My school band is playing this I'm a percussionist I'm playing claves that clicking is me.

i dont wanna play this brah </333

I love the flutes in this one!

Woah My band is starting to play this hope we sound as good as this 😭

Trumpet player in 8th grade and learning this piece 🔥🔥

My band did this song last year during concert season, I played the flute, and it's such a good music piece. One of my favorite band songs played

I fw brian balmages HEAVY

playing this as snare

I’m so glad we have this

No

Im a trumpet and the flute part looks terrifying

Bro I play the trombone for this song and let me tell you, I CAN COOK ESPECIALLY IN WHEN THE BPM CHANGES

In the measures where low brass and woodwinds have the melody it is supposed to be smooth and connected but they kinda made it short

fast

Clarinet 1 on this piece 😘😘

Clarinet in ninth grade band. Can confirm- got stuck in head every time.

I am playing this song with my band this year. I always love muting the audio in a charging scene from a movie and playing this song over! Purely epic!!

Euphonium player 7th grade quail valley middle school we are gonna play this at uil concert ill hopefully update yall to tell you what the judges rated us

My band is doing this song this year and I have the timpani solo!!! First solo in 3 years of band ❤❤❤

As someone playing the timpani part in this song, I can confirm this is awesome.

Performed this 7 years ago in middle school and I still get it stuck in my head sometimes

I played this great piece for Texas UIL Band. I played the bari sax on it. Such a fun song. I regret my decision of playing the tuba instead of the bari sax. Great times. We got a Division 1 on sightreading, and all 3 concert pieces.

I played this in 7th and i was on first part clarinet, I MISS PLAYING THIS SO MUCH

3:12 god that French horn and baritone part is so beautiful

Why does Balmages love to have slow starting peices that have their fast bars introduced by 4 bars of percussion and then a melody stated by trombones.

1:35

Brian Balmages is awesome! This is one of my favorites but I've played other songs by him and they are all fantastic. Just the right level of challenge, and all musically great!

It seems everyone is playing this in band, because I am also playing this in band!

advice for the timpani player, from a timpanist: 9-11: lightly tap the drum - remember that you're accenting the band! 16/17: you're the only person playing quarter notes here, but it's still a background part! think of it as the timpani part peeking through & introducing itself to the audience. 34: hard mallets could be used here. alternate mallets! i recommend crossing your right over your left for the four 8th notes - play LRLR. this part is supposed to stand out, so make sure it's loud but controlled. mute all 4 at the end of 45! 53: HIGHLY recommend switching to hard mallets here. be gentle but firm; tighten your grip a little. again, make sure you're alternating mallets here! 65/solo: play sharp articulation-wise. keep the firm grip. play confidently and consistently!!!! follow the sticking pattern 74: back to soft mallets 83: mute on beat 1 96-98: balmages wrote to let the drums ring, but i recommend muting after each hit unless you're using hard mallets here. i also add an extra hit on beat 2 of the 2/4 measure, however this is optional, and i'd consult your director first. last 2 measures: hard mallets here! think of yourself as a vessel for the conductor; you follow them, and the band follows you. play similarly to the first solo. mute both of the last 2 notes. RLR, RLR, RLRL (R mute) - L (L mute) *don't roll ties *make mallet switches during multimeasure rests *proper alternation is important for ratings at adjudicated events - judges will look closely at your technique

I played bass clarinet for the first time ever to this piece and let me tell you it did not disappoint for the first time ever playing a low instrument

we did this for district band this year😭

I play timp for this song, love it.

I have the timpani solo for this song. And lemme tell you, when I play it, the kids go CRAZY

I’m playing this in my band concert

When I'm listening/playing this song I imagine a father In a snowy cabin in middle of a forest with this Ill daughter. The icy storm is circling around their little home. But they are out of medicine and if she doesn't get more soon she will perish. (This next part starts 1:45) forcing the father to push through the blizzards and the snow to save his daughter before time runs out. At 3:10 - 3:19 he grows tired and weary but he reflects on his daughter and how much he cares for her and that gives him more strength and courage to push through the harsh cold winter to save her life

I play this in my band class

Bro my band is playing this song for a concert

Every time it hits 3:09 that part gives me the chills all the time and its soooo emotional and soooo calming. Great song. Finna play this in the UIL this year in March

balmages never fails to disappoint with timpani parts - this is such a beautiful & fun piece to play

I love the brass choir behind the woodwinds playing eighth notes

Brian balmages is one of my favorite composers

how lucky was I to get to do the timp solo at 2:39

It's very star warsie, also we are playing this for uil in 8th grade

I'm in 8th grade with a grade 7-12 band, and my band teacher says we might not do it for this winter concert, he said that this is easy and that we could do it, we just need to focus on it more, and we are getting very good at it now.

I'm a tuba and played this for a winter concert (8th grader) i loved playing it

I’m playing this song this year it sounds like a fortnite event

1:48 is easily my favorite part, I'm a trombone and that melody is so fun to play

This song depicts a foggy, eerie drift into the arctic land at the poles on your boat, after arriving at the cold frozen land and explore for a little bit, the ground begins to shake and you notice snow hurtling towards you full speed. You take off sprinting towards your boat. You look behind you and notice the dense snow in the distance still floating to the ground. It's deadly, but in a way beautiful.

I’m playing this and I’m getting to meet Brian Balmages and I’m so excited

that trombone solo at 1:49 though