Posts Tagged 'music'

Showcase Your Strings: 13 great pieces for recruitment and demonstration concerts

Published March 23, 2023 Contemporary Composers , General , music education , orchestra , Teacher Resources Leave a Comment
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Curated by Kathryn Griesinger-Parrish, Orchestral Editor at Carl Fischer Music

Guests & Soloists

Include a beloved teacher or principal when hosting a recruiting event.

Concerto for Triangle

by Mike Hannickel

This easy piece cleverly features a triangle ‘soloist’…who keeps missing their cue. Until the very end, that is! Guaranteed to elicit giggles from young students.

Guest Soloist

by Richard Meyer

This time, a ‘volunteer’ is given a violin with just 2 strings (or substitute any instrument), and the ‘soloist’ is cued in by taps on the shoulder by the conductor. A great opportunity for audience participation.

One Bow Concerto

by Richard Meyer

See what happens when a violinist, violist, and cellist are soloing with a pizzicato orchestral accompaniment…but there is only one bow for all to share! Bonus points for getting to hear most orchestral instruments solo.

Section features

Put every instrument in the spotlight.

Eclipse

by Caryn Wiegand Neidhold

This grade 2 piece includes optional drumset and the opportunity for every instrument section to play a solo (or section soli) by playing either the notated solo, or improving their own as the rest of the orchestra vamps in the background.

Instant Recruiting Concert

arr. Bob Phillips

This made-for-recruitment medley begins with familiar classical melodies, then offers instrument solo opportunities using fun tunes like The Pink Panther and The Flintstones. To finish, the orchestra combines for a grand finale of themes from movies like Star Wars and Harry Potter. Optional narration is provided to guide the audience through the various instrument sections.

Three Buccaneers

by Kathryn Griesinger

To hear every instrument, this piece gives every section of the orchestra its own theme: Violins, Violas, and Cellos/Basses. Each section can be demonstrated by playing a few measures of “their theme” before performing the entire piece.

Everyone’s Guide to the String Orchestra

by Camille Saint-Saens/arr. Douglas E. Wagner

If your recruitment theme is an instrument “petting zoo” then this arrangement of melodies from “The Carnival of the Animals” is a perfect fit. Cellos are featured in “The Swan,” violas in “Lion’s Royal March,” basses play the “The Elephant,” and violins bring the piece to a joyous conclusion with “Finale.”

Pop & Movie Hits

Get their attention with music they already know and love.

John Williams Trilogy

arr. Calvin Custer

Get several of the most recognizable movie themes in one medley! Tunes include Star Wars Main Title and End Credits, Theme from “Jurassic Park,” and Raiders March. This medium-level arrangement will require a little more rehearsal preparation and the piano and percussion parts add terrific energy, if you have the players.

Pirates of Caribbean (Easy Level)

arr. Paul Lavender

Pirates never go out of style and this easy-to-put-together arrangement captures all the swashbuckling fun of being in orchestra.

Great Themes from TV and Movies

arr. Bob Cerulli

Everyone loves cartoons and this arrangement combines the Batman Theme, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, and (Meet) The Flintstones.

Power Rock

arr. Michael Sweeney

For those last-minute performances, rock the house with this super-easy mash-up of Another One Bites the Dust and We Will Rock You.

Sunflower (from “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”)

arr. Michael Story (Alfred)

This easy to play pop hit will be familiar to all ages.

Viva la Vida

Coldplay, arr. Larry Moore

Lighten the mood with an upbeat and familiar melody that brings all the good vibes.

Last-Minute Favorites

Tried-and-true pieces are fun and easy for most ensembles to perform with minimal rehearsal time, and may likely already be in your library.

Rock Riffs/Soon Hee Newbold
Ninja/Richard Meyer
Metallurgy/Doug Spata
Dragonhunter/Richard Meyer
Beyond the Thunder/Deborah Baker Monday
Double Trouble/Lauren Bernofsky

Kathryn (Griesinger) Parrish received her B.A. (cello) and M.M. (music education) degrees from the University of Akron, where she later taught string pedagogy courses as adjunct faculty. She taught orchestra in Ohio and Florida private and public schools for 15 years, while freelancing as an arranger and cellist for various ensembles. She also writes commissioned works and sight-reading music for regional music festivals. Kathryn currently works for Carl Fischer Music as an orchestra editor.

Making Connections & Creating Community In an Overscheduled World

Published January 30, 2023 choral , General , music education , Practice & Performance , Sacred Music 1 Comment
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Guest post by Susan Eernisse, Children’s Music Editor for Jubilate Music Group

One of the things we as children’s choir directors deal with is the competition for a spot on the weekly family schedule. I believe there are some fantastic things going on every week in our choir rooms, yet how do we get the word out to families? And how do we get children there – and keep them coming back week after week?

I believe that making connections with the parents as well as the children is key. Here are a few things I have tried with some success.  

