Off the Page - Seafarer Press · scales and modes, including major, minor, Dorian, blues, Gypsy/Romani, and Japanese pentatonic. The goal of this book is to give students all the

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Off the PageNine Improvisations for String Playersand Other Adventurous People

Elizabeth Alexander

Seafarer Press

Please do not photocopy this score. Composing is my livelihood. Additional copies of this music may be

purchased at www.seafarerpress.com or through any music dealer.

ii

Off the PageNine Improvisations for String Players and other Adventurous People

1. Wiggy Dog Boy Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. Crackerjack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3. Vermicelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

4. Play/Ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

5. Train of Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

6. Felicia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

7. Inner Hallways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

8. Maybe this is all a dream... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

9. A Riff in the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Off the Page offers musicians of all ages and abilities the opportunity to play and improvise in many

styles, including blues, funk, Latin, swing, and world music. These dynamic songs use a variety of

scales and modes, including major, minor, Dorian, blues, Gypsy/Romani, and Japanese pentatonic.

The goal of this book is to give students all the guidance they need to become confident improvisors.

To that end, we’ve provided the following resources for each song:

† Musical score

+ Improvising scales

Practice strategies

| Listening track (audio)

| Practice track (audio)

While there are specific practice strategies for each song, the basic three-step approach is the same:

Listen. Play. Improvise.

1. Listen. Begin by listening to the song’s audio listening track. You’ll notice that the musicians start

out by playing the melody – also known as the head – exactly as written. After they’ve played the head

once, they improvise on subsequent repetitions.

On a first listening, you may find your ear primarily following the melody line. On subsequent

listenings try to focus on the rhythm section, the core ensemble made up of keyboard, guitar, bass

and/or drums.

Vary the ways in which you listen to the listening track. Try listening with your eyes closed. Let your

body move to the music. Follow along with the musical score until you know what measure you’re in,

even when the musicians are improvising rather than playing the head.



iii

2. Play. First take a moment to look over the musical score, also known as the chart, and see what

details you notice – rhythms, tempo marking, articulation, etc. Then play the head along with the

practice track, putting yourself inside the band. Notice how the individual musicians work together to

make a whole ensemble.

3. Improvise. Once you feel comfortable playing the head, you’re ready to start improvising with the

practice track!

One of the most vexing questions for beginning improvisors is determining what pitches to play. While

no notes are technically “off limits,” it’s wise to start out using pitches that the music itself is built

upon. In this book we’ve provided you with specific scales containing exactly those pitches. Because

you’ll be using those scales as your basic improvising material, we call those the improvising scales.

The improvising scales operate slightly differently in each song:

‚ Songs 1, 2, 3 and 4 may be improvised on using only one improvising scale. You’ll see the name of

that scale in a box above the first measure. You’ll also find that scale written out for you. Try using

the pitches of that scale as you make up your own music. You don’t need to play ALL the pitches of

the improvising scale! In fact, you may wish to start by playing only two or three pitches, varying

the rhythms, octaves and playing techniques. Listen to how those pitches fit into the whole.

‚ Songs 5 and 6 alternate between two different scales. How will you know when to change scales?

Never fear; we’ve made it easy for you! At the exact point in the music where the scale changes, the

new scale name appears in a box above the score. At those same spots, we’ve also incorporated

prominent aural cues such as accents, stops, and turnarounds in both the listening track and practice

track. (Not sure what stops and turnarounds are? Don’t worry; that’ll be explained later in the

practice strategies!)

‚ Songs 7 and 8 are based on unusual scales from Japan and Eastern Europe. Like the first four

songs, there’s no need to ever switch to a different improvising scale in the middle of the song.

‚ Song 9 utilizes three different improvising scales. By this point you will have become proficient at

listening and playing with the audio tracks, as well as alternating between two different scales. For

this song, our step-by-step strategy includes learning to play along with three additional practice

tracks, one for each scale. That way you’ll be intimately familiar with each scale before combining

them into one song.

