Another morning, the station played Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances” back to back with Holst’s “First Suite in E Flat” for wind band.  I know and love both pieces due to my involvement as a trombone player in band and orchestra throughout my years in school.  The memories of working through the intricacies in each, coupled with recollections of the great times I had in those years, carried me to work with a smile on my face.

Had it not been for my directors’ dedication to exposing their ensembles to the great, timeless works for band, orchestra, and chorus, I’m certain my musical knowledge would lack much of the depth it gained in those formative years of training.  There’s a cultural literacy music students gain from playing the great works of the past, information they’ll learn nowhere else in current Western society.  Serious music simply isn’t part of the daily experience of the average school-aged student anymore.  Ensemble directors bear the awesome privilege and responsibility of exposing students to great repertoire like Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” in a more complete context than snippets that underscore old commercials for beef.

We at J.W. Pepper value time-honored, proven repertoire for student and professional musicians, and that’s why we’ve developed a selection of products we call our Basic Library.  Titles like Leroy Anderson’s “Bugler’s Holiday,” Alfred Reed’s “The Hounds of Spring,” Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide,” and John Ness Beck’s “Every Valley” appear among hundreds of other staple works for both ensembles and solo musicians, and the blue star designation on these pieces gives directors the assurance that such purchases create a solid foundation for any music library.

Whether musicians are looking for staples in musical theater solos, band or orchestra music that has withstood the test of time, jazz charts laden with the resonance of their eras, or choral masterworks, they can find all this and more in the Basic Library.  Any music library that includes such foundational repertoire is sure to expose performers to the most significant and memorable compositions throughout history.  I know my directors built their concert repertoire around many pieces that reside in the Basic Library, and my musical experience, to this day, is richer for it.

Peruse Pepper’s Basic Library for Concert Band, String Orchestra, Full Orchestra or Jazz Ensemble.

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As times changed, cassettes came, and then came compact discs.  As a purists though, I am a little bit stubborn and have always refused to let go of my vinyl.  There were many hours worked as a child, many Christmas and birthday presents, and let’s face it, just a lot of my personal history wrapped up in those records, and I wasn’t about to get rid of them.

As I got older, I realized that the covers were as much fun as the music, and I began to realize that the records were becoming valuable too.  I made sure that my turntable was working properly and that I had a spare on hand – and I was set.

I am realizing that I’m not the only one who sees the value in these old records.  Though digital recording have become the norm, many people, like me, love the warmth of analog and we hold on to our collections.  Artists like Adele and others are now releasing their current projects on vinyl.  Availability of vinyl is actually increasing again!  Interest in vintage vinyl is at an all-time high.  There is even an app for both iPhone and Android that can assist you in locating retail stores that carry vinyl.

I guess the old adage is really true after all, “everything old is new again.”  Whether you are looking for used records that you once had or new records to rebuild a collection, maybe it is time that you consider vinyl again!  Dust off that old turntable, pull out those records from the attic and see what kind of treasures you have.  I know the memories will make you smile.  Some of my prized possessions are “It’s My Party” by Leslie Gore (1963), “Offering” by The Carpenters (1969), and “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” by Vickie Lawrence (1972).  With classics like that, how can you not enjoy Record Store Day?

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Since that time in the 1960s, the role of the choir in worship has changed, and many churches have even done away with their choirs for good – opting instead for a smaller group of singers called a Praise Team.  Many have discovered, though, that the impact of a choral group leading worship is both dramatic and powerful.  They have missed this mainstay of years gone by and are reinstating this wonderful element into their Sunday morning services.

One of the great opportunities for church members to feel useful is to be able to minister through lifting their voice with others in a choir!  Psalm 100:1, 2 says, “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!  Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”  For so many, this is their opportunity to do just that, and a typical Praise Team only affords a limited number of folks that chance.  With a choir, especially a volunteer church choir, you don’t need to have special training or be a paid singer to be a part of the ministry.  There is unity and family among the choir members knowing you are a part of something while you are ministering to the congregation.

