News & Views Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Stanton’s is proud to feature author and composer Mark Shelton as our first guest author for the Stanton’s blog.  Check out what Mark has to say about his latest resource, “Give Me A Bucket.”

Whether you are a middle school band director looking for a clever way to feature your percussionists or a general music teacher searching for a crowd-pleasing instrumental, a bit of bucket drumming can provide a fun-filled solution.  Bucket drumming has come to the elementary music classroom and the band hall with instructors and students getting in on the joy of pounding a pail.  Forming this type of ensemble is easy on the budget and provides a great vehicle for learning rhythms and exploring tone colors.

Clear directions are laid out for bucket drumming success in Give Me A Bucket (click here for a short tutorial.)  In addition to guiding you through the process of setting up your bucket ensemble, Give Me A Bucket provides a dozen short, easy-to-learn pieces, rehearsal tips, simple choreography, and a recording for study and inspiration.  Give Me A Bucket is suggested for grades 4-8 and the pieces are grouped by level of difficulty. All the pieces can be played with basic single stroke percussion skills. There are no rolls, flams, or complicated sticking patterns in the entire collection.

While most of the ensembles are written for different sizes of buckets playing polyphony,  a few works are scored for unison playing. One such ensemble is “Strange Asparagus” which makes clever use of Boomwhackers™ as the striking implement. The pitched tubes provide a bit of harmony and a colorful visual component.

Give Me A Bucket was featured at Stanton’s General Music Clinic facilitated by nationally recognized elementary music specialist, Sharon Burch http://youtu.be/TN067m4iddQ

Check out a performance of “Bucket Rock 101” with fourth and fifth grade students from Lannoye Elementary in Pulaski, WI.   http://youtu.be/ruB0VqgkHYo

My short bucket drumming tutorial can be found at http://youtu.be/-eGFsWHGong

Go ahead…set up a few pails, hand your students some sticks, pass out the parts, and let the bucket jam begin!

Mark Shelton has presented hundreds of arts-in-education performances as a percussion soloist and as leader of the world music ensemble Tin Roof Tango. From the early days of his career as Visiting Artist at Coastal Carolina Community College to his current work as a soloist, clinician, sideman, and entrepreneur, Mark has created programs, products, and educational services for a variety of ages. Educational articles by Mark have appeared in Percussive Notes, Activate!, Dulcimer Players News, and Worship Musician.  (If you love “Give Me A Bucket“, also check out Mark’s previous publication “Give Me A Groove“.)

by Jen Sper & Rachel Steele, School Choral Specialists

If you’re planning a concert of popular music with your choir this spring, we’ve got some great recommendations for you! Lighter repertoire is a fun option for end-of-year concerts, but don’t forget to find some good musical challenges for your students as well – you want to showcase all the progress they’ve made throughout the school year!

Counting Stars arr. Mark Brymer
The band OneRepublic performs music that reflects many musical influences, from rock to pop to indie and more. This hit from 2013 has a driving rhythm and unforgettable chorus that will electrify your stage! The 3-part mixed and 2-part alternate voicings offer a nice opportunity for a combined number for all your ensembles.

Ease On Down the Road arr. Mac Huff
From “The Wiz,” this stand-out R&B classic retains all the energy, optimism and Broadway pizzazz you could ever imagine! Now in a fantastic new arrangement, it’s perfect for pop, show and concert choirs as an opener, closer or concert theme.

Save the World/Don’t You Worry Child arr. Mark Brymer
Inspired by the vibrant a cappella sounds of the vocal group Pentatonix, this accessible setting of the mash-up by Swedish House Mafia is accompanied with keyboard and rhythm section, making this a fantastic showcase for high school pop and show choirs. Or, try it a cappella for true Pentatonix flavor!

Step In Time arr. Philip Kern
From Disney’s hit Broadway musical “Mary Poppins” comes this toe-tapping, broom-sweeping jewel! Accessible vocal writing provides thrills throughout for mixed voices and for the guys as well. Instrumental parts for this show-stopper are also available.

For more suggestions, click here to view our complete School Choral promotion for Spring 2015, or contact us!

About the Authors:
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 eating good food, running (to counteract the good food…) and the Muppets.

