Agent Arco: Licensed to Trill: String Bass
By Vince Gassi
Grade: 2.5
Item: 00-PC-0019183_SB
$3.00
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Description
Chills, spills, and trills! Agent Arco faces her most dangerous assignment yet. Being licensed to trill is one of many skills she must use judiciously. Up bow, down bow, you name it, she's on the case. Rhythmic and pulsating, tuneful and harmonically interesting. Why not add a touch of suspense to your next program with Vince Gassi's Agent Arco: Licensed to Trill? (2:10)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Agent Arco: Licensed to Trill: String Bass comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Intermediate String Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0019183_SB
More about this title
About the Composer: Vince Gassi
Vince Gassi has been composing for Alfred Music since 2006, building a catalog of over 100 published works that balance creative ambition with practical classroom needs. His background combines formal training (Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario, studies at the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. from York University in Toronto) with two and a half decades of teaching instrumental music at elementary and secondary levels.
Gassi's reputation extends well beyond the classroom. He serves regularly as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician across the United States and Canada, leading seminars on creative engagement and digital workflows for music directors. His compositions appear frequently on international concert and festival programs, and his pieces have been performed and recorded throughout North America, Europe, and Japan, with particular visibility at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
Why we love this
Gassi has a gift for writing concert pieces that feel substantive without overwhelming young orchestras. Agent Arco delivers genuine musical interest through rhythmic drive and harmonic color while keeping the technical demands reasonable for intermediate players, making it rewarding to rehearse and genuinely engaging to perform. The programmatic energy and playful title appeal to students, while directors appreciate repertoire that checks boxes for both artistry and contest viability.
What to expect
The piece captures the sleek tension and forward momentum of a spy thriller compressed into just over two minutes. Rhythmic pulses underpin a tuneful melodic arc, creating an atmosphere that feels both suspenseful and satisfying, as if the orchestra is racing against the clock to pull off a daring heist.
Who it's for
Intermediate string orchestras ready to move beyond basic rhythmic and melodic material into pieces with genuine character and harmonic substance. This works equally well for concert bands with string sections and for dedicated string orchestras preparing festival or contest programs.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish a confident tempo from the downbeat and maintain rhythmic precision throughout; the "pulsating" character depends on a steady, unified pulse from the rhythm section.
- Give students ownership of the bowing patterns specified in their parts; clear bowings and consistent execution across the section will sharpen the overall articulation and energy.
- Balance the melodic line against accompaniment textures so the tuneful material cuts through without requiring excessive dynamic swings.
How to use it
Position this piece early or mid-program to establish energy and set a lighter mood after a more serious opening work. Its compact length and high engagement factor make it ideal for contests and festivals, and the thematic charm works well alongside other concert pieces that explore character and storytelling rather than purely technical virtuosity.
Skills your students will build
- Rhythmic precision and ensemble synchronization in syncopated passages
- Clean bow control across varied articulations (up bow, down bow, sustained legato)
- Balancing melodic prominence with accompaniment roles
- Following programmatic cues and character direction in performance