“The Educator’s Guide to Grants”

Would you like funding to update your music technology resources? Do you need uniforms or instruments for the marching band? Are you searching for funding for professional development or travel to study abroad? The Educator’s Guide to Grants is designed to help schools and non-profits find funding and create proposals to access funds successfully. Novices just learning to negotiate grant writing and more experienced writers seeking million-dollar awards will find insight and assistance with this guide. A CD-ROM included with the book features a screened list of hundreds of funding sources matched to each grant area.

Shop Stanton’s for your sheet music needs!

Preview New Music from Home!

As you begin looking at planning your Spring concert program, remember that you can preview music from Stanton’s before you decide to buy! We know that it’s difficult to tell if a particular piece of music will fit your needs without actually reading it through, so similar to checking things out from a library, you can “borrow” resources from our store using the “21 Day Trial” program!

Each of Stanton’s departments has slightly different guidelines about what/how many items can be sent on “21 Day Trial,” but in general we can send printed sheet music that is currently in stock. You can request items for trial by phone, email, fax, online or in person—any of the ways that you can place a regular order—but make sure that you specify “21 Day Trial.” You can list the music you’d like to peruse, or you can give us some specifications (like “Patriotic easy piano solos,” “SSA choral music on the theme of friendship,” or “new publications for 8th grade jazz band”) and Stanton’s knowledgeable staff will find some suggestions for you!

We require account or credit card information so that if you choose to keep the music we can charge you accordingly, or return the music within 21 days of your invoice date and you’ll never be charged! (You’ll just have to pay return shipping to get the music back to us.)

Contact us now to request your trial, and then you won’t have to rush around once you’re done with Contest or back from Spring break! Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!

OSU Fight Song!

“Across the Field” is OSU’s football fight song (Sometimes people call it “Fight the Team”.) It was composed by William Doughtery–a student–who wrote it as a pep song for a pep rally for the 1915 Illinois game.

The sheet for “Across the Field” was in print through Morris Music for many years, but has not been printed as a sheet for a long time. It is now available in print and included in a collection of college fight songs called “34 Hit Parade Extras, College Songs on Parade“. It is also in a book of college fight songs called “College Songs for School Bands” in condensed score form, so it can be played on the piano.

As a curiosity, an image of another Dougherty football song, from 1929, has been included. It was published by The Ohio State University Association. The song never caught on; it is not as melodic as “Across the Field”, and the words are not as appealing.

Who You Gonna Call?

We’re always talking about our knowledgeable staff—you’ll find that very phrase on much of our printed advertising, as well as on our website. Stanton’s sales staff is separated into departments to ensure that each staff member is well informed about a specific area of the wide variety of music that we carry. So when you call and ask about music for trumpet, you’ll be speaking with someone who has first-hand knowledge of repertoire, not just a phone operator with no musical experience. Here’s what you’ll find in each department:

CHORAL DEPARTMENT (ex. 1)
Choral Music for School & Church
Elementary General Music
Classical Solo Vocal
Handbell

BAND DEPARTMENT (ex. 2)
Concert Band
Marching Band
Jazz Ensemble
Orchestra
Solos for all concert instruments
Instrumental Method Books
Music Software/Technology

POP/KEYBOARD (ex. 3)
Sacred & Secular Piano
Organ
Piano Method Books
Popular/Broadway Solo Vocal
Contemporary Christian Vocal
Guitar Solos and Methods
Music for Folk Instruments

You can direct emails to the exact department you need by clicking the links above, or press the appropriate extension when you call 1-800-42-MUSIC. If you’re unsure of which department to choose, we’re always happy to direct you to whoever can best address your needs. At Stanton’s, it is important to us that you receive the most educated answers to your questions and the finest music recommendations.

Did you know?…

At Stanton’s Sheet Music, we vicariously help teach your students with you! It’s true…We look through hundreds of new titles every summer and choose the select few that we would use if we were teaching.  These are the titles we share with you in our promotions on-line and in the mail.

So if you are thinking:
“Why should I spend my time looking at Stanton’s promotions?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff has already spent hours looking at and listening to hundreds of new titles.
• They have picked pieces at all levels that they would use if they were teaching.
• Their aim is to make your life easier and to help you succeed.

And if you are thinking:
“Why is Stanton’s Staff qualified to make these recommendations?”
It’s because:
• Stanton’s Staff is made up of college-trained musicians.
• Some of them have taught in the public schools and many teach privately.
• They know what has proven to be successful for Stanton’s customers over the years.

And if you are thinking:
“Why did Stanton’s Staff pick these particular pieces to recommend to me?”
It’s because:
Stanton’s only selects pieces that they believe are
• The most educationally valid
• The best sounding
• The most highly programmable

So if you are thinking:
“I can’t go wrong with Stanton’s Choices!”
It’s because:
• You’re right!

New Stands Collections for Marching Band

So band camp is just around the corner, and your shows are already planned (wait…they are planned, right?  If not, check out our show planning categories for more ideas!), but what about some new stands tunes?  Short, time-out length tunes can be a challenge to come by – parts have been lost, tunes become dated, you and your band are bored…  If any of these scenarios sounds a little too familiar here are several new stands collections of current pop tunes released this year.

Hal Leonard has added two new volumes to the Stadium Jams series: Stadium Jams Volume 6 features both recently revived and current hits Final Countdown, Don’t Stop Believin’, All I Do is Win, and Party Rock Anthem; Stadium Jams Volume 7 is a pop divas collection including Bad Romance (Lady Gaga), Crazy in Love (Beyonce), Firework (Katy Perry), and We Found Love (Rihanna).

