News & Views Friday, May 24, 2013

At Stanton’s Sheet Music, we vicariously help teach your students with you! It’s true…We look through hundreds of new titles every summer and choose the select few that we would use if we were teaching.  These are the titles we share with you in our promotions on-line and in the mail.

So if you are thinking:
“Why should I spend my time looking at Stanton’s promotions?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff has already spent hours looking at and listening to hundreds of new titles.
• They have picked pieces at all levels that they would use if they were teaching.
• Their aim is to make your life easier and to help you succeed.

And if you are thinking:
“Why is Stanton’s Staff qualified to make these recommendations?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff is made up of college-trained musicians.
• Some of them have taught in the public schools and many teach privately.
• They know what has proven to be successful for Stanton’s customers over the years.

And if you are thinking:
“Why did Stanton’s Staff pick these particular pieces to recommend to me?”
It’s because:
Stanton’s only selects pieces that they believe are
• The most educationally valid
• The best sounding
• The most highly programmable

So if you are thinking:
“I can’t go wrong with Stanton’s Choices!”
It’s because:
• You’re right!

So band camp is just around the corner, and your shows are already planned (wait…they are planned, right?  If not, check out our show planning categories for more ideas!), but what about some new stands tunes?  Short, time-out length tunes can be a challenge to come by – parts have been lost, tunes become dated, you and your band are bored…  If any of these scenarios sounds a little too familiar here are several new stands collections of current pop tunes released this year.

Hal Leonard has added two new volumes to the Stadium Jams series: Stadium Jams Volume 6 features both recently revived and current hits Final Countdown, Don’t Stop Believin’, All I Do is Win, and Party Rock Anthem; Stadium Jams Volume 7 is a pop divas collection including Bad Romance (Lady Gaga), Crazy in Love (Beyonce), Firework (Katy Perry), and We Found Love (Rihanna).

Arrangers’ Publishing has released30 -Second Blasters, a collection of four current pop hits: Turn Me On (David Guetta), Super Bass (Nicki Minaj), Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (Beyonce), and More (Usher).

Alfred’s newest addition to the Shorties series, Shorties #18, includes Don’t Stop Believin’, Dynamite, The Time Warp, and 25 or 6 to 4.

All of these arrangements are available via Stantons.com, and for more great stands ideas, check out the Cheers/Fight Songs/Time Outs category on our marching band webpage.

From a first-year teacher whose instruments were stolen before entering his building, to a teacher who received “hate mail” before her first day, to a teacher whose sensitivity, flexibility and insight gained her the respect of her ensemble in only weeks, “The Music Teacher’s First Year,” a collection of true stories from first-year teachers, is a delightful description of their real world. In addition, each chapter includes discussion questions for pre-service and young teachers as they prepare for their teaching future.

Are YOU just beginning your career as a music educator?  Let Stanton’s help!  Take advantage of our summer clinics; use our 21-Day Trial program to peruse music for your ensembles; check out our YouTube channel for repertoire suggestions from our staff, as well as nationally-known clinicians; like Stanton’s on Facebook for daily updates; and, of course, continue to read our blog to keep abreast of happenings in the music education world!

In the lead-up to the July 20 release of The Dark Knight Rises, the final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the Tumbler Tour has been crisscrossing North America putting the series’ Tumbler (Batmobile) and Bat-pod (motorcycle) on display.  The tour rolled through Columbus last Wednesday, and being a Bat-fan and a native of Pittsburgh (part of TDKR was filmed there), Ken from our instrumental department had to check it out and share some photos – it also didn’t hurt that it coincided with his day off!  Enjoy!

If you would like to program or perform any music from the Dark Knight’s various adventures, there are plenty of options available:

From the Christopher Nolan series are arrangements of Batmobile Chase for marching band and Corynorhinus (Surveying the Ruins) for piano from Batman Begins.  Selections from Hans Zimmer’s fantastic score to The Dark Knight are available for concert band, full orchestra, and in a complete piano folio.

For those who prefer the 60’s TV series’ theme by Neal Hefti, arrangements are available for marching band, concert band, string orchestra, easy string orchestra, and easy piano.

Danny Elfman’s theme from 1989′s Batman directed by Tim Burton, and later reworked for Batman: The Animated Series (TV), is available for marching band, concert band, and easy piano.

Also available for concert band are arrangements from the animated television series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and NEW for 2012, Selections from Batman: Arkham City, the video game that is taking the gaming world by storm!

