COMPOSITIONS FOR PLAY-ALONG CONCERTS

The compositions specifically written for play-along concerts using Dr. Woodson's instruments were commissioned by various organizations including The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Akron Symphony. Dr. Woodson has also arranged some pieces from the standard repertoire for use in play-along concerts.

His specially written compositions for symphony orchestras are as follows:
· "Shake, Rattle and Roar" by Steve Smith 1991
· "Hello Family" by Phil Kaplow 1993
· "Ricochet" by Jeffrey Ryan 1994
· "Concerto for Drumpets" by Eric Benjamin 1995

Compositions for play-along concerts with Kronos Quartet have included:
· "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott (arranged for Kronos)
· "Spectre" by John Oswald (written for Kronos)
· "Rite of Spring" by Igor Stravinsky (arranged for Kronos)


Concert Repertoire
Play-along concerts are most often featured pieces in children's or family concerts. For example, the works on a program for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Symphonies for Youth in 1995, included the following works:
Antonin Dvorak's - Slavonic Dance, Op. 46
Steve Smith - Shake, Rattle and Roar (play-along)
Alexander Borodin - Polovtsian Dances (finale), from Prince Igor
Igor Stravinsky – Toccata, from Pulcinella
Modest Mussorgsky, orch. Maurice Ravel – Tuileries, from Pictures at an Exhibition
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Waltz, from Serenade for Strings, Op. 48
Philip Koplow – Hello Family (play-along)
Paul Hindemith – March, from Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber

Programs and program notes for other play-along concerts are available upon request from Dr. Woodson.

Play-Along Concert Instruments
One favorite instrument for play-along concerts is his "Drumpet," a composite of a drum and a trumpet, that also includes a woodwind and string instrument. It uses simple recyclable materials and is easy enough to make in about 15 minutes during a break in the concert or as a pre-concert activity. There are several versions of the play-along performance. In one case, Dr. Woodson conducts the audience-orchestra or as Phil Koplow calls it the "Audestra," in sections where each of four sections plays one part of their instrument.

Play-Along Video
Dr. Woodson's "Make Your Own Horn and Toot It" video is a 38-minute workshop with 4th graders showing how to make simple instruments for a play-along concert with the National Symphony Orchestra in 1993. In the video, he describes the four families of instruments and shows how instruments came from different cultures around the world.

Play-Along Concert Flyer
For your convenience, you can download his "Educational Play-Along Concerts" flyer, click here. [Mel – this is in the Photo file then Adobe file and needs some clean up]

Links for More Information
Also the following links provide more information about his play-along concerts:
· Drumpet
· Kronos Quartet
· Koplow
· Cincinnati Symphony

Costs
The costs for Dr. Woodson's educational play-along concerts vary according to the number of concerts, numbers in attendance, and the proximity to Cleveland, Ohio. In general, the cost can be from $5.00 to $10.00 per person for one concert and materials to make the play-along instrument. In addition, there would be shipping of the materials, transportation, hotel and per diem expenses. For detailed information, contact Dr. Woodson.