It's About Time!: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
By Carrie Lane Gruselle
Grade: 1.5
Item: 00-PK-0004763
$47.00
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Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
| Product | Price | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| It's About Time!: Score | $7.00 | |
| It's About Time!: 1st Violin | $5.99 | |
| It's About Time!: 2nd Violin | $5.99 | |
| It's About Time!: Viola | $5.99 | |
| It's About Time!: Cello | $5.99 | |
| It's About Time!: String Bass | $5.99 | |
| It's About Time!: 1st Percussion | $5.99 |
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Description
Inspired by the ticking of the clock and the clock tower chime tones of Westminster Abbey in London, this piece contains both. While maintaining a steady beat, students will study contrasting articulations and styles: legato, detaché, staccato, accents, and pizzicato. Careful attention to dynamics will give the piece character and color.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, It's About Time!: String Orchestra Conductor 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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Additional Details
Series:
Highland/Etling String Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
128
SKU:
00-PK-0004763
Instrumentation:
string w/ perc (temple blocks, bell or chimes)
More about this title
About the Composer: Carrie Lane Gruselle
Carrie Lane Gruselle earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and her Master of Music Education from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, where she focused on Suzuki pedagogy. She teaches strings to elementary and middle school students in the Appleton Area School District and maintains a cello studio through the Lawrence University Arts Academy.
Gruselle's experience across multiple age levels and instructional contexts informs her compositional voice. She writes repertoire that engages young players through clear pedagogical intent while maintaining genuine musical interest for both performers and listeners.
Why we love this
This piece makes articulation study transparent and musical rather than abstract. Students encounter legato, detaché, staccato, accents, and pizzicato not as isolated exercises but as expressive tools that shape a cohesive musical idea, and the programmatic clock imagery gives them a concrete framework for understanding why each articulation choice matters.
What to expect
Time keeps moving forward in a relentless but friendly way. The steady clock ticking forms a hypnotic foundation while the Westminster chimes add brightness and dignity, creating a sense of orderly elegance beneath the surface momentum.
Who it's for
String orchestras in grades 1.5-2 who are ready to move beyond simple articulations and explore how different bow techniques create musical character. Conductors working with students who need reinforcement on multiple articulation types will find this repertoire targets precisely those skills while keeping the musical content engaging.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish the ticking rhythm as your ensemble's internal metronome before layering articulations. Lock this pulse first, then add the varied bow strokes and dynamics.
- Map the Westminster chimes section separately during sectional rehearsals. Once strings grasp the bell tone color, full orchestra balance becomes much faster to achieve.
- Use dynamic contrast to reveal the piece's structure. Subtle shifts between phrases prevent the steady beat from becoming monotonous and help students hear how dynamics and articulation work together.
How to use it
Program this early in your season when articulation work is still fresh in your students' minds, or use it later in the year as a celebration of how far they have come with technical precision. The novelty element and programmatic appeal make it an effective opener for family concerts.
Skills your students will build
- Articulation control (legato, detaché, staccato, accents, and pizzicato)
- Dynamic shaping and contrasts
- Maintaining a steady internal pulse while executing varied bow techniques
- Listening for tone quality and blend across multiple articulation styles