WINGERT-JONES PUBLICATIONS

Here's a fun and easy piece that beginning musicians will enjoy for their very first concert.  Using only the first few notes taught in beginning band methods (and with slightly more challenging percussion parts), this bold and educational program piece will be an entertaining concert favorite.  Fun and easy to play, it's just the right piece to encourage and delight your young players.

Arabian Dreams captures the mystique and sense of adventure that surrounds the desert land of Arabia. The exotic sounds begin slowly and mysteriously, leading to a lively tempo change and dance-like feel that is introduced by the percussion section. The colorful harmonies provide a great opportunity to introduce young musicians to the use of accidentals, making this an educational as well as an entertaining addition to elementary band programs.

Throughout history, the awe-inspiring sight of a fleet of powerful warships never fails to impress. This full-sounding and dramatic work for first-year band projects the menacing thrill of naval power on display. You can increase the impact by adding as many players as you like to the percussion parts, creating a sonic broadside that will rouse your audience.   

As the Clock Ticks is a musical illustration of several clocks ticking simultaneously. Throughout the piece, the melody aligns with the regular pulse provided by the percussion section, and the woodblock, guiro, triangle and bells provide the clock-like pulse. With eyes closed, it is easy to imagine being within the clockmaker's shop!

Just about everyone who has been to summer music camp has come home with a bucketload of fun stories about the many activities. Campfire Song has its origin in such a story and even includes the sound effects of a crackling campfire. The melody started as an inside joke in the form of a catchy, impromptu song that had its first and last performance at a camp's season-end campfire. This setting is meant to be a fun selection - don't be surprised if audience members are humming the tune as they leave the auditorium!     

Chase Through the Midnight Forest was written for the 2010 Chisholm Trail Junior High Area 5th Grade Band (which includes the bands from Arbor Creek, Madison Place, and Sunnyside Elementary Schools) in Olathe, Kansas. The piece is meant to create the suspense of a harrowing chase and pursuit through a deep, dark, and eerie forest at midnight, never quite sure who or what might be close behind. Friend or foe... the only thing that is for sure is that the chase is on... and stopping to look behind you could be the biggest mistake you ever make...

The melodies of In Excelsis Deo and Deck the Halls are combined to create an energetic holiday fanfare that stays well within the abilities of young band musicians. The piece is written primarily with the first six notes that most band students learn, and it provides excellent opportunities to develop ensemble playing, dynamic expression, style, and percussion techniques. The perfect selection that will delight everyone on that very important first holiday performance.

A Christmas selection young bands will sound great playing! This setting is based on the well-known carol, Angels We Have Heard on High. The limited ranges (5-6 notes) with simple rhythms and exciting percussion parts will provide your young musicians with a chance to be successful with a familiar holiday classic. This arrangement will certainly be recognizable by your students and audience, and will be a band favorite as well as a crowd pleaser!

A very playable treatment of the traditional Christmas carol Here We Go Awassailing that is the perfect selection for your beginners' very first holiday concert. This arrangement changes the 6/8 and 2/4 time of the original carol to a far more accessible 4/4 time throughout and the ranges and rhythms are well within the capabilities of first-year musicians. This festive setting will have elementary bands welcoming the holiday season in grand fashion on their debut performance.

This twist on O Christmas Tree will surely be a holiday favorite. Based on the traditional carol, a jazzy samba percussion beat is added to give a fresh and lively feel that will brighten any concert program. This arrangement takes the well-known tune's 3/4 time signature and changes it to 4/4, one that first-year players will be more familiar with. With many percussion parts, safe doublings throughout and a groovy Latin beat, this is sure to be your audience favorite on your Christmas program!

Grab your surfboards and head for the beach as this exciting band piece takes your beginning band and audience for the ride of their lives!  With percussion interludes based on the  famous (or infamous) "wipeout" motif intermixed with the thrill-seekers from a band that "hangs loose" as they approach the Big Kahuna, you'll provide some big fun for your young players.  Everyone will enjoy this fresh fun-filled piece, so hang on to your seats, because... surf's up!

Creepy Crawley Critters is an entertaining piece that beginning bands will enjoy playing; clarinets don't cross the break, and ranges are within the limits of first-year players. The overall effect is one of a small bug crawling or flying around, annoying the members of the band. The use of ratchet and slapstick adds to the entertainment factor and makes additional fun for percussion students. For even more entertainment value, you may want to consider conducting with a fly swatter or providing several swatters to students to use when they have rests.

These delightful ideograms have become a standard feature of everyday life! They show up everywhere, so why not on your beginning musicians' concert programs?  This lighthearted and upbeat music reflects the fun aspect of these memorable characters and is sure to captivate your young players and their audiences.

This highly energetic work for beginner and developing bands captures the explosive nature of a flash point, the temperature at which combustible vapors ignite when exposed to flame. Students have the opportunity to work on articulation and dynamics, while young percussionists have many interesting and appealing parts to draw their interest. A real standout on first-year programs.       

The Hammer of Thor is a musical work that depicts the power and might of the well-known Norse god Thor and his thunderous weapon. Depicted in mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons of all time, the legend tells of it being capable of leveling huge mountains.  Performed with energy and force by young bands, it will certainly be as impressive as the hammer described in legend and lore.

This piece was written to create a fun yet educational way for first-year players to develop their counting skills in a playful setting. Everyone recognizes the cute title; its meaning is brought to the fore as the conductor helps young players maneuver through various counting traps while they avoid being the one that plays on one of the rests.

 This lively and rhythmic selection was written to be a young band favorite as well as a crowd pleaser.  It provides a great opportunity to showcase your young percussionists with plenty of parts to stay active as they impress the audience with their exciting parts!  It entertains and is also a great counting exercise for the entire ensemble!  

This well-known holiday favorite receives a new twist in this arrangement for first-year players. The clever setting is written to be performed as a full-band piece or as a percussion ensemble feature for seven players. Another performance option is to have the band play the opening two bars followed by just the percussion performing the first time through. On the repeat the band can join in for a full-ensemble finish, making a nice change in presentation - perfect for any holiday or winter band concert.

Into Thin Air is a dramatic fanfare paying tribute to this most majestic of mountains, formed some 60 million years ago. The musical content is written to be performed successfully by first-year performers and can used as an opening fanfare on their very first concert. As striking and impressive as the massive landmark, the stirring music pays tribute to the adventurous spirit and daring courage of brave explorers everywhere.

An imaginative piece composed for very young band students to give them an exciting and energetic work to develop their beginning skills.  The opening punches of the tutti ensemble are followed by the gun-shot sounds of the snare drum rim shots.  You can almost hear Black Bart's horse galloping away from the scene of a Gold-Rush Era stagecoach holdup with a group of determined lawmen in hot pursuit.  Your young percussionists play an important role in this unique and thrilling adventure for elementary bands.