Broken Pieces: Score
By Peter Sciaino
Grade: 3
Item: 98-PR-RWS2208
$10.00
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Description
This powerful work, complete with gorgeous melodies and striking harmonic and percussive elements, utilizes loose toy building blocks as non-traditional percussion instruments to create a beautifully delicate texture. The work concludes with an up-tempo celebration inspired by an extraordinary young boy. "Broken Pieces" explores how the fractured parts of ourselves can fit with those of others to find wholeness.
Original Item#: RWS-2208-00
Original Item#: RWS-2208-00
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Additional Details
Series:
RWS - Concert Band
Publisher:
RWS Music Company
SKU:
98-PR-RWS2208
More about this title
Why we love this
Sciaino's use of toy building blocks as functional percussion instruments is genuinely inventive, creating textural possibilities that feel fresh without overshadowing the melodic core. The piece balances vulnerability with celebration, moving from delicate introspection to infectious energy in a way that keeps audiences engaged and leaves them thinking about the work's emotional arc long after the final note.
What to expect
The opening creates an almost intimate quality, with delicate toy block textures suggesting fragility and careful assembly. The harmonic language feels contemporary without alienating younger listeners, building gradually toward a final section that explodes with joy and affirmation.
Who it's for
Grade 3 concert bands seeking repertoire with genuine artistic substance and creative instrumentation that doesn't sacrifice musicality for novelty. Directors looking for a concert or festival selection that engages audiences emotionally and sparks conversation about what the piece means.
How to get the most out of it
- Assign the toy block parts to ensemble members who can sustain focus and precision; the non-traditional instrumentation requires absolute clarity about who plays what and when. Establish clear hand signals or cues with your principal percussionists before rehearsing with the full band.
- Shape the melodic material with long-line phrasing even when harmonic color shifts. The striking harmonies and percussion elements can overshadow the tune if the melody section isn't singing through each phrase.
- Build contrast between the opening delicate texture and the closing up-tempo celebration by adjusting both tempo and dynamic range significantly. The final section needs genuine lift and rhythmic precision to land its celebratory character.
How to use it
Position this as a concert centerpiece that allows your audience to settle in and truly listen rather than as a warm-up or filler piece. It pairs well with contrasting selections (something lighter before it, or a more traditional closing piece after) and works equally effectively in concert or festival contexts.
Skills your students will build
- Playing sustained, centered tones to support delicate harmonic textures
- Coordinating with non-traditional percussion voices and maintaining rhythmic precision alongside unconventional instruments
- Executing quick tempo shifts and maintaining control during accelerated final sections
- Balancing individual voice clarity with ensemble blend when harmonic language is contemporary or unfamiliar