Google Day Presentations and Reflections (12/13/12)

We presented our Google Projects today and summarized the entirety of our projects (basically, what's in this post). When I presented, along with talking about the project, I played the actual part of the song I'd arranged and then the song itself, so the audience would know what the song was supposed to sound like.

I picked arranging pep band music as my project because I thought it’d be neat to pick a song and then turn it into a bunch of individual pep band parts. Wind instruments allow for only one note at a time, so I usually think of piano when it comes to full songs, and while I hear the other wind parts in pep band, the volume is such that I rarely can fully make out how they relate to the trumpet part. So, it was interesting trying to take apart the music and fit it into various instruments.

The song chosen was, of course, “Born to Run,” by Bruce Springsteen. When I was picking songs I learned that the song needed to be simple (because the pep band is comprised of freshmen as well as sophomores, juniors, and seniors). My original choice was “Sir Duke,” by Stevie Wonder, but I was told that it would be too complicated for pep band. So I went through some of the other rock songs that were simpler and picked Born to Run. Like most songs with a lot of lyrics and vocals, it’s long and repetitive, so I took what I thought was the best part to cut for a Pep band piece. Also, Mr. Matthys pointed out that “Born To Run” would fit in with a football theme.

The actual arranging took a bit less time than expected. I put the entire melody, including chords, into the trumpet part first, so it basically looked like a piano part. Then I copied and transposed the supporting notes to some other melody instruments, largely the alto saxes, clarinets, flutes, etc. I tried to leave the root and fifth of each chord with the trumpets and clarinets, but mostly trumpets, since they can be loudest.

The tuba part and trombone parts were pretty simple and just variations of the rhythm and subdivisions. The snare drum I took from what I could hear on the recording. The bass drum is just there for tempo, the bass guitar is similar to the tuba part, and the tenorline is just a bunch of pitched notes that I wrote in without any previous knowledge; the original song doesn’t have a tenorline to my knowledge, or at least not one that I could hear in the recording.

The finale project turned out pretty well, overall. The playback recording below has a few problems, however. First of all, in Finale Notepad, when you try to play a Finale file with more than 8 parts, it reverts to playing all of the parts in a piano computer recording, so it doesn't sound nearly as good as it did in Finale at school (which, to be fair, was still pretty tin-like and shallow since it was a computer playing). Also, although I wrote in ties, when playing back the music Finale plays the rhythm "1 2 +   4 | 1" as "1 2 + 3 4 | 1" in the third and seventh measures. (The percussion is also a bit quiet).

Nevertheless, here it is (to hear the original song, see the post below this):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNbzhuy_2Yg

Google Presentation Link

Born to Run
(at 0:48).

Google Day 5 (11/27)

This was our last in-class Google workday, so it was imperative that I finished my project (which I did). Having used Finale notepad at home to write out the original 8 parts, I needed to use Finale itself to put the music into a full score. After about 30 to 40 minutes of frustrating and comical technical difficulties, with Mr. Matthys' help I was able to arrange the final few parts. The part that took the longest (longest being a relative term) was that of the pitched tenor drums. I actually enjoyed writing that part, although it is fairly simple, because I had previously been simply adding rhythms and not notes or pitches for the other percussion parts.

Now that the music is done, the only thing left to do is present and/or play it. I'm excited to see how it will actually turn out, because Finale's playback often exaggerates the flutes (which is an instrument I rarely hear when playing in pep band) while muting the bass and percussion sounds. Furthermore, I want to hear how the parts sound for each instrument, based on the chords that had to be broken up because of the nature of wind instruments being able to play only a note at a time.

Google Day 4 (11/9)

As far as the google days have gone, this was probably the most productive in-class day yet. That is due mostly to the fact that I was able to use a computer in the Bandroom with Finale Notepad. I've also got Notepad at home, so I just continued to work on adding the different instrument parts. At this point, I pretty much know where the music is going, so the more difficult tasks will arise when I'm done with the initial transcribing/arranging. I'll have to both add more parts (using Finale), such as percussion, possibly baritone, bass clarinet, etc., and I'll also have to switch key signatures and move the notes around so that they are in easy-to-play registers for each instrument.

The music is coming along nicely. I've given the trumpets the melody line and the root of the chords (and I may leave the fifth in, in a divisi, as well), the flutes and clarinets the fifth and upper notes of the chords, and the saxophones the thirds, in most cases. I had initially written the tuba and trombone parts in the wrong key, so I'll have to go back and fix that. Otherwise, I'm feeling pretty good about the progression of my project thus far.

Google Day 3 (10/23)

This was our third Google day. I spent the class going over some piano music I'd found for my piece, and trying to figure out which instrument to give which part. For example, I gave the bass line to the tuba/trombone/baritone, and I gave the underlying harmony to the saxophones and clarinets. I saved the melody, of course, for the trumpets.

I also listened to the recording while going over the piano music, to make sure they matched up, which they did. As far as my previous attempt went at guessing the rhythm by ear, I was closer than I expected (see Google Day 2). I've also made the specific marks of which measures I want to arrange, starting with the final lyric of the verse, "...born to run," which is quite fitting for a football band song.

Google Day 2 (10/5)

This second Google Day was very helpful in continuing my Google project.  I learned quite a few useful things.

First of all, the music I'll be arranging has changed. I will no longer be doing "Sir Duke," by Stevie Wonder, because the rhythms are too complex for pep band. I will also not be doing "September," by Earth Wind and Fire, because the Jazz Band already has that piece (this was my 'back-up' choice). Instead, I'll be taking a part of "Born to Run," by Bruce Springsteen, and making it into a short band chant. (This was also in part chosen because the title deals with a football game theme). The part can be found at about 1:03 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA.

Secondly, I learned that there is a free version of Finale, so I can begin arranging the music at home. I was unable to use Finale during class, but I did start to jot down some of my ideas and the notes I was figuring out on some paper (the picture\). I think I may be in the wrong key, but I think I'm pretty close as far as intervals between the notes go. I may also simplify some of the rhythms to avoid getting too complex (making 32nd notes 16th notes; making 1-a-2 into 1-+-2, etc.).

Overall, I believe I have the knowledge I need to complete this project now, and I should be able to spend the rest of the Google days completing it.

Google Day 1 (9/19)

Today was our first Google Project day in band. I wasn't at band (because I was home sick), but I was still able to create this blog.

In reflecting on last year's project, which was the concept and eventual execution of playing trumpet and piano at the same time (and can be found at joel-band.blogspot.com), I realize that I want something that will take slightly less time (because last year I had to learn the music for both trumpet and piano to a point of almost memorization so I was able to play both at the same time, and then had to record it and video-edit it).

So, since most of the band members are required to play at a majority of the football games this year, I decided that this time I would simply arrange music that's already been written for pep band. I will probably end up using the program Finale, since I have had a small amount of experience with it Freshmen year.

The song I plan to start with is Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sIjSNTS7Fs). I picked it because I've heard it played before without a vocal part, with the melody being played by instruments like the sax and trumpet. Also, since it's only 4:00 and very repetitive, I think it won't be too difficult to shorten down to a good pep ban length. Plus, it's already got the makings of a good trumpet part (I play trumpet). You can't have enough pep band songs with good trumpet parts.

- Joel