​1E&A2&

For band; accessible study on rhythms and modes​
Difficulty rating (I-VI): III

• ​Listen to a MIDI realization on Soundcloud. 
• View a PDF score excerpt
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• ​Score: $5; set of parts: $20 (for reproduction rights; additional charge for hard copies)

There’s nothing more satisfying for me as a teacher than to get to work with a former student as a friend and colleague, and I was lucky enough to get such an opportunity with Elisa Curren Saunders, band director at Pelham (NH) Memorial School. When she invited me to write a piece for her 7th and 8th grade band, I decided to take that opportunity to honor a friend and colleague who was a special mentor of Elisa’s, Gary Corcoran. Gary was Professor of Music and Director of Bands Emeritus at Plymouth State University. One of the many things he taught me as a young music professor was a novel approach to rhythm pedagogy that he had developed, and part of which he’d adopted as his license plate—the rhythmic syllables “1E&A2&.” This piece features that rhythm in a variety of contexts, and also provides an opportunity to talk with young musicians about modes.