Rachel Steele has been at Stanton’s since 2013. She previously taught middle school and high school band and choir for 13 years, and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in music education from The Ohio State University. Currently a member of the Heisey Wind Ensemble and a musician at Epiphany Lutheran Church (Pickerington OH), Rachel also enjoys reading, sewing, baking and the Pittsburgh Steelers!

recommended by Ken Tilger and Rachel Steele

The concert schedule for lots of schools is the same year-in and year-out.  Consider shaking things up this year with a “combo” concert!  Combine your groups across levels (imagine how big your band will be with students grades 5-12!) or across genres (your 6th grade choir would love to sing a piece or a medley with your high school jazz band!).

Ending the school year with a “mass” concert of bands in all grade levels is a common enough practice.  It’s great for your beginner students to hear the more advanced groups, and good for your high school bands to remember how exciting that first year of band was.  Of course, once you have all of those kids in the same room, everyone wants to hear them play together.  It’s the same challenge every year:  Pieces that are easy enough for your beginners make your older students roll their eyes; but who wants to spend the time re-writing and editing a grade 4 piece so that your 5th graders can play too?

THERE IS A SOLUTION that doesn’t involve you earning more grey hairs!  Several pieces are available that are specifically designed for this purpose, with all of the work done for you.  Each of the pieces below comes in two or three different versions that are intended to be played together.

Band-O-Rama by Sandy Feldstein and Larry Clark

High School Set (PT-YCB06A-00)………………………………………………….$40.00

Elem./Intermediate Set (PT-YCB06B-00)…………………………………….$40.00

Band-O-Rama is a wonderful march designed for combined performance of beginning, intermediate and high school bands. The composition is available in two versions, one for high school band and one with parts for both elementary and intermediate bands.   Your high school students will play their parts (an easy grade 3) without much effort, while elementary students will need to be able to play in the keys of Bb and Eb Concert (limited range) and have mastered the dotted quarter/eighth note rhythm.  This piece is in the standard form of an American march, so it’s a great piece to being teaching about that form and tradition.

Shorewood Overture by Michael Sweeney

All-In-One Set, serves all three levels (04003858)………………………………..$95.00

Rather than the typical massed band number where everyone plays at once, this ingenious overture is written for 3 separate levels of player and allows the players of each level to be featured briefly by themselves, along with sections where everyone plays together. The easiest level includes nothing more difficult than 8th notes (no dotted rhythms) and all clarinet notes under the break, while the intermediate part is perfect for your older middle school students, involving more complex rhythms and an expanded range.  In addition, the “Level 3” parts include cues (also in the Level 3 score) allowing the older students to “jump in” for security if needed.  Includes scores and parts for all levels!

Winged Victory by Brian Balmages

Grade 4 Version (B1340)………………………………………………………………..$75.00

Grade 2.5 Version (B1342)……………………………………………………………..$50.00

Grade 1 Version (B1341)…………………………………………………………………$40.00

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more powerful and inspiring work with such variety of styles and musical material. The eternal fight for freedom and the spirit of community form the groundwork for this impressive mix of proud fanfares, undaunting rhythms, and heartfelt lyrical passages.  The most difficult version is a true grade four, providing a challenge for your older musicians, while even the earliest beginners can handle the easiest version.  The intermediate version has simplified variants of the more difficult material in the fanfare sections, allowing them to be a big part of the action.  Beginner band directors should be aware the the elementary students do rest for a large portion of the piece, so working on musicianship and listening skills is a must!

About the authors:

Ken is a former band director, and has been with Stanton’s since 2004. He enjoys comic books, playing with his young son, and plays saxophone with Swing’s the Thing Big Band. You should check out their album “Walk On Out the Door” available on iTunes and Amazon.

Rachel has been working in the choral department at Stanton’s since 2013.  She previously taught middle school and high school band and choir for 13 years, and holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in music education from The Ohio State University.  Currently a member of the Heisey Wind Ensemble and a musician at Epiphany Lutheran Church (Pickerington, OH,) Rachel also enjoys reading, sewing, baking and the Pittsburgh Steelers!

This new release from Hal Leonard  includes songs from the newest Broadway  musicals.   From “Once” to “Beautiful”, one or two songs from each of eighteen shows are included.  This is a great collection for those who are preparing for auditions, or for those who just enjoy the more recent musicals and recent musical revivals.  It would be a great addition to a voice teacher’s library as well. For more information about this collection, or other similar material, 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.

