Iron Sharpens Iron: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$58.00 USD

Iron Sharpens Iron: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Iron Sharpens Iron: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-RWS251300
Price: 58.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Mark Lortz

Grade: 1

Item: 98-RWS251300

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Iron Sharpens Iron by Mark Lortz delivers bold energy and excitement, inspired by the proverb that highlights growth through challenge. Driving percussion, powerful brass fanfares, and soaring woodwinds capture the resilience and teamwork of athletes pushing each other to improve. Tense moments and triumphant resolutions reflect personal and collective transformation, making this piece a dynamic tribute to perseverance and unity. (1:35)

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Series: RWS - Beginning Band

Publisher: RWS Music Company

ISBN10: 1-4706-7916-7

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-7916-3

UPC: 038081603513

SKU: 98-RWS251300

More about this title

About the Composer: Mark Lortz

Mark Lortz leads the music department at Stevenson University and directs the university's band program. A prolific composer and arranger, he serves as music editor for RWS Music Company and brass arranger for the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps, the multi-world champion DCI ensemble. His works have premiered internationally at major venues including The Midwest Clinic, the Bands of America National Percussion Festival, and the College Band Directors National Association. ASCAP recognizes him annually for his compositions, which have earned praise in Gramophone and The Instrumentalist, plus selections for Bandworld's Top 100 and J.W. Pepper's Editor's Choice.

Dr. Lortz has conducted and arranged for the U.S. Army Field Band, the U.S. Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps, and serves as an adjudicator and clinician at state and regional conferences across the country. He holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from Temple University and earned degrees in percussion performance, composition, and education from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. The Maryland Music Educators' Association honored him as an Outstanding Educator in 2024.

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Why we love this

Grade 1 contest pieces rarely balance accessibility with genuine musical substance, but Lortz nails both here. The writing sits comfortably under young players' fingers while the arrangement of soaring woodwinds, brass fanfares, and driving percussion creates a sound that feels genuinely impactful. Your students will experience what it's like to be part of something powerful without spending weeks learning the technical language.

What to expect

Energy that builds without feeling frantic. You move through moments of tension that feel earned, supported by a rhythmic foundation that propels everything forward. The piece closes with genuine triumph, the kind that comes from perseverance rather than luck.

Who it's for

Beginning concert bands preparing for contest festivals. This piece works equally well for groups focused on musicality or those pursuing a competitive edge, since Lortz built in both musical substance and crowd appeal.

How to get the most out of it

Let the percussion shine during the driving sections. These moments anchor the entire ensemble and give rhythm players real ownership of the musical narrative.
Shape the brass fanfares with dynamic contrast. Push into the triumphant moments but pull back slightly before major transitions so the resolution lands with maximum effect.
Balance the woodwind solos over the accompaniment. Young players often play too timidly in exposed moments; encourage them to sing through their lines with full voice.

How to use it

Open a spring concert with this to set an energetic tone, or program it mid-set when you need to shift audience attention. At just over a minute and a half, it's ideal for festival schedules where time slots are tight but you want impact.