Kickin' Off the Fun: Mallets
By Kirk Vogel
Level:.5
Item: 00-PC-0019672_M1
$3.00
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Description
Kickin' Off the Fun, by Kirk Vogel, gives the ensemble a heavy dose of fun with a high-energy composition for developing bands. Every instrument has a chance to play the melody, and there's an infectious bass line that even the high winds get to explore. Combining articulations with repeated eighth notes, dynamics, and the first six notes from most method books, this piece challenges and at the same time generates excitement. This piece has the musical concepts the developing band needs to learn and the fun that the band wants to have.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Kickin' Off the Fun: Mallets 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:
Developing Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0019672_M1
More about this title
About the Composer: 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 public 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 conventions and regional clinics.
As a composer, Vogel has been published by Kjos Music Company, Alfred Music, Grand Mesa Music, and Southern Music. His works have won the Colorado Music Educators Association Composers Competition multiple times and been performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, community bands, and ensembles from elementary through college level. He serves as an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, and holds membership in ASCAP as both a writer and publisher.
Why we love this
Vogel understands exactly what a developing band needs: accessible musical content that builds real skills without sacrificing energy. Every section gets the melody at some point, which means your students feel invested in the piece from day one, and the infectious bass line gives wind players something unexpected to grab onto. The balance of technical challenge and pure enjoyment makes this a piece your band will want to play again and again.
What to expect
Infectious and approachable from the downbeat. The high-energy writing moves at a pace that keeps young players engaged and energized, while the straightforward melodic ideas and rhythmic patterns feel immediately playable. There's a sense of celebration throughout, built on the strength of simple, repeating figures that build momentum.
Who it's for
Developing concert bands with solid fundamentals in half-note/quarter-note/eighth-note reading and basic articulation technique. This works especially well for groups in their first or second year of band experience who benefit from early success and energetic repertoire.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the articulation patterns early in rehearsal; the repeated eighth notes become sloppy if the band rushes the sixteenth-note figures between them.
- Give the bass line its own spotlight during sectional work. Once lower voices own it, the whole ensemble gains confidence in the harmonic foundation.
- Draw clear contrasts between the dynamic levels marked in the score. Young ensembles often settle into one volume; exaggerated dynamic changes in early rehearsals help them hear the difference.
- Assign the melody passages around the ensemble with intentionality during sectionals so every player understands which part carries the tune when it's not their turn.
How to use it
Open a concert with this piece to establish an enthusiastic tone and showcase your developing ensemble's musicianship to families and community members. It also works as a strong selection for regional or state band festivals where accessibility and musical clarity matter as much as technical difficulty.
Skills your students will build
- Articulation control with repeated eighth notes
- Reading and executing dynamic changes in context
- Supporting the melody as accompaniment and bass line
- Building ensemble balance when melody moves between sections
- Sustaining rhythmic precision in the context of style and character