Onward!

Celebration? Graduation? Accomplishment? Or just ready to move forward? We've got you covered! This very exciting, energetic, and majestic piece has just the right lift and passion to help you and your students project a positive, motivational spirit. Any occasion where the overall sentiment might be summed up as "Onward!" is the perfect occasion. To that point, be sure you have students sing out with pride and gusto.

We have deliberately positioned this piece in our fifth issue because we know that many of you have end of the year graduations, commencements, or moving forward ceremonies. If you choose to use this piece for such a purpose, consider letting students enter in a processional manner, walking or even marching to the beat. Time it so that they are in position by the time the verse begins at measure 14. Reincorporate the stepping/marching during the chorus at bar 31 (in place) and/or during the ending around bar 46 to add physical energy to the performance. In any event, be sure singers are standing tall and projecting well.

There is only one part necessary to perform the piece well, but the optional second part that starts at the coda is pretty simple. Adding it gives a bit more punch and helps the piece end "big."

There are some songs that absolutely shine when the Performance/Accompaniment recording is used, and this is one of them. There is no substitute for the power of an orchestra on a piece like this. We hope you will find the time to share the instrumental tracks with your students, if not for discussion of the various instruments and lines they hear, but at least for the joy of the experience.