Ahoy, maties! Take your beginning band on a pirate adventure with this dark and mysterious piece! Low brass and low woodwinds are featured on the initial statement of the melody, and the lyrical middle section allows the whole band to work on legato style. The minor-key melodies and interactive percussion make “The Black Pearl” an ideal change of pace for your next concert.

Looking for something to jazz up your next beginning band performance? Steve Shanley’s “Blues for Band” features tasty licks that use only the first 6 notes of the concert B-flat scale and serves as an excellent introduction to jazz for your youngest band students. The call-and-response melodic material gives all of the players in the woodwind, brass, and percussion sections a chance to shine! “Blues for Band” is guaranteed to be the hit of that first band concert!

Teach your beginning band about traditional Brazilian culture with “Dança Feliz” (Happy Dance), featuring fun melodies for all instruments, an infectious beat, and plenty of optional percussion parts. The annual Carnival festival in Brazil features parades led by “samba schools,” and “Dança Feliz” will transform your band into a samba school for your next concert! Enjoyable music for all, and a great multi-cultural resource as well.

Looking for a piece to feature an advanced soloist with your young band? Look no further, because Dormez Vous? Not You! Is the perfect choice! The solo part can be performed by any instrument, and could be used to feature an advanced student, a former student, a fellow music teacher, or a local professional musician. It uses melodic material from “Frère Jacques” (“Are You Sleeping?”) along with original jazzy melodies and harmonies. The title very loosely translates to, “Are you sleeping? Well, you won’t be after you hear this amazing solo! First rate!

Need a little break from the usual major and minor tonalities? Try Anatolian Highlands, written in the phrygian mode! In classical antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the highlands of west central Anatolia, now the country of Turkey. This is the perfect piece to help your students learn about modes – but don’t worry, it uses the concert B-flat key signature and pitches they already know! Terrific music and a great teaching tool!

Take your beginning band on a mysterious adventure with this piece, reminiscent of the great film scores by Danny Elfman. Percussionists have the opportunity to shine on some less-common instruments (vibraslap, guiro, claves), and all sections of the woodwinds and brass are showcased in different combinations throughout. A perfect Halloween-themed concert piece!

Celebrate the fabled Knights of the Round Table with “Excelsior Fanfare,” a bright and flashy concert opener! The noble main theme features staccato and accented lines from the upper woodwinds and brass, and the calm middle section showcases legato and soft playing from the lower voices. There are interesting parts for over ten percussionists, but it also works with as few as one or two. The perfect opener for your next concert or festival! Brilliant!

Written in the “tango nuevo” style, a genre that infuses elements of jazz and classical music into the traditional Argentinian tango, “Arte Del Tango” is a combination of a traditional tango accompaniment, haunting melodies, and jazz-inspired harmonies. Both musicians and audience will get to experience the power and passion of one of South America’s most popular dance and musical styles!

The boogaloo is a toe-tapping genre that combines influences from rhythm and blues, soul, and Latin jazz – and now your beginning jazz band can experience this infectious dance groove for themselves! “Boogaloo For You!” a great chart to involve extra percussionists (with five optional auxiliary parts included), and the solo section is accessible enough to feature all beginning improvisers. This is the perfect closer to bring the house down at your next concert!

Want to help your beginning jazz band develop strong rhythmic reading skills and also teach them important lingo? Musicians sometimes refer to playing in a rest as “falling in a hole,” and Don’t Fall In! offers plenty of “holes” (rests) for students to practice avoiding. This chart also features clearly-written rhythm section parts, reasonable ranges for the woodwinds and brass, and an accessible solo section for beginning improvisers. Your students will fall in love with Don’t Fall In!

Need an easy introduction to the swing style for your beginning jazz band? Look no further than “Lock It In The Pocket!” Horns play slurred eight note lines and staccato quarter notes. Clearly written rhythm section parts are perfect for bass and drum set players who are just starting. The solo section allows students to take very short solos, and only requires a few pitches (supplied right on their part!) – perfect for young jazzers! Playable with reduced or expandedinstrumentation and optional auxiliary percussion, “Lock It In The Pocket” will be a hit at your first concert.

