In a New York Jam: 1st B-flat Trumpet

McClearn captures urban energy in a way that feels genuine, not cartoonish. The rock-solid Grade 1.5 scoring keeps your ensemble comfortable enough to focus on locking the groove, while the sound design of city traffic and construction gives you a legitimate concert moment that audiences actually remember after the show.

The piece unfolds like a day in New York compressed into two minutes. Honking horns, jackhammers, and sirens weave through an infectious rock groove that feels contemporary without losing the clarity and precision concert band music demands. It's playful and intentional at once.

First-year and second-year band directors looking for concert repertoire that engages student players and draws genuine laughs from the audience. This works equally well for experienced directors seeking a reliable closer or opening number that lands with non-musical audiences.

• Establish the rock beat as your foundation first; lock it in the rhythm section before layering the melodic material. This piece lives or dies by the pocket.
• Balance the sound effects (traffic, construction) carefully in rehearsal. They should enhance the urban character without overwhelming the ensemble's playing.
• Keep the energy consistent through the entire 2:10 runtime. The temptation is to rush in the higher-energy sections; steady conducting will prevent that.
• Assign your best players to the head melody so it cuts through the accompaniment and rhythmic texture underneath.

Use this as an opener to establish personality and energy at a concert, or as a closer to leave the audience smiling and talking. It pairs well with more traditional concert fare as a palette cleanser and shows your band's range.

• Rock rhythm fundamentals and steady beat maintenance
• Balancing melodic clarity against rhythmic and textural accompaniment
• Listening to non-pitched percussion and integrated sound design
• Ensemble cohesion within a contemporary music idiom