CONCERT BAND MUSIC
New For 2023
Annie - medium/grade 3.5 - Bring the music from one of the greatest musicals of all time, Annie, to your concert hall. This exciting arrangement by Michael Kamuf includes three of the show's most iconic songs, "It's the Hard-Knock Life," "Easy Street," and "Tomorrow," and makes the perfect closing selection for your next concert!
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Conquering the Nemesis - easy-medium easy/grade 2.5 - Portraying an epic battle, this programmatic work titled Conquering the Nemesis, by Michael Kamuf, builds suspense and intrigue from the first note! The "Nemesis"---portrayed with ominous melodies using variations of a five-note cell---contrasts with the "Hero," represented by a bold and heroic motif. These opposing themes, contrasting contemporary harmonies, and driving percussion, create a perfect selection for your next concert or festival performance!
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Destiny Awaits - very easy/grade 1.5 - description and links coming soon!
On To Victory - very easy/grade 1.5 - On to Victory is a bold and energetic fanfare based on "Anchors Aweigh," which also includes melodic fragments of "The Navy Hymn--Eternal Father, Strong to Save." Arranged by Michael Kamuf, this is the perfect setting to reinforce phrasing and syncopation with your beginning band students and an outstanding opening or closing selection for your next performance!
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A New Orleans Nutcracker - medium/grade 3.5 - Tchaikovsky strolls the streets of the French Quarter! Arranger Michael Kamuf reimagines the "Overture," "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies," and "Trepak" themes by using different New Orleans-based grooves, rich jazz harmony, and plenty of syncopation and rhythmic twists. Students will love playing these themes, and your audience will dance in the aisles! A New Orleans Nutcracker Suite is the perfect addition to your holiday program. Though written as a suite, each movement can stand alone.
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She Had Me At Heads Carolina - easy/grade 2 - From the top of the country charts, Cole Swindell's hit single She Had Me at Heads Carolina pays tribute to singer and songwriter Jo Dee Messina and her debut single from 1996, "Heads Carolina, Tails California." With melodies that get passed throughout the ensemble, arranger Michael Kamuf has crafted the perfect vehicle that will engage both your students and audience. This one is FUN!
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Concert Band Titles
Allegory - Easy/grade 2 - An energetic and driving composition, Allegory will make a perfect concert opening or closing selection for your young concert band. Three contrasting themes along with bold harmonies and driving percussion writing combine for an enjoyable piece for students and audiences alike. Watch this title with Alfred’s Score and Sound on YouTube
Bandworld Top 100 2016
Blinding Lights - easy/grade 2 - Canadian singer The Weeknd's hit "Blinding Lights" rose to number one on the charts in 34 countries including the U.S. and Canada. Taken from his fourth album After Hours and performed at the 2021 Super Bowl, the singer combines elements of pop music along with the synth-pop era of the 1980s. This piece is the perfect vehicle to reinforce syncopation while having fun! The infectious groove will make this a favorite of students and audience alike!
Cantina Band (composed by John Williams) - very easy/grade 1.5 - One of the most iconic movie melodies all of time is now available for your beginning band! Carefully crafted to ensure success with included teaching techniques, Michael Kamuf's arrangement is the perfect vehicle to teach your students swing style. This arrangement of John Williams' memorable tune will instantly become a favorite of your students and audiences! This title is available in SmartMusic.
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Centuries - words & music by Fall Out Boy & Suzanne Vega - Easy/grade 2 - Used by ESPN and other media outlets, this power rock tune by Fall Out Boy is given an exciting and playable setting for young concert band. Optional drum set, electric bass and marching snare parts will add to the powerful nature of this tune. Your students will love this one!
JW Pepper Editor’s Choice
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Confident (recorded & co-written by Demi Lovato) -easy/grade 2 - With a driving groove and bold melodies, this Demi Lovato hit, "Confident," about empowerment is given a powerful setting for young band. All instruments get a chance to play one of the melodies, and this is the perfect vehicle to introduce swing eighth notes to your students. This selection makes a perfect opener, closer, or graduation piece!