  1. Advertise choir through all ministries of the church – music ministry, children’s ministry, even senior adult ministry – often grandparents are the ones tasked with transporting the children. 
  2. Make regular contact: send weekly emails to the parents telling the important things happening in choir that week; provide a calendar with key dates before the beginning of each semester; follow up on absentees – first with a text or email to the parents, and then with a handwritten note to the child. It is amazing how appreciative parents are when you notice their child is missing from rehearsals! 
  3. Send purposeful greetings. Birthday cards are always a great touch. Send thank you notes, get-well cards, holiday cards – address them to the child, but the parents will notice and appreciate your time and attention. Last year I sent Thanksgiving cards to the children timed to arrive during the holiday break. I included a hymn story for the children to share with their families and tucked in a card listing all the remaining choir dates through December.        
  4. Involve children in worship leading in addition to singing in the choir. Children can pray, collect the offering, light candles, read scripture, and even serve on your worship team on occasion. Budding instrumentalists can play preludes or offertories. 
  5. Offer elective/auxiliary groups for your early arrivers. We began a handchime choir for our older children that meets between our family night supper and choir time because we noticed many finished eating quickly and had nothing to do until choir time. Consider Orff ensembles, drama groups, percussion ensembles – even bucket drumming!
  6. Create a social media page for your choir.  We have a separate page that is connected to our church account. You can make the page private to allay parent’s privacy concerns. Post video snippets of rehearsals, photos of activities and announcements regarding performances and special events. Enlist some parent volunteers to “market” your group, or have a rotation of parent helpers to attend choir, take pictures, write cards to absentees, etc. 
  7. Involve families in music making. Enlist parents or older siblings to play instrument parts, sing harmony parts, read narrations, or add percussion instruments. Think of your choir as a family activity, not just something else to fill the children’s weekly calendar. 
  8. Plan public performances each year. As an outreach of your children’s choir program, explore offering programs for service clubs, senior living facilities, non-profit agencies, and more. Even musicals can be mobile events if you plan with simple sets and portable props.

As your choir begins to transform from choral group to more of a family, consider the new musical, Family Tree by Ellen Woods Bryce from Jubilate Music Group.

It has simple casting, easy set, and important themes of concern for children and families in today’s world: how to become part of God’s Family Tree, communication, adoption, divorce, and forgiveness.  It teaches important lessons not only for children, but for their parents as well. As is so often the case, music is a means of ministry to and through the children you faithfully serve week after week.

Susan Eernisse is Children’s Music Editor for Jubilate Music Group. She serves as Associate Music Minister and Director of the Performing Arts Academy for First Baptist Church Gainesille (GA).  She is also a published writer.  

In Another Guise: Recycling and Borrowing in J. S. Bach’s Works

Published December 9, 2022 choral , classical , Repertoire Leave a Comment
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By Dr. Uwe Wolf, Chief Editor of Carus Verlag

It may seem surprising that Johann Sebastian Bach’s oratorios and masses are based to a large extent on parody, and that they were originally composed to a quite different text. This does not, however, diminish the fascination which they exert. Of course, when the timpani notes we are all so familiar with from the Christmas Oratorio are suddenly followed by the choir singing “Tönet, ihr Pauken,” this is a revelatory moment. And despite that, for us, each timpani beat is closely associated with the Christmas acclamation “Jauchzet, frohlocket” – not only because we’ve always known it like that, but also because, freed from that all-too-obvious link to the emphatic “hammering” invitation, it perhaps even gains something in artistic value.

B minor Mass – Johann Sebastian Bach

A musical journey which explores the precursors of famous major works is exciting and illuminating. Bach’s masses re-use many sections from his own sacred vocal works – the so-called “Lutheran masses” BWV 233–236 (see Carus 31.233, 31.234, 31.235, 31.236) contains musical borrowings from several of his cantatas, as does Bach’s “opus ultimum,” the Mass in B minor. Bach’s Lutheran masses are performed rather infrequently, so parts of them are perhaps better known today in their original cantata form than in the transformed guise as a movement in a mass. But it is quite the opposite with the Mass in B minor. While this is one of Bach’s most frequently-performed works, many of its precursors now lead rather a shadowy existence. Here, Bach’s choice of material for reuse in the Mass in B minor can be regarded as a guide to finding that which is very special in the wealth of his cantatas. Indeed, it has long been assumed that in his opus ultimum Bach combined the best of his church music and may have also wanted to place it in a larger, more universal context. There are borrowings or parallel arrangements from BWV 11 (Agnus Dei), BWV 12 (Crucifixus), BWV 29 (Gratias), BWV 46 (Qui tollis), BWV 120 (Et expecto), BWV 171 (Patrem omnipotentem), and BWV 215 (Osanna). Audiences will prick up their ears at well-known movements in another guise heard in concerts, as will choral singers at the first rehearsals!

As well as these borrowings from the cantatas, in his Mass in B minor Bach used part of previously existing music from his Missa of 1733 and the splendid Sanctus of 1724 (the Carus CD of the Mass in B minor contains a recording of this version of the Sanctus, which differs in many details). Before Bach turned the Missa of 1733 into the first part of the Mass in B minor in 1748, he made use of it in another Latin Christmas music setting at the beginning of the 1740s: the magnificent and far too seldom heard Cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo BWV 191 with a direct borrowing and two Latin parodies of movements from the Gloria of the Mass in B minor.

