Creatures in the Attic: Concert Band Conductor Score

Balmages has crafted something genuinely theatrical here without demanding theatrical resources. The narrative frame (the poem about creatures in the attic) gives young musicians context and stakes, while the aleatoric writing invites them into controlled chaos that sounds far more sophisticated than the technical demands justify. It's the kind of opener that makes a concert program feel intentional rather than assembled.

You enter a dark attic where something is moving. Mysterious sounds drift through the darkness, scratches, creaks, whispers. Gradually, creatures emerge with their own little songs, building curiosity and gentle excitement rather than genuine fright. The overall effect is playful unease, like a haunted house designed for children.

This score works perfectly for beginning bands tackling their first concert. The modest technical demands let young players focus on ensemble balance, listening, and responding to conducting rather than struggling with complex parts. It also opens programming possibilities beyond the standard march-and-hymn framework that often dominates elementary band concerts.

• Let the recorded accompaniment establish the mysterious texture completely before students enter. Their parts will land with much greater impact when they emerge from, rather than alongside, the atmospheric foundation.
• Work the theatrical timing as deliberately as you would block a staged scene. Pauses between sections deserve attention; silence becomes part of the soundscape.
• Balance the aleatoric passages in rehearsal by assigning sections specific visual cues from you rather than relying on listening to each other. This gives you control while preserving the intended looseness.
• Consider having a student or faculty member read the poem in the wings or from the audience before the music begins. It transforms a piece into an event and frames the creatures' emergence.

This piece excels as an opening concert number or as the centerpiece of a Halloween or end-of-year concert theme. It also works beautifully in a program exploring storytelling in music, paired with other narrative-driven works at slightly higher levels. The brevity and theatrical nature make it ideal for assembly performances or demonstrations to younger students.

• Responding to conducting patterns and visual cues while playing aleatoric passages
• Balancing ensemble texture when parts move at different rhythmic densities
• Creating atmosphere through control of dynamics and articulation rather than virtuosity
• Sustaining long tones with consistent intonation and tone quality
• Ensemble listening and adjustment within a flexible musical framework