Rhythm Stand pays tribute to the constant presence of rhythm in our lives: from the pulse of a heartbeat to the rhythmic sounds of the world around us. Celebrating the regular order in our lives, composer Jennifer Higdon incorporates traditional and non-traditional sounds within a 4/4 swing style setting to heighten student awareness and enhance their creativity. Organized in unique compositional and rhythmic patterns, this work invites students to explore multiple ways of organizing sounds and making music. A free downloadable interdisciplinary curriculum for teaching Rhythm Stand is available at www.BandQuest.org.
BandQuest®, an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new, fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Every BandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece. Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to assist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email bandquest@composersforum.org to request a free downloadable audio catalog.