Bach’s parody practice not only draws our attention to the special treasures amongst his output of cantatas, but also serves as a means of enabling missing compositions to be recreated. In the process we can take advantage of the fact that Bach took pains to adapt parody texts to fit his existing compositions – and in Christian Friedrich Henrici, alias Picander (1700–1764) he found a master at this art of writing poetry. As these parody texts had to match the original exactly in terms of meter and structure, we can perhaps now identify which piece of music was used as a basis from the meter of the poem. There are now all sorts of theories and speculations about this, but a whole series of clear parody relationships can be established beyond reasonable doubt.

Bach’s missing compositions which can be partially reconstructed in this way include his St. Mark Passion. Only the text survives of the Passion itself, but straight away several movements display such a similarity to movements in the Funeral ode BWV 198, that it is almost beyond doubt that the corresponding movements are based on that model. Two further movements can be reconstructed from other cantatas and for the (numerous) chorales, movements in Bach’s oeuvre can similarly be found. But the Passion story – the heart of the Passion – is missing, and cannot be reconstructed. Here, too, it is worth looking at the models. The Funeral ode survives complete and is one of J.S. Bach’s most outstanding vocal works, not only in the quality of the individual movements, but as a complete whole per se, including the exquisitely scored accompagnati which were not incorporated into the Passion. It is one of his most richly colored and impressive compositions of all, characterized by the sound of gambas and lutes, as well as the woodwinds, especially the flutes – up to the death knell in the flutes and pizzicato strings in the alto accompagnato. And scarcely any other cantata serves up three such magnificent and varied choral movements: the opening tombeau in dotted rhythms, a large choral fugue in the middle, and the unique, dance-like final chorus with its constantly surprising choral unisons. The text by Johann Christoph Gottsched on the death of the Electress Christiane Eberhardine is not really suitable for church services, but it is on another literary level from some of the birthday cantatas and is suitable for concert performance at any time. Thus here is a plea for a revival of the precursors!

Dr. Uwe Wolf has been Chief Editor of Carus since October 2011. Before that he researched the music of Bach for over 20 years. Thanks to his work as Editorial Director of the Selected Works, Gottfried August Homilius is no longer a neglected composer.

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Preserving the Publishing Legacy

Published October 14, 2022 classical , General , Repertoire Leave a Comment
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By Simon Wright, Head of Rights and Contracts at Oxford University Press in the Sheet Music department

For any classical music publisher working up until the middle years of the twentieth century, and even later in many cases, paper was the primary means of dissemination for the sheet music and scores. Digital, and even photocopying, were still far ahead on the horizon, and making copies of anything required manual labour and pen and ink. All composers would write their compositions out by hand on music manuscript paper (the “autograph manuscript”); copies required for the first and other early performances would be copied out by music copyists, again on manuscript paper; a music engraver would work either from the autograph manuscript or from a marked-up copyist’s score to produce the plates required for printing; proofs would be produced, run off from the plates; and finally, after any corrections had been made, paper copies would be printed and bound, for sale or for hire. If the composition involved an orchestra the separate orchestral parts required for individual players would also be copied out, by hand, and in many cases later engraved and printed.

Much of the material produced for these processing purposes was regarded as ephemeral (the copyists’ scores, the proofs), but where it survives the items collectively will often shed fascinating light on the story of the music’s composition and the early performances—how a particular work journeyed from the mind and imagination of the composer into the hands of players for a live performance, and something of the individuals that enabled that to happen (the editors, the conductor, the performers). There is a “geological layer” aspect to much publishing ephemera, stories quietly sitting and awaiting discovery and telling.

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams was one of the most celebrated British composers of the twentieth century, and Oxford University Press was his principal music publisher from 1925 until his death in 1958. For Vaughan Williams, OUP published six of his nine symphonies, choral and instrumental works, hymns, carols, operas, and ballet—all of this music was initially made available using the processes described. After Vaughan Williams’s death, much of the surviving archival material was retained by OUP and held in storage.

In October 2022, as musicians across the world mark the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth, these materials are to be moved to the British Library, where they will join the Library’s existing world-class collection of Vaughan Williams autograph manuscripts, papers, letters, photographs, and other materials—the most comprehensive collection relating to this composer in the world.

The OUP donation covers approximately 60 items, each one of these demonstrating some part of the publication process. Here, we explore a selection of the items, each telling a story from Vaughan Williams’s musical career.

