News & Views Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Stanton’s Difference: For New Teachers 30 June, 2014

At Stanton’s, we know you have many choices when it comes to purchasing sheet music.  Over the next few weeks, we want to take the opportunity to highlight just a few of the many reasons why Stanton’s is the best place to buy music for your school, church, private studio or personal use!

The staff at Stanton’s understands the stresses and pressures of the first year of teaching.  Getting to know your building or district, discipline, lesson plans, common core, evaluations, booster groups, budgets/purchasing, scheduling….oh, yeah, and actually teaching!  We’d like to make your life just a little bit easier, and here’s what we can do to help:

Money Matters-Requisitions, purchase orders, board accounts, booster accounts; it can all seem “Greek to you” if you’re not familiar with school purchasing.  Visit or call us as soon as you are hired to determine what kind of account(s) your school has and what you have to do to get music.  Don’t be shy, ask lots of questions now!

We’re Happy To Meet You-Come on down and visit us in person.  Introduce yourself to the staff, let us know what and where you’re teaching.  We can give you a short tour of the store and let you know what kinds of products we have that fit your needs.  We’ll also be happy to send you home with any current promotional materials or a 21 Day Trial so you can choose literature at your leisure.

So Much Music, So Little Time-The tens of thousands titles that we have in stock can be a bit overwhelming for anyone.  The music educators on our staff can steer you in the right direction, offering suggestions for all types of classes and ensembles at all levels. We spend hundreds of hours each year reviewing new publications, so we show you only the best of what’s out there.

E-Tools-Stanton’s website has several different e-tools to assist you in choosing, purchasing and teaching your music.  There’s our Virtual Workshops, Jukebox, Listening Library, Digital Delivery and, of course, there’s an app for us too-we’re on The App Store and Google Plus.

For more details, questions or to introduce yourself, visit us online at www.stantons.com, or give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC!

Previous posts in this series:  10% Educational Discount; Knowledgeable Staff; 21 Day Trial

2015 OMEA Concert Band Lists Announced 28 June, 2014

Last week (June 19-20) the OMEA Concert Band Committee met to choose music for the 2015 Required Music Lists. For band directors who like to plan ahead (and those who have called to see when the list would be ready) you can now preview the 2015 Junior High and High School contest lists at stantons.com*, and in the Stanton’s Listening Library.

For High School, the lists have expanded from 12 to 18 titles. There are now 6 Standard Repertoire pieces on the list that will remain unchanged from year-to-year in addition to the dozen contemporary/new selections. The Standard Repertoire lists are as follows:

OMEA HS Class AA: Armenian Dances, Part 1 – Alfred Reed; Chester – William Schuman; Four Scottish Dances – Malcolm Arnold/arr. John Paynter; Incantation and Dance – John Barnes Chance; Lincholnshire Posy – Percy Grainger/arr. Frederick Fennell (any 4 mvts. including either mvt. 3 or 5); Suite of Old American Dances – Robert Russell Bennett (any 4 mvts.).

OMEA HS Class A: English Folk Song Suite – Ralph Vaughan Williams; Festival Prelude – Alfred Reed; First Suite in Eb – Gustav Holst/ed. Colin Matthews; Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo – Malcolm Arnold/arr. John Paynter; Satiric Dances – Norman Dello Joio; Variations on a Korean Folk Song – John Barnes Chance.

OMEA HS Class B: Cajun Folk Songs – Frank Ticheli; Chant & Jubilo – W. Francis McBeth; Emperata Overture – Claude T. Smith; Irish Rhapsody – Claire Grundman; The Light Eternal – James Swearingen; Toccata for Band – Frank Erickson

OMEA HS Class C: Canto – W. Francis McBeth; Declaration Overture – Claude T. Smith; Kentucky 1800 – Claire Grundman; Nathan Hale Trilogy – James Curnow; Overture for Winds – Charles Carter; Three Ayres from Gloucester – Hugh M. Stuart

The Junior High/Middle School lists are the usual mix of young band standards and contemporary pieces. Junior High Class A has expanded to 28 titles with Classes B & C at 30.  Be sure to utilize stantons.com to preview these titles, make playlists of those you’re considering using Stanton’s Jukebox feature, and, of course, we will have all of these titles and scores available for purchase.

