Levitating: Marching Band Conductor Score & Parts

Levitating captures the weightless, disco-inflected bounce of the original, with a driving backbeat and synth-pop sensibility that translates cleanly to the marching field. The arrangement delivers pure entertainment value without irony; your band plays with pride, not winking at the audience.

Marching bands at the Grade 3 level looking to perform contemporary pop-funk repertoire that connects with students and audiences alike. This works equally well for bands seeking a show-stopper closer or a fun opener that signals the ensemble isn't stuck in tradition.

• Lock the rhythm section (percussion and low brass) to lock in the funk pocket; the groove lives in their precision, not in rushing the sixteenth-note figures.
• Balance the lead melody against the background riffs so the hook stays clear; it's easy for young bands to let thicker harmonic voicings bury what listeners come to hear.
• Keep the articulation clean and consistent across sections, especially in the syncopated passages. Sloppiness reads as sloppy, not cool.
• Use the recorded accompaniment (if available) in rehearsal to help your band internalize the original's groove before asking them to feel it on their own.

Program this as a second-half opener to shift the mood after a ballad, or use it as a show closer to send the crowd home smiling. It pairs well alongside other contemporary pop or funk arrangements in the Mega Sounds series, and the 2:01 length makes it an ideal anchor for a shorter medley if you're building a themed set.

• Funk rhythmic phrasing and syncopation
• Clean articulation in rapid sixteenth-note passages
• Lock and blend within rhythm section
• Balancing melody against accompaniment riffs
• Interpreting contemporary popular music notation