News & Views Thursday, June 20, 2013

There seems to always be something new happening at Stanton’s. Last year at this time, we were excited for the launch of our new website, which is actually three websites in one: our main site (stantons.com), digital delivery website (digitaldelivery.stantons.com) and, what seems to be our fan favorite, the Stanton’s Listening Library (listeninglab.stantons.com). The new website gave us the ability to offer increased communication and enhanced technology and features for our customers—helping to make the online shopping experience more similar to live shopping in our store!

On our main site, you can easily access our Twitter, Facebook and WordPress feeds and view our most recent posts right on the homepage. All three of these external networks allow you to communicate directly with our creative staff. In each of the 13 main categories, such as Orchestra Music, the tabs on the right side of the screen allow us to easily display staff picks and seasonal materials, and keep our recommendations current with your programming needs.

We have continued to make improvements to our site, even after the initial launch. We added a predictive search to our search engine so that you can find the exact title you need more quickly. A “Wishlist” feature makes it easy for you to build and name multiple lists of items that can be printed, shared or exported to help you plan your concert and your budget. We have fine-tuned our shipping estimator to give you a realistic expectation of what shipping will cost, so there are no surprises. Our Current Promotions and Clinics pages received face lifts, and we added a “Quick Order” feature for when you’ve already collected your catalog numbers and quantities  and just want to complete your order as fast as possible.

Many of these ongoing improvements were suggested directly by you–our customers!  With the “feedback” button at the bottom of each page of the website, customers have let us know if something wasn’t working quite right so our programmers can narrow down and fix any glitches quickly. Thank you for helping to make our site a useful, user-friendly resource for musicians and music educators, and thank you for choosing Stanton’s Sheet Music for all your sheet music purchases. We welcome your continued feedback as we add more enhanced features in the year to come!

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

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

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

The 2012 OMEA Professional Conference is just around the corner.  In addition to being a great way to recharge during this long period of the school year and the camaraderie of being around friends and colleagues, it is also a great place to discover new music, learn new teaching techniques, and discover new tools to enhance teaching and learning in your classroom.  The instrumental staff at Stanton’s is pleased to highlight some of the items being featured at this year’s conference. 

Composer and co-author of the Sound Innovations band method, Robert Sheldon will be presenting sessions including Fix It Now: Techniques for Creating Immediate and Significant Improvement in Your Rehearsal, Writing Music for Winds and Percussion, and Preparing Your Ensemble for Expressive Performance.

Composer and co-author of the Tradition of Excellence band method, Ryan Nowlin will highlight approaches for starting beginners, lesson planning, and using the technology and enrichment features of the T.O.E. book during his session, Teaching Band with Excellence: Achieving the Most in Every Lesson.

Conducting takes center stage in Practical Score Preparation Strategies for the Harried Instrumental Conductor by Gary Stith (author of Score Rehearsal Preparation), and Be the Music: Non-Verbal Gestures, Pedagogical and Musical Thoughts and Ideas for the Conductor by Stephen Gage combining the pedagogical approaches of Laban, Green, and Lisk (Conductor, Teacher, Leader; The Musical Mind of the Creative Director).

There are many technology-related sessions featuring Finale notation software including Finale Top Ten; Using Finale and SmartMusic Together to Easily Maximize Your Results; Finale and SmartMusic in Action with HS Band Students; and Using Finale in Music Education, and the sessions/discussions with Sousa historian/Fillmore biographer and Columbus resident Paul Bierley (Hallelujah Trombone), Sam Pilafian (Breathing Gym Live for Band, Orchestra, and Chorus), and Tom Batiuk, cartoonist/creator of Funky Winkerbean, are sure to be both entertaining and informative.

For more information about the sessions, visit the searchable schedule on the OMEA website, and visit Stantons.com, Stanton’s OMEA booth, or stop by the store while you’re in Columbus to purchase any of the titles listed above.  We look forward to seeing you February 16-18!

In-stock and ready to ship, Stanton’s is pleased to present “Interactive NOW” from Heritage Music Press.