*OMEA HS Class B title Visionaries is only available directly through the composer’s website. We are sorry that Stanton’s is unable to provide preview material or carry this title.

50 Worship Standards 27 June, 2014

Are you looking for songs to sing for special music at church this summer?  Why not choose something from “50 Worship Standards00311993“?    It includes Rich Mullins’  “Awesome God“,   “I Come to the Cross” by Batstone and Somma, Rick Founds’  “Lord, I Lift Your  Name On High“,  “The Potter’s Hand” by Darlene Zchech, and forty-six more.  There is something for everyone in this collection of sheet music from the contemporary Christian genre.   There is a piano part written out, and guitar chords included for accompaniment.  For more information about this collection of sacred music, or others, please call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Larry Shackley is Coming in August! 26 June, 2014

Sacred Clinic logoStanton’s is pleased to welcome Larry Shackley as our clinician for the August Church Choral Music reading session!

Larry is a full-time composer and music editor from Columbia, SC. From 1995-2007, he taught and directed the music program at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. Prior to that, he worked for several years at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, creating original music and Shackley, Larryproducing radio programs for the Moody Broadcasting Network. He also served as staff keyboardist for ten years at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL. Larry’s published music includes over 200 choral pieces, seven cantatas, and 400 keyboard arrangements, as well as vocal and instrumental collections and numerous orchestrations. He has received writing awards from ASCAP every year since 1998, and has fulfilled commissions from schools, churches, and community choirs across America.

Your registration includes a packet of over 35 new choral anthems that are hand-picked from the hundreds published each year. We look forward to seeing you on August 9th for a wonderful morning of singing with one of the nation’s most sought after church music experts.

Sacred Choral Reading Session
Saturday 8/9/2014, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Battelle Fine Arts Center, Otterbein University
195 West Park St., Westerville OH 43081
Cost: $20.00 (There is no pre-registration; you may register the day of the clinic beginning at 8:30.)
email our choral department for more details

Sacred Piano Reading Session
also featuring Larry Shackley
Saturday 8/9/2014, 2:00 pm-4:30 pm
Stanton’s Sheet Music,
330 South 4th St., Columbus OH 43215
Cost: Free!
email our keyboard department for more details

Click here to watch video

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

LESS THAN ONE MONTH – Hal Leonard Reading Sessions! 25 June, 2014

logo JJWStanton’s Sheet Music is pleased to invite you to our 2014 “John Jacobson Workshop” on July 31st and “Joy of Singing” on August 1st – two full days of the best new music from Hal Leonard!

John Jacobson Workshop
Thursday 7/31/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $60.00 teacher/$40.00 student, Both fees include lunch

logo JOSJoy of Singing
Friday 8/1/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $50.00 (includes lunch)

Register now online, or contact us at 1-800-426-8742 or choral@stantons.com for more information.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

World War One Songs & Tunes for the Ukulele 24 June, 2014

00128840This book of forty-eight songs from World War One has been arranged for ukulele by Dick Sheridan.   It includes songs about hundred years old,  many still appropriate for today; “Avalon”, “You’re a Grand Old Flag“, “Taps”, and more.   The sentiments of  World War One inspired the writing of over 800 songs during and immediately after the war.  Sadly, it was not “The war to end all wars.”  Happily, it left a rich musical legacy.  For more information about this song book or other patriotic music. call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at http://www.stantons.com  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

 

The Stanton’s Difference: 21 Day Trial 23 June, 2014

At Stanton’s, we know you have many choices when it comes to purchasing sheet music.  Over the next few weeks, we want to take the opportunity to highlight just a few of the many reasons why Stanton’s is the best place to buy music for your school, church, private studio or personal use!

Stanton’s is one of the largest sheet music retailers in the country, with tens of thousands of titles in stock.  We understand that many of our customers can’t make it to our Columbus, Ohio location to peruse music, so we offer a 21 Day Trial service.

