[plant]

I have just arrived home from playing at a Citizenship ceremony with the concert band I play in. Its a community band, all ages and all standards. I really enjoy it.......sometimes. I really don't enjoy playing the "Shrek Dance Party Medley'. Particularly when its performed like no body wants to play it.

'Just The Way You Are' into 'YMCA' into 'I didn't Really Mean To Hurt You' (a weird nearly reggae version) into 'Stayin Alive' (only just) into 'WHO LET THE DOGS OUT' (in which the eupho's and tenor sax feature...unfortunately) and back into YMCA.

If it wasn't a tragedy it would be a comedy. (a gay, transgender, funky, romantic, crime thriller type comedy).

Nearly as bad is the Pink Panther and the theme from Star Wars colliding in one epic sneaky piece. Some extremely irresponsible arranging if you ask me.

Any one else want to whine about the bucket of vomit that is the MEDLEY!

 

[Saxplayer67]

That medley's not all bad. A medley can go anywhere, be anything, made up of many different musical genres and as long as transitions between tunes and keys are okay (modulation), what's the problem?

 

[Dog Pants]

I really don't enjoy playing the "Shrek Dance Party Medley'. Particularly when its performed like no body wants to play it.

'Just The Way You Are' into 'YMCA' into 'I didn't Really Mean To Hurt You' (a weird nearly reggae version) into 'Stayin Alive' (only just) into 'WHO LET THE DOGS OUT' (in which the eupho's and tenor sax feature...unfortunately) and back into YMCA.

If it wasn't a tragedy it would be a comedy. (a gay, transgender, funky, romantic, crime thriller type comedy).

Any one else want to whine about the bucket of vomit that is the MEDLEY!

I can relate! Been there, played that particular offender. The broken scale passage in YMCA, ( alto? = gabc abcd bcde cdef g.....) or whatever it was, seemed to screw up all the time.

Another few from the school diaries:

The GREASE medley.

The "Pirates of the Carribean" medley.

R2D2 meets the Pink Panther.

Queen medley.

and an arrangement of St Thomas with a really lame bar of "faux blues lick," in place of the normal ending.

 

[AltoRuth]

In defense of the medley

Like it or not, the medley is a staple of community band repertoire, and tend sto be a crowd pleaser ( see http://www.franklinsilvercornetband.com/binmore.html ). I've played the Shrek piece and admit that it is far from a favorite of mine, although I confess to a fondness for the Billy Joel number (Just the way you are). Our band handled "Who let the dogs out" by letting out "Who let the Dogs Out". I think your note about a piece being played by people who look like they don't want to play it is key here. Again, take a look at The Binmore Scale at the link above.

Take the "Grease" medley, for example. Music from a 70's parody of a 50's setting. How can you not play that in high camp style? And it becomes fun! Same thing with the Jimmy Buffet medley we will do in October. Played with Jimmy-style, laid back, island cool it is great fun. And an added bonus for me---we play our October concert as a Halloween Concert, with the entire band in costume---so I think I can use my parrot-head get up. Or if it's chilly and we play "Grease", I'll pull out my leather jacket get a comb and some hair gop, and go as a dragster.

To be sure, there are some medleys out there where mustering up enthusiasm might require the aid of strong drink---I have played some pretty lame Disney medleys that would have benefitted. Bottom line, even if you hate it, suck it up and act happy---do your audience that favor.

As an antidote to listing our most hated medleys, how about listing some of what we consider the good ones--so we can pass those along to our directors as alternatives to the dogs.

Ruth

 

[Budget Explosion]

"Feelings" into "Born Free" into the Beatles "Yesterday"

or

"(Get Your Kicks on) Rte. 66" into "Mustang Sally" into "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"

 

[tjontheroad]

Worst melodies...

"I'm Too Sexy" (Is that even a melody?).
"Taking Care Of Business"
"Eye of the Tiger"
"Electric Avenue"

 

[rleitch]

I thought my plan--from another thread--of doing a vocal medly of Night Train, Red Top, and Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, was pretty bad. If it works out, I'm planning to sing 'Round Midnight for an encore.

Rory

 

[Grumps]

For my kid's high school band last year, the big marching medley was a tribute to Elton John, and their indoor concert featured a medley from the musical Oklahoma. Is it any wonder why they've only got around twenty wind players in one of the biggest schools in the county. I don't even mind that my son quit this year. I couldn't blame him.

