I Kissed a Girl: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

This arrangement captures the swagger and attitude of the original without overwhelming younger ensembles. At Grade 2, the parts remain accessible while the orchestration delivers genuine energy and contemporary sound that resonates with today's students. Programming a chart-topping hit from 2008 demonstrates that concert band can speak the musical language of popular culture.

Bold and playful with attitude that matches the original's confidence. The arrangement captures the pop-rock energy and swagger of the hit single, translated into concert band colors with riffs that stick and rhythms that propel forward. You'll hear the song students already know, reimagined for the ensemble.

This score is built for concert bands at the Grade 2 level seeking repertoire that connects with students' lives outside the band room. Directors programming pop music or building toward a contemporary-focused concert will find this accessible without sacrificing musical substance.

• Commit to the rhythmic groove throughout. The syncopated figures that define the original require steady time and confidence from the entire ensemble, not just the rhythm section.
• Balance the frontline melody with textural support. The background riffs and countermelodies matter as much as the tune; ensure each section understands its role in the overall texture.
• Shape phrases with dynamic intention rather than playing straight through dynamic markings. Let the sections breathe where the original vocal phrasing suggests a break or emphasis.
• Lock the rhythm section early in rehearsals. Once percussion, low brass, and low woodwinds lock into the pocket, the rest of the band finds its footing more easily.

Place this on a concert celebrating 21st-century pop music or as a closer that sends audiences out energized. It pairs well with other contemporary arrangements and offers a vivid contrast to classical or traditional concert band standards on the same program.

• Rhythmic precision in syncopated figures and groove-based accompaniment patterns
• Balancing melody and countermelody in pop-influenced textures
• Dynamic shaping and phrasing in contemporary song forms
• Reading and responding to jazz-inflected articulations (swung rhythms, accent placement)
• Understanding formal structures common to radio-friendly pop songs