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!