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Great Beginnings: Flexible Band/String Ensemble Score & Parts

$55.00 USD
$55.00 USD
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Great Beginnings Cover Image
Great Beginnings: Flexible Band/String Ensemble Score & Parts

Great Beginnings: Flexible Band/String Ensemble Score & Parts

By Michael Kamuf

Grade: 0.5 (Very Easy)

Item: 00-49161
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Description
This version of Great Beginnings by Michael Kamuf is part of our Belwin FLEX offerings and is designed with maximum flexibility for use by any mix of instruments---wind, strings, and percussion, including like- or mixed-ensembles with as few as 4 players. The suggested instrumentation and a customizable Teacher Map will help you plan out how to best assign parts to suit your ensemble's needs. The 4-part instrumentation will support balanced instrumentation of the lower voices. It also comes with supplemental parts for maximum flexibility. With the purchase of this piece, permission is granted to photocopy the parts as needed for your ensemble. A percussion accompaniment track is also available as a free download. String parts have been carefully edited with extra fingerings and appropriate bowings to support students in mixed ensembles playing in less familiar keys.

This energetic composition is the perfect opener or closer employing soaring melodies, rich harmonies, and driving rhythms. All instruments get an opportunity to play melodic material, and this piece is a great vehicle to introduce slurs and accents to your beginners. (2:00)

Percussion Accompaniment Track Downloads:
with click
without click.

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Additional Details
Series: Belwin Very Beginning Band
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 80
UPC: 038081563596
SKU: 00-49161

More about this title

About the Composer: Michael Kamuf

Michael Kamuf

Michael Kamuf earned degrees in Jazz Performance and Music Education from Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music, followed by a Master of Arts in Instrumental Conducting from George Mason University. His compositions and arrangements have appeared on stages across North America, performed by ensembles ranging from the Woody Herman Orchestra to the USAF Airmen of Note, and by soloists including James Moody, Eddie Daniels, and Sean Jones. Over 100 of his works are currently in print through Belwin, UNC Jazz Press, Neil A. Kjos Music, and FJH Music Company.

Kamuf taught instrumental music in Montgomery County, Maryland Public Schools for thirty years, serving as Director of Bands and Orchestras and Music Department Chairperson at John T. Baker Middle School for twenty-seven of those years. Under his leadership, Baker's ensembles consistently earned high festival ratings and commissioned numerous works for young concert bands. He currently leads the Mike Kamuf Little Big Band, an octet of accomplished musicians from the Baltimore and Washington, DC region.

Why we love this

Kamuf has written a piece that actually listens to what flexible ensembles need: parts that work across instrument combinations without sounding compromised, careful string fingerings that remove barriers to mixed-instrument rehearsals, and rhythmic drive that keeps everyone engaged. The Teacher Map removes the guesswork from part assignment, letting you focus on teaching rather than logistics.

What to expect

Great Beginnings lives up to its name: soaring melodic lines give the piece lift, while rich harmonies and driving rhythms create momentum that pulls players forward. The energy is infectious without being chaotic, making it equally effective as a concert opener that captures attention or a closer that sends the audience out energized.

Who it's for

This is designed for beginning bands and orchestras with mixed instrumentation (as few as 4 players) where not every student has access to a specific instrument family. The flexible scoring accommodates uneven class distributions and allows you to build balanced voicing regardless of what shows up on concert day.

How to get the most out of it

  • Use the percussion accompaniment track (available with or without click) during early rehearsals to establish tempo and lock in the driving rhythms that anchor this piece.
  • Isolate the slur and accent passages in sectional rehearsals before combining parts; these articulation contrasts are central to the piece's energy and give beginners clear technical targets.
  • Balance the melodic lines by rotating soloists through the various instrumental families so every student experiences being featured, not just doubled in unison.
  • Pay attention to the lower voice parts; their thicker four-part harmony is essential to the piece's richness and prevents bass lines from sounding thin in mixed instrumentation.

How to use it

Open a concert or festival performance with this piece to establish your ensemble's musicality and energy right from the downbeat. Its two-minute length and high musical return make it valuable on tightly scheduled festival programs, and the technical accessibility ensures your group can rehearse it alongside more challenging literature without consuming disproportionate rehearsal time.

Skills your students will build

  • Slurs and accents as expressive tools
  • Balancing melody and harmony across mixed instrumental families
  • Reading parts in varied keys with support fingerings and bowings
  • Ensemble precision in driving rhythmic figures
  • Flexible part assignment and instrument doubling

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