Chattanooga Choo Choo: Baritone B.C.

Michael Story's arrangement strips away none of the tune's infectious charm while making it immediately playable for young ensembles. The Grade 2 setting opens strategic windows for featured solos across your sections, giving every student a moment to shine while the band swings hard behind them.

All the forward momentum and infectious joy of a classic big-band number, but scaled for younger players. The arrangement swings with style and personality, capturing that irresistible moment when the train pulls out of the station and the whole ensemble is riding the groove together.

Directors building Grade 2 concert band programs who need strong crowd-pleasers with genuine musical substance. Students benefit from the accessible range and rhythmic clarity while learning to swing and feature their individual sections in a real arrangement context.

• Keep the eighth-note pulse steady and bouncy throughout; let the swing style breathe rather than rush, especially in the early rehearsals before the ensemble locks the groove together.
• Balance the featured sections carefully so soloists project over the background figures without the full band stepping back so far that the momentum stalls.
• Pay close attention to style cues in the score; this is a swing chart, so encourage articulation and phrasing that honor the jazz inflections rather than playing it straight.

Drop this into a fall or spring concert where you want something that connects with audiences and energizes your students without sacrificing musical integrity. It pairs naturally with other Great American Songbook standards or with modern concert band works that share its playful spirit.

• Swing articulation and jazz phrasing
• Maintaining a steady groove and ensemble pulse
• Featured section playing and solo balancing
• Style-appropriate dynamics and tone production
• Reading and responding to swing notation and performance markings