Directing a marching band is a time consuming and planning intensive endeavor, so there can never be too many tools to make the band director’s life easier.  Generally the domain of the drumline, percussion cadences are often steeped in tradition – written and added to by the best drummers in the section, passed from one battery of drummers to the next, and if the band program is stable, cadences can be passed from generation to generation.

What if your program is lacking this tradition?  Maybe your current battery is young and green, and you don’t have any writers among them?  What if you (or your drummers) are just looking for something new and fresh?  Hal Leonard percussion writer and arranger Will Rapp has released Kickbutt Cadences and Kickbutt Cadences Volume 2 to help!  Each set contains 4 dynamic, hard-hitting cadences that can be mixed and matched to suit your drumline.  A conductor score and full set of parts is included in each, and they are available via our Digital Delivery site, so ordering replacement parts when your drummers lose them (and you know they will) is easy!

For more ideas, visit the Percussion Cadences section of our marching band webpage.  You may not have any writers in your group, but we’re sure they’ll be glad to help you pick out some new cadences and be responsible for starting a new tradition!

For other Stanton’s suggestions to make marching band easier, visit the 4^th of July tab on our marching band webpage for some great patriotic recommendations, and check out our recent post about Hal Leonard’s Parade Sequence arrangements to make parade planning a breeze!

Parades are great public relations showcases for your band program, yet many are last-minute requests with the exception of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and, possibly, Christmas.  As a result, they are often hastily put together and a lower priority when compared with other musical and educational goals.  Let Stanton’s help reduce your stress and anxiety, and make it easier to say ‘yes’ to your community with this series of Parade Sequence sets from Hal Leonard.

Published in the Series One marching band series at the grade 2 level, they are solidly scored, and easy to put together – perfect for those Monday parade request phone calls for a Thursday morning parade.  Each set features a few well-known songs appropriate to each event/style, with easy drum cadences in between.  They are also customizable – use 1, 2, or all of the titles included in each set.

The series consists of Patriotic Parade Sequence (we highly recommend this one for your 4^th of July Parade), Disney Parade Sequence, Spanish Parade Sequence, and Christmas Parade Sequence.  Complete song lists and preview audio are available by clicking on each title, and you can add them to your shopping cart or Stanton’s Sheet Music wish list.  With these titles in your marching band library you can rest easy the next time you get a parade request on short-notice.  Now all you have to focus on is getting your students out of class, bus requests, permission slips, lunch arrangements,…

The 2012 Arrangers’ Publishing Company marching band titles are now available for preview at both Stantons.com and Stanton’s Listening Library.  Highlights include the Beatlemania show (Magical Mystery Tour/Lady Madonna, Blackbird/Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band/The End), Maroon 5’s Moves Like Jagger, the latest from Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, We Found Love and Where Have You Been by Rihanna, and 30-Second Blasters for the stands.  All of these titles, and more, are in-stock at Stanton’s – call, fax, or click to add them to your shopping cart today, and visit Stanton’s marching band webpage for more show planning ideas!

It’s the beginning of May, and even though the school year is beginning to wind down, there are still a few important band performances left.  Memorial Day is just around the corner, and the band staff at Stanton’s is honored to help you salute the men and women of our armed services with the following recommendations for marching and concert band.

Perfect for parade or ceremonial use are long-time staples Service Songs Set 1, containing Anchors Aweigh (Navy) and The Caissons Go Rolling Along (Army), and Service Songs Set 2, containing the Marine’s Hymn and U.S. Air Force Song, both arranged by Jerry Burns.

Ideal for parade use is Paul Lavender and Will Rapp’s Patriotic Parade Sequence featuring My Country, ‘Tis of Thee; America the Beautiful; and Battle Hymn of the Republic with easy drum cadences in between.

For concert band we highly recommend Armed Forces – The Pride of America, arranged by Larry Clark and Greg Gilpin.  This is the only arrangement available for either concert or marching band that pays tribute to ALL 5 service branches. It also includes settings of the Pledge of Allegiance, America the Beautiful, and the Star-Spangled Banner.  This distinctive arrangement has optional 2, 3, or 4-part choral, and string sets available.

Armed Forces on Parade, arranged by Michael Sweeney is a stirring medley of American military marches (Marine’s Hymn, The Caissons Go Rolling Along, Anchors Aweigh) also perfect for the concert setting.  A part of Hal Leonard’s Flex-Band Series, this arrangement contains 5-part writing plus percussion making it a great choice for bands with incomplete or unbalanced instrumentation.

We hope you find these recommendations to be helpful, and wish you a safe and happy Memorial Day.

