Winter Warm-Ups
(January/February)
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For this series, I took a deep-dive into the cinematic sounds that give a winter/ice feeling. You will definitely hear some influences from Danny Elfman's Edward Scissorhands score, Harry Gregson-Williams' Narnia music, maybe a little Harry Potter-ish sounds, and Yasunori Nishiki's soundtrack to the video game Octopath Traveler (specifically the Frost world). Interestingly, these composers use many instruments you can find in any percussion room (triangles, cymbals, glockenspiel, chimes, etc). However, I doubt anybody has a celesta lying around. This series includes two exercises only using the first 6 notes, then one octave chromatically, and closes off with an airflow study.
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Warming Up in Paris
(February/Valentine's)
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This "pseudo" Valentine's Warm-Up is perfect for early February. It explores various genres that make Paris a romantic city. The first, a simple Bossa nova pattern that then leads into a nice "cafe" tune (adding in an accordion). The third continues to explore the relaxed waltz-feel while including the chromatic scale one octave. Lastly, we a flow study set to one of my favorites.. Erik Satie's Gymnopedie set to a relaxing backdrop of rain. This set doesn't have the encapsulating "cinematic" feel as much, but definitely gives some variety for warming up. It can also be a springboard to talk about other styles like Bossa Nova and waltzes, etc.
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Warming Up in Ireland
(March)
*or anytime, really*
*or anytime, really*
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I had a BLAST writing this music. And listening to source material. There are so many iconic melodies and tunes that have come from Ireland! This set could be seasonal (for St. Patrick's Day!!) or really any time of the year. You'll hear influences from various folk tunes and reels, the cinematic soundscaping of film scores like John Williams' Far and Away and even Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings. You might even hear some Titani.... NO. I didn't source from it Horner's Titanic score. If you hear the connection I'm talking about, it's the tune Down by the Salley Gardens, which sounds eerily similar :) ... Add this to your toolbox of warm-ups. A great way to keep long tones fresh! Also, let's go on a field trip to Ireland!
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The Long Tones of Spring
April/May
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I LOVE the changing seasons. Definitely my favorite. Just when I'm totally done with cold weather, we get a warm Spring day. The sun is shining, trees are blooming and the optimism of nature is on full display. This set has similar exercises to other sets and includes: Basic long tones with Simple Gifts (aka Copland) quotes interspersed, The Bb Scale with a pseudo Vivaldi Four Seasons (Spring) accompaniment, some cinematic sounding music to describe April Showers and May Flowers (chromatic scale), and an arrangement of the famed Japanese folk song Sakura. Hopefully this can add some seasonal fun as teachers and students finish out the school year!
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Long Tones in the Caribbean
(Summer)
Or any time you'd rather be in the Caribbean.
Or any time you'd rather be in the Caribbean.
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I wrote this one because sometimes we all need a quick vacation to somewhere warm to escape the cold. This follows a similar formula to all the other series, a of basic exercise for the youngest players, the Bb scale, then chromatically one octave. And where the first couple of exercises are some island grooves, I went a little overboard on the latter ones. You'll hear many Hans Zimmer references as we navigate all the pirates in the Caribbean. Thankfully, band people are good a monitoring and adjusting. Also, extra credit if you can name the Easter egg music reference at the end. Hope this adds some fun to the band room!
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The Long Tones of Autumn
(September/October/November)
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So after a quick Google search for "music about Fall," it became clear that there's not really a lot of "Autumn" music. At least not the likes of what happens between Halloween and Christmas... So, I went for a drive in the leaves and decided for an Appalachian/folk feel. Guitars, banjos, harps, and dulcimers. Rather than use specific techniques or tunes, I just tried to give life to the "sound" of the season. And if nothing else, it can be a different accompaniment to those ever important long tone/flow studies. Hope you enjoy!
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Here is an alternate version transposed to strings-friendly keys. This could be a great chance to challenge the advanced band students. Same warm-up, different key centers.
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Halloween
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Haunted Long Tones is a short set of long tones that would be great to get the day started any time in October. These are great because you can scare musicians into playing with great tone quality and proper technique. Emphasize bravery as you explore the symphonic sounds of creepy cinema.
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Here is an alternate version transposed to strings-friendly keys. This could be a great chance to challenge the advanced band students. Same warm-up, different key centers.
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December/Christams Play Alongs
'Tis the Season (for Warming-Up)
**Festive Long Tones is the same but does not have the Christmas melodies embedded in the exercises.**
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12 Major Scales (quarter notes)
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12 Major Scales (quarter + eighth)
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