Step by Step: 2-Part Choral Octavo

Name: Step by Step: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-18702
Price: 1.40 USD
Availability: InStock

Music by Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse

Item: 00-18702

$1.40

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This light, pop style choral work makes you feel that "something special has begun. So we'll take it step by step." Your singers will feel the solid groove created by the piano or the exciting SoundTrax CD. Use year round, but especially appropriate for spring and graduation.

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Series: Alfred Choral Designs

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 12

UPC: 038081173429

SKU: 00-18702

More about this title

About the Composer: Sally K. Albrecht

Sally K. Albrecht has shaped American choral music for over three decades as a conductor, clinician, and prolific composer. Her catalog includes more than 600 choral publications alongside 75 larger works for stage and concert hall. She served as Director of School Choral, Vocal, and Elementary Publications at Alfred Music and has conducted honor choirs at major venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Kennedy Center. A consistent recipient of the ASCAP Special Music Award since 1987, she brings both theatrical sensibility and pedagogical clarity to every score she creates.

Albrecht holds degrees from Rollins College (B.A. in Music and Theater, 1976), the University of Miami (M.A. in Drama, 1977; M.M. in Accompanying, 1979), and has taught at Oakland University, Jersey City State College, and Meredith College. She is a recipient of the Omicron Delta Kappa "Pillar of Leadership" award and earned Distinguished Alumna recognition from both the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Rollins College. She lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina, with her husband, composer and arranger Jay Althouse.

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Why we love this

Albrecht and Althouse have crafted a piece that feels contemporary and fun without sacrificing musicality or the emotional weight of a graduation moment. The groove sits naturally in a pop idiom, which means your singers connect to the style immediately, and the metaphor of "step by step" lands authentically with an audience marking a milestone. It's exactly the kind of music that builds genuine ensemble enthusiasm while still sounding polished.

What to expect

Uplifting and genuinely optimistic, with a steady contemporary groove underneath warm, singable melodies. The piece radiates forward motion and possibility, capturing that exact feeling of standing on the edge of something new. It's celebratory without being saccharine, energetic without exhausting your singers' voices.

Who it's for

This piece works beautifully for middle school, high school, and early college choirs with limited vocal range or mixed experience. The two-part writing keeps it accessible without sounding juvenile, and the pop idiom speaks directly to singers who might otherwise feel distant from choral music.

How to get the most out of it

Lock into the groove early. The piano part (or SoundTrax accompaniment) establishes a steady pocket, so work with your singers to feel the rhythm in their bodies, not just count it. A solid internal pulse makes the pop style shine.
Shape the lyrics with intention. "Something special has begun" deserves a lift in energy and dynamic; contrast it with moments of restraint to give the arc shape.
Explore the movement and staging options included in the score. These gestures reinforce the energy and give younger singers or lower-confidence ensembles something tangible to hold onto.

How to use it

Program this as a closer in a spring or graduation concert, where its message of new beginnings lands most powerfully. It also works well mid-concert to shift energy upward, or as an ensemble-building number early in the school year when you want to establish an accessible, contemporary sound.