News & Views Friday, December 06, 2013

As a service to band directors around Ohio, as well as our out-of-state friends who like to know what titles are on other states’ adjudication lists, Stanton’s band staff would like to share another preview of the NEW titles on the OMEA concert band adjudication lists for 2014.  This installment features the new titles on the High School Class C list.  Keep following Stanton’s blog for upcoming previews of new titles on the Junior High concert band lists, and shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Ascending
Larry Clark
Concert Performance Series
Grade 3                                    $90.00

Call of the Wild
Brian Balmages
FJH Concert Band
Grade 3                                    $65.00

Commemoration Overture
Robert Sheldon
Alfred Concert Band
Grade 3                                    $75.00

Creekwood Overture
David Gorham
Wingert-Jones Concert Band
Grade 4                                    $60.00

The Phantom Herd Across the Western Sky
Robert W. Smith
Command Series
Grade 3                                    $52.00

Quick Starts For Young Choirs by Cristi Cary Miller and Angie McKenna

All teachers know how important it is to start each lesson out on the right foot.  For choral music teachers, this includes warming up the voice as well as the mind and body.  Quick Starts For Young Choirs is a handy reference for teachers wanting to add some variety to the daily warm-up routine.  Begin each class period or rehearsal with five minutes of creative, singer-tested activities to help focus and develop musicianship.  Warm-up the body and voice with muscle movement activities, moving while you sing, and vocal exercises.  Sharpen your singers’ focus with games, tension breakers and ear training.  Develop music skills with sight-singing, music dictation, music writing, theory and more.  As educators and directors, Cristi Miller and Angie McKenna share the ideas they have used in their classrooms and rehearsals with great success.  Complete with graphics, photo demonstrations and music examples, Quick Starts will get each rehearsal off to a great start!  Appropriate for grades 2-8 and beyond!

For more information on this resource and other warm-up books, visit us at Stanton’s Sheet Music or call 1-800-426-8742!

Besides being great march arrangements, there is plenty of programming variety.  The tune Marching Through Georgia dates to the Civil War; two are features (Basses on a Rampage – low brass; and Teddy Trombone – one of Fillmore’s trombone “smears”); two provide alternative programming options to salute members of our armed services (Navy Blue and The U.S. of A. Armed Forces); and if you’re looking for a title with a completely different flavor, check out Salute to the Sultan.

To find more march sheet music for your concert band, head over to the march categories at our website and Listening Library!

Basses on a Rampage March
G.F. Huffine/arr. Andrew Glover
Heritage of the March
Grade 3
Getty Huffine was working at an axe handle factory when his hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky organized their first town band in 1907, and he was accepted to play valve trombone.  Over the years, he taught himself to play tuba, and held a special place for the low brasses when he began composing marches, including Them Basses, and this boisterous romp.

The Home Town Boy March
Karl L. King/arr. James Swearingen
Heritage of the March
Grade 2.5
Dedicated to long-time friend Meredith Willson of The Music Man fame, this was the last march King wrote. All of the classic elements are here and evidence that King maintained the quality and integrity of his writing, and James Swearingen’s arrangement ensures teachability.

March Jubilee
James Swearingen
Barnhouse Concert Band
Grade 3
This composer’s newest march is the fifth in a series that began with the ever-popular Silvercrest (composed for Stanton’s 25th Anniversary).   Its strong statement of happiness and joy is sure to delight audiences of all ages. A memorable trio theme, crafted around the traditional strains of a standard march, provides all the necessary ingredients for your ensemble to create a truly magical and uplifting performance.

Marching Through Georgia
John Philip Sousa/ed. Keith Brion
John Philip Sousa Legacy
Grade 4
A truly masterful arrangement by The March King himself of a Civil War era classic.  Sousa’s spirited instrumental setting is vibrant, inspiring and historically reflective.

Navy Blue
Charles Zimmerman/arr. Paul Whear
LudwigMasters Concert Band
Grade 3
The legendary commander of the United States Naval Academy Band (whose most famous work remains Anchors Aweigh), composed and dedicated a march for each year’s graduating class.  This spirited offering honored the class of 1902, and remains just as fresh and exuberant over a hundred years later.

