Texas A&M University- Kingsville Wind Symphony

[drummerdudetrey]

wooo go mo! that's my bff playing oboe! :D

[80FrontStreet]

gosh i love the clarinet parts in this piece :D.

[ItsallaboutTrevor]

i dont like that they slowed it down so much

[VampireKumagoro]

I played 3rd clarinet on this my jr. year of high school. Now in my sophmore year of college I'm doing double duty. Playing E-flat and 1st clarinet. It sucks!!!!!

[TheDrifterX]

This song is HELL on clarinet, but the trills are fun...

[hitemp]

is tim ray directing

[karencarebear]

the wind ensemble played this last year from avon high school! it got us second in the state at state finals

[jlduhon1178]

We played the last 1:18 of this at Texas State Marching contest in 1994. I'm sure we didn't sound this good, but hey, it was pretty hard running across a marching field playing that fast. Sure looks like Dennis Eichler directing this band too!

[tinypants143]

i love this song. Our first band played it last year and it was so good, but A&M is good too. i think i'll have to stick with my band though. the trumpet solos and baritones solos are amasing!

[knvb1123]

I agree with barakvesh.

Our wind ensemble (HS) just received this music today. That's why I'm here listening to all the examples out there. I have the 2nd Trumpet part. Fourth Chair. Anyways, I really don't think that this is a music solely for "Pro" and "College" wind ensembles. I must agree this is one of the most difficult music I've ever heard of. This is the first comment our director makes: (please read on to the next comment)

[knvb1123]

You know, this.. is... very difficult. But the first year I was at EPHS (my school) around 15 years ago, I handed this out, and told them "Oh, you aren't playing this because this is too difficult for you (bbbiggs sort of attitude) and she (our director) wanted to intimidate our Wind Ensemble at the time. (please read on to the next comment)

[knvb1123]

However, being the Wind Ensemble in our school (top band you can get in to) the students were like "Oh, we ARE going to play this" (Just because they wanted to 'show off' to the new director with a Ph.D) So they stuck around to play it. Time came around for Lake Conference Band Festival (Wind Ensemble "contest" for the state of Minnesota) and EPHS' Wind Ensemble went there, and got three perfect scores for this difficult Divertimento for Winds and Percussion.

(please read on to the next comment)

[knvb1123]

Dr. Jackson, our director, definitely knows we have the potential to play this piece, and whatever happens, we are going to work through, and be able to ace it, like the Wind Ensemble, then, did, 15 years ago.

(please read on to the next comment)

[knvb1123]

Please, don't start screaming about your accomplishments. You can be proud of your self, and we are happy that you were the principle Tuba for All State, but that doesn't make any difference. There are so many talented people out there, that, you just have to acknowledge the abilities of others and not have it interfere with what you think how talented you can be, and how no one else may be more talented than you.

Thanks,

and very sincerely,

keehun

[kamalachugbug8]

the mallet parts for this song are wild

[rsheehan]

Yeah they are. I played this song last year. Probably the hardest percussion parts I have ever played.

[helloxgoodbyex]

My high school wind ensemble is playing this.

It's really hard, but our band teacher chose this because he knows we're capable of playing it.

Maybe we might not play it as well as a college group, but it doesn't mean we can't come close.

[trumperc09]

bbbiggs wat are you talkin about???you sound like a person with no musical experience at all...the grade of a piece doesn't mean its only to be played by a certain group of ppl...my high school wind ensemble and many others are very capable of playing grade 6 music...mabey you should think about you say

b4 you say it...

[bbbiggs]

I sound like a person without musical experience...um i've been in my high schools wind ensemble since i was the 8th grade, not to mention i've been first chair tuba all state since my freshman year, but i have NO musical experience according to you.

Ok.

[bbbiggs]

Sorry thats how i feel and i'm sticking to it.

And i'm happy you went to the midwest band and orchestra clinic, my jazz orchestra performed there in 2005 so i'm no stranger to it.

[barakvesh]

Well, we can only hope that you're not a music ed major. With that philosophy, you'd only be limiting capable musicians' repertoire because they're "too young".

[mdidget]

I disagree that high school bands can't play grade 6 music. Our Wind Ensemble did this for our fall concert and we did pretty well in my opinion.

[bbbiggs]

For all you cats who say "oh my high school concert band is playing this" either your lying or your director is the most stupid man on the planet. This song is NOT for high school bands...its a grade 6!!

One part in the song the clarinets and flutes have sextuplets to the beat..and thats why this song is mainly for college and pro bands.

[meyerbra16]

Actually, my high school wind ensemble played this piece my junior year. It was by far the most difficult piece I've ever played, but we pulled it off, although not as well as this band, or wind symphony. I still remember trying to double tongue that first clarinet part. Not easy in the least.

