News & Views Saturday, March 08, 2014

It’s cold outside, the holidays are over, and nobody wants to be in school!  Here are some great jump starters that will make your students look forward to coming to music class even on the most dismal winter days!

Jammin’ in the Jungle by Denise Hollingworth and Carole Searle

       Come on a musical safari into a magical jungle where you can drum with the monkeys, sing with the lions, and shake like a rattlesnake! Educationally based, this fun-filled collection of songs is jam-packed with practical ideas for enhancing children’s musical development through singing, movement, playing percussion instruments, and other hands-on activities!  Jammin’ in the Jungle is a fantastic resource for both classroom and home use and is suited to children aged 4-8 years. Come along and join in the fun of making music!

Jazz Mosaic by Louise Rogers and Susan Milligan

Jazz Mosaic brings the joy of jazz music into your classroom every day through a variety of age-appropriate, play-centered lessons that can be easily integrated into your existing curriculum. Students will learn about jazz greats, styles, and history through activities and cross-curricular connections that are creative and engaging.  Easy to teach, the music lessons are appropriate for children in pre-school through third grade. The accompanying CD contains example s and vocals for echoing, learning and fun!  Jazz Mosaic provides a broad range of enjoyable and educational activities from which to choose for both classroom and music teachers.  Your students will discover the exciting world of jazz music and will be beboppin’ and scatting with the cool cats in no time with Jazz Mosaic!

Play Along With the Band by Janet Day and Tom Anderson

          Build your own classroom band with ten play-along jammin’ music styles! From country, bluegrass, jazz and blues to reggae, rock, surf and more, there is something for everyone! A variety of reproducible instrument parts are included for recorder, mallet instruments, unpitched percussion and body percussion, so everyone can join in. This flexible series, with suggestions for lower and upper grades, teaches rhythm reading, music notation reading, steady beat, teamwork and ensemble playing. The enclosed CD offers audio-style tracks, with and without the classroom instrument parts for instruction and performance options. This enhanced CD also offers PDFs of the classroom instrument parts to project or print, and a full teacher score to keep the band together!

The holidays are almost over, and the second half of the school year is upon us.  For many excited 3rd and 4th grade music students, that means it’s recorder time!  Whether this is your first or thirty-first year teaching recorder, take time to investigate some new resources.  Use these to supplement your current method, or try something entirely new!

 Essential Elements for Recorder by Clements, Lavender and Menghini

         Does your district’s band and/or orchestra staff use the popular “Essential Elements” series?  If so, they will thank you for using this great method for your recorder instruction.  The Essential Elements Classroom Method for Recorder is designed for today’s classroom, including easy-to-use technology features that enhance the learning experience for any teaching situation. Essential Elements for Recorder can be an effective tool for introducing or reinforcing general music concepts, as an introduction to ensemble performance (band, orchestra, and choir), or individual or small group instruction.  Also available is the Essential Elements For Recorder Kit, with 10 books, 10 recorders and 1 classroom accompaniment CD for just $69.99!

In the B-A-G by Janet Day

Keep recorder interest high with this crafty collection of eight reproducible songs that will reinforce the first three notes taught in most recorder methods. Your young performers will also be exposed to a variety of musical styles from swing,salsa and reggae to rock and roll, Latin and rap. Put together your own ensemble with the reproducible accompanying parts included for Orff and percussion instruments and piano.  An enhanced CD is included with hip recordings, with and without the recorder part, to accompany the simpler, age-appropriate recorder parts, plus PDFs of the printed recorder parts for overhead projection.

Ready, Set, Play: Recorder Rock by Timothy Adams

          Rev up your recorder lessons and repertoire with this collection of fifteen pieces for beginning and intermediate recorder students. Building on the “Ready, Set, Play” formula, Tim Adams will guide you and your students through his classroom-tested teaching process, beginning with engaging pre-teaching activities, progressing to score study, and finally moving to performance. Each piece features reproducible scores, performance and accompaniment tracks, and teaching suggestions.

