Onward! Upward!

Here's a song for your graduating class. Obviously, you can use this when your students are graduating from one school to another, such as grade school to middle school or junior high school. But you can also use it when they are moving "onward" and "upward" to the next grade. (Or level, tier, group, whatever they are graduating to.) For maximum flexibility with all age groups, the song is completely in unison, though the progressive rock groove is catchy and inspiring.

Be sure to go over the road map, or form, of the tune with your singers so everyone understands how it flows. There is a repeat back to measure 5 from measure 32. When you get to measure 32 again, take the D.S., which is at measure 25. Then the third time you get to measure 32, go to the coda. Listening to the recording will help you understand quickly.

Also tell your students to pay attention to dynamics. The song starts out at mezzo forte, but builds starting at measure 17 to a forte at measure 25. It returns to mezzo forte at the floating, more subdued line at measure 5 as well as at the coda.