"Palace of the Snow Queen (for concert band)" by Jason Spraggins

*Click to Hear Demo

Nocturne 3 (The Blue Hour)

"The Starry Night" to be published by Alfred Music

Jason's piece for concert band, "The Starry Night," has been accepted for  publication by Alfred Music and will be a featured piece in the company's 2019 catalog.  The piece will also be recorded in Washington D.C. and included in the catalog's companion demo compilation.  The "Starry Night" was inspired by the famous painting by van Gogh.   It is currently being rehearsed for a debut performance by the Crosby Middle School Band in Louisville, KY.  The band will use the piece for a district concert competition later this semester.  

Concert Band Piece Published By Warming Sun Music

Jason's piece for concert band, "Cibola (Seven Cities of Gold)," has just been published by Warming Sun Music and is available through the J.W. Pepper website among others.

​Warming Sun Music's Description of the Piece:

If you're searching for an exciting opener, look no more. From the first measure to the last, you'll discover dramatic-sounding melodies that are creatively scored against a background of bold rhythms and contemporary harmonies. This piece has all the elements needed to make it popular for many years to come.

"Starry Night" (for concert band)

"The Starry Night" is an original piece for concert band inspired by the famous painting by Van Gogh.  . 

"Behind the Voice" (Spraggins and Brown)

"Behind the Voice" is a song that Andy Brown and I wrote in 2011.  Jon Statham recently produced this demo (www.jonstatham.com).  

The art in the video is by Helen Frankenthaler (December 12, 1928 – December 27, 2011): an American abstract expressionist painter. She was a major contributor to the history of postwar American painting. Having exhibited her work for over six decades (early 1950s until 2011), she spanned several generations of abstract painters while continuing to produce vital and ever-changing new work. (wiki)

Included in the video are two photos of Frankenthaler.  

"CIBOLA (Seven Cities of Gold)" for concert band

An original piece for concert band inspired by the legend of the Seven Cities of Gold.

The Seven Cities of Gold is a myth that led to several expeditions by adventurers and conquistadors in the 16th century. It is also featured in several works of popular culture. According to legend, the seven cities of gold could be found in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona.
(Wikipedia)

HMS Band Students Attend Solo and Ensemble

On March 21st, several of the band students attended a solo and ensemble contest at North Side High School in Jackson where they performed a variety of solos, duets, and trios for judges and were scored.  Scoring ranged from 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest ranking, reserved for the best players.  All together they were awarded 10 ribbons- five "excellent" ratings and five, top scoring, "superior" ratings.  In addition we had two students awarded ribbons for scoring a 3. It was a good day for the HMS Band!

 

Nocturne 2 (In Between)

HMS Band Website....

http://jasonaspraggins.wix.com/hmsband

"Imaginary Friends" Demo Recordings

"Imaginary Friends" is a 2011 song that I wrote with Matt Glickstein.  I wrote the lyrics and Matt the music.  In 2012, it was named a Semi-Finalist in lyrics category of the UK Songwriting Contest.  These demos were recorded earlier this year, and they have been entered into 2014 contest's adult contemporary category. 

 

Solo Recording

 

Duet Recording

Fine Arts Night, 5/12/14

Mr. Spraggins with his 8th Graders

HMS Band performing "School Spirit March"

HMS Band performing "La Cucaracha"

HMS Band performing "Ode to Joy"

Mr. Spraggins and Josh Currie

 

"Prelude"

Here is a short piano piece that I wrote last month called "Prelude"...

http://tindeck.com/listen/mysw

Parade Time!

HMS 2013-2014 Band and Guard

West TN Solo and Ensemble Contest

On March 18, I took several of the band students to a solo and ensemble contest where they performed a variety of solos, duets, and trios for judges and were scored.  All together we were awarded 12 ribbons- 10 "excellent" ratings and two, top scoring, "superior" ratings.  It was a good day for the HMS Band!

"I can humiliate or heal... "

“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”

-Haim Ginott