Grand Mesa Music

The story of the three Magi is brought to life in this unique adaption of the traditional carol. The pizzicato accompaniment, coupled with the optional bells throughout, create a sense of intrigue and...

From its opening chords to its strong finish, Drive races forward, alternating between syncopated rhythms and soaring melodies. Beginning in the key of A minor, two opposing melodic patterns emerge. T...

The title 'Ironwork' alludes both to the genre of heavy metal music and to the art of blacksmithing, an ancient craft associated with the medieval accoutrements of heavy metal bands. The driving uniso...

Pat-a-pan is a French Carol that tells the Christmas story from the perspective of shepherds out in the field playing simple instruments. This creative arrangement captures the feel of a flute and dru...

Sonatina in D is an arrangement of the first movement from Franz Schubert's original composition for violin and piano (op. 137, D. 384). Schubert composed the small sonata in March 1816, when he was j...

The 'Spitfire' was a single-seat fighter airplane successfully used by the Allies in World War II against the German Luftwaffe. With its rhythmically-charged parts for every member of the orchestra an...

Summer is a season of renewal for many as they seek peaceful places to get a break from their daily routines. The tranquil setting of this piece attempts to capture the welcomed isolation that allows...

Cellos in Charge! In the uplifting piece, your beginning cello section gets a chance to shine! The cello section plays first, introducing the main theme for the other sections and then introduces the...

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs is perfect for your beginning orchestra’s spring concert! It is based on a familiar old joke: “When it is raining cats and dogs, be careful you don’t step in a poodle!” This...

Beware the black hole! This fun and dramatic piece is perfect for beginning ensembles. All sections get to play the minor melodies, and with too many opportunities to play in the rests, students will...

Floating in a Dream: Close your eyes and imagine you are floating while you are dreaming, best accomplished with the help of a beautiful melody accompanying the dream. This piece uses legato style bow...

Spiders on the Loose: Students will love this easy piece which portrays spiders insidiously creeping and crawling up their arms, represented by eighth notes. Each section gets to play the exciting mel...

Elgar’s Andante and March was taken from a set of pieces by Edward Elgar for violin and piano that I used to play with my daughter when she was a young violin student. I appreciated that a young violi...

Harvest Moon Dance was inspired by the beautiful full harvest moon and imagining a joyful barn dance to celebrate the autumn harvest. The piece has a double-stop intro and interludes to provide that c...

Smoky Mountain Lullaby is influenced by the music of Appalachia which in turn was influenced by the ballads, hymns, and fiddle music of the British Isles. To me, this piece feels like a love ballad, b...

Andiamo! (“Let’s Go!”) This piece was written to feature the viola section, they start the frenzied melody and we’re off! After a trip to Italy, the composer fondly remembered one phrase the tour guid...

Baile De La Noche (Dance of the Night) is a lilting Latin piece that evokes images of an evening of dancing and merriment. Care has been taken by the composer to make sure all sections of the orchestr...

Ballad and Jig opens with singingly expressive melodies in G major, allowing the orchestra to focus on playing in a connected ballad style. The lively jig section of the piece features energetic and m...

Battle Cry is meant to embody the warrior spirit! With heavy articulations and driving rhythms, the piece should be played mostly in the lower half of the bow with strong accents and attention to arti...

Big Sky Overture: Sweeping melodies punctuated by energetic rhythmic motives make this original overture perfect for concert and contest. Observing traditional overture form, the main theme is set fir...

The Mountain City Fiddlers is titled after the Fiddlers Convention of 1925, which was held in Mountain City, Tennessee. The piece opens with violin and cello solos in A major, with stomping feet and c...

Rondo Recipe is a light-hearted work to be approached in the classical style. The “dash of Mozart” is not a facetious quote for there is in fact a small quote of music that is by Mozart hidden within...

Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was the first classical composer of African ancestry. Born in the French colony of Guadeloupe, Saint-Georges was taken to Paris by his father to be rais...

Winds of Arabia will evoke images of the exotic Arabian desert. The mode, meter and pizzicato passages help provide the Middle Eastern sound that drives this camel caravan through the desert. The sync...

A storm of fiddle tunes and ostinatos portray a flash flood rushing down a southwestern slot canyon in this fast-paced outing for advancing string orchestra. Conceived as an American response to the 4...