Black

Black is about refusing to disappear into what everyone expects of you. It follows a character pushing back against the pressure to fit a mold, and finding their way to their own identity instead, the color black standing in for both the weight of those expectations and the bold, unapologetic self on the other side of shedding them. It's a show with edge and a message, aimed squarely at students figuring out who they are.

An advanced production, it gives a mature program something with attitude and substance both, driving and dramatic, built to say something rather than just entertain.

The music:

• Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones)
• Welcome to the Black Parade (My Chemical Romance)

This show is rated Advanced, which lines up with a concert grade of roughly 3.5 to 5, and at times beyond it. That's an approximation. A featured soloist or small ensemble moment can sit toward the top of that range, while full ensemble sections built around visual impact stay lighter on the musical demand.

The rating leans almost entirely on rhythmic and technical difficulty. Keys and meters are chosen to stay band-friendly and to line up with the phrasing the drill needs, and instrument ranges sit inside the grade window rather than pushing its edges.

Permissions to arrange required for both selections.