Push It: Cymbals

Mike Story's arrangement captures the driving momentum of the original while keeping the energy accessible for Grade 2 ensembles. The recognizable melodic hook ensures immediate engagement from audiences, making this a natural choice for pep rallies, football games, and outdoor concerts where you want genuine excitement and crowd response. It's a repertoire piece that proves marching band can be contemporary and fun without sacrificing musicianship.

Propulsive and fun. The original hook carries an unmistakable swagger, and Story's arrangement preserves that character: economical, groove-centered, and built to make people move. It's the kind of piece that gets crowds on their feet and keeps your ensemble loose and energized during rehearsal.

Grade 2 marching bands looking for high-recognition repertoire that connects with audiences and students alike. Directors programming outdoor performances, fall football season, or community events who want a piece that reads as genuinely contemporary, not novelty.

• Lock in the rhythmic groove early in rehearsals by having the section leaders establish a steady pulse before layering parts; this tune depends on a confident sense of swing and forward motion rather than dead precision.
• Balance the lead melody so it cuts through the harmonic texture; the hook needs to be unmistakable from the stands, even in an outdoor venue.
• Shape the dynamic arc intentionally so the arrangement breathes; Grade 2 doesn't mean static, and this piece rewards subtle crescendos and release points that keep the audience connected.
• Marching-specific: plan your spacing early so the melody carriers (likely woodwinds) can project toward the front sideline without the low brass muddying the line on the field.

Reserve this for moments when you want maximum audience participation and energy. It works beautifully in a show opener, as an encore, or as the closer of a football halftime set where crowd response matters as much as technical execution. Consider pairing it with more traditional repertoire to create contrast and showcase your ensemble's stylistic range.

• Maintaining steady rhythm and groove in a hip-hop idiom
• Balancing melody and accompaniment across the ensemble
• Projecting a clear melodic line in outdoor performance acoustics
• Responding to syncopated figures and contemporary rhythmic patterns
• Building confidence with high-recognition repertoire