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Continuance - medium/grade 3.5 - With brilliant orchestrations and engaging parts for everyone, your students will be motivated to bring out their best of this dramatic and intense work. Continuance by Michael Kamuf has the perfect balance of technical demand and musical artistry!
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Dance Monkey (Tones & I) - easy/grade 2.5 - Dance Monkey is the breakout single from Australian singer Tones & I which reached number one on the charts in 30 countries. Arranged by Michael Kamuf, the infectious groove and syncopation will make this a favorite of students and audience alike. This title is available in SmartMusic.
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Dawn Over Kings Valley - beginning band/grade .5 - This energetic original work for your very first concert employs contrasting themes while serving as the perfect vehicle to introduce staccato and accented articulations. All instruments get an opportunity to play one of the themes. Destined to be a favorite of students and audiences alike!
JW Pepper Editor’s Choice
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Derivations - easy/grade 2 - AVAILABLE IN BOTH STANDARD & FLEX EDITIONS - After a mysterious introduction, this original work takes off with contrasting themes in both 4/4 and 3/4. Bold melodies, contemporary harmonies, and driving percussion combine to create a perfect opening or closing selection for your next concert or festival performance. Relentless!
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Domino - words & music by Van Morrison - Easy/grade 2 -Van’s 1970 hit and tribute to Fats Domino is effectively set for young band. Melodies are passed around the ensemble and everyone is involved in the tune’s famous hook. The batter percussion part works with either a drum set or concert percussion.
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Escapade At Twilight - easy to medium easy - grade 2.5 - Escapade At Twilight is an exciting and bold original new work for young band, By using lyrical themes, dissonant harmony and a very sinister development section, the composer paints a picture of a late night adventure that’s gone… well, a little awry. Students and audiences alike will enjoy this bold yet musical adventure!
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Exultation - very easy/grade 1.5 - This energetic composition is the perfect piece to reinforce dotted-quarter/eighth-note rhythms as well as marcato and staccato articulations with your students. This interesting original will make an outstanding opening or closing selection for any concert.
Feel It Still - very easy/grade 1.5 - From their album 8th studio album Woodstock, Indie band Portugal. The Man has crossed over into the pop charts with this infectious and energetic tune that sat at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs charts for 13 weeks and earned a Grammy. Feel It Still has catapulted the Portugal. The Man into the pop spotlight appearing on many television talk shows and having this tune used in several commercials. During the verse of the song, the melody quotes the 1961 Marvellets hit, Please Mister Postman.
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First Sun - Easy/grade 2 – Dedicated to William Rasey- one of my many mentors - this high energy original composition has contrasting themes that are passed around to all wind players. The percussion section plays a pivotal role by adding vigor as well as many timbres. This will make an excellent opener or closer for young bands!
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Forever Grateful - easy/grade 2.5 - With soaring melodies, driving percussion rhythms, and use of non-traditional harmonies, composer Michael Kamuf's fanfare-like work, Forever Grateful, will help you reinforce phrasing and subdivision in a fun way with your students. This is the perfect opening selection for next your young band performance!
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From the Yorkshire Coast - Easy/grade 1.5 - This work is a Fantasia setting of the English Folk Song, Scarborough Fair. The melody is presented in three distinct settings and is passed around throughout the ensemble. Rich harmony and appropriate orchestration make this a perfect choice for festival performances!
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Gabriel's Message - medium easy/grade 2.5 - Perfect for holiday concerts and festival programs alike, this traditional Basque Carol provides a setting for younger bands to play both expressively and energetically. Three statements of this powerful theme build in intensity, taking both the players and audience on a memorable musical journey!
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Glorious Sight - Very Easy/grade 1 - This piece is a harmonically rich setting of the Christmas Carol “O Come, Little Children”. All instruments get a chance to play the melody and the textures change between melody statements. A musically solid holiday selection for ensembles playing grade 1 literature!
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Great Beginnings - very easy/grade 1 - AVAILABLE IN BOTH STANDARD & FLEX EDITIONS - This energetic composition is the perfect opener or closer employing soaring melodies, rich harmonies, and driving rhythms. All instruments get an opportunity to play melodic material, and this piece is a great vehicle to introduce slurs and accents to your beginners.
