Cup O' Mocha

We have long since realized that John has a real knack for writing happy music. (Have you ever heard "The Apple Song"??) So we were most pleased to hear his idea for this happy piece that can be used with your Boomwhacker® or mallet ensemble. And this being the January/February issue, we figured you might appreciate being warmed up with a musical hot cup o' mocha (or hot chocolate, if you'd rather).

We've done with this piece what we like to do with so many, which is to create a simple part for your students, and let our studio musicians do the heavy lifting. The result here is a sophisticated and upbeat sound that your students can be a part of. The rhythms aren't too complex, just half notes and quarter notes, with a rolled whole note in the penultimate measure. (To do a roll, just have the various notes hit in rapid succession simultaneously for the duration of the written note - in this case, four beats.) When we record these pieces, we use standard diatonic and bass BWs to fill out the sound, which means you're always hearing two octaves at once, so don't be afraid to do the same. If you would like to see a reduced score for this piece, we have it available as a free download. (See below.)

Online extras - The free, downloadable tracks mentioned can be found under the "Graphics and Extras" for Volume 19, No. 3 at MusicK8.com