How Long: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
As recorded by the Eagles on the album Long Road Out of Eden
By J. D. Souther
Grade: 2 (Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0001618
$50.00
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Description
Featured on the Eagles' new album, Long Road Out of Eden, here's the pop single How Long. With a driving rock beat, the arrangement is solidly scored in the Hot Pop Series at the intermediate level, making it easily accessible to every high school band and a special treat for your middle school band. The Eagles' popularity never wanes and this tune will have them rockin' in the aisles!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, How Long: 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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Additional Details
Series:
Hot Pop Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
124
SKU:
00-PK-0001618
More about this title
About the Composer: J. D. Souther
J. D. Souther is an American singer, songwriter, and musician whose prolific career spans rock, country, and pop. He co-founded the country rock group Souther-Hillman-Furay Band in the 1970s and has written or co-written numerous hits for major artists, including the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and James Taylor. His songwriting blends accessible melodies with substantive lyrical content, making his work enduringly popular across generations.
Souther's compositions have earned him recognition as both a performer and writer in the American rock canon. His ability to craft songs that resonate with broad audiences while maintaining musical integrity has made his catalog a staple of popular music education and concert programming.
Why we love this
This arrangement captures everything students love about the Eagles' sound while staying grounded in intermediate-level accessibility. The driving rock beat and solid pop scoring give young musicians a chance to feel like they're performing something genuinely contemporary and cool, not a "student piece." Programming a hit that actually connects with your audience's music tastes builds investment in rehearsals and makes for a genuinely satisfying concert moment.
What to expect
The moment your band locks into that driving rock beat, the energy shifts. Bright, confident, and unapologetically pop, this arrangement maintains the Eagles' signature warmth while bringing enough punch to remind everyone why this song became a hit. It's the sound of a high school band genuinely enjoying themselves on stage.
Who it's for
High school bands seeking contemporary repertoire that actually excites players and audiences alike will find this a natural fit. Middle school ensembles with stronger musicianship can also tackle it effectively, giving younger students a taste of concert band arranging at a professional level without compromising playability.
How to get the most out of it
- Keep the rhythm section tight and locked. The groove depends on precise coordination between percussion and low brass, so isolate these parts early and use a click track during rehearsals.
- Balance the melody across your band so it sits clearly above the harmonic foundation without overwhelming the ensemble sound. This prevents the piece from feeling thin or amateur.
- Shape the dynamics with intention. The intermediate scoring still demands careful attention to rises and falls; mark crescendos and diminuendos in your parts so sections understand where the energy builds.
How to use it
Place this in a mixed concert where it can provide a refreshing contrast to traditional band repertoire. The contemporary material and intermediate accessibility make it an excellent anchor for a program designed to showcase your band's range, especially if you're working to build community engagement or attract audiences beyond the typical concert band listener.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining steady groove and rhythmic precision within a rock idiom
- Balancing melody and accompaniment texture in a contemporary arrangement
- Responding to dynamic shaping across a full concert band
- Reading and executing contemporary pop and rock style conventions