Very Easy – Easy (Gr. 0.5–1.5)
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Yuleslide
(A Cello Section & Slide Whistle Feature)
Grade .5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Feature your Cello section in this festive and fun new work for beginning strings. There are numerous styles packed into this one, with great opportunities to teach, including optional slide whistle parts! Slide down the chimney in style this holiday season with “Yuleslide.”
Breaking Free
Grade .5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Written to describe the feeling of waking up after an annoying dream, Breaking Free is an intense concert opener. With semi-lyrical writing in the middle of the work, students will have an opportunity to show off their musicianship as well as their strong, aggressive playing.
Christmastide
Grade .5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Using only the first six notes of the D scale, composer/arranger Tyler Arcari found a way to combine, in quodlibet, four classic carols into a delightful setting for the youngest of orchestra musicians. Your first-year students will shine as they delight audiences with I Saw Three Ships, Patapan, in Dulci Jubilo, and Deck the Halls.
Abstraction
Grade 0.5 - Wingert-Jones Publications
Abstraction is a quick-spirited, dramatic new work for beginning string orchestra. Using only the first six notes of the D Major scale, Tyler Arcari brings us an intense work suitable for a concert opener, or closer. Natural bowing and some basic Pizz. technique will have your orchestra playing strong and sounding great!
Acidic
Grade 1.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Tyler Arcari brings us a driving contest piece that is sure to keep your students motivated. Cinematic-like orchestra hits and biting rhythms make for a fun experience, while lyrical contrast in the B-section is perfect for introducing expressive playing. Your students will ask to play this one over and over!
Anthem of Triumph
Grade 0.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
"Anthem of Triumph is for all of the students who have made it to their first spring concert! Utilizing only the first six notes of the D-major scale, this exciting anthem will inspire young musicians. Perfect for beginners or as a celebration piece for events."
"The beginning music classroom is a magical place, full of possibility and wonder. Stories you hear through music can stay with you the rest of your life, and help spark the inspiration that turns those memories into the flashpoint that creates future music educators and composers! Thank you for exploring new music! I hope something in here makes you "feel" - Anything!"
-Tyler
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Dragon Tamer
Grade 1.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Dragons have long been a staple of myth, legend, and frankly… orchestra rooms across the country. However, now, instead of slaying them… we are after something different! Go on an epic adventure to “tame the dragon,” and control the skies with this fantastic new work for beginning strings by composer Tyler Arcari.
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Unyielding
Grade 1.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Written to highlight the resilience and perseverance of young musicians, "Unyielding" is an anthem for all those who never give up and push through. Wonderful melodic lines, an optional solo, and a mid-tempo give this piece a perfect spot on any concert stage.
A Silent Night in Scarborough
Grade 1.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Scarborough Fair and Silent Night are wonderfully beautiful works in minor keys. Who would have thought that mixing them together would work so well? Paired perfectly with the String Ensemble, arranger Tyler Arcari has woven these timeless classics together into a delicate and gorgeous new work.
Alkaline
Grade 1.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Written as a follow-up to composer Tyler Arcari’s widely popular work Acidic, Alkaline takes an ironically less “basic” approach in this accessible work for developing string orchestras. The introduction features a clever ostinato pattern that will transport you to the cinema, great parts for the Basses and Cellos, as well as a lush harmonic section make Alkaline a hit!
Sharp Attack!
Grade 1 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Make every week sharp week with your beginning string students. Composer Tyler Arcari gives us a fun teaching piece to help students remember their sharps! Every sharp is clearly indicated to reinforce how accidentals come before the note. The key of b minor brings intensity to the work and adding the optional household percussion only enhances the excitement.
Aliens in the Attic
Grade 1 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Aliens are here! This exciting new work is full of sound effects, drama, and suspense! Tyler Arcari weaves a dramatic tale of an Alien invasion from above…your attic to be exact! Your students will be asking to play this one over and over!
Christmas Ringtones
Grade 0.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Set your beginners up for success this Christmas with this interactive work! Full of theatrics and audience participation, it’s a winning combination of function and flair! Using only the first six notes in the D scale (and a few random ringtones on your personal device), this piece is perfect for reinforcing musical fundamentals as well as being a great icebreaker for your beginners’ first performance. A definite crowd pleaser!
Qin Shi's Stone Army
Grade 1.0 - Carl Fischer Music, LLC
"The Terra-Cotta Army that guards the tomb of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang is nearly 8,000 warriors strong. This new piece for beginning ensembles is set to depict these magnificent stone soldiers. It will sound rich and full, even with less experienced players."
