Full score - A Bird's-Eye View - 2023-05-05

A Bird’s-Eye View
For Young Band
Robert Traugh

About The Piece:
This piece was commissioned by the South Allegheny H.S. Band Parents Inc. to honor
elementary band director Karen Kadar for her 30 years of dedicated service to the South
Allegheny School District band program. When Jessica Kovacs contacted me to talk through
the piece, they knew they wanted to honor Karen with a work for the beginning band. She also
shared that Karen is an avid birdwatcher. When you teach beginners for some time, your
perspective opens up, and you take joy in seeing your students "leave the nest" to continue
their musical interactions with the world. That thought struck me as similar to what it might
be like looking down from the perspective of a bird in ight, seeing the big picture. Thank you,
Karen, for your years of service to music education.
Other Considerations:
As requested by the commissioning ensemble, I wrote for various percussion instruments. This
piece focuses on an articulative idea that is carried through the piece. The essential parts are
Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Bird Call, and Tambourine. These parts can be removed as
needed. Everything else is optional.
Multiple players and various bird sound makers could play the Bird Call. I had in mind the
"Audubon Bird Call." You could also use this part antiphonally if your performance space
allows for that interactivity. The sound will repeat for the duration marked in the part
dynamics, and intensity largely depend on how many performers you have played that part
and with what sound makers. The conductor should use their best judgment to shape that
element of this piece.
Cover photo by Veronika Bykovich
Additional parts and practice play-along tracks may be requested by emailing
robtraughmusic@gmail.com or submitting a request through www.roberttraugh.com.

Flute
Clarinet in B♭
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Horn in F
Trumpet in B♭
Baritone TC
Trombone/Baritone
Bassoon
Tuba
Snare Drum
Clash Cymbal
Bass Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine
Xylophone
Bird Calls & Whistles
A Bird’s-Eye View
Robert Traugh
Allegro moderato = 120
A
Snare
Hand Crash
Bass Drum
Suspended Cymbal
let ring
let ring
Vib.
Tambourine
To Tamb.
Vib. To Tamb.
Commissioned by the South Allegheny H.S. Band Parents Inc. to honor elementary band director Karen Kadar
for her 30 years of dedicated service to the South Allegheny School District band program.
2 3 4 5 6 7
© Robert Traugh 2023. All Rights Reserved.
www.robtraugh.com

4 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tamb.
Xyl.
Birds
let ring
To Tri.
Vib.
Tamb.
8 9 10 11 12

A Bird’s-Eye View
5
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Tri.
Tamb.
on
rim
Tri.
B
Xyl.
Birds
13 14 15 16 17

6 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Tri.
Tamb.
To T. Bl.
Xyl.
Birds
18 19 20 21 22

A Bird’s-Eye View
7
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
C
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
B. Dr.
Tri.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Xyl.
Birds
23 24 25 26 27

8 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
B. Dr.
Tri.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Vib.
Xyl.
Glock.
Birds
Sus. Cym.
let ring
Glock.
D
28 29 30 31 32

A Bird’s-Eye View
9
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tamb.
Xyl.
Birds
let ring
let ring
Vib. To Tamb. Vib.
To Glock.
33 34 35 36 37

10 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tamb.
Glock.
Birds
Tamb.
Glock.
E
38 39 40 41 42

A Bird’s-Eye View
11
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Vib.
Glock.
Birds
43 44 45 46 47

12 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tamb.
Vib.
Glock.
Birds
48 49 50 51 52

A Bird’s-Eye View
13
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tri.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Vib.
Xyl.
Glock.
Birds
let
ring
Xylo.
F
53 54 55 56 57 58

14 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
B. Dr.
Tri.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Xyl.
Birds
59 60 61 62 63

A Bird’s-Eye View
15
Fl.
G
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tri.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Xyl.
Glock.
Birds
let ring
Glock.
64 65 66 67 68

16 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tri.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Xyl.
Glock.
Birds
69 70 71 72 73

A Bird’s-Eye View
17
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
H
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tamb.
Xyl.
Birds
Sus. Cym.
let ring let ring let ring
Tamb. Vib. To Tamb. Vib. To Tamb. Vib.
Xyl.
74 75 76 77 78

18 A Bird’s-Eye View
Fl.
Cl. in B♭
A. Sax.
T. Sax.
Hn in F
Tpt in B♭
Bar. TC
Low Winds
Tba
Sn. Dr.
Cl. Cym.
B. Dr.
Sus. Cym.
Tamb.
T. Bl.
Vib.
Xyl.
Birds
I
choke
let ring
79 80 81 82 83 84