Christmas A La Mode

Use the holiday season to introduce and reinforce the importance of scales with your students. Robert W. Smith’s Christmas A La Mode is an arrangement of “Jingle Bells” that takes the band and audience on a journey through the traditional modes. Following a brief introduction, our journey begins in the Dorian mode. We continue our sleigh ride through Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian before an ominous stop in the Locrian mode. We return to Ionian as the arrangement concludes in glorious fashion. A wonderful educational opportunity combining music theory with effective performance!