Funtango: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$60.00 USD

Funtango: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Funtango: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1262
Price: 60.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Chris Sharp

Grade: 1

Item: 98-B1262

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This tongue-in-cheek approach to the classic tango will keep your percussion section busy with lots of Spike Jones-type comic effects, including siren whistle, bulb horn, slapstick, vibraslap, guiro, and clapping. To aid with performance flexibility, an alternate optional snare drum part is provided for more accomplished players. This is one "fun tango" that literally has all the bells and whistles!

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Series: FJH Beginning Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398217571

SKU: 98-B1262

More about this title

About the Composer: Chris Sharp

Chris Sharp brings decades of professional music-making into every score he writes. A trombonist who spent eleven years performing and leading ensembles at Walt Disney World, he has arranged and orchestrated for Disney parks globally while also composing for clients ranging from Universal Studios to the Boston Pops and the USAF Airmen of Note. His deep experience across live performance, recording, and broadcast work informs both the playability and the theatrical flair of his compositions.

Now Director of Bands at Polk State College, Dr. Sharp teaches music theory, technology, and arranging while continuing an active schedule as clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator for major organizations including Bands of America and Drum Corps International. His concert and jazz band works receive regular performances at venues like the Midwest Clinic, and he is a multiple recipient of the ASCAPlus award.

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Why we love this

Funtango understands what beginning bands need: a piece that's genuinely fun to play without sacrificing musicality or control. Sharp writes percussion parts that demand real technique and musicianship while keeping the energy playful, and the inclusion of an optional snare drum part means you can challenge your stronger players without leaving anyone behind. For a Grade 1 ensemble, this hits the sweet spot between novelty and concert credibility.

What to expect

Imagine a tango that wandered into a vaudeville routine and decided to stay. There's genuine rhythmic swagger underneath the cartoonish percussion collage, so the piece swings with authentic tango flavor even as sirens wail and horns honk. It's joyful without being silly.

Who it's for

Beginning concert bands that want a crowd-pleaser with real substance. The Grade 1 level and FJH Beginning Band series designation mean your students can handle it musically while your percussion section gets a genuine workout with multiple specialized instruments.

How to get the most out of it

Treat the comic percussion effects as rhythmic precision work, not as an excuse to be loose. The siren, bulb horn, and slapstick need clean, coordinated entries to land the humor.
Give the vibraslap and guiro players time to practice their instrumental technique separately. These aren't just sound effects; they require controlled strokes and consistent tone.
Let your stronger snare drummer tackle the optional advanced part if you have one ready. It deepens the complexity without disrupting ensemble balance.
Balance the impulse to ham it up with musical phrasing. The tango rhythms still need shape and breath, even when bells and whistles are flying.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a spring concert opener that signals to the audience you're not taking yourself too seriously, or as a finale that leaves everyone laughing. It's also an ideal piece for pops concerts, community performances, or any venue where you want to showcase your ensemble's musicianship alongside their sense of humor.