Graveyard Shift: Theremin
By Chris Thomas
Grade: 3.5-4
Item: 00-PC-0019251_THEREM
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Description
Step into the eerie world of Graveyard Shift, a composition by Chris Thomas that invites you to dance with the shadows and embrace the supernatural. This piece offers an opportunity to learn shifting techniques while incorporating various spine-tingling sound effects, additional (optional) instrumentation, and vintage Halloween audio effects. Answer the spectral summons and become part of the graveyard shift, when the macabre seizes the stage and sinister strings mesmerize your audience. (3:45)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Graveyard Shift: Theremin 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:
MakeMusic Symphony Strings
Publisher:
MakeMusic Publications
SKU:
00-PC-0019251_THEREM
More about this title
About the Composer: Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas brings experience across film, television, theme parks, and concert halls to every composition he writes. His awards include a Hollywood Music in Media Award, two American Prize placements in composition, a Global Music Award, and the Gold Medal at the Park City Film Music Festival. His film scores have accompanied Emmy-nominated projects and concert works performed at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Hollywood Bowl.
Thomas has composed for major studios including Sony, ABC, FOX, CBS, and HBO, and his music inhabits theme parks worldwide—from Evermore Adventure Park to Knott's Berry Farm to the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride. His 2019 TED Talk explored his Symphony No. 1 (the Malheur Symphony), bringing his concert music philosophy to a wider audience. Learn more at www.christhomasmusic.com.
Why we love this
Thomas writes for string orchestras with genuine theatrical instinct; Graveyard Shift proves he understands how to build atmospheric tension while keeping technical challenges within reach for high school ensembles. The optional effects and sound design elements give directors a complete palette to create something genuinely memorable, not a gimmick piece that relies on Halloween novelty alone.
What to expect
A descent into shadow and supernatural unease. The orchestral textures shimmer with menace; strings glide through extended positions while eerie sound effects whisper beneath, creating a sense of being watched by something unseen. By the final moments, you've crossed fully into Thomas's macabre world.
Who it's for
String orchestra directors at the high school level (grades 3.5-4) who want a concert or festival piece that engages students with contemporary compositional techniques and theatrical scoring. Students in string programs studying shifting and intonation in extended positions will find real pedagogical value alongside the entertainment factor.
How to get the most out of it
- Rehearse the shifting passages slowly and methodically at first. Intonation and bow control matter more than speed; once the students own the technique, the sinister quality emerges naturally.
- Experiment with the optional instrumentation and audio effects during sectional rehearsals before full ensemble run-throughs. Let your students hear different combinations so they understand how layering builds the supernatural atmosphere.
- Balance the melodic material in the upper voices against the spine-tingling effects underneath. It's easy for the sound design to overwhelm; clarity of line keeps the piece musical rather than purely atmospheric.
How to use it
This fits naturally into a Halloween concert or fall festival program, but its three-minute-forty-five-second length and theatrical scoring also work as a striking contrast piece in a diverse concert. The shifting technique focus makes it valuable in a winter or spring concert where you're highlighting technical growth, especially if paired with more traditional repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Shifting techniques in extended positions (upper register playing)
- Intonation control while moving across the fingerboard
- Coordination of ensemble sound effects and extended techniques
- Dynamic control and sustaining tone quality across shifts
- Responding to theatrical and programmatic cues in modern composition