Attend Stanton’s Sacred Choral Reading Session this Saturday, January 10th 2015, and you’ll be fully prepared for the remainder of your church choir season. We will be featuring the best new choral publications for Lent, Easter and beyond, as chosen by Stanton’s sacred choral staff. We’re excited to announce that this January’s clinic will be held at Livingston United Methodist Church, just a few blocks from our store in downtown Columbus.

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 Jennifer Fry 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!

Lead your congregation in Holy Week and Easter worship with one of these dynamic cantatas, as recommended by Stanton’s expert Sacred Choral Music staff!

The Passion and the Promise by Lloyd Larson & Mark Hayes
The many moods of Holy Week, followed by the triumph of Easter, are captured in this moving work by Lloyd Larson and Mark Hayes, with narration by Pamela Stewart. From the celebration of Palm Sunday to the despair of Good Friday to the triumph of the Resurrection, “The Passion and the Promise” presents fresh, dynamic words and music with creative narration. Perform each anthem separately during Holy Week and Easter, or together as an unforgettable 25-minute musical.

The Final Hours by Lee & Susan Dengler
Create a moving worship experience for your church and community with “The Final Hours.” Three moving anthems are woven together with the spoken word, focusing on Christ’s final earthly hours. Perfect for a Good Friday service, or performed as separate anthems during Holy Week, this suite is easily prepared and presented. Add the optional flute, cello, and single handbell to enhance the presentation. A great choice for smaller choirs or when time to prepare a larger work is limited. It will surely bring your congregation to a place of reverence, inspiration, and celebration.

For more recommendations for your church choir during the upcoming Lenten and Easter season, please call us at 1.800.426.8742. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

This collection of sheet music for piano solo includes sixty-six classics written by the masters for piano solo.  Some are easy enough for children to play: “Les Cinq Doigts #1″ by Igor Stravinsky, “Melody” and “Soldier’s March” from Schumann’s collection, “Album for the Young” are among these.  The rest are to play for children.  There is a transcription of “The Elephant” from Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.”

Francis Poulenc wrote about Babar, the little elephant.  “The Tea Shop” is a musical representation of Babar taking some friends to a tea shop, where they have some delicious cakes.  Two of J. S. Bach’s two-part inventions are included.  The most recent piece was written by George Fenton.  It’s called “At the Beach”.  This music can appeal to any age player,  or to play for any age child or young person.  The music spans several styles of composition.  It’s a perfect collection for exploring the classics from Bach to the 21st  century.  For more information about this collection or others like it, contact 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!

Singing in foreign languages is an important benchmark in students’ choral education – but, teaching languages and pronunciation can be intimidating for some teachers. How many years has it been since YOUR last diction class? And if you’re new to the vocal side of music education, you may have NO experience with foreign languages (outside of Italian musical terms!).

The handy guidebook Alfred’s IPA Made Easy is an easy reference for the symbols used in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA): what they look like and how they are pronounced. IPA is a standard set of symbols used for notating pronunciation of spoken language; because the symbols are consistent across languages, a basic understanding provides guidance for singers as they expand their experience with new languages.

Example words for every symbol are included in English, Latin, Italian, German, French, and Spanish. An online resource includes demonstrations of every sound, recorded by a professional voice teacher.  A clear and concise tool for singing in foreign languages, equally useful in the choir room and the vocal studio.

For more choral education resources, please contact us!

“New Every Morning” is a new collection of organ solos arranged by longtime favorite arranger Wilbur Held.    This collection of sheet music for organ includes six settings of  morning hymns.  Titles include “When Morning Gilds the Skies” and “Morning Has Broken”.  This collection of new settings for morning hymns is bound to please!  For more information about this collection of sheet music for organ, or other sacred organ collections, 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!

by Ken Tilger, Band Education Specialist

Day 2 of the 2014 Midwest Clinic has come and gone, and it was quite an active day. The Stanton’s booth was busy, especially around mid-day with plenty of educators and students loading up on method books, solo and ensemble repertoire, and new concert pieces. One of my favorite aspects of working our booth is meeting directors that we don’t know, passing along our new band music promotions, and explaining our selection process.

Visitors to the Stanton’s booth included our good friend James Swearingen, FJH orchestra composer Lauren Bernofsky, and Hal Leonard arranger Johnnie Vinson. In addition, I had an engaging and enthusiastic conversation with Alfred composers Chris Bernotas and Vince Gassi. Band Education Specialist Kent White attended the session on Scale & Rhythm Chunks by Ohio’s own Richard Canter. It was standing room only with over 500 people attending his session, and we have all but sold out of the copies we had at the booth!

