Heavy Hitters: Score
Low Brass and Winds Feature
By Chris M. Bernotas
Grade: 1
Item: 00-PR-0007639
$10.00
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Description
Heavy Hitters, by Chris M. Bernotas, is a spectacular low winds and low brass feature that is sure to become a staple in beginning band literature. This very appreciated section of the band is featured throughout, and the rest of the band has fun and engaging parts as well. Driven by a rock beat, great opportunities for teaching rhythm, phrasing, dynamics, and even call and response are included. Perfect for recruiting and highlighting the lows! (1:50)
Correlates to Sound Innovations Book 1, Level 3.
Correlates to Sound Innovations Book 1, Level 3.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Heavy Hitters: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Sample Audio
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Additional Details
Series:
Sound Innovations Series for Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PR-0007639
More about this title
About the Composer: Chris M. Bernotas
Chris M. Bernotas serves as Director of Instrumental Publications for Alfred Music, where he has shaped band and orchestra curricula for more than two decades. His compositions balance musicality with pedagogical clarity, making them accessible to developing ensembles while maintaining the engagement that advanced groups seek.
Beyond the page, Bernotas brings classroom experience to everything he writes. He conducts honor groups, leads workshops for directors, and co-authored foundational resources including the Sound Innovations series. His work as both composer and educator means his pieces address real rehearsal challenges while inspiring students to grow musically.
Why we love this
This piece hands the spotlight directly to the section that often plays in the shadows. By centering low winds and low brass throughout, you create visibility for students who chose those instruments and spark interest in younger musicians watching the band. The rock-driven rhythm and call-and-response writing make rehearsals energetic while building fundamental skills that transfer across your entire repertoire.
What to expect
Heavy Hitters channels contemporary energy through a rock beat that makes young players feel like they're playing something current and cool. The low register rumbles with authority, and the interplay between sections creates a sense of ensemble conversation rather than isolated parts following along.
Who it's for
Beginning band programs at the elementary or middle school level looking for fresh, engaging concert literature that keeps developing musicians invested. Directors seeking pieces that showcase underrepresented instruments and build sections that are typically seen as supporting players into featured voices.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the low brass and low woodwind entrances to a steady pulse; their rhythmic security anchors the rock beat throughout.
- Shape the call-and-response sections with clear dynamic contrasts, letting the featured sections project above the supporting parts.
- Emphasize articulation consistency within the low voices to achieve the tight, driving feel the piece demands.
- Use the recorded accompaniment (available separately) to help students feel the groove and lock into the underlying rhythm section.
How to use it
Feature this on a winter or spring concert as a recruiting tool for incoming students, or program it early in the year to energize your rehearsals and build confidence in musicians who often fade into the background. Its length (1:50) makes it ideal for variety within a mixed concert set.
Skills your students will build
- Rock rhythm articulation and consistency
- Dynamic shaping within featured section passages
- Call-and-response listening and ensemble coordination
- Phrasing across longer, sustained melodic lines in the low register