Whether or not you can make it to ACDA 2013 this year, you can still enter our Prize Draw! Details below:

The post Enter our ACDA 2013 Prize Draw and Win! appeared first on MUSICFOLDER.com Blog.

We also hope to find some new retail distributors at the conference, so that people can find our folders in their home towns, without having to pay extra shipping and delivery fees. So talk to your friends and ask your local music and choral shop owners to contact us about getting our products in their stores.

The conference is also our chance to meet with people and get feedback on our products, as well as a chance to showcase anything new we’re offering.

Speaking of which, we’ve just launched our new Basic RingBinder, a less-expensive option to our top-of-the-line RingBinder folder. Although it is less expensive, it has the exact same base strap, it is beautifully balanced and light on the hand, and it’s made with the same quality and care as our regular folders. The Basic RingBinder is ideal for students, schools, and colleges with a tighter budget.

We keep hearing stories about how some people have ordered folders from our competitors, only to wait for several months before they’re finally delivered. Why not order from Musicfolder.com instead, and you will get your folders in days, fully customized and tailored to your specifications.

For those of you able to make it out to ACDA 2013 this year, make sure to come see our display at booths #226 and #227. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

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As educators we strive to promote higher learning and development! Join us at Unison 2012 where we hope you will be inspired and challenged while we come together as one.

The annual BCMEA Conference is back for another exciting year. The theme for this year’s conference is Unison 2012: coming together for music education, and it will be an amazing three days of seminars for music educators, performances by talented student musicians, and networking with fellow music educators and leaders in music education.

Join us at Unison 2012 from October 18th-20th at the Hotel at River Rock in Vancouver, BC. The delegates reception begins at 8 pm on Thursday, October 18th, with sessions all day Friday and Saturday. All of this year’s Honour Ensemble concerts will be held in the afternoon and evening of Friday, October 19th, at Fraserview Church in Richmond, BC.

Learn from the best

Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, renowned author, educator, and conductor, is Unison 2012’s keynote speaker.

Come together to learn from some of the greatest minds in music education, with tantalizing sessions by featured clinicians such as keynote speaker Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, whose clinic focuses on using positive techniques to not only develop beginners in music but retain them as music-makers for a lifetime.

Click here for a list of clinician bios.

Experience high-calibre musical performances by student-musicians

The BCMEA Honour Ensembles Program is an opportunity for BC students-musicians to come together and perform challenging repertoire in a high-calibre performance setting. The experiences, musical development, and new friendships built through this program will last for years. Each participating student-musician then brings a wealth of knowledge back to his/her respective school to share with peers. We are very proud to provide this program knowing how beneficial it can be to music education across British Columbia.

Click here for detailed information about the Honour Ensembles Program and how to be a part of it for next year. And click here for the concert schedule and to find out more about the talented individuals who will be running the two concerts.

Where is Unison 2012 taking place?

The Conference:

All BCMEA conference events are being held in the same location as the previous two years: Vancouver’s Hotel at River Rock, at 8811 River Road, Richmond, BC. This venue is easily accessible and close to the city’s transit system as well as the concert venue. Conference attendees can also stay on site at the Hotel at River Rock.

View the Hotel at River Rock on Google Maps

The Concerts:

The Honour Ensemble concerts will be held on Friday, October 19th, at the Fraserview Church at 11295 Mellis Drive, Richmond, BC. With a seating capacity that can comfortably hold more than 600 ticket-holders, conference attendees and family members of performing student-musicians will amply enjoy the afternoon and evening concerts. Delegates also have the opportunity to watch rehearsals, since the concert venue is only a short transit ride away from the Hotel at River Rock.

View Fraserview Church on Google Maps

Drop by and see us there

MUSICFOLDER.com will be attending again this year, along with some of the world’s best music folders. Come say hello at our display at booth #17!

Stay informed on BCMEA Unison updates and developments via Twitter:

The 2012 BCMEA Conference Twitter hashtag is #unison2012, and the official BCMEA Twitter account is @bcmea. Follow them on Twitter to stay informed and updated. You may also view the latest #unison2012 Tweets in the embedded widget below:

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When: June 13-16, 2012

Where: Radisson Plaza

View Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis in a larger map

What can you expect?

• Remarkable opening night concert at Orchestra Hall featuring works by Minnesota’s composers
• Fantasic ensembles including Cantus, Choral Arts Ensemble, and Deviated Septet
• Choral Connections conference with more than 100 choral composers from the American Composers Forum
• A number of session on topics including fund-raising, leadership, and contemporary social issues
• And a whole lot more!

Our team will also be showcasing our line of choral music folders. Convinced? Though the online registration is now closed, you will still be able to register on-site at the Radisson Plaza.

If you are planning to come, be sure to stop by and check out our high quality music folders! We hope to see you there!

