Up and Away: 2nd Trombone

This piece captures the arc of flight with genuine musical storytelling that engages young musicians without talking down to them. The fanfare framework and imitative melodic writing give bands at this level meaningful material to shape, and the Contest/Festival designation signals that it can anchor a concert or compete at festivals with equal success.

Exhilaration and majesty. The piece sweeps upward with fanfare brilliance, glides at altitude, and captures the wonder of seeing the world from above. There's genuine drama here, built on momentum and rising melodic gestures, without requiring advanced technical demands from the ensemble.

Grade 2.5 concert bands ready to tackle material with some sophistication in scoring and phrasing. This works well for programs with students who can balance ensemble sound, track multiple melodic lines, and respond to a conductor's shaping rather than simply executing notes.

• Shape the rising and falling melodic contours deliberately. Stalter's flight imagery depends on players understanding where phrases peak and descend, not just playing the notes.
• Balance the imitative voices so that each entrance of the melodic idea projects clearly. Young bands often bury inner lines; bring them forward without overpowering the primary melody.
• Let the energy build naturally through the fanfare sections. Resist the urge to force excitement; the piece's structure creates propulsion if you respect the phrasing and architectural shape.

Open a concert with this fanfare-type piece to establish energy and set a celebratory tone immediately. It also serves as a strong closer, particularly at festivals or contests where you want to end on a high, unified moment. The duration and grade level make it flexible enough to pair comfortably with longer works or to anchor a younger band's entire concert program.

• Shaping rising and falling melodic contours
• Executing imitative writing in mixed voice textures
• Balancing inner voices with primary melody lines
• Sustaining ensemble sound through moderate dynamic and tempo changes
• Responding to conductor shaping and phrasing direction