Air for Seven

“Air for 7” was originally conceived for what literally was a 7-piece jr. high band. At the time, I was serving as the band director for a small Arizona charter school and had no budget for a music library, and tried to think of a stylistically simple yet musically sensitive piece to use to teach harmonic and voice-leading concepts, as well as volume control and dynamic balance, along with blend. I wrote “Air for 7” in the same vein as Frank Erickson’s “Air for Band”, a piece I remembered fondly from my own jr. high band experience. It’s my hope that my work can accomplish some of the same goals that Mr. Erickson’s fine work has done for so many years in the young band library.

Instrumentation:

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bassoon, Trumpet 1, Trumpet 2, Horn 1, Horn 2, Trombone, Tuba