Groove Music: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$95.00 USD

Groove Music: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Groove Music: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-B1550
Price: 95.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 4

Item: 98-B1550

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Based entirely on the concept of grooves and rhythmic ideas, this barnburner features colorful percussion writing intertwined with infectious melodies. Musicians hit the ground running from the very first note and don’t let up until the final fermata. Powerful music with a relentless drive and fierce attitude!

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Groove Music: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: FJH Concert Band

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 674398231461

SKU: 98-B1550

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor working fluently across orchestral, band, and chamber idioms. His works have been performed by ensembles spanning from professional symphony orchestras to elementary school groups in major venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, and Toronto Centre for the Arts. He holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association; his composition Love and Light won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest.

As a conductor, Balmages maintains an active schedule guest conducting all-state and regional ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide, with appearances at the Midwest Clinic, College Band Directors Conference, and numerous international venues. He has received the James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award and was commissioned by the University of Miami to compose for the inauguration of the university's 6th president. His music was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service attended by President Obama and Vice President Biden. Balmages currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Balmages writes with a visceral understanding of what keeps a band engaged and energized. The groove-centered approach makes this work immediately accessible to students while the colorful percussion writing and relentless rhythmic momentum give it genuine substance; it plays equally well as a crowd-pleasing concert opener or closer.

What to expect

Infectious, propulsive, and unapologetically contemporary. The music propels forward with infectious grooves and colorful orchestration that make it feel more like a journey than a march. There's an infectious attitude that refuses to apologize for being direct and fun.

Who it's for

Grade 4 concert bands with solid fundamentals and rhythmic security will find this a rewarding and exhilarating experience. Directors seeking high-energy literature that doesn't demand extreme virtuosity but does demand conviction and precision will connect with this work.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the groove pocket early in rehearsals before layering melodic content. Have the rhythm section lock in before adding harmonic voices.
Balance the percussion writing carefully so that the colorful effects enhance rather than overpower the melodic line. Let each percussion voice breathe.
Push the tempo steadily from entrance to entrance without losing clarity. Balmages writes this music to move.
Mark dynamic shifts clearly in all parts. The fierce attitude depends on sharp execution of the written attacks and releases.

How to use it

This is natural programming for a concert that needs an immediate grab on audience attention. The relentless energy and approachable idiom make it an ideal opener or closer; it bridges the gap between young musicians who think concert band is formal and audiences who expect something with genuine drive.

Skills your students will build

Maintaining consistent groove and pulse under rhythmic complexity
Balancing melodic and rhythmic layers without sacrificing clarity
Executing dynamic contrast with precision (sharp attacks and controlled releases)
Reading syncopated rhythmic figures and working within contemporary idioms
Responding to percussion-driven orchestration and adjusting articulation accordingly