About the chord symbols: Above the music staves you’ll notice large bold capital letters,

often followed by smaller letters or numbers (like “m” or “7”). These are chord symbols,

representing the chords used in the song. Because chords can change frequently, they are

often called “chord changes,” or simply “the changes.” Chord symbols give advanced

improvisors extra information about a song’s harmony, allowing them to make even more

nuanced decisions about the pitch choices. At this point you don’t need to pay attention to

the chord symbols – just use your improvisation scales, your ears, and your imagination!



iv

A special note to bass clef players:

When you aren’t playing the head or improvising, you may wish to create your own bass line. The

simplest way to do this is by playing the root of the chord on the first beat of each measure, also referred

to as the downbeat. The root of the chord is very easy to locate! In Off the Page, all of the chords

happen to be in “root position,” which means that the root will always be the same as the chord symbol

name. (For example, the root of a DMI chord is D!)

Playing well with others, or the art of taking turns

When you improvise with others, you’ll want to take turns soloing. Before starting to play, decide how

long each solo will last. At first, we recommend that each person’s solo consist of one repetition of the

chord changes. Later on, you may allow each musician to improvise as long as he or she wishes. Keep in

mind that improvisors usually complete their solos at the end of the song, so that the next improvisor

gets to start at the beginning of the changes – or as savvy musicians say, “at the top of the chart.”

Sometimes musicians will take turns improvising for 4 measures, a practice called trading fours. This

kind of fast-paced musical conversation keeps players from over-thinking their solos – they just have to

dive in and swim! Such “mini-solos” can sometimes be quite simple but expressive.

Finding inspiration and letting go

Let yourself be inspired by the musicians on the listening track, as well as by your fellow improvisors. If

you’re intrigued by a phrase or gesture that you hear, answer it in kind. In the improvising world,

“stealing people’s ideas” is a good thing! Just like cross-fertilization in plants creates new varieties of

plants, building on the musical ideas of others creates new sounds!

Improvisation is the art of making choices. Keep making choices and cultivating your creative ability.

Although your fellow musicians will be basing their improvisations on the same scale as you, only you

can choose how one note moves to the next note in your special way. Your unique artistry develops as

you simply make choices. Your choices are perfect, and unlike anyone else’s choices. The sky is the

limit for where your imagination and collaborative spirit can take you.

It’s always good to be informed by the improvising scales, but there’s nothing wrong with veering

beyond those pitches. Let your personal mantra be: “There is no such thing as a mistake!” You will soon

uncover your own unique way of improvising on these songs.

How do accomplished improvisors know what scales

to use? They use a combination of experience,

insight, and bold experimentation. Like all life-long

learners, sometimes they learn what they want to do

by first finding out what they don’t want to do!

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In no particular hurry

Elizabeth Alexander

Music © 2018 by Elizabeth Alexander / Sound Recording © 2018 by Sera Smolen

1. Wiggy Dog Boy Blues

5

9

This is a blues tune, and thus uses a blues scale – a classic window into improvisation for beginners.

Listen several times to the listening track. [Track #1] Notice how each musician’s part fits into the whole.

Play the head along with the practice track until you are comfortable with it. [Track #2] Don’t worry if the

notated rhythm looks complicated! Just get into the groove and play along with the band.

Improvise along with the practice track, using just 2 or 3 notes of the blues scale. As you add more notes, pay

attention to the special qualities of each note. Which notes sound the most soulful, piquant, dark or grounded?

How to follow along in the score: Every time the musicians get to the end of the head, you’ll hear a long rest

followed by a few drum beats and/or bass pizzicatos. This is a turnaround, an explicit signal to the musicians

that they’ve reached the bottom of the chart and it’s time to repeat the head. If you are jamming with other

musicians, you’ll want to finish your solo at the end of one of the repetitions, so the next soloist can begin at the

top of the chart.

By listening to the changes and counting the beats, experienced players always know where they are in a blues

tune. In time you will understand the blues form that way too, but fortunately it’s not necessary to have mastered

this skill in order start engaging with this expressive musical form!

Bass line: Create your own bass line by playing the root of the chord on the downbeat. (For more information

about roots and downbeats, see A special note to bass players on page iv.) In jazz and blues bass lines, double

bass players usually play pizzicato.

