A Tribute to Journey: 1st F Horn
Featuring: Open Arms / Don't Stop Believin'
[Journey] / arr. Victor López
Grade: 2.5 (Easy to Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0015746_H1
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Description
Including two of Journey's most revered tunes, Victor López' emotional duo will be a hit with your students and audience. The song "Open Arms" and its status as a power ballad have been remembered years following its original release. One critic praised it as "a lyrical rock ballad and one of the band's best-written songs." However, "Don't stop Believin','" also known as a power ballad, is often considered the band's signature song and has become the most downloaded song ever in music history to date. So, get ready for some singing and clapping in the audience!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, A Tribute to Journey: 1st F Horn comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Pop Young Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
282
SKU:
00-PC-0015746_H1
More about this title
About the Artist: Journey
Journey emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area in 1973 and became one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the 1980s. Their catalog is defined by soaring vocal melodies, layered keyboard textures, and anthemic choruses that connect across generations. In music education settings, Journey's music serves as a bridge between contemporary popular culture and the concert band repertoire, making it accessible and motivating for young musicians.
Why we love this
Victor López has captured the emotional core of these two Journey staples in a single concert band package, giving students immediate access to music they already know and love. The arrangement respects the original songwriting while distributing melodic and harmonic material across the ensemble in ways that keep every section engaged. Programming these back-to-back creates a dramatic arc from the intimate vulnerability of 'Open Arms' to the driving momentum of 'Don't Stop Believin',' making for a concert moment that lands with genuine impact.
What to expect
These arrangements capture the emotional vulnerability and soaring optimism that define Journey's songwriting. 'Open Arms' unfolds as a tender ballad with lush harmonic support, while 'Don't Stop Believin'' propels forward with infectious energy and a driving pulse that invites the audience into the performance.
Who it's for
Concert band directors working with Grade 2.5 ensembles who want to program recognizable pop/rock material without sacrificing musical depth. This arrangement works equally well for directors seeking repertoire that engages students through familiar material and audiences who appreciate contemporary songs performed in a concert band setting.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the sustained chords in 'Open Arms' to create an intimate sound; resist the urge to play loudly even when multiple sections carry the harmony together.
- Lock the rhythmic foundation in 'Don't Stop Believin'' by having the rhythm section establish the groove early in sectional rehearsals before layering melodic lines on top.
- Shape the opening of 'Open Arms' with a gentle, warm tone to establish the ballad's character before building emotional intensity.
- Communicate the singability of both melodies to your ensemble; encourage players to think of these as vocal lines rather than instrumental figures, even when playing sustained harmony.
How to use it
Use this package as a standalone pop/rock segment in a concert mixing styles and eras, or open a program with 'Open Arms' as an audience entry and follow with 'Don't Stop Believin'' as an energetic finale. The two-piece structure also works well as a thematic pairing exploring power ballads, or as a spring concert feature that appeals to families and community members who grew up with Journey's music.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing sustained harmonic textures in ensemble
- Playing with singability and lyricism on instrumental lines
- Maintaining steady groove and rhythmic precision in pop/rock style
- Reading and interpreting dynamic shaping across longer lyrical phrases
- Blending multiple melodic lines within a single musical idea