"Pizzicato" included in Jordan Randall Smith's list of "hidden jems" for orchestral strings repertoire in schools
I’m pleased to share a few “hidden gems” from the orchestral strings repertoire with my fellow travelers on the journey to a big, bold, future for classical music in the schools, one which takes, for the first time, an inclusive stance toward repertoire by composers from every conceivable background. This hand-curated list an addendum to my recent presentations at the 2021 American String Teachers Association Conference and the 2021 NAFME Eastern Division Conference. In my presentation, I discuss the importance of diversity in reflecting the broadest possible collection of global musical voices in concert literature. I then identify the problems we face in the industry: our repertoire is still overwhelmingly dominated by a tiny handful of dead white male composers. This problem can be inferred from anecdotal experience and by drawing upon prior statistical analyses of vertical and horizontal neighbor ensembles: professional orchestras and school band programs. Many thanks to individuals such as Christian Michael Folk as well as the researchers at the Institute for Composer Diversity.
GRADE 6 AND/OR EXTENDED WORKS
Clarice Assad, Suite for Low Strings
Vivian Fung, Pizzicato
Caroline Shaw: Entr'acte
Fela Sowande: African Suite
Gabriela Lena Frank: Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout
Ulysses Kay: Six Dances for String Orchestra
Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson: Sinfonietta