How It Works-Music can be secured with either a Stanton’s account or a credit card.  We send you the in-stock materials you request,  and you pay nothing but the shipping and handling costs.  As long as the music is returned to us in NEW condition within 21 days, you are never charged.  If you have specific titles you’d like to see, we will happily send those to you, or you can ask one of our knowledgeable staff members to select pieces for you based on concert theme, performance venue, type of group, etc.

What You Can Take On Trial (by department):

Choral, Handbell, Classroom General Music & Solo Vocal-You may take up to 20 single copies of octavos and/or up to 5 musicals, collections, or director’s scores.

Band, Orchestra and Instrumental-You may take up to six items on trial, including full arrangements, solos and chamber ensembles.  (Only scores will be sent for titles appearing on the OMEA High School Large Group Contest List.)

Piano/Keyboard-Up to five collections and/or 10 teaching pieces, one copy each.  Popular sheet music is not available for 21 Day Trial.  75% (by dollar amount) of the piano music on trial must be purchased.

For more details about our 21 Day Trial, visit us online at www.stantons.com, or give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC!

Previous posts in this series:  10% Educational Discount; Knowledgeable Staff

Commit to “Excellence” for your choral ensembles! 20 June, 2014

Stanton’s Sheet Music is pleased to announce our 21st annual Excellence in Choral Literature Clinic on Saturday August 23, 2014! This session was designed to help you select concert and contest literature from some of choral music’s most distinguished composers, featuring the best in new music for mixed, treble, and men’s choirs at all levels of difficulty. Registration fee includes a complimentary packet of over 30 titles.

Come join us to discover beautiful music and share ideas with colleagues and friends! For more information, please check out our video below, contact us by email, or call us at 1.800.426.8742. Register online NOW!

Click here to watch video

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Why Should YOU Attend a Stanton’s Reading Session? 19 June, 2014

Summer is here (finally!)… You’ve wrapped up your end-of-the-year concerts and lessons and you’re enjoying some well-earned time off. Here at Stanton’s Sheet Music, we’re gearing up for our summer workshop series! Yes, it can be hard to think about starting up a new school year, and we hear lots of excuses…ahem, I mean reasons…as to why people want to skip out on attending a summer workshop this year:

“It’s summertime! I don’t want to think about work.”
We hear ya. Summer sunshine…sandy beaches…grilling out on the patio…spending time with family and friends… These are all worthwhile summertime pursuits. But think about it – spending just one day at a Stanton’s workshop this summer can give you repertoire and teaching ideas for your entire school year! By devoting a few hours to work with us in the summer, you could free up evenings and weekends during the year so that you can: A) spend more time with your family and friends, B) work on that novel or symphony you’ve been meaning to write, or C) regain your sanity from spending all day with those rowdy kids!

“I can find everything I need to know on the internet/in a catalog.”
The internet is a wonderful tool in finding new music for your ensembles and classrooms – it helped you find this blog, right? Stanton’s Listening Library contains thousands of recordings to help you find the perfect piece of repertoire, many items on our user-friendly main website have sample pages you can view, and our Digital Delivery website allows you to find and print music immediately. But…none of those benefits outweighs the value of holding a new piece of music in your hands and experiencing it for the first time as your students do. At Stanton’s summer clinics and reading sessions, you can identify music your students will love to sing and find resources and repertoire to teach important musical concepts. NOTHING compares to looking at the entire piece and singing it with a group – THAT’S how you know if it will work for you! No 30-second sample recording or three-sentence catalog write-up can do that.

“I have such a small budget. Why learn about new music that I can’t afford?”
You’re not alone. Music budgets are shrinking across the country, and our clinicians know that you need to make every penny count. We’ve got ideas for affordable costuming and set design for your elementary musicals. We’ve got budget-stretching, reproducible choral collections with lots of repertoire options. And best of all, we’ve got many other teachers at our clinics so you can meet and share ideas that really, truly work in the classroom with each other! You could meet someone with great ideas for nurturing a successful booster group, or someone with tips for garnering community support and sponsorship, or someone with suggestions for marketing your program to your school board. Colleagues and peers in the education field are one of your greatest resources – join us and take advantage of that!

