How to Select a Program for a High School Band Concert
Programming a concert for a high school band not only provides an opportunity for the band to show off their progress but also to educate the audience. A good concert should consist of musical pieces that are difficult enough to give students a challenge yet not so complex to keep them from producing a polished presentation. Programming should also offer the audience music that will expand their understanding and enjoyment of different musical styles.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Start the concert with a piece that is relatively easy, with a fairly slow tempo and with slow harmonic movement. This will allow the students to warm up and tune. The first piece should also be one which will help the students get the jitters out and allow the audience to settle down.
-
2
Select a march to follow the warm-up piece. All band concerts should include marches, as that was the impetus to the development of today’s bands. A good Sousa march will always excite the audience and challenge the students technically.
-
-
3
Follow the march with a popular piece, such as a Broadway show tune medley, movie theme music, or songs from popular television shows. These kinds of pieces are audience pleasers and give students pride in playing familiar music.
-
4
Perform your most challenging piece at this point in your concert. This should be music that has not only challenged the student to learn, but also expands the audience's knowledge and appreciation of music. This may be the piece of music that you intend to take to a music festival or contest.
-
5
Include at this point a classical transcription—a piece of music originally written for orchestra which has been arranged for band. Transcriptions allow both students and audience members to expand their knowledge, appreciation and understanding of music.
-
6
Add a musical selection featuring a student soloist or small ensemble at this point in the program. There are some fine works for solo or small ensemble with concert band accompaniment.
-
7
Direct an upbeat not too challenging work as your last piece. Something with a quick tempo and a big ending will let the audience know that it is the end of the concert, and allow them to leave with an exciting feeling.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
To avoid boredom, vary the styles and moods of the pieces.
If you play an encore, consider Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” it’s a great crowd pleaser and a piece every instrumentalist should know.
Watch the time. Keep the concert’s length between forty-five minutes and one hour, and use printed programs rather than announcing each number.
