Rock Your Bones!: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Story captures exactly what makes trombones irresistible to young players: the glissando. Rather than avoiding or minimizing slide work, he builds the entire piece around it, turning a technical feature into the main event. Your section gets to shine with music that's genuinely entertaining without condescending, and your audience gets to hear why kids love their instruments.

Rock Your Bones! leans into novelty with infectious energy. The glissandi give it a playful, slightly bluesy character that feels at home in a pops concert or spring program. It's the kind of piece that makes audiences smile and reminds everyone why a trombone section can steal the show.

This is built for trombone sections in their first or second year of band. Students with solid understanding of slide positions and comfort moving between them will have the most success, but the grade level ensures nothing lies in the extreme upper register or unusual positions.

• Mark all glissandi in rehearsal for consistency. The effect works best when the section slides together rather than at slightly different speeds.
• Control slide speed in faster passages. Quick glissandi can blur if players rush; think of them as articulated slides that maintain rhythmic precision.
• Balance the trombone feature against the rest of the band. The melody should cut through, but supporting voices should remain clear so the texture doesn't become muddy.

This works beautifully as a novelty feature in a pops or family concert, placing it alongside lighter fare where the humor and technical flash feel at home. It's also ideal as a morale booster mid-rehearsal season or as part of a concert that celebrates section achievements.

• Glissando control and articulation across multiple positions
• Section balance and blend while executing the same technical passage
• Rhythmic precision within extended slide movements
• Confidence performing as a featured section