Walking to the Sky: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Robert Buckley
Grade: 3
Item: 35-PK00331523
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Description
"Walking to the Sky" takes an epic, cinematic approach to celebrate humankind's collective quest for wisdom and transcendence. It was inspired by a 100-foot Jonathan Borofsky sculpture, which creates the illusion of a group of people walking skyward into infinity. With pulsing percussion, heroic brass, haunting melodies, sudden shifts in dynamics and dramatic key changes, everyone in the ensemble gets a chance to star in this exciting mini-movie score. To add even more grandeur, there is an optional choir part (that could be played on a synthesizer). Dur: 3:45
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00331523
More about this title
Why we love this
Buckley writes for the ensemble with genuine generosity. Every section gets moments that matter, from percussion pulses that drive the narrative to brass lines that soar with intention, making this feel less like a showpiece and more like a story told by fifty voices at once. The cinematic arc keeps audiences invested while the Grade 3 scoring stays within reach for developing musicians.
What to expect
Walking to the Sky moves like a documentary about aspiration, building from intimate vulnerability into something transcendent and vast. The pulsing energy and heroic brass create momentum, while haunting melodies catch you in quieter moments, all held together by a sense of forward motion that feels earned rather than rushed.
Who it's for
Conductors programming middle to early high school bands who want a contemporary piece with cinematic storytelling and genuine musical substance. This works equally well for concert settings or festival submissions where impact matters.
How to get the most out of it
- Lean into the dynamic shifts. They're not accidental flourishes; they're the script's stage directions. Mark them clearly in rehearsal so the ensemble hears them as intentional dramatic beats, not mistakes in execution.
- Treat the pulsing percussion as the heartbeat of the piece. Lock the rhythm section early so everything else can sit comfortably on that foundation and focus on their own musical lines.
- Experiment with the optional choir part. Whether you assign it to voices or keyboard, its presence changes the piece's emotional weight. Test both versions in rehearsal to see which serves your ensemble and audience best.
- The key changes aren't smooth modulations; they're meant to feel like sudden revelations. Prepare for the shift psychologically in the section before it happens so the ensemble can execute it with conviction rather than confusion.
How to use it
Close a concert's first half with this to reset the room's energy, or open the second half as an emotional high point that shifts the entire tone of the evening. Its 3:45 length and cinematic arc sit naturally between lighter opener pieces and more intimate chamber work.
Skills your students will build
- Dynamic contrast and dramatic pacing across extended form
- Key modulation navigation and tonal center shifts
- Independent melodic line work while supporting an ensemble pulse
- Percussion ensemble coordination with mallet and timpani writing
- Sectional balance adjustments for transparency in thick, layered textures