Sacred Choral Reading Session THIS SATURDAY!

Make your plans for the weekend; the Stanton’s Sacred Choral Clinic is THIS SATURDAY January 9th, 2010! This popular annual clinic features new choral publications for Lent, Easter and beyond. The clinic will be held in its usual place at the Battelle Fine Arts Center at Otterbein College in Westerville, OH.

 Attending this clinic is a fantastic way for you to choose new church anthems for your choir by hearing the music read live at the clinic. This January’s clinicians will be Stanton’s own Judy Henry and president emeritus Jim Strouse.

Please feel free to contact Stanton’s at 1-800-42-MUSIC and speak with choral staff member for the details of the event, no pre-registration is necessary for this event. We look forward to seeing you at 8:30 for coffee and doughnuts followed by a wonderful morning of singing!

Stanton’s is your partner in music education

Stanton’s got a call a few days ago from a long-time customer who teaches at an inner city school.  She has been teaching for almost forty years, and her students, despite being from an underprivileged area always win top honors at festivals and adjudications.  One of the reasons for their success is her choice of music.  She scours Stanton’s mailed promotions of Top Choices and e-mails and calls our staff to get recommendations and opinions on the music that she chooses.  She has a limited budget, so she wants to get the absolute best music that will be useable for years to come so that she doesn’t waste her valuable funds.  She works hard at finding just the right music and her efforts pay off: her ensembles are the shining stars of their urban environment and students clamor for the chance to play in her groups!

The reason for her recent phone call was to vent her frustration with her fellow teachers.  Her city’s school system doles out about the same amount of money to every school – and it’s not a lot.  The local music store in her area was recently taken over by a larger store from Chicago and for their “Grand Re-Opening” they were offering a large selection of music at a 75% discount.  Out of curiosity (since she had already spent her budget at Stanton’s) she went to see what they had to offer.  It was clear to her that the hugely discounted music was all the dregs from the Chicago store that hadn’t sold because it wasn’t that great to begin with.  She noticed that all the great titles that she had purchased based on Stanton’s recommendations were not among the big sale items.  She realized that the store was just trying to get rid of their junk by offering it at a huge discount.
Her dismay came with the realization that her fellow teachers were thrilled with the chance to get so much music with their meager budget.  They could get $1600.00 worth of music for their $400.00 purchase order.  They were leaving the store loaded with boxes of music that they would probably be disappointed with – but boy, they had a lot of it!  They had done no research on any of it, didn’t see if a place like Stanton’s had recommended it – it was just cheap and they were going to get as much of it as they could.  She couldn’t have been more disappointed in her fellow teachers. They were interested only in quantity not quality.
Acheiving success as a music teacher means putting extra effort into choosing your repertoire. Stanton’s has understood this from their inception in August of 1960.  Mr. and Mrs. Stanton were both school music teachers who were frustrated with trying to find quality music for their students.  They decided to start a music store that would review the music that was published each year and pick the absolute cream-of-the-crop to recommend to teachers so that their customers would have top quality choir, band and orchestra music that could be relied on for a successful school year.
When Jim Strouse took over the business in the late 70’s he kept the same philosophy, and when he passed on the reins to his son, Eric, the vision remained the same.  Stanton’s has prospered because of this approach and has grown into a national leader in retail sheet music.  Our customers can always count on getting A-1 recommendations from the Stanton’s staff, which can only help their music programs improve. As you reflect on the first half of your school year and get ready for 2010, we hope you’ll consider working with Stanton’s.  For almost fifty years, Stanton’s has lived by the credo: “By helping our customers to be successful, we will be successful.”  Thanks to our customers for proving that to be true!

Stanton’s Top Choices for Concert Band

All right, band directors!  Your elementary and middle school bands are gaining maturity, high school football is done, your Christmas concerts are in the can, you’re getting solos and ensembles doled out to your students and you have a mountain of promotional concert band recordings from a bunch of publishers to check out for winter and spring concerts, festivals and adjudications…
Let Stanton’s give you a hand. Our band staff has already looked at and listened to all the new music from publishers for the 2009-2010 school year and has separated the wheat from the chaff so you don’t have to spend valuable time doing it yourself. Think of us as your partner in music education. Stanton’s choices  will be the best-sounding, most educationally valid and easily programmable pieces of the new year.  Check out the recordings of these Top Choices at www.stantons.com and place an order.  You can’t go wrong!

