Deep Dish: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By James (Jim) M. Stephenson
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00426117
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Description
"Deep Dish" is an engaging new piece for band inspired by the quintessential pizza in Chicago, from where composer James M. Stephenson hails. "Deep Dish" serves up a bluesy feel with challenging chromatic passages and saucy harmonies, and gives students the opportunity to create their own percussive sounds with kitchen utensils. A free downloadable interdisciplinary curriculum for teaching Deep Dish is available for download at www.BandQuest.org: https://composersforum.org/bq-compositions/deep-dish/
Learn more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ComposersForum/search?query=stephenson
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-PK00426117
More about this title
About the Composer: James (Jim) M. Stephenson
James M. Stephenson is a composer deeply committed to creating fresh, relevant music for developing ensembles. His work with the American Composers Forum's BandQuest program reflects his belief that student musicians deserve contemporary pieces that challenge them while remaining accessible and genuinely enjoyable to perform.
Stephenson's background in Chicago informs much of his compositional voice. He writes with a keen ear for orchestration and an understanding of what middle school musicians can accomplish when given music that respects their intelligence and growing technical abilities.
Why we love this
This piece arrives as a genuine breath of fresh air in the Grade 3 repertoire. Rather than recycling harmonic and rhythmic patterns from standard fare, Stephenson builds "Deep Dish" on blues vocabulary and unexpected chromatic movement, which keeps even your most engaged musicians alert. The kitchen utensil requirement transforms a concert performance into something students will actually remember and talk about.
What to expect
"Deep Dish" pulses with a laid-back but assertive bluesy swagger. The saucy harmonies and chromatic undercurrents create a piece that feels modern and slightly mischievous, while the addition of kitchen sounds gives it a playful, almost theatrical quality that reminds everyone that music can be both serious and fun.
Who it's for
This piece works beautifully for Grade 3 concert bands ready to move beyond conventional repertoire. It suits students who benefit from contemporary musical language and teachers seeking material that connects music to culture and community in tangible ways.
How to get the most out of it
- Embrace the bluesy language. This isn't blues in the traditional sense; let the harmony breathe and allow players to feel the swing inherent in the phrasing rather than forcing it metrically.
- Prepare the chromatic passages by isolating them in sectionals early. These will define the piece's character, so invest rehearsal time here rather than rushing past them.
- Assign the percussive kitchen utensil sounds strategically during rehearsal. Have students practice these independently first so they enter as confident additions rather than novelties.
How to use it
This works particularly well as an unexpected opener on a concert, catching audiences with its distinctive character and contemporary feel. It also serves as an excellent anchoring piece when you're building a program around American composers or exploring how classical and popular idioms intersect. The accompanying interdisciplinary curriculum makes it a natural fit for integrated instruction units.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing chromatic passages with accuracy and style
- Understanding and performing blues harmony and phrasing
- Creating non-traditional percussion sounds using found objects
- Balancing ensemble blend when harmonic movement becomes unpredictable
- Interpreting contemporary compositional language and notation