Salute to the Sultan
Karl L. King/arr. Gene Milford
LudwigMasters Concert Band
Grade 3
Composed during King’s second year “trouping” with circus bands, the distinctive flair of “Persian” marches like this was often used with lion, tiger, elephant, or other wild animal acts, bringing the sound of exotic and distant lands to the circus audience.

Teddy Trombone
Henry Fillmore/arr. Robert Foster
Authentic Fillmore Edition
Grade 4
In between some of America’s greatest marches, Henry Fillmore composed a total of fifteen band pieces known as “trombone smears” from 1908 to 1929, the most famous of which would become Lassus Trombone.  Teddy Trombone was second in the series, composed in 1911 in the ragtime style so popular at the time.

The U. S. of A. Armed Forces
Henry Fillmore/arr. Robert Foster
Authentic Fillmore Edition
Grade 4
In 1942, Henry Fillmore, 60 years old and with a heart condition, tried to enlist as an army band leader.  The powers that be, however, suggested his contributions to the war effort would be better served continuing to compose marches, like this patriotic gem, to inspire the homefront.

Since most church choirs are in the thick of preparations for Advent and Christmas, it seems strange to think that it’s almost time to purchase music for Lent and Easter! When the holidays are over, plan to attend Stanton’s Sacred Choral Clinic on Saturday, January 11th, 2014, and you’ll be fully prepared for the next “holiday season.”

Sacred Choral Reading Session
Saturday, January 11, 2014
9:00 am – 12:30 am
Registration: $20.00

We will be featuring the best new choral publications for Lent, Easter and beyond, as chosen by Stanton’s sacred choral staff. The clinic will be held in its usual place at the Battelle Fine Arts Center at Otterbein University in Westerville, OH.

Attending this clinic is a fantastic way for you to choose new church anthems for your choir by hearing the music read live. This January’s clinicians will be Stanton’s own Judy Henry and president emeritus Jim Strouse. Please feel free to contact Stanton’s at 1-800-42-MUSIC and speak with a choral staff member for the details of the event. We look forward to seeing you at 8:30 on January 11th for registration, coffee and doughnuts followed by a wonderful morning of singing!

Click here to watch video

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

There is no better way to motivate growth with your developing band than to program some cool titles sure to capture their imagination!  Ranging from the epic scale and awesome history of the Great Wall of China, the movie score style and sound of Battle Quest, and the space sci-fi inspired Dominion, to depictions of the mythical sea monster, the Kraken, and the traditional Native American vision quest, there are plenty of creative programming and music teaching possibilities.  All of these pieces will be fun to play, and sure to be a hit on your concert, as well.

To explore more adventurous sheet music titles for developing band, visit the Adventure, Battles, and Myths & Legends categories in the Junior High School section of our concert band Listening Library.

Age of Empires
Rob Grice
Grade 2
Telling the story of the Great Wall of China, Age of Empires features pentatonic 8th note figures, and both characteristic and modern harmonization. Colorful percussion enhances the work with interesting rhythmic parts in each section of the band. The lyrical B-section is beautiful with figures passed throughout the ensemble. A great programming choice that wins the award for authenticity!

Battle Quest
Mike Forbes
First Plus Performance
Grade 1.5
Written in the style of movie and video game soundtracks, the adventurous, heroic sound and rhythmic punctuations of this piece are guaranteed to be a hit with your students! Mixed meter (2 bars of 3/4 + 1 bar of 2/4) adds intensity (counting!), and rhythmic accents address articulation. The word ‘epic’ really does apply to this piece!

Dominion
Sean O’Loughlin
First Plus Performance
Grade 1.5
Used in science fiction to describe ruling factions in space, this is a musical call to action to preserve the dominion’s rule. Majestic melodies combine with rhythmic quarter and 8th note punctuations and other exciting film score qualities that your students are sure to love!

Of Castles and Kings
Rob Romeyn
Rising Band Green
Grade 1.5
Opening with an explosive brass and percussion fanfare, this piece gives way to layered, chorale-style legato playing in the winds. Perfect for encouraging dynamics and developing blend and balance as well as ensemble phrasing, Of Castles and Kings is a fine concert opener or optional contest selection.

