Quantum Mission: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Ralph Ford
Grade: 0.5 (Very Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0004528
$50.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
Ralph Ford concludes his collection of thrillers for young bands with Quantum Mission. Opening with a bold flourish, the stage is set for the secret assignment. The piece develops expressing a haunting theme that builds to a victorious conclusion. Also consider "Spy Games" 29557 and "Strange Pursuit" 26693. Accept the mission! (2:24) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Quantum Mission: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
Open in the Player
Jump straight in and assign it today.
Start Your Free Trial
Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Very Beginning Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
134
SKU:
00-PK-0004528
More about this title
About the Composer: Ralph Ford
Ralph Ford has spent nearly three decades teaching at the university level while building a prolific career as a composer and arranger. His work spans orchestras, concert bands, jazz ensembles, and marching bands, with over 250 titles published through Belwin. His creative reach extends well beyond the concert hall into broadcast media, where he has composed jingles, news packages, and scores for television and radio productions.
Ford's foundation in arranging began as a teenager in Panama City, Florida, and deepened during his undergraduate years at Troy State University, where he directed the jazz ensemble and served as staff arranger before joining the faculty himself. His combination of teaching experience, professional conducting, and multimedia composition work informs his approach to writing for young ensembles, music that engages students while remaining genuinely musical.
Why we love this
Ford understands exactly what a very beginning band can execute, and Quantum Mission proves it. The piece unfolds with genuine dramatic arc—bold opening, haunting middle section, triumphant finish—giving young musicians a real story to tell rather than just notes to play. It's concert-ready material that will sound polished in performance while keeping the technical demands entirely appropriate for Grade 0.5 players.
What to expect
Quantum Mission captures the energy and intrigue of a spy thriller in miniature. It opens with cinematic flair, deepens into mystery with its haunting central theme, and concludes with triumphant resolution—all at a pace and technical level that beginning musicians can inhabit convincingly.
Who it's for
This is ideal for very beginning concert bands ready to perform a complete, structured work with dramatic shape. Conductors working with Grade 0.5 ensembles will find the parts accessible and the music genuinely rewarding to teach and perform.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the opening flourish with clear articulation and consistent energy; young conductors often rush exciting passages, so lock the tempo early in rehearsal and maintain it through the bold introduction.
- Balance the haunting theme by allowing it room to breathe; resist the urge to push tempo as the section builds, instead letting dynamic growth carry the tension.
- Prepare the transition to the victorious conclusion with clean rhythmic precision in the ensemble, especially if the piece modulates or shifts tonally during this shift.
- Use the 2:24 recorded accompaniment (available in MakeMusic Cloud) as a reference for style and phrasing, not just tempo.
How to use it
Program this as a concert centerpiece for a young band concert, where it will anchor the first half or serve as an exciting closer. It pairs naturally with Ford's other thriller titles in the series (Spy Games and Strange Pursuit) if you're building a thematic program, or stands alone as a complete dramatic statement.
Skills your students will build
- Phrasing and shaping within a multi-section form
- Maintaining consistent tempo through tempo-sensitive passages
- Balancing dynamic contrast in an ensemble setting
- Responding to clear musical narrative structure
- Ensemble blend and intonation at very beginning level