TOP THREE GRADE 1 CONCERT BAND
LITTLE STAR arr. Rob Grice
Mature sounding setting of Mozart’s Twinkle Variations.
NOMADIC ADVENTURES by Steve Hodges
Reinforce minor tonalities and steady rhythmic patterns.
SUPREMACY by Sean O’Loughlin
Introduce dissonance, musical conflict & resolution.

TOP THREE GRADE 1.5 CONCERT BAND
AZTALAN (City of Mystery) by Michael Sweeney
Mature, mysterious film-score-like effects such as tone clusters.
BIG RAVEN by Vince Gassi
Express art and nature in music with birdcalls, rain and forest sounds.
SHADES OF GOLD by Ed Huckeby
Absolutely beautiful 3/4 ballad to improve balance, blend and phrasing.

TOP THREE GRADE 2 CONCERT BAND
ELECTRICITY by Brian Balmages
Modern harmonies and great percussion writing with intensity.
PATH OF DESTINY by Sean O’Loughlin
A study in contrasts in the style of movie battle music.
WILLOW CREEK FESTIVAL by Steve Hodges
Intriguing harmonies, keys, counterpoint and time signatures.

TOP THREE GRADE 2.5 CONCERT BAND
CELEBRATION AND SONG by Robert Sheldon
Boyant syncopation and lyrical midsection with a short alto sax solo.
A DISTANT LIGHT by James Swearingen
Lyrical and subtly shifting tempos with emphasis on rubato playing.
THE RED BARON by Eric Morales
Musical depiction of the World War I flying ace – even a dogfight!

TOP THREE GRADE 3 CONCERT BAND
CANADIAN FOLK TRILOGY arr by Vince Gassi
A hearty sailor’s song, tender Inuit lullaby and boisterous sea chantey.
CHOREOGRAPHY by Robert Sheldon
Frolic in the ever-changing palette of the many faces of footwork.
A JAMESTOWN TRILOGY by Gary Fagan
Celebrate the proud, indomitable spirit of America’s founding fathers.

TOP THREE GRADE 3.5 CONCERT BAND
EXHILARATION by Larry Clark
A bold and effervescent overture that’s exceptional in every respect.
PIRATES by Travis J. Welter
Prepare to attack, engage in a fierce battle and celebrate with ribald revelry!
ON WINGS OF ANGELS by Barry Milner
Uplifting and spiritual with colorful chord clusters and dramatic modulations.

TOP THREE GRADE 4 CONCERT BAND
BEYOND THE HORIZON by Rossano Galante
Visions of magnificent earthscapes in a work of profound expression.
SHENANDOAH arr. by Randol Alan Bass
Timeless and exquisitely beautiful with an extraordinary whispered ending.
SOUTHERN HYMN by Samuel Hazo
An original hymn overflowing with the reverence and inspiration of a classic.

TOP THREE GRADE 5 CONCERT BAND
ANTIPHONAL FANFARE by Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn
Triumphant and powerful opener  with a focus on rhythmic and melodic polyphony.
MIDNIGHT ON MAIN STREET by Brian Balmages
Explosions and celebrations contrasted with an impressionistic light and shadow blend.
VELOCITY by Robert Sheldon
Built for speed, brimming with style and an astonishing array of textual variations.

See and/or hear some things you like?  Place your order online, email or call Stanton’s at 1-800-42-MUSIC (Ext 2 for band music)  Thanks for your orders–we truly do appreciate them.

Last-Minute Gift Solution!

“‘Tis the Season” for gift-giving and gift certificates at Stanton’s!
Don’t know what to buy for that musical person in your life–consider buying a gift certificate from Stanton’s. You’ll be glad to know that when you purchase a gift certificate at Stanton’s, it will never expire. People always love to receive gift certificates and your teacher, choir director or student will be able to put it to good use! Contact us at 1-800-42-MUSIC to discuss payment and shipping options.

Collections from your favorite Christmas albums!

Do you want to do more than just “sing along” with your favorite Christmas albums this year? Try one of these popular collections for piano/vocal/guitar:

Noel Josh Groban

Groban’s Noel was the first Christmas album in over a decade to hit number one, and then went on to become the best-selling album of the year in 2007. It even passed Elvis’ previous Christmas record by staying at the top of the charts for four consecutive weeks. Now musicians can enjoy playing and singing Groban’s songs in this collection that features arrangements of all 13 tracks. Groban fans should also check out “Believe” from The Polar Express, available as a vocal solo.

