News & Views Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Shelter Me: An Original Rock Oratorio by Jacob Ryan Smith
“Shelter Me” is more than just music – it is a call to empathy, action, and understanding. Structured in the tradition of an oratorio, this work blends the storytelling power of soloists, chorus, and instruments with the raw energy and emotional depth of rock music.

Through driving rhythms, lush melodies, and honest, unfiltered lyrics, “Shelter Me” amplifies the voices of our unhoused neighbors, weaving their stories into a compelling musical narrative. This work challenges us all to see, feel, and respond – not as distant observers, but as engaged members of a shared human experience.

May this music spark deeper connections and ignite conversations that lead to lasting change.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

recommended by Jen Sper, School Choral Music Specialist

Choral Repertoire by Women Composers edited by Hilary Apfelstadt
In recent years, the choral profession has become especially mindful of recognizing a broad spectrum of composers, but scholarly materials have not kept pace. In fact, a survey of the available academic writings on choral music reveals a startling lack of information about women composers.

“Choral Repertoire by Women Composers” addresses this gap by highlighting the lives and music of more than 200 women choral composers spanning different time periods and geographic locations. Their choral works – expressive, compelling, and innovative – represent a diversity of styles and are suitable for choirs of varied ages and experience. Nearly 2,000 unique works are listed in this edition.

Though impossible to include every deserving composer and piece, this timely volume covers considerable ground, spotlighting the important contributions women composers have made to choral music throughout history and across the world.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Author:
Jen Sper is a Choral Music Specialist here at Stanton’s Sheet Music. A native of Cincinnati, she holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College (now University) Conservatory of Music, and taught 7-12 choir, music theory, class piano, and drama in Southern Ohio before joining the Stanton’s team in 2006. An active choral singer and accompanist throughout the Central Ohio area, Jen can also often be found exploring the exciting restaurant, brewery, and theater scenes in Columbus, wandering through the local metro parks, visiting family around the Great Lakes, or at home with her very friendly cat.

Sight Reading Music for Ohio Music Education Association Adjudicated Events by Thomas More Scott, PhD
NOW AVAILABLE exclusively from Stanton’s Sheet Music are the choral sight reading materials as prepared for official OMEA Large Group Adjudicated Events. Each reproducible digital book includes all of the pieces for the event (AA-A-B-C, Mixed-Treble-Tenor/Bass) and is licensed for use by the purchasing school. Now available are books for 2024 State events, 2025 District events, and 2025 State events – and future books will be available in the coming years!

IN PERSON WORKSHOPS WITH THE COMPOSER!
Work to improve your choir’s sight reading skills with a valuable workshop with the composer, Dr. Thomas More Scott! Developing sight reading ability in your choirs helps students learn music faster, gives them more musical confidence, and makes singing fun! Dr. Scott will come work with your students at your school, and their sight reading skills are sure to improve.

Dr. Scott received his Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting under Richard Mathey at Bowling Green State University, where sight reading was the subject of his Master’s thesis. He earned a Ph.D. in music theory and composition and began composing the choral sight reading music for OMEA Large Group Adjudicated Events in 2024.

For scheduling and pricing information for workshops with Dr. Scott, please contact him directly (440-227-2696 or morzhe@windstream.net).

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Rare Recital Treasures Book 1 ed. Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield & Kevin Chance
“Rare Recital Treasures,” selected and edited by Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield and Kevin Chance, is a three-book anthology showcasing lesser-known piano repertoire from all style periods. This series features works by both renowned and newly discovered composers, enriching the standard teaching literature with a diverse array of hidden gems.

Book 1 spans the early-intermediate to intermediate levels. This collection offers exceptional music for recitals and auditions, along with composer biographies and valuable pedagogical insights for each piece.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

My Best Performance: Piano Solos by Melody Bober
Whether at a lesson, recital, or at home in front of the family, every piano student wants to give their best performance! It is always fun to have new music that motivates practice and brings enjoyment to everyone: students, teachers and audiences alike.

Available in five volumes: Volume 1 (Early Elementary), Volume 2 (Elementary), Volume 3 (Late Elementary), Volume 4 (Intermediate to Late Intermediate), and Volume 5 (Intermediate to Late Intermediate).

