When Music Sounds Cover Image

When Music Sounds: PianoTrax Digital Audio Download

$9.99 USD
Sale price  $9.99 USD Regular price 
Skip to product information
When Music Sounds Cover Image

When Music Sounds: PianoTrax Digital Audio Download

Words by Walter de la Mare, music by Bruce W. Tippette

Item: 00-A-00016024

$9.99
Digital Download
Description

When Music Sounds: PianoTrax Digital Audio Download 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.

Sample Pages

No sample pages found.

Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series: Lawson-Gould
Publisher: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-A-00016024

More about this title

About the Composer: Bruce W. Tippette

Bruce W. Tippette

Bruce W. Tippette holds degrees in music composition from both Appalachian State University and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he earned his Master of Music. His compositions have received international performances and numerous commissions across choral and instrumental ensembles, film, choreography, and theatrical works.

Tippette's orchestral work Unconquered won the 2012 Mary Starling Composition Competition and has been performed multiple times by the Winston-Salem Symphony. He was selected in 2012, 2013, and 2014 to compose works as part of a collaborative experimental project between Cirque du Soleil and UNCSA. Currently, he teaches music composition, theory, piano, and voice at the Community Music School of UNCSA, serves as Youth Music and Handbell Director at Augsburg Lutheran Church, and works as a collaborative pianist and rehearsal accompanist in the School of Drama.

Why we love this

Tippette's choral writing balances literary sophistication with singable vocal lines, making this piece equally suited to concert performance and festival competition. The PianoTrax accompaniment provides flexibility for rehearsal and performance, whether you're preparing the piece independently or adding it to a larger program.

What to expect

The piece captures a reflective, thoughtful character that emerges from its poetic text. Tippette's harmonic language is accessible yet sophisticated, creating moments of warmth and introspection that engage both singers and listeners.

Who it's for

This choral octavo works for treble, mixed, or upper-voice ensembles preparing for concerts or festival competitions. Directors seeking contemporary choral literature with strong literary content will find this a rewarding addition to their repertoire.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the text clarity with musical expression; Tippette's compositional voice rewards attention to both lyrical meaning and harmonic color throughout.
  • Use the PianoTrax file strategically during rehearsal to establish tempos and harmonic foundations before voices are fully secure; this allows your ensemble to build independence gradually.
  • Explore dynamic shaping within phrases to reveal the poetic structure; pay close attention to how Tippette sets the text, as phrasing often follows linguistic rather than purely musical periods.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece in a concert exploring contemporary American choral writing, or pair it with contrasting styles to showcase your ensemble's range. Its literary grounding makes it particularly effective when paired with other narrative or poetic texts in a thematic program.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and interpreting contemporary harmonic language
  • Text expression and poetic phrasing in choral music
  • Precision in ensemble blend and balance across multiple voice parts
  • Sustaining musical independence with accompaniment support

You May Also Like