Julie has had a pretty good year with the newest releases from Musica Propria. If you liked her Riften Wed from a couple years ago, this piece will work well for you. This commission was written and dedicated to those who adopt rescue pets and work to end the existence of puppy mills. I won't lie, the pictures of all the rescue animals are adorable, but the piece stands on its own as a short, emotionally charged gem. Be sure to look up her Symphony No. 5 and Ira Hearshen's Reveille below.

While this is not technically "new", I only recently discovered it. I lost track of Gramercy Music after I left Shattinger Music, and Peter Graham has put out some other good works for wind band since that time.This piece is based on the classic 1927 sci-fi epic Metropolis. Rather than relate the plot though, the composer reflects on the visual style and set designs in the film -   the brooding machine rooms, the decadent nightclubs, the gothic cathedral, and so on.

I don't normally include 2 featured items by the same composer and publisher in my newsletters, but this is different enough from Our Cast Aways to merit a separate mention.  It's a 3 movement work, and you can buy the movements separately if you wish. With each movement ( Sun; Rain; Wind), Julie attempts to capture the awe-inspiring power and grandeur of these aspects of nature itself. Lots of color, layers of sound to take in, it's a good follow up to her previous symphony, Bookmarks from Japan. 

Noted Sousa scholar Keith Brion brings us an exploration of the performing style that created the "Sousa Sound". Sousa employed numerous devices to create a sound that was distinctly his alone, and Brion explores all these factors in great depth, from phrasing to instrumentation to dynamics and more. It's a great way to learn how to  teach a new appreciation of the march style to your students.