Congratulations on being selected for the 2025 District V Middle School Honors Band! I wanted to write a quick note to introduce myself as your conductor for this year's festival. I've been teaching middle school band for the past twenty-one years and am currently a band director at Cape Elizabeth Middle School. I am truly honored to be your conductor and am really looking forward to working with you in May.
As a band director, one of the biggest challenges is selecting exciting, demanding (but appropriate), and inspiring music for our students to play. Not all music is created equal, so it is important that we select carefully. I believe that Escape!, Cook Strait Crossing, and Byzantine Dances will allow us to experience a tremendous variety of musical styles, techniques and challenges. I am really passionate about ALL of the pieces that I have programmed, and I hope that you will share my enthusiasm or at least have an open mind. :)
I have no doubt that all of you will work extremely hard in preparing your music for the festival. Above, I've linked recordings, tempo markings, and practice notes for each of the pieces. Please use these recordings to help you in your preparation - listen to them as frequently as you can. It is my hope that we can come together in May and really make music. Again, I am so excited to be your conductor and I look forward to working with such a talented group of young musicians!
Caitlin Ramsey, MMEA DV MS Honors Band Conductor
TEMPO MARKINGS AND PRACTICE NOTES
Byzantine Dances Quarter - 140
Byzantine Dances is meant to portray a set of Turkish Dances. The opening dance is fast and energetic written in the style of a Roma Dance. The slower middle section of the piece is written in the style of a Zeybek dance- which is often performed by a solo dancer symbolizing courage and heroism.
As a band director, one of the biggest challenges is selecting exciting, demanding (but appropriate), and inspiring music for our students to play. Not all music is created equal, so it is important that we select carefully. I believe that Escape!, Cook Strait Crossing, and Byzantine Dances will allow us to experience a tremendous variety of musical styles, techniques and challenges. I am really passionate about ALL of the pieces that I have programmed, and I hope that you will share my enthusiasm or at least have an open mind. :)
I have no doubt that all of you will work extremely hard in preparing your music for the festival. Above, I've linked recordings, tempo markings, and practice notes for each of the pieces. Please use these recordings to help you in your preparation - listen to them as frequently as you can. It is my hope that we can come together in May and really make music. Again, I am so excited to be your conductor and I look forward to working with such a talented group of young musicians!
Caitlin Ramsey, MMEA DV MS Honors Band Conductor
TEMPO MARKINGS AND PRACTICE NOTES
Byzantine Dances Quarter - 140
Byzantine Dances is meant to portray a set of Turkish Dances. The opening dance is fast and energetic written in the style of a Roma Dance. The slower middle section of the piece is written in the style of a Zeybek dance- which is often performed by a solo dancer symbolizing courage and heroism.
- This is such a fun piece to play - the opening and closing sections need to be light and bouncy.
- Fast air will help create cleaner articulations and closely controlled dynamics will prevent it from getting heavy.
- The middle section changes styles - it should be very connected.
- Be ready to watch for the tempo changes!
Escape!- Quarter = 150 (slightly slower than marked)
This piece takes our ears through tight corridors and passageways leading to a spaceship escape pod. We race to exit the spaceship, unsure if we will make it out before disaster strikes. After a final sprint towards the exit, the last note signifies the sealing of the escape pod door ensuring safety.
- Mark in ALL of the time signature changes!
- The quarter RESTS are what will get us - mark in whatever you need to help you count correctly!
- In order for this piece to be fast, it actually needs to be light - back off on your dynamics.
- Use fast air to help support clean and crisp articulations.
Cook Strait Crossing - Quarter = 80 & 140
Separating the North and South Islands of New Zealand and connecting the Tasman Sea to the South Pacific, Cook Strait is considered one of the most treacherous and unpredictable bodies of water in the world. This piece is dedicated to passengers of the Wahine ferry disaster, which took place in the Cook Strait on April 10, 1968. Fortunately due to the heroism of the crew and local townspeople, 681 of the 734 passengers survived.
- Woodwind & Brass: The style is legato - smooth and connected. Be careful that all notes are full value - especially your half notes and dotted half notes.
- Accents in this piece should feel more like weight - very different than the accents in Escape!
