Rubicon: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$49.00 USD

Rubicon: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Rubicon: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-47477
Price: 49.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Doug Spata

Grade: 3

Item: 00-47477

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Written to help students understand the concept of positions, this entire piece can be played by the violins, violas, and cellos in 3rd position with no shifting! Playing in positions is often a challenging hurdle for many young musicians yet an important prerequisite for advanced techniques. The rhythms are kept very simple so students can focus on playing in a new way.
With a dark, mature sound and named after an ancient Roman border river, this piece allows plenty of room for expression. To "cross the Rubicon" is to pass a point of no return and enter into a new realm. "This work is both a valuable teaching tool for a new musical adventure and a thrilling concert piece that students will be excited to show off in concert. (1:45)

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Rubicon: String Orchestra 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: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 124

UPC: 038081544823

SKU: 00-47477

More about this title

About the Composer: Doug Spata

Doug Spata's path to composing for strings began in the orchestra classroom. A clarinetist by training, he discovered through years of teaching that his greatest creative energy flowed toward writing for student orchestras, resulting in a catalog of works that resonate deeply with both performers and audiences.

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Why we love this

Rubicon solves a genuine pedagogical problem: students need to spend focused time in a single position before advancing to position work that requires shifting. Spata writes with clear understanding of what young string players can accomplish when rhythmic demands stay minimal and positional security is the goal. The result is a piece substantial enough to program confidently in concert, not just a etude dressed up as music.

What to expect

Rubicon carries weight and seriousness. The dark, mature quality emerges from the sustained textures and harmonic language, creating an atmosphere of gravitas that belies the Grade 3 difficulty. Students experience playing something that sounds far more advanced than it is technically.

Who it's for

String orchestras at the intermediate level ready to tackle fixed position playing as a skill. This work serves orchestras preparing for contest or concert performances and seeking a piece that teaches important technique while sounding genuinely musical.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the left hand position before rehearsing. Have students place fingers in 3rd position on all four strings and play open strings before adding any bowing; this builds muscle memory for finger placement without the cognitive load of reading.
Shape the mature, dark sonority through bow weight and contact point rather than dynamic markings alone. The ensemble will naturally sound richer when playing sustained tones in 3rd position if the entire section commits to a consistent, engaged bowing approach.
Use the simple rhythmic framework as rehearsal currency. Students will gain confidence quickly, allowing you to spend rehearsal time on tone, intonation, and expression rather than decoding rhythms.

How to use it

This piece works effectively as a centerpiece for a concert focused on technical growth, pairing well with lighter fare that showcases other aspects of the orchestra's abilities. At approximately 1 minute 45 seconds, it also fits neatly into festival programs where timing matters and impact is essential.