The start of the new season begins well before the first rehearsal. for the upcoming year is an important task. It is also a highly enjoyable task as long as there are no time pressures.
My goal is to have a working spreadsheet that organically grows as my thoughts about literature
crystallize. A literature list is created which is at first simply a long list of titles and composers. This
initial brainstorming list comes from collegiate performance programs, browsing in libraries, YouTube
videos, carryovers from previous spreadsheets, Spotify, recommendations from individual musicians,
and catalog browsing.
crystallize. A literature list is created which is at first simply a long list of titles and composers. This
initial brainstorming list comes from collegiate performance programs, browsing in libraries, YouTube
videos, carryovers from previous spreadsheets, Spotify, recommendations from individual musicians,
and catalog browsing.
Performance venues for the coming year frame the organization of the literature search. These venues
include a concert with a high school band in November, 2 concerts with holiday music in December,
concerto concert with the Totino High School band in February, a concert in late April or early May that
features guest conductors from the Star of the North Conducting Workshop, and several summer
concerts. Different venues require anticipating the kind of audience in attendance. An audience from the
performance at the Minnesota Arboretum in winter will be somewhat different than an audience that
includes parents of performing high school musicians.
include a concert with a high school band in November, 2 concerts with holiday music in December,
concerto concert with the Totino High School band in February, a concert in late April or early May that
features guest conductors from the Star of the North Conducting Workshop, and several summer
concerts. Different venues require anticipating the kind of audience in attendance. An audience from the
performance at the Minnesota Arboretum in winter will be somewhat different than an audience that
includes parents of performing high school musicians.
Each venue will also have a designated amount of time for the literature. The Redwing concert requires
about 40 minutes, the Como Park concert requires about 90 minutes, and the Edinburgh concert
requires about 60 minutes. When constructing a program for each venue, the length of each
composition needs to be carefully considered.
about 40 minutes, the Como Park concert requires about 90 minutes, and the Edinburgh concert
requires about 60 minutes. When constructing a program for each venue, the length of each
composition needs to be carefully considered.
The initial planning spreadsheet includes columns for title, composer, length, concert venue, a link to
an audio file and comments (feature piece, cost, difficulty, solos, etc.).
an audio file and comments (feature piece, cost, difficulty, solos, etc.).
Sorting the spreadsheet shows the program and order for each venue. The order for each has its
own emotional flow. I use temperature to describe the flow: hot, cool, warm. Each selection also
has its own emotional contour. For example, the last movement of Holst's Second Suite in F has
peaks and valleys of emotional intensity, ending with de-escalating intensity and a last note spike.
