The Gliding Girl Cover Image

The Gliding Girl: Conductor Score

$14.00 USD
$14.00 USD
Skip to product information
The Gliding Girl Cover Image
The Gliding Girl: Conductor Score

The Gliding Girl: Conductor Score

By John Philip Sousa / arr. Loras John Schissel

Grade: 4

Item: 36-10105562
$14.00
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

The Gliding Girl: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$95.00
View

The Gliding Girl: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Conductor Score

$15.00
View

The Gliding Girl: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Conductor Score & Parts

$60.00
View
Description
John Philip Sousa wrote music in a variety of styles and was particularly adept at dance music, which, of course, was the original purpose of the march. The Gliding Girl is a tango, and its relaxed tempo and style will provide an effective contrast to his standard marches.

The Gliding Girl: Conductor Score isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Heritage of the Concert Band Series - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 1-63-887780-7
ISBN13: 978-1-63-887780-6
UPC: 660355031328
SKU: 36-10105562
Instrumentation: Concert Band

More about this title

About the Composer: John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) shaped American concert band music as both composer and conductor. He led the United States Marine Band and later his own touring ensemble, establishing the concert band as a serious artistic medium. His output spanned marches, operettas, dance forms, and orchestral works, demonstrating compositional range that went far beyond the patriotic marches for which he remains best known.

Sousa understood dance music deeply and wrote tangos, waltzes, and other social dance forms alongside his ceremonial and military works. The Gliding Girl exemplifies this versatility, revealing a composer equally comfortable with rhythmic sophistication and popular appeal. His influence on band repertoire remains foundational to the concert band tradition.

Why we love this

Sousa's tango offers concert band directors a sophisticated yet accessible piece that shifts the energy and style within a program without sacrificing musical substance. The relaxed tempo and dance character provide genuine contrast to the march tradition, allowing students to hear Sousa's compositional voice in an unfamiliar context and widening their understanding of what a march composer could create.

What to expect

The piece breathes with the relaxed sophistication of a ballroom rather than the parade ground. Its unhurried tango rhythm creates a warm, elegant atmosphere while maintaining the harmonic clarity and orchestration skill Sousa brought to all his work.

Who it's for

Intermediate concert bands (Grade 4) looking to expand beyond the standard march repertoire while staying within accessible technical demands. Conductors seeking pieces that illuminate the range of a major composer and offer students experience with non-march genres written by a familiar voice.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish a steady, relaxed pulse that feels natural rather than metronomic; the tango rhythm depends on subtle flexibility and swing, not mechanical precision.
  • Balance the melodic line so it sings clearly above the harmonic foundation; this piece works best when the lyrical quality emerges from ensemble precision, not individual solo playing.
  • Shape phrases to reflect the dance character; resist the urge to drive the tempo or press forward, letting the natural weight of each measure dictate phrasing.

How to use it

Position this tango in the middle or second half of a concert program, where it can provide stylistic relief after a series of marches or faster works. It pairs particularly well with other Sousa pieces, creating a mini-retrospective of his compositional range within a single concert.

Skills your students will build

  • Maintaining steady rhythmic foundation in dance forms (tango rhythm and style)
  • Balancing melody and accompaniment in homophonic textures
  • Interpreting style and tempo nuance through conductor-led ensemble shaping
  • Understanding Sousa's compositional voice beyond the march genre

You May Also Like