We also know that many schools won’t reimburse teachers for your registration fees, and it’s always painful to shell out your hard-earned money. To help with this issue, Stanton’s is offering a $25 gift certificate to new attendees who qualify; contact us for more details. And talk to your tax guy – workshop fees for teacher enrichment and continuing education may be tax deductible.

“I live in Pennsylvania/Kentucky/Illinois/Anytown, U.S.A. It’s too far for me to drive to Columbus.”
We often have a pair of wonderful music teachers from CANADA who come to our clinics here in Ohio! Make it really worth your while by attending multiple workshops during “School Choral Week 2014.” Bring the family! Workshops each day are completed by 4 p.m., so you have the evening to explore all that Central Ohio has to offer. The Stanton’s staff can recommend our favorite local restaurants, movie theaters, and cultural hot-spots for you to visit – the cooler summer evenings are perfect for a trip to the Ohio State Fair (open July 23-August 3 2014); maybe your spouse can take the kids to COSI or the Columbus Zoo while you’re enjoying your workshop during the day; the Columbus Metroparks are great for hiking or sunset picnics; or check out the CAPA Summer Movie Series at the historic Ohio Theatre.

teacher strictI’ve been teaching for 10/20/30 years. I know what I’m doing and I don’t need help.”
It’s true – experience can breed wisdom. But we find that the wisest teachers know that in order to keep students engaged they need to refresh, renew and revamp their teaching every single year! Keep your teaching style fresh and innovative by getting new ideas from our nationally-known, experienced, expert clinicians. Yes, there are probably great resources already in your library that work as well today as they did 30 years ago – but we’d venture a guess that there are just as many things that now seem dated and over-used. Mixing in new titles with the old standards keeps your lessons and concerts interesting for your students and – just as importantly – for YOU!

“I’m a first-year teacher. I have no idea WHAT I need yet!”
Stanton’s workshops are perfect for you! The first thing a beginning teacher needs is a strong support system around them – start building that support system by joining the dedicated community of teachers who know the benefits of attending our workshops. You may not have heard your choirs or met your classes yet, but by arming yourself with information and repertoire ideas you’re ready to face whatever challenges await you. PLANNING is your best defense against the dreaded feeling of being overwhelmed by all the “newness” of starting your teaching career. Also, by developing a relationship with Stanton’s, you’ll have US on your side! We’re staffed with veteran teachers and college-trained musicians, so we’ve got your back!

So stop making excuses! Check out our previous posts on Stanton’s Elementary General Music Clinic, the Joy of Singing, the John Jacobson Workshop, and Stanton’s Super Session, and register today for Stanton’s summer workshops! We also have sessions available for instrumental teachers, church musicians, pianists and college and community choir directors; contact us for more info.

Stanton’s Summer Choral Clinics – Register TODAY! 18 June, 2014

Featuring talented clinicians from major publishers, Stanton’s summer choral clinics are a fantastic way to jump-start your school year! We always look forward to visiting with our regular customers, matching up faces with names of new attendees, and meeting teachers new to Stanton’s from across the country.

Mark your calendar for these dates:
gm logoElementary General Music Clinic
Wednesday 7/30/2014, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Columbia Heights UMC, 775 Galloway Road 43119

 

 

John Jacobson Workshoplogo JJW
Thursday 7/31/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC, 775 Galloway Road 43119

 

 

logo JOSJoy of Singing
Friday 8/1/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC, 775 Galloway Road 43119

 

 

ss logoStanton’s Super Session
Saturday 8/2/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Stanton’s Sheet Music, 330 S. Fourth St 43215

 

 
Sacred Clinic logoSacred Choral Reading Session
Saturday 8/9/2014, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Battelle Fine Arts Center, Otterbein University
195 West Park Street, Westerville OH 43081

 

 

excellence logoExcellence in Choral Literature
Saturday 8/23/2014, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Stanton’s Sheet Music, 330 S. Fourth Street 43215

 

 

Register online, or contact us for more details!

