 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Iacuras
Date: 2005-05-29 00:19
Hi all,
On tuesday and wednsday next week, I have been asked by my teacher to help out with a musical instrument sale at the middle school that feeds into my high school. This is for the 5th graders to decide what they want to play next year in band. The teacher wants me to play a little 30 second excerpt that really shows off the clarinet. Any idea what I should play? I was thinking maybe a little bit of the rose etudes, or a little excerpt of one of the more technical sections of Weber's Concertino. Thanks for your thoughts.
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-05-29 00:51
Iacuras wrote:
> Any idea what I should play? I
> was thinking maybe a little bit of the rose etudes, or a little
> excerpt of one of the more technical sections of Weber's
> Concertino.
A Rose Etude? The Concertino?
Yawn... 
Do you REALLY think that will connect with 5th graders?
How about something they will recognize?
Examples:
Peter and the Wolf
When the Saints Go Marching In (with a few Dixieland licks, thrown in)
Theme from "The Flintstones"
etc...
...GBK (retired public school music teacher who has done more than his share of instrument demos for elementary students)
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2005-05-29 00:56
Take you pick(s):
Variation C, "Clarinets", from Britten's 'Guide to the Orchestra'
Rimsky-Korsakoff's Capriccio Espagnol solos.
Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony 2nd movement solo.
Opening of the Rondo of Mozart's concerto.
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Author: mkybrain
Date: 2005-05-29 01:03
I played for a special ed class once. I played the end section of the second weber concerto, you know the really fast part. They got VERY excited from that.
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Author: GEM
Date: 2005-05-29 01:14
Play "Blow the Man Down" - they'll think of Sponge Bob and you'll be a hit.
GEM
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Author: Lori
Date: 2005-05-29 02:07
I play part of "Flight of the Bumblebee" at my recruiting sessions every year and I am asked at least once a week in my classes to play it for them again!
-Lori
Middle School/Elementary Band Director
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-05-29 02:18
Pick something flashy and fun. For example:
- Cadenza of the Copland concerto.
- Malcolm Arnold Sonatina (part of 1st or 3rd movement) but only if you can play it fast and with energy. A shy performance of this piece is murder.
- Poulenc, 3rd movement.
I'd say to play some Goodman-era swing, but you don't want to be guilty of false advertising, as that's not the most common thing in the clarinet rep.
It's a fine line to walk. You don't want to bore the kids, but you also don't want to underestimate their appreciation for good music. Heck, not until college did I know that clarinet concertos existed!
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-05-29 02:32
On second thought, it probably doesn't matter what you play, because the boys will all choose either the drums or saxophone, and most of the girls will choose the flute. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ...GBK
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Author: ClarinetConnoisseur
Date: 2005-05-29 02:43
I like playing an excerpt from La Gazza Ladra when I perform for kindergartners, but they're mostly impressed with fast notes. Maybe they'd like a jazzy piece (like Birdland), or movie themes, such as a piece from Lord of the Rings or Mission Impossible, because most everyone's seen those movies, even fifth graders.
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Author: Llewsrac
Date: 2005-05-29 03:30
STAR WARS CANTINA BAND
Trio: STARS and STRIPES FOREVER
ZAMPA OVERTURE (mm 1- 12)
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-05-29 03:30
Play something they will recognize.
I usually use the Pink Panther theme or The Entertainer (Joplin).
But this week, its real simple,
if you want to connect with most of the 5th graders in the country,
play something from star wars.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-05-29 03:32
I see dennis and i think alike, and posted almost simultaneously
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-05-29 03:42
I'm a Harry Potter freak and I have Hedwig's Theme memorized. I've had lots of little kids love it as well as many of my fellow high school classmates. Like Star Wars (which is a good choice), Harry Potter 6 will be coming out this summer.
Also, you can buy a Disney's Greatest Hits book for clarinet that any kid would love to hear. I own that book and it's rather fun (some tough keys in some songs like Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast, which is a great workout on some familiar tunes).
Maybe at the end just do something really fast and showy. I know when I was a 5th grader an insanely fast chromatic would get me, which I heard a lot of those because my mom was one of the high school band directors. Man, when I heard the high school kids just rip it out, I was simply amazed. Then maybe do some pitch bending, glissando, or some other crazy things that clarinets can do.
Have fun!
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2005-05-29 07:06
I'm a little disappointed in the general opinion of 5th graders in here. My mother teaches 5th grade, last year she had 4th, and this is definitely not what you would call an upper class area. Many students are children of migrant farm workers with quasi legal status. Anyway, she plays classical music for them regularly. I've gone in and played for her class and another teacher's class. They really did enjoy the Malcolm Arnold Sonatina. I've played bits of the Mozart concerto and a few other things too.
Having only 30 seconds, I would think a certain bit of the Mozart concerto would work. I'm too lazy to look it up, but it's the part that's a bunch of jumpy 16th notes as follows: GDBD ADCD GDBD F#DAD (2x) GDBD F#DAD (2x) etc. through to the end of that solo period. You know, the fun part.
I also like La Cucaracha.
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
www.SouthBayWinds.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2005-05-29 07:48
Why not the opening with the smear from Rhapsody in Blue. That's pretty flashy and short
Best
Rick
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Author: Markael
Date: 2005-05-29 10:50
From Andy's post: "My mother teaches 5th grade...and this is definitely not what you would call an upper class area. Many students are children of migrant farm workers with quasi legal status."
This makes me wonder: What is the cultural climate in Latin American countries? Are the people there, though poor, exposed to classical music, as in Europe?
I pose this question because my wife took a handbell choir to Italy, and she insisted that the group learn a number of classical pieces. Everywhere the group played the people knew and loved the music. Most of their playing was in Rome and Naples, so you might expect the residents of those cities to appreciate classical music. But one day the group traveled way out in the country to a small town in the mountains, and even there the appreciation and familiarity with this music was just as strong.
This is a wonderful country and I love it, but we aren’t the best in everything and we are way behind in some ways. At this point I resist the temptation to go on an off topic soapbox.
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