The Yellow Board

The Yellow Board
[ The Yellow Board ]

PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by Enquirer on 10/22/2024, 4:56 pm

Hi Yellow Board,

What are your favorite PML Grade 1's that don't sound like a middle school piece? Because let's be honest-- there are plenty on the list that are geared toward a middle school group (I'm looking at you, Dance Celebration).

Thanks in advance!

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by Lyrical on 10/28/2024, 1:04 pm, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

I would Suggest Music For a Night Sky by Vargas. It is new to the list, a grade 1.5, two trumpet and clarinet parts. 3/4. Challenging enough.

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by Lurker on 10/26/2024, 6:56 pm, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

Don’t forget that you can play up a level, or honestly as many as you like. I know several middle school groups that play a grade 2, or sometimes 2 grade 2s, and they aren’t required to play anything but a 1.
If the level 2 music is a better fit for your group do it.

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by Warhawk on 10/25/2024, 7:12 am, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

Randall Standridge has several on the grade 1 list that would answer the mail.

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by Stoopid Trumpet Player on 10/24/2024, 8:30 am, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

My standard response: Joyful Journey by Robert Sheldon...great piece of music with tons of teaching opportunities for musicianship

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by some guy on 10/24/2024, 11:33 am, in reply to "Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

"My standard response: Joyful Journey by Robert Sheldon...great piece of music with tons of teaching opportunities for musicianship"

10000000% yes

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by Me on 10/24/2024, 7:38 am, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

Canticle is nice

I think kids would enjoy Synchronized Energy

Some of the older tunes on the list are a little more mature. But I'm not really familiar with those

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by DesertJazz on 10/23/2024, 9:15 pm, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

For HS this is a bit different than I would say for HS. Not sure what you're situation is, but I consider these to be some of the more challenging 1s.

Some newer ones:

Me (Reaffirmation)
Rust Belt (Owens)
A Scottish Festival (Balmages)
Lost Woods Fantasy

Older:
Mythos - Bernotas
An Irish Air - Sheldon
The Band in the Square (on the Fourth of July)
The Piper and the Captain (Interesting piece because you can do just two movements, I've worked on this with a NV HS group before)

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by Me on 10/23/2024, 1:45 pm, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

Do a bit of score study. You can do that on Youtube these days - nearly every piece released in the past 20 years has a play-along score from the publishers there.

Find a piece or two that have multiple trumpet/clarinet parts. There's still a very few pieces that even have three. Adding those extra parts and textures "matures" up the sound quite a bit if your kids can play well and you have the numbers.

Early English Suite by Duncombe may work for you. Russian Sailor's Dance by Gliere/Williams isn't too basic sounding. Connemara Sketches by Osborne is a great piece and is underplayed. Your kids may have fun with Phantom Ship by Del Borgo. Three Renaissance Dances by Moss is playable too - and you could work up multiple movements and simply perform only 1 or 3.

Basically - I would recommend you take a look at UIL Regions that are historically inner-city/urban regions (5 for Fort Worth, 11-12 for San Antonio, 20 for Dallas, 22 for El Paso, 23 for Houston), even though some of those inner-city ISDs have moved to other regions this alignment. Lots of those high schools have entered as a NV and played a Grade 1 in the past 10 years or so.

Finally - remember that it is technically LEGAL for you to play the same music your middle school feeder played, if playing from the same category, even if it's educationally unsound and quite unethical. If you absolutely can't find a better piece ...

Re: PML Grade 1 for a HS band

Posted by heres 1 on 10/23/2024, 9:11 am, in reply to "PML Grade 1 for a HS band"

I don't have a ton of experience with grade 1's, but I recently played Azure Hills and Tears of Arizona. My kids really enjoyed both of those.

« Back to index

[ The Yellow Board ]