A “copyist’s copy” of the full score of “Symphony No. 4” (1934) has evidently passed through many hands: the composer’s (a sheet of his Dorking headed notepaper, with the title written in his hand, is used as a label on the cover, and his amendments are visible throughout the score); various conductors (performance markings, often in coloured crayon, are self-evident); the publisher (markings show the “plan” and pagination for the engraved and printed edition); and the engraver (queries for the publisher or composer are raised in pencilled notes). Furthermore, cuts and changes to the musical notation are shown, probably agreed between the conductor and the composer during the initial rehearsals.
A surviving manuscript score of the piano reduction of the ballet “Job: A Masque for Dancing” (1930) shows hurriedly made cuts and changes, made during rehearsals—these amendments subsequently found their way into the matching full score and orchestral parts.
The smaller “Romance for Harmonica and String Orchestra”, written for Larry Adler in 1951, tells its story through a hand-copied piano reduction replete with pasted-over correction slips in the hand of Vaughan Williams (what lies beneath these paste-overs?).
This note, by Vaughan Williams and in his handwriting, is found pasted inside the cover of the pre-publication copyist’s full score of “Five Variants of ‘Dives and Lazarus’”, a work written for the 1939 New York World’s Fair (this score was also used by the conductor Adrian Boult at the first performance, in Carnegie Hall). The note, which explains both the provenance of the folk tune “Dives and Lazarus” and its use in this piece, and also the unusual “divisi” of violas and cellos required, was eventually transcribed and printed verbatim in the published full score (1940)—this paste-in is its original source.
The OUP donation includes the full score (in five volumes) of the opera (“Morality”, as the composer preferred to call it) “The Pilgrim’s Progress” (1951) used at the Covent Garden first performances, and then by Sir Adrian Boult for his 1971 EMI recording (a surviving tape from the recording sessions reveals Boult’s annoyance that the scores did not lie flat—and they still don’t).

Still photos taken by J. Black © Oxford University Press

Mariachi – Yes, It’s Part of the Music Program

Published September 26, 2022 General Leave a Comment
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by Herman Méndez

One might deem a program as successful when it has been fully embraced by students, school staff, parents and community to the degree that it becomes an integral part of the school curriculum.  Over a number of years now, mariachi music programs in schools have been growing in numbers in the southern and western United States, and have successfully been integrated into their respective schools’ music programs.

I think that successful integration comes about by way of a number of factors, one of which stems around the recognition that a highly involved student makes for a better learner.  Tapping into a student’s personal cultural heritage, or expanding a student’s knowledge of a culture different from their own, not only is a great tool for student engagement, but coupled with stakeholder support, works to help a new program integrate.

For a Hispanic community, in particular one with a strong Mexican cultural heritage, a music program that draws on mariachi music is a great vehicle for expanding a school’s music program offerings, which for many schools has been limited to three programs, i.e. orchestra, band and jazz band. 

It’s been my experience that a collaborative mindset is an effective vehicle in helping with program integration.  Collaboration helps a program take root and become a fundamental part of the overall school program.  Teachers, as research has pointed out, are more effective when not working in isolation.  Coordination regarding the course of study is also best done working as a team, with music teachers determining how, when and what to best teach in the context of broad music program. Working with other teachers not only helps share the workload, it spurs on program integration, and buy-in from those people who help to build it. 

As mentioned earlier, we often see a school present a student with three music program offerings, orchestra, band and jazz ensemble.  The mariachi instructor would do well to look to work with these programs’ respective instructors to recruit students for a mariachi program.  These programs provide a pool of music students to play some of the instruments needed for a mariachi ensemble; violins, trumpets, for example.  Student recruitment may involve a mariachi performance assembly, for prospective students, by an established student group or a local community ensemble.  It is indeed very impressive to not only hear, but to see a Mariachi in full performance attire.

When possible, drawing on students’ family and local mariachi musicians provides a vehicle for parent and community involvement, and supports the mariachi teacher’s instruction.  One should not be afraid to draw on family and community players.  Mariachi after all has a folk origin tradition. Community players are the day-to-day practitioners of the art form and can be a source for student mentorship.  In this setting, the mariachi instructor acts as the conduit for expanding the oral and hands on teaching of mariachi music to more formalized music instruction.  Additionally, the inclusion of mariachi genre in school helps elevate the art form as “legitimate” and on par with other music genres and worthy of study. 

About Herman Méndez: My first exposure to the deep sound of the guitarrón was at our Mexican family fiestas. There was often a musical group performing mariachi music, and the guitarrón served as the bass voice of the ensemble. The bass sound of the guitarrón was responsible for the frequent shifting between the syncopated and on-beat rhythm of the music. In recent years, there has been a great interest in music from around the world and a desire by musicians to explore the use of instruments from a variety of cultures to create new sounds, develop new genres of music, and to celebrate the rich music traditions of other people.

My guitarrón method book will provide the reader with a foundation in the fundamentals of music. The goal is to bridge the gap between playing by ear, which can often be the case with non-traditional western instruments, and playing by reading notated music. Additionally, there is a benefit to standardizing guitarrón performance technique, as it provides for improved performance in the areas of intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and note fingering, for example. Finally, the book can serve to expand the inclusion of the guitarrón’s rich bass voice in other genres of music beyond the mariachi by increasing its access to a broader range of musicians.

