Low Eh!

In June, an adult student and I were discussing the need for summer band programming for adult learners in the Ottawa area. There was a need for programming that offered a structured approach for the months when community concert, and jazz bands traditionally take a break. Between my student, who curated the contact list, and contacted the members, Alcorn Music Studios, my home studio, and myself, who would be directing the class, and writing the arrangements, we got Chase The Wind up and running in a few weeks, and it has been some of the most fun that I’ve had with group classes.

We had a quartet of saxophones (three altos, and a tenor sax), a trio of clarinets (two clarinets, and a bass clarinet), as well as a trio of alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and valve trombone/euphonium.

In week one, everybody was feeling the program out. I downloaded some stock arrangements, and transposed what I needed for the groups – I needed to hear how everybody sounded together, and where the level of playing of each group sat. It was great to hear everybody, and start to lay the groundwork for me to push their musical boundaries.

In the chamber groups, every part is exposed – there’s nowhere to hide, and as I brought more challenging music each week, the groups performed with more awareness of each others’ parts. They quickly became more dynamic, and more sensitive to what was happening around them. This was incredible to watch!

It was also fun to watch each individual group take on its own identity! I curated repertoire for each individual group, and kept it varied between classical, jazz, and pop tunes. This opened the sessions up for musical discussions about style, phrasing, and improvisation, as well as healthy habits when playing your instrument, and other band experiences.

One of the challenges for me has been staying on top of the repertoire, and arranging it appropriately. I have quite a bit of music for saxophone quartet, but not for three alto saxophones, and a tenor saxophone. This led me into a few range issues, but I’ve figured out a more “flex-band” arranging style that will allow me to reuse certain arrangements for new groups.

I’m so happy that Chase The Wind has taken off this summer, and I’m looking forward to working with many more musicians in this format!