Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
As performed by Stevie Wonder / As performed by Rick Mattingly / Arranged by Diane Downs
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00383170
$35.00
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Description
Founded and directed by award-winning educator Diane Downs, The Louisville Leopard Percussionists have been wowing audiences at national and regional conventions for years. Here are the authentic arrangements by Diane carefully edited by well-known educator/author Rick Mattingly. Each arrangement is written with a flexible instrumentation based around mallet instruments, drum set, and a variety of Latin instruments. Dur: 3:15
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00383170
More about this title
About the Artist: Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder stands among the most consequential songwriters and musicians of the last five decades. Blind since infancy, he mastered keyboards, harmonica, and drums while developing an extraordinary ear for harmony and rhythmic innovation. His compositions seamlessly blend soul, funk, and pop sensibilities, making his catalog endlessly adaptable across genres and ensembles.
For music educators, Wonder's work offers rich pedagogical potential. His melodies are memorable yet sophisticated; his rhythmic frameworks invite creative interpretation; his harmonic language rewards careful listening. Arrangers and conductors return to his catalog repeatedly because the songs contain enough musical substance to engage serious musicians while remaining accessible to younger players.
Why we love this
Diane Downs and Rick Mattingly have stripped this soul classic to its rhythmic and melodic essentials, creating an arrangement that sings on the concert stage without overwhelming a Grade 3 ensemble. The flexible instrumentation centered on mallets and Latin percussion gives your band genuine color and personality. What makes this special is the permission it grants: you're not approximating a pop song, you're conducting a proper concert arrangement grounded in authentic rhythm section writing.
What to expect
Sunshine and forward motion. The arrangement radiates the easy confidence of Wonder's original, with mallets catching light and the rhythm section pushing everything forward without strain. Students will recognize the melody immediately, which frees their ears to listen for the layered, interlocking percussion parts that give the piece its character.
Who it's for
Any Grade 3 concert band seeking repertoire with genuine groove and modern flavor. Directors working with limited instrumentation will appreciate the flexible scoring. This works equally well for high school bands wanting a lighter, more engaging concert opener and middle school ensembles ready to explore rhythm section writing beyond traditional percussion.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the Latin percussion ostinatos first during sectionals. Once the clave and cowbell feel natural rather than read, the front line will settle into the groove.
- Invest rehearsal time in the drum set part. The kick and hi-hat coordination carries the entire arrangement; crisp articulation here lifts everything above it.
- Balance the mallet instruments carefully. Vibraphone and xylophone should speak through without drowning out the woodwinds. A dedicated sectional with mallets and brass often reveals the correct weight.
- Tempo stability matters more than precision here. The arrangement lives in the pocket; slight flexibility is musical, but wavering tempo feels unsure. Establish a click before dress rehearsal and stick with it.
How to use it
Open a concert with this piece. Its three-minute runtime and positive energy reset the room and signal that you're not afraid of contemporary music. Pair it with a standard march and a ballad to create a program with real stylistic variety, or program it back-to-back with other soul or funk arrangements to build an entire set around rhythm and groove.
Skills your students will build
- Reading syncopated rhythms with confidence
- Maintaining steady tempo in a groove-based context
- Balancing mallet and Latin percussion parts within an ensemble
- Responding to rhythmic cues from the rhythm section rather than the conductor
- Shaping melodic lines within a funk-inflected harmonic framework