O Tannenbones (Trombone Feature): Score
Trombone Feature
Arranged by Timothy Loest
Grade: 1
Item: 98-DB1251S
$5.00
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Description
Show off your trombone section with this upbeat, delightful swing setting of the beloved carol O Tannenbaum. Expertly scored, this fun-filled arrangement will keep your students fully engaged and your audience smiling. The spooky middle section presents a clever stylistic twist in which the trombones begin to haunt the band while supported by a variety of percussion instruments, including brake drum and flexatone. Easy to put together and fun to perform!
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Additional Details
Series:
FJH Beginning Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1251S
More about this title
About the Arranger: Timothy Loest
Timothy Loest has spent over thirty years in the classroom, building a reputation for writing music that actually works for student musicians. His compositions and arrangements appear regularly on major network television, from The Tonight Show to Good Morning America, and his works are performed by student ensembles across the country. In 2017, his orchestral composition Cloud Gate drew over 5,000 listeners to Chicago's Millennium Park, and that same year he received the Illinois Grade School Music Association's highest honor, the Cloyd Myers Memorial Award for Excellence in Music Education.
Beyond his own creative work, Loest has shaped instrumental music education through his contributions to industry-standard method books, including Measures of Success: A Comprehensive Musicianship Band Method and the Warm-ups and Beyond series. He holds degrees from Illinois State University and Northwestern University, maintains ASCAP membership, and founded Fanfare Music Press in 2022 to publish high-quality compositions for band.
Why we love this
The swing setting transforms a familiar carol into something your trombone players will actually want to practice. Loest writes with genuine understanding of what makes young musicians sound good and feel confident, and that shows in every phrase here; the middle section's haunted-house interlude gives the whole piece personality that keeps both your ensemble and audience invested.
What to expect
A familiar carol dressed up in swing clothes, playful and energetic for the opening, then suddenly eerie and theatrical in the middle as the trombones take on a mischievous haunting role. It's charming and fun without ever feeling saccharine.
Who it's for
Grade 1 concert bands that want a holiday pops number with real character and personality. Your trombone section gets the spotlight here, which means engagement and ownership from players who often feel sidelined in early-level arrangements.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the trombone section's articulation during the swing sections; the punch of their attacks drives the groove.
- Let the percussion instruments (especially the brake drum and flexatone) breathe in the spooky middle section. They're not accompaniment there; they're character actors.
- Record a run-through before the first full rehearsal and listen back for tuning in the lower brass. The swing style can mask intonation issues until they're too late.
- Give your trombones a moment to reset before they shift from swing into the haunting middle section. A breath, a nod, a clear gesture helps them navigate the stylistic change.
How to use it
This works beautifully in a winter or holiday concert as a lighter moment between more serious repertoire. It also functions as an excellent late-year piece when you want to build confidence and showcase section accomplishment without adding technical complexity.
Skills your students will build
- Swing articulation and phrasing
- Stylistic contrast (swing to spooky dramatic playing)
- Trombone independence and ensemble leadership
- Listening to and balancing against percussion textures
- Ensemble precision in syncopated rhythms