Band Directors Teaching Choir-Help! I’m not a pianist! 17 June, 2014

Here at Stanton’s12VBF_ConspirareHandel, we’re aware of the rising number of music teachers working outside of their specialty.  Cutbacks have forced many instrumental specialists to begin teaching choir-but never fear!  In this series, we will try to give some advice on where to start, as well as recommending some “tried and true” products that will help you become a great choral educator!

Wishing you had paid more attention during class piano in college?  Or cursing your mom for letting you quit going to lessons so you could play Little League?  You’re not alone!  True, some choral directors are accomplished pianists, but many are not.  Here are some tips if you find your skills aren’t up to par:

Accompaniment CD’s-While a live accompanist is always best, there are accompaniment CD’s for much of the school choral literature.  The CD will generally include 2 tracks, one with a full performance and one with just the accompaniment.  How can you tell if a piece has an accompaniment track available?  It’s usually printed on the first page of the octavo, or you can always check our website.

Sing Along Tracks-Some publishers (most prominently Carl Fisher and BriLee,) offer free, online resources for learning their music, including recordings of the piano accompaniments and even individual parts.  If you can only play one part at a time, hook your computer up to the classroom stereo and have it play another part so you can rehearse two at a time.

A Cappella Literature-Maybe you are up to learning one or two accompaniments but not a whole concert’s worth, so consider an a cappella selection.  It’s not as scary as you think!  A cappella pieces are available at all difficulty levels and voicings, and force your students to work on intonation, tone, balance and blend.  If you doubt your students abilities in this area, start out with one voicing below what they usually sing:  If you usually sing SATB, try a 3 part selection; if you usually sing 3 parts, use a round or partner song to practice this skill.

Don’t be shy about asking for help, especially if you are new to the choral world.  As always, the experienced choral directors at Stanton’s are thrilled to help you select materials, make recommendations or give advice.    Contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, extension 1 or visit our store.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Previous posts in this series: Warm-Ups and Rounds; Sight-Singing; SAB or 3 Part Mixed

The Stanton’s Difference: Knowledgeable Staff 16 June, 2014

At Stanton’s, we know you have many choices when it comes to purchasing sheet music.  Over the next few weeks, we want to take the opportunity to highlight just a few of the many reasons why Stanton’s is the best place to buy music for your school, church, private studio or personal use!

Every teacher has experienced the frustration of trying to explain something musical to a non-musician.  Rest assured, that will never happen when you call Stanton’s!  All of our sales staff are college graduates with music degrees, many of whom have years of teaching experience in the classroom and/or private studio.

Want to know what key a piece is in?  The range of a trumpet part?  How difficult a piano solo is?  We will be happy to pull in-stock products for you or research to find an answer.

Our staff also spends hundreds of hours each year listening to all the new releases from countless different publishers.  We select the best of each catalog to become Stanton’s “Top Choices.”  Different from publishers interested in promoting certain products or composers, we make our selections with YOU in mind.  Our staff chooses quality literature to help you make the most of your teaching time and your budget dollars.

Like you, we enjoy flexing our “musical muscles.”  If you have a tricky question, call or email us with your specific needs.  Because we see so many products each year, we are able to suggest resources for almost any teacher, no matter how unusual the request.

To talk with one of the friendly members of our staff, visit us online at www.stantons.com, or give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC!

Previous posts in this series:  10% Educational Discount

Patriotic Songbooks 13 June, 2014

00315052Is it really too early for patriotic music?  Not when we have to practice for Fourth of July, it isn’t!  The “ All American Patriotic Songbook” is full of patriotic songs for our nation’s birthday.  It includes “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”, The Star-Spangled Banner”, military songs like, “The Caissons Go Rolling Along”,  “The Marines’ Hymn“, and a few of John Philip Sousa’s patriotic marches including  “Liberty Bell March“.  This is a good resource for The Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or any other patriotic holiday.  For more information about this book of patriotic sheet music for piano, or piano and voice, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC,  or visit our website.  We have patriotic music for band, orchestra, choir, and instrumental solos, too.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs.

