GARGANTUANS – Journey into the magical, mysterious world of giants! This original composition for beginning orchestra uses only quarter, half, and whole notes – and only pitches on the D and A strings (except for open Es for basses and first violins) – to take your young string students on this mystical musical adventure. Written in the key of E minor, this simple but intense selection will make your beginners sound like they’ve been playing for years!

I am a lifelong fan of the New York Giants, and I even named our college dormitory’s championship flag football team the Gilbert Gargantuans. I am also captivated by the enormousness of the universe, as well as the vastness of the oceans surrounding us. The existence of things so massive that we can barely comprehend them has always fascinated me. This original composition is a tribute to all the things so much bigger than us that demand our attention and respect, and serves as a reminder of the amazement we felt as children when first discovering how large the world and so many things in it actually are!

The loud, alternating, accented Es in the cellos, violas, and basses at the beginning of the piece should evoke images of the ground shaking as mighty giants trod along, filling distant onlookers with awe. The sudden piano marking at measure 17 conveys a sense of astonishment while marveling at the strange lands that these colossal creatures roam. That otherworldly feeling intensifies with the mezzo forte at 25. At measure 33, be sure to focus on the violas and cellos answering each other with their shared theme and emphasize to the basses the importance of the accented open Es that they play until the end. My young bass students love when they get to feature their open E strings, especially when they get to play accents loudly. They also enjoy when other wonderstruck students comment, “That instrument is HUGE!” I wanted to really empower the basses to feel special with this piece, as their open Es represent the giants this fantastical composition is all about, so really allow them to have at it! I hope you and your students enjoy rehearsing and performing this piece!