Tower of Power Greatest Hits: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Victor López's arrangement captures the essence of Tower of Power's sound without requiring your students to execute at professional funk virtuosity. The medley format gives you three signature grooves in one piece, so your band experiences the style's range while maintaining focus and momentum throughout the rehearsal and performance.

Immediately recognizable and impossibly fun. The opening groove establishes a dance-floor confidence that carries through all three songs, with horn lines that snap and pop against a bass line that won't let the rhythm drift. Your audience will feel the energy shift the moment the first notes hit.

Concert bands at the Grade 3.5 level who are ready to tackle style and pocket feel, not just note accuracy. This works for directors seeking repertoire that engages audiences immediately and gives students genuine insight into funk as a serious musical language.

• Lock the eighth-note subdivisions in the rhythm section before adding horns. Tower of Power's power comes from absolute rhythmic cohesion, not from rushing or pushing individual phrases.
• Shape horn articulations to match the recorded versions. Listen for how the brass attacks each phrase with a soft strike rather than a hard attack; this defines the funk style here.
• Balance the lead melodic voices against the horn section backgrounds. The soloists need to speak clearly without drowning out the groove that supports them.

Program this as a high-energy second half opener or a concert closer to send the audience out smiling. It works especially well after something classical or contemporary in a contrasting style, resetting the room's energy while showcasing your band's versatility.

• Funk rhythmic feel and pocket placement
• Horn section balance and blend in ensemble voicings
• Syncopated rhythm reading in mixed meters
• Style-appropriate articulation and phrasing
• Listening and locking to a steady eighth-note subdivision