Half-Past Two: Score
By Randall D. Standridge
Grade: 1 (Very Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0005727
$8.00
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Description
"Half-Past Two" is a rock piece for young band intended to reinforce and deepen the students' understanding of dotted quarter/eighth note rhythms, providing a vehicle for this concept that is fun and memorable for both students and audiences. The title is both an homage to time-inspired rock songs ("25 or 6 to 4," "Rock Around the Clock," "Midnight Hour," etc. . . .) and a nod to the concept being taught---placing a note halfway past beat two. (2:35)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Half-Past Two: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Sample Audio
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Debut Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
126
SKU:
00-PR-0005727
More about this title
About the Composer: Randall D. Standridge
Randall D. Standridge is a prolific composer and arranger whose work spans concert band, jazz ensemble, and educational settings. His catalog emphasizes accessibility without sacrificing musical substance, making him a trusted voice in music education publishing for nearly three decades.
Why we love this
Standridge anchors the entire piece around a single, concrete pedagogical goal without ever letting it feel like a drill. The rock idiom makes the dotted quarter/eighth figure land naturally in students' ears, and the title itself becomes a memory tool that sticks long after the concert ends.
What to expect
A high-energy rock tune that bounces with purpose, equal parts fun and focused. The dotted rhythms sit naturally in a contemporary groove, making them feel like a feature rather than a remedial concept, while the brisk 2:35 runtime keeps momentum and attention locked throughout.
Who it's for
This is ideal for first-year band students and young ensembles working to solidify dotted rhythm vocabulary through real music. It works equally well for directors seeking concert material that teaches without preaching and for audiences that need no apology for a little rock energy on a school band program.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the backbeat in your rhythm section first. The rock groove depends on crisp hi-hat cymbal articulation and a solid kick drum foundation; once those lock, the horns' dotted figures will sit confidently on top.
- Isolate the dotted quarter/eighth passages in sectionals before full rehearsal. Have each section tap and count the rhythm independently so the figure becomes muscle memory, not just something they read from the page.
- Keep the tempo steady and driving. This piece thrives on forward motion; too slow and the rock energy evaporates, too fast and the rhythmic teaching moment gets muddled.
- Balance your ensemble so the melody cuts through the texture. In Grade 1 writing, the lead voice often needs to project slightly above the harmonic support to keep younger players engaged and the form clear.
How to use it
Place this in a concert's middle section to lift energy after a lyrical piece or use it as the closer on a pops night where audiences expect rock and novelty selections. The accessibility and strong rhythmic hook make it a natural crowd-pleaser, and programming it alongside other contemporary or light concert works reinforces cohesion in that section of your program.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing dotted quarter/eighth note rhythms
- Maintaining steady tempo and groove in a rock idiom
- Balancing melodic and harmonic roles within a full ensemble texture
- Recognizing rhythmic patterns that repeat across multiple instrument families