Like Money: Concert Band Conductor Score

Energetic and modern, with a groove that sits comfortably within beginner range. The rhythmic hooks feel contemporary and inviting rather than pedagogical or simplified.

Beginning concert band students (Grade 1.5 level) who benefit from learning syncopation through music they recognize and enjoy. Directors introducing pop repertoire into traditional band curricula will find this accessible without sacrificing musicianship.

• Address the syncopated figures as a section before ensemble rehearsal. Have students clap the rhythms in isolation, then play them slowly on their instruments to anchor the feel before adding harmonic context.
• Keep the tempo steady and slightly energetic. Syncopation lives in the space between written notes and felt pulse; rushing flattens the style.
• Balance the featured melody line with supporting voices so that listeners hear the hook clearly. The pop arrangement relies on that distinction to land.

Program this early in the season or concert to engage younger audiences and build student confidence. Pair it with a classical or traditional selection to show the range of your ensemble's versatility, or cluster it with other pop titles to create a contemporary set.

• Syncopation and rhythmic displacement in pop idioms
• Reading and executing tied notes across beat boundaries
• Maintaining pulse while negotiating off-beat entrances
• Balancing melody and accompaniment textures
• Responding to stylistic articulation (legato vs. staccato in groove contexts)