The post Chorus America’s 35th Annual Conference in Minneapolis appeared first on MUSICFOLDER.com Blog.

MusicFest Canada 2012

The first event is MusicFest Canada. This event brings together over 10,000 young musicians between the ages of 12 and 25 and is North America’s largest event dedicated to developing young musical talent.

When: May 14-19, 2012

Where: National Arts Centre

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We encourage everyone in the Ottawa area to come check out this wonderful event because all adjudicated ensemble performances are open to the public and totally free of charge. That’s right. It’s free to see performances featuring some of the finest young musicians in Canada!

If you are planning to attend we’d love it if you stopped by to say hello and check out our line of high quality choir and orchestra folders.

Podium 2012

The second event we are fortunate to be a part of is Podium 2012 – Choral Célébration Chorale. At this exciting choral festival, you’ll have the chance to hear some of Canada’s top choirs, attend workshops with leading choral professionals, and engage in intellectual conversation with people who love all things choral. Just like you!

 When: May 17 – 20, 2012

Where: Tradeshow & Workshops held at Lord Elgin Hotel. Other events will be held in churches all within walking distance.

View Larger Map

There will be no shortage of excellent presentations, workshops and performances happening. This is one quality event you don’t want to miss.

And if we don’t see you at MusicFest but you plan to attend Podium 2012, be sure to stop by for a chat and check out our top-of-the-line choral folders. We’d love to see you!

The post MusicFest Canada & Podium 2012 in Ottawa appeared first on MUSICFOLDER.com Blog.

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The Texas Music Educators Association’s 2012 convention is coming to San Antonio. Join music educators, performers, exhibitors, and us(!) for three packed days of professional development and scintillating performances!

What to Expect:

• Informative and educational workshops for and from educators from elementary to college levels, who instruct band, orchestra, and vocal students.
• Concerts by superb musicians, including the famed Vienna Boys Choir
• Two exhibit halls packed with booths that represent all aspects of the music education industry – such as, for example, our own choral folders.
• Closing performances by All-State ensembles that are made up of the finest high school musicians from across the state of Texas

Come enjoy great music, the company of your peers, and a unique opportunity for significant professional development!

Where exactly will it be held?

TMEA 2012 takes place from February 8th to the 11th, at the Henry B, Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio Texas:

Who’ll be there?

Well, to start: We will!

Come see MUSICFOLDER.com at our booth in the exhibit hall, where we’ll be displaying the world’s best music folders, such as the famous Black Folder, our Choralex Compact singer’s folder, the Ringbinder, and our Band and Orchestra folder. If you’ve ever been curious about our folders, now’s your chance to put one in your hand, and see the “oh wow” light weight and superb construction that we’re famous for.

Featured Clinicians:

• Band Division: Dr. Charles T. Menghini of VanderCook College of Music.
• Orchestra Division: Kirt Mosier, who teaches for Lee’s Summit R-7 School District in Missouri and is the director of orchestras at Lee’s Summit West HS.
• Vocal Division: Patrick Freer, Associate Professor of Choral Music Education at Georgia State University, and conductor of the GSU Men’s Chorus.
• Elementary Division: Brent Gault, of the Jacobs School of Music, and Dr. Artie Almeida, the music specialist at Bear Lake Elementary school in Orlando Florida.
• College Division: Dr. John Benham of Nortwhestern College, and Steve Morrison, Associate Professor and Chair of Music Education at the University of Washington.

All-State Band Conductors:

• Tim Weiss, Oberlin Conservatory
• Scott Teeple, University of Wisconsin at Madison
• Sharon Lavery, University of Southern California
• Wycliffe Gordon.

All-State Orchestra Conductors:

• Carl St. Clair, Pacific Symphony
• Sharon Paul, University of Oregon
• Matt Oltman, Chanticleer

Performing Groups:

Band Division:

• Coppell MS North
• Westbrook MS
• Queen City HS
• Waxahachie HS

Orchestra Division:

• Plano Senior High Full Orchestra
• Beckendorff JH Full Orchestra
• Sartartia MS String Orchestra

Vocal Division:

• Artie Henry MS Varsity Treble Choir
• Filemon B. Vela MS A Cappella Treble Choir
• West Ridge MS Varsity Treble Choir
• Blalack MS Varsity Men’s Choir
• Andrews HS A Cappella Women
• Canyon HS Chorale (Treble Choir)
• Pflugerville HS Varsity Women
• Marcus HS Varsity Treble Choir
• Cypress Falls HS Varisty Men’s Choir
• Allen HS Chorale (Mixed)
• Flower Mound HS Jaguar Chorale
• Trinity HS A Cappella Choir
• Texas Tech University Choir

Elementary Division

• Hubenak Elementary Choir
• Jenkins Elementary Orff Ensemble
• Leon Heights Honor Choir
• Lewisville 5th Grade Honor Choir
• Parker Elementary Advanced Chorus
• Pink Elementary Honor Choir
• Schultz Shining Star Drum Ensemble

The President’s Concert Features the Legendary Vienna Boys Choir!

