Fresh Winds: 2nd F Horn
By Jukka Viitasaari
Grade: 3 (Medium)
Item: 00-PC-0018466_H2
$3.00
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Description
A fun and festive concert opener, Fresh Winds by Jukka Viitasaari craftily showcases the entire band. Fanfares, flowing melodies, and tastefully orchestrated choirs of woodwinds and brass instruments are featured. Low voices and percussion flex their muscles in "heavy metal" moments inspired by the composer's rock-and-roll background. (3:25)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Fresh Winds: 2nd F Horn 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:
Alfred Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
180
SKU:
00-PC-0018466_H2
More about this title
About the Composer: Jukka Viitasaari
Jukka Viitasaari grew up in Kuortane, a Finnish village with deep roots in music and culture, surrounded by performing musicians from an early age. His background spans brass bands, wind ensembles, big bands, and rock groups, creating a uniquely diverse musical foundation. Originally educated as a school teacher, Viitasaari has built a prolific career composing for wind bands over several decades, earning seven Finnish and fourteen international band composition contest awards. He currently serves on the WASBE board of directors and has published more than sixty works across leading publishers including Alfred Music, Grand Mesa Music, and others.
Viitasaari's compositional voice integrates rock, jazz, and traditional Finnish folk idioms into contemporary concert band writing. His ability to craft engaging pieces for elementary through high school ensembles has made him a trusted voice in the field. A mentor once observed that Viitasaari brings a unique perspective to Finnish band music precisely because he refuses to work within a single musical tradition, instead drawing authentically from the full range of his playing experience.
Why we love this
Viitasaari understands how to give every section of the band a moment to shine without losing sight of the piece as a coherent whole. The opening fanfares grab attention immediately, and the orchestration consistently finds fresh colors in your woodwind and brass sections. The heavier moments grounded in rock influence and low brass/percussion work remind students that concert band music can be genuinely exciting, not just ceremonial.
What to expect
Fresh Winds feels like the musical equivalent of opening a concert with the lights up and the energy already high. Fanfares and bright orchestration give way to flowing, singing passages that let the band breathe, then circle back to moments of genuine rock-and-roll swagger driven by the low brass and percussion.
Who it's for
Concert bands at the high school level and strong middle school programs looking for a piece that opens a concert with energy and style. Directors who want to program something accessible enough for Grade 3 but sophisticated enough to showcase their ensemble's range will find this rewarding.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the fanfare opening so the brass cuts through without overwhelming the ensemble; the woodwinds need to be heard clearly as they enter.
- Shape the flowing melodies with clear phrasing and light articulation; resist the temptation to overweight sustained notes.
- Lean into the rock-influenced passages with confidence. These sections are meant to have groove and attitude, so lock the low brass and percussion together first, then layer the rest of the band on top.
- Use the full three minutes and twenty-five seconds to build variety. Tempo and dynamic flexibility between the lyrical and driving sections will keep the piece engaging from start to finish.
How to use it
Open a concert with this. Its festive character and three-and-a-half-minute duration make it an ideal first piece that establishes the ensemble's personality and competence right away. It works equally well in contest or festival settings, where its immediate appeal and varied instrumentation demonstrate your band's musicianship across multiple sections.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing mixed articulations across full ensemble (fanfare passages with flowing lyrical sections)
- Understanding sectional roles and entering cleanly after rests and sustained passages
- Executing rock-influenced rhythms and grooves with precision and attitude
- Reading concert band voicings where melodic interest shifts between sections