Ragtime Annie: 2nd Violin
Ragtime Annie: 2nd Violin Sheet Music Preview

Ragtime Annie: 2nd Violin

Traditional / arr. Bob Phillips

Grade: 1.5

Item: 00-PC-0015520_VN2
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Description
Here's a great way to teach easy syncopation. Students will love the fun, rhythmic flavor and will want to play the tune over and over. Each section is featured in this classic fiddle tune.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Ragtime Annie: 2nd Violin 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 Explorer
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 72
SKU: 00-PC-0015520_VN2

More about this title

About the Arranger: Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips (b. 1953) has shaped string education through decades of innovative teaching and composition. A conductor, pedagogue, and prolific educational composer, he authored over 25 instructional series for strings, including Sound Innovations and the genre-crossing Fiddlers Philharmonic, Jazz Philharmonic, Rock Philharmonic, Mariachi Philharmonic, and Latin Philharmonic collections. His catalog includes more than 200 published works for orchestras and bands, recognized annually at the Midwest Clinic.

For 27 years, Phillips built a string program in Saline, Michigan that grew to over 700 students and became a national model for excellence across classical and eclectic styles. He founded the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, which performed internationally at venues including the White House and the Midwest Clinic. Phillips has conducted at all-state and honors orchestras across the country, served as resident conductor for the Wintergrass Festival for 12 years, and created String Clinics to Go, instructional DVDs used by thousands of teachers.

Why we love this

Phillips brings the authentic rhythmic pulse of traditional fiddle music to Grade 1.5 strings without sacrificing accessibility. Every section gets a featured moment, which keeps young players invested and makes individual growth visible in rehearsal. The syncopation sits at exactly the right difficulty level to build confidence without overwhelming developing rhythmic maturity.

What to expect

Ragtime Annie carries the infectious energy of a folk dance, with steady rhythmic vitality and a tune that begs to be heard again. The syncopations feel organic to the melody rather than imposed, giving the piece a buoyant, unpretentious character that young musicians instinctively want to play with spirit.

Who it's for

String orchestras at the Grade 1.5 level ready to explore syncopation through an idiomatically natural musical context. Directors seeking repertoire that teaches rhythm while keeping students genuinely engaged will find the fiddle tune's inherent playfulness does half the pedagogical work.

How to get the most out of it

  • Let the fiddle tune's natural swing guide your tempo; avoid over-conducting the syncopation and allow the ensemble to feel the dance-like momentum.
  • Highlight each section's feature by adjusting balance during rehearsals so students understand why their part matters to the overall texture.
  • Emphasize the off-beat hits as stylistic character rather than technical challenges; young players respond well when they hear syncopation as 'fun' rather than 'hard.'

How to use it

Program this early in the concert season to build rhythmic vocabulary while maintaining student enthusiasm. It works equally well as a warm-up vehicle during rehearsals or as a accessible opener for a concert that includes more substantial classical work, signaling to audiences that string music encompasses many styles.

Skills your students will build

  • Syncopation in traditional idiom (off-beat emphasis and rhythmic displacement)
  • Section balance and featured part awareness
  • Stylistic interpretation of folk melody (articulation, phrasing, and character)
  • Rhythmic independence while maintaining ensemble cohesion

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