Declaration in Blue: Score
By Robert W. Smith
Grade: 2 (Easy)
Item: 00-PR-0005275
$9.00
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Description
Here's an engaging selection that is built completely around the blues scale. Percussion support for the style adds a flavor of the real thing. A stupendous introduction to the blues for your band and great program literature as well. (2:19)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Declaration in Blue: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Young Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
216
SKU:
00-PR-0005275
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert W. Smith
Robert W. Smith has established himself as a cornerstone figure in American band and orchestral composition, with more than 400 published works spanning concert band, orchestra, and educational contexts. He holds degrees from Troy State University and the University of Miami, and his original compositions have been performed across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. His symphonies The Divine Comedy and The Odyssey, along with works like The Tempest, have become repertoire standards for developing ensembles.
Beyond the concert hall, Smith's music has appeared in Olympic broadcasts, television network programming, and major ceremonial events ranging from presidential state functions to opening day celebrations at Dodger Stadium. His work as a conductor and clinician has taken him across the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Europe, solidifying his role as both a prolific composer and active voice in music education.
Why we love this
Smith writes for young ensembles with genuine musical substance, and Declaration in Blue proves it. Rather than treating blues as a trend or throwaway topic, he builds an entire concert piece around the blues scale with authentic rhythmic support from the percussion section, giving students a real introduction to the style without condescension. The Grade 2 level combined with contest/festival designation means you get legitimate repertoire that will serve both a festival performance and a teaching moment.
What to expect
Declaration in Blue captures the relaxed confidence of blues music, with the blues scale giving the work its melodic spine and the percussion providing rhythmic swagger. The 2:19 duration keeps energy high while establishing enough musical substance to feel like a real concert piece rather than a novelty.
Who it's for
Grade 2 concert bands looking for stylistically authentic repertoire that teaches a real idiom without oversimplifying it. This works equally well for ensembles focused on festival performance and those building a program that touches multiple genres in a single season.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the groove with your rhythm section first. The blues feel lives in the percussion and lower instruments; nail that foundation before adding the melodic lines.
- Shape the blues scale passages as though they're sung rather than merely played. This keeps the blues character conversational and expressive rather than clinical.
- Balance the opening so the feature melodic line cuts through clearly. Blues works best when the audience can follow the main idea easily.
How to use it
Pair this with more traditional concert band fare to show the full range of what band music can be, or open a concert with it to signal that blues and American vernacular traditions belong in serious programming. At Grade 2, it's also a natural fit mid-season when your ensemble has developed cohesion but before major contests.
Skills your students will build
- Blues scale reading and intonation
- Rhythmic interpretation of blues feel and swing
- Ensemble balance with featured melodic lines
- Style-specific articulation and phrasing