One of the other unique elements of The Midwest Clinic is the number of composers and arrangers on-hand. As mentioned above, I spent quite a bit of time today speaking with Chris Bernotas and Vince Gassi, as well as Randall Standridge, Grand Mesa president Walter Cummings, and FJH composers Travis Weller and Brian Balmages.

The “Barnhouse Party Bus,” on the way to dinner

Again our day was capped off with a fantastic meal, this time at Maggiano’s Little Italy courtesy of C.L. Barnhouse. It’s in a great historic building that probably dates to the 20’s. To our surprise Stanton’s along with RBC Music of Texas were honored with the presentation of the “Barney” Award in recognition of our long relationship in selling and promoting Barnhouse titles. A much appreciated and heartfelt presentation was given by James Swearingen. I also got to hear a number of fantastic (and hilarious) stories about Chuck Barnhouse since I was seated between Barnhouse president Andy Clark and Ed Peterson of Omega Recordings, the company that records the Washington Winds.

That’s all for today from The Windy City (or Gotham if you’re a fan of the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy).

About the Author
Ken is a former band director, and has been with Stanton’s since 2004. He is thrilled to have had gelato and fantastic cheesecake for dessert over the past two nights! Seriously, Cheesecake Factory – meh.

Ready to start planning your elementary spring musical? This year, Stanton’s has something for everyone! Check out these new musicals that will motivate and excite both you and your students!

We Honor the Brave by Dave & Jean Perry
Suggested for Grades K-8
Performance time: approx. 20 minutes
Perfect for any patriotic event, We Honor the Brave is a reproducible musical celebration honoring the men and women who have risked or given their lives to protect our country and those who are currently serving in all branches of the military. Set at a Veterans’ Day parade, five speaking characters, comprised of two older and three younger Americans, tell the story. The additional cast members can be used in a number of ways in each scene – as spectators or parade members. Even the audience is a part of the parade-going crowd while your singers perform original and familiar patriotic songs, including a rap! It’s a wonderful program that works easily for all young singers through middle school. Included are simple staging, prop, performance, and costume suggestions, as well as full performance and accompaniment tracks, reproducible singer pages, and a poster and program for your use to market the show. A Veteran’s Interview is also included for your students to use to learn about local veterans. The seven original and familiar songs include Land of the Free, Yankee Doodle, The Open Sea, On Land On Sea and in the Air, Flying, Veterans’ Day Rap and a reprise of Land of the Free.

Goal! by John Jacobson & John Higgins
Suggested for Grades 1-5
Performance time: approx. 25 minutes
Did you know that over 13 million Americans play soccer? The game that Brazilian “football” legend Pele called “The Beautiful Game” is the setting for this amazingly entertaining musical that not only celebrates the beauty and glory of the sport, but also the value of good sportsmanship, setting goals, being a part of a team and more. Goal is a musical that every cast member will love to perform, whether sports is their “thing” or not. In this musical, nobody is cut from the team, and with musical styles from Latin to Rap and Pop to Broadway, we celebrate setting goals and working as a team to accomplish amazing things together! This ALL-SCHOOL 25-minute musical features five original songs and script with over 30 speaking parts. Songs include: Goal, Awesome, Kick It, El Juego Bonito (The Beautiful Game), It’s Not If You Win.

Freddie the Frog and the Jungle Jazz by Sharon Burch & Rosana Eckert
Suggested for Grades 2-5
Performance time: approx. 25 minutes
Freddie the Frog, Eli the Elephant, Babs Baboon and Micki Macaw join trumpet-playing elephants, trombone-sliding tigers, clarinet-playing monkeys and a flock of seagulls as they scat sing, swing and perform collective improvisation in this swingin’ introduction to jazz. The 25-minute musical for 2nd-5th grade students includes five original songs and dialog with 26 speaking parts, along with unique “beginner band student” adaptations giving students a chance to squawk, buzz and growl on stage as they argue about who’s the best. Sharing their combined talent, the animal friends discover embracing each other’s differences creates the ultimate jungle jam. Songs include Jungle Jazz, We’re the Best, Jungle Jam, I’m So Sorry My Friend, Let’s Celebrate.

