B A Superhero

by M.C. Handel/arr. Paul Jennings

We think your beginning recorder students are going to like this one! M.C. Handel and Paul Jennings teamed up to create this very hip and cool '60s Jazz Orchestra Rock chart. Reminiscent of the background music for a variety of superhero shows and movies - recent and not-so-recent - this piece will put your players right into the thick of the action! It really does use just B and A for recorders, and the rhythms are kept simple. You will note however, that there is a progression of learning with the rhythms to keep players on their toes. For example, the section at measure 25 starts with one quarter note, then progresses to two, then three, and so on. The winds on the recording respond and complement this activity nicely. Be sure to let students listen to the tracks to hear how this works when they're not playing.

If you'd like to use this piece in a performance setting, consider letting students wear their favorite superhero costumes. Or, to keep it simple, but effective, let them wear shades for that certain "cool" attitude.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.