To B, or Not to B?: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$60.00 USD

To B, or Not to B?: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: To B, or Not to B?: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-ST6542
Price: 60.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Katie O'Hara LaBrie

Grade: 2.5

Item: 98-ST6542

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Major or minor? Natural or harmonic? B? or B?? These are the questions posed in this jaunty 6/8 tune that explores contrasting D Major and D minor modalities. In addition to its musical value, use this work to teach advanced finger patterns that will provide students with a solid understanding of the fingerboard and accidentals. A lively and spirited work that is sure to keep your students and audience engaged and entertained.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, To B, or Not to B?: 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: FJH Developing Strings

Publisher: The FJH Music Company, Inc.

UPC: 241444444696

SKU: 98-ST6542

More about this title

About the Composer: Katie O’Hara LaBrie

Katie O'Hara LaBrie is a cellist, conductor, and composer from Northern Virginia whose work centers on creating music that serves students first. She taught orchestra in Fairfax County schools for 15 years before establishing herself as a prolific composer, studying music education at St. Olaf College and instrumental conducting at George Mason University.

LaBrie's compositions consistently balance educational rigor with genuine entertainment value, drawing inspiration from her decades in the classroom. Her work has earned J.W. Pepper Editor's Choice recognition multiple times and performances at major conferences including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Directors Clinic and the American String Teachers Association Conference. She founded the Fairfax Chamber Players and co-created "the Big IDEA" practice method; in 2022, Yamaha honored her as one of forty music educators under 40 for her impact on the field.

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Why we love this

LaBrie wraps a genuine pedagogical goal inside a piece that actually makes students smile. The novelty premise of "B natural or B flat?" gives students permission to explore accidentals and modal contrasts without feeling drilled, and the 6/8 jaunty meter keeps the energy high throughout rehearsals and performance. Directors consistently choose her work because the educational payoff is real and the musical integrity never takes a back seat to the humor.

What to expect

Bright and playful, with a conversational spirit that invites the listener to enjoy the musical puzzle alongside the performers. The alternation between D major's sunny character and D minor's more introspective voice creates a lighthearted debate that unfolds with charm and a touch of wit.

Who it's for

This work suits Grade 2.5 string orchestras ready to tackle modal exploration and extended fingerboard patterns without sacrificing musicality or fun. It's ideal for students who've mastered basic D major and D minor positions but need guided experience with accidentals and the relationship between relative major and minor scales.

How to get the most out of it

Shape the D major and D minor sections as distinct musical characters rather than identical phrases in different keys; use dynamics and articulation to let students hear and feel the modal contrast they've been fingerboard-mapping.
Lock in a steady 6/8 pulse from the start. The jaunty quality depends on rhythmic confidence in the ensemble, so conduct with a clear beat and call out subdivision work in early rehearsals.
Encourage the string sections to listen for the question-and-answer phrasing within and between the major and minor sections; this awareness will tighten ensemble response and deepen musical maturity.

How to use it

Program this on a winter or spring concert to energize a block of more serious repertoire, or pair it with other novelty or light concert works to showcase your orchestra's range and humor. It also works beautifully as a festival selection where the educational content and audience appeal align with adjudicators' expectations.

Skills your students will build

Reading B natural and B flat accidentals across all string positions
Understanding the relationship between relative major and minor keys (D major and D minor)
Executing advanced left-hand finger patterns across the fingerboard
Maintaining steady 6/8 meter and compound time subdivision
Shaping modal contrasts through articulation and dynamic choices