School Teachers – we’re talking your budget allotment here!  In these tough economic times, you will want to make sure that you use what you have been given!  If you have money left on any of your Purchase Orders, we recommend that you get it spent before someone in the office decides to pull it out from under you and buy soccer balls with it!  Plus if you don’t use your allotment, there is a chance you won’t get as much next year because the clerk/treasurer sees that you don’t spend what you’ve been given, so they’ll give you less the next time!

With that in mind, Stanton’s Sheet Music has some great music with which you can finish out the school year.  Whether you want serious literature or something on the lighter side, we have plenty of choral, band and orchestra music that would be perfect for your Spring Concerts, for graduation, for teaching new concepts or practicing sight-reading or just to get a head start on next year. 

Check out the recommendations on our website, or call Stanton’s at 1-800-42-MUSIC (1-800-426-8742) and talk to one of our knowledgeable sales people about top notch music to finish out your budget.  The music we recommend is educationally valid, the best sounding and the most highly programmable, so you can count on getting just the right pieces for your groups to get your precious money’s worth.  Contact Stanton’s today!

If you haven’t already, begin planning for the 2012 marching band season NOW!  All of the new titles from Alfred and Hal Leonard are available for preview on our marching band page and listening library – the Alfred titles are already off the press!  Highlights for 2012 include several classic jazz favorites, Motown and 80’s hits, the latest from Lady Gaga, Adele, complete shows for Little Shop of Horrors and Harry Potter, as well as 2 new stands collections.

For those looking for show ideas or to mix and match arrangements, visit the show planning section of our website.  You can also find complete shows by artist or show theme.  Keep track of the arrangements you like with our new Wish List feature.  Your wish list can be divided into sub-lists by marching season, show, or any way you want!  You can also email your list directly to your school treasurer for purchase order requisitions.

Our website and listening library will be updated with the latest Arrangers’ Publishing and Jalen/Matrix titles once they become available, and for those who like to go ‘old-school’, keep an eye on your mailbox for Stanton’s 2012 Show Planning Guide.

Do you ever need sheet music in a big hurry?  Check out Stanton’s Digital Delivery to browse our digital sheet music library. There are pop songs, Broadway songs, sacred songs, guitar tabs, and much more!

You’ll need to download a free Scorch program that allows you to see the first page of each song you look up, and it allows you to print on your own printer.  Many songs can also be transposed to whatever key you need! Just pay with a credit card, download and print.

This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Happy browsing!

Copyright law and its implications affect musicians and educators every day, yet most of us have little to no understanding of it.  Whether majoring in performance or education, undergraduate courses of study rarely present an introduction to the subject, let alone offer any courses that study it in detail.  It is challenging to know what is permissible under the law, and what exactly is allowed under the doctrine of ‘fair use.’  Violations of copyright occur frequently in our schools mostly due to the lack of education on the subject, and, like it or not, use in an educational setting alone does not necessarily constitute compliance with the ‘fair use’ provision of the law.  With increased scrutiny and debate over copyright infringement on the internet, the staff at Stanton’s would like to recommend the following resources to shed light on the subject for musicians and educators alike.  They are presented in order of increasing detail, and we highly recommend The Teacher’s Guide to Music, Media, and Copyright Law for music educators.  In addition, YouTube in Music Education is a great resource for those looking to use this technology to enhance their programs, but have concerns about how to do so appropriately.

Music Copyright Basics – Joel Leach
What is copyright?  This seemingly simple question often causes confusion with its complex answers.  In Music Copyright Basics, professor and expert copyright witness Joel Leach answers frequent questions in a straightforward, easy-to-use format.  Whether you are searching for a simple answer to a common question or want a general knowledge of the copyright procedure, this book will quickly provide you with the information you want.  Music Copyright Basics features: a convenient question-and-answer format; easy-to-understand answers to all your copyright questions; coverage of copyright basics, copyright submission process, copyright ownership, copyright and earnings potential, and international copyright; and a compact, portable design that keeps information easily at hand. (2003)

The Teacher’s Guide to Music, Media, and Copyright Law – James Frankel
The easy-to-understand guide for teachers using copyrighted music and media in the classroom.  In this era of unprecedented access to information, teachers have a wealth of readily available resources for lesson planning, but determining what you can and can’t use legally in the classroom is a difficult task.  Written by a 15-year veteran of the New Jerseypublic schools, The Teacher’s Guide to Music, Media, and Copyright Law helps explain just how information, images, video, and music can be incorporated into any kind of lesson plan without running afoul of copyright laws.  This resource includes: what resources you can use without obtaining permission, how to obtain and license the works you need permission to use, how to check the copyright status of any media item, and how to apply copyright legality examples to real classroom situations. (2009)