Arrangers’ Publishing has released30 -Second Blasters, a collection of four current pop hits: Turn Me On (David Guetta), Super Bass (Nicki Minaj), Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (Beyonce), and More (Usher).

Alfred’s newest addition to the Shorties series, Shorties #18, includes Don’t Stop Believin’, Dynamite, The Time Warp, and 25 or 6 to 4.

All of these arrangements are available via Stantons.com, and for more great stands ideas, check out the Cheers/Fight Songs/Time Outs category on our marching band webpage.

“The Music Teacher’s First Year”

From a first-year teacher whose instruments were stolen before entering his building, to a teacher who received “hate mail” before her first day, to a teacher whose sensitivity, flexibility and insight gained her the respect of her ensemble in only weeks, “The Music Teacher’s First Year,” a collection of true stories from first-year teachers, is a delightful description of their real world. In addition, each chapter includes discussion questions for pre-service and young teachers as they prepare for their teaching future.

Are YOU just beginning your career as a music educator?  Let Stanton’s help!  Take advantage of our summer clinics; use our 21-Day Trial program to peruse music for your ensembles; check out our YouTube channel for repertoire suggestions from our staff, as well as nationally-known clinicians; like Stanton’s on Facebook for daily updates; and, of course, continue to read our blog to keep abreast of happenings in the music education world!

The Tumbler Tour Comes to Columbus!

In the lead-up to the July 20 release of The Dark Knight Rises, the final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the Tumbler Tour has been crisscrossing North America putting the series’ Tumbler (Batmobile) and Bat-pod (motorcycle) on display.  The tour rolled through Columbus last Wednesday, and being a Bat-fan and a native of Pittsburgh (part of TDKR was filmed there), Ken from our instrumental department had to check it out and share some photos – it also didn’t hurt that it coincided with his day off!  Enjoy!

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If you would like to program or perform any music from the Dark Knight’s various adventures, there are plenty of options available:

From the Christopher Nolan series are arrangements of Batmobile Chase for marching band and Corynorhinus (Surveying the Ruins) for piano from Batman Begins.  Selections from Hans Zimmer’s fantastic score to The Dark Knight are available for concert band, full orchestra, and in a complete piano folio.

For those who prefer the 60’s TV series’ theme by Neal Hefti, arrangements are available for marching band, concert band, string orchestra, easy string orchestra, and easy piano.

Danny Elfman’s theme from 1989′s Batman directed by Tim Burton, and later reworked for Batman: The Animated Series (TV), is available for marching band, concert band, and easy piano.

Also available for concert band are arrangements from the animated television series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and NEW for 2012, Selections from Batman: Arkham City, the video game that is taking the gaming world by storm!

Make Marching Band Easier with Kickbutt Cadences

Directing a marching band is a time consuming and planning intensive endeavor, so there can never be too many tools to make the band director’s life easier.  Generally the domain of the drumline, percussion cadences are often steeped in tradition – written and added to by the best drummers in the section, passed from one battery of drummers to the next, and if the band program is stable, cadences can be passed from generation to generation.

What if your program is lacking this tradition?  Maybe your current battery is young and green, and you don’t have any writers among them?  What if you (or your drummers) are just looking for something new and fresh?  Hal Leonard percussion writer and arranger Will Rapp has released Kickbutt Cadences and Kickbutt Cadences Volume 2 to help!  Each set contains 4 dynamic, hard-hitting cadences that can be mixed and matched to suit your drumline.  A conductor score and full set of parts is included in each, and they are available via our Digital Delivery site, so ordering replacement parts when your drummers lose them (and you know they will) is easy!

For more ideas, visit the Percussion Cadences section of our marching band webpage.  You may not have any writers in your group, but we’re sure they’ll be glad to help you pick out some new cadences and be responsible for starting a new tradition!

For other Stanton’s suggestions to make marching band easier, visit the 4^th of July tab on our marching band webpage for some great patriotic recommendations, and check out our recent post about Hal Leonard’s Parade Sequence arrangements to make parade planning a breeze!

Rest Easy with Hal Leonard Parade Sequence Arrangements

Parades are great public relations showcases for your band program, yet many are last-minute requests with the exception of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and, possibly, Christmas.  As a result, they are often hastily put together and a lower priority when compared with other musical and educational goals.  Let Stanton’s help reduce your stress and anxiety, and make it easier to say ‘yes’ to your community with this series of Parade Sequence sets from Hal Leonard.

Published in the Series One marching band series at the grade 2 level, they are solidly scored, and easy to put together – perfect for those Monday parade request phone calls for a Thursday morning parade.  Each set features a few well-known songs appropriate to each event/style, with easy drum cadences in between.  They are also customizable – use 1, 2, or all of the titles included in each set.

The series consists of Patriotic Parade Sequence (we highly recommend this one for your 4^th of July Parade), Disney Parade Sequence, Spanish Parade Sequence, and Christmas Parade Sequence.  Complete song lists and preview audio are available by clicking on each title, and you can add them to your shopping cart or Stanton’s Sheet Music wish list.  With these titles in your marching band library you can rest easy the next time you get a parade request on short-notice.  Now all you have to focus on is getting your students out of class, bus requests, permission slips, lunch arrangements,…