Wolfpack Reel: Cello
By Tanner Otto
Grade: 2
Item: 00-PC-0019329_VC1
$3.00
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Description
Wolfpack Reel, by Tanner Otto, is an original modern fiddle tune in D dorian/D major and is excellent for reinforcing the F-natural (low-2) hand frame. This tuneful piece focuses on string crossings, key changes, syncopation, and fast, fun playing. Perfect for your concert finale. (2:05)
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, Wolfpack Reel: Cello 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:
Belwin String Orchestra - PerformancePlus+
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0019329_VC1
More about this title
About the Composer: Tanner Otto
Tanner Otto earned his degree in Music Education from The Ohio State University and brings dual expertise as both violist and violinist. His career reflects a commitment to expanding how string students learn: he has integrated technology into his teaching through GarageBand-based composition and improvisation projects, presented his pedagogical innovations at conferences throughout Ohio, and serves as Assistant Director of the nation's largest summer string camp in Moorhead, Minnesota, which draws over 300 student participants each August.
Otto's compositional voice bridges classical training with contemporary influences. He began arranging pop and rock repertoire for string ensembles seven years ago and has since expanded into original compositions across multiple instrumentation settings. His work reflects a modern sensibility shaped by popular music while remaining rooted in strong orchestral writing. He joined Alfred Music Publishing's roster in 2019 and continues composing and arranging for string orchestras, quartets, and full orchestra.
Why we love this
This piece delivers exactly what Grade 2 orchestras need: accessible technical challenges wrapped in genuinely fun music. The focus on the low-2 hand frame and string crossings gives students concrete pedagogical wins, while the syncopation and fast-moving melody keep everyone engaged. A fiddle tune that actually belongs on a concert finale.
What to expect
Wolfpack Reel crackles with energy and motion. The fiddle-tune idiom gives it infectious forward momentum, while the syncopation and key changes prevent it from feeling predictable or formulaic. It sounds modern and distinctly contemporary, yet retains the tunefulness that makes string players want to dig in.
Who it's for
Grade 2 string orchestras ready to move beyond unison exercises and tackle pieces with genuine rhythmic and technical variety. Students need secure hand frames and basic string crossing facility, but the piece assumes no advanced solo repertoire experience.
How to get the most out of it
- Establish clarity on the string crossings before tackling tempo. Otto's writing demands clean transitions between strings, so isolate measures with frequent crossings and drill them slowly until the motion becomes automatic.
- Use the D dorian context to help intonation. Since the piece centers on D dorian tonality, remind students that the F-natural is a defining pitch; locking this hand frame early prevents pitch drift as the tempo accelerates.
- Lock rhythmic precision on the syncopated passages by having the ensemble tap the rhythm on their bows before playing. Syncopation can sound sloppy if students rush, so deliberate rhythm work pays immediate dividends.
- Shape the key changes as deliberate harmonic moments rather than smooth transitions. These shifts in tonality are exciting structural features; bring them out with slight dynamic emphasis so the audience hears the modulation.
How to use it
Program this as your concert closer when you need a piece that sends audiences out smiling. The two-minute length and built-in excitement make it ideal for festival programming, and the rhythmic drive works beautifully after slower, lyrical material.
Skills your students will build
- F-natural hand frame (low-2) in D position
- String crossings at various speeds and rhythmic contexts
- Syncopated rhythm reading and execution
- Playing through key changes (D dorian and D major tonalities)
- Intonation in modal contexts