Making the Band by Roger Emerson & John Jacobson
Suggested for Grades 4-8
Performance time: approx 25 minutes
“Move that car! We’re ready to begin. A garage is a place to make music in. With keyboard, drums, guitar and bass; add a singer and we’re all in place!” Explore the instruments of a rock band and start your own garage band. This unique musical revue features fresh new arrangements for unison voices with optional harmony that are accessible and appropriate for upper elementary and middle school singers. Use the program dialog for performance options; connect to the standards with teaching objectives for each song; and extend learning with online video interviews featuring John Jacobson and the studio musicians who recorded the songs in musical revue. “Here we go; the band is complete. We got the singer and we got the beat! Let’s twist and shout and harmonize, too. We’re ready to play a tune for you.” Songs include: We Got the Beat, Twist and Shout, Stand By Me, Your Song, Livin’ on a Prayer, Making the Band.

Pirates 2: The Hidden Treasure by “Captain” John Jacobson & “Jolly” Roger Emerson
Suggested for Grades 4-8
Performance time: approx. 35 minutes
ARRRR! Our favorite rascally pirates are back at work, seeking adventure and treasure on the high seas! But a mighty storm rolls in and the pirates find themselves shipwrecked on a deserted island, or is it? Will the King of the High “C’s” have a plan to save the day? Through the course of their musical adventures, they discover that real treasure is something they have plenty of … friendship and family. Designed for performers in upper elementary and middle school, this 35-minute musical features six original songs, with connecting script and over 20 speaking parts. The Teacher Edition is filled with quality performance material including piano/vocal song arrangements and choreography, script and helpful production guide. For added value, the ready-to-use student books include songs and script, and will enhance the musical experience for your young aspiring actors/singers! Songs include: A Pirate I Will Be, The Storm, The King’s Plan, Talent to Burn, Who Cares, We’ve Got Friends!

Need more ideas or suggestions? Call or email Stanton’s Sheet Music and ask to speak with one of our knowledgeable staff members!

By Rachel Steele, School Choral Specialist

A few months ago, my colleague in the instrumental department, Ken Tilger, wrote a post about how that department picks the items for their promotions.  Not to be outdone, I’d like to take the opportunity to let you know how I and my partner in crime, Jen Sper, pick the items for our school choral promotions.

In late winter or early spring, publishers begin to send us their new releases for fall.  We get stacks of music (with demo CDs) to review from Hal Leonard (including Shawnee, Walton, Boosey & Hawkes, G. Schirmer, Pavane, Fred Bock etc.), Alfred (including Lawson-Gould), Lorenz (including Santa Barbara and Heritage), Carl Fischer (including BriLee), Hinshaw, Alliance, and a few other smaller publishers.  If you are thinking “Wow, that is quite a bit of music,” you’d be correct.  In fact, if you assign each piece an average listening/evaluation time of 3.5 minutes, we spend about 2,200 minutes, or 48 hours, or 6 full working  days (no lunch or potty breaks!) listening to more than 800 new releases.  For more data on our listening, scroll to the bottom.

When we listen, we’re not only keeping an ear out for our in-house promotions, but also for selections for our clinics (such as Stanton’s Super Session and Excellence in Choral Literature), OMEA Large Group Select Suggestions, and even music for Christmas, graduation and other special occasions.

Round 1

Jen and I sit with the octavo in front of us and listen to every single selection from beginning to end.  We write our impressions on the cover of the octavo, usually just a few choice words or phrases.  After this, a piece goes into either the “no” or the “maybe” pile.  Our “no” pile is quite a bit larger than our “maybe” pile.  We consider it a good release if 25-30% of a publisher’s titles end up in the “maybe” category.

Round 2

Now that we’ve combed through the riff-raff, it’s time to consider the balance of our selections for our in-house promotions.  We sort our “maybe” pile by voicing, and then by genre.    Just like good concert programing, we are looking for a variety of styles – current pop, classic pop, broadway, folk songs, spirituals, world/multi-cultural, holiday music and various foreign languages.

Round 3

Now it’s time to play through selections at the piano.  We grab a genre and play through, looking for things like:

1.  Is it well written/voiced in all parts?

2.  Will students/teachers get something educational out of this?

3.  Is it enjoyable to sing/play/teach?

4.  Is it appropriate for school?

5.  Will it appeal to a wide variety of customers?

6.  If the song is available in multiple voicings, is one better than the other?  Why?

The answers to these questions will usually make our choices pretty clear, and then it’s time to make our lists, spreadsheets, and the actual promotional materials that you receive in your mailbox!

