 little moment, and then we go back. The lows 00:07:26.069 --> 00:07:28.750 have another three and four and one going into 00:07:28.750 --> 00:07:30.730 the next part. So they're pretty important in 00:07:30.730 --> 00:07:32.949 this piece. Then we go back to the upper people. 00:07:33.689 --> 00:07:35.769 They're quiet again. They have the same little 00:07:35.769 --> 00:07:39.089 moment. The trumpets now get joined with the 00:07:39.089 --> 00:07:42.889 flute, oboe,

and clarinet on the melody when 00:07:42.889 --> 00:07:45.740 it goes forward. again then we do the same thing 00:07:45.740 --> 00:07:49.000 a first and second ending on the second ending 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:51.959 we all have accents and then we come back into 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:55.600 the same melody from before at 25 with trumpet 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.720 flute oboe clarinet on the melody sax and horn 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:02.019 on the counter melody now snare by the way we 00:08:02.019 --> 00:08:03.579 haven't addressed what's happening in percussion 00:08:03.579 --> 00:08:06.899 but percussion is doing a lot of the same rhythm 00:08:06.899 --> 00:08:10.899 one a two and three a four and one a two and 00:08:10.899 --> 00:08:13.610 three and a four that the melody has in this 00:08:13.610 --> 00:08:17.029 particular section here at 25 so use that like 00:08:17.029 --> 00:08:20.290 have the snare play along with the the melody 00:08:20.290 --> 00:08:22.970 players and match articulation and make sure 00:08:22.970 --> 00:08:25.069 that they are moving together the mallet part 00:08:25.069 --> 00:08:27.490 has that as well but also make sure it's not 00:08:27.490 --> 00:08:29.689 loud yeah you know you have to be careful just 00:08:29.689 --> 00:08:31.370 like on a march you don't want the snare drum 00:08:31.370 --> 00:08:34.230 to be super loud even though it's active then 00:08:34.230 --> 00:08:37.769 we end this little melody section with 1, 2, 00:08:37.830 --> 00:08:41.590 3, 4, 1. And we have a key change. We go from 00:08:41.590 --> 00:08:45.070 E flat to F. And it just goes straight into it. 00:08:45.070 --> 00:08:49.909 And this is like the trio section. So the lows 00:08:49.909 --> 00:08:54.559 kind of have 1, 2. three, four. And I would think 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:56.879 of that like this, it's staccato quarter notes 00:08:56.879 --> 00:08:58.899 for the accompaniment all throughout this section. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:01.419 This is all softer. I would think of that like, 00:09:01.580 --> 00:09:03.080 I would teach my kids, think about that like 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:05.539 you're tiptoeing. You're trying to sneak, be 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:08.600 real sneaky. So just tiptoe. Otherwise that can 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:12.460 end up sounding like the psycho, and that's not 00:09:12.460 --> 00:09:15.220 what we want. We want delicate tiptoe. Yep. And 00:09:15.220 --> 00:09:18.240 then we're getting softer. And then the clarinet. 00:09:18.940 --> 00:09:21.659 euphonium and tenor sax comes in with the melody 00:09:21.659 --> 00:09:25.620 and it's lyrical so we have the soft Tiptoeing 00:09:25.620 --> 00:09:28.620 like Lara mentioned behind them and then we have 00:09:28.620 --> 00:09:31.659 this really flowing beautiful melody I would 00:09:31.659 --> 00:09:34.159 absolutely feature euphoniums here definitely 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:37.679 and if they can use vibrato great if they cannot 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:40.480 that's okay, too But you want to do like a two 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:44.299 measure crescendo to measure decrescendo They 00:09:44.299 --> 00:09:46.220 have the melody over and over and over throughout 00:09:46.220 --> 00:09:49.200 this section trombones are having to play e naturals 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:51.860 and a naturals on the accompaniment So just making 00:09:51.860 --> 00:09:56.519 sure that we're in tune That's something I remember 00:09:56.519 --> 00:09:58.620 was kind of an issue for my band when we played 00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:01.620 this. This color grouping in the melody of the 00:10:01.620 --> 00:10:03.320 euphonium, which Katie said should be the lead 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:05.940 