To Make a Song: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Words and music by Andy Beck
Item: 00-PO-0007883
$2.60
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
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Description
A rock-infused beat and some high-velocity harmonies drive this joyful celebration of our art---music! What does it take to make a song? "A spark of joyfulness . . . a twinkle in the eye . . . love . . . laughter . . . hope . . . healing," and so much more. It's a dazzling opener, a grand finale, and a perfect concert theme. Combine any of the no-fuss voicings for a full-school panorama, festival choir, or powerhouse pyramid performance.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
16
SKU:
00-PO-0007883
Instrumentation:
Guitar/Bass, Drumset
More about this title
About the Composer: Andy Beck
Andy Beck directs choral publications at Alfred Music and has composed and arranged over 450 choral works now in active repertoire. His output spans popular octavos, vocal resources, and children's musicals; he has also authored respected choral sight-singing resources including Sing at First Sight, Foundations in Choral Sight Singing, and Vocalize! 45 Vocal Warm-Ups That Teach Technique. His music reaches singers across the globe, as evidenced by countless YouTube performances.
Beck is a sought-after guest conductor, choreographer, adjudicator, and clinician working with music educators and students throughout the United States and internationally. He has served as commissioned composer and guest conductor for honor choirs and all-state ensembles, particularly throughout the Southeast. A trained tenor with degrees from Ithaca College (Bachelor's in Music Education) and Northwest Missouri State University (Master's in Music Education), Beck remains active as a performer with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir, a director of musical theatre, and an Alfred Music studio singer since 1992. His dual commitment to choral artistry and music literacy shapes both his own compositions and the publications he curates for Alfred's catalog.
Why we love this
The rock-infused groove and stacked harmonies give this piece immediate energy and appeal to singers who might otherwise tune out a generic concert selection. Beck frames the song thematically around what music itself requires—joy, hope, healing—making it a natural anchor for a concert built around the value of arts in your school. The flexible voicing options (combine 2-part arrangements across your ensemble) transform a single octavo into a genuine school-wide moment.
What to expect
Bright, celebratory, and utterly alive. The rock beat and high-velocity harmonies create momentum that propels the piece forward, while the text about joy, laughter, and healing gives it genuine heart. This is music that feels good to sing and sounds even better.
Who it's for
This octavo works for treble choirs, mixed ensembles, or festival choirs of any size looking for a contemporary piece with accessibility and theatrical appeal. The straightforward 2-part voicing and rock beat make it welcoming for middle school through adult singers who respond to energy and style over complex counterpoint.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythm section (guitar and drums) first in rehearsal so the singers can feel the rock pocket; the beat drives the piece far more than melodic phrasing does.
- Layer voices gradually during sectional rehearsals. Start with one part singing alone over the accompaniment, then add the second part to hear how the harmonies stack before bringing both together.
- Shape the text dynamically around the list of elements that 'make a song' (joy, twinkle, love, laughter, hope, healing). Each phrase deserves a small gesture in energy or dynamics, even if the musical phrase stays relatively high-energy overall.
- If performing with the recorded accompaniment, rehearse with it frequently so singers lock into the specific groove and tempo, rather than drifting during performance.
How to use it
Open a concert with this piece to set an uplifting tone immediately, or close with it as a finale that leaves the audience energized. Program it as your school's arts advocacy statement—the text alone justifies why music matters. For festival settings, combine multiple voicings of the same piece across different choir levels to create a pyramid performance that showcases the entire program.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and singing parallel 2-part harmony with independence
- Maintaining rhythmic accuracy in a rock meter and feel
- Blending voices while executing high-velocity harmonic changes
- Balancing vocal energy with textual clarity on conversational lyrics
- Responding to rhythmic cues from a rock-style rhythm section