Charm

Composed by 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winner Kevin Puts, Charm is a short, joyful piece written in the meter 7/8. Of the title, Puts writes, I decided to call it Charm because, for me, the music conjures up magic, good-luck charms andsuch, and I was also thinking of the other meaning of the word, that intangible quality possessed by certain people and places that truly can cast a spell. Free interdisciplinary curriculum for the piece is available for downloadat www.BandQuest.org .

Learn more on YouTube! BandQuest®, anexciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new,fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. EveryBandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece.

Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed toassist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email bandquest@composersforum.org to request a free downloadableaudio catalog.