What I Do Today...: Score
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 2.5
Item: 98-DB1882S
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Description
"Who will be better because of what I do today?" These words inspire the opening chorale and the joyous celebration that follows. A powerful reminder of how each of us can affect positive change in the people and world around us, the music eventually erupts in a euphoria of sound, almost akin to a pop music concert. As quickly as this comes, the chorale returns once more, leaving everyone with a sense of peace.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, What I Do Today...: Score 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:
FJH Young Band
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1882S
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has established himself as a composer and conductor whose work reaches across orchestral, band, and chamber music landscapes. His compositions have been commissioned and performed worldwide, from professional orchestras at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to school ensembles, earning him the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and selection as an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association.
Beyond composition, Balmages maintains an active conducting schedule with all-state and regional ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras internationally. He currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic, bringing decades of experience in music education and performance to his leadership role.
Why we love this
The dramatic arc here feels earned rather than imposed. Balmages opens with a genuine moment of reflection before building toward real celebration, and that contrast makes both sections land harder. At Grade 2.5, the writing balances accessibility with musicality, giving your band something meaningful to express without overwhelming them technically.
What to expect
The opening invites introspection with its chorale texture, creating a moment of quiet purpose. Then the music shifts into bright, almost exuberant energy that feels celebratory and affirming, before settling back into contemplation. The whole arc moves from question to answer to resolution.
Who it's for
Grade 2.5 concert bands seeking a piece with genuine emotional weight and programmatic substance. This works equally well for groups focused on festival performance and those building a concert centered on positive messaging and character development.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the opening chorale with dynamic restraint; let the question posed in the text guide your phrasing and allow silence to breathe between phrases.
- Build the celebratory section gradually, bringing in sections strategically to create layers of sound rather than unleashing everything at once.
- Return to the chorale's original character and tempo to reset the emotional landscape before the final resolution.
- Balance the percussion writing in the euphoric section so it energizes without drowning out the melodic content.
How to use it
Program this as a centerpiece that can anchor a concert theme around leadership, service, or positive change. Its moderate length and strong emotional bookends make it an excellent pairing with lighter openers or more virtuosic closers, and the motivational premise pairs naturally with other character-focused repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Sustained phrase shaping and dynamic control in chorale textures
- Layered ensemble building and gradual crescendo management
- Stylistic contrast between reflective and celebratory musical material
- Precision in section entrances and ensemble balance across dynamic ranges