Here’s a sneak peek at some of the fantastic selections in this year’s 2024 Editors’ Choice for concert band! We know you have a lot to manage, so these videos aim to provide you with a brief glimpse of the outstanding new music our editors have selected. Each year, our editors review thousands of new submissions from many talented composers. They listen to each piece and select the best ones based on educational value, popularity, seasonal needs, skill levels, and more. This small sample highlights some of these top selections. Enjoy some great new music!
Wrath of the Mechanical Monsters
Randall Standridge – Randall Standridge Music, LLC
They’re here! They’re here! And they’re invading your band room – AGAIN! The mechanical monsters are back! Serving as a logical educational continuation of the first work, this sequel combines elements of the first piece with the Dies Irae and includes introductions to dotted quarter rhythms, expanded chromaticism, and various repeat mechanisms.
Starts at 0:51
La Fiesta Brava
Trestin Durant – Wingert-Jones Publications
This original Spanish-style march is one for the books. Superb stylistic writing and scoring help set the foundation for a solid performance and an even better experience for your musicians and audiences.
Starts at 1:52
…for Spacious Skies
Samuel Ward/arr. Ethan Wagoner – Carl Fischer LLC
Drawing inspiration from the iconic American patriotic song, this dynamic and stirring piece takes the familiar melody of America the Beautiful and transforms it into a captivating fanfare marked by unique harmonies and dynamic shifts in mood and texture. This fresh perspective on the well-known melody pays homage to the beauty of the American landscape while providing a platform for young musicians to showcase their developing skills in a vibrant and expressive setting.
Starts at 2:48
Disney Around the Bandroom
arr. Johnnie Vinson – Hal Leonard Corporation
Cleverly arranged to showcase each instrument on a well-known Disney tune, here’s the perfect recruiting tool for your next concert tour of the elementary schools! It’s also an entertaining medley for any concert. Includes: A Whole New World (full band), Let It Go (clarinets), Arabian Nights (oboe), Beauty and the Beast (flutes), We Don’t Talk About Bruno (saxes), Remember Me (trumpets), Can You Feel the Love Tonight? (F horns), You’ve Got a Friend in Me (trombones/baritones), Under the Sea (percussion), and You’re Welcome (bass instruments).
Starts at 3:53
Son of Santa the Barbarian
Randall Standridge – Randall Standridge Music, LLC
After the Snowpocalypse, Santa the Barbarian is at odds with his son, Nicholas, who wants Christmas to be merry. Unwilling to relinquish his wintery hold on the holiday, the not-so-jolly-old elf refuses. War breaks out between the two, represented by major and minor modes, combining elements of Mars, the Bringer of War; Jolly Old St. Nicholas; Jingle Bells; Deck the Halls; Fum, Fum, Fum, and more! Equal parts holiday cheer and epic movie battle music, this stirring climax to the Santa the Barbarian series is sure to bring a smile to performers, audiences, and lovers of Christmas carnage everywhere. Ho! Ho! Who will win?
Starts at 4:47
Blessing Wind
Yukiko Nishimura – Alfred Music Publishing
This stunningly beautiful lyrical work provides a peaceful moment in our complex and complicated lives, with gorgeous melodic lines and perfect harmonic progressions. Teaching moments abound for young players at this level. Everyone struggles with burdens from time to time – this piece provides a hopeful moment sharing in the beauty of music, calming the storm that sometimes surrounds us. May your students grow to be the people they hope to be, following their true spirits. (2:50)
Starts at 5:46
The post Best New Editors’ Choice Concert Band Music for 2024 appeared first on Cued In.