Purchase Méndez’s Guitarrón Method Book

Herman Méndez

12 of the Best New School Choir Arrangements from Shawnee Press

Published August 24, 2022 General Leave a Comment
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This blog comes courtesy of the Director of Educational Choral Publications for Shawnee Press, Greg Gilpin

Assess! Inspire! Ignite!

As the new school year begins, many teachers are faced with new challenges created by the pandemic as well as ever-changing educational requirements for young people. Here are a few examples:

– You older and experienced singers are not choosing music their junior or senior year because they are taking college courses.

– Your freshman singers missed out on two years of middle school/junior high choir due to the pandemic or lack of a program in your school.

– Your music students have to choose between instrumental and choral. Those that have purchased instruments are most likely to choose band/orchestra. You may have many singers that don’t read music well or at all.

– Because of the pandemic, you find yourself “rebuilding” interest and excitement in your program. Thus, your numbers are low and your choral ensembles are smaller.

Teaching Community and Acceptance!

We Are All the Stars

Greg Gilpin

SATB | SAB | 2-Part | Choir Audio

A reflective and poignant text of how many create one; suitable for all ages. Full harmonic writing with dynamic contrast creates a beautiful interpretation of text. An independent yet supportive piano accompaniment enhances the setting.

Excellent Introduction to Masterworks!

Gloria (from Lord Nelson Mass)

Franz Joseph Haydn (arr. Russell Robinson)

3-Part Mixed 

Accessible voice parts shine in with this Latin text of the Haydn “Gloria.” It’s suitable for concert, contest or festival use with optional solo opportunities. History included on Lord Nelson and Napoleon for additional teaching purposes.

Add Humor and Movement to Your Program!

Earworm

Mark Burrows

2-Part | Choir Audio

The humorous text is relatable to musicians of all ages. Interesting and diverse vocal writing for both parts is supported by a solid piano accompaniment. The creative vocal stack includes an optional descant.

Full of Fun Using Classroom Instruments!

I Want It That Way

Backstreet Boys (arr. Nathan Howe)

SATB | SAB | TTBB | 2-Part 

In 2012, Jimmy Fallon started a recurring segment on “The Tonight Show” in which The Roots use classroom instruments to play pop songs with celebrity guests. These skilled musicians pull off engaging performances using instruments many people don’t take seriously beyond the elementary music room. Nathan Howe has continued his musical genius in a cappella writing with this pop tune sung a cappella with classroom percussion. It’s amazing and fun and suitable for all ages with the variety of voicings available.

Rhythm Teaching for the Holidays!

Hear the Sleigh Bells Ring!

Greg Gilpin

3-Part Treble | 3-Part Mixed | Choir Audio

This original up-tempo holiday selection in a minor key uses independent vocal lines imitating bells then moving into a rhythmic homophonic chorus. Optional descant and sleigh bells add to the joyful lyric of a holiday sleigh ride.

Connecting Our Cultures

Light a Candle On This Silent Night

Glenda E. Franklin

2-Part | 3-Part Mixed | Choir Audio

Poignant message of hope and peace with snippets of “Silent Night” throughout. Limited vocal ranges and simple vocal textures create an ethereal quality; excellent for teaching tone, diction, dynamics, balance and blend.

Great for Beginning A Cappella Ensembles!

Hurry Now to Bethlehem

Ruth Morris Gray

SATB | 3-Part Mixed

A cappella singing is set with optional percussion telling the story of the birth in Bethlehem and creating an exciting Christmas or holiday performance. Optional solos are sprinkled about creating call and answer style moments. The use of multi-meter and repetition make it easy and fun to learn creating an impressive performance.

Superb Patriotic Selection for A Cappella Choirs

God Bless America

Irving Berlin (arr. Mark Hayes)

SATB | SSAB | SSAA | TTBB | Choir Audio

Mark Hayes is one of our finest arrangers and now he has used his expertise in vocal arranging on this Irving Berlin treasure from the American Song Book. A cappella voices richly present the well-known lyric, capturing its emotional patriotism. Beautiful and dynamic musical interpretation weaves throughout the piece, building to a glorious final “home sweet home.”

Beautiful Choice for Multicultural Learning

Akatonbo (Red Dragonfly)

Traditional Japanese Folksong (arr. Greg Gilpin)

2-Part | Choir Audio

The simple text of this famous Japanese children’s song is paired with a beautiful English translation depicting a red dragonfly seen at sunset. The original melody melds with the original partner-song creating gentle vocal lines above a simple and supportive piano accompaniment. 2-part writing that is simply exquisite and the choral includes rehearsal suggestions for added teaching and learning.

Easily Add Sparkle to Your Concert!

Happy Holidays to You!

Mary Lynn Lightfoot

SAB | 2-Part | Choir Audio

Mary Lynn Lightfoot has given us a wonderful concert opener or closer with a message of holiday cheer and a wish that “the joys of the season last the whole year through!” Designed for young voices, the bright and festive original music can be learned quickly with the familiar notes and text of “Deck the Hall” and “Jingle Bells” sprinkled throughout. A sparkling selection for your holiday concert.

