Help…I Need a Sub!

If you are a General/Elementary Music teacher who wonders what you will ever do if you need a substitute at some point–worry no more! We have some good answers for you. One of the best resource books we have found is Alfred’s Publishing’s “The Music Substitute Sourcebook”. This book has everything you will need to confidently put your class in the hands of a substitute. It tells in detail what you will need to have ready for the substitute (for example: it suggests that a daily schedule be set up with students’ names, duties, class roster, seating charts, etc. and keep a copy of this  on file in the school office).  This book goes on to list suggestions that are easy for the sub. to follow and activities to jump start the students for a fun day of learning.  There are two levels of this book – K-3 and 4-8.

Another good substitute resource book is Heritage Music Press’ “The Ultimate Substitute Teacher’s Music Resource Guide”.  This book contains puzzles, games and activities that are very clever and easy for the students to do and they will be learning as they are having fun.

The best thing about these books is that the substitute does not have to be a music genius. Any substitute can take over  the class with these step by step guides. These are excellent choices for you and your substitute teacher.

For more information please call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC or visit us via e-mail or our website.

Piano Methods

Piano teachers, would you like to find a great selection of the most used and best known piano methods available in the market today?  Alphabetically from Aaron to Thompson, check out Stanton’s Sheet Music for a  complete listing of our offerings.

Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano, beginning with the primer, called “Teaching Little Fingers to Play”,  and continuing to a level five, is still one of the top selling methods in the USA.  The Teaching Little Fingers to Play book has been updated, and has many new supplementary books.  The Grades 1-5 have new supplementary books also. Some include popular music and there is a new set of Christmas books for each level. Check it all out at stantons.com!

Alfred’s Basic Piano Library is a comprehensive method that begins at the primer level and continues to level six.  Each level includes the Lesson, Technic, Theory, and Recital books. Supplementary books include classical solos and popular songbooks at most of the levels. The popular music books are called “Top Hits”  from movies and Broadway, with several songs included in each book.

The Alfred  Adult All-In-One Course continues to level 3. Each book contains lesson pages and some theory and technique pages. Each of the course books are self-contained, and there are supplementary books of popular and sacred songs to go along with each level. “Great Hits” start at level one and go through level three.  Titles in those books include movie and Braodway hits, such as ”Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” “Yesterday,” “Hello Dolly,” “My Heart Will Go On,” and more.  The Sacred Piano Books are on level 1 and 2, and contain about 40 familiar hymns in each book.

Bastien Piano Basics begins at the primer level and goes to level 4. Each level includes the lesson book (called “Piano”), Technique, Performance and Theory books.   There are 2 series of Christmas books, one called “Popular Christmas” and another called “Christmas Favorites” that match the levels of the lesson books.

 Bastien’s “Piano for Adults” has a level one and two. This is another self-contained course, with the basics all between 2 covers, but there are supplementary books for this course as well.  “Easy Piano Classics” has 159 pages of favorites such as “Fur Elise,” MacDowell’s “To a Wild Rose” and several Bach Minuets. “Favorite Melodies the World Over” has 2 books, at levels one and two.  They have a fun blend of tunes: singalong favorites, Christmas songs, classics, patriotic songs and hymns are included.

The Faber and Faber Piano Adventures continue to a level 6. Each level includes Lesson, Theory, Technique and Artistry, and Performance books.  This series emphasizes reading, both reading notes and reading intervals. The multi-key approach is well thought out and is easy for students to grasp.

The Adult  Piano Adventures from Faber and Faber is finally back in print!  Both levels one and two have been reissued. The strengths of the approach used in the children’s methods have been used in the adult method. The material is logically laid out for easy comprhension. The level one book can be bought with a CD, which plays examples of the songs in the book.

One of the most-used series of  early piano technique books is the Schaum Fingerpower series. The series begins at the primer level and continues to level 6.  It remains one of the few series that start at such an early level and continue to an advanced level.  For early reading and finger coordination, Fingerpower is hard to beat!   Legato playing and triads are introduced in the primer level. As the books progress, the student learns scales, arpeggios, broken chords, minor and major chords. Fingerpower can be used with any piano teaching series.

For a more complete list of the piano methods we carry, visit our website.

New Jazz Arranging Book!

It has been some time in the making but at long last the much touted book by authors Mike Tomaro and John Wilson is available for purchase.

