Call Me Maybe: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Paul Murtha's arrangement captures the infectious drive that made this song a cultural phenomenon while keeping the parts accessible enough for a Grade 2 ensemble to execute confidently. The elimination of solos means students can focus on locking in together rather than managing individual spotlight moments, which results in faster progress and more satisfying rehearsals. Your students will recognize the hook immediately, which translates to genuine enthusiasm in the room.

Immediate and buoyant. The melody feels modern and radio-friendly while the rhythmic foundation carries real swagger. There's an unpretentious joy here that lifts an ensemble's energy the moment the piece settles into its groove.

Jazz ensembles in their first or second year of study, or directors seeking a high-confidence building block to program alongside more challenging material. Any ensemble looking for contemporary repertoire that students arrive already knowing and genuinely excited to play.

• Keep the rhythmic pulse relentless from the downbeat. This piece thrives on groove, not rubato, so lock in your section attacks and sustain that forward momentum throughout.
• Highlight the melody in whichever voicing carries it at any given moment rather than burying it beneath thick harmonic support. The catchiness only works if listeners can follow the tune.
• Use dynamics to build intensity across the form. Start lean and gradually thicken the orchestration so the final repetitions feel genuinely climactic rather than repetitive.
• Balance the recorded accompaniment so it sits slightly behind your ensemble. This keeps student intonation and ensemble sound as the focal point.

Pair this with one or two contrasting pieces of greater harmonic complexity to create a concert that balances accessibility with growth. A Grade 2 arrangement of a contemporary hit works particularly well as a concert opener or closer because it leaves the audience with something they recognize and enjoy. This also serves as an excellent vehicle for building student confidence before tackling more demanding original compositions.

• Maintaining steady rhythmic pulse and ensemble cohesion
• Reading and executing syncopated rhythmic figures
• Balancing melody and harmonic support within a full ensemble texture
• Playing contemporary pop material with jazz ensemble phrasing and articulation
• Following a conductor's dynamic and tempo shaping in a contemporary idiom