ISBN 9780825888663. 8.5 x 11 inches. Key: D major.
Well-known string pedagogue and composer Doris Gazda has written a stunningly simple piece that sounds much more difficult than it actually is. Lackawanna Locomotive describes a train line chugging through upper Pennsylvania, opening with the sounds of the locomotive train whistle. Simple rhythms, as well as careful note selections, will make this piece a success for very young players.
Lackawanna is a city in Erie County, located near the city of Buffalo in the western part of New York state. The town acquired its name from the Lackawanna Steel Company that started manufacturing steel in that area in 1899. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (originally Lackawanna and Western Railroad) operated from 1851 to 1960. In 1960, it was consolidated with the Erie Railroad to become the Erie Lackawanna Railway. For over 100 years, travel by rail was the most important form of transportation in the country. The Erie Lackawanna Railway served the industrial and coal mining area of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Western New York state, and had numerous connections with local rail lines in the area. At the beginning of Lackawanna Locomotive, you will hear a whistle blowing as you play. Gradually, throughout the piece you will pick up speed and finally end with a big blowing of the whistle. This is a time when you can play with a big tone and lots of bow to build up the excitement of the sounds of a train.