By the Numbers – This table shows the number of pieces that we promoted this year by publisher, and the percentage of their total offerings that we promoted.  You’ll see that even those publishers with the highest percentage of promoted items rarely break the 30% mark.

Other Points of Interest

• Jen and I only look at promotions for school choral.  We have two other people who work specifically on selections for church choirs, and they have even more selections to listen to than we do!
• While it might sound like a cushy job to sit and listen to music for 8 hours a day, it can be mentally exhausting after a while.
• No, we don’t always agree, but you’d be amazed at how often 2 very opinionated people say the EXACT same thing about a particular piece.
• If there is something that one of us truly believes is worth fighting for, the other one will generally give in.
• The best part about the process is discovering a new piece that is just amazing!

We believe that devoting quite a bit of time and effort to this process is very important.   The 75 or so selections that make the cut are things that we recommend to you, our valued customers, for the entire school year. If you have questions about this process (or would like some recommendations), please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC, ext. 1.

Rachel Steele has been working in the choral department at Stanton’s since 2013.  She previously taught middle school and high school band and choir for 13 years, and holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in music education from The Ohio State University.  Currently a member of the Heisey Wind Ensemble and a musician at Epiphany Lutheran Church (Pickerington, OH,) Rachel also enjoys reading, sewing, baking and the Pittsburgh Steelers!

by Ken Tilger, Band Education Specialist -

The 13^th annual Wind Band Invitational and New Band Music Reading Clinic was held November 14-15 at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. This two-day event featured the reading of 70 of the best new pieces for band with a total of 90 works performed! In addition, 134 students from 59 schools participated in the Honors Wind Ensemble under the direction of Paula Crider and Honors Concert Band directed by Jeffrey Gershman and James Swearingen.

The New Music Reading Clinic consisted of 3 reading sessions, 2 by the Directors’ Reading Band; 1 with the Capital University Wind Symphony, covering 61 new band titles from grade 0.5-4.5. Instead of the professional gloss of publisher preview recordings, band directors heard the titles as they were sight-read by live musicians and sight-read some themselves. This is a great way to preview new music in detail, get programming ideas, and network with colleagues after the long marching band season. In addition to the reading sessions, other new titles were presented in a fantastic guest concert performance by the Pickerington High School North Symphonic Winds under the direction of Marc Parulekar.

The Wind Band Invitational featured 4 more concert performances including the Capital University Symphonic Winds, Capital University Wind Symphony, Honors Concert Band, and Honors Wind Ensemble. The honors bands are a wonderful opportunity for some of the best high school players from around Ohio to perform together and work with world-renowned conductors and clinicians, while the university concerts present some of the most challenging repertoire for wind band performed at the highest level.

If you missed this year’s reading clinic, head over to Stanton’s Virtual Workshop – you can view the reading sessions there, and catch footage from the second Directors’ Band session.  You can also check out our previous reading sessions for more great programming ideas, and keep reading our blog for more Stanton’s LIVE events!

About the Author:
Ken is a former band director, and has been with Stanton’s since 2004. He is thankful for his family (especially his 2 year old son), his day gig in the music industry, and that he still gets to play the saxophone.  Oh, and pie!

Hal Leonard five-finger piano songbooks are designed for students in their first year of study.  This new collection includes several songs that have not been included in the same collection before.   There are eight songs, including fun favorites “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”,  the timeless “The Little Drummer Boy”,  “Somewhere in My Memory” from “Home Alone”, and four more.  This collection of easy sheet music for piano includes an optional duet part for another player.  “Holiday Favorites” will keep your youngster(s) busy playing these fun songs during the holiday season!  For more information about this book of Christmas piano music or others you may be interested in, 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!

Our friends at Hal Leonard, MTI, and Rogers & Hammerstein Inc. have some great new choices for you in their “Broadway Junior” and “Getting To Know”  series.  Purchasing the performance pack listed for each show includes everything you need to produce it and grants you the rights to perform it as many times as you like with one year.  Take a look at these latest offerings that your students and audience members will love!

Getting to Know “The Sound of Music” – by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II

The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein – The Sound of Music – was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. When a postulant proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern Captain, and they marry. Upon returning from their honeymoon they discover that Austria has been invaded by the Nazis, who demand the Captain’s immediate service in their navy. The family’s narrow escape over the mountains to Switzerland on the eve of World War II provides one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales ever presented in the theater. The motion picture version remains the most popular movie musical of all time.

