String Orchestra - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1201464 By Vessela Stoyanova. By Vessela Stoyanova. Folk,Multicultural,World. Score and parts. 89 pages. Vessela Stoyanova #798931. Published by Vessela Stoyanova (A0.1201464). “Mountain Goats and Other Creatures� was Commissioned by Rachel Jayson and the Lexington High School Symphony Orchestra.It was inspired by the folk music of my native land of Bulgaria, informed by my experience as a rock musician, reimagined through the lense of my place inside of a community of like-minded artists and musicians, where I have made my real home today. The first movement - Mountain Goats - is a sort of celebration of renewal, promise, and hope. It represents the tenacious will of grass growing through the snow of early spring, the powerful longing for human connection, the warmth of the sun against your skin on a bright chilly day. It carries both the pristine optimism of youth, and the nervous energy of trying something for the first time. The second movement - Samodivi - in contrast is dark, heavy and full of passion and desire. According to Balkan myths, Samodivi are gorgeous nymphs who live in the woods and often seduce men with their beautiful song and dance. They are feared and envied at the same time. The music of the second movement represents the mysterious dark forest at night - lower strings create the moss under your feet, higher strings use extended techniques to simulate the noise of branches clicking the wind, a few soloists represent different creatures - both real and imaginary - scurry through the woods above your head. Then you hear the lone song of a Samodiva in the distance, your heart is beating hard, your steps are leading you straight towards the call against your better judgement. It is the ancient story of fear and desire, of self control and complete abandon. You, the listener, become witness to a wild dance, fire in the woods, snakes in their long blond hairs, slender bodies dressed in white clouds dancing to an imaginary beat.  Then it all ends abruptly and you left to wonder: Was it real? Did I see it? Am I safe?The third and final movement of the piece is based on a popular rhythmic folk dance in Bulgaria called Kopanitsa, while the melody creates a fugue between the different voices of the orchestra. The Kids are the little of the mountain goats - free to frolic high above tree line, above any human traces, as close to the clouds as one can get and still be touching the ground below. They are carefree, daring, and somewhat naive, yet safe under the watchful gaze of their parent. The movements ends in cascading repetitions of a musical motif in 5/8 representing the relentless passing of time or at least our perception of it.

String Orchestra - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.998356 Composed by Aaron Fonzi. Children,Contemporary,Rock,Standards. Score and parts. 27 pages. Aaron Fonzi #3367893. Published by Aaron Fonzi (A0.998356).     This piece tells the epic story of Hades' abduction of his niece, Persephone. According to the legend, Hades came up through a crack in the ground and snatched the girl while she was playing. In the Underworld, he tried to seduce her in a variety of ways, but to no avail. Finally, Hades is said to have tricked her into staying by offering her a tempting pomegranate. As Persephone ate 6 seeds, she was to stay in the Underworld for six months each year. It is said that while Persphone is in the Underworld, the plants wither and die, and when she comes back to the surface she brings rebirth to growing things. This piece begins with playful pizzicato lines that build upon each other. These represent Persphone at play, but forebodes the dark forces that are encircling her. When the orchestra goes to arco, Persphone is being dragged into the Underworld. A mournful violin solo signifies her arrival, but this mournful theme is quickly replace by the devious seductions of Hades in the form of a humorous waltz. Finally, Hades offers the pomegranate to Persephone and she eats 6 seeds (represented by the six beats of the B major chord in measures 76 and 77). The main theme then takes over once again, modulating to F# minor to represent Hades' victory. With relentless energy, catchy ostinati and opportunities to work on shifting, pizzicato and arco throughout, this piece will not dissapoint for audiences and students alike. A FEW NOTES: 1. I'd recommend rehearsing the rhythms of recurring ostinati together- first pizzicato then arco. You may get creative and incorporate scales with these rhythms. However you do it, it'll be important that each ostinato is played with precision and confidence. 2. Have fun with the waltz section! It's meant to portray the strange, whimsical nature of Hades' attempts to woo Persephone, so the awkwardness in delivery is encouraged! 3. All ritardandos should be exaggerated for the sake of drama. 4. Encourage your drumset player to explore different ways of accompanying the orchestra- the drumset part is a blueprint, not definitive instructions. 5. Be sure to practice shifting into 2nd position for the modulation. I hope you and your students have a great time putting this epic piece together! I had a ton of fun writing it! ~Aaron Fonzi

String Orchestra - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.784349 Composed by Joshua Hauser. Instructional. Score and parts. 146 pages. Slide Ride #5288707. Published by Slide Ride (A0.784349). 1 Octave Scale Studies in 15+ keys for 4-part ensembles of like or mixed instruments If this is your first exposure to these scale studies, you are in for a treat! Donuts, if you make a mistake!The initial incarnation of these studies were written for trombone quartet and we would play them in the Tennessee Tech Trombone Choir with the challenge that whomever made the first mistake had to buy donuts for the rest of the ensemble. Since then I have brought that version to several clinics and warm up sessions. One time before I got to explain the title, a fellow trombone professor said, Oh, I get it! Don’t step in the holes!I only wish I had thought of that myself... Since we have one of the best donut shops in TN here in Cookeville, treating the studio to sugar coated goodies was always my intent.As with those initial exercises, you can vary these as much as you’d like.·     Choose a tempo.·     Choose a dynamic.·     Choose an articulation/style.One way I like to play these is to have one person be the model, playing the entire scale over and over while everyone else plays the fragmented versions. That helps everyone to keep on track and stay in time. Double or triple up the parts for ensemble cohesion with a larger group.Practice one key, gradually speeding it up to improve fluidity, or choose a variation and take it through all keys, playing version A, B, C, or D then skipping to play the same set in a new key.If you want an additional challenge, play them in different octaves or change the key. Play the F Major set in f minor (all forms), different modes, etc. Players really have to be on their toes to remember if they are playing melodic minor in the ascending or descending form! For jazz players, try swinging them in dorian or mixolydian modes.The variations are endless!If you are using these with transposing instruments, 1) is F Major in Concert Pitch, 2) is Bb Major in Concert pitch, and so on. When you reach a scale that is enharmonic for another key (Db/C#, Gb/F#, or Cb/B), they are presented in both keys for each instrument so Trumpets can play in Eb while the Flutes are playing in C# with similar examples for all keys.All Donut Etudes with the same volume number are compatible so you can play them in mixed quartets or large ensembles with one or more instruments/people on part 1 and a different instrument on part 2, etc. Since the quartets are all identical, conductors/coaches can use any of the scores to tell which part should be playing at what time. Once you have played a scale with one set of parts, everyone can rotate to a different part and play the same scales again!Enjoy!Combine these with the set for Band when used for Full or Chamber Orchestra.