Into the Enchanted Forest: 1st Percussion
By Jack Wilds
Level:.5
Item: 00-PC-0019429_PC1
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Description
Inspired by fairy tales and magic, Into the Enchanted Forest includes a modal melody paired with evocative percussion writing to conjure images of ancient castles shrouded in mist. Deeply expressive and imminently accessible, this fantasy-style work by Jack Wilds is as cinematic as it is musical. (1:30)
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Additional Details
Series:
MakeMusic First Performance Band
Publisher:
MakeMusic Publications
SKU:
00-PC-0019429_PC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Jack Wilds
Jack Wilds composes across an unusually wide range of musical contexts, from children's choirs to professional chamber ensembles. His output includes over 40 published works for developing musicians, and his concert band and wind ensemble pieces appear regularly on festival required lists worldwide. He has studied composition with Michael Ippolito, Chris Trapani, and Donald Grantham, drawing influences from visual art, literature, philosophy, and absolute musical forms.
Wilds brings direct classroom experience to his pedagogical work; he spent years as a public school band director before transitioning to the faculty at Texas State University, where he teaches composition, music theory, ear training, and music technology. His music has been performed by ensembles ranging from regional high school bands to the Atlanta Symphony and New York Philharmonic, and featured at international festivals including the International Trombone Festival and the Midwest Clinic. He serves as Co-Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in San Marcos.
Why we love this
This piece captures the cinematic sweep of fantasy storytelling without requiring advanced harmonic vocabulary or technical facility. The modal melody creates instant character while the percussion writing—the real star here—does all the atmospheric heavy lifting, giving your ensemble a chance to paint with sound rather than technical display. At 1:30 and Level 0.5, it's genuinely accessible but never sounds unambitious.
What to expect
Ancient, hushed, and deliberately mysterious. The modal melody suggests timelessness; the percussion creates an atmosphere of wonder tinged with unease. You hear the mist before you see the castle, and the whole piece exists in that suspended, magical space between reality and fairy tale.
Who it's for
This work fits concert band programs at the early intermediate level, particularly ensembles new to expressive, programmatic writing. Directors looking for accessible festival or concert repertoire that doesn't rely on technical display will find a piece that engages students musically and imaginatively from day one.
How to get the most out of it
- Let the percussion section own the mood. The mist-shrouded castle imagery lives in the timpani rolls, chimes, and suspended cymbal work; balance the band underneath rather than over these colors.
- Sustain the modal melody with a single expressive line, even as it passes between sections. The key is consistency of phrase shape, not vibrato or added flourish.
- Shape dynamics gradually and deliberately. Avoid sudden changes; allow the band to swell and recede like fog moving through a forest.
- Treat silence as part of the magic. Where Wilds leaves space, resist the urge to fill it; let those moments breathe.
How to use it
Program this as a concert opener or an interlude between more rhythmically driven works; its lyrical restraint and fantasy character offer effective contrast. It works equally well in a thematic concert exploring storytelling and the arts, or as a showcase for student musicianship focused on tone production and ensemble listening rather than technical display.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining long melodic lines with consistent tone and phrasing
- Balancing accompaniment texture with a primary melody
- Responding to expressive, non-metered conducting gestures
- Listening for and blending with the full ensemble sound
- Interpreting programmatic imagery through musical color and dynamics