What's Up at the Symphony?: Concert Band Conductor Score

Brubaker threads eight beloved classical themes into a cohesive medley that keeps audiences smiling while giving your band genuine musical work. The orchestration respects the source material while layering in cartoon humor through texture and articulation choices, so your students play something substantial rather than novelty music.

Saturday morning nostalgia meets the concert hall. You're playing iconic classical moments, but they arrive with the bounce and surprise of cartoon timing, complete with musical sight gags and sudden shifts that keep listeners delighted.

Directors who want a concert piece that satisfies both musicians and audiences. This works for bands that enjoy lighter fare alongside traditional concert repertoire, and it gives students permission to play with character and personality while tackling legitimate orchestration challenges.

• Balance the famous melodies so they land clearly against the supporting material; clarinet and trumpet passages need definition without overwhelming the harmony underneath.
• Lean into the comedic timing between sections. Silence and sudden shifts matter as much as the notes themselves when you're evoking cartoon timing.
• Anchor the rhythmic foundation in the low brass and woodwinds, especially during the faster sections like 'Hungarian Rhapsody' and 'Ride of the Valkyries,' so the upper voices can phrase expressively.

Program this as a spring or holiday concert centerpiece that gives your audience a break from serious fare without dropping musical standards. It pairs well with one or two traditional classics, letting audiences hear both the originals and Brubaker's clever reimagining in the same concert.

• Shifting between contrasting articulations and character moods rapidly
• Balancing melodic clarity against active accompanying voices
• Executing rapid dynamic changes and sudden tempo shifts
• Maintaining rhythmic precision during syncopated passages
• Responding to conductor cues for comedic timing and musical surprise