To Conquer the Kraken
Robert W. Smith
Rising Band Maroon
Grade 2
Embark on a North Sea adventure using strong unison ensemble statements followed by flowing interactive lines to conquer the legendary, mythical sea monster, the Kraken. Robert W. Smith’s trademark rhythmic punctuations and fantastic percussion writing bring this work to life, and create works that students love playing!

Vision Quest: A Rite of Passage
James Swearingen
Rising Band Green
Grade 1.5
Based on the Native American rite of passage, the legato, reflective opening provides plenty of opportunity to work on phrasing, blend, and balance. The rhythmic, primitive B-section continues the emphasis on balance, with attention to articulation and contrasting legato phrases, and call and response phrases are used throughout.

Band Directors~

Have you cleared your calendar and registered for next week’s New Band Music Reading Clinic yet?  If not, it’s not too late.  To make selecting new music and concert programming easier, the band staff at Stanton’s Sheet Music would like to invite you to join us for the 12^th Annual New Band Music Reading Clinic at Capital University on November 22 & 23, 2013.  This is a wonderful opportunity to preview the best new music at all levels for concert band performed live by actual students, connect with colleagues, and make use of the expertise of our band staff.

We look forward to seeing you next week!

Kent, Dan, Ben, Kris, & Ken
Stanton’s Band Department

Reading Clinic Details:
Mark your calendar:  November 22 & 23, 2013 at Capital University
Registration:  You may pre-register via the Director Application or register on-site
Price:  Free

Reading Clinic Highlights:
- Hear the best new concert band music performed live by actual students
– Wind Band Invitational Honors Band featuring guest conductor, composer, and educator Richard Saucedo
- New Music Reading Band under the direction of Barry Kopetz and James Swearingen
- Performance by the Capital University Symphonic Winds – November 22 at 8:00 p.m.
– Two guest band performances including the Gahanna Lincoln Freshman Band under the direction of Rob Cebriak
– Participate in the Directors’ Reading Band

Each year there are a number of excellent new repertoire choices for advanced high school and collegiate level bands.  This year features a nice variety of styles and source material in standout arrangements including bold original works from two of our favorite composers, Rossano Galante and Robert Sheldon, a wonderful re-imagining of a Scottish folk tune, an arrangement from the classical repertoire, and a unique feature showcasing rudimental drumming that would be fantastic on field drums!  Keep following our blog for other concert band sheet music suggestions, previews of new OMEA list titles, and more!

Field Ayres
Arr. Douglas A. Richard
Drums edited by Eric Sheffler
Grade 4
An exceptional, and musical, opportunity for your drummers to shine. This arrangement celebrates the rich heritage of rudimental drumming through the performance of three traditional drum solos (Downfall of Paris, Hell on the Wabash, Three Camps) that were written over the course of America’s growth as a nation. While the music was originally written for drums and fifes, this setting allows for a solo or section of drummers to demonstrate their skills.

Landscapes
Rossano Galante
Grade 5
This exciting overture features plenty of power and musical depth. Perfect as a concert opener for mature players, this is a dynamic way to showcase your ensemble.

March (from Suite for Variety Orchestra #1)
Dmitri Shostakovich
Arr. James Curnow
Grade 4
The Suite for Variety Orchestra, No. 1 (1956) is an eight-movement work by Dmitri Shostakovich that draws from the composer’s earlier themes. The first of these movements is the delightful March originally found in Korzinkina’s Adventures, Op. 59 from 1940. James Curnow has skillfully adapted this work for band, sure to become a welcome addition to the repertoire for winds.

Mountain Thyme
Samuel R. Hazo
Grade 4
Written as a memorial, this beautifully emotional setting is a reworking of the traditional folk song The Braes of Baquhidder (also known as Wild Mountain Thyme) by Scottish writer Robert Tannahill. Samuel Hazo uses a varied tapestry of colors, textures and dynamics, taking full advantage of the depth and power of the modern wind band in creating this stunningly effective work.

Resurgences
Robert Sheldon
Grade 4
This celebratory piece expresses the joy and exhilaration of a new beginning. Tuneful melodies and intricate rhythmic conversations among the instruments provide a festive mood and highly appealing musical moment to any program.

