News & Views Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Canadian composer Mychael Danna  won Best Original Score for Life of Pi, the movie.  The story of a 16 year old boy lost at sea with a Bengal tiger for 227 days was  written by Yann Martel, and adapted for a  movie directed by Ang Lee.  The piece “Pondicherry” is about the town that Pi came from.  By the sound of it, it seems that Pi was happy there.  “First Night, First Day” has plenty of tension in it, pretty, but surreal, with the occasional clash of seconds and sevenths.  If you’ve seen the movie, you know where that tension comes from!  A total of fifteen pieces are in this collection of sheet music.  The final question for this story seems to be, “Which Story Do You Prefer?”, which is the next to last piece in this collection. So, which story do you prefer?  For more information about this collection of movie music or others, call  us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website, www.stantons.com  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

The word “classic” tends to mean an art form that is so good  that it will be enjoyed for generations.  The “British Piano Sampler“  includes 12 “classic” works by 8 composers, all from the “Modern” era.  (20th and 21st  century time period.)  Alec Rowley is represented by his collection, “Old English Worthies”, a set of ten easy pieces by other English composers.  Arthur Benjamin‘s  ”Jamaican Rhumba” simply has to be included.  Karl Jenkins‘  ”Madog”  from 2009 is in this collection. For those who love  modern piano compositions, or for those who wish to sample the modern repertoire, this is a great collection.  For more information, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or look at our website, www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music  needs!

James Reese Europe was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1880.  Although he only lived to age 39, he became an accomplished orchestra conductor, band leader, and a successful composer of popular songs, marches, and dance music.  He was a key figure in the evolution of orchestral ragtime into jazz.  Some of Europe’s works are still performed today by ragtime pianists and military bands.  Following a concert at Carnegie Hall on March 11, 1914,  the New York “Evening Post” described Europe as “one of the most remarkable of men, not only of his race, but in the music world of this country.”

James Reese Europe was an effective champion of African-American musicians and performers in all idioms, and helped to gain acceptance for them in the USA and abroad.  This collection of sheet music, “The Music of James Reese Europe“, is important because the works within it show Europe’s skill, imagination and versatility in his composing.  It is a valuable resource for early pop, ragtime and dance music. For more information about this or other collections of music, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at www.stantons.com. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Downton Abbey aired in September of 2010 in the United Kingdom. It  aired in the United States only a few months later  in January of 2011.  By the third season, it hasbecome one of the most widely watched television series in the world.  The music played in the series finally made it  “across the pond”  in March of 2013.

Published by Hal Leonard in two levels  of piano sheet music, the original music by John Lunn is available in both intermediate/advanced level and easy level.  If you love hearing the music, you’ll love playing it.  For more information about this or other piano music from TV or films, please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com or visit our website at www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs.

For piano teachers and parents of piano students, Stanton’s Sheet Music is a rich source of materials for lessons and music for fun.  We stock many of the current piano method series, such as Piano Adventures by the Fabers, Piano Town by Keith Snell, the Premier Piano Course from Alfred Publishing, and more.  We stock favorite series some of us grew up with, such as Thompson’s Modern Course, the Schaum Pre-A Book and the following books, and Aaron’s Piano Course.

Sheet music like “Somewhere in Time”, ”Ashokan Farewell”, “Bumble Boogie”, “You Raise Me Up”, and other songs are available in easy piano versions and in intermediate to advanced versions.  Books of popular songs and tunes are available.  The “Twilight” series of movies is available on different levels, as are the “Pirates of the Carribean” series.  The “Star Wars” piano solo books are favorites on any level, as are the Harry Potter collections of sheet music.  The Disney collections are very popular. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Investigate our website, www.stantons.com, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, or email us at keyboard@stantons.com to find out more!

Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where them flowers iz!  Are you one of those people whose green thumbs are itching for the soil, already?  Is John Denver’s “The Garden Song” already ringing in your head, but you can’t quite remember all the words?   That song is in the John Denver Anthology, along with 53 other great John Denver songs.  If you are in the mood for spring songs, how about The Big Book of Folk Songs?  “Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)”,” And the Green Grass Grows All Around”,  “Country Gardens”, and more are in this collection of sheet music.  There are the Beatles songs, “Here Comes the Sun”  and “Good Day Sunshine”, both in a book called Beatles Ballads.  New music always makes people happy.  So does singing old favorites you’d forgotten about. For more information about these collections or others, please contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or check out our website, www.stantons.com. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs.

The Bluegrass Songbook is full of 51 classic Bluegrass songs, from “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” (Beverly Hillbillies theme), to “The Wabash Cannonball“.  The words, piano part, and guitar chords are all there for each song in this book of sheet music. The lovely song, “The Long Black Veil”  is included, as is the encouraging song “Keep On the Sunny Side“.   This is  a great songbook for a singalong or jam session. For more information about this collection of Bluegrass songs or others, please 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!

“The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey“, which was released in December of 2012, is still playing in some theaters around town.  The music, composed by Howard Shore, is still playing on CD players in living rooms around town.  Some of us are still sort of humming parts of “Misty Mountains” or “Song of the Lonely Mountain“, the music for both written by a team; Finn, Donaldson, Long, Roche and Roddick.  This movie, the first of three parts, is based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s book, which he wrote in 1937.  Obviously, the tale of Bilbo Baggins and friends is an enduring one.  This new music, composed to help tell an old tale, will endure, as well.  “Misty Mountains”, a poem written by Tolkien for the book, is given melody for perhaps the first time.  “An Unexpected Party” is properly bright and merry.  “Dreaming of Bag End” sounds so longing, just like feeling homesick.  These and other pieces from the movie have been written on three levels; intermediate to advanced, easy, and big note (just one step easier than “easy”).  Now is the time to get these lovely melodies under your fingers!  For more information about these books of movie sheet music, or other movie selections, please call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or check out our website at www.stantons.com

Stay tuned for “The Desolation of Smaug”. ( Due out in December of 2013.) We saw Smaug open one eye after the thrush “knocked three times.” What musical treats will there be for us in the next installment?  Smaug has to have his own theme!  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

 ”Women Composers in History” is a collection of piano works by women who were, and sometimes still are, influential in the world of piano music.  There are more female composers of piano music than we may think.  This collection of piano pieces presents works by eight women composers, all born in the nineteenth century.  All of the women began piano lessons at around four years of age, and began composing at a young age, between four and nine years old. All these women continued to be active in music for a lifetime. Fanny Mendelssohn wrote her own wedding music the night she was engaged.  Amy Beach had to wait until she was a widow before she could pursue her music career on a public level. Clara Schumann held the position of principal piano teacher of the Frankfurt Hochschen Conservatory from 1878-1892. Teresa Carreno played for Abraham Lincoln at the White House when she was only ten years old.  She went on to become a piano teacher, and  Edward MacDowell was one of her students.  A one paragraph biography is given for each composer.  As you read these short biographies, it will amaze you how intertwined the lives of the pianists and composers were.

As musicians, we get started early.  So March first isn’t too early to get ready for Saint Patrick’s Day on the 17th.  One book we have to offer is for easy piano, “Ireland’s Best Loved Songs and Ballads“.  It has twenty Irish songs in it, including the perrenial favorite  ”Danny Boy”.  A book in piano/vocal/guitar format is  ”Irish Ballads“, fifty-five songs including “Danny Boy”, “Carrickfergus”,  and   “The Minstrel Boy” .  “The Irish Songbook“  is a collection of seventy-five songs, collected and made popular by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, a well-known Irish band.  It includes the lovely  song “Eileen Aroon”, the silly song “Mr. Moses Ri-Tooral-i-ay” , the sailor’s song  ”Paddy Doyle’s Boots” , the war  protest song “The Lowlands of Holland”, love songs, and many more.  For more information on these Irish song books or other songbooks you may be interested in, call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at www.stantons.com

For piano teachers and parents of piano students, Stanton’s Sheet Music is a rich source of materials for lessons and music for fun.  We stock many of the current piano method series, such as Piano Adventures by the Fabers, Piano Town by Keith Snell, the Premier Piano Course from Alfred Publishing, and more.  We stock favorite series some of us grew up with, such as Thompson’s Modern Course, the Schaum Pre-A Book and the following books, and Aaron’s Piano Course.

