Made my day

[kumir_k9]

Yes, I'm still working on answering all of yesterday's meme requests, but I had to share this!

There's an exchange going on on a flute choir list I belong to where a woman is looking for recommendations.  On this one email, an original piece of music I wrote got the most amazing, well thought out analysis and recommendation that just made my day.

Hi Sara,

Probably at the top of the list for my middle school choir is "I Think I'm Going to China" by Rick Pierce (Falls House Press). It calls for piccolo, 3 C flutes, alto and bass. No parts go above high D. There is a lot of doubling of rhythms in the quick sections. The slower (but not too slow) section features piccolo and flute 1 on melody at first, and later on gives the melody to alto and bass. It also includes a wonderful chromatic quarter-note triplet section (common time) which everyone has in harmony together. It is great for teaching both the rhythm and the chromatic scale. You will need a decent piccolo player for tone and pitch. The piece is technically just challenging enough. My high schoolers who learned it in middle school still ask to play it; they enjoyed it so much.

Others we have liked include "At the Renaissance Faire" by Lewis Kocher (Alry), "Aire" by Lewis Kocher (Alry), "By Kells Waters" by Kelly Via (Nourse Wind), "Morning Has Broken", arr. Amy-Rice Young (Alry), and "Let There Be Peace on Earth" by Ricky Lombardo. No piccolo is needed in these pieces.

The favorite holiday piece for my middle school group is "Holiday Fantasy" by Shaul Ben-Meir (Megido Music). It is a bit challenging, but the times I have tried it, the students have always been motivated to practice it on their own because they enjoyed it so much in the group. It calls for 5 C flutes, alto and bass (no piccolo).

We have also enjoyed Phyllis Louke's flexible ensemble arrangements.

Good luck and have fun!

Margaret Carlson

Flute Frenzy

 --- In flute-ensemble@yahoogroups.com, "saraflute1991" <piccolo1991@...> wrote:

> Hi,

> I have been asked to pick a super cool flute choir piece for middle schoolers to be played at a band concert...late fall this year.  They want me to challege them, but with a piece that they will really enjoy. They have alto and bass flute. Any suggestions???

> Thank you so much!

> Sara

The piece in question has a rather interesting back story, which can be found here (http://home.earthlink.net/~rgpierce/china.html).  It always amazes me that people like this one, but it's the coolest feeling in the world when they do.