Rhythmic Energy!

Little David, Play!

Traditional Spiritual (arr. Brad Croushorn)

SATB | SAB | Choir Audio

Terrific concert, contest or festival piece filled with kinetic musical energy that’s easy to teach and learn with musical respect for the traditional spiritual. The independent part-singing is confidence building, too.

Top Seller with New Voicings!

The Holiday Tango!

Greg Gilpin

SATB | SAB | SSA | TTB | 2-Part | Choir Audio

“The sleigh bells jingle, the shoppers mingle, I get a tingle from watching such a show!” This holiday novelty will be the hit of your concert! The tango-style music set with smart and fun lyrics will create a standout selection for your program. Add some costumes and movement for a real showstopper!

8 Tips On Recruiting For Your Music Program

Published August 24, 2022 General Leave a Comment
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Due to the coronavirus outbreak, many music institutions were closed. The health commission prohibited many choirs and musicians from performing. Due to health concerns, many parents opted not to enroll their kids in music classes but instead made them attend regular academic classes. One of the noticeable challenges that music teachers faced was recruiting and retaining students.

Thankfully, that’s over. Music educators can now rebuild themselves and create an impact on the students. If you’re an educator yourself, make acute recruitment and retention of students your number one priority. Here are tips to get you started.

1. Introduce Them to Music Materials

Students cannot sign up for your program by themselves or become convinced by the announcements you send to their parents/guardians. You have to expose them to your band, explain the activities, and how they can be successful through your brand.

Host an open house for your classroom. Have current students also attend to meet potential new students and have instruments and music out for potential students to check out.

You can also find opportunities to recruit outside the classroom! Volunteer your current group to perform at community events or have your group travel to younger schools that could feed intro your school to expose them to your program at a younger age.

2. Familiarize Your Students with the Instruments

You must familiarize your students with the instruments, you know music without instruments in nothing. It will take a while to familiarize them with everything, but they’ll appreciate your effort when they get used to them. Once your students know how each tool works, your recruitment program will run smoothly.

3. Make them Fill out Interest Forms

During your first meeting, hand them interest forms. The forms should have space bars for their email address, phone number, the school they attend, and the instruments they would love to play. Doing so will help you get accurate information about your students. This is an essential recruitment stage that will let you know your students.

4. Engage Your Older Students

One of the best ways to hook up your students with music is by giving them a chance to interact with your older students. You can call some of your best students and allow them to teach your young music students some basics. Your juniors will be more comfortable if they interact with senior learners and this will increase retention.

5. Give Them Practical Assignments

After filling out the forms, you should probably know what type of instrument every student love. Take them through different instrumental lessons separately. After every class, make them do some practical presentation of what they have learned. Doing this will help you know how each student is progressing, giving you enough time to figure out what’s next for them.

6. Do Some Follow-Up Activities

To successfully retain your students, you must follow up on their class programs and the assignments you give them. Have a clear understanding of what each student needs. Contact their parents and know how they progress with their projects. Knowing how your music students go will help you establish a good relationship giving you a chance to get new students.

7. Be An Understanding Music Teacher

During your music recruitment program, you will have different students. The ones who are already familiar with the music and those who are new to music. As a music educator, you must understand the students’ two categories. Understanding them will help you provide a quality learning experience.

8. Make It Fun

As a music teacher, you have to be fun around your students. Positively introduce yourself to make them feel comfortable while they are around you. Allow them to participate in the class programs to engage them.

Keep your music classes short and practical so they’re more enjoyable while systematically introducing different musical themes. Make sure you have a positive interaction with your students so they open up and learn better.

Make Your Program Happen

While there might have been some complications in your music program during the last few years, now is the time to make it better and rebuild what you have started. Visit Sheet Music Plus and get the best music selection that can get you in a good mood as you prepare to start teaching music.

Your Intro to Pop A Cappella

Published August 23, 2022 General Leave a Comment
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Hint: It might just be more approachable than you think!

Looking for new ways to get students to join choir and keep them coming back for more? 

From Pentatonix to Pitch Perfect, they’ve already fallen in love with pop a cappella. 

Here’s Rob Dietz to help you teach them to sing it.

Rob, a cappella teacher/performer/producer with Glee, Sing-Off and America’s Got Talent credits to his name, has put together A Cappella 101, a guide to help you teach students of all levels how to sing the music they love.

Rob also picked out a few songs to help your students apply what they’re learning. This list includes the showstoppers your advanced students are craving and also a strong set to engage those earlier in their journey and help them find success.

A Cappella 101 by Rob Dietz

In A Cappella 101, Rob Dietz expertly describes the nuts, bolts and artistry of creating contemporary a cappella music. Covering everything from pop vocal tone and vocal drumming to movement, arranging and recording, this book and the accompanying online videos are a “how-to” for newbies and seasoned experts alike.