128

B Blues scale

2

Bm

0 1 2 2 2

2

E‹70 1

B‹2 2

2

C#7 F#7 Bm

Improvising scale: B Blues2 0 1 2 2 0 1 3

etc.

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Upbeat(Peanuts & Popcorn)

2. Crackerjack

Elizabeth Alexander


5

9

13

16

19

44

D Dorian scale

0

D‹7(„ˆˆ9)3 2

E7 F7 E71

Eb73 0 2 3 0 2

3

D‹7(„ˆˆ9)

Turnaround:


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Words and phrases can often help us remember tricky rhythms. One famous example of this is the rhythm “Shave

and a haircut. Two bits,” which concludes countless comic songs. Another example is the classic Suzuki rhythm

“Mississippi Hotdog.” Crackerjack’s signature rhythm is a slight variation on another Suzuki favorite, “Peanuts

and Popcorn.”

Listen to the listening track while following musical score until you are well acquainted with the form. [Track #3]

Play the head along with the practice track until you are comfortable with it. [Track #4]

Improvise along with the practice track using the Dorian scale. Although the head has whole rests in measures

2, 4, 6, and 8, feel free to play during those measures when you improvise. Let some of your rhythms be “jagged”

and “jaunty” like those in Crackerjack’s head.

(By the way, there’s a nifty trick for remembering the pitches in Dorian scales! They always contain the same pitches

as the major scale that’s one step lower. Thus the D Dorian scale and the C major scale contain the exact same pitches)

How to follow along in the score: After jamming for 16 measures on only one chord, measures 17 and 18 suddenly

contain some dramatic chord changes with a chromatic bass line. When you hear this, your solo is almost over.

Wrap up your solo so that the next player can start improvising at the top of the chart. If it’s your turn to start soloing,

you’ll hear an ascending scale leading you confidently into measure 1.

Improvising scale: D Dorian1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1

2 3

etc.



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Up tempo Bossa

(Long strands of skinny noodling)

3. Vermicelli


Elizabeth Alexander

5

9

13

17

44

D minor scale

D‹7 G‹71 1 2

B¨% D‹7 G‹7 B¨%

D‹7 G‹7 D‹7 G‹7 A‹7

B¨Œ„Š7 FŒ„Š7 E‹7(b5) A‹7 D‹7 G‹7 C7(„ˆˆ9) FŒ„Š7

E>7(b5)

STOP

A7(#5 #9)

D‹7 G‹7 B¨% D‹7 G‹7 B¨%



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21

This piece takes its vibrant rhythm from bossa nova, a Latin dance from Brazil.

Listen to the listening track, paying special attention to the intoxicating rhythm of the bass line. [Track #5]

Play the head along with the practice track until you are very comfortable with it. [Track #6]

Improvise along with the practice track using the minor scale. In measure 15 there is a special effect called a stop,

which is exactly what it sounds like: everyone playing the accompaniment just stops playing. Here’s your chance

to do something extravagant, whimsical, or downright outrageous! Try out a chromatic scale, a glissando, a tremolo,

or perhaps an innovative special effect of your own invention.

How to follow along in the score: In the last two measures you’ll hear a distinctive descending melodic figure in

the piano. Although this sounds nothing like the turnaround in Wiggy Dog Boy Blues, this piano melody is also a

turnaround! This is your aural cue that your improvised solo is almost over. Finish your improvisation so the next

soloist can begin at the top of the chart.

E‹7(b5) A7(#9) D‹ Turnaround:

Improvising scale: D minor1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3

0 1 2

etc.

3



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Funk groove

(A cool place to hang out with friends)

4. Play/Ground


Elizabeth Alexander

6

10

14

G blues scale

G‹

23 2

D C7(#9) D C7(#9)

D‹ E¨7(„ˆˆ13) D‹





In 16th century Europe, musicians often improvised over a “ground bass,” a bass line that was repeated over

and over. Nowadays many pop, rock and jazz tunes contain modern versions of ground basses, called bass riffs.

