Fair Shake (Rock 'n' Roll Tambourine Feature): Bells
Rock 'n' Roll Tambourine Feature
By Timothy Loest
Grade: 1
Item: 98-PC-DB1810_B
$7.00
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Description
Forget the cowbell... what you really want is more tambourine! Feature one or more percussionists in this easy-going, rock 'n' roll tambourine feature. The catchy melody and driving groove will leave your students and audience begging for more. Includes an optional drum set part. It's time to give everybody a "fair shake"!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Fair Shake (Rock 'n' Roll Tambourine Feature): Bells 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:
FJH Beginning Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-PC-DB1810_B
More about this title
About the Composer: Timothy Loest
Timothy Loest has spent over three decades in the classroom at F.E. Peacock Middle School in Itasca, Illinois, where he developed a deep understanding of what young musicians need to succeed. His compositions and arrangements are performed by student ensembles worldwide, and his work has appeared on major network television programs including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America. In 2017, his large-scale composition Cloud Gate (Reflections of a City) was performed for over 5,000 spectators at Chicago's Millennium Park, and that same year he received the Illinois Grade School Music Association's Cloyd Myers Memorial Award for Excellence in Music Education.
Loest's publishing history spans nearly three decades and includes partnerships with major music publishers including Warner Bros. Publications, C.L. Barnhouse Company, and The FJH Music Company. He is recognized as an associate of several widely adopted band methods, among them Measures of Success: A Comprehensive Musicianship Band Method, Warm-ups and Beyond, and Chorales and Beyond. In 2022, he founded Fanfare Music Press to produce high-quality compositions and arrangements for band. Loest holds degrees from Illinois State University and Northwestern University, maintains membership in ASCAP, and regularly accepts commissions for band works.
Why we love this
Rock 'n' roll tambourine features are rare at Grade 1, and this one delivers genuine musicality alongside the novelty factor. Loest gives the percussion soloist(s) a memorable, singable melody to showcase while the rest of the band locks into a groove that feels authentic without requiring advanced rhythmic independence. Your students will want to play this repeatedly, and the optional drum set part adds another layer of flexibility for your instrumentation.
What to expect
Energy and attitude define this piece. The driving rock groove creates immediate forward motion, while the catchy tambourine melody feels spontaneous and fun rather than formal. There's a lightness here that invites audiences to smile and nod along.
Who it's for
Grade 1 concert bands of any size will find this accessible and engaging. It works equally well for groups with limited percussion resources (one tambourine player) or those with multiple percussionists eager for a moment in the spotlight.
How to get the most out of it
- Let the tambourine soloist(s) shine by keeping the ensemble support crisp and rhythmically locked. The groove only works if the foundation is solid.
- If you have multiple percussionists, consider rotating who carries the melody or splitting the feature between them. This gives more students a chance to own the spotlight.
- The rock feel demands a relaxed, swinging approach to the quarter note pulse. Have the band feel the backbeat even when they're not directly playing it.
- Balance the tambourine sound carefully in rehearsal and performance. It needs to cut through without overpowering the band, so practice dynamics from the earliest rehearsals.
How to use it
Slot this into a concert program to shift the energy and mood. It pairs well with contrasting styles and provides an excellent crowd-pleaser moment that celebrates your percussion section. The relatively short duration and simple ensemble demands make it ideal for including without disrupting the rehearsal schedule.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining a steady rock groove with syncopated rhythms
- Balancing soloist and ensemble sound in a feature arrangement
- Reading and executing rock genre conventions (driving quarter note pulse, syncopated hits)
- Percussion independence and rhythmic confidence in a prominent role