Interactive NOW
Using your interactive whiteboard just got a whole lot easier! Each volume contains ten interactive lessons is designed specifically for use in the K–5 music education classroom. Developed by music educators Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas, these exciting materials are student tested and proven to be effective in teaching music concepts. Available for SMART Board (vol 1, 2, 3, 4) or Promethean (vol 1, 2, 3, 4).

For more details on these or other classroom music products, contact us!

Do you have access to a SmartBoard for your elementary music classes? Stanton’s is now carrying a groundbreaking series of SmartBoard tools created by teachers, Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas, that will help you get the most out of your lessons!

SmartBoard Now, Volume 1
Using your interactive whiteboard just got a whole lot easier! This collection of ten interactive lessons is designed specifically for use in the K-5 music education classroom. Developed by music educators Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas, these exciting materials are student tested and proven to be effective in teaching music concepts. Lesson topics include: beginning notation, steady beat, and audiation, rondo form, pitches of the treble staff, reading and singing sol, mi, and la from a three-line staff, writing your own ostinato, beginning dictation and more!

SmartBoard Now, Volume 2
Harness your students' love of the interactive whiteboard and expand their learning opportunities with this set of ten original lessons from notable educators and IWB aficionados Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas. Lesson topics include: concepts of sound/no sound, reading rhythms with iconic notation, using a hand staff to teach and compose with melodic notation, reinforcing rhythmic notation and more!

SmartBoard Now, Volume 3
Get in on the action and build your interactive whiteboard repertoire with this engaging set of activities from creators Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas. They continue their run of best-selling interactive blockbusters with several classroom games, and lesson topics including: dynamics, composing your own sol-mi melodies, ABA form, tempo and more!

SmartBoard Now, Volume 4
Are your students clamoring for more interactive whiteboard lessons? We're here for you! Debbie Anderson and Phyllis Thomas have listened to your feedback about their first three volumes of lessons and have created another set to fit your teaching needs. As always, they tested these lessons in their classrooms, and they passed with flying colors! In this volume you will find the following lesson topics: basic melodic and rhythmic notation and principles, conducting, stick notation, meter and more!

DooZie
A Musical Dice Game
Debbie Anderson, creator of numerous best-selling lessons for interactive whiteboards, presents this competitive game featuring note values. If your students love Yahtzeeâ„¢, they'll have a blast with DooZie. And, best of all, everything that's needed is right at your fingertips. Pop the disc into your computer and your students can start playing today!

For more information on these and other classroom music products, contact us!

On Wednesday, June 8th, Stanton’s launched its brand new, redesigned website to the public! After a year of planning, site design graphics and new programming, Stanton’s is proud to debut its newest creation. Â The new website is actually three websites in one: Stanton’s main homepage–built for everyone to use and encompassing most everything a musician would want to see, the Stanton’s Digital Delivery page–for customers who want music instantly and don’t mind music not having a cover or fancy artwork, and Stanton’s Listening Library–designed especially for music educators looking for product recordings to help in building their concerts and programs.

In developing the new website, Stanton’s focused on enhancing communication with the customer, including suggestions of new products, timely recommendations and ease of use in navigating the website. To help highlight new products, Stanton’s incorporated its social networking features–our Facebook page, WordPress blog and Twitter feed–directly onto the website. Many of our recommendations are written and published daily, so the website’s new design layout displays the latest articles, postings and tweets using RSS feeds directly from the networks!

Throughout the redesigned website is an ever changing list of new products hot off the presses! There are multiple flash viewers that display the latest new products for customers to see.  Also designed into each of the main categories is an area with click-able “tabs” that allows the Stanton’s staff to present events, products, features, staff picks, favorites, seasonal suggestions, best sellers, videos, or anything that we feel relates best to our customers. Â Each of these main category pages is specific to a particular musical focus–like “Orchestra Music“–and as the seasons change, so do the subjects and suggestions in this area. We’re very excited about this new feature, allowing Stanton’s the flexibility to be ever evolving.

We’d be so honored if you would take the time to explore our new site and provide us with some feedback–we hope that you’ll find it makes your shopping experience even easier!

