Soda Pop (from KPop Demon Hunters) (arr. Paul Murtha): Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

Modern, bouncy, and unapologetically catchy. The arrangement maintains the pop sensibility of the original while building in enough jazz vocabulary to feel like genuine ensemble writing rather than a simplified chart.

Beginning jazz ensembles and high school bands looking for accessible repertoire that still sounds polished in performance. This works equally well for groups early in their jazz journey and for younger students encountering ensemble jazz for the first time.

• Keep the backbeat crisp and steady in the rhythm section. The energy of this chart lives in the pocket, not in rushing ahead.
• Balance the melodic voices so the hook cuts through without overshadowing the ensemble texture underneath.
• Lean into the novelty aspect during rehearsal. Acknowledging the fun factor keeps the band engaged and reminds students why this arrangement landed on the setlist in the first place.

Schedule this for a pops concert or end-of-year program where you want an audience-friendly moment that also showcases your band's stylistic range. It pairs well alongside more traditional jazz standards as a palate cleanser or closer.

• Jazz comping fundamentals (chord accompaniment and rhythmic interplay)
• Grooving against a strong backbeat
• Sectional balance and blend in a pop context
• Reading jazz notation and articulation marks
• Responding to a conductor while maintaining ensemble pocket