Flex Ensemble Performance Music

Teachers keep coming back to Strings of Fire by Chris M. Bernotas and Exhilaration by Cooper Ford, both widely adopted flexible string arrangements that balance accessibility with genuine musical interest. JaRod Hall's Tripwire offers a strong concert band option at grade 2, and Christopher Alan Schmitz's Falling Snow delivers seasonal appeal without gimmick. All four titles are available in both score and parts, with digital downloads for quick access.

Brian Balmages added Arabian Dances and Robert Sheldon contributed Rock This Band! and a HybridNOW edition this past year, both flexible band/string hybrids that expand your options for mixed ensembles. Chris M. Bernotas's Call to the Heroes and Todd Stalter's Rampage! also arrived recently as grade 1.5 and 2 options, respectively.

Chris M. Bernotas brings 25 years of experience in music education and serves as Director of Instrumental Publications for Alfred Music. His work across this catalog, especially Strings of Fire, is built on the principle that young ensembles deserve emotionally engaging material, not just technical exercises. His compositions are performed globally from elementary schools through advanced ensembles.

Brian Balmages writes for orchestral, band, and chamber settings with equal fluency, and his pieces have been performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Sydney Opera House. He won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Award, and his knack for storytelling through music shows in titles like Arabian Dances, one of his recent additions here.

Tyler S. Grant is an internationally recognized composer and clinician whose work regularly appears on state honor ensembles and editor's choice lists. His pieces balance technical clarity with genuine musical substance, making them reliable choices for festivals and concerts alike.

Michael Story contributes 20 titles to this collection, including The Curse of Tutankhamun, a programmatic favorite that proves flex scoring works just as well for narrative-driven pieces as it does for traditional concert openers.