Virtuoso Performances
After writing marching band arrangements for over 40 years, I had the biggest hit of my career this past Fall. Archbishop Alter HS performed “Overjoyed: The Music of Stevie Wonder” and we were thrilled that it was one of the most talked about shows of the season. Their Class A Champion performance on Saturday night after finals was an amazing experience.
Our goal was to share the JOY that we all feel when we listen to Stevie’s music, and of course, the joy of performing with the band. It was amazing to see all our goals for audience interaction and reaction come true!
One of the real joys of the work I do is to get to do a deep dive into the music being arranged. Finding all the layers of complexity and genius within a great piece of music is wonderful. I had always loved Stevie Wonder’s music, but creating this show made me really stop and listen closely to what every musician on every track was playing. Those amazing tracks created in the studio with Stevie were full of virtuoso performances.
Take a close listen to a song like “I Wish” which started our show. My mouth dropped as I REALLY paid attention to the performances of the musicians backing up his amazing vocals. The level of virtuosity is astounding.
Trying to keep the feel and joy of the original tracks, while translating to the marching band idiom and our high school performers, was a challenge that was intimidating. Luckily, Todd Tucker and his team, paired with the amazing percussion ensemble written and taught by Andrew Seivert, have a true talent for getting their students to perform at a level beyond what most band performers can do.
Pick a song you truly love and listen with new ears. I imagine there are incredible performances going on in the background that you may not have truly appreciated before. I recommend any Steve Wonder song, or perhaps listen closely to “Miss Chatelaine” by k.d. lang. Not only is this one of the all-time great vocal performances, but the arrangement and orchestration creates a special feel for the song. And those virtuoso performances!!!
I strongly encourage you to share this concept of close listening for virtuoso performances with your students. I used to take time every class period to play some music for my students, pointing out things to listen for that they might not have noticed. I shared why I thought a song was special, and helped them learn to listen. Improve their listening skills and introduce them to great music they will go home and research. Time well spent!
Tim Hinton
March 19, 2023
