Recharge Your Batteries

    Education is a challenging profession, and those in music education realize that teaching music is no different.  Too often the day-to-day details (duties, grades, PO requests, bus forms, permission slips, etc.), in other words, all of the regular responsibilities that have nothing to do with music, or even teaching, can be draining.  When this occurs, it is helpful to revisit why this profession and this particular subject are so important to us, and to hear some stories to make you realize that you are not alone – it’s not just your students, your teaching, or your program experiencing particular problems or challenges.

Two of the best educators, clinicians, and authors to help us get back on track are Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft and Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser.  If you have ever attended one of their clinics, you know that they will have you rolling on the floor with laughter, and remind you why you want to be a music teacher.  Through true-to-life anecdotes, by challenging mindsets, and suggesting innovative teaching strategies, these two will make you feel better, give you some practical classroom ideas and help you to rediscover your motivation and inspire you to be your very best!  With the Christmas break upon us, wouldn’t this be the ideal time to recharge YOUR batteries?

Dr. Boonshaft’s writings include Teaching Music with Passion, Teaching Music with Purpose, and Teaching Music with Promise.  Be sure to catch him at the 2010 OMEA Professional Conference in Cincinnati, OH January 28-30! 

Dr. Lautzenheiser’s writings include The Art of Successful Teaching, The Joy of Inspired Teaching, Music Advocacy and Student Leadership, and Everyday Wisdom for Inspired Teaching.  A distillation of his student leadership clinics (Leadership, Vision, Commitment, Action) is also available for use with your students (of course, this is nothing like being there in-person!).

All of these items are available from Stanton’s.  Feel free to call (1-800-426-8742), e-mail (greatservice@stantons.com), or just click on the links above to get recharged!

Christmas Gifts for College Music Majors

As musicians who work with the general public, we at Stanton’s know that it can be challenging for ‘non-musicians’ to know what to get for the music major in the family.  Composer names and piece titles are often long and foreign and you don’t really know what your student already has.  You want to get them something ‘musical’ because you know they’ll love it, but are afraid of getting something too easy or childish.  Don’t fret because we’re here to help!  The following suggestions are perfect gifts for any music major:

- A new metronome

- A new Manhasset music stand

- The Harvard Dictionary of Music

- The A to Z of Foreign Musical Terms

- Effortless Mastery

- Teaching Band and Orchestra

- Instrument Repair for the Music Teacher

- So… You’re the New Band Director: Now What?

- The Anatomy of Conducting

- Classical Destinations

Hopefully you’ve found that last-minute gift!  If not, don’t hesitate to give us a call: 1-800-426-8742.  You can also order over the phone, or via our website!  Merry Christmas!!

Messiah Sing-along

During the holiday season, many cities organize community sing-alongs of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah.  Here in Columbus, this year is no exception – especially because 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death.  The ProMusica Chamber Orchestra will be hosting their annual Messiah sing-along on Friday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Theatre in downtown Columbus.  Please check their website for further information or to purchase tickets for the event.

For those of you wanting to “get in shape” for the event, check out the Do-It-Yourself Messiah.  Each CD has a particular voice part (soprano, alto, etc.) highlighted, and is perfect for practicing as you drive to and from work.

Many musicians reading this blog already own their own Messiah score – the ProMusica event will be using the G. Schirmer edition.  If you would like to purchase your own copy, or for more information, please contact us.

NY or Bust!

Stanton’s is packing up and heading to Rochester for the NYSSMA Conference December 3rd-6th—look for us in the exhibition hall if you’re going to be there too! We’ll be bringing lots of sheet music of all kinds for you to browse and purchase, as well as several of our helpful and educated staff members to answer whatever questions you may have.
If you’re already a Stanton’s customer, stop by and say hello so that we can put faces with names. Or, if you’ve never shopped with us, please come by our booth and allow us to give you the full “Stanton’s experience!”
For more information about all of our planned traveling this winter, check our previous blog.

Holidays for Piano and Strings

Do you have a pianist playing with your string orchestra?  If so, you know that they are often the unheralded “glue” that holds the harmonic structure of the group together.  Isn’t it time that they got their share of the spotlight?

Renowned conductor Leonard Slatkin thinks so!  When his son, the pianist in a school string orchestra, mentioned to his father that he never got featured on anything, his famous father got busy and wrote a series of fresh, creative, non-traditional arrangements of holiday carols for solo piano and string orchestra.  They were such a hit at his son’s school, that he decided to publish them.  Now they are available to the public in two volumes so that school pianists around the world can finally get their time in the sun!

Listen to a sample online–click on the “ear with notes” icon.  If you like what you hear, order yours today!

If you don’t already have an account with Stanton’s Sheet Music, one can be set up in minutes to your board of education, music boosters, orchestra activity account or school credit card.  Orders to your personal Visa, Mastercard or Discover card are also welcome.  Call 1-800-42-MUSIC, order online or FAX your order to 614-224-5929.

