String Orchestra Music 2025-2026
String Orchestra Music 2025-2026
First Achievement Series - Grade ½
In the Bleak Midwinter - arr. Alexandra Skevington
Sunset Landing - Peter Sciaino
Early Achievement Series - Grade 1
Land Ahoy! - Alexandra Skevington
Rize and Shine - Ruth Brittin
Bear on the Square - Perry Holbrook
Jolly Jingle Joyride - arr. William Owens
Dark Energy - Jason Taurins
Achievement Series - Grade 1½
Battle Charger - Dión Morales
Morning Glory - Bud Woodruff
52 Pickup - Jay Coles
Snow Dance - Erica Donahoe
Merry Wayfaring Stranger - arr. Tyler Arcari
Achievement Plus Series - Grades 2-2½
The Grand Bazaar - Erica Donahoe
You Can! Believe! - Alexandra Skevington
A la Nanita Nana - arr. Janelle Zook Cunalata
Falling Snow in Breaking Light - Peter Terry
The Legend of the Crooked Stick - Bud Woodruff
Concert Series - Grades 3-3½
Golden Daydreams - Emily Golan
A Wicked Waltz - Erica Donahoe
Maybe? - Alexandra Skevington
Fezziwig's Festive Frolic - arr. Steve Parsons
Voyage of the Sunchasers - Matthew Gelfer
Symphonic Series - Grades 4 & Up
Alive and Kickin' - Alexandra Skevington
The Crooked Pine - Matthew Gelfer
Typhoon Fighter - Jay Coles
Composers of New String Orchestra Music
Tyler Arcari
Ruth Brittin
Jay Coles
Janelle Zook Cunalata
Erica Donahoe
Matthew Gelfer
Emily Golan
Perry Holbrook
Dión Morales
William Owens
Steve Parsons
Peter Sciaino
Alexandra Skevington
Jason Taurins
Peter Terry
Bud Woodruff
Key to Selecting the Right Grade Level
In 2022, in order to provide more accessible music at lower grade levels, we expanded our Achievement and Achievement Plus series to four separate grade levels in the series. We also expanded our grading series upward, moving grade 3 into its own series (the Concert Series) and grade 4 and up into a new series called the Symphonic Series. Achieving through music has never been easier with the expanded, and now color-coded Wingert-Jones grading system.
- Playable by first year students with limited study
- Uses only the first six notes of the D Major Scale
- Moderate tempo and 4/4 time signatures
- All sections have an opportunity to play the melody
- Playable by first-year groups
- Keys of D and G; first position (Bass 3rd position); careful writing of low 2 for Violins and Violas while avoiding high 3
- Introducing 2/4 and 3/4 time signatures with whole, half, quarter and eighth note patterns with no syncopation
- Detache, pizzicato, staccato, legato and marcato bowings to expand your students' technique with the right hand
- Playable by 2nd year musicians
- Incorporates dotted quarter-notes and simple syncopated rhythms
- Expanded right hand technique of 2-note slurs, hooked bows and adjacent string crossings
- Open string double stops
- Playable by 2nd and 3rd year groups
- Introducing 6/8 time signatures
- New key signatures including C, A, F and Bb
- New positions for Violin, Cello and Bass
- More complex rhythms and fingered double stops
- Playable by advanced middle school and high school musicians
- Exploring higher positions for all strings
- Expanded literature for advancing programs
- Playable by high school musicians
- First Violins explore 5th position while second Violins and Violas move through 3rd position
- Cellos expand to 4th position while the Bass section works through 5th position