The (semi) Daily Music-Nerd Appreciation Thread

[Wookie Mistake]

Madness!! some of the best music I've ever heard has no lyrics, If an artist can make you feel something just by music alone then they're truly talented. Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 is still one of my faves, as is Glenn Miller's stuff. As for game music a lot of the old Squaresoft games had great scores, Secret of Mana and Chronotrigger being two that I listen to a lot

[Suicune's Fire]

Madness indeed, it's almost a sin. Or in the very least, it would be akin.

[Nekomata]

Madness indeed, it's almost a sin. Or in the very least, it would be akin.

It is sin. </3

Madness!! some of the best music I've ever heard has no lyrics, If an artist can make you feel something just by music alone then they're truly talented. Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 is still one of my faves, as is Glenn Miller's stuff. As for game music a lot of the old Squaresoft games had great scores, Secret of Mana and Chronotrigger being two that I listen to a lot

Ahaha! A fellow Glenn Miller lover! <3 I'll have to pull up some of his tunes for this thread later down the road. I

That roommate needs a good kick to wake up and see the truth, also this thread is <3 because I slightly like classical music :D

Also, I only know Hungarian Rhapsody No. 5, was it also Liszt who wrote that? Or was that an entirely different person and piece? XD

I've never felt a murderous urge quite as strong as the one I did when she said that. xD

I figured we needed a thread for this kind of music. Music is split into two main categories- "classical" and "jazz" - and while there are classical and Jazz styles, the two categories extend beyond those. Here's some genres included in each:

classical: Classical, Baroque, Movie Soundtracks, Video Game Music, etc.
Jazz: Latin, Blues, Rock, Swing, Pop, etc.

Note that classical =/= Classical. One is a type of music, the other is the era of music (which is where the misconception of classical being nothing but Mozart, etc.)

Of course, the line between classical and jazz isn't quite so obvious. Some compositions tread the line between the two and include elements of both classical and jazz styles. But for the most part, it's not too terribly hard to put a piece in one of the two genres.

I have a strong preference for the classical side of things, but I can't turn down a good jazz pick from time to time. As a saxophone player, I enjoy PLAYING jazz far more than I do listening to it, typically. Weird, right?

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Anyway, speaking of the jazz side of things, let's bring out a jazz-y medley for today's pick! I'm currently in a very pixar mood today. So what better pick than...



Can you believe that by the time the Incredibles 2 comes out, it'll have been 16 years since the original was released? Sixteen. Years. I remember quite fondly the day I first watched the Incredibles. It was a few days after getting a molar tooth pulled out. My brother took me to the theater to make me feel better. I remember drinking from a straw and panicking. xD Then a few years later my spanish class watched this in spanish. So many memories attached to this movie- and with a sequel finally on the way, it's been on the mind!

This is a nice medley arrangement by Tokashi Hoshide. I tend to love this guy's work- he does such a good job at composing for wind bands. I found this one a while back while hunting for some fun music to suggest to my director. Unfortunately, as amazing as this arrangement is... haha. No. I've seen the score to this thing. The band here at college isn't ready for this. Also we lack the percussion equipment. Maybe the band at home... one day. ONE DAY.

Seriously, look at this score: https://www.musicshopeurope.com/cont...10%20DHE_1.pdf

One of my favorite things about this arrangement is that every section gets their moment to shine. Each section gets the melody- or at least some really neat runs and counter-melodies- at some point or another in this. Despite this, the piece has a very strong big-band feel to the way it's composed as opposed to a full wind band. It's easy for me to forget this isn't a big-band until I hear the flutes sneaking their way in there.

Stars: Having a very big-band feel to the arrangement means the Trumpets and Saxes are definitely the stars. In a traditional big band, the lead Trumpet is THE man (or woman!). Second in charge would be the first alto in most cases- so it's only natural in a piece like this that the trumpets and saxes are given the spotlight for much of the piece.

Favorite parts: Um... all of it?

Fun fact: Because saxes are a relatively new instrument, they weren't used in the early days of jazz music. In fact, it was the clarinets who dominated the jazz scene with trumpets and trombones back in the day! The saxophone was originally created for use as a outdoor reed instrument for military bands to make up for the fact that the other reed instruments were small and unable to project sound as well outside. After a while, jazz bands began to use saxes for this very reason- it's louder and projects sound more! In reality, the Saxophone isn't too different from a clarinet. Being the only two (common) single-reed instrument families, they both can be played in a very similar way which is why it isn't uncommon for sax players to learn Clarinet and vice versa.

[Voltaire Magneton]

I figured we needed a thread for this kind of music. Music is split into two main categories- "classical" and "jazz" - and while there are classical and Jazz styles, the two categories extend beyond those. Here's some genres included in each:

classical: Classical, Baroque, Movie Soundtracks, Video Game Music, etc.
Jazz: Latin, Blues, Rock, Swing, Pop, etc.

Note that classical =/= Classical. One is a type of music, the other is the era of music (which is where the misconception of classical being nothing but Mozart, etc.)

