Windstorm: Baritone T.C.
By Vince Gassi
Grade: 3
Item: 00-PC-0019577_BTC1
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Description
The forecast: gusting winds, increasing tempi, with a mix of powerful brass and thunderous percussion, and a 100 percent chance of participation. Commissioned by The Country Day School Concert Band in King City, Ontario, Windstorm, by Vince Gassi, will sweep over your audience like a powerful tempest, the calm before the storm foreshadowing the gentle zephyr calmly flowing through the lyrical section. (4:00)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Windstorm: Baritone T.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:
Alfred Concert Band Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0019577_BTC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Vince Gassi
Vince Gassi has been composing for Alfred Music since 2006, building a catalog of over 100 published works that consistently land on festival and contest programs across North America, Europe, and Japan. His undergraduate degree came from the University of Western Ontario, followed by composition and arranging studies at the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. He earned his Ph.D. in composition from York University in Toronto.
For a quarter century, Gassi has taught instrumental music at the elementary and secondary levels while establishing himself as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician throughout the United States and Canada. His seminars on creative engagement and digital workflows for music directors have become staples at major conferences, including the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, where his compositions are performed regularly. His commissions reflect the trust bands place in his ability to write music that challenges students while delivering genuine musical satisfaction.
Why we love this
Windstorm delivers exactly what a Grade 3 band needs: immediate engagement through descriptive music that justifies its own excitement. The programmatic arc from calm to tempest gives your students a narrative to inhabit, and the mixed-meter writing builds rhythmic literacy without asking the band to sight-read an unreasonable technical hurdle. Gassi's orchestration ensures full participation across the section; there are no passengers here.
What to expect
The piece opens in stillness, a gentle zephyr moving through open scoring and lyrical phrasing. Then the forecast arrives: the tempo quickens, winds pick up intensity, brass and percussion gather power until the tempest arrives in full force. The journey from calm to storm feels inevitable and exhilarating.
Who it's for
Grade 3 concert bands looking for repertoire with genuine character and a story to tell. Directors will appreciate music that challenges rhythmic independence and section balance without requiring advanced technical facilities or uncommon meter literacy.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the opening zephyr section with deliberate control; let the silence and space breathe before the storm builds. This contrast makes the acceleration that follows feel earned rather than abrupt.
- Mark the tempo changes clearly for all players, not just the conductor. The gusting winds language in the score suggests dynamic tempo flexibility, so rehearse the ensemble's collective response to slight accelerations.
- Balance the brass intensity with clarity from the woodwind lines underneath. Windstorm works when the texture remains transparent enough for the audience to hear the storm's layers, not just its volume.
How to use it
Program Windstorm as the anchor of a concert exploring weather, nature, or descriptive music; its four-minute duration and clear dramatic arc work well as a standalone feature or paired with other tone poems. The contest/festival designation makes it equally suited for spring concert season or a regional music festival performance.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing mixed meters with secure ensemble balance
- Dynamic control and ensemble response to tempo acceleration
- Maintaining clarity and independence in multi-layered textures
- Shaping a programmatic narrative through consistent ensemble interpretation