Rob himself introduces the book in this video:

Approachable Pop A Cappella

Viva La Vida

By: Coldplay
Arranged by: Rob Dietz
SAT + Solo and Vocal Percussion

A great starting piece, no basses required! The tenor line is good for both changed and unchanged voices, and the vocal percussion is simple and easy to execute for a beginner.

The Way I Am

By: Ingrid Michaelson
Arranged By: MaryAnne Muglia
SSA

This arrangement features a simple, repeating bass line that’s a great way for altos to get familiar with holding down the bass part of an a cappella arrangement (and it’s not too low!). Lots of simple, well voiced, yet unexpected harmonies in this chart.

Dance Monkey

By: Tones and I
Arranged By: Bryan Sharpe
SAB + Solo and Vocal Percussion

This one is a really good introduction to slightly more complex bass/vocal percussion. The drums are simple, and notated to make them a little easier to pick up for a beginner. The bass sits in a very achievable register for younger voices, and includes some more advanced rhythms without being overwhelming.

When The Party’s Over

By: Billie Eilish
Arranged By: Rob Dietz
SAAB + Solo

Great for groups who want to try some easy, close harmony pop! The ranges are all fairly limited, and parts are mostly stepwise or easy interval jumps. The bass part sits in an easy register for young voices.

Kings and Queens

By: Ava Max
Arranged By: BK Riha
SATB + Vocal Percussion

Lots of block chord singing makes this chart powerful without needing to execute too many dense background textures. The bass and VP are very authentic, but also very easy to pick up quickly (and the VP is notated).

Up for a Bit of a Challenge?

Light In The Hallway
By: Pentatonix
Arranged By: Jacob Narverud
SATBB

Perfect for choirs who want to experiment with a pop sound, as well as beginning a cappella groups who want to do some beautiful close harmony singing. Lots of featured moments for lower voices, so good baris are a plus!

Stitches

By: Shawn Mendes
Arranged By: BK Riha
SATB + Solo and Vocal Percussion

This arrangement is a good introdution to trio-background texture, and features some simple, interwoven lines that will provide a small challenge with a big payoff. Vocal percussion is simple and notated.

Don’t Start Now

By: Dua Lipa
Arranged By: Deke Sharon
SATB + Vocal Percussion

A good step up for groups who want something accessible, but a little more challenging. Some parts are rhythmically more complicated, but repeated, so once you’ve got it, you’ve got it! The lead is shared across all parts, so doesn’t require a soloist.

If I Die Young

By: The Band Perry
Arranged By: Ben Bram
SATB + Solo and Vocal Percussion

A little more ambitious in terms of range and complexity of vocal percussion, but still a very accessible arrangement for a beginner or advanced beginner group. The bridge is a good introduction to singing a bell tone texture.

Aspirational Pop A Cappella

I Need Your Love

By: Ellie Goulding
Arranged By: Ben Bram
SATB div + Solo and Vocal Percussion

For advanced-beginner groups looking for a challenge. More advanced syncopation, bell tone textures, divisi, and intermediate vocal percussion make this arrangement great for leveling up your group.

Shut Up And Dance

By: Walk The Moon
Arranged By: Tom Anderson
SSATTB + Solo and Vocal Percussion

If your group is ready to move to more intermediate contemporary a cappella repertoire, this is a great place to start! Lots of pop syncopations in all parts will force you to find the groove, but a fairly straightforward, four-on-the-floor vocal percussion line will help tie it all together.

Somewhere Only We Know

By: Keane
Arranged By: Katherine Bodor
SSAATBB + Solo and Vocal Percussion

A great introduction to multi-trio, layered harmony. This arrangement allows a group to work on extended harmony stacking without too many intricate rhythms or complicated vocal percussion.

I Want You Back

By: The Jackson 5
Arranged By: Rob Dietz
SSATBB div + Solo and Vocal Percussion

Ready to step it up? This arrangement is a good challenge for a true intermediate group that’s ready to tackle rhythm, stacked harmony, agile bass, and vocal percussion all at once!

About Rob Dietz

Rob Dietz is a multiple CARA winning producer who has been arranging, performing, and teaching contemporary a cappella music for over twenty years. Rob is best known for his work as an arranger and group coach for NBC’s The Sing-Off. Through his work on the show, Rob has collaborated with some of the top talent in the vocal music world, including Pentatonix, Peter Hollens, and Voiceplay. His arrangements have been showcased on several TV shows, including America’s Got Talent (NBC), To All The Boys: P.S I Still Love You (Netflix), and Pitch Slapped (Lifetime). As a performer he is an award-winning vocal percussionist, and his distinctive sound has been featured on FOX’s Glee and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Rob has a deep passion for a cappella education, and is a founding co-director of A Cappella Academy (along with Ben Bram and Avi Kaplan). In addition to his work with Academy, Rob is also the director of Legacy: an award-winning auditioned, community youth a cappella group. Rob is the author of A Cappella 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Contemporary A Cappella Singing. Alongside his work in contemporary a cappella music, Rob is also an avid choral composer – his pieces are performed by choirs from all over the world. Learn more at www.robdietzmusic.com. Twitter and Instagram: @rdietz55.

