Declaration and Dance: Score
By Larry Clark
Grade: 1 (Very Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0002006
$10.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
Listen carefully to this work, look over the score, and you will find it difficult to believe that this 'real' music is built on just six notes commonly found in the first book of all band and instrument methods. The harmonic structure and the marvelous colors and timbres of the piece do not betray the ease of performance. Alert your state contest list chairpersons to this exciting composition! This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Declaration and Dance: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
Open in the Player
Jump straight in and assign it today.
Start Your Free Trial
Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Beginning Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
138
SKU:
00-PR-0002006
More about this title
About the Composer: Larry Clark
Larry Clark is a prolific composer and arranger whose work spans wind band, orchestral, and choral genres. His compositions for beginning and intermediate ensembles have become standards in music education, known for their musical substance despite accessible technical demands. Clark has a gift for extracting rich, sophisticated sounds from limited instrumental vocabulary, making him a trusted voice for directors building strong foundational repertoire.
Why we love this
This piece proves that constraint breeds creativity. Built entirely from six notes, Declaration and Dance delivers genuine musical substance without overwhelming young players. The harmonic palette and orchestral color feel far more advanced than the technical requirements suggest, making it an ideal selection for state contest lists when you need a piece that sounds impressive while remaining genuinely playable by a beginning band.
What to expect
Deceptively sophisticated. The piece moves through unexpected harmonic colors and timbral shifts that suggest a much larger note palette than what players actually read. What could feel elementary instead feels purposeful, even elegant, because Clark uses space, orchestration, and phrasing to create genuine musical impact.
Who it's for
Conductors of beginning concert bands who need contest or festival repertoire that challenges players musically while respecting their technical limitations. This work suits ensembles still building fundamental skills in intonation, blend, and phrasing but ready for material with genuine artistic substance.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the melodic phrases with deliberate attention to contour; the deceptive simplicity of the pitch material makes clarity of phrasing and dynamics essential for musical communication.
- Balance the band carefully so that color changes remain audible; with such a limited note set, timbre shifts become the primary vehicle for variety and interest.
- Maintain steady, confident tempos in both sections; rushing or dragging will expose the structural simplicity rather than allow the harmonic movement to breathe.
How to use it
Program this as a festival or contest selection where you want to showcase the ensemble's musicianship without stretching technical ability. It works equally well as an opening number on a concert, setting a confident, professional tone before moving to more technically demanding works. The piece also serves as an excellent teaching tool for demonstrating how musical maturity and technical limitation are not the same thing.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and maintaining focus on a single melodic line within a fuller harmonic context
- Listening for balance and blend across all four concert band families
- Creating musical shape through dynamics and phrasing on limited pitch material
- Sustaining ensemble intonation and togetherness at moderate tempos