A Torch Was Brought
Grade 1.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
"This setting of the 17th-century Christmas carol Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella will be a great addition to your holiday library. Full of musical opportunities, young musicians will find ample opportunities to grow. Perfect for a winter concert."
Medium Easy - Medium Advanced (Gr. 2 - 3+)
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Gothic
Grade 2.0 -Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Inspired by the gothic artists of the 12th century, this exciting new work for the String Orchestra explores lots of musical ideas. From independent playing to contrapuntal melodic lines, “Gothic” delivers a well-rounded concert experience. Explore the possibility of collaboration with other subjects as you explore artists and works from the Gothic period.
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To Soar With Broken Wings
Grade 3 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
"To Soar with Broken Wings" was commissioned in memory of Alex McClurg, a young musician lost too soon to a long battle with cancer. A celebration of life, and a reminder that no matter what struggles you may face, you can still soar.
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Choose Kindness
Grade 4.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Inspired by the heartfelt quote, “When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind,” “Choose Kindness” is a stunningly emotive piece for String Orchestra. With its grand musical build-ups and intricate motivic development, this composition seamlessly transitions from a slow, introspective introduction into an emotionally powerful climax.
Absolutely Beethoven
Grade 2.5 -Kendor Music Publishing
This clever mash-up of popular Beethoven works has been carefully orchestrated for the developing string orchestra. Arranger Tyler Arcari brings us timeless classics ahead of when students would normally be able to play them with this unique arrangement..
Spoon River
Grade 4.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Percy Grainger's music is considered an iconic sound from the last century - this new arrangement of his piano setting brings Spoon River to the advanced String Orchestra. Challenging, yet monumentally rewarding for both musicians and audiences, this work will have everyone on their feet and clapping. Grainger's music speaks to the soul, and this new addition to the String repertoire is no different!
Spirit
Grade 4.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Spirit is a rousing piece in 6/8 time. It opens with a lush harmonic presentation of thematic material to set the mood before flying into a jaunty Celtic-style romp. Dedicated to his wife Heather, composer Tyler Arcari has written a work that reflects the same strength and wonder for life that he sees in her.
Attack of the Bow-barians!
Grade 2.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
The Bow-barians are attacking! This fun and quirky title is the perfect descriptor of this new work for String Orchestra by composer Tyler Arcari. Each section has a chance to shine with the melody in this raucous and fun-filled work - making it a guaranteed hit with the players and audience. You will have a lot of fun with this one!
Carol of the Rising Bells
Grade 2.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Open your next holiday concert with this impactful and clever pairing of two folk tunes: House of the Rising Sun and Ukrainian Bell Carol. It begins ominously and proceeds to combine both tunes in a special way. Arranged for developing orchestra, this is sure to add something unique to your winter program.
Dovetail
Grade 2.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
As the title suggests, the lyrical thematic material effortlessly dovetails from one section of the piece to the other. The melodic material is lush and flowing while the pizzicato accompaniment gives the contrast and forward momentum that makes this work feel so right. Wonderful writing from composer Tyler Arcari.
Coming Back
Grade 2.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Commissioned during Covid-19, this work is meant to inspire us as we “Come Back” to normal. Hopeful, and mostly upbeat, the work has moments of tension and sadness that underscore the year that we have had through music. We all hope to get back to normal soon, and Coming Back is a perfect anthem for that sentiment.
Moonglade
Grade 2.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
"Hauntingly beautiful, soaring melodies are passed to all players, featuring the violas prominently. Solos for all sections make this a great teaching piece for the developing string ensemble, with a rubato style that will stretch their musicianship as an ensemble."
Ai Hai Yo
Grade 2.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
"This Chinese folk song is used as a blessing for a bountiful harvest and a good year. Folk songs speak to the common man. Hardships and hope abound when we all realize that something as simple as a few notes in time can bridge the gap of thousands of years of cultural differences and distance across our large planet."
Curse of Tortuga
Grade 2.5 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
"During the 17th century, Tortuga was a veritable headquarters and hideout for pirates! This drama is brought to life in a mysterious and fast-paced piece for string orchestra. Young musicians and audiences will enjoy all the intrigue of swashbucklers and thieves."
The Garden
Grade 2.0 - Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC
Written for a dear friend and her social media posts about her cool Florida garden, Tyler Arcari crafts a heart-felt tribute perfectly suited for contest and festival. Very Copland-like, very accessible, along with lots of opportunities for expressive and contest-style playing.
Sea Shanty Saga
Grade 3.5 - Wingert-Jones Publications
Who would have thought that sea shanties would have caused a huge social media craze? These 3 classic yet timely shanties are scored for String Orchestra. These are also perfectly suitable for festival performance in addition to the countless other applications of this fun and energetic music!
