Meer Winden: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$56.00 USD

Meer Winden: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Meer Winden: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-46711
Price: 56.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Lake Winds

By Bob Phillips

Grade: 3

Item: 00-46711

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Reflecting the energy and drive of the furious winds of November on Lake Michigan, this original work will resonate with anyone ever caught in a storm. The strong Dutch heritage of West Michigan bestows the name Meer Winden, "lake winds" in Dutch, and provides a story to the technical and musical elements of the piece. All sections play the melody and the driving accompaniments. Violins and violas use third position; violas and cellos use fourth position. "Meer Winden," by Bob Phillips, provides ample opportunity for working on tone within the ensemble.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Meer Winden: 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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Series: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 124

UPC: 038081535234

SKU: 00-46711

More about this title

About the Composer: Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips (b. 1953) has spent decades shaping how string students learn and perform. A composer, conductor, and pedagogical innovator, he built the Saline, Michigan string program into a nationally recognized model serving over 700 students across all levels, and founded the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, which achieved international prominence performing more than 80 shows annually and appearing at the White House and the Midwest Clinic.

Phillips has authored over 25 instructional series, including all six levels of Sound Innovations and landmark eclectic style collections such as Jazz Philharmonic, Rock Philharmonic, and Mariachi Philharmonic. His catalog includes more than 200 published works for orchestras and bands, and his compositions are performed regularly by thousands of student ensembles each year. An award-winning ASCAP composer, he has also conducted all-state orchestras across the country and served as resident conductor and arranger for the Wintergrass Festival in Seattle.

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Why we love this

Meer Winden tackles the central challenge of Grade 3 string playing: how to build ensemble tone while keeping students engaged with a genuinely musical story. Phillips anchors the programmatic concept (November gales on Lake Michigan) directly into the technical work, so students understand why they're working in third and fourth positions and why unified tone matters. The result feels earned rather than imposed.

What to expect

Meer Winden captures the raw, unsettled energy of a lake storm. Wind-driven rhythms and sweeping melodic lines create forward momentum that mirrors the piece's programmatic landscape, while the demands of third and fourth position playing keep students concentrated and aware of their contribution to the collective sound.

Who it's for

Grade 3 string orchestras ready to tackle position work with musical purpose. This piece is ideal for conductors who want to develop ensemble sonority without sacrificing student interest or genuine artistry.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the melody line carefully across sections since all parts carry it at various points; use sectional rehearsals to ensure violins and violas blend when they trade the theme.
Attend to the driving accompaniment figures as actively as you would the melody; clean rhythmic precision in these patterns amplifies the piece's sense of turbulent energy.
Shape dynamic contrasts deliberately to mirror the storm's intensity; avoid letting the forte sections flatten into a single dynamic level.
Record run-throughs regularly and listen together as an ensemble; hearing themselves reflected back helps students internalize the collective tone you're building.

How to use it

Program this as an effective opener or closer; its dramatic narrative arc and accessible technical demands make it memorable for audiences while remaining manageable for performers in a single rehearsal season. It works equally well as a contest piece or concert feature.

Skills your students will build

Third position and fourth position intonation on violins and violas
Ensemble tone balance and blend across all sections
Sustained vibrato and tone production under dynamic changes
Rhythmic precision in accompaniment figures that support melodic lines
Musical interpretation of programmatic content through dynamic shaping and ensemble control