What Teachers Are Saying

Concert Tunes is an excellent book to use with beginning strings classes. I've used the book for many years. The book is structured to introduce one concept at a time in a repetitive fashion so as to ensure success. Success is the word that most comes to mind when using Concert Tunes. Every student is successful and they feel accomplished being able to play full page songs weeks after starting to play. The first song in the book Serenata is their absolute favorite, even my second year students beg to play it. It is an open string song that allows you to teach the three common strings, lift bow, watching the conductor for the last note, and staying still after the last note to let the instrument ring. Serenata is the song I use to provide my students with their first musical moment. We work on playing the last note with a full strong bow and coming off the string to let it ring. When they hear the ring for the first time the smiles are infectious and without exception someone will always say, "Let's do it again!" Each song in the book contains one new skill and is presented in a format that allows quick success and opportunities for building strong tone and pitch center. The book is written in a larger print than most method books, which also supports early learners. The piano accompaniments are essential, but quickly accessible
Mrs. Jenny Nichols, NBCT
Elementary Strings, Dept Chair
Gilbert Public Schools
AzMEA Music Educator of the Year 2020
Concert Tunes for Strings Book 1 is a wonderful collection of pieces for beginning orchestra students!  I use this book set with my 1st and 2nd year elementary orchestra students and in my youth symphony beginning string class.  It is ideal for group beginner string instruction in every way. The progression of pieces is perfect, starting with an engaging open string piece, continuing with pieces using open and first finger pitches, and so on. The rhythm component is also progressive and well thought out, and other music symbols and string specific content is introduced throughout. With one piece per page and teaching points visually emphasized on the page, the format is easy to read. The selections are varied in sound and style (march, waltz, ragtime, flamenco, etc.) and the piano accompaniments are playable, yet make the pieces really appealing to students. Teaching curricular content is easy, and I have repertoire for concerts that both my students and I enjoy practicing and performing!  This book set is an elementary orchestra teacher’s dream.
Bonnie Roesch
Elementary Orchestra teacher, Mesa Public Schools
Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Prelude and Debut Director
Concert Tunes continues to serve as a valuable and effective resource for teaching elementary strings. The pieces are not watered down grown-up music for kids, but rather wonderful, developmentally and pedagogically sound pieces that promote the joy of music within student’s musical worlds. Accessible and catchy accompaniments make each piece a delightful experience in rehearsal and performance. Parent, teacher and administrator compliments abound after each performance of Dale Brubaker’s pieces in Concert Tunes. I highly recommend these pieces to every elementary string teacher I meet.
Vincent Cee
Assistant Professor of Music Education
University of Alaska
Fairbanks

Concert Tunes is an essential teaching tool to most of the teachers I know.  Older students fondly remember the day they got to play Serenata and potential student anticipate the day. Audiences love to hear students perform these unison tunes, Students love to  play them, and teachers love to teach them to eager learners. The inviting piano accompaniments, though not difficult, add richness to the performance. Concert Tunes are simply timeless classics that after years,they are still fresh, fun, and solid teaching tools. Book Two offers intermediate players more of the same with beautiful, melodies that explore more advanced meters, keys, and bowings. If a teacher is looking for unison music that will focus on intonation, bow control, tone, rhythmic accuracy, and can be played effectively on those early concerts this is a good bet. Orchestra teachers who were taught these tunes now teach them to a new generation.

Richard Chelpka,
String Specialist
Mesa Schools
Mesa, Arizona
Dale Brubaker’s “Concert Tunes for Beginning Strings” is a string teacher’s dream! These tuneful songs with lively piano accompaniments emphasize the most important beginning skill – bowing, and have my students begging to learn more
Dr. Jan McDivvit
Tucson, Arizona
“Tailor made” for Suzuki teachers developing orchestral reading in group lessons. Interesting material is presented one concept at a time. Creative piano accompaniments make enjoyable concert material.
Peg Harrington
Valley of the Sun Suzuki Association
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