SBO August 2008
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AUGUST 2008 $5.00 USC’s Dr. Arthur C. Bartner: Forging Tradition Roundtable: Fundraising Essentials Technology: Music Notation Software Roundtable: Fundraising Essentials Technology: Music Notation Software AUGUST 2008 $5.00
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SBO August 2008
Transcript of SBO August 2008
AUGUST 2008$5.00
USC’sDr. Arthur
C. Bartner:Forging Tradition
Roundtable:Fundraising
Essentials
Technology:Music Notation
Software
Roundtable:Fundraising
Essentials
Technology:Music Notation
Software
AUGUST 2008$5.00
SBO_COV1 COV1 8/4/08 10:18:24 AM
SB&O School Band and Orchestra® (ISSN 1098-3694) is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: one year $24; two years $40. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Single issues $5 each. February Resource Guide $15. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offi ces. Ride-along mail enclosed. POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to School Band and Orchestra, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Copyright © 2008 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.
Cover photo by Ben Chua, Los Angeles, Calif.
4 Perspective
6 Headlines
66 New Products
69 Playing Tip
70 Classifi eds
72 Calendar
72 Ad Index
Columns
Features
12 FROM THE TRENCHES: WHAT I LEARNED THIS SUMMERBob Morrison expounds on the tremendous impact that music-based summer camps have had in his own family.
20 UPCLOSE: DR. ART C. BARTNERIn this recent SBO interview, Dr. Art Bartner, the famed director of the University of Southern Califor-nia’s Trojan Marching Band, shares the story of the inception and continuing evolution of this unique and unparalleled ensemble.
36 ROUNDTABLE: FUNDRAISING10 music directors from all over the country give their detailed thoughts on fundraising – what works and what doesn’t.
48 COMMENTARY: DEAR BAND DIRECTORSPecknel Music’s Tracy Leenman provides a few recom-mendations for educators that might help local music dealers better fulfi ll teachers’ and students’ needs.
54 SURVEY: FUNDRAISING
58 TECHNOLOGY: MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWAREJohn Kuzmich updates readers on the latest releases in the world of music notation technology.
Contents August 2008
20
12
2 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
48
SBO_2 2 8/4/08 10:20:41 AM
Perspective®
August 2008Volume 11, Number 8
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4 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
Expanding BoundariesW
ith their trademark dark sunglasses, Southern California swagger, and gleaming gold helmets, it is clearly evident that this band steps onto the fi eld with a rock-star approach. They have great presence, a bravado and cool that seems to transcend the idiom. The USC Trojan marching band, led by
the legendary Art Bartner, this months cover profi le, has taken the genre into realms that are far from the norm. The band can be Hollywood, Hip Hop, Rock ‘n Roll, Classical, Jazz or any other style they want, and their resume has the gold to prove it. They’ve worked with such diverse superstar artists as Out-Kast, The Offspring, John Williams, Fleetwood Mac, and George Clinton; they’ve appeared in nu-merous movies, television shows, magazines, and CDs, including Forest Gump, Fame, Naked Gun,
the Sports Illustrated “Swim Suit” issue, and at the Olym-pics and Super Bowls.
One of the many unique aspects of Dr. Bartner’s leader-ship is his open mind to music of all genres. In this exclu-sive SBO interview, he indicates that he personally enjoys a wide variety of musical styles, including jazz, Broadway, classical, traditional band music, contemporary and even opera. It is this breadth of interest that has helped open many doors in Bartner’s personal career and has enabled him to lead the USC band in so many directions. Dr. Bart-ner is quoted on the Web site of USC’s football coach, Pete Carroll, as saying, “One of my visions was that this
marching band should be all things to all people at USC. Now it becomes not only a football band, a basketball band, but all the sports. It’s the hub of spirit and tradition at the University of Southern California.”
Bartner is a celebrity in his own right, and next to Carroll, he is one of the most widely known faces on the USC campus. Carroll’s Web site even cites an occasion in which the NFL Hall of Fame football player and USC alumnus, Marcus Allen walked over to Bartner’s table at a restaurant to say hello. This is the sort of fame that is rarely, if ever seen in the marching band universe.
Bartner has enabled his band to transcend the boundaries of what nor-mally defi nes a marching band and has turned it into not only a representative of USC, but a leading representative in the greater marching band community. Having been educated in the music world in a more traditional sense, under the tutelage of William Revelli at the University of Michigan, Bartner should be cred-ited for expanding the image of marching band to reach across musical, cultural, and international boundaries. Read on…
“Bartner should be credited for expand-
ing the image of marching band to
reach across musi-cal, cultural, and
international bound-aries.”
Rick [email protected]
SBO_4 4 8/4/08 12:52:38 PM
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SBO_5 5 8/4/08 11:20:03 AM
HeadLinesNAMM, Sesame Street, and Music For All Create Float for 2009 Rose Parade
NAMM has announced that plans are underway to create a fl oat for the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade that represents a “musical extravaganza.” Over-fl owing with live music and depictions of how much fun playing music can
be for everyone, the NAMM fl oat will be a special feature for the overall parade theme of “Hats Off to Entertainment.”
The108-year-old organization is returning to the parade for the sixth year in a row and is once again showcasing its message to the general public about the powerful and proven benefi ts of playing music for people of all ages.
The NAMM fl oat is being created in collaboration with “Sesame Street” and Music for All. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofi t educational organization behind “Sesame Street” and a well-known advocate for integrating music into its program to help chil-dren viewers learn and grow. This is the fourth year that “Sesame Street” has collabo-rated with NAMM on a fl oat for the Tournament of Roses Parade.