Recorder Rumble by Jeanette Morgan

         Have you ever thought that there should be a more interesting way to assess your recorder players? Want to take away all of the stress and anxiety of playing solo? “Recorder Rumble” is the answer! This interactive resource includes six levels–complete with 24 four-beat examples in each–with two playing options: choose the collaborative game of chance that encourages students to work together to prepare the examples; or have them sight-read melodic patterns in the Lightning Round. Levels range from beginning pitches and rhythms to more advanced combinations, and printable practice guides are available. Simply let the software take the lead, and your students will have so much fun that they won’t even know that they’re being assessed! Multi-use and site licenses are available.

Poetry can be a great tool to teach your music students about rhythm, meter, and composition.  If you find the prospect of teaching poetry scary or intimidating, check out these new resources to turn you and your students on to this amazing art form!

Sound Poems-By Cristi Cary Miller

Enjoy more interactive listening and reading fun with Sound Poems! Give your students the opportunity to experience classic poetry, famous speeches and documents of history like never before! These 18 reproducible poems contain highlighted words that, when read, indicate special instrumental sounds and rhythmic motifs are to be played by your students. If you don’t have all the instruments suggested, substitute or consider body percussion. There are many choices to create your presentation. The teaching suggestions provide a framework for instruction, but can be manipulated to best fit your students abilities. The enclosed CD-ROM offers projectable and printable options. You can read the poem or select several of your students to read. And don t forget about the possibility of acting out these poems. It will only make the experience richer for your students as well as add a lot of enjoyment. Doesn’t this “sound” like fun? You bet!

Poetic License by Mari Schay

Helping your students to compose quality melodies and arrangements can be quite a challenge. But thanks to the ingenious approach outlined in “Poetic License,” your students will become thoughtful composers able to take pride in their compositions. The step-by-step, reproducible worksheets in this resource will guide your students to turn poems into songs. As your students work to compose pleasant and singable melodies, duets, and arrangements, they will also learn to count intervals, create chords, and explore expressive techniques. You won’t want to miss this unique resource, complete with eighteen reproducible compositional worksheets, organized by concept and difficulty.  Appropriate for grades 2-6.

Looking for more great resources for the music classroom?  Call Stanton’s at 1-800-426-8742 and ask to speak with one of our knowledgeable staff members!

Alfred Music Publishing has a great set of six computer games on one CD-ROM to teach beginning music theory to  youngsters.  For example, in “Name That Key”, the child identifies the piano key the ladybug is sitting on.  Other games involving note values and identification, music symbols, and intervals are included in “Music Games“.  Whether your child is “picking apples” or helping the frog cross the river safely,   he/she is learning new skills for a lifetime of music.  This CD-ROM is for ages seven and up and works for either Windows or MAC. For more information about this CD-ROM or other materials that teach music theory for children, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Scales and chords and arpeggios, oh my!   How often have we heard someone lament that scales are “hard”?  Well, tedious, maybe, but scales don’t have to be “hard”.  Scales are all about patterns, and once the pattern is clear, building scales becomes much easier.   Chords are all about patterns, too.  Learn the patterns, and unlock the door.  Knowing scales well means that no matter what key you are in, you are not in unfamiliar territory.  Knowing the keys and scales intimately saves the player’s sanity.   That key signature change becomes a road sign, not a speed bump or barricade.  We speak our native language fluently, and when we know our scales and chords well, we speak music fluently.  For more information about The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadences,  or other similiar products, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit our website at http://www.stantons.com.  Shop Stanton‘s for all your sheet music needs.

It’s never too early to start planning for spring performances!  Whether you’re looking for a meaningful message, familiar tunes, or a hilarious script, Stanton’s has something for every one.  Check out these new musicals that will motivate and excite both you and your students!

