Encounters: 1st Trombone
By Jack Bullock
Grade: 4 (Medium)
Item: 00-PC-0015179_TN1
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Description
Encounter (n.)---a meeting between hostile factions, a sudden clash. The encounters found in this composition are dissonant harmonic and melodic clashes in the music. The dissonance along with a liberal use of sharp articulations and forceful volume levels creates the "meeting of hostile factions," or "Encounters." This dynamic concert work is destined to become a classic! (5:45)
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Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Symphonic Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
272
SKU:
00-PC-0015179_TN1
More about this title
About the Composer: Jack Bullock
Jack Bullock is a composer, arranger, and educator with deep roots in both classical and commercial music. His performance career took him from the Miami Philharmonic Orchestra and Miami Opera Company to touring dance bands across the country, where he developed an intimate understanding of what works on the concert stage. He holds advanced degrees in Music Education and has published more than 600 works across concert band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, and marching band.
Bullock spent two decades teaching instrumental music in schools and universities, including seven years at Ithaca College where he served as assistant band director and later chaired the Music Education Department. He co-authored the Belwin 21st Century Band Method and contributed arrangements to Music Expressions, Alfred's innovative school curriculum. His work has earned recognition through ASCAP membership since 1980, and he has conducted clinics and workshops throughout North America and internationally.
Why we love this
Bullock takes the Grade 4 level seriously without patronizing it. His use of dissonance feels intentional and compositionally sophisticated rather than simplistic, and the sharp articulations and dynamic contrasts give your band something genuinely dramatic to sink their teeth into. This is the kind of piece that works equally well as a festival selection or as a standalone concert moment that audiences actually remember.
What to expect
Encounters lives in deliberate tension. The dissonant harmonic clashes collide with sharp, forceful articulations to create a sense of conflict and collision that feels urgent without becoming chaotic. There is drama here, purpose-built and musically intelligent.
Who it's for
Band directors looking for a medium-level concert piece with real compositional substance and contest/festival viability. This work suits ensembles comfortable reading modern harmonic language and responding to precise dynamic and articulation demands without oversimplifying the musical intent.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the dissonant harmonic clashes with clarity rather than muddiness. The hostility comes from precision and definition, not from blurred attacks.
- Balance the forceful dynamic markings with the underlying melodic lines so the music drives forward without losing direction or coherence.
- Use the full five minutes and forty-five seconds to let the encounters develop and resolve. Resist rushing through the points of tension.
- Differentiate articulation styles carefully. The "liberal use of sharp articulations" will only register if players understand which passages demand aggressive tonguing versus which require separation.
How to use it
Program this as a concert centerpiece or contest piece where you want to showcase your band's technical facility and musical maturity. It pairs well alongside more lyrical or energetic selections, since its character is distinctly confrontational and modern. At Grade 4, it's ambitious enough to stretch a capable ensemble without requiring advanced virtuosity.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing modern harmonic language with dissonant sonorities
- Precision in sharp articulation and its contrast with legato phrasing
- Dynamic control across a wide range of volume levels
- Sustaining focus through a five-minute form with multiple climactic moments
- Ensemble balance when harmonic density and dissonance increase