Antz

Description

The ants are marching one by one in this cool work for young string players. Each section has an opportunity to shine, and with plenty of solid writing to teach from, “Antz” will be a hit both in and out of the classroom!

Program Notes

“Antz” was commissioned for the 2022-2023 Brandon Valley Intermediate School 5th Grade Band in Brandon, South Dakota, with Del Hubers as the director. The piece premiered in Spring 2023. “Antz” is based on a popular children’s song known as “The Ants Go Marching,” a fun song used to help children learn to count. The tune itself, though, actually comes from two Civil War songs: “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and “Johnny Fill Up the Bowl.” Written for young musicians, “Antz” allows them to explore different rhythmic combinations of quarters and eighths, along with a variety of dynamics, articulations, and percussion sounds. There are even implied tempo changes in which the ants appear to suddenly start moving twice as fast!