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Halfway There - easy/grade 2 - This optimistic yet driving work was inspired by the President Theodore Roosevelt quote, "believe you can and you're halfway there." The beginning lyrical section introduces contrasting themes that are developed further in a heroic and energetic fast section. Varying textures, bold harmonies, and fun percussion writing propel this piece - a perfect choice for concerts and festivals!
Heart, Soul & Voice - easy/grade 2 - Heart, Soul and Voice is a fantasia setting of the enduring 14th century melody In Dulci Jubilo. Each of the three melodic statements builds in orchestration and intensity taking both the musicians and audiences on a musical expedition. With both expressive and energetic elements, this piece is a solid musical choice for both holiday concerts and festival programs.
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High Hopes (recorded by Panic! At The Disco) - medium easy/grade 3 - This Panic! At the Disco anthem has spent time at the top of both the Billboard Pop and Dance/Mix Show charts, and now your band can bring this iconic tune to the concert stage. Powerful, familiar to all, and sure to be a crowd pleaser!
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If I Can't Have You (recorded by Shawn Mendes) - easy/grade 2.5 - From the top of the charts, Shawn Mendes' international hit has infectious melodies and grooves and is the perfect vehicle to reinforce staccato and tenuto articulations. This arrangement is bound to be a favorite selection of students and audiences alike!
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I'll Never Love Again - words and music by Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, and Aaron Raitiere - easy/grade 2 - From the blockbuster movie A Star Is Born and performed by Lady Gaga, this remarkable power ballad has been given an expressive yet dramatic setting for young band. Optional piano, bass, and drumset parts will add varying and authentic textures. Destined to become a favorite selection for students and audiences alike.
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In My Blood - words and music by Scott Friedman, Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger, and Geoffrey Elliot Warburton - very easy/grade 1.5 - From pop icon Shawn Mendes's self-titled third solo recording, this powerful anthem draws from influences such as John Mayer and Justin Timberlake. This arrangement for beginning band will be a favorite of students and audiences alike!
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The Journey Onward - very easy/grade 1.5 - Conceived for beginning band students., this piece presents an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the concepts of syncopation, phrasing, and slurs. Set in an ABA form, contrasting themes and driving rhythms are passed around the ensemble making this a solid choice for both concert and festival performances.
Just Like Fire (recorded & co-written by Pink) easy/grade 2 -From the motion picture Alice Through the Looking Glass, Pink's chart-topping power rock anthem, "Just Like Fire," provides a powerful and musical setting for your young band. Themes and motives are passed throughout the wind section, and your percussion section will love playing this chart. This one is sure to be a favorite of your students!
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Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - very easy/grade 1.5 - With its familiar melody, this arrangement of the iconic classic by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne is the perfect vehicle to introduce easy swing style to your beginning band students. There are teaching techniques noted to meet this goal. Composed in 1945 during a Hollywood heat wave, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! is a cherished holiday classic that's sure to be a favorite of students and audiences alike!
Liar (recorded by Camila Cabello) - easy/grade 2.5 - Cuban-American singer and songwriter Camilla Cabello combines flamenco, ska, and pop music elements in her latest hit. Tight rhythms and uniform articulations will make this arrangement shine. Latin-American percussion instruments will bring this infectious groove alive at your next concert!
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Natural (recorded by Imagine Dragons) - easy/grade 2.5 - From their fourth studio album Origins, Imagine Dragons' tune Natural is a powerful rock anthem. With a soulful alto saxophone solo at the start, the groove launches the energetic theme building to an invigorating conclusion. Used by ESPN for their 2018 College Football broadcasts, this became the band's fifth number one song in the U.S. Strong and commanding!
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Nicholas Variations - beginning/grade 0.5 - Complete your first holiday concert with an energetic setting of "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" in three brief variations that use only six notes and no key signature! All instruments get an opportunity to play melodic material, and this piece is a great vehicle to introduce both crescendo and decrescendo.
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JW Pepper Editor’s Choice
Onore! - Easy/grade 2 - Commissioned by the PMEA District 9 Junior Honors Band, Onore! is a jazz influenced composition that will serve perfectly as a concert opener or closer for young bands. The piece employees contrast melodies, contemporary harmony, driving grooves and effective percussion writing. Your students will enjoy this change of pace composition -my students did!
