Today Is The Day!

This song is an official "3-part mixed" song, complete with vocal part 3 in the bass clef. But because parts 2 and 3 are both optional, the song can be sung in unison, or with just parts 1 and 2, or just parts 1 and 3. The distinguishing characteristics of a 3-part mixed include a part 3 written in the bass clef and limited in range to about a sixth. This allows your lower, changed and changing voices greater ease in singing along. While we have offered this feature in earlier songs, we have never written them in bass clef, which many teachers prefer for their young men. And since one of the biggest reasons we brought you this song was to use for graduations, we figured that many of your graduates would be boys who would appreciate the acknowledgement of their special circumstances.

"Today Is The Day" is a very uplifting, positive, motivational song. As mentioned, it can be used for graduations, but it can also be used for any type of celebration. Or it can be used just because it feels good and is fun to sing!

The first verse is unison and should be sung beginning with a mezzo forte so that there is room to crescendo into a forte at the chorus at measure 28. On the D.S., the optional parts 2 and 3 can join in. Special emphasis should be placed on the harmony at measure 17 and again at measure 21 when all three parts move together for just a moment. The effect will be striking.

If you are playing the piano for accompaniment, be sure to keep the tempo energetic -ideally 152 on your metronome. Also, pedal freely until the chorus as the chords change. Accent the chords and separate the ones with the housetop accents at the chorus for the best results. The syncopation should fall in line with the vocal parts. When you get to the coda, make a big deal of the gliss into measure 41, but be sure you don't start it until beat four, landing solidly on beat one again with the left hand figure.

If you are using the Performance/Accompaniment Cassette that goes with this issue, you and your students have a real treat in store! The rhythm section - piano, bass, guitar, drum set, synthesizer, conga, and triangle - stirs up great excitement from the first beat to the very end of the song. If you have the time, play just the track side of the song so that your students can hear all of the textures of the instrumental tracks. The winds feature flute, sax, flugelhorns, horns, and trombones as well. The energetic nature of the accompaniment makes it easy for your kids to sing with all their hearts and just have fun doing it. As always, you can use the side 1 version with our studio singers to help your kids learn the song.