Preview Pack (00124211) ………………………………………………………………$15.00

Performance Pack (08754014)………………………………………………………..$650.00

Shrek, Jr. – by Jeanine Tesori

In a faraway kingdom, the green ogre Shrek finds his swamp invaded by banished fairytale misfits, runaways who’ve been cast off by Lord Farquaad, a tiny terror with big ambitions. When Shrek sets off with a wise-cracking donkey to confront Farquaad, he’s handed a task – if he rescues feisty Princess Fiona from the Dragon-guarded tower, his swamp will be returned to him. But, a fairy tale wouldn’t be complete without unexpected twists and turns along the way.

Preview Pack (00127656)……………………………………………………………… $10.00

Performance Pack (00127646) ………………………………………………………. $645.00

Hairspray Jr. – Marc Shaiman

It’s 1962, and spunky plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad has one big dream — to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When she finally gets her shot, she’s transformed from social outcast to sudden star. In balancing her new-found power with her desire for justice, Tracy fights to dethrone the reigning Miss Teen Hairspray, Amber von Tussle, and integrate a TV network in the process. With the help of her outsized mom, Edna, and guest DJ Motormouth Maybelle, the rhythm of Tracy’s new beat just might prove unstoppable.

Preview Pack (00123343)………………………………………………………………..$10.00

Performance Pack (099717310)……………………………………………………….$645.00

If you’ve never worked with a Broadway Jr. show before, click here to read our previous post on the “how to’s,”  and here for some alternatives if you aren’t ready for a production that’s quite this big.  Questions?  Give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC, and we’ll be happy to assist you!

by Ken Tilger, Band Education Specialist –

“Lyrical settings by Robert Sheldon are always worth your time”.

This is how I chose to begin my write-up for this title, and in short, enough said. Sheldon has a propensity for writing full, lush harmonic arrangements that are great vehicles for developing ensemble musicianship – especially for young bands. Look no further than his gorgeous An Australian Sea Ballad for additional proof.

In the case of The Spirit of Thanksgiving, he has not only woven together two very familiar hymn tunes (We Gather Together; Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow) in a lovely concert presentation, but given us a wonderful programming option. While haunting Halloween and celebratory Christmas selections are a dime a dozen, finding a work that highlights the uniqueness and gratitude of Thanksgiving is all but impossible. Soft and reflective, yet powerful, this work is a poignant lyrical programming selection that is perfect for fall or Christmas/holiday concerts. The hymn tunes that are the basis for this work make it a wonderful choice for religious schools, as well.

Musically The Spirit of Thanksgiving is much more than your standard hymn setting. Each of the hymns is in a different time signature – the work moves from 3/4 to 4/4, then back, and there is a key change from concert Bb to F. Of course, the opportunities to develop dynamic shading, group phrasing, and ensemble blend and balance are present as well. To top it off, this piece also correlates to Book 2, Level 2 of the Sound Innovations band method.

Do yourself a favor, and give this piece a listen, then pick up a copy. Even if you don’t use it this year, think how pleasantly surprised you’ll be when you “discover” it in your library next year. It’s one that I would pick up on its programming merits alone. It’s also one that I consider a “sleeper” – no, not one to snooze through – rather a great piece that too many directors will overlook because it doesn’t stand out in all the usual ways. Instead, it stands out in all the right ways, and that’s something to be thankful for.

The Spirit of Thanksgiving
arr. Robert Sheldon
Grade 1.5
Catalog # 41910          $48.00
Lyrical settings by Robert Sheldon are always worth your time.  Blending We Gather Together and Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow, he has created a lush, stirring ballad perfect for fall programming, as well as religious schools.  Dynamic shading, group phrasing, and ensemble blend and balance can be addressed, in addition to flowing, lyrical playing; each hymn is in a different time signature (3/4 & 4/4); the piece also contains 1 key change (Bb to F) on the powerful climax to a touching, maestoso ending.  Correlates to Sound Innovations, Book 2, Level 2.

About the Author:
Ken is a former band director, and has been with Stanton’s since 2004. He is thankful for his family (especially his 2 year old son), his day gig in the music industry, and that he still gets to play the saxophone.  Oh, and pie!