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Grade: 0.5
| Title | Link | Comments | Composer/Arranger | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 the Clock Strikes | Link | Rob Grice | ||
| A Short Conversation | Link | A simple concert piece using only four notes for most instruments, and five for a few. Some back and forth unisons and harmonized cadences. | Brian Appleby | |
| Ancient Hunters | Link | Range: Bb-G, lots of percussion parts, dramatic tempo change, shows off percussion | Sean O'Loughlin | |
| At the Edge of Chaos | Link | Roland Barrett | ||
| Aunt Rhodie's Appetite | Link | Joseph Compello | ||
| Aunt Rhodie's Diet | Link | Joseph Compello | ||
| Ayre and Dance | Link | Excellent piece with two contrasting parts. Tons to teach from this piece. | Bruce Pearson | |
| Band on Parade | Link | Michael Sweeney | ||
| Beethoven's Ninth | Link | Most years, this is the first song that I pass out to my kids. It is a simple melody that they all know, and the kids are always excited to be able to play a full arrangement. It uses the first 6 notes, and whole/half/quarter rhythms. Percussion has 8th notes as well. It sounds good and is attainable. I like to talk about phrasing when we learn this piece. It is a great first full arrangement. | Paul Lavender | |
| Blackbeard | Link | Exciting way to introduce music in 3 and scherzo tempo. Bb-G range with some accidentals. Lots of percussion parts to keep the section busy. Works on D.C. al Coda as well. | Randall Standridge | |
| Brave Beginnings | Link | Three part flex tune. | Erin Keeton-Howard | |
| Bring On Da Band | Link | Kids love this one. A great first "rock" style song that sounds mature. | Michael Sweeney | |
| Bringer of War | Link | Brian Balmages | ||
| Bugler's Dream | Link | Cool first trumpet feature piece. | Paul Lavender | |
| Cango Caves | Link | Ralph Ford | ||
| Cardiff Castle | Link | Range: Bb-G. Mainly quarter/half note rhythms. Single pairs of eighth notes in accompaniment. Trumpet feature of the melody. | Mark Williams | |
| Cardiff Castle | Link | Mark Williams | ||
| Centurion | Link | Range: Bb-F. Features Tpt, Cl, Fl, Sx. Accompaniment parts start on beats 3 or 4. | Mark Williams | |
| Centurion | Link | Mark Williams | ||
| Chisholm | Link | William Owens | ||
| Conquest | Link | Brian Balmages | ||
| Count to Ten | Link | Three part flex tune with electroacoustic tracks. Creative tune that utilizes 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 up to 9/4 time signatures. | Alex Shapiro | |
| Creature Feature | Link | Probably more of a grade 1 I am guessing | Rob Romeyn | |
| Creatures In The Attic | Link | My beginners love this song! They get to play random notes, make clicking sounds with their instrument keys, and trombones get to do glissandos. It is very accessible for second semester bands. Always a favorite. | Brian Balmages | |
| Creepy Crawlies | Link | Michael Story | ||
| Dance of the Jabberwocky | Link | My 6th grade band plays this at the beginning of every year. great for Halloween fun percussion (no snare!!) | Rob Grice | |
| Danza Africana | Link | Victor Lopez | ||
| Donut Factory | Link | Lots of fun percussion, trombone glissandos, and very cute melodies. A big hit with students. | Heather Hoefle | |
| Dragon Slayer | Link | In concert D minor - a good way to teach key signatures | Rob Grice | |
| Dragonfire | Link | Correlated with Essential Elements book 1, page 11. I play this song every year with me kids, as one of the first few that they learn. They love it. Very well written for being a .5. It is energetic and has a nice full sound. | Paul Lavender | |
| Fanfare and March | Link | Good for teaching that first fanfare style march | Michael Sweeney | |
| Fanfare Heroica | Link | Brian Balmages | ||
| Fanfare March | None | Range: Bb-G. Tpt/Hn half note soli, unison rhythmically, forte & piano dynamics, divisi parts. | Frank Erickson | |
| Fanfare on Ode To Joy | Link | Arr. William Owens | ||
| First Christmas March | Link | John O'Reilly | ||
