Pop Trios for All (Revised and Updated): Alto Saxophone (E-flat Saxes & E-flat Clarinets) Book

Michael Story's arranging voice shines through in how he voices these pop favorites so that each line feels melodically rewarding, never relegated to accompaniment. The tiered difficulty within a single book means you can assign parts based on student proficiency rather than scrambling for different versions, and the flexible instrumentation lets your saxophone and clarinet students play together seamlessly.

Accessible without being simplistic. These arrangements honor the pop and contemporary songs your students already know while keeping the harmonic language clean and the ranges sensible. There's room for stylistic expression and genuine musicianship within every line.

Alto saxophonists and E-flat clarinetists working in flexible trios, quartets, or larger mixed groups, whether in beginning concert bands, jazz bands, chamber ensembles, or sectional coaching. This book works equally well for students reading at Grade 1 level (with part assignments carefully chosen) and stronger young musicians tackling Grade 3-4 material.

• Balance the melodic voices carefully during sectional rehearsals; with three independent lines, it's easy for one player to dominate. Mark each section's primary voice at the beginning of each piece.
• Lock into the rhythmic pocket early by rehearsing the rhythm section or bass line first, then building the other voices on top. Many of these pop arrangements live or die on groove.
• Keep articulation conversations brief and clear: mark whether eighths swing, whether staccato is short or detached, and confirm those markings before running full sections.
• Use the no-page-turn format as a rehearsal tool. Call out measure numbers as reference points and notice how quickly your students find passages once they're familiar with the layout.

Weave these arrangements throughout the year as concert warmers, recital pieces for less experienced students, or as quick-turn-around sectional assignments that don't require separate printed parts for each player. The variety of titles makes it easy to program a short pop medley or refresh a spring concert with contemporary material that audiences and students alike enjoy.

• Reading flexible instrumentation and part assignments based on range and ability
• Phrasing and style-appropriate articulation in pop and contemporary idioms
• Balancing three independent melodic voices within a trio texture
• Quick score orientation and rehearsal independence using measure numbers as landmarks