Starbeast

As we are writing this, there is great anticipation for an upcoming movie about something in the stars, and as you read this in 2016, I have a feeling that this movie will still be in the theaters and soon headed into our living rooms on DVD and streaming video. For sci-fi fans (which we are), the stars are in your mind when you are creating music. Which leads us to the recorder feature for this issue: Starbeast! If you are a follower of the classic sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein, you may know that he has a book with a very similar title, but this is a beast of another color.

The tune itself is driving orchestral rock, with an infectious groove that invites the player back again and again. There are two recorder parts for this tune – one for soprano and one for alto recorder. While we often do a second soprano part, this one, which uses E, G, A, B, and C, should be easy enough for most younger players at this point in the year. (If they are, say, halfway through Recorder Karate, they are ready for this tune.) The alto part, while optional, will add a nice depth to the sound, and if you are teaching alto recorder, the players will love a chance to play this tune.

Technically, there are two things that you may want to emphasize and practice separately. One is staccato playing. Throughout the work, it will sound best if the players join the ensemble as they play staccato, especially at places like bar 6 where the ensemble is doing cool 16th notes that go fine with the recorder part, but not so much so if they aren't playing staccato.

Then there is the roar in the last couple of bars. It is purely optional, but it will be fun for your players to join the starbeast in roaring out his happiness, if starbeasts can be happy. The technique is to not blow at this point, but to roar into the recorder, perhaps while moving their fingers to any notes they know. It will add a special sci-fi feel to the sound that just the tracks don't provide.

As usual, if you're interested in seeing what the instrumental accompaniment is up to, we have a piano/recorder score you can access at our web site. Free to subscribers, of course. (See details on page 63.)