American Mountain Medley: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Featuring: Sourwood Mountain / She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain
Traditional American Folk Songs / arr. Douglas E. Wagner
Grade: 1 (Very Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0008413
$52.00
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Description
The folk music of Appalachia reflects the unwavering spirit of those early settlers who toiled and sacrificed to build the foundations of this country. Combining "Sourwood Mountain" and "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain," their story is told in the songs of love, rivers, and mountains that are still with us today. Your students will love Douglas Wagner's American Mountain Medley. (1:30)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, American Mountain Medley: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts 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 Beginning Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
84
SKU:
00-PK-0008413
More about this title
About the Arranger: Douglas E. Wagner
Douglas E. Wagner brings three decades of high school music direction into his compositions and arrangements. A Butler University graduate with both undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, Wagner has become one of the most prolific arrangers in American music education, with over 3,500 published titles and seventeen million copies in circulation worldwide since 1973.
Wagner's catalog spans choirs, concert bands, orchestras, handbells, organ, piano, and vocal works. His music reaches international audiences through concert halls, broadcasts, and festival performances across the United States and abroad. He now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he continues composing and arranging full-time.
Why we love this
Wagner's arrangement respects the melodic integrity of these Appalachian standards while keeping the writing accessible for Grade 1 ensembles. The medley structure gives young musicians the satisfaction of performing recognizable folk material without overwhelming technical demands, making it an ideal confidence builder early in the year.
What to expect
These mountain ballads evoke both the labor and resilience of Appalachian life. The arrangement honors that grounded, authentic character while maintaining the approachable sound young musicians need to feel successful in performance.
Who it's for
Grade 1 concert bands ready for their first medley arrangement or early fall programming. This works equally well for ensembles building confidence with simple instrumentation or those introducing students to folk-based concert literature.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the phrasing around the natural contours of the melodies rather than driving straight through. These tunes breathe, and your students will respond to the storytelling.
- Balance the parts so the primary melody stays clear. In an early-year piece, clarity reinforces learning and keeps students engaged with the familiar material.
- Use the 1:30 runtime to your advantage in rehearsal. Practice and polish it in focused segments; students retain patterns better when repetition feels purposeful rather than grinding.
How to use it
Program this early in the concert or festival season when your ensemble is still developing precision and intonation. The folk material connects well with Americana programming or culturally inclusive concert themes exploring American musical heritage.
Skills your students will build
- Ensemble balance in melody-driven textures
- Sustaining tone quality across phrase changes
- Recognizing and performing repeated melodic patterns
- Responding to conductor direction in simple two-part forms