Power Surge: Concert Band Conductor Score

A surge of controlled energy. The pulsating rhythm and contemporary harmonies create forward momentum without chaos, and the fusion of rock, Latin, and jazz styles keeps the listener off balance in the best way—always curious what comes next. It sounds modern without sounding difficult.

Young concert bands ready to play beyond traditional march-and-hymn repertoire. This work suits ensembles in Grades 6-8 or high school beginning bands that have solid fundamentals and are hungry for contemporary musical language.

• Lock the groove between percussion and bass line from rehearsal one. The Latin and rock rhythmic feels require precision, not just energy, or the piece loses its sophistication.
• Balance the contemporary harmonies so they read clearly. With jazz voicings at this level, intonation matters more than volume; resist the urge to push dynamics early.
• Shape phrases across the style shifts. When the piece moves between rock, Latin, and jazz sections, use mild tempo flexibility and articulation variety to make the transitions feel intentional, not abrupt.
• Invest rehearsal time in the rhythm section's confidence. This score lives or dies on whether your students trust the foundation they're playing over.

Program this as an opener or a contrast piece in a concert built around style variety. At two minutes, it pairs well alongside a slower ballad and a traditional march or patriotic standard, giving audiences a complete picture of what contemporary young bands can accomplish. It's also ideal for demonstrations of how popular musical languages live in the concert band tradition.

• Reading and performing syncopated rhythms in rock and Latin styles
• Playing through harmonic density and jazz voicings characteristic of contemporary concert band writing
• Responding to style changes within a single work
• Ensemble precision in groove-based sections where the rhythm section anchors the full band
• Articulation and phrasing in popular music idioms