 

[AltoRuth]

Worst melodies...

"I'm Too Sexy" (Is that even a melody?).
"Taking Care Of Business"
"Eye of the Tiger"
"Electric Avenue"

It's "medley", TJ.

 

[10mfan]

I'm Dating Myself, But In The Older Days Of Society Gigs It Would Have Been:


The Alley Cat, Into The Hustle, Into New York New York....




Thats A Recipe For A Serious Migraine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






If I Was Out In Todays World Doing Those Kinds Of Jobs, Pretty Much Most Of Todays Pop Crap Would Give Me The Same Migrain.

 

[gary]

Agreed that a medley can go anywhere given the right arranger and band, but I think I know that particular arrangement and it's pretty lacklustre.

There was a published medley from Grease that I used a lot about 20 years ago that was pretty good. You could do a lot with it, show-wise as well as it's being sound musically.

I play and conduct a lot of medleys and one thing I've noticed, is it seems that the best (in general) are written by Americans who have decent background writing jazz. This is not to say that when they write pop medleys the "jazz" them up, but there's just better orchestration, voicings etc. A lot of the European medleys of anything popish or jazzish are just dreadful.

I'm Dating Myself, But In The Older Days Of Society Gigs It Would Have Been:
The Alley Cat, Into The Hustle, Into New York New York.

That's sick! Did the finale feature a guy in sequined vest and pompadour? Shirt opened up revealing hairy chest and necklaces?

BTW - showing age? Do you remember "Christopher Columbus"es?

 

[tjontheroad]

It's "medley", TJ.

Woops. Well go ahead and put those darlings together in one all time crappy tune. You'll never play your sax again! :twisted:

 

[AltoRuth]

Woops. Well go ahead and put those darlings together in one all time crappy tune. You'll never play your sax again! :twisted:

You got that right! Easily a contender for the worst medley ever!

 

[BobbyC]

Worst medley?????

Hmmmmmmm..........................

How about the entire score of High School Musical made into a medley.
Now that's painful.

 

[davevillajr]

Maybe not the definition of medly you folks are using, but the High School Band favourite (spelling in tribute to our readers outside the US) has to be:

INSTANT CONCERT

Remember that one? With about 30 or more different "classical" and folk melodies arranged one after the other?

The memory of that one always hurts my feelings.

Thanks a lot Mr. Sheppard!!

Go Tracy High!! 84-88 Baby!!

dv

 

[tjontheroad]

INSTANT CONCERT

Our band plays this. The first time I looked at just alto sax chart, I couldn't figure out what the heck it was without the rest of the band playing along. I kinda like this one. 30 unique melodies in one selection can't be all bad

 

[SOTSDO]

Of course, the best way to avoid concert band abominations like those discussed above is to not play in concert bands...

I have a couple of "society orchestra" medley arrangements, both titled "Dinner Music", and (while not world class material), both are clever arrangements of classic dance tunes (and here I'm talking 1930 through 1950 dancing) that are more than suitable for the stated purpose - playing music for dinner. There's a lot of clever segue work between the tunes, and they flow together pretty well.

A few of the titles: There's a Small Hotel; Dancing In The Dark, Moon River. Nothing leading edge there, but nice melody backed up by well-written harmony nonetheless.

Of course, no one like to play them, since the tunes are positively ancient. But, to generate a low key audio background during dinner time, they are just as good now as they were the day that they were written.

 

[retread]

INSTANT CONCERT

It's a blast to play, and audiences love it.

 

[gary]

...the High School Band favourite...has to be:
INSTANT CONCERT
Remember that one?

Yep. It's in our book. :shock:

 

[AltoRuth]

It's a blast to play, and audiences love it.

Yep, have played it many times. Our director "sells" it to us (the band) as an exercise in making multiple and rapid transitions into wildly different musical genres. Which, for me, is one of the things I like about community band---I'll never be a professional and I don't aspire to play jazz in smoky cafes, or play background music while people eat. Community band affords this rank amateur musician and music lover a venue for performing to appreciative, albeit not especially sophisticated, audiences, and for learning how to play in a variety of musical styles. It has also yielded a number of wonderful friendships. So bring on those medleys!!
Ruth