If I Only Had a Brain: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts
Arr. Mike Lewis
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0002466
$48.00
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Description
The Wizard of Oz has given us many great melodies that lend themselves to the jazz style. With the sax section featured throughout, no individual solos and lots of ensemble work, this one is a textbook swing chart perfect for young musicians. Dotted-eighth rhythms work so well with this tune that it just about plays itself. Mike Lewis knows how to score an arrangement for young bands: easy to learn, great sounding and, most important, fun to play!
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, If I Only Had a Brain: Jazz Ensemble 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:
Young Jazz Ensemble
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
106
SKU:
00-PK-0002466
More about this title
About the Arranger: Mike Lewis
Mike Lewis has built a reputation for writing jazz arrangements that sit squarely in the teaching sweet spot: accessible enough for developing musicians, sophisticated enough to hold a director's respect. His work with the Young Jazz Ensemble series demonstrates a practical understanding of what young bands can accomplish when the arranging choices serve the ensemble rather than showcase individual heroics.
Lewis knows that clarity in part writing and rhythmic consistency matter more than complexity at this level. His arrangements prioritize ensemble blend and shared musical responsibility, creating the kind of chart where students feel the immediate payoff of learning their parts correctly.
Why we love this
This arrangement captures what makes the tune work: the sax section gets the spotlight throughout, but the dotted-eighth swing rhythms are so natural to the melody that even young players feel the style immediately. There are no solos to cast or worry about, which means you can focus on getting the ensemble to swing together rather than managing featured players.
What to expect
Bright, uncluttered, and genuinely swinging. The arrangement respects the melody's simplicity while giving it the proper rhythmic clothes to feel like real jazz. It's the kind of piece that sounds like musicians making music together rather than students reading parts.
Who it's for
Young jazz ensembles at the intermediate level who want a crowd-pleasing standard without the complexity of solos or scattered part writing. This works equally well for festival performance, pops concerts, or students encountering swing style for the first time.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the dotted-eighth rhythm across the full ensemble before trying to add swing feel. Once that rhythmic pattern is solid, the swing articulation will follow more easily.
- Let the sax section carry the melody and establish the sound world. The rest of the ensemble should think of themselves as supporting that voice rather than competing for attention.
- Tempo matters here. A slightly brighter quarter-note feel (around 140-160 bpm suggested) will help the dotted-eighths sit naturally rather than feel labored.
- Record a rehearsal and listen back with the group. Young musicians often don't hear how close they are to real swing feel, and playback is remarkably motivating.
How to use it
Program this on a festival or spring pops concert where you want something that lands well with general audiences while still being musically legit. It pairs naturally with other standards in a jazz-focused set or works as a palate cleanser between heavier concert pieces.
Skills your students will build
- Swing articulation and swing eighth-note phrasing
- Dotted-eighth rhythm reading and execution
- Blend and balance in an ensemble texture with featured voices
- Jazz ensemble sonority and collectively thinking in sections rather than as soloists
- Style-appropriate dynamics and phrasing in a jazz idiom