Review

Jett M. Walker
The Quintet Playbook: Effective Strategies for Amateur or Pre-Professional Brass Quintets

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2024
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Book/method book. 50 pages

Primary Genre: Study Material - book
Secondary Genre: Study Material - method

The Quintet Playbook is a fifty page comprehensive text developed by Dr. Jett Walker, Assistant Professor of Trombone at Western Illinois University, intended to guide amateur and pre-professional groups into the world of brass quintets. This handbook is divided into four chapters: Organization, Quintet Fundamentals, Rehearsal Techniques, and Communication. Walker indicates many helpful resources in this book including intonation practice, exercises to match articulation, rhythmic games to establish group pulse, and ear training drills. In addition to in-depth descriptions of how to plan, rehearse, and perform as a brass quintet, Walker includes handouts that the group can tangibly fill out in order to set goals for the group, plan rehearsal schedules, implement roles in the group, and even how to decide which repertoire to prioritize going into a performance. 

Walker prepares the reader with every possible facet of starting a brass quintet in the modern age including advice on social media and website presence. The brilliant part about this handbook is that even after reading the text, a quintet can utilize the exercises on a daily basis and constantly fill out the handouts to reflect their group’s current rehearsal needs and performance goals. I would recommend The Quintet Playbook to any brass professor who has students beginning their chamber music journey. This would be a beneficial resource for a pedagogy class as well.