'Liza Jane: Drums: Choral SoundPax
Arr. Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PC-0016665_D
$3.00
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Description
An up-beat, swing arrangement of this favorite. The light jazz treatment is voiced to insure a successful experience. This one will make your group sparkle. Don't miss it! InstruPax includes: director's score, trumpet, 2 alto saxes, trombone, rhythm.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, 'Liza Jane: Drums: Choral SoundPax 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:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
20
SKU:
00-PC-0016665_D
Instrumentation:
trumpet, 2 alto saxes, trombone rhythm, score
More about this title
About the Arranger: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse earned degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he later received the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans both publishing and composition; he spent eight years managing rights and licenses for a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, Althouse has more than 800 choral works in print across all difficulty levels, performed widely throughout the English-speaking world.
Althouse is a writer member of ASCAP and a regular recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his contributions to standard music. Beyond composition, he has compiled and arranged vocal collections including Folk Songs for Solo Singers, co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, and authored several classroom resources such as Ready to Read Music and One-Page Composer Bios. He co-wrote I Hear America Singing, a choral work performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's inauguration in 2009. He has served on the board of the North Carolina Master Chorale and currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse understands what makes an arrangement stick with a group. The swing treatment feels sophisticated without requiring instrumental virtuosity, and the voicing genuinely supports singers who might otherwise feel overshadowed by a jazz band. This is the kind of arrangement that builds ensemble confidence while delivering real musical momentum.
What to expect
Bright, swinging, and effortlessly joyful. The light jazz voicing keeps the familiar melody at the fore while the instruments add rhythmic sass and harmonic color. It's the musical equivalent of a group walking on stage already smiling.
Who it's for
Mixed-voice choirs at the intermediate level who want to perform alongside a small jazz ensemble or recorded accompaniment. This works equally well for concert choirs seeking a repertoire piece that energizes an audience and for groups preparing a pops concert or end-of-year showcase.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the vocal line against the instrumental parts by having singers project from the diaphragm and sustaining through phrase endings; the InstruPax parts should support the choir, not compete with it.
- Work the rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) as a cohesive unit to establish the swing feel; if using the recorded accompaniment, have singers listen to it during rehearsal before performing live with the full InstruPax.
- Keep the tempo buoyant and infectious. The 'sparkle' the arrangement promises comes from rhythmic precision and articulate consonants, especially on uptempo passages.
How to use it
Program this as a finale or high-energy second-half opener to lift the mood after a heavier or more introspective piece. It pairs naturally with other folk arrangements or American repertoire and works particularly well when you have small jazz ensemble players available or can use the recorded accompaniment option.
Skills your students will build
- Singing jazz swing rhythms and phrasing
- Balancing vocal lines with instrumental accompaniment
- Articulating clearly in an uptempo, rhythmic context
- Understanding folk melody within a contemporary harmonic framework