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

SACRED CHORAL READING SESSION
Saturday August 9, 2025
9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Church of the Messiah, 51 N. State Street, Westerville OH 43081
Presented by Mary McDonald
$25.00

Stanton’s is pleased to welcome back Mary McDonald as our clinician for the August Sacred Choral Music reading session. With a career that spans over forty years, her songs appear in the catalogs of every major publisher of church music. More than 1200 compositions through anthems, seasonal musicals and keyboard collections testify to her significant contribution to church music. Her greatest desire is “to give God glory for the songs He has allowed me to compose. He alone, is the true Creator behind my pen.”

In 2011, after serving as sacred music editor for The Lorenz Corporation in Dayton, Ohio for more than twenty years, Mary answered a new call. Now she takes her tremendous passion and love for music making directly to churches as an independent artist. Since then, she has been in constant demand in churches across the nation for composer weekends as well as served as host for many of the top choral music dealer conferences in the United States and Canada.

Your registration for the clinic includes a packet of over 30 new choral anthems that are hand-picked from the hundreds published each year. Please note that there is no pre-registration for this session – all registration will take place on-site beginning at 8:30 a.m. We look forward to seeing you on August 10th for a wonderful morning of singing with one of the nation’s most sought after church music experts.

Contact the Choral Department for more information on the Sacred Choral reading session.

SACRED PIANO READING SESSION
Saturday August 9, 2025
2:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Stanton’s Sheet Music, 330 S. Fourth Street, Columbus OH 43215
Presented by Mary McDonald
$5.00

Join us at Stanton’s Sheet Music for an afternoon of listening to new selections of sacred piano music that will be enjoyable to play in church or at home. Our clinician this year is Mary McDonald.

Contact the Keyboard Department for more information on the Sacred Piano reading session.

recommended by Ken Tilger and Austin Swack, Band Education Specialists

Faithfully arr. Dallas C. Burke, Grade 3
This iconic rock hit from the group Journey makes a great choice to close any show! After an eloquent start, this chart features some big moments from the winds and percussion that will rattle the press box to bring the perfect end to your show!

Born to Run arr. Paul Murtha, Grade 3
Electrify the crowd with this hard rocking classic from The Boss!

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction arr. Paul Murtha, Grade 3
From the moment you hear the classic guitar riff you won’t be able to sit still. Everyone will be singing along to this arrangement of the iconic Rolling Stones hit.

Push It arr. Nick Baratta, Grade 3
One of the most recognizable hooks ever written is the basis for this fresh new arrangement of the classic hip-hop tune from Salt-n-Pepa. Nick Baratta throws in a few new twists, and the strong scoring will make any band sound great!

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Authors:
A former band director, Ken taught grades 5-12 band and music appreciation in both public and parochial schools in Central Ohio, and has been at Stanton’s since 2004. His iPod ranges from jazz and funk to classic and alternative rock, and symphonies. His interests include reading, history, traditional amusement parks, outdoor activities (especially hiking), and watching hockey.

Austin Swack joined the Stanton’s team after a decade of teaching band in Texas public schools, where his ensembles were consistently recognized for superior performance. He is equally at home with beginner and advanced students and has extensive experience programming for ensembles at all ability levels. Additionally, he is a versatile arranger as well as an experienced clinician and adjudicator. In his free time, Austin enjoys running, cycling, and cheering on the Blue Jackets!

Eternal Praise: Sacred Arrangements for Piano and Organ Duet arr. Marianne Kim
Marianne Kim has selected seven anthems from the Beckenhorst catalog and transcribed them for piano and organ duet. These tastefully styled transcriptions, idiomatically written for both instruments, create washes of sound ranging from triumphant and majestic to tender and lyric. Highly recommended for adding color and interest to your worship services, or for sacred concerts.

Titles include: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “Rejoice the Lord is King,” “What Wondrous Love Is This,” “It Is Well With My Soul,” “How Firm a Foundation,” “Give Me Jesus,” and “And Can It Be.”

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

The Summer Portraits by Ludovico Einaudi
Ludovico Einaudi returns with brand new album, “The Summer Portraits.”

“I started to think of my summers, the time when my life was deeply connected with all my senses, where the days felt like months and the months like years, and I was free from morning to night, and every day was a new discovery of life, with nature being a fundamental part of it. We were one with nature.”

“I thought that everyone has their own version of the summer portraits. A beautiful season connected with the best moments of our lives. So I started to make my own paintings with music. This album is dedicated to all our endless summer memories, all our beautiful moments.” – Ludovico Einaudi

This exclusive, official folio presents all 13 pieces from the album in piano solo format. Title include: “Rose Bay,” “Punta Bianca,” “Sequence,” “Pathos,” “To Be Sun,” “Jay,” “In Memory of a Dream,” “In Limine,” “Summer Song,” “Oil on Wood,” “Episode One,” “Maria Callas,” and “Santiago.”

