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Jeff Girard and Midwest Sheet Music present
The Wind Band Report
Some notices and some books
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Vol. 5, No. 3 July 2017
Want to be added to a particular newsletter category?
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| I promised a follow up email and here it is. I've just got a few comments and notes, then a section on some new books and reference materials for your summer reading. I'll keep this quick because I need to finish this up and get packing for The Netherlands... |
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Jeff Girard at WASBE in Utrecht
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I'm finally taking my first overseas trip to the WASBE (World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) convention in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The convention starts Wednesday, but I'm leaving on Sunday so I can have a few days of vacation time before all the meeting and greeting and listening to some great wind band music. There's a major music festival happening in the city the same week, so there will be many listening opportunities the entire time.
This means of course that I will be out of the office the entire week of July 17-22. My colleagues will be monitoring my email and handling orders, but if you have an unusual question or request, it might be delayed slightly. In addition, when I get back I need to pack up for the Arkansas Bandmasters Convention, so I will also not be available from July 26-28. My colleagues will notify me if there's something unusual that they need my help with, but be aware there may be some delay if my help is needed to complete an order. Hopefully I'll see a few of you college directors over there in Utrecht.
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Sign up for the Summer New Band Music Reading Session
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If you live in the Missouri or Illinois region, here's a quick reminder of our Wind Band new music reading session on Saturday August 5 from 1-4 pm at MICDS here in St. Louis, followed by our after-music drinking party down the road at Lester's. Click here for details. There is no charge, so if you want to attend just send me an email to let me know you're coming and what part (if any) you'd like to play. This will help us make sure we get all parts covered come show time. See you there!
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Do you teach a Conducting Class
in the fall?
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If you teach a conducting class this fall, or have a conducting symposium coming up that I haven't noted yet, I can help get your repertoire list assembled for your students and participants. Just send me a message with the details of your class or symposium, the repertoire needed or suggested, and an approximate number of students. I'll make sure to get all the repertoire into stock, then create a page your students can go to in order to see your rep list and get all their materials at once. I'll send you a link you can send to your students so they can get their music and books easily. Here's an example of what they'll see.
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Books for Wind Band Directors
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| Here's a listing of some recent books you might not be aware of. Some came out at Midwest, some were released after that and may have escaped your radar. I have most of these on hand and all are readily available, so drop me a line if you want any of these. Jim Kerfoot will be helping me out with this and can get you taken care of while I'm away. |
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Band Music Handbook
Christopher Cicconi
This book presents all levels of band directors with a user-friendly tool for discovering and selecting repertoire. It's a huge listing of concert band repertoire from the last quarter century encompassing all levels of difficulty. Each work listed includes date of origin, duration, exact instrumentation, and publisher. A number of appendixes further classify the repertoire by composer, title, and duration and offer a detailed list of publishers, a bibliography for further reading, and a comprehensive list of marches by Sousa, Fillmore, and King. The book principally covers American composers, so I had a talk with the author and discussed adding repertoire from foreign composers who's works are well known in the states when the time comes for a second edition. It's a great resource when the question of "What else has he done?" inevitably comes up.
Book: 172 p., hardcover, $85
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Copyright Handbook for Music Educators
Pam Phillips / Andrew Surmani
All music educators should know about copyright and how it affects them. If you just need a quick summary of how the law applies to the most commonly occurring situations in a music education setting, this book works great. It's easy to read, practical, and gets right to the point. Everyone should have either this or the more detailed
Music Copyright Law by David Moser on their shelf.
Book: 72 p., $19.99
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Music Law in the Digital Age
Allen Bargfrede
This book goes into much more detail than the Copyright Handbook on the previous column, but it differs from the more detailed Music Copyright Law in one key area. This book focuses in particular on aspects of our digital age. Digital delivery formats, definitions of "copy" and "performance" in digital mediums, current gaps in copyright laws, the effects of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), and more. If you work in the digital area a lot, you might want to refer to this.
Book: 191 p., $19.99
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Tuning for Resonance and Sonority
Richard Hahn
Richard has put together a very thorough and comprehensive book on the science of tuning and how to apply this knowledge with your wind band, while keeping the presentation and language very approachable. He dives into the detailed science of sound waves, "beats", harmonics, pitch perception, and more, then follows this up with an appendix summarizing in a clear and direct manner steps the director can take to use this knowledge with their ensemble, from individual note adjustments on instruments to band tuning suggestions, and common causes of sharpness or flatness on wind instruments.
Book: 123p., $16.95
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Digital Organization Tips for Music Teachers
Robby Burns
Whether you can barely turn your computer on or if you are just looking for tips on how to make your work more efficient, there is something here for you. The technologies, apps, and programs described in thei book are presented in short descriptions, with chapters organized around different areas of organizational issues for teachers, so you can jump right to the section relevant to your needs.Topics range from taking notes, to handling tasks, and to organizing digital files such as scores and audio recordings.
Book: 230 p., $18.95
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The Conductor's Companion
Ed. Gary Stith
100 outstanding middle and high school, collegiate and professional band and orchestra conductors passionately and candidly share their most powerful rehearsal techniques and cutting-edge program ideas in this concise and inspirational volume. Also included are fascinating historical facts about famous composers and conductors as well as inspirational quotes ideal for advocating music programs. It's an excellent university supplemental text and a "go-to" source for directors at all levels.
Book: 122 p., $19.99
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The Force of Destiny: Life and Times of Colonel Arnald D Gabriel
Michael A. Gabriel
A compelling biography of an extraordinary man.
The Force of Destiny chronicles the journey of Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel as he navigates the challenges of war and its aftereffects to eventually rise to the pinnacle of his profession as the commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band. Conducting across the globe in fifty countries, Col. Gabriel is known worldwide for his innovative and powerful leadership style and his unique musical genius.
Book: 327 p.
Hardcover $33.95
Paperback $23.95
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Music Advocacy
John L. Benham
This is a book for those who already believe that quality music education is a right of every student and a responsibility of every school district and community. It's designed to give you data related to preserving threatened music programs, expanding existing programs, or developing new ones. Compiling 30 years of research and experience from established educators, this book gives advocates of music education step by step procedures for saving and building school music programs. Everything presented in this book is fact and data driven, not theoretical or anecdotal.
Book: 215 p., $23.95
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The Sociology of Wind Bands
Vincent Dubois, Jean-Mattheir Meon, Emmanuel Pierru
If you want to do some really heavy reading, here's something for serious educators. Despite the musical and social roles they play in many parts of the world, wind bands have not attracted much interest from sociologists.
The Sociology of Wind Bands seeks to fill this gap in research by providing a sociological account of this musical universe as it stands now. Based on a qualitative and quantitative survey conducted in northeastern France, the authors present a vivid description of the orchestras, the backgrounds and practices of their musicians, and the repertoires they play
Book: 224 p., $54.95
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| Time to finish my preparations for WASBE and the Arkansas Bandmasters. I'll be back in full swing at the beginning of August, ready to hit the ground running for the school rush. Enjoy the rest of your summer! |
Thank you as always -
Jeff Girard
Instrumental Specialist
Instrumental Music (my direct line):
314/942-1522
General phone line:
314/291-4686
Fax:
314/291-4166
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1234 Main Street, Awesomeville, MA ยท 555.555.5555
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