Alla Barocco

[@scottbieser]

Awesome. We played that song in the Sam Houston Jr. High School band (1972-3), and I loved it, even though I wasn't crazy about the clarinet part (I played clarinet). In my high school years my parents bought a Hammond console organ and I taught myself to play an arrangement on that. I don't have any recordings of that, but my Jr. High band director (Neil Chamberlain) had a vinyl disc pressed for the students and I still have mine. Maybe someday I'll record it to digital and upload it to YT.

[@joev5638]

Well, playing it in 1980 and 1983, I may have been a little bit late to the party, but so glad that Mr. Byrd broke this one out. Got to give you props on the clarinet part, Scott. I’ve not tried that on my own clarinet (I played alto sax in band), but that looked challenging to me. It was tough enough on synth. Took forever to get those cleaned up. Props to your director, Mr. Chamberlain as well. When you introduce kids to music that they still remember the title to 50 years later, then as a teacher of music, YOU DID GOOD.

[@tomcarr4630]

Very nice! I was fortunate to play my part on drum set with the Bay Village, Ohio Symphonic Band in 1971. Thank you for this wonderful piece of work!

[@joev5638]

Glad you enjoyed it, Tom. Our top drummer, Mark Hendley, also played the drum part on a trap set when we did it. Unfortunately, I cannot play drums, and so I had to sequence them.

[@eddiebyrd3661]

Joe, I am impressed by your continuing musicality! Alla Barocco was also my favorite - maybe we didn't have the horsepower to perform it in a concert. Your lab is great! I let go of my synthesizers, keeping only a Yamaha Clavinova with full weighted keyboard. Since retiring I have spent more of my time arranging for, conducting, and performing in our church orchestra (woodwinds, brass and STRINGS!) Music is a great thing - I play to keep doing it!!! Thanks for staying involved and keeping us informed and entertained.

[@joev5638]

Thanks so much, Mr. Byrd. I'm pretty proud of this one. I've sure been working on it for long enough! This was the first of the songs from High School Band that I started working on. I've got a ton of them in the pipeline, and my plan is that "Championship" is next to be released. "Alla Barocco" was the last song we cut from the potential program in 1983, and it was because of how high the brass parts were. It sounded amazing, but it was rough on our trumpet section. I've got lots of piece from High School in various states. I released "Off The Line" years ago, and have several others to various levels of completion, plus some related works I found, as well as one that I really liked from some of the other schools. Are there any songs in particular that you'd like me to focus on?