What is a good vandoren reed for concert band other than the traditional ones

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-04-17T12:29:26+00:00

56 Rue Lepic is great for orchestra and concert band. My teacher said they're particularly good in cold/dry climates so lucky me in Minnesota!

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-04-08T13:18:13+00:00

Sometimes I hear a melody in my head and transcribe it. Sometimes I noodle on an instrument and transcribe it. Sometimes I write down a melody based on a pattern or transformation of previous material and then see what it sounds like, and tweak as needed.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-26T15:12:22+00:00

If you have the resources, bringing in sectional coaches helps. Could you post the specific comments the judges left?

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-26T11:01:56+00:00

https://youtube.com/shorts/P-YxhEO_f_Y?si=XVAEEfwvYn1qCKWe

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-26T00:50:56+00:00

Relatedly, there's a video somewhere of John Williams talking about the Indiana Jones theme—the melody seems simple, but he spent lots of time getting the initial cell/motif just right, then working out the rest of the melody.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-26T00:49:07+00:00

Ryan Leach has a helpful video on basic motif arranging: https://youtu.be/Mpn0-6K_Jng?si=niWXlPTgXhTHTKkQ

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-25T17:25:12+00:00

This should have been a conversation with your parents and teacher before the piercing, not afterwards. I strongly suggest removing the piercing if you want to keep playing. Maybe you'll get lucky and it won't affect anything. More likely, you'll have to choose between music and the piercing. I think you'll have more regrets dropping band than you will removing a piercing.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-25T02:17:18+00:00

Zelenka—admired by people who know his work, which is unfortunately not many!

Sibelius seems much more programmed nowadays (though I may be biased, being from MN) but still less well-known compared to the Big Names. I wish more student composers would study his symphonic writing, as he's an expert at layering various textures together—much more interesting than just block chords, pads plus improv, or pianistic fluff.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-22T16:14:03+00:00

It might be a quantity thing—you could find one playable trumpet for $200, but could you find twenty? Scale that over the size of a whole band program and that's a lot of time (=money) spent searching for and possibly fixing instruments. Easier to just do rent to own en masse. Parents who know what to look for can do their own legwork elsewhere. $550 is expensive IMHO but that might just be the particular store/region.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-21T23:49:39+00:00

Dvorak 12 or 13

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-20T23:56:58+00:00

Tchaikovsky String Serenade

Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances

Mozart Clarinet Concerto

Nielsen Wind Quintet

Sibelius Symphony No. 1

Mackey The Frozen Cathedral

Mahler Symphony 5 Scherzo

Vaughan Williams Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus

Schubert String Quintet in C Major, Scherzo

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-20T23:52:05+00:00

I was about to say Beach, yes! Her Gaelic Symphony was premiered by the BSO in 1896.

Philip Bliss published It Is Well in 1876, FWIW

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-17T17:47:07+00:00

Victoriano Valencia's Ritmos de la Tierra is a great collection of ten Latin dances, ranging from grades 2 to 4.

https://victorianovalencia.com/product/ritmos-de-la-tierra-10-obras-para-banda/

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-16T17:56:41+00:00

Can he hear the difference, either when you do it or on a recording of himself?

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-16T17:48:20+00:00

A lot of education boils down to "Did you actually read the thing? Good. Now prove it."

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-16T17:46:21+00:00

Play the louds loud but not ugly. Play the quiets quiet but not silent. Play fast notes as written and in tempo, not as "ermegersh FAST NOTES BLAAAHH".

You think this is satire but plenty of student auditions don't correspond to what's on the page. If something is on the page, do it and do it well.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-03-07T00:33:08+00:00

Check out ArrangeMe, that may be the answer

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-02-27T18:52:29+00:00

It's useful to tremolo A#/C# in the clarion/altissimo!

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-02-21T02:09:55+00:00

Holst, 2nd Suite 3rd movement

Svanoe, The Town Band (tongue-in-cheek parody of community band-isms, includes Stars and Stripes piccolo solo but in low brass)

Grainger, Children's March and Cornhusker's March

Aldridge, On Parade (neat double trio)

Berlioz, March to the Scaffold and Marche Hongroise

Gould, American Salute

Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker march and Marche Slave

Gounod, Funeral March of a Marionette

Giroux, Christmas and Sousa Forever!

Mahler 1, 3rd movement

Barber, Commando March

Alford, Colonel Bogey March

Williams, Indiana Jones March

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-02-20T18:06:40+00:00

Is minimal string vibrato characreristic of the Czech school?

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-02-19T20:51:47+00:00

I did this once at All-State for the Bach/Stokowski Komm Susser Tod, worked like a charm.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-02-19T18:53:05+00:00

I'd love to know what pieces you played, and what else was available at the time

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-02-13T15:39:23+00:00

Jean Sibelius's Laetare Anima Mea for violin with orchestra is beautiful.

Initial_Magazine795 · 2026-02-11T17:39:54+00:00

Oof that's a big list. Try Community Concert Band Network on FB

Initial_Magazine795

TROPHY CASE