voice, and I agree completely. And the clarinet 00:10:05.940 --> 00:10:08.289 section is... way below the star clarinet is 00:10:08.289 --> 00:10:10.590 playing in the shallow register which i love 00:10:10.590 --> 00:10:12.789 that color combination of shallow mo clarinet 00:10:12.789 --> 00:10:15.169 with euphonium and then there's tenor sax and 00:10:15.169 --> 00:10:17.269 it's in a really easy middle comfortable range 00:10:17.269 --> 00:10:19.789 for tenor sax but it will be easy for your tenor 00:10:19.789 --> 00:10:22.549 sax to dominate that texture and that's not what 00:10:22.549 --> 00:10:25.889 you want make sure that euphonium is lead i would 00:10:25.889 --> 00:10:29.129 put clarinet second after euphonium and then 00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:31.509 just a little smattering of tenor sax in there 00:10:31.509 --> 00:10:36.519 yep uh then at 42 a bunch of the high people 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:39.080 come in on beat four and now we have this like 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:42.580 flowing section again they're the melody everything 00:10:42.580 --> 00:10:45.679 is really connected you want to make sure that 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:48.360 everybody is you're either making a choice for 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:51.740 them to all breathe in the same spot, or you're 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:54.059 stagger breathing. I stagger breathed whenever 00:10:54.059 --> 00:10:57.120 I played this piece. It's one and two and three, 00:10:57.179 --> 00:10:59.779 four and one and two and three, four and one 00:10:59.779 --> 00:11:02.039 and two and three. So I told like, you're the 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:04.700 A's, you're gonna breathe on the even measures 00:11:04.700 --> 00:11:06.980 after beat three. Y 'all are gonna breathe on 00:11:06.980 --> 00:11:09.240 the odd measures after beat three. And that's 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:11.419 exactly how I would approach this, because otherwise 00:11:11.419 --> 00:11:13.779 it sounds incredibly immature. You will have 00:11:13.779 --> 00:11:16.669 everyone breathing every measure. and two and 00:11:16.669 --> 00:11:19.350 three, four and one and two and three. Or every 00:11:19.350 --> 00:11:23.029 two measures. Yeah, I mean, it just sounds choppy. 00:11:23.330 --> 00:11:26.350 Yep. Then there's a little half note counter

00:11:26.350 --> 00:11:28.809 melody underneath it, which also needs to sound 00:11:28.809 --> 00:11:31.909 flowing. Then the lows get to be staccato still 00:11:31.909 --> 00:11:34.750 underneath doing the tiptoe. The bells have the 00:11:34.750 --> 00:11:38.629 melody here as well. And then we're all off again 00:11:38.629 --> 00:11:42.309 on one, two, three, short beat three. And then 00:11:42.309 --> 00:11:44.330 the trumpets come in with the melody again, one, 00:11:44.370 --> 00:11:47.370 a two, and three. and the clarinets have clarinet 00:11:47.370 --> 00:11:50.029 one has it with them or both clarinets and then 00:11:50.029 --> 00:11:52.389 there's a little trill that starts on beat four 00:11:52.389 --> 00:11:55.789 you can cut it down so it's not too much or if 00:11:55.789 --> 00:11:57.570 you aren't super loud that's okay I remember 00:11:57.570 --> 00:11:59.649 the alto would being really loud whenever I played 00:11:59.649 --> 00:12:02.889 this piece it's up on an F sharp and it just 00:12:02.889 --> 00:12:04.549 like it kind of cut through but it could have 00:12:04.549 --> 00:12:06.250 just been the kids you know and we're playing 00:12:06.250 --> 00:12:08.389 the whole ensemble when you have these trills 00:12:08.389 --> 00:12:11.289 so like trumpet horn clarinet one two and three 00:12:11.289 --> 00:12:15.379 trill one two three and the whole ensemble lands 00:12:15.379 --> 00:12:17.759 together. And those trill instruments, I think 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:19.600 it's really important to practice that because 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:21.879 they don't always come out of the trill in time. 00:12:22.100 --> 00:12:24.200 Yeah, and it's those same house top accents from 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:26.500 the beginning. Exactly, exactly. Snare again 00:12:26.500 --> 00:12:29.360 is... Continuing to be extremely active this 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:32.500 whole time. So just making sure that it's not 00:12:32.500 --> 00:12:35.539 