Defying Gravity (from Wicked): Marching Band Conductor Score & Parts
As performed by Stephen Schwartz / Arranged by Matt Conaway / Arranged by Matt Finger
Grade: 2
Item: 35-PK01634126
$60.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
The smash Broadway sensation has been brought back into the spotlight with the hit movie series. This showstopper about empowerment will add to the perfect field show. Complete the field show with the other new arrangements from Wicked - "The Wizard and I" (HL#03746748), "No One Mourns the Wicked/Dancing Through Life" (HL#03746746), and "For Good" (HL#03746752).
Defying Gravity (from Wicked): Marching Band Conductor Score & Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01634126
More about this title
About the Artist: Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz has shaped musical theater for five decades, beginning with Godspell and Pippin before achieving landmark success with Wicked. His gift for writing character-driven songs that soar emotionally and dramatically has made him one of the most performed composers in schools and theaters worldwide. Beyond stage work, Schwartz has composed for Disney films and contributed significantly to the American musical canon, earning him multiple Tony and Grammy Awards.
Why we love this
This arrangement captures the raw defiance and soaring melodic power of the original without sacrificing the anthem quality that makes students want to perform it. The Grade 2 scoring opens this showstopper to bands that might otherwise feel locked out of contemporary Broadway repertoire, and the connection to the recent film gives your field show immediate cultural relevance.
What to expect
Defiant, exhilarating, and deeply personal. The song swells with the kind of emotional release that comes from standing up for yourself, and this marching arrangement preserves that tension between vulnerability and absolute conviction. Students perform this feeling, not just these notes.
Who it's for
This arrangement works for bands seeking accessible but impressive contemporary material that audiences recognize instantly. It fits programs looking to blend Broadway energy with marching arts and serves groups building confidence through repertoire that feels both achievable and rewarding.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the melody across your ensemble carefully; this song lives or dies on the strength and clarity of whoever carries the main line. Rehearse those parts with the same precision you would a classical solo.
- The emotional arc matters as much as the notes. Build intensity gradually from the opening rather than playing at full volume throughout, so you have somewhere to go when the song demands it.
- Sync your visual and musical statements. The empowerment message lands harder when marching execution is sharp and intentional, not sloppy.
How to use it
Feature this as a finale to your show or as a centerpiece that divides two contrasting pieces. The contemporary Broadway context pairs naturally with other Wicked selections in the catalog, allowing you to build a thematic field show around Schwartz's music and the messages embedded in the story.
Skills your students will build
- Sustained legit singing technique in a marching context
- Dynamic control across a wide emotional range
- Ensemble blend while maintaining individual line clarity
- Interpretation of text and dramatic intention in instrumental parts
- Marching and playing coordination at varying intensities