The Music of Michael Blackman
Composer's Notes
·
BD01--Beginning Band Rock!
(Blackman)($18.95)
Composer’s
notes:
I
have used this piece so many times. It
is very straightforward and the kids absolutely love it. It includes most of the musical elements that
I want them to understand by the end of their first year – slurs, 1st/2nd
endings, piano and forte, multi-measure rests, divisi,
and a few accidentals. There are six
percussion parts including bells.
·
BD22—A
(Blackman)($18.95)
Composer’s
notes:
I
got tired of people telling me that my Advanced Band tunes are all too
serious. This original calypso-style
piece is just plain fun, and quite a bit easier than it sounds. The scoring is not thick, and it has just a
few dotted-quarter notes. The percussion
section (six players) is featured a bit, although the parts are not very
difficult. Sixteenth notes appear only
in the tenor drum part.
·
BD02—The
(arr. Blackman)($18.95)
·
BD23—Grandfather’s Clock
(arr. Blackman)($18.95)
Composer’s
notes:
This
arrangement of the popular children’s tune is a great way to feature your
percussion section while sharing melodies around all of the sections of the
ensemble. The snare drum part calls for
5- and 9-stroke rolls, and the temple blocks part is important.
·
BD03—
(
·
BD04—March for Spring
(Blackman)($18.95)
Composer’s
notes:
Although
the melody of this march is fairly simple, the scoring is a bit thicker than
some of my Beginning Band tunes. I like
to use it with a larger/more confident group and try to push the tempo a
bit. It has a key change, a few
accidentals, plenty of slurred quarter notes, just a couple of “paired” (same
pitch) eighth notes, and a first/second ending.
·
BD05—Scenes of
(Blackman)($18.95)
Composer’s notes:
* BD06—The Blue Bells of
(arr.
Blackman)($18.95)
·
BD07—
(
·
BD08—
(
·
BD09—David’s Lamentation
(
·
BD10—Fantasy on “Ode to Joy”
(Beethoven,
arr. Blackman)($18.95)
·
BD11—Het Dorpsfeest (The Country
Festival)
(arr. Blackman)($18.95)
·
BD12—The Huron Indian Carol
(arr. Blackman)($18.95)
·
BD21—La Cancion Muy Buena (“A Very Nice Song”)
(Blackman)($18.95)
Composer’s
notes:
I am
quite pleased with this original composition.
I took all of those Spanish-sounding clichés and combined them into one
piece. Kids absolutely love it, and it
gets them reading in the key of concert A-flat.
As always, I was sure to give the low voices some action. The transitions will take some time to work
out, but they’re pretty impressive in the end!
Try to cover all five percussion parts.
·
BD13—Meadowlands
(Blackman)($18.95)
·
BD14—Musette
Feature
flute and/or clarinet.
(Bach,
arr. Blackman) ($18.95)
·
BD15—Music for the Royal Fireworks
(Handel, arr. Blackman) ($18.95)
Composer’s
notes:
I
would use this arrangement with my second-year students on their Winter
Concert. It has no dotted quarter notes,
but does require some rhythmic independence.
Slurred eighth notes appear in every wind part. The key and limited range
give the piece a full majestic sound, and it certainly exposes the
students to a mature and significant work.
·
BD16—Proud Moments
(Blackman)
($18.95)
·
BD17—Saddle and Spur
For
solo xylophone (grade IV) and band (grade II)
(Joyce,
arr. Blackman)
($18.95)
·
BD18—Susato Suite-Excerpts
(Susato,
arr. Blackman)
($18.95)
Composer’s
notes:
All
of Tylman Susato’s music is
so wonderful, and this arrangement of two of his fanfares is a great way to
turn kids on to it. It’s the perfect
piece to play after teaching sixteenth notes, as the rhythms are quite
straightforward, and the tempo does not have to be fast. I would recommend teaching the second half of
the piece first.
·
BD19—
(Holst, arr, Blackman) ($18.95)
·
BD20—When There Were Wizards and Kings
(Blackman) ($18.95)