Listen to the listening track, singing along with the bass riff. [Track #7]


Improvise along with the practice track using the blues scale. For variety, try beginning each phrase with a different

note in the scale. When you vary the starting points of phrases, you inevitably generate new ideas!

How to follow along in the score: It’s almost impossible to miss measure 15, with its accents and surprising new

chord! These kinds of harmonic and rhythmic events not only help you keep your place in the score, but they can

also help you complete your solo with flair. The final measure contains a turnaround in the drums, signaling the

return to the top of the chart.

Improvising scale: G Blues

2 3 3 02 2

etc.



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Gentle, Winding, Flowing

5. Train of Thought

Elizabeth Alexander


5

9

44

G Dorian scale

G‹

C Dorian scale

C‹

G Dorian scale

G‹

C Dorian scale

E¨ F

G Dorian scale

G‹





This sweetly meandering song shifts subtly from one harmonic color to another.

Listen to the listening track. [Track #9] Because this song alternates between two different improvising scales,

pay special attention to where that happens. Count aloud while listening to this track until you have a sense of

how long each 4-measure phrase feels.

But counting aloud is not the only way to keep track of the beats! Listen to the listening track again, gently

inhaling for two measures and exhaling for two measures. Now your listening practice is also a meditation practice.

Still having trouble hearing this subtle harmonic shift? We’ve created two “listening mantras” for you to play or

hum while listening deeply to the listening and practice tracks. The listening mantras (and their corresponding

improvising scales) contain the same pitches as one another except for one crucial note which is marked with a

star. Observe how dramatically the starred notes change the harmonic color.

Play the head along with the practice track. [Track #10] Notice that the only difference between the three phrases

involves the starred notes. Once you are comfortable playing the head with the practice track, try playing it while

doing the inhalation/exhalation exercise above.

Improvise along with the practice track. At first, use only the pitches that the scales have in common, omitting the

starred notes altogether. When you’re ready, start using the starred pitches too. It’s likely that those “altered pitches”

will become some of your favorite notes!

How to follow along in the score: There are no prominent cues on the recordings to alert you to the improvising

scale changes. But if you do the inhalation/exhalation exercises while improvising, you’ll always know where you

are in the score!

Bass line: This delicate song calls for only a small hint of bass. Create a bass line by playing the root of the chords

on soft sustained notes or sparse pizzicatos.

Improvising scale: G Dorian

1 2 3 0*1 2 3 0 1 2 3

*4

etc.

Meditative "Listening Mantra": G Dorian

* * *

Improvising scale: C Dorian3 0

*1 2 3 0 1 2 3

*4

etc.

Meditative "Listening Mantra": C Dorian

* * *



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Medium Jazz Waltz

(Felicia amelloides or "Blue Daisy")

6. Felicia


Elizabeth Alexander

8

16

24

29

34

D minor scale

1

D‹7(„ˆˆ9)1

C% Bb% C% Bb%4

A7 D‹7(„ˆˆ9)

Bb Major scale

F7 B¨Œ„Š7 E¨Œ„Š7 C‹7 F7 B¨Œ„Š7 G‹7 C‹7

D minor scale

0

A7(#9)1 1

D‹7(„ˆˆ9)0 1

C%0

Bb% C% Bb%4

A7 D‹7(„ˆˆ9)

Bb Major scale

F7 B¨Œ„Š7 E¨Œ„Š7 C‹7 2F7

D minor scale

E‹7(b5)4

A7(#9)3 2 1

D‹7(„ˆˆ9)





You may improvise on this jazz waltz using only the blues scale – or mix it up a bit by alternating between two

different scales!

Listen to the listening track, paying special attention to the frequent key signature changes. [Track #11]

(Note: When harmonic digressions are this brief, they’re usually indicated by accidentals rather than by key

signature changes. Here we added key signature changes so that you can see what’s happening harmonically.)


Improvise along with the practice track using the blues scale. Before starting to use the alternating major and

minor scales, notice that they share all but two pitches – so when you change scales all you have to do is change

those pitches. For example, if you are morphing from D minor to B-flat major, all you have to do is play E-flat

and A-flat instead of E-natural and A-natural!

