We're All in This Together: TB a cappella Choral Octavo

Bryan Sharpe's arrangement captures everything that made the original a phenomenon while building in genuine flexibility for real choirs. The notated vocal percussion part gives you options (feature it, support it, or cover it with voices), the solo sits comfortably for a developing singer, and the finale's stomps and claps guarantee your students will leave the stage energized. This is the rare pop arrangement that doesn't feel like a compromise between what kids want to sing and what you can actually teach.

Infectious and communal. The energy builds from intimate verse moments to a full-bodied ensemble finish where everyone feels genuinely included. There's a lightness to it that doesn't underestimate your singers; instead, it invites them to own the room.

Directors working with TB or mixed-voice ensembles at the middle or early high school level who want contemporary repertoire their students will actually care about. This works equally well for developing choirs, advanced groups looking for a fun closer, or any ensemble that needs something that builds confidence without dumbing down the musicianship.

• Layer the vocal percussion gradually in rehearsals. Start with the ensemble providing light rhythmic support while your beatboxer learns the notated part, then flip to feature them once they're confident.
• Keep the tempo conversational rather than rushed. This arrangement thrives on clarity and ensemble lock, not velocity.
• Emphasize the dynamic contrast in the final section. The shift from the verse texture to full ensemble with stomps and claps only lands if you've pulled back the energy beforehand.
• Record a rehearsal mix with just the soloists and vocal percussion early in the learning process. It helps everyone hear the harmonic framework without getting lost in the full texture.

Save this for a concert finale or end-of-year celebration where you want the audience to leave smiling and your students to feel the collective power of what they've built together. It also works brilliantly as a lower-stakes opener on a concert with heavier material, giving your ensemble a chance to settle in and build connection before moving into more demanding pieces.

• Maintaining ensemble blend across changing vocal textures
• Rhythmic precision with vocal percussion and body percussion
• Balancing solo vulnerability with ensemble support
• Dynamic control and phrasing in contemporary pop idiom
• Part independence in TB/TTB/TBB/TTBB voicings