Iron Butterfly 12 June, 2014

00322242In June of 1969, the group Iron Butterfly still had a popular album on the charts that included a song that can be found in over a dozen songbooks for guitar in 2014.  The song was “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida“.  It had been on the charts  since December 7, 1968.  It stayed on the charts until July of 1969.  220px-Inagaddadavida-singleThe Boomer’s Book of Classic Rock Guitar” is full of hits from the 60′s and 70′s that the Boomers grew up with, including “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”.  Of the six titles on the album,   only this song has endured.  For more information about this special-order collection please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website, http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Summer Fun Inspired by “Picnic With The Pops” 11 June, 2014

Picnic with the Pops and Richard Marx Columbus CommonsSummer in Columbus means hundreds of great cultural events, none better than our own Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s “Picnic With the Pops” series.  This year, we challenge you get inspired by some of these great performances and make some music of your own!

The series opens this year on June 13th with “Classical Mystery Tour”, a tribute to the Beatles.  Beginning instrumentalists may be inspired to try out “The Beatles” from Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements series.  Play along with the CD (available separately) and feel like a rock star, or get a group together to play the full band arrangements, all in the same book!

On June 21st, Columbus welcomes Ben Folds, who will perform favorites of his band, Ben Folds Five, as well as his new piano concerto.  Contemporary a cappella enthusiasts will want to grab some friends to jam with “Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella,” a collection which includes 16 of Fold’s best songs including “Brick,” “The Luckiest” and “You Don’t Know Me.”

 

Jazz lovers will enjoy July 19th’s presentation of Manhattan Transfer, best known for their interpretations of jazz standards such as “Tuxedo Junction” and “Route 66.”    Pianists and singers alike will enjoy the “Manhattan Transfer Songbook,” a classic collection of the groups best songs from their nearly 40 year history.

Other concerts in the series include  Cirque Musica, Legends of Classic Rock with John Elefante, Patriotic Pops, and The O’Jays.   A Picnic With the Pops tradition closes the series on July 25th and 26th as the CSO invites the Ohio State University Marching Band to perform favorites of the Buckeye faithful, complete with fireworks!  Grab a picnic dinner and enjoy some great music under the stars this summer, then come on down to Stanton’s for help making great music of your own!  Visit us in person, on our website, or give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC!

Stanton’s Super Session Is Coming Soon! 10 June, 2014

ss logoDo you need to put a little “spark” in your choral program? Is there just too much new music out there for you to review? Join us for a fun, enriching day of music education with Andy Beck, Greg Gilpin, and Stanton’s own Jen Sper featuring music from Alfred Publications, Shawnee Press and many other choral publishers.

Stanton’s Super Session
Saturday 8/2/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
at Stanton’s Sheet Music, 330 S. Fourth St, 43215
REGISTRATION: $55.00 (includes lunch)

Nowhere else will you find such a variety of new choral selections and teaching resources to inspire and motivate you and your students as you begin the school year.

Click here to watch video

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

 

The Stanton’s Difference: 10% Educational Discount 09 June, 2014

At Stanton’s, we know you have many choices when it comes to purchasing sheet music.  Over the next few weeks, we want to take the opportunity to highlight just a few of the many reasons why Stanton’s is the best place to buy music for your school, church, private studio or personal use!

Did you know that Stanton’s offers a 10% discount on most printed sheet music products to teachers, church musicians and college music majors?  You can use your discount when shopping online, over the phone, or in the store.  Your discount is automatically applied when you use your church or school account ( We’ll tell you more about accounts in a few weeks,) or just mention that you are a teacher when you call to place an order!

10% doesn’t sound like very much?  Think of it this way:  For choral directors, it’s the same as buying 9 copies of an octavo and getting the 10th copy FREE! Or let’s say that you’re an instrumental teacher with 3 groups.  If you buy 3 pieces for each group over the course of the year, that “fun” pop number for the spring concert is like a freebie!  And who doesn’t love FREE?

For more information about the educational discount, visit us online at www.stantons.com, or give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC!

