Mark Williams

This arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s epic tone poem maintains the drama and grandeur of the original, while remaining easily playable by developing bands. One of music’s best-known masterworks, this will make a great addition to your band library. A superior concert and contest selection!

More Cowbell was inspired by the famous television skit featuring a rock band, a record producer, and an over-zealous cowbell player. If the cowbell player is good at hamming it up (and rocking out!), you could try the following staging suggestions: Cowbell player plays with intensity and lots of movement, and starts moving in measure 17 toward the front of the band, ending up next to the conductor in measure 24, bowing to the audience on beat 4. Conductor gives a stern look and gestures to student to get back in the percussion section (possibilities: “slit throat” gesture with side of first finger followed by pointing forcefully to the back, or similar gestures). Student slinks back, starts playing cowbell again, but quietly this time. Playing gradually picks up intensity, and player starts again toward the front in measure 41, reaching the front by measure 48. In measure 48, either A) Conductor waves hands violently for student to stop, or B) have a couple of students place a large blanket over the cowbell player. This works, but only for one measure (player quits and doesn’t move in bar 49). Cowbell player resumes playing with a vengeance in measure 50 (either in spite of the teacher or under the blanket!). Make sure your new “rock star” takes another bow at the end of the piece. Have fun, and may your life always have more cowbell! Correlated with Accent on Achievement, Book 1, page 27.

Take your students on a musical trip “South of the Border” with this engaging and tuneful piece in mariachi style. Filled with great opportunities for gaining confidence in playing eighth-note rhythms, this piece is also just plain fun to play! Correlated with Accent on Achievement, Book 1, page 20, this very easy work will make a great addition to your band library.

This vibrant concert and contest overture can serve as an excellent introduction to the performance of quarter-note triplets. Driving syncopated rhythms and a rich, lyric section combine to produce a rewarding performance experience for developing bands. Highly recommended!

Feature your beginning percussionists in this clever one-of-a-kind section feature by Mark Williams. Place the percussion instruments in front of the band, and watch the fun as the percussionists take turns parading through for their “one hit”. Then the music speeds up as they do it again until all players scramble into position to play the final note together. (Alternatively, you could also perform this piece using building staff/administrators as guest performers, with the regular percussionists serving as “coaches”.) A riotous show-stopper for that first-year concert program. Correlates to Accent on Achievement, Book 1, page 24.