Ghost Walk: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Chris Brubeck
Grade: 3.5
Item: 35-PK00444387
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Description
Composer Chris Brubeck wrote "Ghost Walk" as part of his BandQuest residency at West Rocks Middle School in Connecticut. The piece combines Brubeck's lifelong experiences with both jazz and classical idioms, creating a work that's as fun to play as it is to hear. The title was inspired by the wedding of Brubeck's son at Gettysburg College, which hosts a "ghost walk," as well as the minor mode and haunting atmosphere of the piece.
Learn more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ComposersForum/search?query=chris+brubeckspfreload=1+
BandQuest, an exciting series of new music and accompanying curricula for band, is a program published by the American Composers Forum. The series was started as a response to feedback from music educators that there is a pressing need for new, fresh band music. The heart of this program is new works written by a diverse group of leading American composers who have created challenging pieces that are a true departure from standard middle school repertoire. Every BandQuest project includes a residency component in which the composer works collaboratively with a middle school as they create their new piece. Many BandQuest pieces are accompanied by an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to assist students as they learn the music and to integrate each piece with non-music studies. Visit www.bandquest.org to learn more about this innovative series, and email bandquest@composersforum.org to request a free downloadable audio catalog.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00444387
More about this title
About the Composer: Chris Brubeck
Chris Brubeck carries forward a legacy of musical exploration across jazz and classical forms. His work as a composer reflects deep engagement with both traditions, and his residencies with school ensembles demonstrate a commitment to creating meaningful music for student musicians.
Why we love this
Brubeck crafted this piece during an actual residency at the commissioning school, which means the writing responds directly to what middle school musicians can accomplish. The fusion of jazz vocabulary with concert band texture feels fresh without sacrificing the clarity students need to navigate the part writing, and the minor mode atmosphere gives performers genuine emotional terrain to inhabit rather than cheerful surface charm.
What to expect
Minor mode and harmonic sophistication create a contemplative, slightly haunting atmosphere. The piece balances moments of crystalline clarity with sections where jazz phrasing brings a conversational quality to the band's voice.
Who it's for
Grade 3.5 bands ready to venture beyond traditional contest fare will find a piece that respects their technical development while offering stylistic range. The work suits musicians curious about contemporary composition and the ways jazz language can inhabit ensemble music.
How to get the most out of it
- Pay close attention to the balance between soloistic passages and full ensemble moments; the jazz idiom pulls toward transparency, so resist the urge to thicken accompaniment figures beyond what's written.
- Establish the minor tonality early in rehearsals so students internalize the piece's harmonic gravity and avoid drifting toward major brightness in unguarded moments.
- Use sectional rehearsals to isolate rhythm section independence, since the interaction between jazz and classical rhythmic concepts can feel unfamiliar at first contact.
How to use it
Program this as a centerpiece for a concert exploring American composition or new music; its artistic weight deserves that framing. It pairs well with established band standards when you want to show students that current composers are writing repertoire that matters.
Skills your students will build
- Jazz articulation and phrasing within a concert band context
- Reading and executing minor mode harmony with confidence
- Balancing transparency and blend when classical and jazz idioms meet
- Responding to rubato and stylistic nuance in a contemporary work