Race Against Time: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Robert W. Smith
Level:.5
Item: 98-PK-RWS2039
$50.00
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Description
A thrilling musical adventure for your young band musicians, Race Against Time is a fast and furious journey with an educational focus on the time signature. Driving in 4/4 time, your students will like the intensity and strength of the musical race. However, they will love their journey through the "time tunnel" with simple yet effective meter changes. Master educator Robert W. Smith has provided a perfect vehicle to teach and reinforce the time signature in a musically relevant setting.
Original Item#: RWS-2039-00
Original Item#: RWS-2039-00
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Additional Details
Series:
RWS - Very Beginning Band
Publisher:
RWS Music Company
SKU:
98-PK-RWS2039
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert W. Smith
Robert W. Smith stands among America's most productive composers for concert band and orchestra, with over 400 published works to his credit. He holds degrees in music education from Troy State University and a master's degree from the University of Miami, and has built a career conducting and clinicianships across the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Europe.
Smith's compositions span concert halls, Olympic ceremonies, television broadcasts, and major public events. His symphonies, including The Divine Comedy and The Odyssey, and works for developing ensembles like The Tempest have become core repertoire in band programs worldwide. His gift for writing musically engaging pieces that serve genuine pedagogical purposes has made him a trusted voice in music education.
Why we love this
Smith crafts the meter-change concept as a genuine narrative rather than a technical exercise. Your students experience the learning in context—they're racing through a musical landscape where the shifts in time feel like plot points, not flash cards. For early bands, that distinction matters enormously.
What to expect
Propulsive and playful. The opening drives forward with the confident energy of a race, but the meter changes arrive not as obstacles but as thrilling shifts in the journey. Smith balances urgency with accessibility, keeping the musical language direct and the emotional arc clear.
Who it's for
Developing concert bands in their first or second year, where foundational time signature understanding is an active learning goal. This works equally well for young musicians encountering mixed meters for the first time and for ensembles that need engaging reinforcement of these concepts.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the 4/4 groove firmly in the opening section before introducing the first meter shift. Lock the pulse with your conducting; your clarity will carry the ensemble through the transitions.
- Rehearse each meter change independently first. Have students count and play the specific passage until the new time signature feels natural, then reconnect it to the surrounding material.
- Bring energy and theatrical flair to the "time tunnel" section. This is where the piece communicates joy in discovery; if you conduct it as a problem to solve, the students will hear that hesitation.
How to use it
Program this as a fall concert opener or mid-season feature piece when your band is solid enough in fundamentals to focus on the meter exploration without struggling with basic ensemble skills. It also works well as a closing number for a young band concert, leaving audiences with a sense of momentum and accomplishment.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing in multiple time signatures within a single piece
- Tracking meter changes while maintaining ensemble cohesion
- Responding to conducted beat patterns that shift from 4/4 to other meters
- Building pulse and internal subdivision across different metric frameworks