Espresso: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" translates brilliantly to the concert band idiom through Bernotas's arrangement, giving young bands access to contemporary pop repertoire that genuinely excites them. The disco groove sits naturally in a Grade 2 setting, allowing musicians to focus on locking into a steady pulse and articulation without wrestling with complex harmony. This is the kind of piece that reminds students why they joined band in the first place.

Pure disco energy with a modern pop sensibility. The arrangement sparkles with bright articulations and infectious melodic hooks that lodge themselves in your head long after rehearsal ends. It's joyful, groovy, and built on the kind of earworm melody that makes audiences smile the moment the first notes sound.

Grade 2 concert bands and young musicians ready to explore contemporary pop in an ensemble setting. This works equally well for developing bands eager to program current music and for more advanced groups looking for a crowd-pleasing opener or closer.

• Lock the rhythm section early and often. The groove depends on the bass line and percussion working as one unit, so isolate those parts in sectional rehearsals before adding the melody voices.
• Keep the tempo consistent throughout the 2:50 duration. "Espresso" thrives on its driving energy, so any hesitation in the tempo will kill the disco momentum.
• Shape the dynamics in the upper woodwinds with purpose. The riffs and counter-melodies shouldn't overpower the main hook; clarity matters more than volume.
• Emphasize the staccato articulations in the brass. They anchor the percussive, dance-floor character that makes this piece tick.

Program this early in the concert to establish an energetic tone and build audience goodwill. Its accessibility and contemporary appeal make it an excellent choice for pops concerts, community band showcases, or spring concerts where you want to balance traditional concert band fare with music students actually listen to outside rehearsal.

• Maintaining steady pulse in a groove-based idiom
• Articulation control in staccato figures
• Locked ensemble playing across rhythm section and melody voices
• Balancing homophonic texture and countermelody lines at Grade 2 level