overpowering the group Then we have the kind 00:12:35.539 --> 00:12:37.700 of like a recap from the very beginning like 00:12:37.700 --> 00:12:40.500 the intro everybody has the melody or the rhythm 00:12:40.500 --> 00:12:44.100 together in 55 56 we get down to mezzo piano 00:12:44.100 --> 00:12:48.049 again 57 58 we're growing up 59 it's the same 00:12:48.049 --> 00:12:50.970 as before the trumpet the oboe and the flute 00:12:50.970 --> 00:12:53.269 have the melody counter melody in the horn and 00:12:53.269 --> 00:12:57.549 sax Lots of accents this time though Again, same 00:12:57.549 --> 00:13:00.169 thing don't breathe on on long notes. Make sure 00:13:00.169 --> 00:13:01.730 you're holding all the way through trumpets should 00:13:01.730 --> 00:13:05.029 not be breathing on the bar line It's literally 00:13:05.029 --> 00:13:08.070 the same balance here is not like everyone's 00:13:08.070 --> 00:13:10.789 playing and it's now the second or third time 00:13:10.789 --> 00:13:13.769 that they have had this bar so low

the trombone 00:13:13.769 --> 00:13:16.259 part is more featured here and that's It's like 00:13:16.259 --> 00:13:19.080 how a traditional march would go to, right? They 00:13:19.080 --> 00:13:22.779 need to be brought out. It's the trombone, euphonium, 00:13:22.779 --> 00:13:25.659 tenor, sax part. But again, focus on trombone 00:13:25.659 --> 00:13:28.840 at 59. They have the more important melody. The 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:31.059 trumpets and flutes can kind of come down a little 00:13:31.059 --> 00:13:32.679 bit. And we've heard that part. Yeah, we've already 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:35.899 heard it, right. Then we have the flowing part 00:13:35.899 --> 00:13:40.259 at 67 again from the upper woodwinds. The tenor 00:13:40.259 --> 00:13:43.080 voices go back to playing things tenuto. Again, 00:13:43.159 --> 00:13:46.100 not breathing in the same spot. This is a part 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:48.860 where it needs to sound very seamless make sure 00:13:48.860 --> 00:13:51.440 even your lows on their half notes You're saying 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:54.019 you're gonna breathe in 67, but you're gonna 00:13:54.019 --> 00:13:56.360 breathe in 68 and making sure that they're all 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.059 breathing in different spots Then we kind of 00:13:59.059 --> 00:14:02.080 come out of out of it in the end of 73 with an 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:04.799 accent on beat 4 we go back into the accent and 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:09.779 style 1 2 3 4 1 and 2 and then the lows again, 00:14:10.059 --> 00:14:13.379 so it's always the the low low reads and tuba 00:14:13.379 --> 00:14:15.559 that have that 3 and four and then we're all 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:18.860 quiet it and we're gonna lead up one two and 00:14:18.860 --> 00:14:22.179 three four and and then this horn part comes 00:14:22.179 --> 00:14:28.820 in with the last cool thing four one three rest 00:14:28.820 --> 00:14:32.639 two and then lows one and two and three and four 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.460 and one two and three and and that's the end 00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:39.500 so This is such a great piece. The kids love 00:14:39.500 --> 00:14:42.820 it. Everybody gets to have a special part as 00:14:42.820 --> 00:14:45.600 we've already mentioned. There's not just like 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:49.460 one melodic part that's more important. The percussion 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:53.639 is kept busy. So this would be a really fun piece 00:14:53.639 --> 00:14:56.539 to program on your fall concert because it's 00:14:56.539 --> 00:14:59.360 kind of spookier sounding. It would be a great 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:02.480 march to do for UIL as well or any time during 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:03.220 the year. Especially if you're wanting something 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.960 that's not traditional but still has some good 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:08.330 - teaching elements, right? Absolutely, yeah. 00:15:08.769 --> 00:15:10.990 Well, we hope you will consider programming Darklands 00:15:10.990 --> 00:15:13.289 March in the future and thank you for joining 00:15:13.289 --> 00:15:16.610 us on this episode of Band BFFs.