Rippling Watercolors: Part 1 - Flute
By Brian Balmages
Grade: 2
Item: 00-PC-0019107_PART1_FL
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Description
Now in ColorFlex format for groups with limited instrumentation! While many often underestimate the extensive colors, harmonies, and emotional ranges available to younger ensembles, this stunning lyrical work by Brian Balmages sets out to explore those very qualities and more. While playable by middle school bands, Rippling Watercolors is a fully expressive work that is equally at home with mature ensembles. Gorgeous. (4:00)
About ColorFlex
Conductors no longer need to choose between function and texture! Ensembles with instrumentation challenges still have numerous options to cover all parts, yet orchestration is elevated significantly to be faithful to the composer's original intent. Musicians have more opportunities to rest, and timbre once again becomes a central element of each work. So go ahead and have the best of both worlds: flexible and colorful.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Rippling Watercolors: Part 1 - Flute 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:
MakeMusic Young Band
Publisher:
MakeMusic Publications
SKU:
00-PC-0019107_PART1_FL
More about this title
About the Composer: Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages has established himself as a versatile composer and conductor working across orchestral, band, and chamber music. His compositions have reached audiences in some of the world's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House, performed by ensembles ranging from professional orchestras to school groups. He received the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association and won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest for Love and Light. Balmages holds membership in the American Bandmasters Association and received the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award from James Madison University's School of Visual and Performing Arts.
As a conductor, Balmages maintains an active schedule guest conducting at all-state ensembles, university groups, and professional orchestras worldwide. He has appeared at major conferences including the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, and the College Band Directors Conference. His recent work includes serving as Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic, continuing a career marked by contributions to music education at all levels.
Why we love this
Balmages refuses to treat Grade 2 bands as limited ensembles deserving thin orchestrations. Rippling Watercolors is genuinely expressive music that respects the developmental stage of younger players while offering the harmonic and textural sophistication you want in your concert repertoire. The ColorFlex format solves a real logistical problem without sacrificing the musical vision, giving you flexibility in instrumentation while maintaining the orchestral colors that make this work memorable.
What to expect
Flowing and impressionistic, Rippling Watercolors captures the visual and tactile qualities of water in motion. The piece evokes shifting light and color through harmonic progression rather than dramatic gestures, creating a lyrical soundscape that feels both contemporary and timeless.
Who it's for
Middle school and early high school concert bands looking for repertoire that sounds mature without overextending player capabilities. This work also fits mature Grade 2 bands seeking meaningful concert literature that audiences will find genuinely moving.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the lyrical content across the ensemble; this piece depends on every section sustaining phrase shapes rather than individual voices projecting. Encourage your band to listen horizontally, following the musical line even when they're part of the harmonic foundation.
- Use the rests strategically as rehearsal tools. The ColorFlex format builds in breathing room for your musicians, so capitalize on those moments to reset intonation and refocus attention on sustained tones.
- Shape the harmonic changes subtly through dynamic shading rather than dramatic shifts. The watercolor imagery suggests gradual color transitions, which translates to gentle crescendos and diminuendos that blend chord to chord.
How to use it
Program this as the emotional centerpiece of a concert, particularly in spring programs where it can anchor a set of contrasting works. The four-minute duration makes it ideal as a standalone statement of musicianship, or pair it with more energetic selections to demonstrate your band's interpretive range.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining long phrases with consistent tone quality and intonation
- Listening to and blending harmonic sonorities within an ensemble
- Responding to subtle dynamic shading and conductor cuing
- Maintaining musical line through sectional, non-soloistic roles