Sheet music like “Somewhere in Time”, ”Ashokan Farewell”, “Bumble Boogie”, “You Raise Me Up”, and other songs are available in easy piano versions and in intermediate to advanced versions.  Books of popular songs and tunes are available.  The “Twilight” series of movies is available on different levels, as are the “Pirates of the Carribean” series.  The “Star Wars” piano solo books are favorites on any level, as are the Harry Potter collections of sheet music.  The Disney collections are very popular.

Investigate our website, www.stantons.com, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, or email us at keyboard@stantons.com to find out more!

Some types of piano music are  difficult to find. One piano, six hands is one of those catagories.   Trio playing is fun and exciting.  It helps develop a sense of rhythm, ensemble, and camraderie among students.  As students mature, they are probably going to be asked to be accompanists for soloists or choirs.  Having some ensemble experience from the beginning helps them quickly adapt to that role. Melody Bober has composed six collections of piano ensemble music, called Grand Trios for Piano for one piano, six hands,  ranging in difficulty from early elementary to late intermediate.  Each book includes four trios. The trios have been written in in a variety of styles, meters and tempos  to keep playing interesting. Melody Bober has over 25 years of experience teaching piano students of all levels, and continues to play and compose new music for students. For more information concerning these collections of sheet music, or other music you may be interested in, please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website, www.stantons.com

Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks away! Have you chosen your gig list, or the songs you will sing for your sweetie? Stanton’s Sheet Music has a selection of sheet music and books of love songs to meet  your needs.

The Budget Books “Love Songs” costs only $12.99, and it has  74 songs, including “Longer”, “I Just Called to Say I Love You”,  “Ribbon in the Sky”,  “You Are So Beautiful”, and more. We also have single sheets of songs like “Endless Love“, “Love Song“, “Rainbow Connection“, “The Rose“, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight“, and more.

For more information concerning these sheet music collections of love songs or other popular songs, call 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website, www.stantons.com.

It’s only a few days after Christmas, and those of us who are church musicians are beginning to think of Lent and Easter already.  The first Sunday in Lent is only 7  Sundays away.  Easter is only 14 Sundays away.  It seems like it’s forever away, but we know how the time flies!   “A Month of Sundays: Easter and Lent“, by Jan Sanborn, contains Preludes, Offertories and Postludes for the season. Her arrangements are fresh and unique, a delight to play and to hear.  “Palms and Passion Suite” by Mark Hayes covers Palm Sunday and Holy Week. As usual, his arrangements are interesting and expressive.  “Lead Me to Calvary“, arranged by Lloyd Larson, is a new collection of reflections on the cross of Christ, containing hymns such as “Lift High the Cross”, “Were You There?”, “Draw Me Nearer”, and more. There are a total of ten hymn arrangements in this collection, written at a moderately difficult level. Even more collections for the Easter season can be found on our website, sacredpianomusiconly.com    For more information on these collections of sheet music, or other sacred piano solo collections, please call 1-800-42-MUISIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our main website, www.stantons.com

The G. Schirmer Piano Collection contains 33 works by 25 composers from the 20th and 21st centuries.  If you or a friend love contemporary piano “classics”, this is the book to have!  Many pianists are at least somewhat familiar with Alexander Tcherepnin‘s Bagatelles Op. 5, Khatchaturian’s Toccata, Kabalevsky’s Four Preludes, Op. 5, or Muczynski’s Six Preludes, Op. 6.  How about trying Antheil‘s  “Sonatina (Death of the Machines)”,  Brubeck‘s  “Dad Plays the Harmonica”,  or Adams’ “China Gates”?   These are serious works, and each one has its challenges.  They are well worth the effort to learn.  This collection of sheet music has a wonderful blend of  newer compositions to explore.  For more information about this collectioon or any other piano compositons, contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at  http://www.keyboard .com