Rebuild & Renew!

Published August 11, 2022 General Leave a Comment
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By Patti Drennan

The musical world more or less came to a screeching halt in March 2020. Unsure of the effects a deadly Coronavirus could bring, most churches and businesses shuttered their doors until medical officials could analyze the seriousness and duration of this pandemic. For many months, choirs quit singing in worship and large performances then later members began wearing singers’ mask as they sang, though in much smaller groups. As the median age of our choir members often ranges above age sixty, and with no vaccinations then available, many singers stayed in the safety of their homes, especially if they were immuno-compromised. Creative technology later began to be devised to allow for online worship, even adding music. It was a testimony that music cannot be silenced!

            Even as most choirs have returned to their vital role in worship, some singers are hesitant to resume singing. Health, aging voices, and the convenience of online worship are explanations for their absence. In addition, singers within the congregation may have the gifts to offer in worship but other duties take higher priority than choir membership.

            With the writing of this book, Rebuild and Renew: A 12-Step Program to Fire Up Your Choir, I hope to offer affirmation and encouragement, as well as practical tools a director can select for use in his or her rehearsal and worship service.  Whether it is working to bring back singers to the choral “fold” or acquiring new members, it is part of our ministry work to enliven music and the arts in our church, schools, and community. Rebuild & Renew offers tips, tools, and ideas on how to do just that. 

            I contacted several choral directors and music ministers to ascertain the scope of impact the virus had on their churches and particularly their music ministry. I received quite a bit of affirmation that they, too, have struggled to bring their choirs back to pre-pandemic level of attendance and commitment. Within this book I incorporated their ideas and tips to renew and revive their choirs, plus reach others who had previously not been involved. It is my hope that making directors aware of the fact that their own church is not on an isolated island. Many churches nationwide are struggling with a new image of worship that causes us to brainstorm new and innovative ways to make music and encourage our fellowship of believers.

            As a retired high school choral director and a current church music director, I have brought to light resources and ideas that will help not only the seasoned music minister, but the person new to choral directing. Some you may have used before; others you have not.  This book is designed for novice and seasoned directors alike…to be enlightening, affirming, and inspiring. 

Chapters include The Choir as Community; The Productive Rehearsal; Recruit, Rebuild and “Youth-anize”, and much more…plus choir devotionals, reproducible responsive readings, and suggested easy anthem ideas.

The time is now to truly “rebuild and renew” our church choirs and entire music programs in this new era!  Excellence and excitement always inspire people to get on board.  When that happens, ordinary people can truly do extraordinary things. 

Patti Drennan is a church music director, retired music educator, and active composer/arranger with hundreds of anthems published with all major publishers (and sales of over two million copies).  Patti resides in Oklahoma.

© Copyright 2022 Jubilate Music Group.  All Rights Reserved.

3 Selections To Get Your Choir Back Into The School Year

Published August 9, 2022 General Leave a Comment
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By Danielle Larrick

As we transition into the Back to School season, many of us are shifting our focus and starting to consider repertoire for the upcoming year. 

While the final choices will come down to you, this is a great way to engage your musicians and get their opinion on the repertoire you’re considering for the upcoming year. Back to School season is the perfect opportunity to have your musicians listen, evaluate, and select their top pics from a list of repertoire. This can take place during the first weeks of school, or even in a Back to School newsletter to musicians!

I did just this with my own singers at the end of the school year. Here were some of their top picks!

Selection 1 – “Winter Wolf” 

This haunting piece in 3/4 offers some wonderful teaching moments especially in terms of part indepence and entrances. The ranges cater to adolescent voices. The text is rich and offers great practice in diction. Overall, it’s a great juxtaposition to the traditional winter repertoire. 

Selection 2 – “Storm”

You can’t go wrong with body percussion! I love it and so do my singers. The challenging rhythms and upbeat tempo are a perfect fit for the feel of the piece. 

Selection 3 – “Stars I Shall FInd”

The long phrases of this piece are simply stunning. The text is a beautiful opportunity to work on vowel shape. It offers much room for expression and features some dissonant harmonies that resolve in a stunning way.

For over a decade, Danielle has served as a musician-educator in both urban and suburban settings.  She believes in the value of middle school music as a means of identity, expression, and connection. She focuses on designing practical, innovative, and engaging music curricula for middle school students. Motivated by the ever-changing trends in education, Danielle continues to write, present, and create. She is the author of  “Middle School General Music: A Guide to Navigating the Unknown” (F-flat Books), as well as other resources designed for middle school general music and choir. Along with Jessica Grant, she is the co-founder of The Confident Music Educator. She currently resides in Lancaster, PA with her husband, son, and Boston Terrier. 

Instagram: musicalmiddles

E-mail: musicalmiddles@gmail.com

Website: https://theconfidentmusiceducator.podia.com/

Instagram: theconfidentmusiceducator

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Thought-provoking articles by musicians for musicians

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