News & Views Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Christmas Sheet Music 30 November, 2016

leon-00380382-dChristmas sheet music for piano is always fun to have. There are plenty of songs for PVG (piano/vocal/guitar) that can be played on the piano or on the guitar. The songs can be played by both piano and guitar while everybody sings, too. Some titles are for piano solo on various levels, easy to advanced.

Stanton’s has a lot of Christmas sheet music, also books of songs for everything from very easy piano to advanced, accordion to ukulele, and collections of Christmas solos for the band and orchestra instruments. There is a nice selection for organists as well.  Browse our website to see what suits you best! Whether you play for fun, for friends or family, for church, or for parties, you will find something that is just right for you.

Call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or check out our website, http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs.


Bucket Blast! 28 November, 2016

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral and Classroom Music Specialist

Bucket Blast by Tom Anderson
Get funky as you jam along on Buckets and Optional Percussion to these sweet songs! Everything is provided from helpful warm-ups to authentic rhythms, grooves and specific playing suggestions. Styles like Southern Rock, R&B as well as old time Rock and Roll are explored with this inexpensive, yet surprisingly musical found instrument. Full scores are provided for the Teacher, along with digital access to play-along audio recordings and separate PDFs of Bucket Drum and Optional Percussion Instrument parts. Right off the records play-along tracks are included for even more rhythm-making fun. So grab your sticks, buckets and friends and have a blast! Songs include: Free Ride, I Got You (I Feel Good), Rock Around the Clock, Shake It Off, Sweet Home Alabama, Uptown Funk. Suggested for Grades 4-8.

Need more bucket drumming resources for your classroom? Try Give Me a Bucket or The Bucket Book, and find more drumming and classroom percussion resources on our website. Contact us for more information, and shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.


Happy Birthday, Scott Joplin! 23 November, 2016

06-258076Happy birthday to the “King of Ragtime Writers!” Thus was Scott Joplin christened by John Stark, the publisher who dedicated his working life to promoting ragtime music. Joplin’s the “Maple Leaf Rag” was the first ragtime sheet music to sell over a million copies. Joplin also wrote waltzes, marches, intermezzi, tangos, songs, and a delightful opera called “Treemonisha.” Dover publishes a volume called “Complete Piano Rags” by Scott Joplin. It includes a biography of Scott Joplin and six exercises from Scott Joplin’s “School of Ragtime.” If you love Joplin’s rags, this is the book for you! All the pieces are original, not simplified.

For more information about this collection of rags or others, 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!

 

 

 

 


“Glow” by Eric Whitacre 21 November, 2016

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral Music Specialist

Eric Whitacre’s music is undeniably popular with school choirs, and with good reason – his musical voice is so compelling! But, a lot of his compositions are out of reach to many of the ensembles captivated by his sound. That’s why I was excited to find “Glow” this year. It has the same sophistication and warm dissonance that is so indicative of Whitacre’s work, but without many of the stumbling blocks like thick divisi, extended ranges, exposed unaccompanied lines, etc – instead, “Glow” features:
• straight-forward 4-part SATB vocal writing (no divisi)
• conservative ranges (mostly within the staff for all parts)
• a supportive piano accompaniment, or optional string quartet
• an evocative wintertime text with no mention of the holidays

Glow by Eric Whitacre
Simple and welcoming, “Glow” was performed for the first time by the World of Color Honor Choir at Disney’s California Adventure® Park. The Honor Choir, made up of over 700 singers from across America, were selected to be part of the night-time spectacular Winter Dreams show.

Find more unique holiday programming ideas on our website, or contact us for personalized sheet music recommendations for your ensemble.

About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.


World Music for Orchestra 18 November, 2016

recommended by Dan C., Orchestra Music Specialist

Visit Asia, Central and South America without leaving the orchestra room!

