Creep It Real: Score
A Halloween Spooktacular
By Chris M. Bernotas
Grade: 0.5
Item: 00-PR-0007274
$10.00
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Description
Creep it Real, by Chris M. Bernotas, is the perfect selection for your fall or Halloween concert! This creeptastic piece uses only the first few notes taught in most method books and will set a haunted mood by using minor-key modality and optional glissando effects for the trombones. (2:05) (Correlates to Sound Innovations, Book 1, Level 4).
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Creep It Real: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Sound Innovations for Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PR-0007274
More about this title
About the Composer: Chris M. Bernotas
Chris M. Bernotas brings over 25 years of music education experience to his work as a composer and conductor. As Director of Instrumental Publications for Alfred Music, he has shaped pedagogical materials for band and orchestra programs across the globe, earning recognition for compositions that balance accessibility with genuine musicality.
Bernotas's teaching background informs every piece he writes. He understands the real constraints of rehearsal time, the learning arc of young musicians, and what captures student engagement. His roles as guest conductor, clinician, and co-author of resources including Sound Innovations Ensemble Development and Sound Artistry reflect his commitment to supporting teachers while challenging their students to grow musically.
Why we love this
Bernotas delivers a piece that respects your students' current technical abilities while creating genuine atmosphere. The minor-key modal approach and optional trombone glissandos give your band tools for expressive playing without requiring advanced technique, making it satisfying to perform and easy to program alongside rest-of-year repertoire.
What to expect
The piece establishes an unsettling, atmospheric mood through minor tonality and spare instrumentation rather than relying on shock effects. Your band creates genuine tension and color, discovering that simple musical tools can evoke emotion and drama.
Who it's for
Bands early in their first year of instruction will find this piece within their technical reach while building confidence on limited note sets. Directors seeking authentic concert programming for fall or Halloween events will appreciate repertoire that engages audiences without sacrificing educational value.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the minor-key melody with subtle dynamic shaping rather than flat, static delivery; even early-level musicians respond when you ask them to breathe color into a simple line.
- Experiment with the optional glissando effects in trombones during rehearsal before deciding whether to include them; they heighten the mood significantly, but work best when executed with intention rather than gimmickry.
- Use the haunted quality as a launching point for sectional balance work; minor-key writing can mask intonation issues in upper voices, so isolate woodwind lines to lock in pitch and tone quality.
How to use it
Open a fall or Halloween concert with this piece to set immediate thematic tone, or use it mid-program as a contrasting statement between more conventional selections. The brief duration (2:05) makes it ideal as a standalone spotlight that doesn't tax early-level players' endurance.
Skills your students will build
- Playing in minor tonality and modal contexts
- Executing optional extended techniques (glissando) with control
- Shaping phrasing and dynamics on limited note ranges
- Maintaining ensemble intonation in minor-key writing
- Executing simple rhythmic patterns with atmospheric intention