Dr. Michael Kearns
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To my fellow arrangers: Trombones like melodies too #music

9/28/2017

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Just had a rehearsal last night with the local concert band; played some pretty lame arrangements. Well, they might have sounded decent to the conductor's ear and maybe to an audience's, but that is doubtful. In the low brass parts, they would repeat notes up to ten times before moving up a step and repeating. Who does this? Either someone who is throwing an arrangement together or someone who lacks musicality. Take a little time and a little effort and make even the supporting lines musical. It is possible, if you care, and a writer should. If you either add some passing notes, have instruments switch notes in a chord, or pass the melody between sections, the players will be more engaged as they play something that is musical. Otherwise you are killing us and quite honestly, it might affect the absence rate in sections of the concert band. But, if bands keep buying these charts and players keep putting up with this musical wall paper, then writers will keep pumping it out and publishers will accept it and ask for more.  
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    Dr. Michael Kearns

    Musician, educator, husband, father, web designer ... my life is like a mosaic with each piece vying for my attention.

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