Kon’nichiwa by Keiko Yamada, Grade 0.5
“Kon’nichiwa” is the Japanese word that loosely translates to hello. It is a Japanese word that many students will be familiar with. It was chosen for this piece in particular, because it is an introductory level piece for very young students who are just learning to play their instruments, and because it is a friendly hello to the performers and audiences. The piece is based on the pentatonic scale and uses limited eighth-note rhythms. A happy main theme is contrasted by the more legato and lyrical second theme that should be lush and full sounding. It is very tuneful, with pleasant harmonies and it keeps everyone busy, which is ideal for beginners. You can adjust the tempo to whatever you think will work best for your students. If you are smiling when you play this piece, then you are doing it right. Have fun!

Ninja by Richard Meyer, Grade 1
There’s a ninja on the loose and he’s sneaking through the orchestra. But not for long! Your students will love making up storylines for what happens next in this colorful Asian-flavored piece that uses only the notes of the D Major scale. There are plenty of great teaching opportunities here for your first-year students, including pizzicato, accents, crescendos, and melody/accompaniment balance. Fun for everyone!

Takeda No Komoriuta by Keiko Yamada, Grade 2
This popular and beautiful Japanese folk song is a lullaby, but rather than it being a quiet, gentle song to put a child to sleep, it is sung by the girl Takeda to soothe herself through a difficult situation. The goal of the composer was to bring out its pensive nature and to offer the haunting E minor pentatonic tune in a variety of presentations. Although slow, there is lots of movement in everyone’s part. The violas state the melody at the beginning over drones in the lower strings, with pizzicato in the upper strings emulating a Japanese stringed instrument known as the koto. This is followed by a lush and lyrical statement with thick harmonies while the first violins carry the tune. The cellos then add arpeggiated chords along with a harmonized version of the melody in the second violins. The cellos are then given the melody with a new harmonic presentation by the other strings in parallel motion. This all builds to the climatic statement of the song one last time that leads to a dramatic pause on an extended chord, which then subdues to a short coda to complete the work. Expressive and gorgeous.

C Here by Seth Gamba, Grade 2
Based on the Brazilian baiao rhythm, this work serves to reinforce the difference between the high two and low two fingering patterns (the first on the D string and the second on the A string). It is a fun-filled educational experience for students.

Uno, Dos, Bass! by Richard Meyer, Grade 2
It’s a fiesta for your basses in this colorful section feature that your students will love putting together. Carefully written to make your bass section sound their best, this piece written by Richard Meyer starts with “Chiapanecas” (the famous Mexican “Clapping Song”) and segues into a clever 2/4 version of “Cielito Lindo.” The two songs are then heard simultaneously, bringing this “mini concerto” to a rousing conclusion. ¡Olé!

Looking for more multicultural options for strings? Visit our website! You can also contact us for more recommendations. Remember – shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Author:
Dan C. has worked at Stanton’s since 1979, primarily with orchestra music and print promotions. A “working” musician, he’s a classical cellist, a rock & jazz bassist and a folk & country guitarist/singer. His free time is spent with family or reading, gardening, cycling and working puzzles. His series of musical puzzles (RP3 Rebus Puzzle Picture People) can be found on the Stanton’s Facebook page each Sunday. He also has a reputation as a pretty good joke teller. Seriously.


Christmas Medleys for Piano 16 November, 2016

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recommended by Barb M., Keyboard and Folk Music Specialist

Phillip Keveren has arranged nine Christmas medleys for piano on an intermediate level. It has not been easy to find medleys, so this collection, “Christmas Medleys,” is a welcome addition to the Christmas repertoire. These are suitable for church, recital, or for background music at a dinner or hospital lobby. (Some local pianists play in the Riverside Methodist Hospital lobby.) Phillip Keveren is a talented pianist, arranger and composer. His books of piano arrangements are among the most popular that we sell here at Stanton’s.

For more information about this collection of sheet music, or other piano solos for Christmas, 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!

About the Author:

Barb M. has worked in the Keyboard Department at Stanton’s since 1981. An active folk musician in the Columbus area, Barb also works with ensembles at her church and plays in the Columbus State Concert Band. In her spare time, Barb loves working with animals and computer games.

 


Great Resources for Middle School Band Directors 15 November, 2016

by Ken Tilger, Band Education Specialist –

Besides recommending the best new arrangements for band, we also keep our eyes out for helpful resources for band directors.  Lately we have seen an increased (and much needed) focus on materials for beginning and middle school band directors.  I am excited to recommend the following titles to improve your program, make your job easier, and further your students’ musicianship.

