La Noche de los Alebrijes: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Warm, playful, and imaginative. The melodies have a gentle soaring quality, and the unique percussion colors create a festive, almost magical atmosphere that feels both welcoming and full of personality.

Grade 1 concert bands eager to program something with cultural substance and theatrical appeal. This works for ensembles new to more complex storytelling in music, as well as programs looking for material that engages audiences beyond traditional concert repertoire.

• Balance the soaring melodies across your woodwinds by rotating who carries the main line rather than doubling everything; this keeps young players engaged and strengthens their sense of phrasing.
• The percussion section is the storytelling engine here. Give your drummers ownership of the colorful instrumentation and time to rehearse their parts separately so they understand how their colors support the melodic narrative.
• Mark off sections by the creatures or scenes VanDoren is depicting; this helps students connect the music to the title and builds their interpretive skills beyond note-reading.

Program this for Halloween or Día de los Muertos concerts when your community is already thinking about celebration and cultural traditions. It also works well as a concert opener that signals to audiences they're in for something imaginative and fun rather than formal.

• Playing soaring melodic lines within accessible ranges
• Listening to and balancing multiple independent parts
• Reading and executing colorful percussion instrumentation
• Connecting musical content to narrative and cultural context