Funky Penguins: Concert Band Conductor Score

$10.00 USD

Funky Penguins: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: Funky Penguins: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-49968S
Price: 10.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Mike Collins-Dowden

Grade: 1.5

Item: 00-49968S

$10.00

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Funky Penguins by Mike Collins-Dowden will bring some Antarctic fun to your next concert! An ice-cold bass line supports a bluesy melody with lots of slip-sliding slurs; all backed up by the percussion section playing a funky rock beat. Your audience will tap their flippers while waddling in the aisles! (2:10)

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Series: Developing Band Series

Publisher: Alfred Music

ISBN10: 1-4706-5847-X

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-5847-2

UPC: 038081576039

SKU: 00-49968S

More about this title

About the Composer: Mike Collins-Dowden

Mike Collins-Dowden has directed band programs for young musicians in the Chicago area since 2007, where he taught at Pleasant Ridge School in Glenview, Illinois. His training spans the Eastman School of Music (B.M. in music education and trombone performance, 2003) and Temple University (M.M. in music education, 2007); he performed with the Eastman Wind Ensemble during their 2004 Japan tour.

Collins-Dowden is a prolific composer whose work centers on the needs and abilities of developing musicians. With over 30 published pieces across Alfred/Belwin, FJH, and Jalen Music, he writes from direct classroom experience, creating repertoire specifically for the students he knows. When away from the rehearsal room and composition desk, he performs on trombone and guitar.

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Why we love this

Collins-Dowden understands exactly what Grade 1.5 bands need: infectious energy without musical compromise. The funky rock groove and bluesy melody stay accessible for beginning ensembles while sounding completely current and fun to play. Your audience will remember this one long after the final note.

What to expect

Picture a Antarctic adventure scored in funk. A deep, icy bass pulse anchors everything while a bluesy melody slides and glides overhead, all propelled by a rock-solid percussion section that makes you move in your seat. It's playful without being trivial, energetic without demanding virtuosity.

Who it's for

Grade 1.5 concert bands ready for something with real groove and personality. This works equally well for festival and contest contexts or as pure audience entertainment; it lets developing musicians experience how fun and stylistically diverse band music can be.

How to get the most out of it

Lock the rhythm section first. The bass line and percussion drive everything here; once the low brass and drums lock into that ice-cold foundation, the upper voices will sit perfectly over it.
Shape the slurs with purpose. The slip-sliding slurs in the melody line are the character; practice these as legato vocal lines rather than mechanical slides between notes.
Keep the rock beat crisp and steady. The percussion section owns the funky feel; emphasize precision in the kick pattern and snare articulation so the whole band grooves together.
Balance the bluesy melody against the supporting voices. The bass line should be audible but not overwhelming; the melody needs space to sing while everything else propels it forward.

How to use it

Place this early in your concert to set an upbeat tone, or use it as a palate cleanser between contrasting pieces. At just over two minutes, it's ideal for festivals where program time matters and you want to leave the audience smiling.