Autumn Vibe

by John Riggio

Every season has its own sights, smells, and sounds. It has its own atmosphere, feeling, and energy. Or vibe, if you will. With a fresh sound and a fun chord progression, "Autumn Vibe" is a great tune to kick off or just celebrate the season.

The vocal line is very straightforward – part 1 is literally quarter notes only, and the optional part 2 is a simple "scat" part. (Actually, it's a written part using scat syllables. Real scat would be improvised. But you know what we mean.) If there are any doubts as to how this should be sung, please reference our recording. Our singers do a great job, as always. And part 2 is doubled on alto and tenor saxophones in the instrumental background for reinforcement.

Be sure to have singers pay attention to dynamics going from verse to chorus. Most of our tunes with a dynamic shift go from quiet to louder. This one does the opposite to make room, aurally speaking, for the neat countermelody.

Kudos to our rhythm players for doing such an outstanding job on this tune. Although the music looks sparse at times, many elements go into creating the groove, and this could be a good listening lesson for your students. Can students pick out the organ? The saxes? The congas? The shaker? Bass slides? Other elements? See what instruments they can identify.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.