Remember, if anything about improvisation ever feels daunting, it’s fine to use fewer notes. As long as you bring

expressiveness to your playing, you can even improvise on a single pitch!

How to follow along in the score: Our recording artists created different musical textures for each of the two

improvising scales. During the minor scale phrases, the bass plays sparingly and the drummer plays with drumsticks.

During the major scale phrases, the bass is more active and the drummer plays with brushes.

Note to bass clef players: When not playing the head or improvising, create your own bass line by playing the root

of the chord on the downbeat.

Improvising scale: D Blues. Use this scale anywhere in the song.

1 3 0 1 1 3 0 2 3 3 0 2

etc.

Improvising scale: D Minor

etc.

Improvising scale: Bb Major

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Quietly and contemplatively


7. Inner Hallways

Elizabeth Alexander

5To CODA ø

CODA ø9

44

“Sakura” pentatonic scale

2 3 4 3 1 3 4 3

3 2

2 1





This sinuous, reflective melody was inspired by hanami, the Japanese custom of viewing cherry trees in bloom.

The pentatonic improvising scale is also used in the Japanese folk song Sakura, or “Cherry Blossoms.”

Listen to the listening track with a quiet and contemplative state of mind. [Track #13] Notice how this translucent

song calls for a restrained, “less is more” approach.


Improvise along with the practice track. Keep your musical gestures spare, savoring each well-chosen note.

How to follow along in the score: In measures 7 and 8, you’ll hear several bell-like notes in the high range of

the piano. This evocative effect is a turnaround signaling the return to the top of the chart.

Note to bass clef players: This song does not call for a traditional bass line. Instead, try playing a subtle drone

using notes from the improvising scale.

Improvising scale: “Sakura” Pentatonic

0 1 2 0 1 3 0 1 3 4



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Passionately

8. Maybe this is all a dream...

Elizabeth Alexander


5

9

78

D Gypsy/Romani scale

D E¨ D

D E¨

3

D

2 0 1

Turnaround:





This double augmented scale goes by many names – Hungarian, Arabic, Byzantine – but it is most often called

a Gypsy scale because of its association with the Gypsy or Romani people.

Important Note! The listening and practice tracks begin with an evocative introduction that is not in your score!

Use that time to get into the mood of this song.

Listen to the listening track, counting this unusual meter outloud. Instead of counting 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, count

1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3, placing a slight accent on each “1.” [Track #15]

Next, sing along with the melody using the lyrics “Maybe this is all a dream.” Notice how the musicians play

with pure abandon, creating the sound of a wild dance!

Play along with the practice track, using the counting or singing method above. [Track #16]

Improvise along with the practice track, keeping your ideas simple. You might try playing accents on the “1”s

of 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3. If you are inspired by the embellishments you hear on the recording, create some

embellishments of your own.

How to follow along in the score: The turnaround is a two-measure ascending figure played by the strings.

At the top of the chart you’ll always hear finger cymbals deliver a single “ping.”

Improvising scale: D Gypsy/Romani - Enjoy those extra-wide augmented 2nds!

0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3



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Medium Swing

9. A Riff in the Family

(“Daughter's Boyfriend is Causing a Riff in the Family” - Ann Landers column headline)


Elizabeth Alexander

5

9

13

44

A Major scale

B‹71 1

E71 2 2

AŒ„Š7

C Major scale

D‹72 2

G73 3 4 1

CŒ„Š7

Eb Major scale

4

F‹7

4 3 4 0

B¨71 1

E¨Œ„Š71 1 2

A¨Œ„Š7

A Major scale

B‹72 2

E72 3 0

AŒ„Š7 F©7(#9)





Play/Ground contained a slick repeated bass riff – but why should bass players have all the fun? In riff tunes like

this one, the head itself is a riff. The riff is played a total three times, and it’s in a different key each time!

Listen to the listening track, noticing how the riff sounds in the different keys. [Track #17] To get into the swing,

let yourself sing along with this exhilarating head, using scat syllables like “bah-buh-dee-bop” and “zoo-buh-dee-zoo.”

