Smash The Windows: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Robert Xavier Rodriguez
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK00444409
$9.95
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Description
"Smash the Windows" is a vigorous piece full of energy and motion. The work is based on a traditional Irish jig with the same name. Robert Xavier Rodriguez calls the piece a "toccata moto perpetuo," the music gradually builds from its quiet beginning to a brilliant flourish that, with sound effects, truly befits the title.
Learn more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ComposersForum/search?query=Robert+Xavier+Rodriguez
BandQuest, an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new, fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Every BandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece. Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to assist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email bandquest@composersforum.org to request a free downloadable audio catalog.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00444409
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert Xavier Rodriguez
Robert Xavier Rodriguez is a composer whose work spans concert music, opera, and educational pieces for young musicians. His compositions are known for combining accessible, energetic writing with sophisticated musical ideas, making them compelling additions to school and community band programs. Rodriguez has been deeply involved in projects that bring new American music to student ensembles, including his participation in BandQuest.
Why we love this
Rodriguez takes a traditional Irish jig and transforms it into something architecturally thrilling. The piece builds with genuine momentum rather than relying on tricks, and its structure as a toccata moto perpetuo gives students a clear sense of forward motion they can feel and shape together. It's the kind of work that reminds bands why energy and precision go hand in hand.
What to expect
The piece captures the restless drive of a traditional jig and channels it through modern compositional techniques. You begin in quiet focus, then gradually feel the music gather speed and brilliance until it explodes with purpose, the sound effects adding theatrical punctuation to all that controlled energy.
Who it's for
Grade 4 bands ready for energetic, contemporary work that doesn't sacrifice musicality. This piece rewards groups with solid fundamentals and a willingness to build intensity carefully, making it ideal for bands working toward confident, dramatic performances.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the opening quiet section with precision. The gradual build only works if the foundation feels intentional, not tentative. Conduct with clarity through those first phrases so the band understands the trajectory.
- Balance the Irish jig melody against the harmonic texture beneath it. The tune should sing through, but the accompanying voices need definition so the toccata character comes through.
- Commit fully to the final flourish and sound effects. This climax earns its dramatic payoff because everything before it was controlled and purposeful. Don't pull back at the end.
- Use the recorded accompaniment to lock ensemble rhythm during rehearsal, especially in passages where the perpetual motion accelerates the harmonic rhythm.
How to use it
Place this on a concert that celebrates American composition or uses regional/traditional music as a theme. Its moderate length and clear arc make it an excellent centerpiece between heavier works, and it serves as a gateway piece for students discovering how composers reimagine folk sources.
Skills your students will build
- Building dynamic intensity through multiple sections without losing ensemble cohesion
- Balancing melody and accompaniment in contrapuntal textures
- Executing rhythmic precision in fast, continuous sixteenth-note passages
- Understanding formal structures: toccata form and moto perpetuo technique
- Responding to conductor cues that shape gradual tempo and dynamic development