(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Gerald Sebesky's arrangement captures the infectious energy of the original without overwhelming young players. The Grade 1 scoring keeps the rhythmic vitality front and center while remaining genuinely playable for beginning ensembles, making this an ideal way to introduce concert bands to the joy of popular music.

Pure, uncomplicated rock and roll energy translated for young musicians. There's jubilation in every phrase, a sense of motion that makes you want to move, and the reassurance that a simple melody played with confidence can generate genuine excitement.

Beginning concert bands ready to connect with repertoire that resonates beyond the rehearsal room. Students who may not yet know this standard get an immediate lesson in why certain melodies endure, and the Grade 1 difficulty means the full ensemble can focus on capturing style rather than wrestling with technique.

• Keep the eighth-note shuffle crisp and consistent throughout; the groove lives in the pocket, not in rushing ahead.
• Balance the section hits so the brass punctuations don't eclipse the forward-moving lines in the woodwinds.
• Bring out the rhythmic drive of the low voices (tubas and trombones) to anchor the entire piece.
• Maintain steady energy even during softer passages; this piece thrives on momentum from beginning to end.

Pair this with other pieces in the Pop Beginning Band series to build a full concert around accessible, engaging repertoire, or use it as an opener to set a celebratory tone for a mixed program. Its 1:35 duration makes it an ideal filler or anchor piece that audiences will remember long after the concert ends.

• Swing eighth-note rhythms and shuffle feel
• Balancing melodic lines with rhythmic accompaniment patterns
• Playing syncopated rhythms with precision and style
• Maintaining tempo and groove within a rock/pop idiom
• Shaping phrases in a contemporary popular music context