| First Fallen Snow, The | Link | Lyrical piece in 4/4, good percussion parts, and easy to put together. This is a great opportunity to teach phrasing and legato style. Also, a good option if you need a winter piece that is secular. | Randall Standridge | |
| Five Note Jive | Link | Ed Kiefer | ||
| Flight of the Banshee | Link | Roland Barrett | ||
| Freedom's Road | Link | Paul Lavender | ||
| G Force Five | Link | Ralph Ford | ||
| Gallant March | Link | Introduction March - Range Bb-G (Nice Low Brass Parts - Independent) | Michael Sweeney | |
| High Adventure | Link | Paul Lavender | ||
| Homework Blues | Link | Paul Lavender | ||
| In the Distance | Link | Two part flex tune with an electroacoustic track. | Jennifer Rose | |
| Inception | Link | Compello | ||
| Let's Rock | Link | Michael Sweeney | ||
| Lost City, The | Link | Very extremely easy, yet dark and mysterious sounding | Paul Lavender | |
| Lost Kingdom, The | Link | John O'Reilly | ||
| Magnificent Five, The | Link | Mark Williams | ||
| Majestic March | Link | Paul Lavender | ||
| March of the Romans | Link | Correlated with Essential Elements Book 1, page 1. This was actually in the "Teaching Music Through Performance" series. I love it and teach it every year as one of my first few full ensemble pieces. It is very well written and my kids always sound great playing it. | Michael Sweeney | |
| Match Point | Link | Energetic rock tune, using only four notes. Three levels of solos are provided for your keeners to work on. | Scott Rogal | |
| Mechanical Monsters | Link | Great piece! Very rhythmic, adds in a concert Db, which is a great teaching opportunity, and has a part for the kids to play on their stands with pencils (which makes sure they have one!) | Randall Standridge | |
| Meet the Band | Link | Milford | ||
| Mickey Mouse March | Link | Michael Sweeney | ||
| Might of Hecules | Link | Mark Williams | ||
| Nighthawk | Link | James Swearingen | ||
| Old MCDonald Had a Band | Link | Higgins | ||
| Popcorn Prelude | Link | Mike Hannickel | ||
| Power Rock | Link | Cheesy and easy, kids love it for a first performance piece. | Michael Sweeney | |
| Reign | Link | Robert W. Smith | ||
| Resolution | Link | Sean O'Loughlin | ||
| Rise to Power | Link | Range: Bb-G, opener/fanfare, nearly through-composed so it's harder than it seems! | Rob Grice | |
| Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow | Link | Robert W. Smith | ||
| Shadow Fire | Link | This work is in 4/4 time and is very rhythmic. My students enjoyed the minor mode aspect. A great opportunity to teach articulations and rhythmic drive, but it has enough repetition to be achievable. | Randall Standridge | |
| Shark Attack | Link | Range: Bb-Ab. Great piece to introduce dotted quarters, mostly unison rhythmically, 2 tempos, programmatic, Introduces Concert Ab. | Les Taylor | |
| Sideways | Link | Range: Bb-G. Features Tbones glissandos and percussion toys like slide whistle and bulb/bike horn | Timothy Loest | |
| Sideways | Link | Timothy Loest | ||
| Stormchasing | Link | Exciting piece that my students LOVED. Dynamic opportunities. Siren. Rainstick. | William Owens | |
| Strike Force | Link | Michael Sweeney | ||
| Time Travelers: First Mission | Link | 5 movement suite (though the last movement is really just the first movement with a different ending). Teaches several time signatures and makes them achievable for this level: 4/4, 2/4, 3/4, 6/8. Has an optional narration part that is hilarious. | Randall Standridge | |
| Turbo Rock | Link | Michael Sweeney | ||
| Tyrannosaurus Rocks | Link | Mike Hannickel | ||
| Up the Mountain Road | Link | Four part full flex tune. May be played with a full ensemble or as few as 4 players. | Moriah Jensen | |
| When the Band Goes Marching In | Link | Michael Story | ||
| Whirlwind | Link | Jodie Blackshaw | ||
| Winter Medley | Link | Larry Henry | ||
| Winter Winds | Link | 4/4, Fast, energetic, lots of percussion. Uses the range of the first 6 notes; has a "key change" halfway through that is done with accidentals, so it sounds harder than it is. Has 2 optional endings, the first makes it a Grade 1, the second makes it a Grade .5. Good winter piece or concert opener. | Randall Standridge | |
| Zombie Stomp | Link | Rob Grice |