Band BFFs – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

Band BFFs

Katie Lewis and Laura Bell

Music

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/9d. Total Eps: 103

Hosts Katie Lewis and Laura Bell are the Band BFF's! This podcast is The One Where We Discuss Band Music. Cheers to starting the conversation!

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RSS

Apple

Data updated on 18/07/2026

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
18/07/2026
#82
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
20/12/2025
#86
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
19/12/2025
#69
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
18/12/2025
#79
🇨🇦 Canada - Music Commentary
08/12/2025
#92
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
06/12/2025
#89
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
05/12/2025
#69
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
04/12/2025
#59
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
03/12/2025
#57
🇺🇸 USA - Music Commentary
02/12/2025
#27

Spotify

No recent rankings available

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RSS feed quality and score

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 62%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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Creepin' Monsters

Season 3 · Episode 38

Monday, July 13, 2026 • Duration 12:43

In this episode of Band BFFs, Laura and Katie explore Creepin’ Monsters by Chris Clark, a playful and spooky new work written especially well for young ensembles. They discuss its accessible ranges, repetitive structure, light staccato style, colorful percussion effects, and opportunities to teach phrasing, articulation, accidentals, balance, and ensemble independence. With flexible tempo possibilities and engaging features for every section, this piece is a strong choice for a young band fall concert or an end-of-year beginner performance.

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Panther Rising

Season 3 · Episode 37

Monday, June 29, 2026 • Duration 14:01

In this episode of Band BFFs, the hosts discuss Panther Rising by Michael Sweeney, a fast-paced Grade 1 concert work that combines accessible ranges and rhythms with strong opportunities to teach dynamics, articulation, phrasing, tuning, and ensemble balance. They praise the flexible percussion writing, recurring crescendo motives, and programmatic “panther” character, noting that the piece sounds impressive while remaining approachable for younger bands and developing ensembles.

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Knox Bridge Jubilee

Season 3 · Episode 36

Monday, June 15, 2026 • Duration 15:24

In this episode of Band BFFs, the hosts discuss Knox Bridge Jubilee by Todd Stalter, an energetic Grade 2 concert opener packed with fanfare-like moments, syncopated rhythms, and constant interplay between sections. They highlight its strong teaching value for balance, layering, counting, articulation, and ensemble precision, while noting that its brisk tempo, independent lines, and important percussion writing make it a more challenging Grade 2 than it first appears.

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Zydeco Cajun Crawdad Dance

Season 3 · Episode 35

Monday, May 18, 2026 • Duration 16:46

Zydeco Cajun Crawdad Dance by Roland Barrett is a lively, style-driven, Grade 2 piece in cut time that leans heavily into Louisiana/Creole groove and character.

It’s more rhythmically demanding than typical middle school literature, with syncopation, articulation clarity, and strong style awareness being key to success.

Overall: a high-energy, crowd-pleasing piece that’s all about feel—great once students lock into the groove and style.

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Fanfare for the Fearless

Season 3 · Episode 34

Monday, May 11, 2026 • Duration 12:42

Fanfare for the Fearless by Brian Balmages is a short, energetic Grade 1 concert opener in concert E♭ that’s perfect for middle school bands or early-season programming.

It emphasizes strong articulation, clear phrasing, and basic balance concepts, with accessible ranges and engaging parts across the ensemble.

Overall: a clean, effective fanfare that teaches style while sounding bold and exciting right away.

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Dragon Dance

Season 3 · Episode 33

Monday, May 4, 2026 • Duration 11:55

This episode covers Dragon Dance by Michael Story — a short, beginner-friendly Grade 0.5 piece in concert B♭ that uses only the first six notes, making it very accessible and confidence-building.

It features simple rhythms, no split parts, and light percussion (with tom instead of snare for balance), plus clear opportunities to teach articulation, phrasing, and tuning (especially trumpet Ds).

Overall: an easy, effective early-band piece that’s great for fundamentals, layering, and getting young players sounding musical quickly.

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Upbeat

Season 3 · Episode 32

Monday, March 30, 2026 • Duration 10:42

In this episode of Band BFFs, the hosts dive into Upbeat by Randall Standridge, a fast, high-energy Grade 1.5 rock-style piece in concert E♭ built around repeated syncopated rhythms and lots of percussion color. They highlight its strong teaching value for syncopation, layering, and style, plus its catchy grooves and repeated unison patterns that make it feel harder than it is.

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Fandango

Season 3 · Episode 31

Monday, March 23, 2026 • Duration 18:46

This episode covers Fandango by Carol Brittin Chambers — a fast, high-energy Grade 3.5 piece with frequent switches between 3/4 and 4/4. It’s rhythmically challenging, highly stylized, and requires a strong ensemble with solid counting and articulation.

The piece features layered melodies, exposed transitions, and a lyrical trumpet/trombone solo section, along with lots of percussion color. Range (especially brass and clarinet) and balance are key challenges.

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Spring Concert Ideas - Medium Easy

Season 3 · Episode 30

Monday, March 16, 2026 • Duration 24:06

This is a re-release of an earlier episode as it is timely for band directors! Looking for fresh, engaging music for your beginner or non-varsity band? In this episode of Band BFFs, we review two standout concert pieces—Mama Paquita and The Dragon Lord—that bring energy, variety, and valuable teaching moments to your next performance. Tune in for practical insights on rhythm challenges, instrumentation tips, and how to make each piece a student favorite.

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Spring Concert Ideas - Easy

Season 3 · Episode 29

Monday, March 9, 2026 • Duration 19:21

This is a re-release of an earlier episode as it is timely for band directors! Looking for the perfect spring concert piece for your beginner band? In this episode of Band BFFs, we review two crowd-pleasers—Tambora by William Owens and Alpha Squadron by Greg Hillis—that are fun, accessible, and sound impressive on stage. Tune in to hear why your students will love them and how to make the most of each piece.

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Band BFFs – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Band BFFs – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify