The Renegade: 1st F Horn
By Michael Kamuf
Level:.5
Item: 00-PC-0019771_H1
$3.00
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Description
Your youngest students will bring down the house with this exciting new rock tune penned by Michael Kamuf with your beginners in mind. The Renegade only uses the first six notes (concert Bb--G), melodic material is passed around the whole ensemble, and marcato accents are reinforced. Your students will be asking to play this one again and again!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, The Renegade: 1st F Horn 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 Very Beginning Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0019771_H1
More about this title
About the Composer: Michael Kamuf
Michael Kamuf studied jazz performance and music education at the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University, then earned a master's degree in instrumental conducting from George Mason University. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by prestigious ensembles including the Woody Herman and Glenn Miller Orchestras, the USAF Airmen of Note, and the US Navy Commodores, as well as by jazz soloists such as James Moody, Eddie Daniels, and Sean Jones.
Kamuf served as an exclusive writer for the Belwin Division of Alfred Music Publishing, with works across jazz, orchestra, and concert band catalogs. His jazz ensemble arrangements have become standard repertoire for young ensembles, and he maintains over 100 publications in print. For thirty years, Kamuf taught instrumental music in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, spending twenty-seven of those years as Director of Bands and Orchestras at John T. Baker Middle School in Damascus, where his ensembles consistently earned high festival ratings and commissioned several works for young concert bands.
Why we love this
Kamuf understands what keeps beginning students engaged: a rock groove that feels contemporary, motivating rhythms, and the satisfaction of hearing a full ensemble sound immediately. Every section gets the melody at some point, so no student sits idle while others carry the line. The marcato articulation work reinforces fundamentals without feeling like a drill.
What to expect
A confident, contemporary rock groove with a street-smart attitude. The tune radiates fun and momentum without complexity, letting even the newest players feel like they're making real music from day one.
Who it's for
Beginning concert bands working at level 0.5 or below, including sixth-grade full bands and mixed-ability middle school ensembles. Students who have recently learned their first six notes and are ready to play as a unified group will respond immediately to the rock energy and the chance to carry the melody.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythmic pulse early in sectionals. The rock feel only lands when rhythm section and melodic voices move together with conviction.
- Emphasize the marcato articulation as a character marker, not a technical exercise. These accents give the piece its personality and help younger players understand how articulation shapes musical intent.
- Balance the arrangement so every voice that carries the melody projects with equal confidence. Rotating the tune through the ensemble is only effective if each section plays it with the same energy.
- Bring out the groove without dragging. Beginning bands naturally pull back on rock pieces; a recorded reference or a director's confident conducting will keep the forward motion intact.
How to use it
Program this early in the concert season as a morale booster for young ensembles. It works especially well as an opener for a beginning band concert or as part of a family-friendly program where energy and accessibility matter most. The rock style also makes it an engaging festival selection for groups building confidence at lower levels.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing marcato articulation in context
- Playing a sustained groove while maintaining rhythmic precision
- Listening to and blending with other sections while carrying melodic material
- Recognizing and responding to rock-style rhythmic accompaniment patterns
- Maintaining ensemble sound across the range of concert Bb through G