Big Beautiful Planet by Raffi, arr. Mark Brymer

It’s up to me, it’s up to you.  Help this planet earth to stay evergreen, everblue! These words from popular children’s songwriter, Raffi, celebrate our earth – our home, and the importance of working together to take care of it.  Share this message and make a difference in your school and community this year!  This 15-minute revue can be performed in the classroom or on stage. It  features five songs by Raffi, piano/vocal arrangements with simple movement suggestions, reproducible singer parts and short connecting narrations you can easily adapt for groups of varying sizes.  Suggested for grades 2-4.

Summer Camp by John Jacobson and Mac Huff

Welcome to Camp Runamok and the wackiest summer camp experience you could ever wish for!  This musical has everything you love and fear about the summer camp experience, from the morning routine to corny camp skits and the ultimate talent show.  Put away your technology and allow this nostalgic romp to take you on a journey of finding a place to belong, through the mighty highs and comic lows of Summer Camp! This 40-minute musical features seven original songs, with connecting script and the Teacher Edition is filled with quality performance material including piano/vocal song arrangements and choreography, script, helpful production guide and teaching objectives linked to the National Standards for each song. 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!

At the Bandstand! arr. Sally K Albrecht, Jay Althouse, Andy Beck, and Greg Gilpin

When Rockin’ Robin, host of the hit TV show “At the Bandstand!” announces an on-air dance-off to join the popular Bandstand Kids, Cindy and her gaggle of girlfriends jump at the chance!  But in order to succeed, Cindy will need to out-shine the spoiled daughter of the show’s corporate sponsor.  This easy-to-stage musical is an absolute blast, with familiar ’50s songs, clever characters, and hilarious punch lines to spare!

Swamped! by John Jacobson and John Higgins

The swamp is all a-buzz with party preparations galore!  Naturally, the turtles are running late and Bully the Frog is being a bully.  The frogs have learned a new dance they want to share.  The tadpoles are growing appendages (yikes!) and the dragonfly larvae need encouragement to spread their wings and fly.  Lessons of friendship, tolerance, courage to face the future, and more, abound!  This 25-minute musical party features five original songs and easy-to-learn rhyming dialog with over 40 speaking parts.  The enhanced Teacher Edition with Singer CD-ROM includes piano/vocal arrangements with choreography, helpful production guide with staging and costume suggestions, teaching objectives linked to the National Standards for each song, PLUS reproducible singer parts on the enclosed CD-ROM.

Prime Time Nursery Rhymes by Jill and Michael Gallina

Prime Time Nursery Rhymes gives an exciting new twist to four favorite nursery rhymes, and re-imagines them in song!  Crack up with Humpty Dumpty as Old King Cole recites the story of his terrible fall and laugh along with the dog as Little Miss Muffet describes how the cow jumped over the moon, all told in an easy rhyming script.  You’ll be tapping your shoes and dancing along with the Little Old Woman’s children as these witty and comical characters sing each other’s stories like you’ve never heard them before!  This budget-stretching Classroom Kit is perfect for use in Grades K-2.  It contains a reproducible unison collection and an Enhanced StudioTrax CD that includes accompaniment and performance tracks, poster, program, composers info, as well as costuming, staging, and performance suggestions.

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

Congratulations! You’ve just accepted the worthy challenge of planning a music festival…so what happens now? If you’re like many festival organizers, you may worry about lacking the time, energy, or experience to pull off a successful event. Relax! Be a Host with the Most is an easy-to-use guide that will help you to get and stay organized by outlining the major elements required in a clear and concise format. Master conductor Eph Ehly offers practical and insightful advice based on his more than fifty years of experience and participation in over 600 music festivals. Also included are reproducible checklists to keep track of the details before, during, and after the festival.

For more information on planning a choral festival, check out our previous blog on how Stanton’s Sheet Music can assist you in providing music for your attendees, or contact us for more information.

Technology is a huge part of today’s education landscape.  Even as other parts of the budget are cut, technology coordinators are often eager and able to help teachers purchase software that provides tools for data-driven assessment, facilitates student-led learning and provides materials that can be used again and again.  Stanton’s loves these new resources for using your computer and interactive white board to enhance music learning.  Talk to your district’s technology coordinator today about purchasing some of these amazing products!