HOLIDAYS FOR PIANO AND STRINGS Volume 1
Arranged by Leonard Slatkin
Contents: Carol of the Kings; Silent Night; The Twelve Days of Christmas; Veni, Veni, Emmanuel; Moonlight Carol; The First Noel; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; O Come all Ye Faithful; Pat-a-Fum and Deck the Halls with Joy.
Conductor – Violin 1  – Violin 2 – Violin 3 (Viola T. C.) – Viola – Cello – Bass -Solo Piano – Percussion

HOLIDAYS FOR PIANO AND STRINGS Volume 2
Arranged by Leonard Slatkin
Contents: Of Kings, Saints and Pigs; The Angels Sing; Three Kings, Three Ships; O holy night; A Czech Christmas; The Watchmen at Coventry; festival of Lights; Christmas Lights; a Holiday Trio; Jingle Bells and Pastorale (from Messiah – strings only)
Conductor – Violin 1  – Violin 2 – Violin 3 (Viola T. C.) -Viola – Cello – Bass – Solo Piano – Percussion

On the Road: New York, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky!

Stanton’s Sheet Music is coming to YOU! Stanton’s will be on the road this winter attending several conventions outside the state of Ohio.

Our first stop will be in Rochester, New York, December 3-5th for the NYSSMA Convention. We are extremely excited about going back to this show for the 5th time! We are eager to see some of our favorite customers and, of course, meet new educators who we’ll be able to help. We are bringing a full selection of sheet music for Solo & Ensemble, Choral, Elementary Music, Concert Band, Jazz and Orchestra, along with some of the newest publications for music educators and college music majors. You shouldn’t have trouble finding us–we’ll be under the big blue Stanton’s balloon flying in the exhibition hall. If you are already familiar with Stanton’s, or have been reading our blog regularly, you may have learned that the Stanton’s staff loves traditions. We can’t visit Rochester without having our traditional night out at the Dinosaur—a well-known restaurant with a reputation for excellent barbecue. The Dinosaur’s bar-like interior will be crowded with everyone from musicians/educators from the convention to urban professionals and leathered bikers—all mingling in waiting for a table. It’s always worth the wait because the food is fantastic and the portions are huge. We’re hoping that all of our NYSSMA crew—new and returning—will love the Dinosaur and have a great time in Rochester!

After hosting our annual January Church Choral Reading Session on Saturday, January 9th, the next stop on the winter tour will be our inaugural trip to Grand Rapids for the Michigan Music Conference, January 21st-23rd. We are thrilled to finally be adding Michigan to our roster; we have talked about attending this convention ever since this event moved from a college campus to a convention center. We have been so pleased to be of help to music educators in the state of Michigan, and we look forward to seeing those customers face-to-face. Once again, we’ll be bringing a wide variety of music publications and resources for music educators and college majors. Since this convention is a new experience for the Stanton’s crew this year, we are open to suggestions as to what to do and where to eat. We’re sure that the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel has a nice restaurant or two, but are there other fun and exciting places to dine out in the downtown Grand Rapids area?

We are keeping our fingers crossed hoping for good traveling weather. We know the trip back from Rochester can be a little nerve racking with all of the lake effect snow hitting us on route 90 (we’ve “white-knuckled” our way back home at 2:30 in the morning more than once), but we are also hoping for good weather going to and from Grand Rapids with the snow off Lake Michigan in January. Wish us luck!

Of course, Stanton’s busy schedule doesn’t stop there. After we attend the Michigan Music Conference, Stanton’s travels to Cincinnati the very next week for OMEA, then on to Louisville, Kentucky for the KMEA convention the week after that. That’s three in a row—back to back to back! Then we still have a few small February run-outs to the Morehead Band Clinic and the ACDA Central Division Conference in Cincinnati before we can settle back into our normal routine. Keeping busy on the road is not only a fun way for the staff to get out and meet new people, but also makes the dark, chilly months seem to speed by more quickly. Come out and see us sometime this winter, and if you’d like Stanton’s to come to YOUR state convention next year, let us hear about it!

Make your orchestra “Trans-Siberian!”

STRING TEACHERS!  What could be more hip than your students playing music from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on your holiday concert?  Don’t miss out on getting your copy of WIZARDS IN WINTER, arranged for String Orchestra by Bob Phillips. Give a listen to it at the Stanton’s Listening Lab to hear how cool it is–it will really pep up your program!  You can order online, call to order at 1-800-42-MUSIC, FAX your order to 1-614-224-5929 or send us an order by mail at Stanton’s Sheet Music, 330 South Fourth Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215.  Your students will thank you for it!

Spend Your In-Service Day at Stanton’s!

As schools come to the end of their first grading period of the year, many districts have in-service work days for teachers.  Why not spend your in-service day here at Stanton’s?  Check with your administrators, then gather all the music teachers from your district and come on in!

Now is a particularly great time to be planning your winter and holiday concert programs.  We have all our picks for seasonal concerts on display, and we’re happy to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, or offer you some suggestions.