Specifically for the band director is Habits of a Successful Middle School Band Director designed as a complete guide to music teaching and administrative elements of the middle school band program, and Teaching Music Through Performance in Middle School Band that addresses various aspects of the middle school band program, but more importantly provides guidance and analysis of essential repertoire at the middle school level.

For your students’ growth and development are two recent warm-up seriesHabits of a Successful Middle School Musician is a comprehensive warm-up focusing on fundamentals and sight-reading, while Alfred’s Sound Innovations Ensemble Development series has been so popular that beginning and middle school band directors were clamoring for a young edition to be released.  As with its Intermediate and Advanced counterparts, Ensemble Development for Young Concert Band focuses on ensemble playing and development at an appropriate playing level.

I hope you find these titles and series helpful and beneficial to you and your band program.

Habits of a Successful Middle School Band Director
Scott Rush, Jeff Scott, and Emily Wilkinson
Building on the successful Habits series, Scott Rush and his team have created a practical guide to all aspects of the middle school band program including recruiting, rehearsing, teaching strategies and more!  A great resource for ideas and inspiration, this is a comprehensive book that will grow as teaching skills grow, and will serve as a constant and essential companion throughout the career of any middle school band director.

Teaching Music Through Performance in Middle School Band
Compiled and Edited by Richard Miles
This much-needed volume provides critical information on creating an effective wind band program in Grades 6 through 8.  Chapters focus on organization, administration, developing proper instrumentation, recruitment, retention, literature selection, and more!  Included are 100 core works at grades 1 to 3.5 organized by difficulty with a separate section devoted to marches.  Together, these works make up core repertoire for middle school bands.

Habits of a Successful Middle School Musician
Scott Rush, Jeff Scott, Emily Wilkinson, Rich Moon, and Kevin Boyle
Habits of a Successful Middle School Musician is a field-tested, musical collection of more than 300 sequenced exercises for building fundamentals.  Perfect for use by an entire band or solo player for years two, three, and beyond, this series contains carefully sequenced warm-ups, chorales, sight-reading etudes, rhythm vocabulary exercises, and much more.  This series presents everything an aspiring player needs to build fundamental musicianship skills and transfer them directly to the performance of great literature.

*NEW*
Sound Innovations: Ensemble Development for Young Concert Band
Peter Boonshaft and Chris Bernotas
Sound Innovations: Ensemble Development for Young Concert Band contains chorales and warm-up exercises for tone, technique, and rhythm designed for beginning band students.  A complete curriculum to help them grow as ensemble musicians, this series complements any band method and supplements any performance music.  It contains 167 exercises at grade 0.5-1.5 grouped by key, including more than 100 chorales by some of today’s most renowned young band composers.

Stanton’s Also Recommends:
Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band, Volume 1
Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band, Volume 2
Warm-ups and Beyond

About the Author:
Ken is a former band director, and has been with Stanton’s since 2004.  Besides music, he geeks out on comic books, amusement parks, and all things Pittsburgh.  He also plays saxophone with Swing’s the Thing Big Band, loves fall weather, and is excited that it is hockey season!


BEST OF: New Contemporary A Cappella 14 November, 2016

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral Music Specialist

A cappella is everywhere, and there are lots of great new repertoire options this year – whether your group is just getting started, or has years of experience:

FOR MIXED GROUPS
Love Shack arr. Deke Sharon
From the reality show Pitch Slapped, one of the groups competes with this hot vocals-only arrangement of the B-52’s 1989 pop hit! Funky and fun!

Stitches arr. Brandy Kay Riha
This arrangement of the Shawn Mendes song demonstrates amazing a cappella craft and energy! Winner of the Noteflight A Cappella arranging competition, judged by Deke Sharon and Roger Emerson.

Absolutely (Story of a Girl) arr. Alex Phan
A bubbly and pulsating mix of vocables, lyrics, and vocal percussion support a vigorous male lead in this arrangement of the number one radio smash. Playful, memorable, cute, and catchy!

