What is Ten Pieces Trailblazers?
Ten Pieces Trailblazers challenges students to rethink orchestral music - what it sounds like, who can make it, and how it's used - through ten trailblazing composers and their pieces of music.
This new set of pieces showcases works that have helped expand our musical horizons, pieces that have introduced new cultures and sound worlds into the orchestra, and composers whose lives and works have made them pioneers.
Trailblazers delves into the world of Film and Television for the first time and explores music with influences from across the globe
Orchestral music is a living, evolving art form. These pieces help to tell that ever-changing story.
Do you want to be a Trailblazer too? Create your own Trailblazing poem using 'You can't do that!' by Simon Mole as inspiration. Upload your creative responses to our uploader! Subtitles available.
Discover Trailblazers with:
Films & Media
Exciting new introduction and orchestral films and downloadable MP3s to support you in your teaching.
Subtitles available for Trailblazers intro films.
Lesson Plans
Six weeks of learning and activities, customisable to you, aided by PowerPoint presentations.(For Primary/ KS2/ 2nd Level & Secondary/ KS3/ 3rd & 4th Level)
Arrangements
Our instrumental arrangements simplify our compositions so they can be played by classes/ensembles with mixed abilities.
The Pieces and Resources:
Trailblazers: Grażyna Bacewicz – Overture
Classroom resources for Ten Pieces Trailblazer Grażyna Bacewicz, who broke new ground as a female composer in Poland.
Trailblazers: Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor
Classroom resources for Ten Pieces Trailblazer Johannes Brahms who was inspired by Hungarian folk music.
Delia Derbyshire – Doctor Who Theme (original theme by Ron Grainer)
Delia Derbyshire launched a whole new world of music into everyone’s living rooms when swapped traditional musical instruments for electronic sounds in her arrangement of the theme for one of the most famous TV shows ever: Doctor Who.
Trailblazers: George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue (excerpt)
Classroom resources for Ten Pieces Trailblazer George Gershwin who composed music full of the energy and playfulness of New York City in the 1920s.
Trailblazers: Florence Price – Symphony No. 1 in E minor (3rd mvt)
Classroom resources for Ten Pieces Trailblazer Florence Price who overcame prejudice to become the first black female composer to have her work performed by a major orchestra.
Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians (excerpt)
Steve Reich mixed together his classical training with his love of African drumming, jazz and pop music, and helped to invent a whole new form of music: minimalism.
Ravi Shankar – Symphony – finale (excerpt)
Ravi Shankar shared his passion for the sound and traditions of Hindustani classical music with the whole world using the traditional instruments of a large Western orchestra.
Trailblazers: Heitor Villa-Lobos – Bachianas brasileiras No. 2, The Little Train of the Caipira (finale)
Classroom resources for Ten Pieces Trailblazer Heitor Villa-Lobos who brought the instruments, rhythms and melodies of his home, Brazil, into the concert hall, creating a vibrant, exciting new sound.
Trailblazers: Antonio Vivaldi – ‘Winter’ from ‘The Four Seasons’, Allegro non molto (1st mvt) video
Classroom resources for Ten Pieces Trailblazer Antonio Vivaldi, one of the first people to compose music that was designed to remind listeners of places and things in the world around them.
Hans Zimmer – Earth
Zimmer uses driving rhythms, hypnotic chord patterns and electronic samples to create unique and powerful soundtracks that have influenced a whole generation of musicians.
Easy Ways to Get Started with Trailblazers
For quick and easy ways to bring Trailblazers in to your classroom explore our additional content below.
Are you new to teaching Music?
Click to download some short, simplified lessons and activities so you can Get Started with Ten Pieces Trailblazers in the classroom no matter your experience.
Trailblazers on BBC Sounds. audio
All the Ten Pieces Trailblazers in one easy place for you to enjoy in this BBC Sounds mix, presented by Jess Gillam.
Trailblazers on In Tune's Classical Music Mixtape. audio
Download Radio 3's specially curated mix of the Ten Pieces Trailblazers for the perfect 30 minute playlist for the classroom
Host Your Own Film Screening!
As an easy introduction in to Ten Pieces Trailblazers, we’re asking schools and organisations across the UK to host their own film screenings of our 10 exciting introduction films.
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