Music Copyright Law – Moser & Slay
Music Copyright Law will help you gain an in-depth understanding of a topic that is vital to the success of anyone in or entering the music industry.  From songwriters and performers to managers, producers, and agents, everyone is affected by the issues covered in this book.  Avoiding the technical jargon and “legalese” that bogs down other books on the subject, this book explores the world of copyright law and homes in on how it applies to music.  It begins by building a foundational knowledge of the fundamentals of copyright law – what it protects, the benefits of registering a copyright, and what to do when copyright has been infringed.  Once the fundamentals are established, coverage expands to include controversies involving copyright and music in the digital age and the debates over online music.  Packed with practical examples that bring complex concepts to life, this book is a must-have for any professional in or entering the music business. (2012)

We’re always talking about our knowledgeable staff—you’ll find that very phrase on much of our printed advertising, as well as on our website. Stanton’s sales staff is separated into departments to ensure that each staff member is well informed about a specific area of the wide variety of music that we carry. So when you call and ask about music for trumpet, you’ll be speaking with someone who has first-hand knowledge of repertoire, not just a phone operator with no musical experience. Here’s what you’ll find in each department:

CHORAL DEPARTMENT (ex. 1)
Church Choral Music
School Choral Music
Elementary Classroom Music
Classical Solo Vocal
Handbell

BAND DEPARTMENT (ex. 2)
Concert Band
Marching Band
Jazz Ensemble
Orchestra
Solos for all concert instruments
Instrumental Method Books
Music Software/Technology

POP/KEYBOARD (ex. 3)
Sacred & Secular Piano
Organ
Piano Method Books
Popular/Broadway Solo Vocal
Contemporary Christian Vocal
Guitar Solos and Methods
Music for Folk Instruments

BILLING AND ACCOUNTS (ex. 4)

You can direct emails to the exact department you need by clicking the links above, or press the appropriate extension when you call 1-800-42-MUSIC (1-800-426-8742). If you’re unsure of which department to choose, we’re always happy to direct you to whoever can best address your needs; press “0″ to have your call directed, or send a general email. At Stanton’s, it is important to us that you receive the most educated answers to your questions and the finest music recommendations.

Things have finally calmed down from the long marching band season, your concert band is beginning to lose its ‘outdoor sound', and your holiday program is starting to come together, BUT basketball season is right around the corner.  Never fear, the band staff at Stanton's has what you need for a successful pep band season from collections of complete song arrangements perfect for quarter breaks and halftime (Stanton's recommends Classic Rock Hits, Jock Jams Super Book, Stadium Hit Mix, and The Ultimate Collection) to groups of cheers and ‘shorties' ideal for timeouts.  Visit our marching band webpage for more ideas, and order online or give us a call: 1-800-426-8742!

What song hit both #3 on the rock charts and #1 on the country charts and featured the violin, of all instruments.  The year was 1979, and the group was The Charlie Daniels Band.  Yes – it was “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which won the group a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance that year.  We were all saddened to hear that one of the co-writers of that song, and the keyboardists for the band for 40 years, Joel “Taz” Gregorio, was killed in a car accident in October, 2011 on the way to meet the band’s tour bus for an upcoming performance.  Perhaps a special tribute is in order!

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” has been a frequently requested song at Stanton’s.  The story line, which is more spoken than sung, involves a challenge by the Devil to a fiddle playing contest with a young man named Johnny.  If Johnny wins, he gets a fiddle of solid gold.  If he loses, the Devil gets his soul.  After each of them plays, it is obvious that Johnny is the better fiddler and wins the golden fiddle – ’cause he’s “the best that’s ever been!”

There are three sheet music formats in which this song is currently available.  There is a Piano/Vocal Sheet that comes with a pull-out violin part.  It is also available in a Marching Band edition arranged by Michael Brown that features the mallet percussion on the “fiddle” solos.  There is also a Concert Band edition arranged by Michael Brown that features a soloist on the “fiddle” parts (solo parts included for flute, violin, clarinet, alto saxophone or mallet percussion) as well as an optional narrator to tell the story.  All have been best sellers for years.

So why not pay tribute to one of the writers of this famous tune and get your copy of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” in whichever format suits your situation.  Then you can do your part to become the “best that’s ever been!”