What makes a piece fun to play?

gordon

Kamara

@gordon: A piece that does not have complicated rhythms/time signature(s) (hybrid), and is quite melodic in nature; where I can sing/hum it over and over again will be fun to play. Also, if the piece is a quick and easy sight read from the start, and the melody/melodies and harmonies are appealing, then I know it's a piece I will revisit many times and enjoy playing.

shewis

Two criteria:

The horn part(s) MUST be different from the sax part(s). Lazy arrangements are terrible.
The horn part(s) should also NOT be eighth note off beats for 120 bars.

Pualanasn

@gordon
If it is a march, especially one which I performed with BTTB or RHLI, then I'm pretty much a happy camper. As well, pieces from DCI which have been rewritten for concert band (i.e. Gee Officer Krupke or Malagueña). Finally any piece which features multiple piccolo parts, Gustav Mahler comes to mind (wrote several arrangements for anywhere from two to four piccolos...hint - hint programming committee).

wjerome

@Kamara I have to go along with Kamara here. A new piece should be vaguely familiar or at least give an idea where it is going. Sometimes I think composers write stuff just so they can say "I can play this and you can't"!

Dannomyte

Glisses, wah wahs, falls, flutters, mutes. Toys are fun!