[kollormn]

My high school band is playing this piece. It is at or slightly above the literature we normally play. Grade 6 is not off-limits for high school bands programs that excel and have talented players.

We recently performed at the 2008 Midwest International Band Clinic.

[kollormn]

Oops meant to write 2007. Guess I've been trying to get used to writing 08 instead of 07 now :p

The high school ensembles that perform at Midwest routinely play Grade 6 pieces. It is extremely close-minded to think that Grade 6 means "college or professionals only".

[StevieHendrix92]

Give me a break, there are MANY high schools, including my own, that are very capable of playing this piece. All it takes is a little practice

[barakvesh]

The song is for anyone who can play it. Simple as that.

(Junior year of HS. God knows how the hell we pulled it off.)

[KnoxSUX]

FSU does it BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bagelfanatic]

Probably... I heard your recording of Mackey's "Turbine" and it was amazing.

[bagelfanatic]

Oops that was in response to KnoxSux's comment.

[ogmedina04]

Yeah Optional High C in the Horn Parts! The Horns from this school ROCK, i also heard they have played internationally, but mainly they rock

[StevieHendrix92]

How about that not optional High Eb O.O

[barakvesh]

What Eb? I played the horn part.

[StevieHendrix92]

Sorry, I though you were talking about trumpet for some reason -_-

[xcskimonster]

Just found out my marching band is playing that for parade season. I play the bassoon in concert band too, too bad there's no marching bassoon! :(

[passionandperfection]

Judging from your info, you're from PC... Dow told me the band's performing this. I can't wait to watch/listen to the band and see how they manage to top last year. :D

[xcskimonster]

I think we did top last year. Do you march for anyone?

[passionandperfection]

Heavens, no. :D My sister was in color guard, so I let marching band be her thing.

I used to go to PC, so I know peoples there, but I graduated from Milaca.

[Smarttyy]

nice. we're playing this song at Eastern High for the christmas concert.. can't wait.. half of the bassoon part isn't even in Bass clef =X lol gotta learn how to read Tenor clef..

-Smartyy!

[whiteboyhalf]

Great job on this MOFO of a piece.

The percussion parts are rigoddamndiculous! Ron Nelson sucks.

Anyway, good work!

[soccerdude1239]

check out Summit Band 2006 Spotlights on youtube it is a pretty badass marching show

[xfrozenflame25x]

I agree with moviewizguy.

This sounds so much better in concert.

It's fun to play in marching band, but it sounds like 10 times more "Christmas-y" this way.

[LiLaZnGiRl]

i don't know if it's the song that got changed or if my band director changed it.. but i think he did. but at 4:20 we do this up-beat eighth notes kind of thing. it sounds pretty good; 32 count rest while colorguard does whatever, then we move after that. but this is a good version too.

[zuzma]

this isnt a version... this IS rocky point holiday

[fluteninja113]

stacy, this is the REAL version of rocky point holiday.

:P

love, the white saxon

[TNTRETURNS]

I have to agree with mrbenjiii. The groove at 4:08 is sooooooo hard!!!!

[moviewizguy]

We're playing this for marching band this year....and it sounds more appropriate for concert....because it actually sounds like Christmas....

[DrummerDG]

My god... these people are playing it WAY faster than we are.. and I still have trouble keeping up. 0.0

[OJOsuorji13]

ohh clarinet 4:19 other than that woodwinds have it down  which is saying a lot, but the brass definitely should've been much bigger and more confident. Euphonium's have the high stuff down though...As a whole you guys probably needed much more time to prepare for this concert.

[mrbenjiii]

4:08 is ORGASMIC!!!

LOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jzer21]

The woodwind parts are the craziest, but at least they aren't as bad as Sonoran Desert Holiday. They did a very good job here.

[tamfun2003]

There is a harp part to this piece, but I don't see one anywhere.

[lilwevo85]

we used to have risers for the trumpets and the tubas..but we got a new director so he changed things

[karencarebear]

OMG! we are playing that right now. trumpet part is crazy... especially the double tonguing at the end. haha

[MarineBugler]

You guys dont have risers for the brass and perc?

[lilwevo85]

as well as the timpani..

[bariguru]

I haven't seen that part. I just remember looking at the score and seeing a black line through like 4 pages for the marimba.

[bariguru]

Great work! That marimba part is craaaazy!

[maynard4221]

I go to wtamu and im playing the marimba part for rocky point...its hard! we are performing at TMEA this year and we are taking this piece at about 184! i think my arms are going to fall off. any suggestions???

[bariguru]

Sorry to say, but I'm actually a Euphonium player. I've only seen the score of the part. I dunno if it's much but, just do as much loosening exercises as possible. You must be quite a player if you can handle 184.