Lips Are Movin': String Orchestra Conductor Score

Michael Story's arrangement captures everything that makes the original irresistible while keeping the parts genuinely playable for young orchestras. The focus on second finger work gives your violins and violas a concrete technical goal within a piece they'll actually want to play, and the pop idiom keeps energy high throughout rehearsals.

Bright, modern, and instantly recognizable. The arrangement maintains the original's playful confidence while moving at a pace that keeps young players engaged and feeling successful.

Young string orchestras at the early-intermediate level who need engaging contemporary repertoire and a concrete pedagogical focus. Directors working with students aged 10-14 will find this especially useful as an alternative to standard classical fare while still developing foundational technique.

• Isolate the second finger passages in violins and violas during sectionals before combining parts; this straightforward technical work builds confidence quickly when framed clearly.
• Shape the melodic lines with slight dynamic swells rather than playing everything at the marked dynamic; the arrangement rewards a conversational approach to phrasing.
• Lock in the rhythmic feel early, especially where the bass line sits; this pop arrangement lives or dies on groove, so spend rehearsal time on rhythmic precision alongside intonation.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to check tempo and feel, then encourage students to listen to each other rather than relying on it during final rehearsals.

Schedule this for a winter or spring concert where you want to break up a program of standard classical selections; audiences light up when they hear current popular music performed live by young musicians. It also works well as a fun finale to a family concert or school assembly where broader appeal matters alongside musical learning.

• Playing in first and second positions on violin and viola
• Executing high and low second finger placement with accuracy
• Maintaining rhythmic precision in a pop style arrangement
• Reading and performing contemporary melodic phrasing
• Balancing technical work with musical expression in a modern idiom