Con la Música: String Bass: Choral SoundPax
(With Music, We Are One)
Words and music by Jay Althouse
Item: 00-PC-0014964_SB
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Description
Part Spanish, mostly English, but all together it's sizzling fun for concert and show ensembles alike. "Con la música somos uno. WIth music, we are one." Featured on Showbiz! choral movement DVD (00-35858).
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Con la Música: String Bass: Choral SoundPax 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:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
36
SKU:
00-PC-0014964_SB
Instrumentation:
SoundPax
More about this title
About the Composer: Jay Althouse
Jay Althouse holds degrees in Music Education and Music from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he was later recognized with the Distinguished Alumni award. His career spans both the publishing industry and composition; he spent eight years managing rights and licenses for a major educational music publisher and served on the Executive Board of the Music Publishers Association of America. As a composer, he has over 800 choral works in print across all levels, performed widely throughout English-speaking countries.
Althouse is a writer member of ASCAP and a consistent recipient of the ASCAP Special Award for his standard music compositions. Beyond his choral output, he has co-written children's musicals with Sally K. Albrecht, compiled respected vocal solo collections, and authored instructional resources including The Complete Choral Warm-up Book, Accent on Composers, and Ready to Read Music. He co-wrote I Hear America Singing, performed by the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choirs at President Obama's 2009 Inauguration. Currently based in Wake Forest, North Carolina, he serves on the National Advisory Board of the Folk Art Society of America.
Why we love this
Althouse delivers a genuinely multicultural piece that avoids tokenism; the Spanish and English integrate as equal partners in a message about unity rather than serving as decorative elements. The movement and staging components built into this SoundPax make it immediately concert and show ready, saving directors significant choreography development time while ensuring the piece lands with visual impact.
What to expect
Celebratory and inclusive, with the Latin rhythmic foundation driving infectious energy beneath English and Spanish vocals that interweave like a conversation. The piece radiates optimism and connection, making singers and audiences alike feel part of something larger than the individual voices in the room.
Who it's for
Concert choirs and show choirs looking for repertoire that energizes audiences and develops multicultural literacy simultaneously. This piece works for high school through adult ensembles who want something contemporary, visually engaging, and built for performance impact without extensive outside choreography.
How to get the most out of it
- Let the recorded accompaniment lock your ensemble into the Latin groove; use rehearsals to layer choreography on top once the rhythmic foundation is secure.
- Balance the Spanish and English text so neither section dominates; this piece thrives on linguistic blend, not contrast.
- Rehearse the movement cues marked in the score before full staging; breaking them into sections prevents confusion and builds confidence faster.
- Record your rehearsals periodically to check ensemble blend and text clarity across both languages, especially in ensemble sections.
How to use it
Schedule this as a concert closer or second-to-last number; its uplifting message and movement components make it an ideal finale that leaves audiences energized. It pairs naturally with other world music selections or stands alone as the contemporary anchor in a diverse program.
Skills your students will build
- Rhythmic precision in Latin grooves (syncopation and cross-rhythms)
- Singing in Spanish with authentic vowels and consonant clarity
- Coordinating movement and blocking with vocal lines
- Blending and balancing mixed-language text in ensemble settings
- Performance confidence in choreographed concert presentations