Dancing Kites: 1st Percussion
By Chris M. Bernotas
Grade: 1.5 (Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0017005_PC1
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Description
"Dancing Kites" is a gentle piece that will float around your performance hall. With a light, memorable melody and rich harmonies, this delightful composition exposes your students to musical subtleties and nuance. This is a perfect programming choice for students developing their abilities to perform in a lyrical style. (2:00) Correlates to Book 1, level 5. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Dancing Kites: 1st Percussion 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
Page Count:
130
SKU:
00-PC-0017005_PC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Chris M. Bernotas
Chris M. Bernotas brings three decades of music education experience to his work as a composer, conductor, and Director of Instrumental Publications for Alfred Music. His dual expertise in classroom teaching and professional composition informs every piece he writes, ensuring that accessibility and artistic substance go hand in hand. Bernotas has earned recognition as a guest conductor and clinician, leading honor ensembles and workshops that challenge directors to think freshly about repertoire and pedagogy.
Beyond the concert hall, Bernotas shapes music education infrastructure through his role at Alfred Music, where he develops and selects resources for band and orchestra programs. His published works span multiple pedagogical collections, including Sound Innovations, Sound Artistry, and Sound Performance, each designed to meet teachers where they are. His commitment to composition as a teaching tool has established his music as standard repertoire in programs worldwide, from emerging ensembles through advanced groups.
Why we love this
Bernotas writes with the insight of someone who has spent years in the rehearsal room, and it shows. The piece develops genuine musicianship around lyricism without requiring technical wizardry, making it an intelligent choice for bands strengthening their ability to shape phrases and blend sonorities. The memorable melody ensures your students will go home humming it.
What to expect
Gentle and floating, with a light melody that seems to drift on air currents. The rich harmonies create a sense of warmth beneath the surface, giving the piece emotional depth despite its accessibility. Two minutes of unforced elegance.
Who it's for
This score is ideal for Grade 1.5 bands ready to refine their approach to sustained, singing style. Directors developing young musicians' ability to perform with nuance and emotional sensitivity will find this piece offers exactly the right musical and technical demands. It also works well in contest and concert settings where a contrasting, reflective selection is needed.
How to get the most out of it
- Invest time in the accompanimental voices; the richness of the harmonies depends on each section hearing and supporting the line they're assigned, not just following the melody.
- Shape the melody with subtle dynamic contours rather than obvious swells. Let it breathe naturally, as if it's floating through the hall.
- Balance the texture so the piece feels weightless. Resist the urge to press; gentleness requires control, not timidity.
- Work the transitions between sections carefully. A smooth shift in color or accompaniment pattern will enhance the lyrical quality.
How to use it
Program this as a lyrical complement to a more energetic opener, letting it settle the audience and showcase your band's ability to sustain a singing sound. It pairs well in a mixed concert featuring both lighter and heavier works, and its contest-appropriate length and modest technical demands make it valuable for festival programming when variety is the goal.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining legit tone while maintaining musical shape over longer phrases
- Listening critically to harmonic balance and blend across the ensemble
- Responding to subtle conducting gestures and tempo inflection
- Differentiating accompaniment texture from melody to create transparency
- Performing with stylistic consistency in a lyrical, unrushed tempo