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

A Little Jazz Mass by Bob Chilcott, SAB with piano and optional bass & drum kit
Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, this highly original and effective concert setting of the five-movement Latin Missa brevis embraces a variety of jazz styles. The stylistic piano accompaniment can be played as written or serve as a guide, and bass and drums can join in ad lib, though a notated bass part is also available.

Originally written for SSA treble voices and also available for SATB mixed voices.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

recommended by Ken Tilger and Austin Swack, Band Education Specialists

Art Dedrick: Pioneer in Jazz Education by Jason Dedrick
Art Dedrick co-founded Kendor Music, the first company to publish professional-sounding jazz charts that were playable by students at all skill levels. This book documents his remarkable life overcoming daunting challenges to become a trail blazer in jazz education. It includes interviews with Sammy Nestico, John LaBarbera, Rusty Dedrick and others, as well as photos, news articles and correspondence with colleagues such as Doc Severinsen.

Born on a small farm in Western New York, Dedrick studied music and went on to play trombone and arrange for major big bands, including Red Norvo and Vaughn Monroe. In 1944, he was stricken with polio and had to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Subsequently, he returned to his hometown to teach music, but soon realized there were few good scores for his school dance bands to play, so in 1954, he and two other music teachers founded Kendor Music. Kendor published hundreds of Dedrick’s compositions and arrangements, as well as other jazz greats such as Sammy Nestico, Thad Jones, Phil Woods, Buddy Rich and Toshiko Akiyoshi.

In the late ‘60s, Dedrick launched the Free Design, a pop vocal group consisting of his four oldest children. They recorded seven albums, including their hit single “Kites Are Fun”, and appeared on numerous TV shows such as Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show and the Mike Douglas Show.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Authors:
A former band director, Ken taught grades 5-12 band and music appreciation in both public and parochial schools in Central Ohio, and has been at Stanton’s since 2004. His iPod ranges from jazz and funk to classic and alternative rock, and symphonies. His interests include reading, history, traditional amusement parks, outdoor activities (especially hiking), and watching hockey.

Austin Swack joined the Stanton’s team after a decade of teaching band in Texas public schools, where his ensembles were consistently recognized for superior performance. He is equally at home with beginner and advanced students and has extensive experience programming for ensembles at all ability levels. Additionally, he is a versatile arranger as well as an experienced clinician and adjudicator. In his free time, Austin enjoys running, cycling, and cheering on the Blue Jackets!

Solo Celebration selected and edited by Davis Dorrough
This vibrant, six-book series showcases ten original piano solos in each book, bringing together the creative work of many well-known composers and rising talents. Spanning the early-elementary to late-intermediate levels, “Solo Celebration” highlights a variety of styles with fresh, contemporary elements that spark curiosity and imagination. Composers include W. T. Skye Garcia, Jennifer Linn, Kevin Olson, Wynn-Anne Rossi, and more!

Students thrive when they engage with music that feels relevant and exciting, and teachers appreciate pieces that balance creativity with solid pedagogy. “Solo Celebration” accomplishes both objectives, bringing together the collective efforts of both well-known composers and emerging talents. The works in this series explore a wide variety of styles, many with fresh, contemporary elements that spark curiosity and imagination. Rich with drama and storytelling potential, these pieces help students form meaningful connections with the music and are designed to inspire confident, memorable performances, whether at home or on stage.

Book 1 (Early Elementary) titles include: “Grand Waltz,” “Spooky, the Black Cat,” “Floating in Outer Space,” “Boss Battle,” “Peguin Procession,” “Evening Path,” “Video Game Time,” “Little Lucky,” “Game Day,” and “Sunrise.”

Book 2 (Elementary) titles include: “Pirate’s Secret Hideout,” “Come Dance with Me,” “Robo March,” “Under the Mango Tree,” “My Sasquatch,” “Tiptoe Power,” “I Like Ice Cream,” “Baseball Rocks!,” “Lost in the Labyrinth,” and “Celestial Lullaby.”

Book 3 (Late Elementary) titles include: “Blues for Mr. Gershwin,” “T. Rex Goes for a Stroll,” “Sassy Cat,” “At the Aquarium,” “Finger Fiesta,” “Prelude to a Storm,” “Crash Toccatina,” “Rock It!,” “Rodeo’n,” and “Desert Mirage.”

