Band Geeks Only

Some recordings of our parade music from band camp.  They’re a long way from the Sheherazade of our spring concert!  Percussion is way over-emphasized in these due to the room where we did the recording, but it’s OK by me because they bring it righteously.  We’re a little light in some areas (we march about 45, half the size of our concert band.  And only one clarinet?!  Calling Mrs. Perils…), but I hafta say, in my unbiased opinion, the trumpets ride into each song like the damn cavalry.  You really have to be a band geek to play more than one or two of these, or else you want multiple 80s-era flashbacks.  I’m posting them mostly for my marching-band brother, and maybe my mom.

I think these are going to be really fun in the parades we have scheduled this summer.  As we practice marching through the neighborhood near our rehearsal space, we pick up a camp following of kids and adults as they come out of their houses in slack-jawed amazement (and maybe annoyance), and then follow us gleefully from block to block.  I like to think we’ve given them a little ray of sunshine in this extended spring of gloomy weather.

Jai Ho, the theme song from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Interesting mixture of Indian rhythms and motifs and pop-song refrain.

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/05_JAI_HO.mp3]

Pick Up The Pieces. Your Average White Band.  Nice trumpet breakout in the middle:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/09_PICK_UP_THE_PIECES.mp3]

Mas Que Nada, a sultry samba.  It’ll be summer here sometime… I first heard this in college by Sergio Mendes/Brasil 66. We do a drill routine during the 16-bar percussion feature:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/08_MAS_QUE_NADA.mp3]

Let’s Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire.

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/04_LETS_GROOVE.mp3]

Bad Romance, Lady Gaga. Not an 80s song.

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/10_BAD_ROMANCE.mp3]

Don’t Stop - Fleetwood Mac:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/01_DONT_STOP.mp3]

Soak Up The Sun - Sheryl Crow:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/01_SOAK_UP_THE_SUN.mp3]

Americans We - Henry Fillmore. Just to show you we can play a straight-on Fourth of July march. And follow the dynamics now & then:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/07_AMERICANS_WE.mp3]

Gimme Some Lovin’:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/06_GIMME_SOME_LOVIN.mp3]

Mickey:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/03_MICKEY.mp3]

Drumline cadence when we’re marching, not playing.  You really have to be a band geek to listen to this:

[audio:http://phil2bin.com/sounds/11_DRUMLINE_CADENCE_2010.mp3]

3 Comments

  1. beatriz:

    Well, I got images in my head of a much warmer and sunnier time, and these songs are so cheering on this horrendously rainy night!
    (My clarinet is all fixed, just have to go pick it up…)

  2. This tweaked happy memories of playing piccolo in my high school’s marching band. I’m sending a link to my 14 year old grandson, Alex, who is starting high school in a few weeks. Tate High (Pensacola) has a great rep, and he is happy to be joining the marching band’s percussion section. He’ll also be in the jazz band (saxophone) — there’s guitar in there somewhere, and some other instruments, including piano. If he sees this comment, I’m sure he’ll set me straight wherever I’m wrong! p.s. I listened to the drumline cadence, too! Sets a great tone for the day.

  3. Phil:

    thanks for stopping, Elizabeth, and I hope your grandson got a little glimpse of how to convert spirit into musicianship, or vice versa. You really need both in equal proportions to make it work.