You Better Sleigh!: Part 6 - E-flat Baritone Sax
By JaRod Hall
Grade: 3
Item: 00-PC-0019374_PART6_BSX
$3.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
Now available in a ColorFlex version! Let JaRod Hall bring some funk with a sassy attitude to your winter concert! This remarkably smooth and fun musical scavenger hunt includes a wealth of holiday tunes with an incredible groove! Influenced by jazz, R&B, soul, and dance music, You Better Sleigh! is guaranteed to be the hit of the season. (2:30)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, You Better Sleigh!: Part 6 - E-flat Baritone Sax 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:
MakeMusic Symphonic Band
Publisher:
MakeMusic Publications
SKU:
00-PC-0019374_PART6_BSX
More about this title
About the Composer: JaRod Hall
JaRod Hall is a Texas-based composer and educator with deep roots in both concert and jazz performance. He earned a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of North Texas and a master's degree from Texas State University, studying composition with Dr. Michael Ippolito and Dr. Jack Wilds, and conducting with Dr. Nicholas Williams and Dr. Caroline Beatty. As a performer, he has held principal positions in the Texas State Wind Symphony and performed with the North Texas Wind Symphony, 3 O'Clock Lab Band, and various regional ensembles. He was selected as a four-time Texas All-State Band member and competed as drum major for the 2013 Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps.
Hall spent eight years as a band director, guiding his students to consistent sweepstakes awards at the Texas University Interscholastic League evaluations and statewide recognition. His 2018 non-varsity band at Griffin Middle School in Frisco became the first middle school ensemble in Frisco ISD to earn the Citation of Excellence, honoring the top two non-varsity bands in the state. His compositions have been recognized on the Texas Prescribed Music List, the J.W. Pepper Editor's Choice list, and the Bandworld Top 100 list. His original brass work "Silver Fanfare" won the 2020 Dallas Winds Call for Fanfares, and his concert band piece "Through the Storm" received the 2021 Barbara Buehlman Prize for middle school band.
Why we love this
Hall infuses this holiday medley with genuine funk and contemporary R&B grooves rather than relying on dated pops arranging. The flexible instrumentation and Grade 3 difficulty make it accessible across a wide range of programs while the jazz and soul influences keep the musical content sophisticated enough to hold a mature ensemble's interest.
What to expect
Smooth, swaggering, and genuinely fun. The piece flows like a medley through familiar holiday tunes but reimagines them with infectious grooves and soulful character that recall modern dance and R&B production values. You'll hear the influence of contemporary jazz and urban music styles threaded throughout, creating a holiday concert that feels fresh.
Who it's for
Concert bands at the middle school and early high school level seeking contemporary holiday music with genuine musical substance. Directors who want their winter programs to feel current and energized rather than nostalgic will find this piece connects with both student musicians and audiences.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythm section into the pocket early in rehearsals. The groove is the backbone of this piece, so invest time in bass and percussion alignment before layering melodic content.
- Emphasize the sassy, dance-influenced articulations in the brass. Hall's style calls for crisp tonguing and dynamic contrast that mirrors R&B phrasing.
- Use the ColorFlex parts to balance your instrumentation. If you lack certain instruments, the flexible scoring allows you to double critical lines without losing the arrangement's character.
How to use it
Program this as your concert finale or closer on a holiday concert. The upbeat energy and accessible groove make it the perfect finale to leave audiences in a celebratory mood, and its 2:30 duration gives you flexibility in pacing your concert flow.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining steady groove and rhythmic precision across an ensemble
- Playing syncopated jazz and R&B influenced rhythmic figures with accuracy
- Balancing sassy, dance-influenced articulations across sectional parts
- Interpreting contemporary arranging techniques in a concert band setting
- Adapting to flexible instrumentation and doubling parts as needed