Junior High Band
Music "Winners"

What Makes a "Winner"?

The following is a list of music that I call "winners." A winner to me is a piece that the parents would enjoy at a concert, one that the students would enjoy playing, and one that I could stand to rehearse for a month or two. When I found a winner I often used it again with future bands. I wish I had a list like this one when I started at the junior high.

Many of the tunes in the following lists include videos which can be viewed by clicking the red "play" button to the left of the tune title. The videos are not perfect examples of how each tune should be played. They are recordings of junior high students, some of whom have had their instruments for only a few months. Also, they are not professional recordings. They were taken by band parents using home equipment and naturally focusing on their own children.

I include the videos for two reasons: (1) To give you an idea of what the arrangements are like, and (2) To illustrate the kind of performance you can expect from your junior high students.

Video Disclaimer

The attached videos are not perfect examples of how each tune should be played. They are recordings of junior high students, some of whom have had their instruments for only a few months. Also, they are not professional recordings. They were taken by band parents using home equipment and naturally focusing on their own children.

I include them for two reasons: (1) To give you an idea of what the arrangements are like, and (2) To illustrate the kind of performance you can expect from your junior high students.