Race Car: E-flat Alto Saxophone
By Scott Watson
Grade: 2.5 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0017461_AX1
$3.00
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Description
The skill and thrill of auto racing is captured musically in this piece via its infectious groove and exciting syncopations. Written in one continuous movement, its sections will help you imagine sitting behind the wheel of a powerful and agile racing machine over the course of a breathtaking speed contest. Students performing this piece will enjoy discovering that the palindromic nature of the piece, including the title, "Race Car" (which reads the same forwards and backwards), a pervasive syncopated ostinato rhythm, A-B-A form, and a fugato section at the center of the work (Pit Stop), in which virtually each instrumental part is a palindrome! (3:25)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Race Car: E-flat Alto Saxophone 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:
Young Symphonic
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
268
SKU:
00-PC-0017461_AX1
More about this title
About the Composer: Scott Watson
Scott Watson brings three decades of classroom experience to his compositional voice. After leading high school band and coordinating elementary strings across the Parkland School District in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he now serves as Associate Professor of Music at Cairn University. His more than 120 published works for concert band, string orchestra, and chamber ensembles reflect a distinctive blend of contemporary concert music sophistication and deep understanding of what students at all levels need to engage with musically.
Recognized as an award-winning composer whose work has reached venues from the White House to the Midwest Clinic, Watson remains actively involved in music education through clinician work, festival guest conducting, and collaboration with Alfred Publications. He is also an author of the music education text Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity, published by Oxford University Press.
Why we love this
Race Car delights because it makes musical intelligence visible. The palindromic concept (title, form, even individual instrumental parts) gives students concrete structures to discover, and the syncopated groove keeps their energy high throughout. At Grade 2.5, it meets developing ensembles where they can handle the rhythmic sophistication without getting lost in textural complexity.
What to expect
The thrill of acceleration and precision, captured through infectious syncopation and a groove that keeps momentum relentless. As the palindromic architecture unfolds (including the remarkable Pit Stop where nearly every part mirrors itself), you experience both visceral excitement and the satisfaction of discovering sophisticated musical design.
Who it's for
Concert bands at the Grade 2.5 level looking for contemporary light concert music with genuine structural depth. Directors want a piece that sounds exciting and engages young musicians intellectually without overwhelming them technically.
How to get the most out of it
- Isolate the syncopated ostinato early in rehearsal so it becomes second nature; this rhythmic anchor supports everything else that happens.
- Approach the Pit Stop fugato section (at the center of the work) by rehearsing each palindromic instrumental line separately before layering, since students will be tracking both their own melodic shape and its retrograde.
- Use the continuous-movement structure to your advantage by marking clear section transitions in parts so students understand where the energy needs to shift.
How to use it
Program this as a stand-alone concert feature that showcases your band's rhythmic clarity and contemporary repertoire credentials. Its one continuous movement and Grade 2.5 accessibility make it ideal for spring or festival concerts where you want strong audience appeal paired with meaningful musical content.
Skills your students will build
- Executing syncopated rhythms with ensemble precision
- Reading and performing palindromic melodic lines (particularly in the Pit Stop fugato)
- Understanding A-B-A form and returning material with fresh interpretation
- Maintaining groove and rhythmic continuity in a through-composed structure
- Balancing independence with ensemble cohesion during contrapuntal writing