Declaration in Blue: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Smith builds an entire piece on the blues scale without ever feeling like a lesson. The percussion writing gives your rhythm section real work to do and establishes authentic blues groove, while the melody sits naturally in young players' ranges. You get a concert piece that teaches jazz language while sounding genuinely musical in performance.

Laid-back and swinging, with a groove that sits just off the beat. The blues scale gives the piece a soulful, warm character that feels immediately recognizable to listeners while remaining fresh and engaging for young musicians to perform.

Grade 2 concert bands seeking authentic blues idiom within reach of developing players. This works equally well for younger intermediate ensembles wanting to explore jazz vocabulary and for programs building toward more advanced jazz-influenced repertoire.

• Establish the blues feel in your opening rehearsals by listening to recordings of real blues ensemble work. Your section leaders need to internalize the style before technical details settle in.
• Balance the percussion parts carefully; the drums and mallets should sit underneath the ensemble, not overpower it. Have your percussionists listen to traditional blues rhythm sections as reference.
• Let the blues scale passages breathe. Young players often rush scalar figures; a slight laid-back approach in the tempo will lock the groove and prevent stiffness.
• Feature your saxophone and clarinet soloists if the score offers opportunities. These voices carry blues melody naturally and give your best musicians meaningful solo material.

Program this as a concert opener or closer to set a relaxed, accessible mood that draws in casual listeners. It pairs well alongside classical or contemporary works in a mixed concert, offering stylistic variety and showing your band's range. The 2:19 length makes it ideal for festival rotation or as a standalone feature that doesn't demand a full concert block.

• Reading and performing blues scale patterns across the band
• Understanding jazz articulation and phrasing conventions
• Playing with laid-back rhythmic placement and groove rather than metronomic precision
• Balancing sectional blend while maintaining individual voice independence in blues voicings
• Responding to percussion-driven ensemble feel and ensemble listening