What is “Broadway Junior?”

“Broadway Junior” is a series of popular Broadway musicals designed to meet the needs of young performers through the ninth grade. Author-approved and condensed to approximately 70 minutes, they preserve the spirit and essence of the original while eliminating elaborate production elements. The “Getting to Know” (G2K) series offers the same type of condensed productions, but is specific to the musicals of Rogers and Hammerstein. There is also the “MTI Disney’s Kids” series, which contains Disney family favorites shortened to 30 minutes and easy enough for elementary students. All three of these product lines are available from Hal Leonard publishing.

What makes these products especially unique is that you get all the performance materials and the performance rights for one set price. The resources included also allow you to cut spending in other areas of production: a full accompaniment CD is included so you don’t have to hire a live pit, a choreography DVD stands in for a professional choreographer, etc. There are also many audition and planning materials available for free on broadwayjr.com.

Here’s how the ordering process works: You place your order with Stanton’s Sheet Music by phone, web, email or fax. We then pass your information along to Hal Leonard, who will fax a licensing agreement to your school. Once you complete, sign and return that contract, your performance kit is shipped directly to you from Hal Leonard’s warehouse. As long as you return the contract in a timely manner, you usually receive the kit about a week after you place your order with Stanton’s.

Broadway Jr., Disney’s Kids and G2K ShowKits are available for purchase only by elementary, middle and junior high schools (grades K-9). Other groups—high schools, camps,  community and children’s theatres, religious organizations—must contact MTI or R & H Theatricals to inquire about traditional licensing. (Read our musical licensing blog to find out more.) To determine whether your organization qualifies, please contact us for more information.

Choral Music from MICHAEL JACKSON

With the loss of musical icon Michael Jackson in June (check out our previous blog for information on his amazing career), publishers across the country have been working hard to produce new arrangements of his music. Here are a few of the newest selections for choir:

THRILLER
Teachers have been calling and asking us for an arrangement of Thriller for years, and now it’s finally here! Using sound effects, horror film motifs and music video as a promotional tool, the choreography on the song has been replicated the world over, cementing Jackson’s appeal as a global pop culture icon.

GONE TOO SOON
Michael Jackson originally recorded this beautiful, heartfelt song as a touching tribute to Ryan White, a young man who became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment. A portion of the profits and royalties from the sale of this publication will be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

HEAL THE WORLD
This moving song from Michael Jackson’s hit album Dangerous encourages all of us to make our world “a better place for you and for me and the entire human race.” Originally released in 1991, the message still rings true today. Sung as the closing number at Jackson’s memorial service on July 7, 2009.

WILL YOU BE THERE
Featuring an infectious groove, this popular single from Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album also won the 1994 MTV Movie Award for “Best Song in a Movie” as the main theme featured on the Free Willy soundtrack.

And two brand-new medleys: Rock With You – A Tribute to Michael Jackson (includes Got to Be There, I’ll Be There, Man in the Mirror, Rock With You, Say Say Say, Thriller, and We Are the World) and Michael Jackson: A Musical Tribute (includes Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Beat It, and Wanna Be Startin’ Something’).  Both are sure to be show choir extravaganzas!

For more pop selections for your choir, contact us!

“Danza!” Choreography DVD

Do you need help creating exciting choreography for your choir?  If so, you’ll want to join the thousands of choral directors across the country who have discovered Alfred Publishing’s popular movement DVDs!  Featuring the creative talents of Sally K. Albrecht and Andy Beck, these DVDs are a quick and easy way to add simple yet effective choreography to your concerts.  Perfect for elementary, middle school, or high school choirs, each DVD features movement suggestions for about 12 Alfred choral titles.