Play the head along with the practice track that contains the entire song. [Track #18]

Improvise initially with the practice tracks which isolate phrases 1, 2 and 3 of the song. [Tracks #19, #20 and #21]

These tracks repeat a single line over and over again, without changing from one improvising scale to another.

Practice with these tracks until you’re completely comfortable improvising in each key.

When you are ready to put all these phrases (and improvising scales) together, start improvising with the final practice

track. [Track #22] Remember that you don’t need to use all the notes in every improvising scale! Start out with two

or three notes from each scale, and play them with authenticity.

Having trouble remembering when to change improvising scales? Why not ask a teacher or friend to call out the

name of each scale at the appropriate time?

Bass line: Create your own bass line by playing the root of the chord on the downbeat. (For string players, playing

pizzicato is a good choice.) For a more active bass line, play another note from the improvising scale on beat 3.

The fifth note of the scale is usually a solid choice, but this is improvisation, so there are no hard and fast rules!

Improvising scale for Line 1: A Major

Improvising scale for Line 2: C Major

1

Improvising scale for Line 3: Eb Major

2 3 4 12 3 4





18

About Off the Page: The development of these improvisations took over a decade of collaborative work and

play. Responding to the scarcity of resources for string players wishing to develop improvisation and jazz

skills, cellist and teacher Sera Smolen approached composer Elizabeth Alexander about creating a set of

improvisations with very specific pedagogical goals.

Sera workshopped the improvisations at studio classes, clinics, festivals and concerts across North America

and Europe. Each piece needed to be able to be taught in a clinic setting in one hour; to engage students of all

ages; to invite group improvisation; and to evoke expressiveness and artistry. After each improvisation was

“debugged,” Sera and Elizabeth worked together to codify a customized, step-by-step practice strategy for

each improvisation. Finally, experienced pedagogues added fingerings and bowings to the scores.

Once the score was completed, listening and practice recordings were made by Sera and a host of world class

musicians, making it possible for any student to start improvising right away, on their own or with other

adventurous musicians!

A note from Sera: I am fascinated by the pedagogy of improvisation. How to integrate discipline and

freedom on the instrument? How to play the great masterpieces in the classical literature and also acquire

one’s own original voice? How to become a true citizen of the world, musically?

My website contains a wealth of resources that can cultivate readiness for Off the Page starting from a

beginning musician’s very first lesson! In addition, you can learn about how Shinichi Suzuki and Alice

Kanack shaped my own philosophy of improvisation.

Feel free to write me with questions, your ideas and your insights. www.serasmolen.com

Elizabeth Alexander’s music has been performed by vocalists, chamber ensembles

and orchestras worldwide, as well as by thousands of choruses. She honed her

craft with teachers Jack Gallagher, Steven Stucky, Yehudi Wyner and Karel

Husa, and received her doctorate in music composition from Cornell University.

Her numerous awards include fellowships from the McKnight Foundation,

Jerome Foundation, New York Council on the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board,

Wisconsin Arts Board and National Orchestral Association. She lives in Saint

Paul, where she makes pretty good biscuits and gardens

during the three month period in Minnesota which is

not winter.

Sera Smolen has been teaching teachers and students

around the world to improvise for over 25 years.

Having earned her PhD in music education from the

Union Institute, she has taught at Mansfield University, Alfred University, Hobart

and William Smith College, and the Kanack School of Music, and she currently

teaches at Opus Ithaca School of Music. She has been the assistant director of the

New Directions Cello Festival for over 20 years. Her creative collaborators have

included dancers, sculptors, painters and poets, as well as her husband Tom Mank,

with whom she has recorded six CDs of original music and toured the

Netherlands, Germany and Belgium numerous times.



