A Guide Along The Pathway: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Richard L. Saucedo
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK00179397
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Description
This intense and emotional work was commissioned by the Indiana Music Educators Association and was premiered at the 2011 IMEA Convention with the composer conducting. Written as a gift to longtime friend of music education, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, the piece is basically lyrical in nature with beautiful lines and colors. A brief faster section, in the words of the composer, "describes that uncomfortable time when we are desperately trying to find ourselves." The piece ends on a solemn yet reaffirming note, reminding us of the importance of guides and mentors along life's pathway. Dur: 5:00
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00179397
More about this title
About the Composer: Richard L. Saucedo
Richard L. Saucedo shaped the Indiana band program landscape across three decades as Director of Bands and Chairman of Performing Arts at Carmel High School. His ensembles accumulated state, regional, and national recognition across concert, jazz, and marching categories, with the Wind Symphony I appearing three times at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival and claiming the Indiana State Champion title in 2013. The Carmel Marching Greyhounds sustained a 17-year presence in the Bands of America Grand National Championship top ten, capturing national crowns in 2005 and 2012, the latter year coinciding with a BOA National Championship win while simultaneously performing at the Midwest Clinic.
Saucedo's contributions earned him Indiana's "Bandmaster of the Year" honor in 1998-99 and "Outstanding Music Educator" recognition in 2010. He holds inductions in both the Music for All Hall of Fame (2015) and the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame (2022), and maintains membership in the American Bandmasters Association. Beyond his teaching career, Saucedo composes and arranges for marching bands, choral ensembles, concert bands, and orchestras. His DCI experience includes brass arranging work with the Cavaliers that contributed to five world championships. He currently serves as music ensemble coordinator for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, Senior Educational Consultant for Music for All and Bands of America, and Chief Judge Team Leader for Bands of America competitions.
Why we love this
Saucedo writes with genuine emotional depth and structural clarity, creating music that resonates with both performers and audiences without sacrificing technical challenge. The commission from the Indiana Music Educators Association reflects his standing within the teaching community, and the dedicatory nature of this work to Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser gives it thematic weight that students recognize and respect. At Grade 4, it delivers the kind of sophisticated musical storytelling that elevates a concert from competent to memorable.
What to expect
Contemplative and searching, with moments of quiet beauty interrupted by a brief wave of anxiety and uncertainty. The piece settles into wisdom and quiet strength by its close, leaving performers and listeners with a sense of purpose affirmed.
Who it's for
Grade 4 concert bands ready for music that asks them to sustain lyrical lines and convey emotional narrative. Programs looking for a substantial concert or festival piece with programmatic depth that doesn't require extensive technical virtuosity.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the lyrical sections with long, connected phrasing rather than dividing at every phrase mark; this language unfolds gradually and needs space to breathe.
- Balance the faster middle section so it sounds genuinely restless and searching without losing melodic clarity; think unsettled rather than frantic.
- Bring the final solemn passage forward dynamically even as you slow the tempo; the reaffirmation lands only if audiences hear the resolution clearly.
How to use it
Use this as the anchor of a concert exploring mentorship, guidance, or personal growth themes. Its five-minute duration and emotional arc work well as a second or third selection, giving audiences time to settle in before encountering its introspective moments.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining long lyrical phrases over harmonic movement
- Balancing intensity and reticence in contrasting sections
- Conveying emotional narrative through musical choices
- Ensemble balance when melody sits in multiple voices
- Responding to tempo and dynamic shifts that support textural changes