The newest DVD in the series is Danza!, which features such choral arrangements as Anything Is Possible, Forty-Second Street, Old King Cole, and Steppin’ Out with Santa.  Previously released DVDs from Alfred include: Follow Me to the Top!, Hooray for Hollywood!, In the Spotlight!, On with the Show!, On the Stage!, Put on a Show!, Razzamatazz!, Showtime!, Step by Step, and That’s Entertainment!  Check out them all for great choreography ideas, or contact us for more information.

Choral Music from the Fox Hit “Glee!”

You’ve been waiting for it…and your students have been begging for it…now it’s here!  Don’t Stop Believin’ (as featured in the premiere episode of Glee, as well as in the new musical Rock of Ages) is now available!  This 1981 hit by Journey is the big finale of the pilot episode, and now it can be the big finale at your next performance.

Also heard in the Glee premiere was Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat, from Guys and Dolls.  The exact arrangement performed on the show isn’t available, but this one by Mark Brymer is sure to bring down the house!

You may also have been intrigued by the vocal a cappella background music in the pilot episode – if you’re not already familiar with London-based group the Swingle Singers, now is a great time to check them out!  There are not many Swingle Singers arrangements available in print, but the collection Swingle Singers: Ticket to Ride contains their innovative take on 18 Beatles favorites (from their album of the same name – it’s a GREAT album, by the way!).

For more suggestions for your show choir, contact us!

*Check our more recent blog for the newest ”Glee” choral and solo arrangements!*

The Musical Legacy of Michael Jackson

The music industry lost a giant last Thursday with the death of Michael Jackson, “The King of Pop.”  His unexpected passing came as a shock to his fans across the globe.  From his early years as part of the Jackson 5 to his domination of the music scene as a solo artist in the 1980’s, his imprint on the world of popular music is unparalleled.  Throughout his solo career, Jackson’s versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and musical genres, including Motown, rock, funk, techno, and (of course) pop.  His influence on the development of the music video is also remarkable, turning it into not only a promotional tool for musicians but also an art form and means of artistic expression.  One of his most significant contributions is his unique blend of music and dance – his songs may have climbed the charts, but his dancing is what made him a superstar.  The Moonwalk completely rewrote the book on dance in pop music, and the choreography from his “Thriller” video is iconic. 

Early in his solo career, Jackson battled to receive coverage on MTV because he was African-American.  His victory in this struggle led to a lengthy partnership with the network, while simultaneously paving the way for other black artists to gain recognition.  Released in 1982, Thriller is the best-selling album of all time.  Seven of the album’s nine songs placed in the Billboard Top 10, including the huge hit songs “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller.”  One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (first in 1997 as a member of the Jackson 5, and again in 2001 as a solo artist), other career achievements include 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles, and the sale of a staggering 750 million records worldwide. 

If you want to pay musical tribute to Michael, check out some of these arrangements:

The vocal folio from the blockbuster album Thriller contains the lyrics along with piano and chord arrangements for all of the songs on the record. 

Your marching band can honor the Jackson 5 with arrangements of I Want You Back, A B C and I’ll Be There.  Remembering Michael as a young boy will remind your audience of their own carefree youth.

MJ’s Man in the Mirror is a great feature for choral groups.  With its uplifting and hopeful lyrics, it’s perfect for encouraging young singers to contribute to the world around them. 

Jackson is mourned by fans worldwide, and will always be remembered for his passionate contributions to the world of music.  If we take nothing else from Jackson’s influential, high-profile and often controversial life, it should be this: “If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, then make a change…”

New and Great for Summer Programs!

Are you wondering what to do with your group of wiggly little ones at your summer camp? Do you need a warm-up activity for vacation bible school? Want to “blow off some steam” during your summer musical program?

Check out Whole Lotta Hullabaloo by Greg Gilpin!

With songs like “Hoot and Holler,” “Hop, Jump and Bounce,” and “Twist It,” your kids will be wiggling, twisting, jumping, stretching, and more. Just pop in the included CD and you’re ready to go!

This collection can also be used for vocal/physical warm-ups, to reward students at the end of class, or even as novelty pieces for performance so Whole Lotta Hullabaloo can go with you from the summer right into the school year.