Music teachers are increasingly asked to teach material from a wide variety of subject areas (especially the new Common Core) while still meeting the Standards for Music Education.  Stanton’s recommends these new song collections that incorporate language arts, social studies and even physical education into your music curriculum.

Grammar Rocks! Cross-Curricular Music Fun For the Classroom by John Jacobson and Roger Emerson

Learn the rules and you’ll go far! Reinforce basic grammar concepts while rockin’ to the beat with another winning resource from Hal Leonard’s Rock ‘n’ Learn series. This standards-based study explores nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, contractions, capitalization and more – all put to music for learning that lasts! Perfect for Music class, Language Arts or any other academic area, the Teacher Book includes reproducible song sheets with chord symbols and simple choreography, and worksheets to reinforce learning. For performance options, a script is also included that introduces each of the eight original songs.

Sing and Play the Global Way – Developing Musicianship with Songs from Around the World by Mari Schay

“Sing and Play” these songs from around the world and watch as your students’ musicianship grows hand-in-hand with their understanding of our worldwide community. Including French, Native American, Indian, Japanese, Czech, Spanish, Caribbean, and African songs, this resource is overflowing with ensemble pieces for voices and pitched and non-pitched percussion. Mari makes introducing them easy by offering teaching suggestions as well as ideas to extend and adapt the music. Gorgeous performance tracks highlight arrangement options, offer audio examples, and assist with foreign texts. Printable vocal and instrumental scores featuring Alphanotes notation round out this must-have classroom collection.

Super Songs and Sing-Alongs: US Presidents New Lyrics to Old Favorites  by John Jacobson

Name the U.S. presidents in order and learn some interesting fun facts! Did you know the father of our country wore wooden teeth? Which president helped write the Declaration of Independence and played the cello? What president was known for his fireside chats with the American people? Who was a movie star before becoming president? Sing across the curriculum with familiar melodies set to new presidential lyrics. Choreography and reproducible lyric sheets are also included.

Get Movin’   by John Jacobson and Roger Emerson

It’s time to get movin’! Bring your knees to your nose. Do a little ol’ soft shoe. Be a turkey. Make angels in the snow. Be President! Get ready to shimmy & shake and wiggle & giggle from the first day of school to the last. Here are twelve more seasonal songs from the popular “Hop ‘Til You Drop” series that will help you do just that! Present each song with helpful teaching tips, simple movement ideas and reproducible lyric sheets. Accompany your class with piano arrangements, or sing-along with John and a group of children singers.

For more information on these and other great song collections, contact us at Stanton’s Sheet Music.

Now that Halloween has passed and both football and marching band contest season are over, planning and attention moves to concert band – the all-too-short rehearsal time for your Christmas concert, and if you’re lucky, some advance reading and rehearsal of the year’s concert literature and adjudication pieces.  Tucked into the schedule, waiting to ambush you, somewhere between Thanksgiving and your holiday break, is the annual holiday parade.  It is usually forgotten about until the last minute, resulting in the usual harried stress. “What should we play?” “I’m/the students are tired of the same old tune/medley?”  “We’re missing how many parts?”  Ease your stress (and head off the annual ambush) by planning ahead, and picking up something new!  Your students and audience will appreciate it…and all the parts will be there!

The first 6 are New for 2013!  Our band staff suggests checking out 3 Christmas Parades for Developing Bands if your group is particularly young.  We’ve thrown in a few other favorites, as well – we’re especially fond of the user-friendly Christmas Parade Sequence from Hal Leonard.  Visit the Christmas section of our marching band page for more holiday parade sheet music options.

