Great Green Kazoo, The
General Info
Year: 2021
Duration: c. 2:35
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Excelcia Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $65.00 | Score Only - $10.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion, including:
- Bass Drum
- Glockenspiel
- Hi-hat
- Marimba
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Tom-tom
- Triangle
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
The Great Green Kazoo was commissioned by the South East Junior High School Band in Iowa City, Iowa, Maddie Madsen, director. The piece was written in memory of Ezra Sheldon (May 29, 2006-August 11, 2020) and premiered in May 2021.
Ezra Sheldon was an eighth grade Bbassoon player who had a kind disposition and a great sense of humor. According to several people who knew him, when he was in elementary band, he would sometimes jokingly pull out a green kazoo in class and use that instead of his reed! Ezra loved classic rock, cars, computers and gadgets. Not only was he beginning to excel on bassoon; he was also learning trombone for jazz band. Given his appreciation for rock and jazz styles along with traditional concert band, he definitely loved it when pieces contained funky parts and cool grooves for the low reeds.
The piece begins with a calm, soulful melody which I named “Ezra’s Anthem.” It’s not long before it moves into a faster, upbeat, funk-style section. The main idea of funk is that there’s a strong bass line with an emphasis on count 1 every so often, but it’s not continuous. Then “in the windows,” so to speak, another line starts its own groove, and then a third line begins to fit yet another melody into the mix.
There are often syncopated rhythms and melodic patterns based on the pentatonic and blues scales. The middle section of the piece incorporates actual kazoos, which add a unique sound and of course pay tribute to Ezra. In the final section, we hear “Ezra’s Anthem” once again, but this time in a very upbeat, uplifting way.
- Program note by composer
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Tex Hill Middle School (San Antonio, Tx.) Band (Bernard Rosenberg, conductor) - 16 December 2021 (2021 Midwest Clinic)
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Byzantine Dances (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2020)
- Carol of the Bells (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1914/2020)
- Rhythmania! (Flex instrumentation) (2020/2021)
All Wind Works
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- All for One, One for All (2019)
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- Beautiful River (as arranger) (1864/2011)
- The Bold Brigade (2020)
- Bright Light in the World (2022)
- Byzantine Dances (2018)
- Byzantine Dances (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2020)
- Carol of the Bells (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1914/2020)
- Cedar Canyon Sketches (2014)
- Clear Creek Canyon
- ConnectUS
- Cruisin' Bluesin' (2016)
- Dances for the Muse, Terpsichore (2022)
- Danza de España (2015)
- Down on the Delta (2022)
- Embark (2022)
- Energy Ball (2022)
- Fandango (2023)
- Fanfare Esprit (2022)
- Fearless (2022)
- The Great Green Kazoo (2019)
- Jumpstart! (2014)
- Kalos Eidos (2020)
- La Terre Sacrée (2021)
- Land of Enchantment (2022)
- March of the Freedom Fighters (2016)
- Moon Song and Tribal Dance (2014)
- Night Fury (2016/2017)
- Noble Procession (2014)
- Pipe and Thistle (2019)
- Rainbow in the Clouds (2017/2018)
- Rhythmania! (2021)
- Rhythmania! (Flex instrumentation) (2020/2021)
- Ridgeview Overture (2020)
- Rock Attack (2015)
- The Rusty Bucket (2015)
- So Wondrous Bright (2015)
- Softly Speaks the Night (2016)
- Song of the Fjords (2021)
- Squirrel Chase (2021)
- Summer Glen (2020)
- Sunchaser (2017)
- Tarantella (2022)
- To Create a Voice (2018)
- Where the Waters Meet (2021)
Resources
- Carol Brittin Chambers, Aspenwood Music Accessed 13 December 2021