“THIS is the music we should be giving to beginners.”
— Jon Hendricks, jazz legend
Hot Songs for Cool Solos
A very beginning solo (or unison) songbook
• 11 songs with dynamic backing tracks
• Available for all concert band instruments
• Six songs have only 3 pitches
My motivation for creating a songbook for band beginners was inspired by a university music professor, who approached me with the idea after attending an MENC workshop for my program JumpStart for Recorder. I recently received a letter from that professor:
Dear Michael,
When I originally asked you to compose a band piece using only three pitches, I needed it for a band camp in Australia, where I had to produce a concert in five days with kids who were absolute from-scratch beginners. The result was way more wonderful than I could have imagined. I was amazed at what you could do with just three notes.
The melodies are never trite, nor boring, either, because of your gentle and subtle introduction to syncopation.
The inspired harmonies and rhythms of the accompaniments really make the pieces fun to perform. Imaginatively using extended tertian structures in the harmonies greatly enhances the songs’ appeal, giving the impression that there are more notes being used in the solo part than there really are.
Also appealing to kids and parents is the variety of styles you have employed, including latin, rock, reggae and swing—even switching styles right in the middle of Hot Cross Blues. JK’s Swing Thing sounds like a real big band tune, and Rainy Day Blues is composed in dorian mode.
The band camp in Australia, using your songs, was such a success that I was invited to return there for a total of ten years. I used them extensively in two elementary schools I taught at here in Pennsylvania. I also took them to a secondary instrument conference for teachers in England, and used them in a Pennsylvania workshop for band directors. In every case, the children and teachers have loved playing them, and the audiences were delighted with them.
My own extended family has a lot of musicians, and we give an annual family Christmas concert. This year, one of my granddaughters, who is a beginning clarinet player, and I will be doing her two favorites of yours—After the Winter Snow and Steamwhistle Waltz. She likes the unpretentious poignant nature of Winter Snow and the triple meter dancing feel of Steamwhistle. Her younger sister actually danced to it while we were practicing together.
Your music is timeless. If I had not retired after 50 years of teaching all levels from elementary through graduate school, I would still be using your songs.
John Kuehn
When I originally asked you to compose a band piece using only three pitches, I needed it for a band camp in Australia, where I had to produce a concert in five days with kids who were absolute from-scratch beginners. The result was way more wonderful than I could have imagined. I was amazed at what you could do with just three notes.
The melodies are never trite, nor boring, either, because of your gentle and subtle introduction to syncopation.
The inspired harmonies and rhythms of the accompaniments really make the pieces fun to perform. Imaginatively using extended tertian structures in the harmonies greatly enhances the songs’ appeal, giving the impression that there are more notes being used in the solo part than there really are.
Also appealing to kids and parents is the variety of styles you have employed, including latin, rock, reggae and swing—even switching styles right in the middle of Hot Cross Blues. JK’s Swing Thing sounds like a real big band tune, and Rainy Day Blues is composed in dorian mode.
The band camp in Australia, using your songs, was such a success that I was invited to return there for a total of ten years. I used them extensively in two elementary schools I taught at here in Pennsylvania. I also took them to a secondary instrument conference for teachers in England, and used them in a Pennsylvania workshop for band directors. In every case, the children and teachers have loved playing them, and the audiences were delighted with them.
My own extended family has a lot of musicians, and we give an annual family Christmas concert. This year, one of my granddaughters, who is a beginning clarinet player, and I will be doing her two favorites of yours—After the Winter Snow and Steamwhistle Waltz. She likes the unpretentious poignant nature of Winter Snow and the triple meter dancing feel of Steamwhistle. Her younger sister actually danced to it while we were practicing together.
Your music is timeless. If I had not retired after 50 years of teaching all levels from elementary through graduate school, I would still be using your songs.
John Kuehn
See and hear the songs
“Michael sure knows how to back up the soloists.”
— Marion McPartland, jazz legend