Wondering how you, the music teacher, can get in on that technology grant money? Here are some great resources for finding ways to incorporate computers and more to enhance your elementary music lessons:

Mr. Zig’s Literacy, Music & Technology Connection   
By Zig Wajler
This is an outstanding resource for K-12 teachers seeking to integrate technology and the arts. Learn the process of creating, composing, recording, and producing a song. Includes a CD “Loop Library” and reproducible pages. Incorporates MENC’s National Standards for Music Education.

Technology Integration in the Elementary Music Classroom
by Amy M. Burns
Technology Integration in the Music Classroom is a landmark resource for elementary school teachers who wish to enhance their curriculum with the excitement of music technology. The lessons can be adapted and used in a general classroom setting with one computer, or in a classroom where the music teacher transports the materials “on a cart.” Support audio files, MIDI files, and other electronic documents can be accessed for free through a dedicated web site. Includes a glossary and index.

Integrating Technology with Music Instruction
By Greg Foreman and Kyle Pace
A comprehensive guide to implementing technology within the music classroom, Integrating Technology with Music Instruction offers practical strategies for utilizing technology to increase student learning, motivation and engagement and provide opportunities for essential music skills to be effectively taught and retained. Teachers will also learn how to reduce administrative obligations and explore professional growth opportunities. Incorporates MENC’s National Standards for Music Education

A Wide World of WebVisits
Jeanette Morgan
Cross the curriculum bridge with these easy-to-use, multi-faceted lessons based around music websites and written by a team of master educators including Artie Almeida and Patricia Bourne. A perfect resource for music appreciation classes, these lessons will enable your students to explore everything from African music and rare instruments like Benjamin Franklin's glass armonica to world-class orchestras and arts organizations without ever stepping out of the classroom. From ten-minute “excursions” to full-blown units, you will surely find a “WebVisit” suited to your particular needs and curricular goals.

For more great recommendations, contact Stanton’s today!

That’s right, free WIFI for Stanton’s Sheet Music customers! Bring your wireless device right into the store and log on. You’re thinking, “that’s all well and good but now what?” Well, here’s the really cool thing! We’re very proud of the vast quantity of sound files (36,297 at last count) in our listening library. Our customers can now shop anywhere in the store and listen to the musical arrangement they happen to be looking at! Plug your earbuds into your iPhone, iPad or Android, log on to the free WIFI and you’re good to go! No more waiting in line to use the CD player, cassette tape player or the turntable (turntable - what the heck is a turntable!!!).

Stanton’s Sheet Music… always on the cutting edge!

2010 is a very exciting year for us here at Stanton's Sheet Music - we're celebrating our 50th Anniversary!  Founded in August of 1960 by Columbus, Ohio native John Stanton, Stanton's Sheet Music has grown over the last 50 years from a humble “mom and pop” storefront to our current status as one of the largest sheet music retailers in the country.  We are fortunate to have become a valuable and trusted resource for musicians because of our commitment to quality products and personal customer service; a commitment we continue to build upon.

For a retrospective look at where we've come from (and where we're heading in the future), check out our video below.  Thanks to our wonderful family of customers, we've enjoyed an amazing and successful 50 year history, and we look forward to continuing to serve all your sheet music needs for the next 50 years!

Are you thinking about trying a new band or string method for your beginners next year? Come to Stanton's Sheet Music THIS SATURDAY, June 19th for a FREE presentation/demonstration of Alfred Music Publishing's newest, ground-breaking methods: Sound Innovations for Band and Sound Innovations for Strings.

Developed and written by Dave Black, Peter Boonshaft, Bob Phillips and Robert Sheldon, this new method won both the “Best Tools for Schools” and “Best in Show” awards at the 2010 NAMM show. Sound Innovations can be customized to your teaching preferences, giving you choices in pedagogy, tunes and enrichment, and includes instrument specific mp3 and DVD components.

This workshop is free of charge, so bring your collegues and come by. We look forward to seeing you!