 

The Romantic Tango 06 June, 2014

Ah, tango, full of fire and romance.  The dancers are so passionate and the music is so rhythmic and driving.  New tangos are still being written and the genre is still very much alive.  This collection of sheet music for tango, “Viva el Tango, Volume 2“,  includes eight classic tangos written by Argentine composers.  Listen to the composer/arranger, Diego Collatti perform “Don Agustin Bardi”  here.  Why not expand your repertoire and try a few pieces from this collection of intermediate to advanced Argentine tangos?  For more information about this collection or other sheet music collections for dance, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Get Ready for “Joy of Singing” and the “John Jacobson Workshop!” 05 June, 2014

logo JJWStanton’s Sheet Music is pleased to invite you to our 2014 “John Jacobson Workshop” on July 31st and “Joy of Singing” on August 1st – two full days of the best new music from Hal Leonard!

John Jacobson Workshop
Thursday 7/31/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $60.00 teacher/$40.00 student, both fees include lunch

logo JOSJoy of Singing
Friday 8/1/2014, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Columbia Heights UMC
REGISTRATION: $50.00 (includes lunch)

Register now online, or contact us at 1-800-426-8742 or choral@stantons.com for more information.

Click here to watch video

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

EZ Play Today Organ Books 04 June, 2014

The EZ Play Today series from the Hal Leonard music company has been a staple in the music industry for years.  The series features up-to-date collections of easy music, such as “Wicked00100223” , in addition to collections of easy sheet music for standards. There are collections of hymns, and collections of contemporary Christian songs.  The melody has the name of the note printed inside the note head.  Chord names are printed above the staff for either the organ or guitar.  Thousands of songs are included in this line of easy books.  The lyrics are included.  The EZ Play Today books are great for beginning organists and recreational organists.  You don’t have to be a Bach-playing virtuoso to enjoy playing music on the organ!  For more information about these organ books or other music for keyboards, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC. email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website, http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Satie Beyond the Gymnopedies 03 June, 2014

Three Morceaux en forme de Poire” was Erik Satie‘s first important contribution to the repertoire for piano duet.  Translated as “Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear”, it is an admittedly odd title for a set of piano duets.  “Poire”,(pear) is also used in French as an unflattering name for an idiot or a fool,  so the title could be a play on words.  The pieces are difficult, as we may expect from Satie.   These are a worthy addition to  your own piano duet repertoire.  Though not often performed, and they deserve a hearing.  Barenreiter has published an excellent edition that includes performance notes.  For more information about this collection of sheet music for piano duet, or other piano duet music, please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Band Directors Teaching Choir: SAB or 3 Part Mixed? 02 June, 2014

Here at Stanton’s12VBF_ConspirareHandel, we’re aware of the rising number of music teachers working outside of their specialty.  Cutbacks have forced many instrumental specialists to begin teaching choir-but never fear!  In this series, we will try to give some advice on where to start, as well as recommending some “tried and true” products that will help you become a great choral educator!

Most musicians, no matter their focus, are familiar with the traditional SATB voicing for groups of mixed gender.  If you are new to choir, however, you may not be familiar with the designations SAB and 3-Part Mixed.  While many publishers group these voicings together, they are not the same.  It is important to know the difference so that you can pick music best suited to your students’ needs.

3 Part Mixed music is usually intended for choirs with boys who are just beginning a voice change.  The boys part is notated in the bass clef, but the range is generally from about F below middle C to E above middle C.  The tessitura of the music is generally higher.  This can sometimes make it uncomfortable for students who have a developed lower range or are experiencing a voice change that has eliminated their mid-range.

SAB arrangements are intended for groups with men whose voices have settled into a lower, more mature register.  The range of SAB music is lower, usually spanning from the C below middle C to middle C, and the tessitura is lower.  This music is intended for adult/upper grade male singers or male singers who have temporarily lost their mid-range due to their voice change.  This music can be difficult for students whose voices have not yet changed or are just beginning to change.

Don’t be shy about asking for help, especially if you are new to the choral world.  As always, the experienced choral directors at Stanton’s are thrilled to help you select materials, make recommendations or give advice.    Contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, extension 1 or visit our store.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Previous posts in this series: Warm-Ups and Rounds; Sight-Singing