Backstage Pass: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 5
Item: 98-DB1647
$90.00
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Description
Inspired by the many sounds, styles and moods of Broadway, this entertaining piece was funded by the family of drummer Kyle Woodring, who played with Survivor, Dennis DeYoung, John Mellencamp, and in the Chicago run of Jersey Boys. The music serves as a backstage pass to his career and, in the style of a typical Broadway overture, takes the listener through a series of styles and melodies. Spectacular!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Backstage Pass: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts 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:
FJH MOS Performance
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1647
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has built a reputation as a composer and conductor working across orchestral, band, and chamber repertoire at every level. His works have reached audiences in prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to elementary school bands. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association. His compositions have been performed at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service and at major clinics including the Midwest Clinic and Western International Band Clinic.
Balmages has earned recognition including the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light, the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award, and a commissioning from the University of Miami for music honoring the inauguration of its sixth president. As Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic, he continues to shape music education through both compositional work and publishing initiatives.
Why we love this
Backstage Pass delivers exactly what Grade 5 bands want: entertainment value married to genuine musicianship. Balmages uses the Broadway overture structure to move through contrasting styles and melodies without ever feeling disjointed, and the personal dedication to Kyle Woodring's career gives the piece authentic soul beneath the spectacle. A piece that earns its place in a concert through musical craftsmanship, not novelty alone.
What to expect
Stepping into a theater just as the house lights dim and the overture begins. The music weaves through multiple moods and styles, each one vivid and recognizable, creating the sense of moving through different scenes or moments in a career. It's theatrical, energetic, and designed to make an audience sit up and pay attention from the first note.
Who it's for
Concert bands at Grade 5 level looking for a crowd-pleasing opener, closer, or festival selection that respects student musicianship. Any band wanting to program something with genuine entertainment value and a meaningful story will find Backstage Pass rewarding to rehearse and perform.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock in the style shifts as ensemble moments. Each new mood should feel like a confident change of scene rather than an awkward transition; use clear cueing to plant the downbeat of each new section.
- Balance melody and accompaniment across your voicing. Broadway charts live or die by whether the audience hears the tune, so make sure your principal parts sing over the harmonic foundation.
- Lean into the rhythmic specificity of each style. Whether Balmages writes a shuffle, a march, or a ballad section, committing fully to its rhythmic character will make the contrasts land harder.
- Let the percussion shine in the appropriate moments. Kyle Woodring's legacy is part of this piece's DNA, so give your drummer space to show musicality and precision when the arrangement features the kit.
How to use it
Program this as your concert opener to set an upbeat, professional tone immediately. It works equally well as a finale that sends audiences out with energy and excitement. The piece also makes an excellent festival selection, where its appeal and clarity of structure will resonate with both judges and audiences.
Skills your students will build
- Stylistic awareness and contrast (recognizing and executing Broadway, march, and ballad idioms)
- Dynamic control and shaping across longer phrases
- Rhythmic precision in syncopated and swing figures
- Listening for balance between melody and accompaniment in a full ensemble
- Ensemble flexibility when following conductor cues through rapid style changes