SOUND INNOVATIONS WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 19th 2010
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Stanton's Sheet Music, James E. Strouse Workshop Hall
330 South Fourth Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Are you thinking about trying a new band or string method for your beginners next year? Come to Stanton's Sheet Music on Saturday, June 19th for a FREE presentation/demonstration of Alfred Music Publishing's newest, ground-breaking methods: Sound Innovations for Band and Sound Innovations for Strings.

Developed and written by Dave Black, Peter Boonshaft, Bob Phillips and Robert Sheldon, this new method won both the “Best Tools for Schools” and “Best in Show” awards at the 2010 NAMM show. Sound Innovations can be customized to your teaching preferences, giving you choices in pedagogy, tunes and enrichment, and includes instrument specific mp3 and DVD components.

This workshop is free of charge, but please register online to help us plan accordingly. We look forward to seeing you!

SOUND INNOVATIONS WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 19th 2010
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Stanton's Sheet Music, James E. Strouse Workshop Hall
330 South Fourth Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Are you thinking about trying a new band or string method for your beginners next year? Come to Stanton's Sheet Music on Saturday, June 19th for a FREE presentation/demonstration of Alfred Music Publishing's newest, ground-breaking methods: Sound Innovations for Band and Sound Innovations for Strings.

Developed and written by Dave Black, Peter Boonshaft, Bob Phillips and Robert Sheldon, this new method won both the “Best Tools for Schools” and “Best in Show” awards at the 2010 NAMM show. Sound Innovations can be customized to your teaching preferences, giving you choices in pedagogy, tunes and enrichment, and includes instrument specific mp3 and DVD components.

This workshop is free of charge, but please register online to help us plan accordingly. We look forward to seeing you!

SOUND INNOVATIONS WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 19th 2010
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Stanton's Sheet Music, James E. Strouse Workshop Hall
330 South Fourth Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Founded in 2005, YouTube has revolutionized the way information is shared through video on the internet.  The first complete music educators' guide to harnessing the power of YouTube for students, YouTube in Music Education teaches instructors how to tap into the excitement of YouTube with students by creating, posting, and promoting videos on the most popular media service in the world.  Explaining how to record and edit videos, add effects, and upload content, Dr. Tom Rudolph and Dr. James Frankel describe everything from the basics of video production to advanced applications for use in the classroom.

The authors explain how teachers can use YouTube privately with their students and integrate it with websites and blogs.  Educators can use YouTube for applications that include creating instrument and software tutorials, evaluating group and individual performances, sharing content with students, and many other uses.  This book includes more than 50 strategies for integrating YouTube into the music curriculum and tutorials on video and audio production and preparing and uploading content.

Take advantage of some free time this summer with YouTube in Music Education - your teaching style may never be the same!  For more valuable teaching resources, please contact us.

We want to thank everyone who has navigated to our website over the last 15 years. That’s right, we had our 1st site up on the Internet that Al Gore created (snicker…chuckle) in 1995. Thanks in large part to our customers, the website has evolved exponentially and continues to improve. To that end, our crack team of Internet aces meets biweekly for intense brainstorming sessions. Our Listening Library has won rave reviews from users around the world and the Digital Download activity increases daily.
Stay tuned over the summer because we’re getting ready to unleash the latest incarnation of stantons.com on the world!

Looking for more ways to stay informed on the latest Stanton's store news? You can always bookmark this blog and come back often, or you can follow us on twitter or facebook.

Through both of these “instant access” forums, we're always posting fun music facts and videos, as well as updating you when there are special events or free promotional items available in our store.

When you can't call or stop in the store, we hope you'll take advantage of all the ways that we work to give you a personalized Stanton's experience online!

Need a lesson plan for your Advanced Recorder class.  How about transcribing Michael Brecker solos…

Dig the left-handed recorder, too. 

Even though this recorder version is not available in print, the Best of the Brecker Brothers, Michael Brecker Transcriptions, and The Michael Brecker Collection artist transcription books, as well as Jamey Aebersold play-along Vol. 83 The Brecker Brothers are available from Stanton’s.