JW Pepper Editor's Choice
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Pathways Uncharted - easy/grade 2 - With a rhythmic drive and punctuated melodic components flowing freely throughout the ensemble, this high-energy concert opener or closer reinforces shaping phrases while using a contemporary harmonic palate and driving rhythms. Bound to be a favorite of students and audiences alike. This is a real crowd-pleaser!
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Pinnacle - medium easy-medium/grade 3-3.5 - This bold and exhilarating original work for concert band combines mixed meters, lyrical themes, and powerful harmonies, taking your musicians and audiences on a thrilling musical journey. The compelling, energetic grooves in the alternating 3/4 and 4/4 sections look and sound complex, but are repetitive and easily mastered. Perfect as a concert or festival opener or closer! Commissioned by Folly Quarter Middle School, Ellicot City, Maryland, Andrew Spang, Director,
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Rainbow In A Cloud - easy/grade 2 - Soaring melodies and rich harmonies come together is this expressive and powerful work for your young band, making the piece the perfect choice for a lyrical festival selection. Written in memory of an extraordinary parent volunteer, the piece is dedicated to all music parents everywhere for giving their time and resources to help enrich the lives of their own children. Commissioned by Walter Johnson High School, Bethesda Maryland, Chris Kosmaceski, Director.
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Sans Day Carol - very easy/grade 1 - This piece dates back to 19th-century Cornwall County in southwest England, and the lyrics most associated with this melody are similar to the text of "The Holly and the Ivy." This arrangement of the beautiful carol gives beginning band students an opportunity to work on expressive playing while using limited technical demands. Fitting for both holiday and festival performances.
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Steel Valley Transformation (Portraits of Youngstown, Ohio and the Mahoning Valley) - medium/grade 3.5 - With a driving energy, the punctuated percussion contribution is powerful. This original concert work celebrating the grit and resolve of Ohio's Mahoning Valley community over the past century is a perfect concert or festival choice to show off your ensemble's ability to play expressively while having fun! Majestic!
Swingin' On The Moon - medium/grade 3.5 - Let's go to the moon! Swingin' on the Moon is a medley of three great American standards is a perfect choice to teach or reinforce swing style to your students. Featuring "Blue Moon," "Moonlight Serenade," and "How High the Moon," this arrangement is bound to be a favorite of students and audiences alike!
Swingin' Wonderland - very easy/grade 1.5 - This medley combines two icon holiday tunes, "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bell Rock," and will serve as a vehicle to teach swing style to beginning band students. The arrangement can be programmed as written or by performing each tune separately. Great for both beginners and less experienced developing bands mid-year. This one is a perfect crowd pleaser!
Syzygy - Medium-easy/grade 3 - An original work inspired by the alignment of the Sun, Earth & Moon - all three bodies represented by separate contrasting themes. There are solo passages for flute 1, clarinet 1, alto sax 1, percussion 1 and timpani. Percussion writing compliments the piece without overpowering the winds. All instruments get a chance to play either a theme or a hook figure. My own students LOVE this piece!
JW Pepper Editor's Choice
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Bandworld Top 100 2015
Up On the Housetop - Down In New Orleans - easy/grade 2 - Watch out! The Big Guy is hungry, and he wants Jambalaya! This reworking of the famous holiday carol incorporates jazz harmonies and a New Orleans inspired Second Line feel combining to create a fun and memorable holiday selection that your students and audiences will love! Let the good times roll!
Westworld Main Title Theme - composed by Ramin Djawadi - easy-medium easy/grade 2.5 - Grammy-nominated composer Ramin Djawadi's wonderful score for the HBO series has helped create the perfect setting for the show's storyline. Lyrical themes and driving rhythms combine to create the show's distinctive theme. Developing and advanced bands will enjoy performing this dramatic and highly musical theme!
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JW Pepper Editor’s Choice
You Better You Bet - words & music by Peter Townshend - Easy/grade 2 - This early 80’s rock anthem by The Who is given an effective treatment for young concert bands! The entire tune is here except for the guitar solo and modulation - your students will have fun with this!