Whirlwind(s): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Richard L. Saucedo
Grade: 5
Item: 35-PK01200681
$80.00
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Description
Written as a follow up to Richard's popular composition "Windsprints", this high-energy work takes the sonorities and technical possibilities of the wind band to new levels. Includes important passages for piano, woodwinds and brass. Exciting as an opener or encore! (2:40)
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01200681
More about this title
About the Composer: Richard L. Saucedo
Richard L. Saucedo directed the bands at Carmel High School in Indiana for 31 years, building a program that won state championships, earned three invitations to the Music for All National Concert Band Festival, and placed consistently in the top ten at the Bands of America Grand National Championship. His marching program captured BOA national titles in 2005 and 2012, and notably, Carmel won a national championship while simultaneously performing at the Midwest Clinic in 2005. The state of Indiana recognized his leadership with the Bandmaster of the Year award in 1998-99 and Outstanding Music Educator in 2010.
Beyond his classroom work, Saucedo has maintained an active career as a freelance composer and arranger for marching bands, concert bands, and orchestras. He served as Brass Arranger and Composer for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, contributing arrangements that earned five DCI world championships, and currently coordinates music ensembles for the Blue Devils. The Music for All Hall of Fame inducted him in 2015, followed by his induction into the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame in 2012. He is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and serves as Senior Educational Consultant for Music for All and Bands of America.
Why we love this
Saucedo wrote this as a natural successor to Windsprints, and it delivers the same visceral energy with expanded harmonic and textural sophistication. The piano part adds a dimension rarely heard in Grade 5 concert band writing, creating opportunities for collaboration and a richer orchestration than directors typically expect at this level. It functions equally well as a program opener or closing statement, giving you flexibility when building your concert.
What to expect
Whirlwind(s) lives up to its title: relentless forward momentum, crisp articulation, and a sense of barely contained excitement. The interplay between piano, woodwinds, and brass creates moments of textural clarity that cut through the energy, letting different colors emerge before the piece sweeps forward again.
Who it's for
Conductors looking for substantive concert band repertoire that challenges intermediate ensembles without overwhelming them. Musicians who thrive on propulsive, rhythmically driven writing will find this engaging and rewarding to perform.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the piano against the full band carefully in ensemble passages. The keyboard voice can easily disappear under full brass and woodwind sonorities, so adjust your rehearsal mix accordingly.
- Subdivide the fast passage work in the brass section during early rehearsals. These technical figures sit comfortably once internalized, but rushing them early creates bad habits.
- Bring out the woodwind countermelodies that weave through the main themes. Saucedo layers substantial material that goes unheard if the section doesn't find its voice.
- Shape the climactic moments with dynamic precision rather than just playing loud. The energy comes from controlled intensity and forward motion, not raw volume.
How to use it
Open your concert with this to establish excitement and engagement from the first notes, or use it as an encore to send the audience out energized. It pairs well with lyrical or ballad-style pieces elsewhere in the program, providing the kind of rhythmic drive and sophistication that anchors a strong repertoire selection.
Skills your students will build
- Rapid articulation and independence in fast passage work
- Cross-ensemble balance (integrating piano with band texture)
- Reading quick rhythmic figures with accuracy and style
- Dynamic control and shaping within high-energy contexts
- Sectional clarity while maintaining forward harmonic motion