The Sound of a Sound: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$56.00 USD

The Sound of a Sound: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: The Sound of a Sound: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-44849
Price: 56.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Richard Meyer

Grade: 3

Item: 00-44849

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Put all those "extra-curricular" sounds your students like to make on their instruments to good use in this fun and entertaining novelty selection. Your audience will laugh out loud as each section takes a turn adding an unusual sound to a simple dance in 3/4 time. As the piece progresses the counting gets more and more challenging, keeping all of your students on their toes. There's even a part for a solo "vocalist" to show off their screaming and gargling skills! (3:45)

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Series: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 126

UPC: 038081520131

SKU: 00-44849

More about this title

About the Composer: Richard Meyer

Richard Meyer spent 35 years teaching strings across elementary, middle, and high school levels in public schools. During 22 of those years directing orchestras at Oak Avenue Intermediate School in Temple City, California, he transformed the program from 29 students to 200, while overseeing the city's elementary string instruction.

Beyond the classroom, Meyer led the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra for 16 years and took them on performances across the United States, Europe, and Australia. He founded the "Giving Bach" program in 2009, which has earned national recognition for bringing interactive concerts to special needs and underserved student populations throughout Southern California. As a composer and arranger, Meyer has over 190 works in print and served 16 years as string editor for Alfred Publishing Company. He co-authored the String Explorer Series and Sight-read It for Strings, and remains an active guest conductor and clinician at major conferences and honor orchestras nationwide.

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Why we love this

Meyer understands what makes rehearsals memorable: he gives your orchestra permission to play with sound itself, turning extended techniques into musical storytelling rather than noise. The escalating rhythmic complexity keeps players mentally engaged while the humor builds genuine audience connection, making this an ideal closer for a concert or a mid-season morale boost when energy dips.

What to expect

Playful chaos held together by a simple dance. As unusual sounds pile on top of one another, the piece builds comic momentum, rewarding both the players who create the sounds and the listeners who discover where the music comes from. By the end, the orchestra has proven it can execute rhythmic complexity while staying in on the joke.

Who it's for

String orchestras at the intermediate and early high school level looking for a repertoire piece that combines musical skill with unfiltered fun. This works equally well for programs seeking a confidence builder or a concert closer that leaves the audience smiling.

How to get the most out of it

Assign the solo vocalist part to a student with commitment to comedy and secure pitch control; this role carries the emotional payoff of the piece
Rehearse each section's entrance and sound effects separately, then layer them gradually so students can track the growing rhythmic density without panic
Mark beat divisions clearly in parts where the 3/4 meter becomes less obvious due to rhythmic subdivision and extended techniques
Record a run-through before performance to show students how their collective energy translates to audience reaction

How to use it

Schedule this as the final or penultimate piece on a concert where you want to celebrate your program's personality and technique without solemnity. It pairs well with a set of standard repertoire earlier in the program, serving as a tonal palette cleanser that reminds audiences why students love orchestra.

Skills your students will build

Reading complex rhythmic patterns while maintaining 3/4 meter
Extended instrumental techniques (col legno, pizzicato, body percussion, and non-standard sounds)
Sectional entrances and coordination in dense ensemble textures
Rhythmic subdivision and counting across meter changes
Balancing musical precision with performative expression