The Lion Sleeps Tonight arr. Kirby Shaw
Choirs will love singing the beautiful chords of this storied song famous the world over! Topping the charts in 1961 in a recording by the Tokens, it is now available in this a cappella setting that will fill your performance space with harmony!

Jar of Hearts arr. J.D. Frizzell
Christina Perri’s heart-wrenching debut single is perfect for pop a cappella groups with experience – lots of fun challenges!

Shut Up and Dance arr. Tom Anderson
With lyrics based on a real-life experience, this high-energy chart topper from the band Walk the Moon quickly became a hit in ten countries. The rhythmic vibe and fun hook make it fun to sing for all voice parts.

FOR MEN’S GROUPS
All of Me arr. Deke Sharon
This a cappella arrangement of the John Legend hit All of Me is set for TTBB voices. It is part of the Deke Sharon Contemporary A Cappella series.

Sing a Song arr. Deke Sharon
Written and recorded by Earth, Wind & Fire, “Sing a Song” peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Now your men’s ensembles can share what singing can do for everyone today!

FOR WOMEN’S GROUPS
Defying Gravity arr. Deke Sharon
From the Broadway show “Wicked,” this is Deke Sharon’s a cappella arrangement of Defying Gravity, by composer Stephen Schwartz.

Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) arr. Deke Sharon
This is Deke Sharon’s a cappella arrangement of the Billy Joel tune. It is the song Joel wrote for his daughter Alexa Ray and first appeared on the 1993 album “River of Dreams.”

(They Long to Be) Close to You arr. Deke Sharon
From Contemporary A Cappella Publishing, this is Deke Sharon’s arrangement of the Burt Bacharach song made famous by the Carpenters in 1970.

Need help starting or developing your a cappella group? Don’t miss “A Cappella” by Deke Sharon and “A Cappella Pop” by Brody McDonald – two invaluable resources! You can find more a cappella repertoire on our website, or contact us for personalized recommendations for your group. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.


World Music Drumming – 20th Anniversary Edition 11 November, 2016

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral & Classroom Music Specialist

Since 1996, World Music Drumming has transformed lives and built community through ensemble drumming, singing, moving, playing xylophones and recorders. Students have developed focus, listening, teamwork, and respect while having the best time anyone can have in school. Now in over 20,000 schools worldwide, we are celebrating this success by publishing the landmark World Music Drumming 20th Anniversary Edition!

World Music Drumming: 20th Anniversary Edition by Will Schmid
This ALL-IN-ONE format adds the following new teacher and classroom-friendly elements:
• An enhanced curriculum sequence including 20 years of “best practice” (creative ideas and teaching strategies from WMD faculty and participants)
• 16 new audio recordings of each ensemble and song (including new arrangements that include piano/vocal, guitar/bass and xylophone/recorder parts)
• 47 new “how-to” videos by Will Schmid including special Ghana-filmed segments
• 28 projectable / printable PDFs for cultural enrichment, assessment and ensemble parts
• An e-Book with interactive audio, video and PDF icons.
Even if you already own the 1st edition Teacher’s Book, Cross-Cultural Student Enrichment Book and Video, you will want this enhanced 20th Anniversary Teacher Edition with its new features and interactive layout!

For more drumming and percussion resources for your classroom, visit our website or contact us! Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.


Piano Duets for Christmas 09 November, 2016

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recommended by Barb M., Keyboard and Folk Music Specialist

Go, Tell It On the Mountain” is a collection of distinctive piano duet arrangements for Advent and Christmas. A blend of Christmas songs includes a spiritual, “Go, Tell It On the Mountain,” the German carol “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” and the British Isles’ “The Holly and the Ivy.” They have been arranged for two advanced pianists by Victor Labenske. The duets are fun to play, and delightful to hear. Get started now for the Christmas season!

For more information about this collection of Christmas sheet music, 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!

About the Author:

Barb M. has worked in the Keyboard Department at Stanton’s since 1981. An active folk musician in the Columbus area, Barb also works with ensembles at her church and plays in the Columbus State Concert Band. In her spare time, Barb loves working with animals and computer games.

