Return to Wind River: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$50.00 USD

Return to Wind River: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Return to Wind River: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-24659
Price: 50.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Jared Spears

Grade: 2.5 (Medium Easy)

Item: 00-24659

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The Wind River Mountain Range and many wilderness areas lie southeast of Yellowstone's National Park in Wyoming. This descriptive overture was inspired by the composer's visits to this beautiful, pristine and mysterious country during his college days. The outer allegro sections recall the excitement of travel, exploration and discovery. The slower, contrasting section portrays the stillness and beauty of a serene mountain lake or peaceful riverbank where, a long time ago, Native Americans may have fished, hunted, and played.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Return to Wind River: Concert Band 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: Young Symphonic

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 278

UPC: 038081269597

SKU: 00-24659

More about this title

About the Composer: Jared Spears

Jared Spears holds the title of Professor of Music Emeritus at Arkansas State University, where he spent 32 years teaching theory, history, composition, percussion, and band across all educational levels. A native of Chicago, he earned degrees from Northern Illinois University, the Cosmopolitan School of Music, and Northwestern University, where he studied under respected composers including Alan Stout and Anthony Donato.

Since retiring in 1999, Spears has maintained an active composing and conducting schedule, accumulating over 250 published works for band, choir, orchestra, and chamber ensembles. His accolades include the Faricy Award for Creative Music from Northwestern, citations of excellence from the National Band Association, multiple ASCAP awards, and recognition as an Outstanding Educator of America. His music has been performed and recorded internationally, and he has guest conducted festivals, camps, and clinics throughout North America and Europe.

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Why we love this

Spears crafts a genuinely compelling narrative here without resorting to bombast. The contrasting outer allegro and inner cantabile sections feel earned rather than imposed, and the multicultural context (honoring Native American presence in the landscape) gives the piece thematic weight beyond scenery painting. At Grade 2.5, this delivers musical substance that respects both your musicians and your audience.

What to expect

The opening crackles with the forward energy of exploration and travel, inviting listeners into a landscape of possibility. The central section settles into quiet contemplation, evoking the clarity and solitude of remote wilderness, before the music builds again toward discovery and arrival.

Who it's for

Concert bands working at the Grade 2.5 level who want repertoire that balances accessibility with genuine artistic content. This piece works equally well for high school musicians developing their musicianship and for strong middle school ensembles ready for music with real structural and emotional scope.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the narrative arc by letting the opening allegro build genuine momentum; resist the urge to rush, as the sense of discovery deepens with clarity.
Shape the central section with attention to breath and phrasing in the woodwind choir; these moments require the kind of restraint and lyricism that distinguishes mature musicianship from competent playing.
Articulate the return to the fast section crisply to mark the structural pivot and refresh the listener's engagement with the opening material.
Listen closely to the interplay between melody and accompaniment in both tempo sections; independence among parts prevents the band from sounding homogenized.

How to use it

This works beautifully as the centerpiece of a concert exploring American landscapes and regional themes, or as the substantial middle work that anchors a program of lighter openers and closers. The descriptive nature and accessible difficulty make it ideal for a spring concert where you want to showcase the band's growing musicianship without overreaching technically.

Skills your students will build

Balancing contrasting musical characters (fast and energetic versus slow and lyrical)
Sustaining phrasing over longer melodic lines at slower tempos
Maintaining independence of part lines while supporting the overall harmonic structure
Responding to conducted nuance in dynamics and articulation across sectional changes