In My Garden: 2nd Percussion
In My Garden: 2nd Percussion Sheet Music Preview

In My Garden: 2nd Percussion

By Kirk Vogel

Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)

Item: 00-PC-0016424_PC2
Digital Download
$3.00
View Full Set
Description
"In My Garden" is inspired by one family's struggle with an untimely death. The healing process was aided by the construction of a beautiful garden in their back yard with the inscription in stone as you enter saying "If I had a flower for every time I think of you, I could walk forever in my garden." (4:10)

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, In My Garden: 2nd Percussion comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series: Young Symphonic
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 130
SKU: 00-PC-0016424_PC2

More about this title

About the Composer: Kirk Vogel

Kirk Vogel

Kirk Vogel holds degrees in music education from Capital University (1980) and the University of Northern Colorado (1987). Throughout his career in Colorado schools, he taught band, orchestra, choir, and jazz at institutions including Palisade Jr./Sr. High School, Bayfield Middle and High School, and Heath Middle School in Greeley, where his ensembles performed at state and regional conventions.

As a composer, Vogel has earned four Colorado Music Educators Association Composers Competition awards for works including Kokopelli, Three Waters Mountain, Escalante, and Perseids. His music has been published by Kjos, Alfred, Grand Mesa, and Southern Music, and performed by ensembles ranging from elementary through professional orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Symphony and Greeley Philharmonic. He continues to work as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician in Colorado.

Why we love this

Vogel crafts music that balances accessibility with genuine emotional depth. Grade 2 does not mean simplistic here; the orchestration and harmonic language are mature enough to honor the serious subject matter while remaining within reach for young musicians. The narrative of healing through nature gives your band a chance to play something that matters.

What to expect

In My Garden unfolds with quiet contemplation, inviting the band to inhabit a space of gentle remembrance. The musical landscape is reflective rather than showy; it trusts the beauty of a simple melody and thoughtful orchestration to create space for reflection.

Who it's for

This score and parts set serves Grade 2 concert bands ready to explore repertoire with emotional substance. The piece works equally well for directors seeking meaningful contest material or a centerpiece for a concert program on themes of remembrance and resilience.

How to get the most out of it

  • Let the melody breathe in the upper voices. This piece communicates through line, not bombast, so guard against pushing tempo or volume in the early sections.
  • Balance the accompaniment figures in the lower winds and brass; they support the song but should not overshadow the primary melodic statement.
  • Consider the garden inscription as a guide to phrasing and dynamics. Each phrase can unfold with a sense of reflection and quiet discovery.
  • Tune carefully in the sustained passages. Grade 2 ensembles sometimes rush through intonation work, but this piece rewards precision in the quieter moments.

How to use it

This work sits naturally in a program about nature, memory, or community resilience. It pairs well with other character pieces at the Grade 2 level and can serve as a concert anchor that demonstrates your ensemble's ability to communicate nuance and emotion. The four-minute duration makes it ideal for both festival competition and concert contexts.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining long melodic lines with consistent tone and phrasing
  • Balance and blend in homophonic textures
  • Intonation in sustained chords and soft dynamics
  • Responding to emotional content through musical interpretation
  • Reading and executing Grade 2 concert band instrumentation

You May Also Like