Boys 'R Us: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Althouse delivers exactly what he promises here: a piece that will draw boys into your choir and make them want to stay. The clever Broadway feel and limited range for the boys' part remove the barriers that often keep young men on the sidelines, while the girls' enthusiasm ("You gotta love the boys!") creates a genuinely celebratory energy in the room. This follow-up to We're The Men arrives with the SoundTrax CD fully arranged and ready, so you can hear the piece realized immediately and use the recording to support rehearsal from day one.

Spirited and playful, with the swagger of a Broadway number meets the warmth of genuine peer celebration. The limited range and straightforward rhythms let boys focus on performing rather than struggling with notes, while the girls' catchy part creates an irresistible invitation to join in. There's a contagious energy here that spreads from the stage to the audience.

Directors seeking to build or strengthen the male voice section in a mixed choir will find this piece does heavy lifting. It works equally well in middle school and high school settings where boys may be hesitant about singing, and it's accessible enough for choirs at all skill levels. The celebratory tone makes it a natural for festivals, concert closers, or any program that benefits from a shot of joy and humor.

• Lean into the Broadway style with crisp diction and rhythmic precision; the 2-beat feel should bounce, not drag.
• Use the SoundTrax CD in early rehearsals to establish the energetic tone and help boys hear their part sitting comfortably in their range.
• Balance the girls' part so their enthusiasm supports rather than overshadows the boys; this is a dialogue, not a solo for the girls with boys as backup.
• Mark the clever rhymes in the score and rehearse them with playful exaggeration to make the text land with the audience.

Program this in the middle or toward the end of a concert where you want to shift the mood toward fun and uplift. It pairs well alongside other contemporary choral works and serves as an excellent morale booster during the concert season, especially valuable in February or March when ensemble energy can dip. The piece also works beautifully as a concert opener if you're building toward a full program, immediately setting an engaged and playful tone.

• Singing in a Broadway style with clarity and rhythmic precision
• Maintaining a 2-beat feel while performing melodically
• Ensemble balance between parts with dramatically different ranges
• Text clarity and comic timing in performance
• Confidence in limited-range material designed specifically for developing male voices