Into the Sky!: String Orchestra Conductor Score

$10.00 USD

Into the Sky!: String Orchestra Conductor Score

Name: Into the Sky!: String Orchestra Conductor Score
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-ST6178S
Price: 10.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Brian Balmages

Grade: 1

Item: 98-ST6178S

$10.00

Shipped

One moment…

Using only quarter notes in all string instruments, this work is still able to portray the thrill of takeoff and flight. Fanfare-style themes combine with the energetic rhythms of the piano to give the music momentum and intensity. While piano is not required, it adds a great deal to the orchestration and will help your youngest of students feel like they are soaring. Fantastic!

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Series: FJH Beginning Strings

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444557488

SKU: 98-ST6178S

More about this title

About the Composer: Brian Balmages

Brian Balmages composes across orchestral, band, and chamber idioms with equal fluency, and his works have reached audiences from elementary school gyms to Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House. A recipient of the A. Austin Harding Award and winner of the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest, he holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and has guest conducted at the Midwest Clinic, state ASTA conferences, and ensembles worldwide.

Balmages earned his distinguished alumni award from James Madison University's School of Visual and Performing Arts and was later commissioned by the University of Miami to compose for the presidential inauguration. His music was performed at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, and he currently directs MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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Why we love this

Balmages strips away rhythmic complexity without sacrificing forward momentum or excitement, letting young string players focus on solid quarter-note execution while the fanfare themes and piano energy do the heavy lifting. The result feels orchestral and propulsive rather than skeletal, making this perfect for that critical moment when beginning students suddenly believe they sound like real musicians.

What to expect

The music captures the building energy of a plane accelerating down the runway and lifting off, with bright fanfare-style melodies soaring over driving rhythmic patterns. Even with quarter notes only, the piece conveys motion, thrill, and genuine orchestral color.

Who it's for

Grade 1 string orchestras ready to perform something that sounds finished and energetic without requiring complex rhythms or shifting. Ideal for ensembles with mixed reading levels or early in the school year when note-reading is still developing.

How to get the most out of it

Let the piano lead during the fanfare sections to anchor the ensemble's sense of phrase and help the strings lock into the rhythmic vitality. Even young ears will follow a confident accompanist.
Keep the quarter-note pulse steady and even across all voices. Young players tend to rush when excited; establish a comfortable tempo in rehearsal and hold it with your conducting.
Balance the string parts carefully so the melodic material cuts through without the accompaniment drowning it out. A light touch from the violas and cellos goes a long way here.

How to use it

Open a spring or end-of-year concert with this to set an uplifting, confident tone and showcase what your beginning students have accomplished. It also works beautifully as a standalone celebration piece for school assemblies or parent performances where you want to demonstrate that young orchestras can deliver genuine musical impact.