Santa Stomp!: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

A half-step beginning band piece that actually belongs in a concert program rather than feeling like a rehearsal exercise. The stomp and clap elements give young players permission to have fun while Grice's scoring ensures they sound intentional and together, not chaotic. It's the kind of novelty that lands because the musicianship underneath is solid.

Infectious and celebratory without being cloying. The stomp and clap create a participatory energy that pulls the audience in, while the melodic line gives the piece genuine structure beneath the fun. It's the musical equivalent of a well-timed joke that lands because the setup is solid.

Beginning concert bands preparing their first holiday program and directors looking for repertoire that keeps young musicians engaged without requiring advanced technical skills. This works equally well for winter assemblies, informal community performances, or festival settings where an accessible, high-energy selection serves the program.

• Establish your stomp and clap patterns during sectionals before bringing it all together. The ensemble effect works only if the percussion section and full band lock in consistently.
• Record a rehearsal and listen for balance between the rhythmic elements and the melodic parts. Young bands often bury the tune when they're focused on the novelty gestures.
• Use the built-in repetition to your advantage: once students know the piece, add dynamic shaping to the repeated sections so it doesn't feel static on stage.
• Coordinate your conducting with the stomp cues so the band stays with you visually even when they're executing the extra-musical effects.

Position this early in your concert where it can serve as an energizer and audience connector before moving into your more substantial selections. It works particularly well in a mixed program as a palate cleanser between serious holiday arrangements or as the finale to grab the audience's attention on the way out.

• Rhythmic precision in a stylized ensemble setting
• Coordination between melodic and rhythmic-gestural elements
• Executing dynamic control at a young level while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Reading and responding to conducting cues in a piece with non-traditional musical elements