Eye of the Hawk: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Susan Botti
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK00426056
$60.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
"Eye of the Hawk" was inspired by the beautiful and majestic Hudson Valley. I wanted to base the piece on something that would resonate with the band who would be premiering it ... my local, exceptional, middle school band. The hawk became our spirit animal, and represented to me many of the qualities that are inherent in a young person of that age - bold, instinctive, elegant - a fierce creature who "owns the sky." The music conveys power, freedom, and confidence. Just like the students. Susan Botti. A free downloadable interdisciplinary curriculum for teaching Eye of the Hawk is available for download at www.BandQuest.org: https://composersforum.org/bq-compositions/eye-of-the-hawk/
Learn more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ComposersForum/search?query=susan+botti+
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.
Eye of the Hawk: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00426056
More about this title
About the Composer: Susan Botti
Susan Botti is a composer whose work centers on collaboration with young musicians and the communities they represent. Her approach to composition begins with understanding the musicians who will perform her pieces, resulting in music that speaks directly to their experience and aspirations.
Why we love this
Botti crafted this piece in direct conversation with her middle school premiering ensemble, which means every moment serves the musicians playing it. The writing balances genuine challenge with genuine playability, and the thematic connection to the hawk gives your students a clear character to inhabit rather than abstract technical demands.
What to expect
The piece inhabits the space between restraint and release. There's an instinctive quality to the melodic writing that avoids sentimentality while never losing warmth. When it opens up, the band soars with the certainty of something wild and confident in its own domain.
Who it's for
Middle school concert bands seeking contemporary music that genuinely reflects the age and capability of their students. This works equally well for ensembles building their first concerts and for programs ready to program new works alongside classical repertoire.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the hawk's predatory focus during the opening section by encouraging a lean, alert articulation in the woodwinds. The bird is watching, not resting.
- Work the ensemble toward unanimity of attack during the power moments. Individual clarity matters less here than the collective sound of freedom and confidence.
- Use the curriculum available through BandQuest as rehearsal material before the first read. Students who understand why the hawk matters to the piece will invest differently in the performance.
How to use it
Pair this with a classical opening movement to show the breadth of concert band literature your students can command. The thematic clarity and emotional directness make it an ideal choice for a spring concert that celebrates how far a middle school group can travel in a year.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining focused articulation and tone across longer phrases
- Balancing individual voice clarity with ensemble blend in contemporary harmonic contexts
- Responding to dramatic dynamic contrasts and sudden textural shifts
- Interpreting character and intent from programmatic music without excessive detail