Belwin Very Beginning Band Kit #4: Concert Band Conductor Score

Four accessible pieces in a single score give your beginning band immediate concert readiness without the hunting and gathering. Bullock's arrangement choices hit that sweet spot between recognizable material (Beethoven, a folk melody, a novelty march) and genuine teaching value, letting students feel the payoff of early rehearsals quickly.

Bullock's arrangements bring warmth and familiarity to this collection. "Lullaby" soothes with transparent scoring; "Popcorn" bounces with buoyant energy; "Russian Folk Dance" carries the rhythmic vitality of its source; and "March of the Midgets" creates whimsy and forward motion. Each piece reveals something different about early band writing.

Beginning band directors seeking practical, concert-ready material for Grade 1/2 ensembles. These four pieces work equally well as a complete program or as individual selections programmed throughout the year, making them ideal for directors managing limited rehearsal time with developing musicians.

• Balance the melody carrier in each piece carefully; in "Lullaby," the clarinet feature needs to sing above the accompaniment, so blend the supporting parts underneath rather than into the same volume layer.
• Treat "Popcorn" with rhythmic precision even though it's early material. The staccato articulation and light character depend on clean attacks and releases across the section.
• Take "Russian Folk Dance" at a tempo that lets students feel the folk character without rushing; a measured pulse helps beginning musicians stay secure through the harmonic movement.

Use the full set as a complete concert opener or closer, gaining programming flexibility across the school year. Individual selections fit well into winter or spring concerts, or scatter them through multiple performances to maintain fresh, achievable material in rehearsals while building student confidence and repertoire variety.

• Secure ensemble articulation (staccato and legato across mixed sections)
• Balance between melody and accompaniment parts
• Steady pulse maintenance through repeated harmonic phrases
• Dynamic control in exposed passages (clarinet feature in "Lullaby")
• Stylistic interpretation of contrasting musical characters
• Note reading and part independence at early levels