 


Somewhere in My Memory 07 November, 2016

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral Music Specialist

Remember “Home Alone”? My younger brother and I used to watch this movie after school every day for weeks leading up to Christmas – we must have driven our poor mother crazy with it! Even as a kid, the warmth of the John Williams score resonated with me, and this year I was excited to find this new Mark Hayes arrangement for choir:

Somewhere in My Memory arr. Mark Hayes
This contemporary musical treasure is from the “Home Alone” movies we all adore and have enjoyed throughout the recent years. John Williams’ famous music is set here with a simpler orchestration, capturing the innocence and magic of childhood at Christmas with gentle vocal writing, surprising musical turns building to “home,” and ending in harmonic wonder.

You can find more holiday recommendations in the Stanton’s Signature Selections area of our website (including another one of my favorites from “Home Alone 2” – “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas”), or contact us for personalized sheet music recommendations.

About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.


Advent for Organ 04 November, 2016

This year, Advent begins on November 27th 2016. Be ready for the first joyous Sunday of the Christmas holiday with beautiful organ music for your church’s services!

Four Organ Pieces for Advent and Christmas arranged by Charles Callahan contains 2 postludes and 2 preludes. The tunes include WACHET AUF, IN DULCI JUBILO, CRANHAM, and three more.

From Robert Lau is O Come, Emmanuel, six well known Advent melodies for the season, including “The Angel Gabriel” and “Prepare the Way, O Zion.”

Four Advent Hymn Preludes, Set 2 arranged by Wilbur Held includes “Creator of the Stars of Night” and “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.”

Carols Before, Carols After compiled by Kris Kropff has eight pieces for Advent, including “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.”

There are more collections for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany on our website, stantons.com. Or visit our organ website, organmusiconly.com. Many of the organ selections have sound files so you can hear examples of different titles. Email us at keyboard@stantons.com to inquire further – we have a large selection of sheet music available for the season!


Storybooks for the Elementary Music Classroom 02 November, 2016

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral & Classroom Music Specialist

Siku’s Song by Julia Jordan Kamanda
Climb the mountains of Peru and enter Siku’s world, a place where melodies drift through the hills and valleys. Sing along with Siku, a young alpaca who breaks the rules in order to express herself by singing and humming the songs in her heart. This storybook helps children explore the musical element of melody. Siku’s song is like the pan flute’s voice, clear and strong. A companion CD includes a pan flute party jam track, an audiobook of the story, and easy-to-sing “In My Heart (There Is a Song),” written and performed by Julia Jordan Kamanda and her students.
– Love “Siku’s Song”? Don’t miss – Haja: The Bird Who Was Afraid to Fly

Freddie the Frog and the Invisible Coqui by Sharon Burch
Freddie the Frog® and Eli the Elephant are led by an unseen guide to the secret world of the invisible coqui. The coqui speak Spanish and love to play salsa music and dance through the night. Help Freddie and Eli learn the Latin rhythms to discover the identity of their mysterious hosts! Audio CD includes a read-along dramatization, a sing-along song, and play-along Latin rhythm tracks. Kid-friendly salsa dance steps are located at the end of the story. Suggested for Grades K-3.
– Love Freddie and his adventures? Find more here!

JP’s Sousaphone by Maritza Sadowsky, Andy Beck & Vanessa Christian
New band member JP is struggling to march with his hefty concert tuba, so a helpful director sends him in search of a solution—the amazing Sousaphone! Along the way, JP learns about America’s most famous bandmaster, John Philip Sousa. This fact-filled story is told with engaging illustrations and age-appropriate vocabulary, which can be read from each screen and heard each time you turn a page. Embedded audio plays background music, Sousa marches, entertaining sound effects, and a professionally-voiced narration. Watch the story come to life (and extend the learning) by clicking highlighted elements on each interactive page. Utilizes flash technology that works on individual computers and interactive whiteboards. Recommended for all ages.
– Love “JP’s Sousaphone”? Check out – The Tale of Guido d’Arezzo

Find more storybooks for the elementary music classroom on our website, or contact us for more information – remember, shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Author:
Jen Sper has been with Stanton’s since 2006. A former middle school and high school choral director, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory of Music. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, she also enjoys good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.