Voyages: 2nd Percussion
By Robert Sheldon
Grade: 1.5
Item: 00-PC-0019338_PC2
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Description
Travel can be an enriching experience. Seeing new and distant places can expand your horizons, making you more mindful of other people's cultures and values while providing wonderful memories of interesting places. Voyages, by Robert Sheldon, is a musical representation of this experience as we visit a far-off land represented by moody modal melodies and driving percussion rhythms. (2:15)
The PerformancePlus+ series is an innovative addition to the ever-expanding MakeMusic Cloud interactive library. These engaging selections are presented with educational resources designed to enrich the rehearsal process and create outstanding performances. Including:
The PerformancePlus+ series is an innovative addition to the ever-expanding MakeMusic Cloud interactive library. These engaging selections are presented with educational resources designed to enrich the rehearsal process and create outstanding performances. Including:
- Assignment, recording, and assessment tools within MakeMusic Cloud
- Piece-specific exercises focused on skills and techniques
- Educational tips and suggestions to support learning
Available in print and digital formats.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Voyages: 2nd Percussion comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Concert Band - PerformancePlus+
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0019338_PC2
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert Sheldon
Robert Sheldon stands among the most frequently performed composers writing for wind bands in concert halls and schools worldwide. His works have earned recognition from the American School Band Director's Association, Phi Beta Mu, and ASCAP, and conductors regularly program his compositions on festival and contest lists across international stages.
Beyond composition, Sheldon shaped wind band pedagogy as lead author of Sound Innovations for Concert Band and maintains an active schedule as guest conductor for honor bands, clinician, and visiting faculty member at universities and state music education conferences. His conducting engagements have taken him throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and his compositions have sounded in some of the world's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Kennedy Center. He received an honorary doctorate from VanderCook College of Music in 2020.
Why we love this
Sheldon writes concert band music that works exactly as designed: immediate engagement, clear pedagogical wins, and genuine musicality that doesn't condescend to younger ensembles. Voyages delivers accessibility without sacrifice, pairing accessible modal melodies with assertive percussion writing that gives every section something to anchor on.
What to expect
Voyages evokes the curiosity and wonder of arrival in an unfamiliar place. Modal harmonies create an exotic, slightly mysterious atmosphere while driving percussion rhythms convey movement and energy, building a soundscape that is contemplative yet propulsive.
Who it's for
This score and parts set is designed for concert bands at the early intermediate level, particularly those seeking contest or festival repertoire with genuine musical substance. Conductors will appreciate the accessible orchestration that allows younger ensembles to sound accomplished without requiring advanced technical skills.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the modal melodic lines so they emerge clearly from the harmonic foundation; at this grade level, intonation of modal scale degrees often needs attention.
- Let the percussion rhythms drive the forward momentum, but resist the urge to rush; the piece gains character when the pulse remains steady and the melodies have room to breathe.
- Shape the phrase contours within each melody line rather than playing through sections uniformly; small dynamic gestures can bring out the programmatic intent without overplaying.
- Use the PerformancePlus+ exercises to isolate technical passages and reinforce rhythmic precision before integrating parts in full rehearsals.
How to use it
Program this as a mid-concert selection that shifts mood and texture away from more familiar major key writing, or feature it as a contest piece where its clear structure and engaging character help younger ensembles deliver confident performances. The work's 2:15 duration slots easily into festivals and concert formats.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and performing modal scales and melodies
- Balancing melodic lines against rhythmic accompaniment
- Sustaining ensemble intonation in non-traditional harmonic contexts
- Responding to programmatic intent through phrasing and dynamics
- Coordinating rhythmic precision across the full band