Graustark Path Sheet Music Preview

Graustark Path: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

By Dan Adams

Grade: 2

Item: 35-PK01724400

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$70.00

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Description
The work is a tribute to middle school band director Dennis Bartelheim, who spent his entire career teaching at Edgewood Middle School in Wooster, OH. Few people make this type of commitment to one school and one community, and such a noteworthy exception deserves the commendation encapsulated in this exciting new work.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
SKU: 35-PK01724400

More about this title

About the Composer: Dan Adams

Dan Adams

Dan Adams spent nearly three decades shaping young musicians in the Wooster City Schools, where he held the dual role of Band and Orchestra director and Instrumental Music Coordinator. Before settling in Ohio, he taught at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from The Ohio State University (trombone) and a Master of Music in Band Conducting from Northwestern University, where he studied under John Paynter.

Adams has built a distinguished career as an adjudicator, brass performer, and conductor. His compositions have earned recognition at The Midwest Band Clinic and Western International Band Clinic, appeared on the Bandworld Top 100, and received multiple J.W. Pepper Editors' Choice selections. He maintains active memberships in the Ohio Music Education Association, NAfME, ASCAP, College Band Directors National Association, and Local 159 of the American Federation of Musicians.

Why we love this

This work honors a director whose entire professional life centered on one school and one community, a commitment increasingly rare in our field. Adams captures something deeply musical about that kind of steadfast dedication, crafting an exciting Grade 2 piece that will resonate especially with middle school conductors and students who understand the lasting impact of teacher loyalty.

What to expect

An energetic tribute with warmth and purpose underneath. The music radiates respect and gratitude without sacrificing the bright, forward momentum that keeps middle school musicians engaged.

Who it's for

Grade 2 concert bands looking for repertoire with genuine musical substance and a compelling backstory. Directors seeking a piece that celebrates the teaching profession itself will find an authentic vehicle for that message.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the melodic content across sections early in rehearsal so students understand where the story lives and can support it accordingly.
  • Mark the dynamic transitions clearly in your score; Grade 2 bands often need explicit visual cues for the swells that give this work its character.
  • Encourage your brass section to anchor the harmonic foundation with steady, confident tone production, which allows the woodwinds room to shape the musical line.

How to use it

Consider opening a concert with this piece as a statement about your program's values and community roots. It also serves beautifully on a program celebrating faculty milestones or recognizing long-serving colleagues in your district.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing melodic and harmonic roles within ensemble texture
  • Executing dynamic control across phrase shapes
  • Sustaining ensemble blend when passing the musical line between sections
  • Understanding and performing with musical purpose rooted in extra-musical meaning

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