By THAT Much: Brass Band Conductor Score & Parts

This piece transforms a rehearsal reality into comedy gold. Smallman writes intentional musical mistakes into the score—wrong notes, rhythm mishaps, unexpected entrances—so players (and audiences) experience the humor firsthand. It's the kind of work that loosens up a concert program while keeping everyone engaged and laughing.

A wink to every conductor who's experienced a rehearsal gone sideways. Smallman captures those familiar musical mishaps with affection rather than mockery, creating moments of shared recognition. The work moves between legitimately well-written passages and delightfully awkward surprises, keeping listeners off-balance in the best way.

Brass band conductors looking to program something that entertains without sacrificing musicianship. Ensembles of all age levels enjoy the built-in humor, and the medium difficulty makes it accessible to developing bands while remaining engaging for advanced groups.

• Prepare your section leaders in advance so they understand which mistakes are written in and which need correction during rehearsal. This prevents confusion during sectionals.
• Let the humor breathe. Mistakes land harder when the ensemble plays the surrounding passages cleanly, so nail the 'correct' sections to make the intentional errors pop.
• Consider a brief conductor's note in your program explaining the concept. Audiences unfamiliar with the work may initially think something went wrong.
• Use this as a trust-building exercise with your ensemble. Players who understand they're in on the joke perform with better ensemble awareness and listening skills.

Program this as a palate cleanser between heavier concert works, or use it as a show-closer when you want the audience leaving with smiles. It works equally well at festivals and community concerts where the humor bridges any gap between performer and listener.

• Listening for balance and blend amid intentional mistakes
• Ensemble cohesion under challenging harmonic situations
• Reading accuracy and attention to part-specific cues
• Musical interpretation of comedic intent and style