Interactive Music Tools by Cristi Cary Miller

Demonstrate and assess with projectable sight and sound keyboard visuals!  Discover dozens of ways to use these handy interactive graphics in your classroom, all set in a user-friendly PDF format that uses Adobe Reader 9.0 or higher.  Six visuals are presented on the CD-ROM in the Keys of C, F, G diatonic and pentatonic.  Play different patterns of sound as others watch and listen.  Show steps and skips, high and low, ascending and descending patterns, and much more.  Demonstrate a simple ostinato accompaniment so everyone can see and hear the pattern before transferring it to a pitched classroom instrument.  Invite students to compose a pentatonic accompaniment on the spot!  Also included are helpful suggestions by master music educator Cristi Cary Miller on more ways to use these projectable sound graphics to reinforce music theory, ear training and assessment.  You’ll want to keep these great visual learning tools at your fingertips.  Minimize 1 or more of the keyboard graphics on your whiteboard or computer desktop for instant access throughout the day.  Great for all your visual learners!  Appropriate for grades K-6.

Luigi’s Listening Lab by Christi Cary Miller and John Jacobson

Come on, all you listening ears out there!  Join Maestro Luigi and his trusted baton for a multimedia study of some of the great masterworks by Franz Josef Haydn, Camille Saint-Saens, Henry Mancini, George Gershwin, John Williams and more!  Luigi’s Baton will entertain with recorded fun facts about the composers and their writings, and students will become actively engaged with full-color maps while listening to quality orchestral recordings.  A Digital Student Edition comes with the Teacher Edition, so you can project or print from your computer!  This enclosed student CD-ROM features projectable full-color listening maps with embedded audio recordings and Luigi’s story tracks, so you can listen and watch with a single click – all set in a user-friendly PDF format that uses Adobe Reader 9.0 or higher.  There are also printable black/white stories and maps.  The Teacher Edition offers easy-to-present lesson plans linked to the National Standards for all the material. Make sure to put this incredible interactive resource on your must have list!

Mi in the Middle by Phyllis Thomas

Designed specifically for developing choirs, this collection of eight interactive units will introduce your singers to the tonic triad and require them to use their knowledge in a variety of sight-singing and aural-identification activities.  Activities include note names, solfège, and pitch numbers so that you can tailor them to your preferred system, and lessons are designed for whole-class and student-led instruction.  Additional customizable files and printable resources provide even more learning opportunities for you and your students.  Multi-use and site licenses are available.  For grades 5-8.

Music Madness! by Artie Almeida

In her tradition of “heavy academics, delivered joyfully,” Artie is more excited than ever to bring you this collection of interactive games for use with interactive whiteboards as well as any computer capable of running Adobe Flash. Your students will love the incredible graphics, engaging animation, and fast-paced competition, while clearly stated learning goals, leveled play, and individual and team options will provide you with countless ways to use this software in your music classroom. Multi-use and site licenses are available.

For more information on these and other great technology products, contact us at Stanton’s Sheet Music today!

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!

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.

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!

Welcome your elementary choir back to school with one of these great choral octavos, as featured on Stanton’s Elementary General Music Clinic with Cristi Cary Miller:

Go Down Moses arr. Vicki Tucker Courtney
We never tire of singing this time-honored spiritual favorite! Courtney’s jazzy 2-part accompanied arrangement incorporates appealing rhythmic elements flavored with exhilarating melodies. Appropriate for concert or festival use.

Here Is Music for You by Victor C. Johnson
Two classics come together in this setting of verse by Robert Louis Stevenson with the famous canon melody “Music Alone Shall Live.” Perfect for your youngest choirs, it will help you teach all the important choral skills as well as create a beautiful concert moment!

I Let Her Go-Go arr. Douglas Beam
This cheerful song is a Caribbean circle game from Trinidad and Tobago arranged for young voices and piano or classroom instruments. The octavo includes directions for playing the game and the setting will nicely complement Kodaly and Orff curricula as well as being an excellent addition to children’s choral repertoire.

