Last month, Greysen Music was honoured to be a presenter at the 2013 ASME conference where we were asked to provide power presentations on the subject of repertoire.
Repertoire is one of those ongoing challenges. In many ways it’s a consumable item. Even though we can build and hoard a library of quality music, we need to keep acquiring new charts to keep our musicians challenged and entertained, and to provide relevant and contemporary music for our audiences. I conduct a concert band with almost 88 years of history. During that time it has seen a large variety of music for all of its various incarnations (from brass band to big band depending on the flavour of the decade!), but we still aim to purchase a number of new works every year.
So – how do you choose new repertoire?
First, the problem of exactly how to find good repertoire is significantly facilitated in this day and age by the internet. If you haven’t yet been to a big publisher’s website, (check out Alfred’s, Hal Leonard and JW Pepper just to get started), you will be amazed at the ease with which you can browse through their current catalogue. Not only that, you can usually preview a recording sample of the piece, and sometimes even view the first page of the score. This is immensely handy for ensuring you pick music that is the right level for your ensemble. A great way to consider new repertoire is to take a cue from your peers. Often, eisteddfod associations will list the performance pieces of previous competitions. The NSW Band Association even lists everything in its library. If there’s a particular song you’re after, but aren’t sure which version to buy, make sure you listen to as many versions as you can find (via Youtube and the publisher websites). Maybe one version throws the B section to the brass, but another throws it to the saxes – and you will need to know which one is right for your ensemble. Here’s a pro tip: if the publisher doesn’t have a recording handy, it’s pretty easy to Youtube it and listen to another band actually performing the chart, and usually you will hear the chart as it will sound from a band of a similar level, rather than listening to an A grade band perform a demo of a D grade chart (for example).
One of the biggest pitfalls of inexperienced conductors is not knowing their ensemble’s strengths and weaknesses, nor how to deal with them. If you have a shoddy trumpet section, should you choose a chart that features them, so that they’re challenged and inspired? Or should you let them hone their skills on a chart that uses them as stable backing material, so they learn the fundamentals of rhythm and pitch before they move into the spotlight? At Greysen we work with participants one-on-one to help you understand the best choices and approaches for your ensemble.
The question of what to choose is a little trickier, and it is here that I absolutely must use the word Purpose, with a capital P. If you don’t know why you’re choosing something, then don’t choose it. What would you choose to improve a band’s intonation? How would you work with a band to improve their ensemble or musicianship? What do you look for in a publisher’s catalogue, to target and practice rhythmic accuracy and reading? (here’s a hint: if you’re using one of those A4 pages full of various rhythms on a single note – usually found at the back of a band method book – your players are going to zone out and consider chess instead of band next term). You need to know what repertoire is going to Provide Purpose to your players, so that you keep them excited and enthusiastic.
Keep your performances in mind when you’re picking new music. Sure, that 12 minute version of Pirates of the Caribbean might be cheaper than the 5 minute version – but are you going to be able to use 12 minutes of your performance time at the next school assembly? Is your ensemble skilled enough to maintain focus through a long blow in a larger program, and do they have the stamina? Will your trumpets have the chops for an encore of Trumpeter’s Lullaby? Or is that a good challenge for them? When is the right time for you to start extending them with this type of repertoire? This is another topic covered in our Foundation conducting course: how to program a concert that will keep your audience coming back and wanting more.
To finish, I wanted to add that you should be supporting Australian composers. Not just because they’re Australian, but because they are writing some excellent charts! Do check out our repertoire lists (once they go online!) for some tried-and-true music that we’ve used over the years. But don’t forget that you must know the purpose behind your choice. If you need some individual help, why not drop me a line (or better yet, do a Conducting and Musician Management course and you will come out leaps and bounds ahead of your peers).
Whatever you do, enjoy your music!
GG
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