What a Day! (Instructional. Easy.)

A collection of 19 duets for first to second year players. The music can be played by 2 or more of the same instrument or by any combination of instruments. Books are available for French horns, Bb trumpets, and trombones.

The 15 books in the series include books for flutes, oboes, Bb clarinets, bassoons, alto saxophones, tenor saxophones, mallet percussion, percussion, violins, violas, and cellos. A Conductor's Score/Piano Book is also available.

Each tune is named for a different hour of the day and at the start of each tune is a word describing the mood for that time of day. This helps motivate students and makes it fun as they try to express these moods when playing the music.

What a Day! is specially designed for school music teachers and private music teachers. Read Reviews. Great for small or large ensembles. What a Day! features:

What a Year! (Instructional. Easy Medium.)

A collection of 12 duets which can be played by 2 or more horns in F, trumpets, trombones, or euphoniums ... or by any combination of instruments.

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Books are also available for flutes, oboes, Bb clarinets, bassoons, Bb saxophones, Eb saxophones, accordions, violins, violas, cellos, basses, and percussion. Each tune inspired by and composed during the month of its title. Young students like to play their birthday months!

This series offers wide versatility in teaching and playing situations. Teachers can play duets with their students and students can play together in small or large ensembles.

The duets in What a Year! introduce students to a variety of rhythms, repeats, endings, phrasings, expressions, dynamics, and articulations using standard meters. These duets prepare students for the more advanced collection of duets in What a Week!

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What a Week! (Medium.)

A collection of 7 duets which can be played by 2 or more horns in F, trumpets, trombones, or euphoniums ... or by any combination of instruments.

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Books are also available for flutes, oboes, Bb clarinets, bassoons, Bb saxophones, Eb saxophones, accordions, violins, violas, cellos, basses, and percussion. Each tune, named for one day of the week, was written on the day of its title.

Teachers can play duets with their students and students can play together in small or large ensembles. The duets cover the basics of musicianship. The many types of rhythms, meters, dynamics, phrasings, articulations, embellishments, expressions, repeats, and endings in the tunes give students a wide range of experience.

Students can also learn more about major scales as the tunes are written in 8 of the major scales with a key change in one of the 7 tunes. One tune is a 12-bar blues with chords marked to help students learn the progression.

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Frolic (Classical contemporary. Advanced.)

Frolic is a high energy tune that's fun to play. It's perfect to show off technical expertise. Instead of key signatures, accidentals are marked in the tune. A good tune for studies in chromaticism. In sections of the tune, one part continues where the other part left off to stimulate the listening and complementing skills of the players. Wide variety of dynamics. Good for festivals, concerts, and competitions.

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Animal Anthology: Water Play (Easy Medium.)

This book of trumpet duets offers an enchanting collection of 18 tunes, one for each of 18 animals that spend most or all their time on water or land. Facts about the animals add to the presentation and motivation to play the music. Great for children and adults alike!

The tunes help develop trumpet techniques and skills. An excellent source of supplemental music for students and teachers. Also includes information about endangerment and provides resources to learn more about this important topic.

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Trios

Triumvirate (Classical contemporary. Medium. Bb trumpet, horn in F, euphonium or trombone.)

Triumvirate explores chromaticity and the wonderfully haunting blend of brass sounds. The tempo is slow, giving players and listeners a chance to savor the rich textures of the instruments. Triumvirate is an atmospheric piece that can take you out of context.

The 8-Minute Genetically-Modified Opera (Contemporary. Advanced.)

Possibly the shortest opera ever with the smallest orchestra ever. For one French horn player (the love interest), one pianist, and the brave vocalist comfortable singing both contralto (mother) and soprano (daughter) or a separate vocalist to sing each role. This trio could be a quartet. Lots of clever antics to tantalize your audiences with GMOs of all kinds.

Synopsis in a nutshell. Mother, a scientist close to retirement, wants to make her mark with groundbreaking research and a new product line. Daughter, a bit rebellious and tired of it all, dreams of love, hears the sound of the French horn one night, and immediately falls in love with the horn player. Mother makes a genetically-modified wedding gift and the tragedy begins.

Complete synopsis plus glossary of technical terms and prop suggestions in sheet music. The opera begins with a horn solo. Commissioned by William Ballowe and Elizabeth Mitchell.

Brass Quintets

Doors (Classical contemporary. Advanced. 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba) play

Various styles and sounds of music, including occasional jazz harmonies, to express the subjects of the four movements: The Door Half Open, Foot in the Door, Behind Closed Doors, and Open Door Policy.

The music features individual players throughout the movements, beginning with a tuba solo in the first movement. Part of the last movement includes a structured, collective improvisation section with clear directions for the players so that they can create with confidence and freedom. Contemporary issues are alluded to in the work, which contains a range of moods. About 14.5 minutes.

Circus (Classical contemporary. Intermediate. 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba) play

A happy oom pa pa vignette sure to delight players and audiences, young and old and in between. This piece highlights the colors, excitement, and fantasy of the big top. Each instrument is featured. About 2 minutes, 20 seconds.

Sound clip from June 27, 2008 performance by Santa Fe Brass at the Music on Barcelona concert in Santa Fe, NM. Rose Sanchez and Jan-Willem Jansens trumpets, Bill Ballowe horn, Bill Britton trombone, and Jeremy Grant tuba. Live recording courtesy of Rick Bolton, RDB Digital, rbolton@fastermac.net.

Nodes and Codes (Classical contemporary. Advanced. 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba) play

An homage to the intricacies and vagaries of computers. This composition reflects the software-controlled activities, usually behind the scenes, of hardware components. Nodes and Codes explores whole tone scales and harmonies to give a sometimes digitized, yet human, feel. About 4.5 minutes.

Woodwind Quintet

Cloud Dances (Classical contemporary. Advanced. Flute, oboe, clarinet, horn in F, bassoon.)

Cloud Dances was influenced by the ever-changing, always beautiful clouds in the skies of Santa Fe. The dances reflect the visuals in different shapes, colors, and moods of four time spans.

Dance 1 introduces the variety of clouds sculpted by winds. Dance 2 combines a tango rhythm with occasional clave beats for a contemporary type of Latin cloud reverie. Dance 3 in 7/8 presents a somewhat unexpected cloud experience with a regular irregular beat. Dance 4 slowly smooths out a moving harmonic cloud cover across the horizons.

A commission on behalf of Kammermusik Workshops, Inc. Fun to play. Also good for skilled intermediate players. About 8 minutes.

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