The famed Vienna Boys Choir is believe to have started more than 500 years ago. Today, it gives approximately 300 concerts and performances each year for nearly half a million people.

Tickets are only $10. Don’t miss out on the change to see this legendary group!

Don’t forget to come see us!

As we mentioned above, MUSICFOLDER.com will be in attendance. Come visit our booth to get to know the world’s finest music folders and the company that makes them. We look forward to seeing you there!

Attending? We’d love to hear from you

If you’re attending the TMEA 2012 Conference and workshop, let us know – whether in the comments below, on Facebook, on Twitter, or via email. We’re looking for people who’d like to share their experiences at the TMEA with our fans, readers, and subscribers.

The post TMEA 2012 In San Antonio appeared first on MUSICFOLDER.com Blog.

Origins of the First Virtual Choir:

The first 100-person attempt was successful but had consisted of people singing along to a recording. The next step was to conduct a real choir. A video with Eric conducting over a backing track he’d recorded on piano was offered to people around the world. The response was immediate and significant, and it resulted in this landmark video:

The virtual choir performance was an overwhelming success. It was well-received around the world, and received a large amount of press. People were inspired by how individuals who’d never met each other, nor the man conducting them, would be capable of creating something so intimate together.

The Second Virtual Choir:

The second virtual choir was even more impressive. It’s goal was to bring together 900 people. All told, 2,051 videos were submitted from 58 countries. Whitacre had composed an original piece and once again, distributed videos of him conducting for singers to follow. He’d also benefited from the first choir. He’d received a great deal of publicity, and even been invited to deliver a talk on TED.com Far more people had wanted to participate this time. And so, when the second virtual choir performance was released, it was much grander in scope:

Whitacre’s choir was presented in a much more complex visual fashion that illustrated just how distributed it was – but also, how its participants were all connnected.

What’s Next for Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir?

Virtual Choir 3 is coming. According to Eric’s blog, it’s coming soon. People who are interested in following things as they develop can follow on Eric Whitacre’s blog, or on the official Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir Twitter account.

Find our Music Folders Around the World

With more than 80 distributors around the world, our music folders can be found virtually everywhere, too:

• MUSICFOLDER.com Distributors in the U.S.
• MUSICFOLDER.com Distributors in Canada
• MUSICFOLDER.com Distributors Internationally

The post What is Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir? appeared first on MUSICFOLDER.com Blog.

“Oh Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are calling
From glen to glen and down the mountainside”
– an English Lawyer, who never visited Ireland

Ask nearly anyone in North America to name an Irish song, and their first answer will be “Danny Boy,” the beloved traditional ballad that evokes Ireland’s rolling hills, and which, along with cries of “Erin Go Bragh!” can be heard from nearly any pub in North America on St. Patrick’s Day. Together with the shamrock and leprechaun, it’s one of the most “Irish” things that many of us are familiar with. But it’s in fact less than 100 years old, more iconic in North America than in Ireland, is one of hundreds of songs set to the same tune, and was written by a man that never saw Ireland!

Where does “Danny Boy” Originate?

“The Londonderry Air” is an air from County Londonerry that’s become anthemic to Northern Ireland. It’s played as the victory anthem of Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, and has been known in its current incarnation since 1855, when it was published in the book The Ancient Music of Ireland after being collected and submitted by a woman named Jane Ross – of Londonderry.

It’s unknown precisely where Ms. Ross had encountered the tune, and what its true name was, since her only commentary on it was that it was “very old.” Some 40 years later it was speculated that it had been collected from an Irish fiddler named Blind Jimmy McCurry. But even he himself wasn’t the tune’s original composer, as nearly 50 years later in 1979 a song was identified from a collection of “Ancient Irish Music” that had been published in 1796 which was extremely similar. And if it was published as “ancient” in 1796, then it surely was ancient indeed!

This older version was not in 4/4 time, as are “the Londonderry Air” and “Oh Danny Boy,” but in the more traditional 3/3 time signature of Irish folk music. This song was entitled “Aislean an Oigfear” – in modern English, “The Young Man’s Dream” – and it had traditional Irish lyrics, as well as English ones that had been written in the 1800’s.

Who Wrote the Lyrics to “Danny Boy?”

This man, Fred Weatherly, wrote "Danny Boy" - as well as thousands of other songs. He was also a respected lawyer and broadcaster.

While there are countless variations on the lyrics to “Oh Danny Boy,” (some thousands!) the popular lyrics as we’re familiary with them were penned by an English laywer named Frederick Weatherly, a man believed to have composed some 3,000 songs, and who was a significant celebrity in his day. He also, by all accounts, never in fact set foot in Ireland.