Merry Christmas Mariah Carey

Carey’s multi-octave vocal range brought a fresh interpretation of standards and made new songs into classics in this charming holiday collection. This matching folio to her album features nine holiday favorites, including: All I Want for Christmas Is You, Christmas (Baby Baby Please Come Home), Miss You Most at Christmas Time, O Holy Night and more. There is also a new arrangement of “All I Want for Christmas is You” for your SATB, SSA or SAB choir.

The Lost Christmas Eve Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Known for their elaborate concerts, complete with a full light show and dozens of pyrotechnics that are synchronized with their performance, Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas songs haves have become among their most popular works. This third and final volume of Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas Trilogy features Christmas Bells, Carousels and Time, Siberian Sleigh Ride, and Wizards in Winter.

For more information on this or other holiday collections, contact our Popular Music department.

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!!

12 Folk Songs for Solo Singers

Alfred Publishing has been very successful in producing high-quality solo vocal literature for developing singers.  The newest collection now available is 12 Folk Songs for Solo Singers, featuring fresh settings by well-known Alfred arrangers including Jay Althouse, Andy Beck, Mark Hayes, Douglas E. Wagner, and more.  These 12 varied folk songs from near and far offer lots of opportunities for your young singers to experience a wide variety of music all in one collection!  The accompaniment CD has piano accompaniments that are perfect for lessons, home practice or performances.

Other wonderful vocal collections from Alfred include Folk Songs for Solo Singers, International Folk Songs for Solo Singers, and Spirituals for Solo Singers.  Please contact us for more great repertoire ideas for young singers!

January Sacred Choral Reading Session!

Once again, we are coming up on the Stanton’s Sacred Choral Clinic, January 9th, 2010, featuring new choral publications for Lent, Easter and beyond. The clinic will be held in its usual place at the Battelle Fine Arts Center at Otterbein College in Westerville, OH. Attending this clinic is a fantastic way for you to choose new church anthems for your choir by hearing the music read live at the clinic. This January’s clinicians will be Stanton’s own Judy Henry and president emeritus Jim Strouse. Please feel free to contact Stanton’s at 1-800-42-MUSIC and speak with choral staff member for the details of the event. We look forward to seeing you at 8:30 for coffee and doughnuts followed by a wonderful morning of singing!

HOW many shipping days until Christmas?!?

This time of year, we often get frantic phone calls from directors and soloists looking for “one last piece for Christmas Eve,” or a replacement copy of Cantique de Noel. 

With this in mind, here are a few tips to make holiday ordering at Stanton’s as easy as possible.

Ordering

• Order your music early.  Stanton’s is much like any other retail store and this time of year we’re thinking ahead to spring.  We might not have the piece you need in stock.  Don’t fret – our typical backorder time is only 7-10 business days with many publishers being even quicker.  We can also have the item sent direct to you from the publisher (though most publishers charge extra for this convenience).
• This is a slow business time of the year for publishers and many take time off at the holidays.  Most publishers that Stanton’s orders from will stop shipping orders on December 22^nd or 23^rd, and many will not resume shipping orders until after New Years. This means your order could be delayed weeks if not placed before the cut off date.
• You can also search for the piece you need on our new digital delivery site which includes thousands of titles you download to your computer instantly and print yourself.  Sorry, Stanton’s cannot fax or email you copies of pieces not available on this site due to copyright restrictions.

 

Shipping

• As UPS and USPS get busier during the holiday season, their shipping times slow down.  In fact, starting December 11 through Christmas, UPS will not guarantee shipping times on regular UPS packages. Packages that should only take one day to be delivered may take 2 days. 
• Packages shipped to business or commercial addresses (including churches and schools) are delivered first and have cheaper shipping charges.  We’ll gladly have your purchase shipped anywhere you like so consider having the package come to your school, church of place of business even if you are paying for the purchase with a personal credit card.
• Packages shipped to residences are delivered later than normal during the holiday rush.  It is not uncommon for UPS to still be delivering packages at 6pm or 7pm this time of year. 
• Delivery people need holiday time too, and UPS will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s.  In addition they will not deliver regular ground packages on New Year’s Eve.
• You can also come visit us!  We’re open Monday through Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-4pm.  We will closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, however.

 

Want more information on shipping times and costs and holiday schedules for UPS and USPS?

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UPS
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If you have any questions about ordering or shipping during the holidays please contact us and we’ll happy to work with you in whatever way we can.

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.