New for 2013
Auld Lang Syne
Arr. Michael Ruiz
Medium-Easy

Christmas Angels on the March
Arr. Tim Waters
Easy

Joy to the World
Arr. Dallas Burke
Medium-Easy

Nutcracker Christmas Parade
Arr. Allen Gray
Medium-Easy

Santa Baby
Arr. Mike Story
Big & Easy Series – Grade 2

3 Christmas Parades for Developing Bands
Arr. Tim Fisher
Very Easy

Other Christmas Favorites
Christmas Parade Sequence
Arr. Paul Lavender & Will Rapp
Series One – Grade 2

Christmas is Coming/Deck the Halls
Arr. Larry Kerchner & Jim Reed
Arrangers’ Marching Band – Grade 3

We Need a Little Christmas
Arr. Jay Bocook & Omar Cermenates
Contemporary Marching Band – Grade 3.5

This book of sheet music includes 25 uplifting songs from today’s repertoire of pop songs.  The songs were carefully chosen for a purpose. Two ladies associated with Alfred Music lost their battles with cancer.  These songs helped these women through their struggle. Alfred Music donates one dollar to cancer research from the sale of each songbook.  The songs include “Bridge Over Troubled Water”,  “Only Hope”, and “You Raise Me Up”.  The arrangements are for vocal solo with piano accompaniment.  “Songs of Inspiration, Perseverance & Hope” is, indeed, a collection of songs that reflect those qualities.  For more information about this collection, or other collections of sheet music, 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!

As a service to band directors around Ohio, as well as our out-of-state friends who like to know what titles are on other states’ adjudication lists, Stanton’s band staff would like to share this preview of the NEW titles on the OMEA concert band adjudication lists for 2014.  Our second preview features the new titles on the High School Class B list.  If you missed our first preview featuring the new high school Class AA and Class A lists be sure to check it out, keep following Stanton’s blog for upcoming previews for High School Class C, as well as the Junior High concert band lists, and shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Enchanted Spaces
Samuel R Hazo
Hal Leonard MusicWorks
Grade 4                                               $85.00

Kwyjibo
Daniel Montoya, Jr.
Montoya Music
Grade 3                                               $95.00

Oak Island Odyssey
Vince Gassi
Alfred Concert Band
Grade 4                                               $80.00

On a Southern Hymnsong
David R. Holsinger
TRN Publications
Grade 3                                               $60.00

The Road to Damascus
Ed Huckeby
Barnhouse Concert Band
Grade 3.5                                            $78.00

Piano teachers and parents!  Now that your students/children are back into lessons , there will be opportunities to introduce new and fun collections to play.

Alfred’s Famous & Fun series has a new set of Famous & Fun books-Famous & Fun Rock.So far, there are Books 1, 2 and 3.  Another set of Famous & Fun books is the Pop Christmas series, which goes up to a level 5.  It may not be too early to get the Christmas books.  These tend to fly off the shelves!   For more information about other popular or Christmas books for piano, 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.

You’ve made it to the end of October, and (hopefully) the end of marching band season, so the annual quest for new sheet music for Christmas/winter concerts begins.  As always, there are a lot of familiar titles and treatments to sort through in the search for something unique, and, of course, everyone’s needs vary.  Our band staff suggests giving a listen to the following titles.  We found them to be unique, enjoyable, and worthwhile additions to your music library.  For more selections, visit the Christmas and Winter Holiday section of our concert band page – there you will find titles organized by difficulty, seasonal concert collections, and specialty titles (arrangements with narrator, choir, sing-alongs, and Chanukah titles).  If you teach beginning or middle school band, be sure to check out our recommendations for new young band Christmas titles, as well.

Ancient Carol Variants
Chris M. Bernotas
Grade 3.5
This delightful holiday arrangement brings a fresh and exciting treatment to one of the most ancient of holiday carols, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Beginning with a fantasy on the main theme, it explores variations in march style and mixed-meter with contemporary harmonies for a unique and distinctive holiday treat.

Angels Sing
Bill Calhoun
Grade 3
In this symphonic mix of two familiar Christmas carols, Angels We Have Heard on High and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, both themes are seamlessly woven together to create a holiday montage brimming with spirit and musicality.  Thematic fragments are passed throughout all the voices, and tempo and meter changes add stylistic interest.

Hark! The Herald Angels Swing
arr. Chris Sharp
Grade 3
This spectacular and unique jazz arrangement pays tribute to the great Dave Brubeck. Showcasing a comfortable multi-meter jazz feel, the music gives a contemporary edge to the classic carol.

Joy to the Season
Sean O’Loughlin
Grade 4
This exciting holiday overture for the mature concert band opens with a joyous tapestry of sounds reminiscent of Pines of Rome, and explores a wide range of tonalities and stylistic modes as it interweaves the holiday standards Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Pat-a-pan, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and Joy to the World.