The biggest and most important change, though, is that the type of worship has changed.  The congregation is now encouraged to participate in what is known as “corporate” worship.  Rather than being a bystander, someone who simply watches what is going on, they are encouraged to participate in the worship.  Allow the worship music to move them, clap along to it, and raise their hands in praise. Psalm 134:2 says,  ”Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, And bless ye Jehovah.”

I know that this type of worship is not for everyone, but many blended churches are reintroducing the choir into worship — and it is a wonderful and positive thing.  Whatever your thoughts are about worship music, J.W. Pepper has the music selections for you!  Please visit us at jwpepper.com or call us and allow one of our knowledgeable representatives to assist you today!

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Today, we remember the life and the music of a singer, of a voice that should not be forgotten.  Much has been written about her life, the illness that eventually took her life, and the emotional conundrum that added to her condition.  Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader, a revised collection of articles and interviews, and Little Girl Blue, a wonderful new biography that just came out in paperback, shed light on her life like none has before.

It is the legacy of her music though, her amazing voice, that should never be forgotten.  While it has now been 30 years since her untimely death, her entire recorded catalog remains available.  If it has been a while since you listened to a Carpenters song, take a minute, find one, and put it on while you read the rest of my blog!

Her voice, that amazing contralto that speaks directly to the very souls of those hear it, will go down in history along with the voices of Ella Fitzgerald, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and a host of others as one of the greatest voices ever put on tape.  Herb Alpert, who was instrumental in signing the Carpenters to their first recording contract, said that Karen’s voice was hauntingly intimate as if she were sitting in your lap singing only to you!

The hits are just one facet of the music we know and love:  We’ve Only Just Begun was the wedding song for so many couples; Christmas would not be Christmas without Merry Christmas, Darling.  The list is long, but the real gems are found in the album cuts and the many songs released after her death, such as Now, At the End of a Song and Make Believe It’s Your First Time.

As music educators, we share a responsibility to pass on quality music, music that has stood the test of time. Karen’s story is unique, the drummer from the marching band who had the voice, that unbelievable voice, the voice that would touch so many millions of people during her short life and continues to touch people even today.  Having sold in excess of 170 million records in her career with her brother, the Carpenters’ music has lasted through the years.  She referred to herself as “a drummer who sings” and never really fully understood the tremendous gift she had.  To learn more about this wonderful artist, check out these new books.

Lyricist John Bettis, who worked with Richard over the years, penned it best:  “When I was young I’d listen to the radio, waiting for my favorite songs, when they’d play, I’d sing along – it made me smile… just like before, it’s yesterday once more!” Today, let’s celebrate the music, the voice of someone truly mesmerizing, and remember…

Want to remember more?  Check out these Carpenters collections available from J.W. Pepper.

Want to play your favorites right now?  Check out these piano/vocal sheets available through Pepper’s e-Print.

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Fortunately, as I began talking with fellow interpreters in schools, I learned that many deaf children (both with and without hearing aids and cochlear implants) were in music classes.  This was enlightening and encouraged me to investigate instrumental music classes for deaf students and the incorporation of sign language into choral programs.

One of the first schools to teach music to deaf students was the Illinois School for the Deaf.  They allowed the resident boys the opportunity to participate in a brass band.  The band was supported by state and private funds throughout its nearly twenty-year existence.  It gave students a musical outlet, provided functional music and entertainment for the other resident students as well as community members, and became a symbol of strength and ability among members of the deaf community.  Fred Fancher, a deaf bandmaster from Tennessee, conducted the band.  The band ensemble presented concerts in many towns and cities throughout the United States.  NAfME reported that the quality of the music produced by the boys was very good.  The band received a fair amount of criticism along with a vast amount of praise and was a most successful and meaningful endeavor.  Even though the band has been defunct for more than fifty years, some music classes and activities at the Illinois School for the Deaf are still offered to students.