Highlight “School Choral Week” On Your Calendar!

Join Stanton’s Sheet Music August 5th-8th for “School Choral Week.” We’ve scheduled all of these valuable workshops back-to-back-to-back to allow you to experience a VAST amount of new materials in a short amount of time! Here is the line-up (you can click on any of the titles to register online):

Wednesday August 5th, 9:00-12:30
Elementary/General Music Clinic
Clinician: Cristi Cary Miller

Thursday August 6th, 9:00-4:00
Joy of Singing
Clinicians: Roger Emerson, Mac Huff, John Jacobson & Cristi Cary Miller

Friday August 7th, 9:00-4:00
The John Jacobson Workshop
A whole day of choreography ideas from John Jacobson!

Saturday August 8th, 9:00-4:00
School Choral Super Session
Clinicians: Sally K. Albrecht, Greg Gilpin & Mary Lynn Lightfoot

For information on pricing, special offers, housing options and more, contact the choral department at 1-800-42-MUSIC ext. 1.  You can also check out our previous blog.

Register NOW for “Super Session!”

We are now taking registrations, online or by phone for the 2009 Super Session choral reading clinic. Check out the video below for more details:

 

Call us now at 1-800-426-8742 for more information or to register, or sign up online now!

Online Resources for Choir Directors

Do you need help in reviewing new music, teaching parts and making up choreography? Look no further than your computer. Many notable choral music publishers offer more than just product descriptions on their websites:

Carl Fischer and BriLee offer “Part-by-Part,” a tool that plays part-dominant rehearsal tracks, as well as full performance and accompaniment recordings which are FREE to download. These tools can help you in the classroom AND provide the means for students to practice on their own at home!

Alfred Publications offers full performance recordings of many choral pieces. You can listen online for free, or download the mp3 for only 99 cents.

Hal Leonard’s website gives you the opportunity to take a “Closer Look” at hundreds of choral titles. This feature allows you to preview the first page or two of a piece right on your computer screen.

Santa Barbara has a section called “Singers Learn the Music” where you can listen to part-dominant recordings and follow along with the score. They also have full performance tracks on many pieces, recorded by ACTUAL choirs, not studio musicians.

The Shawnee Press website offers choreography guides for a number of popular chorals. You can print them off for free to use for teaching the movements and you can distribute them to your singers as “reminder sheets.”

AND OF COURSE…Stanton’s Sheet Music offers you full item write up and sound samples on thousands of products. You can browse our listening library of over 27,000 titles, and we encourage you to email us or call 1-800-42-MUSIC when you need more information about a product. We’ll do everything we can to help you make an informed decision before purchasing a piece of music!

America Sings 20th Anniversary

John Jacobson’s famous America Sings Festival will be celebrating it’s 20th anniversary in April of 2009.  John’s effort to bring together thousands of young choral musicians was just an idea 20 years ago, but now after all of the years, he can enjoy his success.  John says “twenty years ago, when we first decided to spend our time facilitating America Sings!, we simply wanted to have a non-competitive choral festival that would celebrate people’s love for music and music education.  However, we quickly became aware of the fact that artists are the biggest givers on the planet!  They always seem to have a desire to do more, to change the world, to make things better”.  John mentions that people are labeling today’s young people as being a part of the unflattering “Me Generation”.  But this has not been my America Sings! experience.  Instead I have see tens of thousands of young singers come together to make music and, once there, give selflessly of themselves to make someone else’s life a little bit better.  And many are doing the same in their hometowns!

Choir Festival Regitration includes participation in the Massed-Choir Finale Celebraton and in community service projects held on the Washington Mall.  Registered choirs with a minimum of 10 participants are eligible to perform an individual 20-minute choral performance on a stage at the festival as space is available.  The 2009 event will happen April 17 -18.  See complete registration details at http://americasings.org