The wrong music can wreck a middle school band year. The right music can transform bored kids into confident players, and this conversation shows you exactly how to tell the difference before you hand out a single part.
Rachel Allen sits down with Jordan White, Jeff Simpson, and Randall Standridge for a sharp, practical conversation about choosing repertoire that actually works for middle school ensembles. If you teach band and you’ve ever stared at a score wondering whether it will inspire your students or crush them, this episode is for you.
Rachel brings 22 years of middle school band experience from Charlestown, West Virginia, and frames the real-world challenges directors face when selecting music for young players. Jordan White, in his fifth year teaching grades 5-12 in Missouri, shares a newer director’s perspective on finding music that keeps students engaged while still challenging them. Jeff Simpson, with 28 years in middle school band in Michigan, offers the seasoned classroom lens on what makes a piece teachable, musical, and worth returning to year after year. Randall Standridge, a former band director turned full-time composer and publisher, brings the insider view from both sides of the stand and explains how great writing for percussion, low brass, and every section can make or break a selection.
You’ll discover:
Why percussion writing matters far more than just "having a lot of percussion"
How to make sure every section, especially low brass, has meaningful music to play
Why the best concert music also helps you teach specific concepts like syncopation, dotted quarter notes, and sixteenth notes
How to judge whether a piece matches your actual ensemble instead of the grade number on the cover
What to look for in beginning band music when publishers label everything "beginner"
Why chamber music, duets, trios, and rote teaching can accelerate growth more than relying on concert repertoire alone
The conversation also gets real about the practical stuff directors deal with all year long - small budgets, uneven instrumentation, changing class structures, busy student schedules, and the pressure to keep every child engaged. Randall makes a powerful case that repertoire is not just about programming a concert, it’s about curating the student experience and shaping what young musicians believe they can do.
If you’ve ever chosen a piece that was too hard, too easy, or just plain wrong for the group in front of you, this episode will feel like a masterclass in programming with intention. Essential listening for middle school directors, new teachers, and anyone who wants better concerts and better musicians.
Sponsors:
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Thebandblueprint.net
00:00 - Opening the discussion on middle school band repertoire
01:04 - Meet the guests and their teaching backgrounds
05:21 - Choosing music that keeps the director interested too
08:31 - Repertoire selection as curating the student experience
10:29 - The old days of buying music without hearing or seeing scores
12:27 - Dotted quarter notes, sectional coverage, and teachable moments
16:47 - Low percussion numbers and fitting the ensemble you have
18:38 - Section stereotypes and unexpected behavior in ensembles
22:42 - How different beginners can be from year to year
30:10 - Chamber music and etudes as part of repertoire growth
34:17 - Stories of pieces that were too hard at concert or festival
39:21 - Rachel’s own example of choosing festival music that was too advanced
43:39 - Playing through individual parts to test difficulty
49:22 - Mechanical Monsters and the concert D flat debate
57:50 - Choosing a harder piece that still became a meaningful memory
61:52 - Pushback against the idea that certain composers should be avoided
65:24 - Thinking about concert shape and emotional pacing
69:24 - Why visibility matters for students
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