Hope Ahead: Concert Band Conductor Score

$12.00 USD

Hope Ahead: Concert Band Conductor Score

Name: Hope Ahead: Concert Band Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-51033S
Price: 12.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 3

Item: 00-51033S

$12.00

Shipped

One moment…

Based on a student's artwork of a broken robot overlooking a magnificent city, Hope Ahead uses vibrant colors to contrast elements of despair and hope. Brian Balmages uses unique effects and bold melodic lines to tell a powerful story of finding peace in a broken world. Based on the artist's thoughts as well as essays from students all over the country, this piece is sure to inspire your ensemble and audience. (5:15)

Hope Ahead: Concert Band Conductor Score isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.

Series: MakeMusic Symphonic Band

Publisher: MakeMusic Publications

ISBN10: 1-4706-7121-2

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-7121-1

UPC: 038081592909

SKU: 00-51033S

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor working seamlessly across orchestral, band, and chamber repertoires. His compositions have reached audiences in world-class venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles spanning from professional orchestras to elementary school groups. He received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light. Balmages is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and holds the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award.

As a conductor, Balmages maintains regular guest engagements with all-state ensembles, university orchestras, and professional groups worldwide. His conducting appearances have taken him to major conferences including the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and the College Band Directors Conference. He was also commissioned by the University of Miami to compose music for the presidential inauguration of Dr. Julio Frenk, and his work was featured in the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. Currently, he serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Balmages crafts a Grade 3 piece that trusts your band with genuine emotional weight rather than simplifying the narrative. The programmatic architecture pairs visual inspiration from student artwork with thoughtful student perspectives nationwide, creating a concert work that resonates with performers and audiences alike. Its 5:15 duration and contest credentials make it equally strong for festival play or a meaningful concert centerpiece.

What to expect

The piece contrasts fractured, uncertain musical ideas with moments of radiant clarity and forward momentum. Balmages uses color and orchestration to paint the tension between a broken world and the possibility of renewal, creating a musical landscape where despair and hope coexist and ultimately reconcile.

Who it's for

This work suits Grade 3 bands ready to engage with programmatic concert music that asks for mature musicianship without extreme technical demands. Directors programming contests or thematic concerts will find it accessible for their ensemble while remaining substantial enough to inspire and challenge players.

How to get the most out of it

Study the artwork and student essays alongside the score to build your band's interpretive connection to the work's dual narrative of despair and hope. When ensemble members understand the story beyond the notes, they'll shape phrases with intention rather than mechanical precision.
Balance the vibrant colors Balmages employs to distinguish hope from brokenness. Encourage sections to listen across the band and adjust blend and dynamics so contrasting ideas remain distinct without losing cohesion.
Shape the bold melodic lines with clear phrasing and breath awareness. These melodies carry the emotional arc, so avoid rushing tempos in faster passages that might undercut the storytelling.

How to use it

Program Hope Ahead as a concert centerpiece or festival entry that speaks to themes of resilience and perspective. Its 5:15 duration and dramatic arc work well alongside lighter fare in a varied concert, or it can anchor a thematically organized program exploring contemporary issues through student voices.