Toucan Tango: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$42.00 USD

Toucan Tango: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Toucan Tango: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-22302
Price: 42.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Bob Phillips

Grade: 2

Item: 00-22302

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Written in the style of an Argentinean tango and featuring strong rhythmic underpinning, violins, violas and cellos each have a turn at playing the original melody while the basses play a tango rhythm. Alternating between the keys of D minor and D major, Toucan Tango is designed to make an intermediate or advance beginning orchestra sound its best. In first position with no shifting, two (or more) really can tango! (2:53)

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Series: Highland/Etling String Explorer

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 74

UPC: 038081230115

SKU: 00-22302

More about this title

About the Composer: Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips (b. 1953) has spent decades shaping how strings are taught in America. A composer, pedagogue, and conductor, he built the Saline, Michigan string program into a nationally recognized model that eventually grew to over 700 students, and he founded the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, an ensemble that performed internationally and at the White House.

Phillips has authored more than 25 instructional series and published over 200 works for orchestras and bands. His eclectic styles publications (Jazz Philharmonic, Rock Philharmonic, Mariachi Philharmonic, and others) have redefined what string students can play. An award-winning ASCAP composer, he has served as resident conductor for major festivals and all-state orchestras across the country, and his work regularly appears at the Midwest Clinic.

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Why we love this

This arrangement captures the joy of tango without compromising pedagogical clarity. The melody rotates through all string sections, giving every student a moment in the spotlight, while the straightforward first-position writing and no-shifting requirement keep the focus on rhythmic precision and ensemble cohesion rather than technical gymnastics.

What to expect

Toucan Tango pulses with the heat and precision of Argentinean dance. The tango rhythm is relentless and infectious, anchoring the piece while violins, violas, and cellos trade the lyrical melody above, creating a conversation between intimacy and infectious energy. The interplay between D minor and D major gives it a bittersweet sparkle that lands somewhere between classical sophistication and Latin warmth.

Who it's for

Grade 2 string orchestras ready to explore beyond classical repertoire. Students need solid rhythmic foundation and basic ensemble discipline, but minimal technical demands open this piece to programs building confidence in intermediate or newly advanced orchestras.

How to get the most out of it

Lock the tango rhythm in the bass line first; once that foundation is solid, the upper voices will fall into place naturally.
Emphasize the alternations between D minor and D major through careful dynamic balance; let the key shifts breathe rather than obscure them.
Stagger your rehearsal focus on each section's turn at the melody; highlight the violin statement first, then isolate viola and cello as they take over.
Shape the phrasing with slight rubato where the style suggests it, but maintain the driving rhythmic pulse that defines tango.

How to use it

Program this alongside other Latin or multicultural pieces to create a themed concert section that broadens repertoire diversity. It works equally well as a festival entry or as a springboard into exploring eclectic styles within your orchestra curriculum. The length (under three minutes) and high energy make it a natural crowd-pleaser on concert encores.