Weatherly himself only discovered the tune when his own sister sent him a copy from North America, where she had heard the Jane Ross version, which was unlike most traditional, Irish music played in Colorado during the gold rush. Weatherly’s lyrics had been written previously for another tune but upon discovering that they fit well with “the Londonderry Air” he modified them and published “Danny Boy” as we know it in 1913, with the first known recording occurring some two years later. After that, “Danny Boy” steadily grew in popularity, especially among Irish diaspora of North America. It’s been said that second-and-third-generation Irish were far more familiar with this so-called “folk song” than with Irish immigrants themselves (though with the age of the Internet it’s likely that it’s well-known around the world, and certainly to Irish nationals). And so, “Danny Boy” is a “traditional Irish folk song” that is in fact “traditional” to North Americans of Irish descent.

The Most Commonly Recognized Lyrics to Oh Danny Boy:

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling
‘Tis you, ’tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow
‘Tis I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.
And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You’ll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an “Ave” there for me.
And I shall hear, tho’ soft you tread above me
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be
For you will bend and tell me that you love me
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me.
I’ll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.
And I shall rest in peace until you come to me.
Oh, Danny Boy, Oh, Danny Boy, I love you so.

Some popular performances of “Danny Boy”

A popular and lovely arragement, from “Last Night at the Proms” in Belfast

The Celtic Women’s performance of “Danny Boy” is one of the highest rated on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=852gverKRPo
Eva Cassidy’s recorded version remains one of the most popular versions, especially in North America
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn8T1c-sXXI
as performed by Shane McGowan and the Popes

Just for fun!

Do you love Danny Boy?

If you’ve performed Danny Boy, please let us know! We’d love to hear your experiences. If you have a favorite performance of it that you’d like to bring to our attention, we’d love to know about it. And of course, if you’re planning to sing it, whether solo or with a chorus, might we suggest you employ one of the world’s best music folders?

References

1. Danny Boy. (2011, October 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:11, October 19, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Danny_Boy&oldid=454830524
2. http://www.standingstones.com/dannyboy.html

The post The Origins of “Danny Boy” appeared first on MUSICFOLDER.com Blog.

Each year, the BCMEA conference helps music educators grow professionally, allows top students to join in performances, and presents leaders in music education as well as scintillating performances.

The BCMEA Conference presents Forte 2011, from October 20th-22nd, at the River Rock Casino in Vancouver, BC, for three packed days of music education, networking, and performances.

Grow as an educator!

Dr. Ramona Wis, renowned educator, author, conductor and singer, is Forte 2011's keynote speaker!

Learn from, and grow with, top minds in music education, with featured clinicians that include keynote speaker Dr. Ramona Wis, whose book “The Conductor as Leader:  Principles of Leadership Applied to Life on the Podium” is rapidly becoming a music teachers’ and conductors’ leadership classic – as well as to people interested in leadership outside the music profession.

For a list of detailed clinician biographies, click here.

Participate in – or simply experience – musical performances, with top student-musicians!

The BCMEA Honour Ensembles Program is an opportunity for BC student-musicians to come together and perform challenging repertoire in a high-calibre performance setting. The experiences, musicianship development, and new friendships built through this program will last for years. Each participating student-musician brings a wealth of knowledge back to his/her respective school to share with peers. We are proud to provide this program knowing how beneficial it can be to music education across British Columbia.

You can find more about the Honour Ensembles Program by clicking here for detailed information about the program and here for information about Honour Ensemble open rehearsals and performances – as well as information about the esteemed individuals who’ll be running the show(s).

Where is it taking place?

The Conference:

All conference events are being held in one location: the same location that’s returned from last year by popular demand, Vancouver’s River Rock Casino. It’s extremely conveniently situated, with ready access to Vancouver’s excellent transit system, and to the Honour Ensemble Venue Itself. It’s also a great place to stay for conference attendees.

View The River Rock Casino on Google Maps

The Concerts:

With its seating capacity that can accommodate more than 600 ticket holders comfortably, Fraserview Church will be where conference delegates and and family members of student-musicians enjoy the evening concerts. It’s just a brief ride from the River Rock Casino, so attending an open rehearsal is an easy matter as well.

View Larger Map

We’ll see you there!

MUSICFOLDER.com will be in attendance this year – and we’ll have some of the world’s best music folders along with us. Come see us at our display booth!

Stay informed on BCMEA Forte updates and developments via Twitter:

The 2011 BCMEA Conferece Twitter hashtag is #forte2011, and the official BCMEA Twitter account is @bcmea. Follow them on Twitter to stay informed and updated. You may also view the latest #forte2011 Tweets in the embedded widget below:

The post The BCMEA Conference – Forte 2011: Growing Strong in Music Education appeared first on MUSICFOLDER.com Blog.