Concert works that create an atmosphere of reflection, capture moments in history, or draw on past memories provide poignancy and moments of powerful programming.  Our second feature of new titles for high school concert band moves from remembering the simplicity of childhood, to the joy and kindness of the human spirit, to moments of loss and inspiration, including a tribute to President John F. Kennedy.  Visit our Stanton’s Staff Selections category for more concert band sheet music recommendations from our staff.

Ask Not: A Musical Tribute to JFK
James Swearingen
Grade 3
A glimpse of American history is unveiled in this stunning work that musically reflects the life and times of our 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.   Through the use of a narrator, a wealth of information is provided that the audience will find fascinating and informative, bringing music and history together to create an educational and inspirational event.

A Childhood Remembered
Rossano Galante
Grade 4
This light, lyrical composition captures youth and innocence through the eyes of a child. Playful melodic lines interspersed with more lyrical, lush sonorities will take audiences back to that simple time of their own childhood.

Commemoration Overture
Robert Sheldon
Grade 3
Fanfares and majestic themes provide a noble character to this commemorative piece, while soaring lines and heartfelt harmonies lend moments of lyricism.

Endless Rainbows
Brian Balmages
Grade 3
This heartfelt, lyrical work juxtaposes the theme of loss with an ever-present sense of uplifting joy. Very cinematic in nature, this emotional rollercoaster moves through passages of solitude and tranquility into moments of epic power from darkness into light. It seeks to epitomize an endless rainbow that will forever illuminate the skies as far as the eye can see.

A Kind and Gentle Soul
James Swearingen
Grade 3
Yet another powerful and expressive composition from the pen of this gifted composer.  Highly reflective in nature, this emotional work is scored to evoke the many lives touched by acts of kindness, and the wish that they could be the norm rather than the exception.

Feature your elementary choir this winter with one of these great octavos, as featured on Stanton’s Elementary General Music Clinic with Cristi Cary Miller:

Blizzard on the Way! by Jay Althouse
A 100% chance of precipitation equals a 100% chance of anticipation…that school will be closed! Your 2-part choirs will “dig in” when singing this driving, disco, wintertime hit.

The Christmas Clock arr. Cristi Cary Miller
Incorporating the tune of “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and telling a clever tale about a clock that runs only in the month of December, your young singers will enjoy counting down the days, minutes and hours until Christmas! Incredibly cute!

Jingle, Jingle Swing! arr. Ruth Morris Gray
This one is full of holiday fun! The familiar “Jingle Bells” text and tune are incorporated into this festive partner-style original. Add some jazzy swing to your holiday performance…and don’t forget the bells!

A Merry, Merry Christmas to You! by Douglas E. Wagner
Good wishes are sung to all in this festive offering that creatively incorporates the familiar “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Accessible ranges and easy counterpoint make this seasonal winner a snap to learn and a joy to perform.

For more holiday suggestions for your young choir, please contact us!

Band Directors~

We’re one month away!  Marching season is almost over, and concert band season just around the corner.  To make selecting new music and concert programming easier, the band staff at Stanton’s Sheet Music would like to invite you to join us for the 12^th Annual New Band Music Reading Clinic at Capital University on November 22 & 23, 2013.  This is a wonderful opportunity to preview the best new music at all levels for concert band performed live by actual students, connect with colleagues, and make use of the expertise of our band staff.

We look forward to seeing you next month!

Kent, Dan, Ben, Kris, & Ken
Stanton’s Band Department

Reading Clinic Details:
Mark your calendar:  November 22 & 23, 2013 at Capital University
Registration:  You may pre-register via the Director Application or register on-site
Price:  Free

Reading Clinic Highlights:
- Hear the best new concert band music performed live by actual students
- Wind Band Invitational Honors Band featuring guest conductor, composer, and educator Richard Saucedo
- New Music Reading Band under the direction of Barry Kopetz and James Swearingen
- Performance by the Capital University Symphonic Winds – November 22 at 8:00 p.m.
- Two guest band performances including the Gahanna Lincoln Freshman Band under the direction of Rob Cebriak
- Participate in the Directors’ Reading Band