Holiday Short Cuts for Beginning Band -- Vol. 1: Concert Band Conductor Score

Story's arrangements preserve the character and charm of these beloved holiday melodies while treating them as genuine teaching tools rather than afterthoughts. The deliberate inclusion of key changes, dynamic contrasts, divisi writing, and formal structures means your students are learning real musical concepts through songs they already love.

Warm, accessible, and genuinely joyful. These arrangements capture the celebratory spirit of the holidays without condescension; students hear familiar melodies they can sing along with, but they're working with changing keys, layered textures, and formal structures that feel substantial.

Beginning and developing band conductors who want their students to engage with recognizable holiday music while reinforcing essential musicianship skills. This works equally well for a first-year ensemble tackling their winter program or a developing band ready to move beyond pure method book exercises.

• Balance the divisi passages by asking each section to listen to their neighbors; these aren't unison moments, so blend matters more than perfect ensemble.
• Work the D.S. al Coda carefully in rehearsal by labeling measures and walking through the form verbally before running it full tempo.
• Shape the key changes with clear sectional communication; give the band time to acclimate to new tonal centers before pushing forward.
• Coordinate your hand signals for percussion changes well before the concert so two-hand and hand-foot transitions happen cleanly without breaking momentum.

Use this as your winter concert centerpiece when you want engaging, instructional repertoire that brings families and community members into the rehearsal hall. The four contrasting pieces also give you flexibility to program them as a suite or scatter them throughout a longer concert.

• Reading and executing key changes within a single piece
• Responding to changing dynamics across sections
• Two-hand and hand-foot percussion coordination
• Playing divisi passages with pitch accuracy and blend
• Understanding and performing D.S. al Coda form