This fresh and contemporary-sounding straight-eighth chart will provide the perfect contrast for your next jazz band concert! Rhythm section parts are notated with great detail, and there are plenty of suggestions for improvising over the very accessible solo section. Your young jazz band will enjoy performing music with harmonic sophistication usually found only in more difficult literature. An excellent addition to the popular Barnhouse Jazz Starters series!

You can’t miss with “Swing We Now of Christmas!” Audience members will be tapping their toes to a traditional Christmas carol at your holiday jazz ensemble performance. Written at the grade 1 level, this chart is within the grasp of your youngest jazzers, and as part of the “Jazz Starters” series includes parts for non-traditional jazz instruments. The four-measure solo section over easy changes allows you to feature a number of soloists, presenting opportunities for learning improv. This chart even includes a sleigh bell part to help your young jazzers ring in the holiday season! Can’t be beat!

Check out this great flexible combo chart that works really well for beginning players in your ensemble. With its Latin groove and simple swing, this tune is a great introduction piece for new members.

Take your jazz band on a trip to the Caribbean with this authentic calypso! Students will love the catchy melody, and directors will appreciate the plentiful auxiliary percussion, clear rhythm section parts, thorough articulation, and accessible solo section. Playable with reduced instrumentation, “Calypso Angelical” is the perfect closer for your next festival or concert.

This swing chart offers a unique New Orleans second line swing groove that your students should learn and will love! This chart is very approachable and will have your students asking for more like it. An alto saxophone solo can be improvised or played as written. Enjoy this fun sound!

If you are looking to switch things up in your next program, this chart is a great choice. It has a modern hip-hop sound that your students and audience will love. Great ensemble writing and a solo section will make this an excellent opportunity for your students. Hop on to the stage with this chart! (Available for full band and flexible/smaller band)

This flexible combo version of a big band piece is a great choice for mixing up styles at your next concert. It has a modern hip-hop sound that your students and audience will love, and the writing lends itself to the needs of young ensembles. Great ensemble writing and a solo section will make this an excellent opportunity for your students. Hop on to the stage with this chart!

Build a stronger understanding of Latin jazz with an exciting and authentic cha-cha your students will love! “Pantalones Malos” features plenty of auxiliary percussion, an accessible solo section, clear articulations, and interesting parts for all instruments. It’s the perfect selection to close your next concert or festival performance!

Two-Lip Blues is a D-minor blues chart featuring all sections in the band (including the rhythm section!), with manageable ranges for the brass. All rhythm section parts are notated completely, including the fills. The catchy a cappella section offers a change of pace for featuring the brass and saxophones, and the solo section includes suggestions for helping your developing improvisers. A fun and accessible way to teach improvisation!

The “reggaeton” genre is one of the most popular musical styles in the world, and now you can finally play it with your jazz band! Steve Shanley’s “Reggaeton” utilizes the infectious groove in a jazz chart for developing musicians. You’ll love the accessible rhythm section parts and easy solo section, and your young jazzers will love the feel and groove of this fun chart. A perfect closer for your next concert or festival! Highly recommended!

Inspired by the groundbreaking musical stylings of “Mambo King” Tito Puente, “Nueva Vida” (New Life) by Steve Shanley is the perfect Latin jazz chart to spice up your next concert! All sections of the band are featured, the improvised solos can be played with only a few pitches, and there are extra auxiliary parts for your percussionists. The manageable tempo and clearly-notated rhythm section parts make this a great chart for introducing your students to the mambo style. Great fun, and a great teaching piece as well!

Perfect for a contrasting selection for concert or festival use, Steve Shanley’s arrangement of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” is written in the slow swing style of the Count Basie Orchestra. The subdued opening statement can feature your trombone or saxophone section. There are solos for trumpet, trombone, and tenor saxophone (written solos provided), and an exciting shout section will bring down the house. With tasty rhythm section contribution throughout, this is sure to be an audience and band favorite!