Groovy Loops
General Info
Year: 2013
Duration: c. 4:55
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Saxophone quartet
Publisher: J. Scott McKenzie
Cost: Score and Parts - $100.00 | Score Only - $30.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bells
- Cabasa
- Chimes
- Cowbell
- Crash Cymbals
- Ride Cymbal
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tambourine
- Temple Blocks
- Tom-toms
- Triangle
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
I wrote the original Groovy Loops for saxophone quartet just a few years after college. After writing a piece, I usually move on to other projects and try to leave older ones alone, even if I later think of some things I could’ve done differently or better. I have also shied away from rearranging pieces for instrumentation that differs from the original, since I typically consider the orchestration or color of a new piece as inseparable from other musical elements like melody, harmony, or texture.
But for some reason, Groovy Loops is a piece I’ve revisited a couple of times. A few years ago, I arranged it for string orchestra so I could devote more time to explore the unfamiliar territory of string sounds and less on writing new material. Once that was done, I once again put the piece aside; I figured I was done tinkering with it. Deep down, however, I always thought it would work well in a full band setting.
I got the chance when Dave McKee wrote me and asked if I had a short piece for the Virginia Tech Symphonic Wind Ensembleʼs upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall. I didn’t feel like I had anything in my catalogue that would appropriately fill the spot, but offered up the suggestion to arrange an older piece. It seemed appropriate for a number of reasons: the ensemble was looking for a piece to buffer a slow piece from a full symphony, there was only a few minutes to spare before the program became too long, and since I had only a month to meet deadline, the option of writing something completely new was dangerous, to say the least.
In adapting a saxophone quartet for wind ensemble, I obviously expanded the color palette, but also added a few moving lines, percussive effects, and richer harmonies that were unavailable to the smaller ensemble. I also added a couple of modulations to accommodate some specific instrumental range issues. Finally, I lengthened opening and closing sections and incorporated silences that “bookend” the piece a little more substantively than the original.
This arrangement is dedicated to my mentor, teacher, and friend David McKee.
- Program Note by composer
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- University of Wisconsin-Parkside Wind Ensemble (Laura Rexroth, conductor) - 20 October 2022
- University of California, Los Angeles, Wind Ensemble (Travis Cross, conductor) – 22 April 2022 (2022 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
- University of Texas (Austin) Symphony Band (Michael Lebrias, conductor) – 28 March 2022
- Henderson State University (Arkadelphia, Ark.) Wind Ensemble (John Webb, conductor) – 7 February 2020
- James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Va.) Concert Band (J. Scott McKenzie, conductor) – 18 November 2019
- West Chester (Penn.) University Wind Ensemble (Andrew Yozviak, conductor) – 26 September 2019
- NorthWinds Symphonic Band (Kansas City, Mo.) (John Bell, conductor) - 5 May 2019
- California State University, Stanislaus, Wind Ensemble (Stuart Sims, conductor) – 6 December 2018
- Illinois State University (Normal) Symphonic Band (Polly K. Middleton, conductor) – 1 March 2018
- Nature Coast Community Band (Beverly Hills, Fla.) (Cindy Hazzard, conductor) – 4 May 2017 (ACB 2017 Annual Convention (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.))
- Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville) Wind Symphony (John Bell, conductor) – 8 December 2015
- University of California, Los Angeles, Wind Ensemble (Travis J. Cross, conductor) - 19 February 2015 (2015 CMEC Conference, Fresno)
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Jupiter Fanfare (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Pursuit (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
All Wind Works
- Aria and Toccata (2015/)
- An Autumn Sunset (2018)
- Black Tie Blu-Bop (2006)
- Groovy Loops (2013)
- Jaguar Dance
- Iron Majors (2015)
- Jupiter Fanfare (2020)
- Jupiter Fanfare (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Keynote Address (2016/2022)
- Kings March, The
- Mozart's Sandbox
- Passacaglia for Band
- Pursuit (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Some Assembly Required (2021)
- Sound the Trumpets (2010)
- A Summer Breeze (2012)
- Symphonic Palindrome
Resources
- J. Scott McKenzie website
- "New Music Reviews." The Instrumentalist, 72/3 (October, 2017), p. 74.
- Perusal score