Instrumental Jazz Arranging consists of a systematic presentation of the essential techniques and materials of jazz arranging. Authors Mike Tomaro and John Wilson draw upon 50+ years of combined teaching experience to bring you a book that addresses all of the basic needs for beginning arrangers. Topics include counterpoint/linear writing, jazz harmony, compositional techniques, and orchestration. All topics serve to address issues concerned with true arranging in great detail. The book may be used in both individual and classroom instructional situations. The accompanying CDs – 170 tracks in all! – include many of the examples in the book, plus templates for assignments formatted for Finale®.

Available from Stanton’s Sheet Music, the book sells for $49.95 and would make a great gift for that aspiring jazz arranger you know. Call us today at 800 42-MUSIC or email to jazz@stantons.com.

You work hard for the money…

The majority of Stanton’s customers are school music teachers. We have great respect for them. Actually, several of Stanton’s employees are former school music teachers, so they know what it’s all about–school music teachers have got to be some of the hardest working employees of any school system!  They often have multiple schools they have to drive to, with classes spanning elementary through high school, with different lesson plans for each level. Their middle school and high school classes are often two to three times bigger (or more) than most academic classes (and therefore, that many more parents to be in contact with).  They frequently have rehearsals scheduled before and after the regular school day and have performances on the weekends.  So sometimes they get stressed!
There is a story that back in the 1980s, during the air traffic controller’s strike, airports were hiring people to take over for the striking workers.  A former high school band director applied for the job, got trained and was directing jets as his local airport.  Someone asked him if it wasn’t the most stressful activity he had ever encountered.  He just laughed!  “You want stress?  Be a high school band director!”  Well, within the last couple of years, we have discovered something even more stressful than being a music teacher in America, and that’s being a music teachers overseas!  We got an e-mail from a customer in Japan that ended rather abruptly.  They wrote, “I’ll e-mail the rest later–in the middle of a typhoon!”  But the worst one had to be the e-mail from a teacher in Beirut, who wrote, “Gotta go–my school is being surrounded by tanks!”

So when you’re feeling stressed about your job as a school music teacher, just think–somebody might have it worse!  And remember, Stanton’s is here to help you find the very best sheet music for your performing groups. Our educational departments read through virtually every new piece and pick the “cream-of the-crop” to stock and recommend to our customers in our mailed promotions, reading sessions and blogs.  At Stanton’s, our philosophy has always been that by helping you, the music teacher, to be successful, we will be successful.  That’s how it has been since 1960 and will continue to be.  And it works!  We appreciate your trust in our choices for you and welcome your orders and inquiries.  So contact Stanton’s with all your sheet music needs.  On the web, email, by phone at 1-800-42-MUSIC or via FAX at 614-224-5929.  Thanks for your patronage!

It’s the Holiday Season…

…And it’s coming upon us a bit faster than some of us are ready for! Do any of you elementary music teachers need some good ideas for some holiday songs?  Relax–we have some great solutions for you.  One of the best holiday collections we’ve seen is “Around the World at Christmas Time.” This collection has songs from Germany to Mexico and Scandinavia to Israel. The songs in this book can be performed individually or all together as a choral revue. This is a good way for your students to learn a bit about how the holidays are celebrated in other countries as well as here in the good old USA.
Another great collection that has  more upbeat and fun tunes is “All Aboard the Holiday Express”. This collection contains secular holiday tunes and a couple of Hannukah songs as well. Other holiday collections you may want to check out are “Happy Holidays“, “Songs for Christmas” and “Silly Songs & Sing-Alongs for Christmas.”  All of these collections have accompaniment CDs available.
For more information or questions please call us at 1-800-42-music, email or visit our website.

How-to: Musical Rentals and Performance Permission

Stanton’s Sheet Music receives many inquiries from customers who “just got put in charge of the school musical” and want to know where to start. Although MANY choral/band directors and drama teachers are also expected to direct musicals, it seems that most college courses skip right over this topic. One of your first steps will be to decide upon the musical you’d like to stage. While Stanton’s does sell Broadway vocal collections, choral/band arrangements and other musical theater products including most Broadway Junior productions, we CANNOT contract the licensing rights that give you legal permission to perform the work—for that you must contact the appropriate licensing company. Some of the largest licensing companies are:

Musical Theater International
Since its founding in 1952, MTI has been supplying musical materials to theatres worldwide, whether it is the newest hit from the Broadway or London stage, or a timeless classic. MTI has been a driving force in cultivating new work and in extending the production life of the great American musicals such as Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, Fiddler On The Roof, Les Misérables, Annie, Damn Yankees, The Music Man, Godspell, Little Shop Of Horrors, and the musical theatre collection of Stephen Sondheim, among others.