I’m Flying arr. Sally K. Albrecht
No 2-part choir will be able to resist singing this adorable, high-flying favorite from the musical “Peter Pan.” Exceptional fun for everyone! Away we go!

Rattlin’ Bog arr. Cristi Cary Miller
Here’s a jaunty setting of the traditional cumulative Irish folksong that uses spoken phrases, body percussion and a few surprises to create a fun and clever concert piece for young singers.

The Swing by Greg Gilpin
A mostly step-wise melody soon becomes a canon in this playfully poetic piece written expressly for 2-part treble singers. Near the end, a gentle and expressive moment brings out the thoughtful text. Delightful.

For more exciting elementary choral resources, please contact us!

Kids are very motivated by the prospect of earning prizes for class work.  Stanton’s has a line of  music related gift items that make great prizes!  From 40-cent pencils and up, there is something for everyone.  We have sheets of shiny Mylar stickers.  Each sheet has over 40 stickers, $2.95 per sheet.  There are sticky pads of about 20 pages for $1.98.  They are shaped like a grand piano, a pair of notes, or a page of blank staff paper.  Flat refrigerator magnets cost $1.50. There are violin magnets, keyboard, and “Got Music?” designs.

Do your students earn points so they can “buy” their prizes?  Do you reward them for a specific task they complete? Check out our gift line, and stock up your classroom “treasure chest”!  For more information about our gift line or music books, call 1-800-42-MUSIC or email us.  Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Vocalize! by Andy Beck is an invaluable new vocal resource from Alfred Music Publishing. Each exercise is designed to reinforce fundamental vocal concepts for choral and solo singers of any age. Organized in 11 focused categories, the purpose of every warm-up is evident, and clearly-stated directions optimize growth. Supportive piano accompaniments, including progressive modulations, are lightly-orchestrated on the enclosed recording – perfect for ensemble rehearsals, studio lessons, or at-home practice. As an added bonus, PDF files on the enhanced CD provide extracted vocal lines on reproducible singer pages. This is an instructional book you will use again and again!

For more vocal resources for choirs or private study, call Stanton’s at 1.800.426.8742!

The human voice expresses more than words, more than music. Vocal expression links the listener directly to another person’s inner feelings, body, and soul.

Keeping the voice healthy used to be as mysterious as the power of voice itself. Modern science has revealed much about the vocal mechanism and its health requirements, but simple information for the average voice user has remained hard to find and harder to trust. In Everyday Voice Care: The Lifestyle Guide for Singers and Talkers, respected voice therapist Joanna Cazden brings together a wealth of practical tips and advice to help keep your own expressive voice in top working order.

Drawing from her experience as a singer, theater artist, and a licensed speech pathologist who has treated more than 1,000 voice patients, Cazden integrates up-to-date medical information with common-sense suggestions and sympathy for the demands of contemporary life. Chapters on food and drink, cold remedies, loud parties, travel, fitness routines, and when to see a doctor are complemented by notes on alternative health care and the spiritual dimension of vocal rest. This invaluable resource for voice and speech professionals, students, and teachers will answer even the age-old question of whether to put lemon or honey in your tea.

For more valuable vocal resources, contact Stanton’s at 1.800.426.8742.

At one point or another in their career, most choral directors face the challenge of getting enough male singers into their ensembles. In the entertaining DVD Where the Boys Are: Recruiting, Engaging and Maintaining Those Tenors and Basses, experienced educator Christine Bass presents great ideas for building up the male membership in your choirs. What brings them in the door? What gets them engaged in great singing and what keeps them singing? These practical ideas (from a director who has grown her choirs from 11 young men to 100!) will help to bring those singers through your doors!

More ideas from Christine Bass can be found in her first DVD, Vocal Transformation, or visit the DVDs & Videos portion of our website.  Shop Stanton’s for your sheet music needs!