Impulse: String Orchestra Conductor Score

$10.00 USD

Impulse: String Orchestra Conductor Score

Name: Impulse: String Orchestra Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-ST6389S
Price: 10.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Brian Balmages

Level:.5

Item: 98-ST6389S

$10.00

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For the very youngest musicians, this highly energetic piece does not use any eighth notes, is based on a one-octave D Major scale, and uses mostly stepwise motion throughout. Almost all string crossings involve an open string, and all instruments stay in 1st position. Despite these features, the music is powerful and aggressive. A great piece for first-year students!

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Series: FJH Beginning Strings

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444578582

SKU: 98-ST6389S

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages composes across orchestral, band, and chamber idioms with equal fluency, and his work has reached audiences from elementary school gyms to Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House. His honors include the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light, and membership in the American Bandmasters Association. He has guest conducted at the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and numerous state and regional conferences worldwide.

Balmages holds degrees from James Madison University and the University of Miami, institutions that have both recognized his contributions through distinguished alumni honors and commissioning opportunities. His music was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, and he currently serves as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Balmages has crafted something genuinely tricky to pull off: a piece that feels urgent and bold while staying within the technical reach of first-year students. The constraint of no eighth notes and stepwise motion never reads as limiting; instead, it forces rhythmic vitality and sharp ensemble work to carry the piece. Your students will feel powerful playing it.

What to expect

Punchy and propulsive. Despite its pedagogical simplicity, Impulse carries real musical swagger, as if a group of beginners has suddenly found their collective voice. The piece moves with purpose and conviction.

Who it's for

String teachers building confidence and ensemble awareness in first-year programs. This works equally well as an early-season confidence builder or a concert piece that shows off how much your youngest players have accomplished.

How to get the most out of it

Keep the tempo driving. This piece depends on forward momentum and aggressive articulation to maintain its energy; dragging even slightly will flatten the effect.
Emphasize dynamic contrasts sharply. With limited melodic complexity, the interplay between forte and softer sections becomes your primary expressive tool.
Shape the phrase endings cleanly. Since the writing stays close to the D Major scale, clarity of phrasing prevents the music from sounding aimless.
Coordinate string crossings with precision. Almost all involve open strings, so lock in the bow stroke timing across the section for unified attacks.

How to use it

Open a concert with this to establish energy and grab attention immediately. Pair it with other beginning-level pieces to showcase the range of your first-year ensemble, or program it early in the year as students' first full-group performance experience.