30/90 (from tick, tick... BOOM!) (arr. Roger Emerson): Choral Instrumental Pak
As performed by Jonathan Larson / Arranged by Roger Emerson
Item: 35-PK01051005
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Description
Growing up can be painful, working on a career can be exhausting, and the work/life balance?... sometimes it feels like something's about to explode! "Rent" composer Jonathan Larson's posthumous "meta" work "tick, tick... BOOM!" was given a full, filmed 2021 adaptation courtesy of director Lin-Manuel Miranda and the results: musical theater bliss.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01051005
More about this title
About the Artist: Jonathan Larson
Jonathan Larson (1960-1996) created Rent, one of the most consequential Broadway musicals of the 1990s, before his sudden death at age 35. His earlier work, tick, tick... BOOM!, is a semi-autobiographical musical that grapples with artistic ambition, mortality, and the terror of time running out. For music educators, Larson's legacy lies in his ability to capture genuine emotional stakes through rock-influenced songwriting and theatrical storytelling that resonates deeply with student performers.
Why we love this
This arrangement brings one of Broadway's most urgent contemporary voices into reach for choral ensembles. Roger Emerson's skillful orchestration preserves the raw emotional core of the song while making it accessible to high school and college singers, giving your ensemble a chance to grapple with real questions about ambition and mortality rather than safely distant material.
What to expect
Anxious, propulsive, and achingly human. The song captures that specific dread of watching time slip away while feeling stuck, building from quiet panic to explosive catharsis. There's vulnerability in the vocal writing and urgency in the accompaniment that makes every performance feel like a confessional.
Who it's for
Choirs seeking contemporary repertoire with genuine dramatic weight and rock sensibilities will find this particularly valuable. It works equally well for advanced high school ensembles and college choirs ready to tackle material that demands emotional maturity alongside musical precision.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythmic precision early: the rock-influenced accompaniment demands tight coordination between singers and ensemble, so isolate passages where rhythm section and vocals intersect
- Color the vocal dynamics intentionally; this song thrives on contrast between introspective moments and explosive outbursts, so resist the urge to smooth everything into a consistent dynamic
- Let the performers sit with the emotional subtext before polishing the mechanics: ask them what 30 and 90 represent in their own lives, and that investment will show in their phrasing
- Balance clarity of text with the contemporary music language: the rock idiom can muddy articulation if you're not careful, so drill consonants without losing the groove
How to use it
Slot this into a contemporary or film music concert to introduce audiences to Larson's voice, or use it as a standalone showstopper that demonstrates your choir's range beyond traditional classical material. It also pairs naturally with other Broadway rock selections for a themed program exploring how musical theater has evolved.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining emotional authenticity in contemporary musical theater styles
- Coordinating vocal rhythm with rock-influenced instrumental accompaniment
- Balancing text clarity with the demands of amplified, rock-based music
- Interpreting subtext and personal connection to character-driven material