Starting Here, Starting Now: SoundTrax Digital Audio Download

This graduation anthem carries the theatrical directness you'd expect from a Broadway composer, but without the sentimentality that can undercut a moment like this. John Leavitt's arrangement gives choirs a tune that lands emotionally while remaining accessible to singers at multiple levels, and the recorded accompaniment lets you focus entirely on the choir's sound.

Optimistic without being naive, reflective without dwelling. The melody unfolds with the kind of straightforward emotional honesty that Broadway does best—no unnecessary ornamentation, just a clear path from one phrase to the next. There's genuine warmth in the harmonic language that suggests possibility rather than nostalgia.

High school and college choirs preparing graduation programming. The piece works equally well for intermediate and more advanced ensembles, making it accessible to students who might be singing in unison or divisi parts. It's also suitable for concert and ceremonial contexts where you need a contemporary song that feels both current and timeless.

• Lean into the lyrical content as your emotional through-line. The melody exists to serve the meaning of the words, so make sure every phrase connects to the narrative arc of starting fresh.
• Balance the recorded accompaniment carefully at rehearsal. Use it to lock the harmonic foundation, but encourage singers to listen to each other as much as to the track during performance.
• Shape the dynamics in conversation with the arrangement rather than against it. The orchestration has contour built in; your job is to bring the choir's energy into dialogue with that scaffolding.

Position this as a centerpiece in a graduation ceremony or as a finale to a spring concert celebrating transitions and new chapters. The contemporary source material also makes it excellent for programs mixing classical repertoire with modern songs that audiences recognize and connect to. Consider pairing it with instrumental numbers or readings that explore similar themes of change and forward motion.

• Singing in a contemporary style with clear diction and lyrical phrasing
• Blending voices while maintaining individual line clarity in divisi sections
• Working with recorded accompaniment to maintain ensemble cohesion
• Interpreting dynamics and phrasing in dialogue with theatrical orchestration