Of course, the line between classical and jazz isn't quite so obvious. Some compositions tread the line between the two and include elements of both classical and jazz styles. But for the most part, it's not too terribly hard to put a piece in one of the two genres.


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I DONT RECALL ADDING THAT GIF WUT

That's some informative stuff I never learn in Music class XD and with that definition I actually slightly like classical music :D

[Suicune's Fire]

This movie has great music, for sure. This medley is awesome. :D It's cool you can still remember the day you saw it. x) I can't say I do.

[Nekomata]

This movie has great music, for sure. This medley is awesome. :D It's cool you can still remember the day you saw it. x) I can't say I do.

The composer for the Incredibles Soundtrack has done a lot of very notable things in recent years. He might end up being the next John Williams at this rate. I'm looking forward to The Incredibles 2 his future work!

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Changing gear again, let's go for a march today. Not everyone's favorite genre- but they can be quite patriotic and fun to listen to. Or in my case, fun to play.

I almost want to go with a Sousa march here, since that's the obvious choice, but we've got a lot of non-americans here and I want to try to avoid too much of the US Patriotic stuff. Band people here in the states are about 10x more likely to be patriotic cause we do lots of patriotic music in November/July.

So let's go with.... oh... hard pick. British marches can be really fun, but maybe let's start with a silly march? Aaaah.... Picking marches is hard. I love a good march... Silly it is! I'll do a more traditional march next time I pick a march- and some March fun facts, but this isn't your normal march, so not today!

Lassus Trombone by Henry Fillmore!



This is a fun march that features the trombone section with a little bit of swing to it. I don't have much to say on the piece's history other than it's just a fun little tune that's popular among brass bands.

Stars: Trombones. Obviously. I mean really.

Favorite Parts: GLISSES. xD

[Nekomata]

I DONT RECALL ADDING THAT GIF WUT

That's some informative stuff I never learn in Music class XD and with that definition I actually slightly like classical music :D

Funny thing: Just a few hours after posting Lussus Trombone... our director gives us Liza Trombone- which is a variation of Lassus! Hah!

I try to include some trivia with the posts! I've been playing for ohhh... ~12 years. Over half my life now. xD You pick up some music trivia from it all. xD

And yeah- the misconception that classical is nothing but Mozart-era stuff is very strong. I try to dispel it whenever I can cause there's a lot of great music under the classic umbrella. I'm particularly fond of movie soundtracks on that side- and some of the more 'contemporary' orchestral/wind ensemble arrangements out there.

Speaking of which, let's do one of those today! Cajun Folk Songs II by Frank Ticheli



This is a piece that is clearly inspired by Cajun music. I'll cheat and just post up what the program notes say about the piece today:

"This work is the second set of folk songs composed as a tribute to the people of the old Cajun folksong culture. Cajuns are descendants of the Acadians, a group of early French colonists who settled in Nova Scotia and were driven south to Louisiana by the British in the mid-1750s. Louisiana-born Frank Ticheli based these works on folk melodies whose precise origins are unknown, freely combining them with original music. In the first movement, he opens with a personal reflective brass chorale, followed by two different settings of a Cajun folk song. This melancholy "Ballad," with its starkly beautiful textures and harmonies, is followed by a brash and lively "Country Dance." This music evokes the energetic feeling and style of a Cajun two-step, a form commonly used in the dance halls of southern Louisiana, and also has stylistic similarities to Scottish folk dances and the American hoedown."

This piece ranks near the top of my favorite original band pieces that I've seen over the years. A lot of what we play is borrowed themes from other sources- such as the movie medleys- but this is very much written for band with influences from Cajun culture.

Stars: The trumpets have quite the difficult part in the 2nd movement! It's harder to play than it sounds! Also the F. Horns for their part in the first movement- such wonderfully played!

Favorite Parts: English Horn solo/s in the first movement. And the melody at 7:30- just a lovely and energetic part!

[Nekomata]

Shifting gears back into Movie Soundtracks today~!

Today's pick is: Stoick's Ship by John Powell from How to Train Your Dragon 2



May the valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you've taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen: A warrior. A chieftain. A father. A friend.

There's a lot I can say about this piece. I'll try to be a bit spoiler free, but the title itself is a bit of a spoiler. But this is easily the most emotional part of the entire movie- and this track perfectly builds it up. Both proud and sad, majestic and somber, hopeful and strong. The perfect music to say goodbye to someone so great and mighty. There are very few movie soundtrack pieces- especially from animation- that quite match this level of emotional depth.

My favorite parts: The build up to 00:55 and that whole section. It's so beautifully orchestrated and full of emotion- It was when this part started playing that I finally started crying my eyes out the first time I watched the movie. Another favorite moment is when the flute comes in around 2:20. It's got a hint of hope and nostalgia to it as his mother speaks of Hiccup's strength. Lastly, the end at 3:15 or so when the trumpet solo comes in. It reflects Hiccup's growth and rise to responsibility. Strong and with purpose- it ends on a fairly optimistic, yet still somber, note!