Everything Is Awesome (from The LEGO Movie): String Bass

Ralph Ford's arrangement captures the irrepressible energy of the original without losing what makes it work: the infectious hook, the driving rhythm, and the sheer fun that makes this piece feel like a victory lap every time you play it. At Grade 2.5, it's accessible enough for developing orchestras but full enough that stronger ensembles will find real ensemble work and genuine excitement. You'll find this one on the podium year after year because it never fails to energize a concert and leave audiences smiling.

Optimistic and unstoppable. The piece bounces forward with infectious rhythm and bright orchestral color, capturing the spirit of an ordinary hero discovering that he's anything but ordinary. There's a joyful simplicity to the melody that sits alongside real harmonic movement, creating something that sounds contemporary without sacrificing orchestral depth.

String orchestras at the high school and advanced middle school level will find this arrangement sits perfectly in their wheelhouse. It's equally suited for concert programs that want to bridge classical and contemporary repertoire, offering a piece that resonates with audiences while developing genuine musicianship.

• Lock the rhythmic drive with the viola and cello section; this piece lives or dies on a steady, propulsive foundation that lets the violins dance on top of it.
• Bring out the hook in the first violins clearly but don't let it overwhelm the harmonic texture underneath. The genius is in how all the parts fit together.
• Keep the tempo consistent throughout. This is a groove piece, and any rubato or hesitation will flatten its infectious quality.
• Balance articulation across the string sections so the pizzicato and arco passages create contrast rather than confusion. Clean attacks matter here.

Program this as a concert opener or closer when you need momentum and audience connection. It works beautifully as a bridge between a more serious classical work and another contemporary piece, or as the emotional centerpiece of a concert celebrating popular music in orchestral arrangement. Spring and end-of-year concerts are natural homes for this one.

• Maintaining steady rhythmic drive in the lower strings while tracking independent melodic lines above
• Balancing pizzicato and arco articulation across sections
• Reading straightforward but engaging contemporary orchestral textures
• Ensemble cohesion in a groove-based piece where precision matters as much as expression