As more and more hearing-impaired children participated in the instrumental music program, it was discovered that, like hearing children, the ability to play an instrument helped the deaf children alleviate their frustration.  Tim Lautzenhauser states in his book, The Art of Successful Teaching, “Music offers a chance to let go and express the rainbow of emotions we all feel, and through this experience expand our own realm of emotional expressions.”

The children were taught by developing a strong sense of rhythm, followed by breathing exercises, hand clapping, marching and body swaying to standard repertoire such as Old Mac Donald Had a Farm.  Some children were able to play by reading the score.  Just like with hearing children, music notations represents two things; a hand position on an instrument, and a time frame.  However, the deaf child cannot “improvise” and must depend totally on sight-reading the music.  Many deaf children remove their shoes for band or orchestra practice to be able to feel the rhythm from the other instruments.

According to the research done by Alice-Ann Darrow in 1989, schools offering music to deaf students start most students with understanding about how to keep a steady beat.  Once that concept is understood, the next step is rhythmic training, and from there they advance to notation, tempo markings, and dynamic structure.  Sound is not as much an issue as understanding the structure of music:  how the notes blend and the individual attributes of the notes, which finger positions produce a note, and how long to hold whole notes, half notes and quarter notes.

Band and orchestra instructors require support when teaching deaf students.  Parents, special education teachers, and audiologists can all offer help working with deaf students in the music classroom.  The expense of this individual support is costly and oftentimes the interpreter has no music knowledge, making the job more difficult.  As with most tasks, simply asking the deaf students what works is the best way to proceed.  Let them lead in this area of their development.

Both digital hearing aids and cochlear implants have difficulty transmitting the fine tones of musical structure to the listener.  It will be interesting to see how improvements in these aids will allow children to experience the joy of music in the future.

As the incorporation of sign language becomes more popular for both hearing and deaf children, many composers have added information about sign language (along with the actual signs) to their music.

Please view these musical selections which will help you bring signing and singing  into your musical programs.

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We were please to sponsor several sessions and book signings with quite a group of talented authors and musicians.

In this day in age, more and more band directors find themselves taking on the role of choir director as well.  Russ Robinson’s  clinic, based on his book I Know Sousa, Not Sopranos!, gives insight to band directors in this situation.  After his clinic, Russ stopped by our booth and met some directors who do exactly this.

Frank Battisti, the author of Winds of Change II: The New Millennium examined the American wind band from 2000 – 2010.  This man is a legend!  During his in-booth book signing, there was a line of customers waiting to meet him for the entire hour!  His philosophies are inspiring for all.

Mark Fonder, the author of Patrick Conway and His Famous Band, took time to speak with every person who wanted to talk with him.  His insight and knowledge on Conway, a post-Civil-War-era band director, is extensive.

We also had book signings with Gary Stith, author of Score Rehearsal Preparation, and Edward Lisk, author of The Musical Mind of the Creative Director.  We enjoyed having them in our booth!

If you missed our annual handbook of all the music performed at the clinic, here’s a second chance to have this critical Midwest Clinic information.  We look forward to seeing you again next year, and in the meantime wish everyone great musical success!

Russ Robinson                     Frank Battisti                       Mark Fonder                           Edward Lisk

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Adele, Billboard’s Artist of the Year for the second year in a row, resides high in the top rankings with the following:

• 21 – 10288485
• Someone Like You – 10295370 and 90549113E
• Rolling in the Deep – 10280942
• Set Fire to the Rain – 10304294

However, we think you’ll agree, the rest of 2012′s top hits are quite diverse:

• The Prayer – Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli – 5725015
• A Thousand Years – Christina Perri -10304903
• Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth - Bing Crosby/David Bowie – 10190790
• Blessings – Laura Story – 10290394
• What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong – 4921375
• Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts – 5990069
• We Are Young – Fun. – 10309306
• If I Die Young – The Band Perry – 10186774
• Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen – 10054618
• Linus and Lucy - Vince Guaraldi – 5968910
• The Edge of Glory - Lady Gaga – 10288478
• I Can Only Imagine – MercyMe – 5980737
• The Devil Went Down to Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band – 10001291
• What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction – 10317015
• Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen – 6077515
• God Gave Me You – Blake Shelton – 10294564
• Over the Rainbow – Harold Arlen – 4919759 and American Idol Katharine McPhee’s version – 10023749
• Paradise – Coldplay – 10299117

Oh, and speaking of Gangnam Style - never fear, we’ve got you covered! - 10343323E, 10347638E, 10343492 (Marching band), 10343719 (Concert band)

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For Choir:

1. Firework – Katy Perry, arr. Alan Billingsley – 10274183
2. O Come All Ye Faithful – arr. Dan Forrest – 10312016
3. All on a Silent Night – Becki Slagle Mayo – 10307377
4. How Great Our Joy! – arr. Craig Courtney – 10312008
5. Blessings – Laura Story, arr. Heather Sorenson – 10292259
6. Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri, arr. Andy Beck – 10288773
7. Tshotsholoza – arr. Jeffery L. Ames – 10276407
8. If I Only Had a Brain – Harold Arlen/E.Y. Harburg, arr. Sally Albrecht – 10274821
9. Earth Song – Frank Ticheli – 10027720
10. Baba Yetu – Christopher Tin – 10277920

For Band:

1. Foundry – John Mackey – 10282825
2. Jungle Dance - Brain Balmages – 10279417
3. The Seal Lullaby – Eric Whitacre – 10281862
4. Dynamite – Taio Cruz, arr. Victor Lopez – 10279716
5. Above and Beyond – James Swearingen – 10280771
6. Rolling in the Deep – Adele Adkins, arr. James Kazik – 10299425
7. Firework – Katy Perry, arr. Michael Story – 10279776
8. Ignition – Todd Stalter – 10280022
9. Aces of the Air March – Karl King, arr. James Swearingen – 10280589
10. Blue and Green Music – Samuel R. Hazo – 10281804

Were your top picks for 2012 included in the lists above?  Tell us YOUR favorites!

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Wynton Marsalis, internationally acclaimed musician and advocate of the arts, will be presenting the keynote address and holding an open rehearsal as part of the jazz track.  In keeping with the theme, the conference is encouraging people to email tributes about their own special mentors to info@midwestclinic.org. These tributes will be posted on The Midwest Clinic web site.

One of the reasons to attend Midwest is for the concerts.  The great United States Air Force Band under the direction of Colonel Larry H. Lang will have their first performance at 5:30 Wednesday evening.  Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser will guest conduct the band at this concert, which will include a performance of the “Commando March“ by Samuel Barber.

The Air Force Band will perform a second concert at 7:30 the same evening.  In this performance, Sergeant Ben Park will be singing “The Star Spangled Banner,” and the Air Force Saxophone Quartet will be performing “Concerto Grosso for Saxophone Quartet” composed by William Bolcom.  Both concerts will certainly be worth attending!

While this historic conference is known for the concerts, make sure to save time to visit the exhibit hall. In particular, stop by Pepper booth 904 to pick up your Midwest Brochure, which provides you with title information and an easy reference guide of all the published works being performed at the conference.  The conference floor is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Book signings will also be popular events with the following composers scheduled for time in our booth:

Mark Fonder (Patrick Conway and his Famous Band) - Thursday at 12:45 p.m.

Edward S. Lisk (The Musical Mind of the Creative Director) - Friday at 11:15 a.m.

Gary Stith (Score and Rehearsal Preparation) – Friday at 3:15 p.m.

Frank Battisti – Thursday, right after his session, from 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

Russ Robinson – Friday, right after his session, from 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.

Pepper loves being a part of the Midwest tradition. We look forward to seeing you at McCormick Place West for the 2012 Midwest Clinic. You don’t want to miss it!

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