Mash-Up – Vol. 1: Score

High-energy and accessible, with the infectious optimism of both original songs intact. The arrangement sparkles with brass energy and pop sensibility while maintaining the ensemble cohesion that makes concert band rewarding to conduct.

Concert bands at the middle school through early high school level who want to program contemporary pop repertoire that engages both performers and audiences. This works especially well for groups with strong trumpet and trombone players eager for featured solos in a full ensemble context.

• Balance the trumpet and trombone soloists against the full band backdrop; they need to cut through the arrangement without drowning out the ensemble harmony underneath.
• Lock the rhythmic feel between your rhythm section and brass stabs during the transitions between the two songs; the mash-up impact depends on precise alignment during those pivotal moments.
• Shape the energy of each song distinctly before combining them; establish the character of each tune separately in sectionals so the contrast reads clearly when they meet in the arrangement.

Program this as a finale or pre-finale on a pops concert, or position it as a bridge between a traditional first half and a more contemporary second half. The 3:30 runtime and audience familiarity make it ideal for building momentum in a concert arc.

• Balancing featured soloists with ensemble texture
• Executing rhythmic precision in syncopated pop grooves
• Maintaining stylistic contrast between two distinct melodic ideas within a single arrangement
• Reading and executing modern pop articulation and phrasing conventions