Rhythm Rappin' Rock: (wp) B-flat Tuba B.C.
By Kevin Mixon
Grade: 1.5 (Very Easy to Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0000866_wpTBBBC
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Description
Finally, a rap/rock piece with real educational value! Consistent with many established approaches, students will learn new sixteenth-note rhythms typically introduced in the first or second year of instruction through "rap" (speech rhythms), which will ensure accuracy when played on instruments later. There are also plenty of fun licks to play on instruments using easier rhythms (nothing harder than eighth notes). This one is such great fun that students will hardly know they're learning!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Rhythm Rappin' Rock: (wp) B-flat Tuba B.C. 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:
Belwin Beginning Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
136
SKU:
00-PC-0000866_wpTBBBC
More about this title
About the Composer: Kevin Mixon
Kevin Mixon directs instrumental music at Blodgett K-8 School in Syracuse City Schools, New York, where he works with students across the full spectrum of abilities and backgrounds. He is a frequent clinician at major conferences including the International Society for Music Education Convention, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, and numerous state and regional music education events, where he addresses topics ranging from urban music education to percussion pedagogy and alternative rehearsal approaches. His scholarship appears regularly in Music Educators Journal, Teaching Music, The Instrumentalist, and the National Band Association Journal.
Mixon holds degrees from Onondaga Community College, Syracuse University, and the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and is pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Educational Leadership. He has authored Reaching and Teaching All Instrumental Music Students and co-authored Teaching Music in the Urban Classroom (MENC/Rowman & Littlefield Publications). His compositional and arranging work spans band and orchestra literature.
Why we love this
Mixon has engineered something genuinely clever here: students absorb sixteenth-note rhythms through speech before translating them to instruments, which bypasses the usual disconnect between what kids hear and what they play. The rock framework keeps energy high while the instrumental licks stick to straightforward rhythms, so nobody gets left behind. Your band will be locked in and grinning by the first rehearsal.
What to expect
Energetic and contemporary, with a straightforward rock pulse that feels immediately accessible. The blend of spoken rhythms and instrumental parts creates a modern ensemble sound that's refreshingly different from traditional band fare while staying true to solid pedagogical practice.
Who it's for
Early-level concert bands (Grade 1.5 and up) who want to tackle rhythmic growth without sacrificing fun or ensemble morale. Students new to sixteenth-note patterns benefit from the speech-first approach, while more confident players stay engaged through the rock idiom and instrumental licks.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the rap rhythms clearly in the first rehearsal without instruments. Have students speak the patterns in unison until the phrasing feels natural, then layer in the instrumental parts section by section.
- Keep the groove steady and slightly relaxed. Concert band students sometimes over-articulate rock rhythms; encourage a lighter touch on the subdivisions to let the pocket breathe.
- Balance the rap/speech sections with the instrumental sections so neither one overshadows the other. The contrast is what makes the piece work educationally and musically.
How to use it
Use this as a winter concert opener or a spring pops program centerpiece to inject variety into your concert sequence. It also works well as a morale booster mid-year when students need encouragement, or as a showcase piece that demonstrates how seriously your program takes contemporary music and student voice.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing sixteenth-note rhythms in simple meters
- Translating spoken rhythm patterns to instrumental execution
- Playing with style and articulation appropriate to rock/contemporary music
- Ensemble precision and rhythmic lock in a non-traditional idiom