19

The recording of Off the Page was created with the help of many generous and talented people:

Recording Artists

Wiggy Dog Boy Blues: Wiggy Dog Boy Band*; Matthew Clauhs, flute; Eric Aceto, violin; Sera Smolen, cello; Molly

MacMillan, piano

Crackerjack: Off the Page All-Stars**; Matthew Clauhs, flute; Max Buckholtz, viola; Nicholas Walker, bass

Vermicelli: Off the Page All-Stars**; Matthew Clauhs, flute; Sera Smolen, cello

Play/Ground: Wiggy Dog Boy Band*, Eric Aceto, violin; Malcolm Parson, cello; Molly MacMillan, piano

Train of Thought: Matthew Clauhs, flute; Eric Aceto, violin; Malcolm Parson, cello; Molly MacMillan, piano;

Nicholas Walker, bass

Felicia: Off the Page All-Stars**; Matthew Clauhs, flute; Max Buckholtz, violin/viola; Nicholas Walker, bass

Inner Hallways: Matthew Clauhs, flute; Max Buckholtz, violin; Molly MacMillan, piano; Manuel Quintana, percussion

Maybe this is all a dream... : Journey West***; Matthew Clauhs, flute; Molly MacMillan, piano

A Riff in the Family: Off the Page All-Stars**; Matthew Clauhs, flute; Eric Aceto, violin; Max Buckholtz, viola;

Malcolm Parson, cello; Nicholas Walker, bass* Wiggy Dog Boy Band: Hank Roberts, cello; Michael Stark, B3 organ; Bill King, drums

** Off the Page All-Stars: Molly MacMillan, piano; Dave Davies, guitar; Doug Robinson, bass; Michael Wellen, drums

*** Journey West: Max Buckholtz, violin; Dara Anissi, oud; Nicolai Ruskin, percussion

Recording and Mastering

Crackerjack, Vermicelli, Felicia, Inner Hallways: Masterview Studio (Ithaca, NY)

Train of Thought: Larry Helmeczy. Additional recording by Julie Last, Cold Brook Studio (Bearsville, NY)

Wiggy Dog Boy Blues, Play/Ground, Train of Thought, Maybe this is all a dream...: Will Russell, Electric Wilburland

Studio (Newfield, NY)

Editing, mixing and mastering: Will Russell, Electric Wilburland Studio

Pedagogical Consultants and Instrumental Editors

Piano: Jessica Caporizzo / Flute: Kathleen Schoen, Matthew Clauhs, Laura Campbell

Violin: Laura Nerenberg, Amy Merrill, Timothy Ball / Viola: Max Buckholtz Aara Edwards

Cello: Chris White, Lisa Liske Doorandish, Elizabeth Simkin, Marei Seuthe / Bass: Nicholas Walker, Tracy Rowell

Students and Faculty at the following Music Programs and Festivals:

Alberta Summer Suzuki Institute; Community Cello Works (Blacksburg, VA); Hochschule für Musik (Cologne,

Germany); New Directions Cello Festival; Opus Ithaca School of Music (Ithaca, NY); Potsdam University Music

Department; Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute; The Kanack School of Musical Artistry (Rochester, NY)

Cover art licensed by Shutterstock

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Please do not lend, share, upload or post the scores and recordings of Off the Page .

Music-making is our livelihood. Thank you, and enjoy!

- Elizabeth Alexander and Sera Smolen

Off the Page: Nine Improvisations for String Players and other Adventurous People

Available for the following adventurous people:

Sheet Music Licensed PDF

with MP3 with MP3

Piano (includes notated accompaniments for most charts) . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-00 SEA-054-00D

Violin (includes fingerings and bowings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-01 SEA-054-01D

Viola (includes fingerings and bowings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-02 SEA-054-02D

Cello (includes fingerings and bowings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-03 SEA-054-03D

Double Bass (includes fingerings and bowings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-04 SEA-054-04D

Treble Clef in C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-05 SEA-054-05D

Bass Clef in C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-06 SEA-054-06D

Treble Clef in B= . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-07 SEA-054-07D

Treble Clef in E= . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-054-08 SEA-054-08D

Seafarer PressThe Music of Elizabeth Alexander

www.seafarerpress.com

Documents

Off the Page - Seafarer Press · scales and modes, including major, minor, Dorian, blues, Gypsy/Romani, and Japanese pentatonic. The goal of this book is to give students all the