City Rain: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Judith Zaimont
Grade: 4.5
Item: 35-PK00444391
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Description
In her tone poem "City Rain", Judith Zaimont captures the spirit and vitality of a summer shower as it falls on a busy city street. This piece draws a lively picture of a passing storm and is unified by the jazz-like rhythmic motive based on the pattern of the title words "city rain." Zaimont paints the image of rain through the rhythmic motive and the use of body percussion and alternative instruments (such as tapping patterns on music stands). As the music unfolds, each section of the band is spotlighted at different times. The instruments also join together to produce layers of sound that create interesting and complex jazz chords.
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.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00444391
More about this title
About the Composer: Judith Zaimont
Judith Zaimont is an American composer whose work spans orchestral, chamber, and wind ensemble literature. Her compositions are known for their clarity of gesture, inventive orchestration, and accessibility to student musicians without sacrificing musical substance. Zaimont has been deeply invested in music education throughout her career, creating works that challenge ensemble players while remaining grounded in teachable concepts.
Why we love this
Zaimont transforms a simple, repeatable rhythmic cell into the structural backbone of an entire work, giving your students a unified anchor while the orchestration constantly shifts around them. The instrumentation choices are deliberately pedagogical: body percussion and alternative percussion techniques keep everyone engaged, even those who don't have traditional parts at every moment. This is concert band writing that respects both the intelligence of middle school musicians and the practical constraints of what directors actually have to work with.
What to expect
The piece captures the sensory chaos and strange beauty of a summer downpour on city pavement. Rain taps irregularly, builds momentum, creates cascading layers of sound, then clears just as suddenly. Musically, Zaimont achieves this through propulsive rhythmic energy, constantly rotating instrumental color, and harmonic language that feels modern without becoming abstract.
Who it's for
Grade 4.5 concert bands seeking repertoire that moves beyond traditional march and fanfare forms without abandoning musicianship fundamentals. Directors who want their students to encounter compositional techniques (rhythmic motif development, orchestrational variety, harmonic complexity) grounded in a work that doesn't require advanced technical facility on every instrument.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the "city rain" rhythmic motive with absolute clarity in early rehearsals. Once your ensemble owns this pattern, every section can layer it independently, which is essential for the piece's textural layering to work.
- Experiment with the body percussion and music stand tapping during sectional rehearsals before bringing it to the full ensemble. Assign specific students to these parts and treat them with the same attention you give to melodic lines.
- Balance the jazz chord sonorities carefully. These vertical structures will sound muddy if the individual lines aren't articulated distinctly. Encourage players to hear their pitch function within the larger harmony, not just play their written note.
How to use it
Pair this with other American contemporary works to build a concert theme around "Weather and Nature in Music" or position it as a middle-of-program piece that showcases your ensemble's rhythmic precision and sectional balance. The moderate length and high accessibility also make it ideal for a spring concert when ensembles have built stronger ensemble cohesion and technical command.
Skills your students will build
- Recognizing and executing a unifying rhythmic motive across multiple statements and transpositions
- Layering independent rhythmic patterns while maintaining overall pulse
- Balancing complex jazz chord voicings through careful voice leading and articulation
- Performing body percussion and alternative percussion techniques as integral musical elements
- Following frequent timbral shifts and sectional spotlighting to stay oriented in the form