Feel It Still: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Michael Story's arrangement captures the infectious groove and contemporary energy of this GRAMMY-winning hit while keeping the string writing idiomatic and musically satisfying. The optional piano and percussion parts add layers of texture without demanding them, so you can perform this effectively with strings alone or expand the color depending on your ensemble's instrumentation. Students respond immediately to music they recognize, and this piece channels that engagement into learning tight rhythmic precision and stylistic awareness.

Groovy and purposeful, with a modern sensibility grounded in classic soul-pop ancestry. The arrangement moves with infectious energy while maintaining a coolness that makes audiences lean in and listen rather than sit passively. This is music with swagger, delivered by an ensemble that understands it belongs in the concert hall.

String orchestra directors seeking repertoire that bridges contemporary popular music with solid musicianship. This works equally well for ensembles at the intermediate level building confidence with modern idioms and for more advanced groups looking for a charming concert opener or closer.

• Lock the rhythmic foundation early in rehearsal. The syncopated funk groove relies on precise ensemble alignment, especially in the lower strings. Mark beat subdivisions clearly to establish the pocket before layering melodic details.
• Shape the melodic material with intentional phrasing rather than playing it straight. This song breathes between phrases and benefits from slightly relaxed attacks at phrase beginnings to capture the laid-back groove.
• Balance the parts so that primary melodic voices emerge clearly while the countermelodies and rhythmic figures support without overwhelming. String sections can easily bury the hook with overzealous bowing.
• If you include the optional percussion and piano parts, use a light touch with dynamics to let the strings remain the textural center of the arrangement.

Program this early in a concert to set a high-energy tone and immediately connect with your audience. It works brilliantly alongside other contemporary pieces or as a strategic palate cleanser between classical selections, reminding listeners that string orchestras are living, evolving ensembles. The piece also serves as an excellent teaching concert or school assembly feature where connection to students' musical world matters as much as the performance itself.

• Executing syncopated rhythms with ensemble precision
• Playing with stylistic awareness of funk and pop groove
• Balancing melody and accompaniment textures in contemporary arrangements
• Maintaining rhythmic integrity while executing flowing, connected phrasing