So give us a call (1-800-42-MUSIC) and let us know when you’re coming!  If you have any special requests (musical research, repertoire choices and suggestions, etc.), please let us know as far in advance as possible, and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

For Ohio music educators, we invite you to join us on Friday, October 16, 2009 for COTA (Central Ohio Teachers’ Association) Day.  Stanton’s will be providing free coffee and doughnuts for you on that day, and free promotional items will also be available.  See you soon!

POP goes the sheet music!

Stanton’s receives many calls and emails that begin with “I’ve got a great piece of music here that’s pretty old…” and, sadly, that conversation often ends with “I’m sorry to tell you that piece is permanently out of print.” What does that mean for you, the director/musician when something is permanently out of print (POP)? Read on to find some of the most common questions and their answers:

1) Why do things go POP?
When we inform someone that a certain piece is POP, the most common response we receive is “I can’t believe it—that piece is so good!” While it is true that sometimes a piece is taken out of print due to lack of sales, this is not the only reason. Sometimes there are copyright changes, royalty disputes and other business issues that have nothing to do with sales. Even if a piece is taken out of print due to low sales, that’s not necessarily an indicator of quality. A piece that is “good” may also be very difficult, or extremely contemporary or use an unusual voicing/instrumentation, all of which could lead to low sales despite how “good” it is.

2) Why does Stanton’s show POP titles on their website?
When Stanton’s determines that a piece is no longer in print, we indicate that on our website so that you, the customer, can also have that information. If you were looking for a certain piece and simply didn’t see it listed, you may just conclude that it’s not available from Stanton’s, or that you had typed something incorrectly.
Sometimes a piece that is permanently out of print is not yet listed that way on our website. While we make every effort to keep the information on our website up-to-date, we usually don’t learn that a piece has gone POP until we try to order it and the publisher says “sorry, no.” Please call us if you have questions about the status of a particular piece.

3) How do I determine that something is POP?
As stated above, we encourage you to contact Stanton’s whenever you have questions about a piece of music. If you are interested in doing some research yourself, you can check the website of the publisher to see if they have more information. If the music is from a publisher that is no longer in business, their copyrights, or “imprints,” are probably still owned by another publisher; the same arrangement may still be in print from the “new” owner of that imprint. You can find more details about defunct publishers on the Music Publishers Association’s directory of imprints.

4) Do I have any options for obtaining this music?
Once you have determined that something is POP, you may contact the publisher to request permission to photocopy (Stanton’s can give you their contact information) if you have at least one original copy. Especially in the case of churches and schools, the publishers will often grant this request for little or no cost. The publisher will then send you a letter stating that you have permission to make copies. If you do not have an original copy, you might acquire a copy from someone else’s library by sending out a query on the ChoralNet listserv, or a similar forum. IT IS ILLEGAL TO MAKE PHOTOCOPIES WITHOUT THE PUBLISHER’S PERMISSION, EVEN WHEN SOMETHING IS NO LONGER IN PRINT!

5) This music is still in print, so why is it so hard for me to get it?!
In addition to “in print” and “out of print,” there are a few other ways to designate the status of a piece of music. It may be “temporarily out of print” (TOP) or “on backorder” (OBO), which means that the publisher is sold out of the music in their warehouse and will need to print some more. It also may be designated as “print on demand” (POD) or an “archive edition,” meaning that it is not something that the publisher keeps in stock, but they will print special copies on request. A piece of music might be a “special import” that is not kept in stock in the US, but that a publisher can get from their international partners. ALL of these situations may affect how long it will take to get your music and how much it will cost.

6) Is there any chance that it WILL come back into print?
No. There may be other arrangements of the same composition available, but once something goes POP, it will not come back.

Permanent means permanent.

Honor Our Veterans with Music

This November, help your community honor those who have served and protected our country by featuring your choir at your local Veteran’s Day events.

I Dream a World by Andre J. Thomas sets an introspective and contemplative text by African-American poet Langston Hughes – “I dream a world where man No other man will scorn, Where love will bless the earth and peace its paths adorn.”  A beautifully emotional poetic thought and equally moving music, now available in a new SSA voicing.

From the musical Chess, Anthem is a stirring tribute honoring the country we love.  Beautifully expressing the idea that no matter how far and wide one travels, our country is always a part of us, it closes with the moving sentiment “My land’s only borders lie around my heart.”

Both of the above selections have instrumental accompaniment parts available, so you can join forces with your school orchestra, local community band or other instrumental ensemble; contact us for more information.  For those wishing to highlight a solo instrumentalist, Joseph M. Martin’s Song for the Unsung Hero features a powerful trumpet descant on the last verse.  Incorporating “America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee),” this emotive choral is a moving tribute to those who dedicate their lives to preserving our freedom and keeping our country safe.

For more patriotic suggests for your Veteran’s Day commemorations, call us at 1-800-426-8742 or visit us online.