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

recommended by Ken Tilger and Austin Swack, Band Education Specialists

We’re Back (from Moana 2) arr. Matt Conaway, Grade 3
A grooving arrangement of the hit song from the smash hit Disney sequel that will be a favorite of your percussion section. Also a great choice for parades.

Beetlejuice (Main Theme) arr. Michael Brown, Grade 3
This arrangement of the iconic and playfully spooky theme from the classic film will be a crowd favorite either during halftime or in the stands.

Songs from WICKED arr. Matt Conaway, Grade 2
The smash Broadway sensation has been brought back into the spotlight with the hit movie series. This collection of songs will make the perfect field show. Includes:
No One Mourns the Wicked / Dancing Through Life
For Good
The Wizard and I
Defying Gravity

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

About the Authors:
A former band director, Ken taught grades 5-12 band and music appreciation in both public and parochial schools in Central Ohio, and has been at Stanton’s since 2004. His iPod ranges from jazz and funk to classic and alternative rock, and symphonies. His interests include reading, history, traditional amusement parks, outdoor activities (especially hiking), and watching hockey.

Austin Swack joined the Stanton’s team after a decade of teaching band in Texas public schools, where his ensembles were consistently recognized for superior performance. He is equally at home with beginner and advanced students and has extensive experience programming for ensembles at all ability levels. Additionally, he is a versatile arranger as well as an experienced clinician and adjudicator. In his free time, Austin enjoys running, cycling, and cheering on the Blue Jackets!

Kindness: A Chorale and Fugue in the Baroque Tradition by Mark Hayes
If you enjoy singing Baroque music and value the importance of kindness, courage and compassion, this new 30 minute through-composed work by Mark Hayes for chorus, soprano and tenor soloists and orchestra is for you.

Drawing from the writings of ancient and contemporary authors, the original text of “Kindness,” written by Hayes, seeks to answer the question, “How then shall we live, especially in a world that seems so dysfunctional?” The answer: live with kindness, courage and compassion. When we are joined as one in our pursuit of these values, we can make a lasting impact. To quote Margaret Mead, “Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world.”

“Kindness” is set in the Baroque tradition and features an original chorale tune with three separate texts, a fugue, both conventional and retrograde, recitative-like sections for the soprano and tenor soloists and extensive instrumental interludes. As a nod to Baroque masters such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, Hayes included passages imitating “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and “Hallelujah Chorus.”

This work is perfect for high school and college choirs as well as community and church choirs. The text is intentionally not sacred, rather universal in its appeal. Imagine how the music and message of this work could join a community together in the pursuit of kindness, courage and compassion. It’s what the world needs.. now.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Breaking Through: Disrupting Barriers to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access with a Social Emotional Learning Approach to Music Education by Edward Varner
A growing number of music and arts teachers are embracing the natural alignments between music education, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA). However, these objectives too often run the risk of becoming amorphous, misused, or catch-all efforts lacking authenticity and meaning.

In “Breaking Through,” author Edward Varner helps music teachers understand the purpose of SEL, how it intersects with DEIA, and how to promote quality and equitable experiences for all students. The book is divided into three sections:
• Groundwork looks at music education as a matter of equity and identifies the natural alignments between SEL and DEIA.
• Avenues for Disruption offers strategies to make music education mindful, meaningful, and manageable.
• Moving the Needle One Step at a Time identifies points of disruption and barriers to equity through an anti-racist lens.

Varner also explores how music teachers can use SEL to teach important life skills, including cooperation, communication, positive interactions, responsibility, impulse control, and accepting consequences, among others.

Music educators play a vital role in students’ lives and education. And through intentional SEL instruction, they empower their students and communities to break through and disrupt barriers to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access.

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

Jon Batiste: Beethoven Blues
Inspired by the timeless beauty of classical music and the raw emotion of blues, Jon Batiste’s “Beethoven Blues” reimagines tradition with a modern voice. Our new matching songbook features all 11 tracks from the acclaimed solo piano album, with transcriptions approved by the five-time GRAMMY Award® winner himself.

Titles include: “American Symphony Theme,” “Dusklight Movement,” “5th Symphony in Congo Square,” “Für Elise – Batiste,” “Für Elise – Reverie,” “Life of Ludwig,” “Moonlight Sonata Blues,” “Ode to Joyful,” “7th Symphony Elegy,” “Symphony No. 5 Stomp,” and “Waldstein Wobble.”

Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!