Spiders!: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Schmitz brings theatrical storytelling to a skill-appropriate level without condescension. The piece uses concrete sound effects (pizzicato, col legno, glissando) to narrate its spooky scenario, which means students hear exactly why those techniques matter rather than learning them in isolation. For a Grade 2.5 orchestra, that's musical thinking at work.

Mischievous and slightly eerie, with moments of comic tension. The pizzicato tiptoing establishes a sense of creeping dread, the col legno adds unsettling texture, and the glissando delivers a punctuating scare. It's Halloween music that entertains rather than genuinely frightens.

String orchestra directors working with intermediate ensembles who want a seasonal piece that teaches extended techniques through a story. Students at this level respond well to concrete imagery, and this piece gives them that context while building facility with pizzicato, col legno, and glissando.

• Clarify the character of each spider sound with your section leaders before rehearsal. Pizzicato should feel delicate and cautious; col legno needs a sharper, clickier attack to capture the skittering effect.
• Shape the glissando moment as a single dramatic gesture. Coordinate a unified starting pitch and smooth descent across the section so the "big spider" descends as one predatory motion.
• Allow the piece to breathe at natural phrase breaks. The programmatic narrative works best when audiences can follow the action, not when it rushes from scare to scare.

Place this early in a fall concert to set a playful tone and engage the audience immediately. It pairs well with other season-appropriate lighter fare and serves as an excellent break from more serious repertoire in rehearsal rotations.

• Pizzicato technique and tone control
• Col legno articulation and clarity
• Glissando execution across the string range
• Ensemble coordination during extended techniques
• Following a programmatic narrative through musical imagery