Turn the Beat Around: Marching Band Conductor Score & Parts
Words and music by Peter Jackson Jr. and Gerald Jackson / arr. Doug Adams
Grade: 2 (Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0008070
$45.00
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Description
Doug Adams crafts an easy but full sounding chart for this timeless dance hit. Powerfully scored for powerful results! (1:30)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Turn the Beat Around: Marching Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Easy Pops for Marching Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
128
SKU:
00-PK-0008070
More about this title
About the Composer: Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson is one half of the Jackson 5, the legendary pop group that defined the sound of 1970s soul and pop music. As a songwriter, vocalist, and musician, Jackson shaped some of the most recognizable melodies in popular music history, with compositions that have endured across generations and continue to drive contemporary music education repertoire.
Why we love this
Doug Adams has stripped away the complexity while keeping the infectious groove intact. This is the rare Grade 2 chart that actually sounds like a real song, not a simplified skeleton, which means your students get to play something that genuinely excites them rather than something that merely prepares them for the "real" version later.
What to expect
Immediate, propulsive, irresistible. The Latin pulse moves the entire arrangement forward, and even at an accessible level, the orchestration feels complete and full. There's no sense of compromise here, just smart, efficient writing that captures the heart of the original.
Who it's for
Marching bands at the Grade 2 level looking for contemporary repertoire that excites students without overwhelming them. Directors who want a recognizable hit that teaches ensemble blend and Latin rhythm fundamentals without requiring advanced technical facility.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the percussion section (especially bass drum and snare) into a tight pocket; the Latin groove lives or dies on rhythmic precision from the front ensemble.
- Push the brass to keep dynamic energy up throughout; at Grade 2, young players can drift into a murmur without clear reminders that this is a dance hit.
- Layer the entrance of different sections intentionally during rehearsal so every student understands when their part becomes active in the texture rather than just reading notes in isolation.
- Use the 1:30 duration as an advantage: program this when you want maximum impact with minimum fatigue, or pair it with another similar-length opener to build momentum without running down your ensemble.
How to use it
Open a concert or marching show with this to establish energy and audience engagement from the first downbeat. It works equally well as a crowd-pleaser in a mixed program of contemporary and classical work, or as a unifying theme piece if you're building a show around a particular musical style or decade.
Skills your students will build
- Latin rhythmic phrasing and groove-oriented pulse
- Maintaining steady tempo and pocket in syncopated arrangements
- Blend and balance in a full marching band texture
- Reading full-score coordination across multiple instrument families
- Sustaining energy and musicality at a moderate tempo