Heavy Lifting: Flexible String Ensemble Score & Parts

$55.00 USD

Heavy Lifting: Flexible String Ensemble Score & Parts

Name: Heavy Lifting: Flexible String Ensemble Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-49926
Price: 55.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Cello and String Bass Feature

By Chris M. Bernotas

Grade: 2

Item: 00-49926

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Your cello and string bass sections take center stage in this rockin' piece by Chris M. Bernotas. Heavy Lifting is a driving, hard-rock selection that gives everyone in the orchestra the opportunity to shine while highlighting the low strings. With FLEX parts available as a free download, this cello and string bass feature can highlight any instrument or group of instruments in the string orchestra. Perfect for your second-year players! (3:00) Correlates to Sound Innovations, Book 2, Level 2.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Heavy Lifting: Flexible String Ensemble Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Sound Innovations for String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

ISBN10: 1-4706-5790-2

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-5790-1

UPC: 038081575766

SKU: 00-49926

More about this title

About the Composer: Chris M. Bernotas

Chris M. Bernotas directs instrumental publications at Alfred Music, where he shapes educational resources for band and orchestra programs across North America and beyond. His 25+ years in music education inform every piece he writes; classroom experience with real students at real skill levels guides his compositional choices, ensuring his work speaks directly to what teachers need and what young musicians can achieve.

As a guest conductor and clinician, Bernotas leads honor ensembles and workshops while continuing to compose steadily. He has co-authored Sound Innovations, Sound Percussion, Sound Artistry, and several other foundational method books. His reputation rests on music that balances accessibility with genuine musicality, giving second-year players something worth caring about, not just something easy to read.

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Why we love this

Bernotas builds genuine energy into Hard Rock without sacrificing pedagogy. The low strings get a real moment of power here rather than harmonic filler, which transforms how your cellists and basses approach their parts. The FLEX options mean you can reshape the piece around your section's strengths on any given day, making this practical and artistically flexible.

What to expect

Hard-hitting and modern, with the weight of a working rock band. The driving low-string figure pulses underneath, giving the whole ensemble something tangible to lock into while soloists or featured sections trade energy above it.

Who it's for

Second-year string players ready to explore contemporary styles beyond classical voice leading. This piece works especially well for orchestras with developing cello and bass sections that need a confident part that still sits within their technical reach.

How to get the most out of it

Center the low string pulse in rehearsals early. Once your cellos and basses lock the driving rhythm, the rest of the texture falls into place naturally.
Keep the energy propulsive without letting tempo creep. A steady, grounded click helps the rock feel land rather than rush.
Use the FLEX parts to highlight what your players are working on. If your upper strings need confidence building, feature them; if your low section is blossoming, let them lead.
Record a rehearsal or performance and listen back to the balance. Rock charts can sound muddy if low strings aren't heard clearly through the ensemble sound.

How to use it

Program this in the first half of a concert where students and audience both need waking up. It also makes a strong festival selection for groups balancing classical and contemporary repertoire, and its three-minute runtime fits comfortably into longer concert sets without dominating the space.