393 - How To Construct a Winning Medley (Dojo Conversations Episode 63)

Pipe band medley sets are the perfect chance to showcase your band's musical range and creativity. But why do some medleys sound more musical than others? Should you use harmonies in every tune, or is less more? Plus, what do judges actually listen for... and is that more important that putting together a creative set that an audience enjoys and players love to play? This week, Andrew and Jim delve into what decisions and strategies you might want to consider when constructing a medley for your band, looking at how to balance the judge's expectation, the audience's enjoyment, and the performer's preference for tunes. They discuss the importance of tune selection, changes, harmonies, and how music theory ties in, and the practicalities of introducing and changing tunes mid-season... Got a question for a future episode? Leave a comment or email support@pipersdojo.com! This week we cover: 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Medley Construction 01:01 The Art of Building Medleys 02:11 The Role of Key Changes in Medleys 03:05 The Strategy of Starting a Medley 04:03 Balancing Judge, Audience, and Personal Preferences 11:49 The Role of Harmonies 14:06 The Impact of Tune Selection on Performance 17:20 The Secret Ingredient: Nostalgia 19:22 The Importance of Timing 19:43 The Challenge of Changing Tunes 20:10 The Value of Testing and Refining 20:49 The Influence of Popular Culture 21:02 The Art of Recycling Old Medleys 21:47 The Balance Between Creativity and Audience Expectations 22:12 Get Professional Help 22:34 The Importance of Mentorship 23:41 The Creative Process in Music 30:07 The Evolution of Harmonies 31:42 The Impact of Music Theory on Medleys 35:50 The Importance of Enjoyment 37:45 The Role of Tempo ____ Dojo University is the longest-running and most successful online bagpiping and drumming school in the world. We teach thousands of students around the world how to play good music – mastering the art of learning and playing the bagpipes and drums in the process – in a highly accessible way that is completely unlike anything else you'll find online or in person, anywhere in the world. We created Dojo U because we noticed that too many pipers and drummers were struggling out there in the world. Bagpiping should be a joyful experience, each and every day you pick up your instrument. If it's not, we strive to fix that before it's too late. And whether you're a complete beginner, a parade or experienced player, a pipe major or drum sergeant, or a pro-level competitor... you can free yourself from musical frustration at Dojo U. At Dojo U, we do things a little differently to how you may have approached learning to play the bagpipes before. One of the key reasons for our ongoing success is that we're always evolving, improving, and growing. We'd love to welcome you back and show you around! Find Andrew and the Piper's Dojo Team here: Dojo University Online Bagpipe School: http://pipersdojo.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/pipersdojo Twitter: http://twitter.com/pipersdojo Instagram: http://instagram.com/pipersdojo SnapChat: pipersdojo