Roar: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score

Victor López's arrangement strips away none of the song's energy while keeping the ensemble part writing straightforward enough for Grade 2 players to nail it together. Your students will feel like they're playing a real hit, not a watered-down educational version, and audiences respond immediately to the melody and groove they already know.

Bright, driving, and undeniably catchy. The arrangement captures the anthem quality of the original with a solid ensemble sound and forward momentum that keeps the energy up for nearly three minutes without solos or complex harmonic detours.

Jazz ensemble directors leading Grade 2 ensembles who want their students playing something the audience will actually recognize and enjoy. This works for groups looking to build confidence with a contemporary pop arrangement that doesn't condescend to younger players.

• Lock the drum part early in rehearsals. The backbeat drives the entire arrangement, so get your rhythm section solid before layering in horns.
• Balance the trumpet 1 line without letting it overshadow the ensemble. That written F on top carries the hook, but it should sing above the texture, not dominate it.
• Keep the tempo steady at 164 BPM. This piece thrives on groove; any wavering in the click throws off the pocket immediately.
• Mark the sectional entrances clearly on parts. With no solos to navigate, clarity on who plays when becomes your rehearsal foundation.

Program this in a pops concert or mixed jazz and popular music set where it lands perfectly alongside other contemporary hits. The recognizable melody makes it a strong opener or closer for audiences unfamiliar with jazz repertoire.

• Maintaining steady tempo and groove in a pop/jazz context
• Balancing solo voices against ensemble texture
• Reading and executing clearly marked sectional entrances
• Playing with stylistic accuracy in a contemporary pop-jazz idiom