Looking for a dramatic Grade 4 piece that can help motivate student development in 16th notes, chromatics, and shifting? Doug Spata’s City of Steel is a great choice. It’s no surprise to find it on state lists. Give it a listen (and look) below:
Composition Notes by Composer Doug Spata
Brooding melodies rise like mist over dark, churning chords, swooping between sections before disappearing into the haze as dark themes give way to a warm, yearning middle section. Then the mechanical ostinato returns and rebuilds to a rousing finish.
Picture superheroes watching over a dark city! This passionate, dramatic overture in 3/4 time features part independence, a variety of 16th note rhythms, chromatic notes, and shifting, making it a great teaching piece for a range of techniques. However, students and audiences will respond to the lush, romantic sound and the dramatic expressiveness that the piece offers.