Espresso: Marching Band Conductor Score & Parts

Nick Baratta's arrangement captures the infectious energy of the original without losing sight of what makes a marching band arrangement sing. The Grade 3 scoring gives your ensemble genuine melodic and harmonic material to sink their teeth into, rather than a stripped-down version that feels like an afterthought. This is a song your students actually know and care about, which means engagement and motivation happen naturally.

Energetic and direct, with a pop sensibility that feels fresh on the marching field. The melody is immediately catchy; the harmonies are warm and modern without sounding dated.

Directors looking for contemporary repertoire that energizes rehearsal and connects with students' actual listening habits. This works equally well for groups seeking a crowd-pleasing opener or closer for a mixed-repertoire concert.

• Keep the groove locked and relaxed. The arrangement thrives on rhythmic precision without tension; tight ensemble articulation matters more than forcing volume.
• Balance the melody across sections. With this many students learning the tune for the first time, clear leadership in the upper woodwinds and brass prevents the line from getting lost.
• Let the harmonies breathe. Sabrina Carpenter's original relies on space and clarity; resist the urge to overfill every moment with sound.

Program this early in a concert to capitalize on student and audience familiarity, or use it as the perfect palate cleanser between classical and contemporary pieces. It pairs well with other current pop arrangements in a concert celebrating music students actually want to play.

• Reading and executing modern rhythmic vocabulary (syncopation and groove-based rhythms)
• Balancing melody and harmony within a contemporary harmonic language
• Ensemble blend and articulation across mixed woodwind and brass textures
• Performing with stylistic accuracy to a pop idiom