Rogers and Hammerstein Organization
Founded by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II more than 60 years ago, the R&H Organization represents a wide variety of entertainment copyrights and over 200 writers. In addition to Rodger & Hammerstein classics like The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, and South Pacific, they also offer a range of popular musicals including Annie Get Your Gun, The Light in the Piazza, Babes in Arms, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc
Tams-Witmark licensed the first high school production of a Broadway musical approximately 75 years ago. Today, thousands of schools and community theatres are presenting Tams-Witmark musicals each year, including A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, Bye Bye Birdie, The Wizard of Oz, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Oliver, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, Cabaret, Crazy for You, Forty-Second Street, Camelot, Kiss Me Kate, Gypsy and Brigadoon.

Samuel French
With offices in New York City, London, Hollywood and Studio City, California, Samuel French has been representing playwrights since 1830. They began hosting the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Play Festival in 1975 which has resulted in the publishing of 181 new plays since. Some of their most popular offerings are: Anne of Green Gables, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Chicago, Clue: The Musical,  Grease,  Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Mikado, Nunsense, Peter Pan, The Rocky Horror Show, and The Secret Garden.

All of these reputable companies offer script preview programs (similar to Stanton’s 21-Day Trial) and helpful websites to guide you through musical licensing procedures. Several variables determine how much money the performance rights will cost, and the only way to get a quote is to begin a dialogue with a licensing company. Stanton’s advises you to begin this process as far in advance as possible so that you have plenty of time to research and choose the best show for your particular situation.

Now all you have to do is cast the show, run rehearsals, build sets, sew/rent costumes, book a pit, and print programs. Simple, right?

Wind Band Invitational and New Music Reading Session

There’s a bite in the air and the leaves are changing colors and dropping from the trees. It’s time for the Eighth Annual 2009 New Concert Band Reading Clinic! This extremely popular clinic weekend, especially helpful for 1st and 2nd year teachers, allows participants to have a “hands on” experience with the latest and best new music. The featured composer/director this year is Ray Cramer, famed musician, band pedagogue and director emeritus of Indiana University. Taking place on Friday and Saturday, November 13-14, at Capital University in Columbus, OH. Make your plans now to attend. Navigate to the clinic website for details.

Are budget cuts adding a hitch to your Holiday?

If you need to stretch your music budget this fall, but still want to get your elementary students up on the stage, Stanton’s Sheet Music recommends one of following titles. Each one includes the teacher edition/score, reproducible student parts and a performance/accompaniment CD—all for $50 or less!

Granny McBee’s Christmas Eve
Running about 15 minutes and appropriate for all elementary grades, Granny McBee’s bedtime story lures all the children off into dreamland.

Humbug
Based on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” this 30 minute musical sets the action in the present-day classroom of grumpy teacher Ms. Ebenezer. K-3

Is Santa Smarter?
This Christmas musical/revue features your school’s fifth graders on a game show with Santa as the celebrity contestant, but can include all grades.

It’s Christmas Everywhere
This multicultural delight is explores both familiar and lesser-known carols and traditions from Germany, Japan, Australia, Africa, Mexico, Canada, and Spain.

Mrs Claus and the Great Elf Rebellion
When the elves begin feeling overwhelmed and rebellious, Mrs. Claus must help them realize how special and important they are to children all over the world.

Pictures of December
These songs written in a variety of styles touch on all aspects of December: snow, Christmas trees, a Hanukkah dance, the tenants of Kwanzaa, caroling, bells, and more.

For other great ideas for your winter concert or program, contact Stanton’s general music specialists!

Hallowe’en for Piano

Nearly everybody loves Hallowe’en!  For piano teachers who are planning a Hallowe’en recital, or for those wanting to celebrate the season, we have a varied selection of fun pieces and books to suit players of nearly every level of difficulty.

The Halloween Songbook is a book of easy popular songs such as The Addams Family Theme, Monster Mash, and The Munster’s Theme.

 

Happy Halloween is a collection of  spooky originals by Jane Bastien. The difficulty of the pieces ranges from primer to second grade.  This is a long-time favorite. The pieces are clever, represent different musical styles,  and imitate the various spooky sounds of the season.  Titles include Black Cat Boogie, The Ghosts’ Ball Game, and Witches Rock.  

 From Alfred Publishing comes a list of Halloween pieces written by their talented composers of educational piano music. These include Dennis Alexander’s “Broomstick Capers” and Margaret Goldston’s “Beware of Ghosts!”.

For more information concerning these or other products, visit us at stantons.com or email us at keyboard@stantons.com

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!