Music for All’s mission is to create, provide and expand positive life-changing ex-periences through music for all. In honor of celebrating music, the organization has formed its Bands of America Honor Band comprising more than 300 high school band members hailing from across the nation, which will march alongside this year’s NAMM fl oat. This is the second edition of Music for All’s Bands of America Honor Band since it fi rst performed in the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade. The band members will meet for the fi rst time in Southern California, Dec. 27, 2008, to prepare for performances in the Tournament of Roses BandFest and Rose Parade.
Combining the missions and commitment of these three organizations, the NAMM “mega” fl oat will highlight the many wonders of making music for all people to enjoy. The fl ower-covered creation will comprise a fi rst-ever “mega unit” with three satellite “pod” fl oats following the main fl oat and will feature a variety of musical talent. On-board the main fl oat will be an animated Big Bird shown playing a horn, and celebrity Bob McGrath, original cast member of “Sesame Street” who plays the music teacher on the show.
Performing on the main fl oat will be a string quartet, a jazz combo, and two backup vocalists—all against the backdrop of the familiar “Sesame Street” lamppost.
George N. Parks, a prominent trainer of drum majors and director of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, will lead the Honor Band, assisted by an all-star staff comprising directors of some of the nation’s top high school music pro-grams. Selected band members auditioned and have rehearsed the music using the latest music teaching technology, MakeMusic’s SmartMusic®, which has allowed the teach-ing staff to help prepare the musicians despite the geographic distances between them.
The 2009 Rose Parade will take place New Years Day on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2009, with millions of people around the world expected to watch.
For more information, visit www.musicforall.org, www.sesameworkshop.org, or www.namm.org.
6 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
SBO Essay Contest Winner
Ed note: Burford’s photo was omitted from the Essay Contest coverage in SBO’s July issue.
Brenda Pigg and contest winner Jiaan Burford of Doniphan (Mo.) High School
SBO_6 6 8/4/08 10:39:13 AM
8 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
HeadLines
Talented young artists from across the country were honored recently as Yamaha Corporation of Ameri-ca, Band & Orchestral Division, announced the win-
ners of the 2008 Yamaha Young Performing Artist (YYPA) program, the 20th anniversary of the awards.
The YYPA program was designed in 1989 to provide ear-ly career recognition for outstanding young musicians in the United States. Hundreds of applicants, ages 16-21, apply an-nually and undergo a rigorous recorded audition process for a panel of national celebrity musicians. The 2008 winners join a total of more than 200 others who have earned the distinction since the program’s inception. Many past win-ners have received scholarships to prestigious universities and conservatories, or are currently playing professionally with major jazz groups and/or top symphony orchestras.
This year’s YYPA national awards concert was held on Monday, June 23 at 8:00 p.m. at Braden Auditorium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. The con-cert kicked off the 2008 Music for All (MFA); the packed audience (over 2000 strong) included music students and teachers from all over the country. The winners were guests of Yamaha for a weekend of rehearsals, master classes, a special awards concert and other social events.
Bassoonist Julie Ann Link was named Overall Winner, based on her live performance as reviewed by a panel of three judges. Link was awarded a $5,000 retail credit, good towards any professional level Yamaha instrument.
Former YYPA winners have gone on to highly success-ful careers, with highlights that include playing with world-renowned musicians, winning international competitions and releasing recordings. YYPA winner Ricardo Morales (1990) began his professional career as Principal Clarinet of the Florida Symphony Orchestra, and is currently Principal Clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Saxophonist Otis Murphy (1994) joined the faculty of the Indiana University School of Music in 2001 at the age of 28, becoming one of the youngest faculty members in the history of the esteemed school. Hornist Michelle Perry (1997) served as Principal Horn of the Malaysian Philharmonic in Kuala Lumpur, Ma-
laysia. Flute winner, Jasmine Choi (2004) currently serves as the Associate Principal Flute of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Pianist Aaron Parks (2001) recently signed a solo recording deal with the legendary Blue Note Records.
The 2008 winners are:
For more information about the Yamaha Young Perform-ing Artists Program, visit www.yamaha.com/band.
Winner Hometown Instrument
Hana Beloglavec Kalamazoo, Mich. Trombone
Eli Bennett Vancouver, B.C. Saxophone
Conrad Jones Sayville, N.Y. Trumpet
Julie Link Dallas, Texas Bassoon
Beatriz Macias Houston, Texas Flute
Daniel Pingrey Madison, Wis. Marimba & Vibe
Meta Weiss San Francisco, Calif. Cello
Nick Wolny Galesburg, Ill. Horn
Yamaha Celebrates 20th Year of Young Performing Artist Awards
Jupiter Band Instruments, Inc. introduced an update of its Web site, which provides better resources for educators along with comprehensive product infor-
mation. The redesigned www.jupitermusic.com site offers product coverage for Jupiter woodwinds and brass, Mapex concert and marching drums, Ross mallet and Majestic per-cussion establishing it as a one-stop site for all band instru-ment needs.
The newest features on the site re-launch include a complete artist roster with information about requesting a
clinic. There is refi ned navigation to easily locate products from Jupiter, Ross, Majestic and Mapex concert and march-ing drums including catalogs, posters, and clinic brochures. Educators can view a video tour of the factory, and research purchases with the popular Purchase Planner, as well as lo-cate dealers in their area. The redesign also clarifi es the as-sociation of the brands to the corporate namesake of Jupiter Band Instruments, Inc.
For more information, visit www.jupitermusic.com.
Jupiter Web Re-launch
The 2008 Yamaha Young Performing Artist winners.
SBO_8 8 8/4/08 10:39:21 AM
10 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
HeadLines
“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band celebrat-ed its 210th anniversary and the conclusion of its Living History series in a gala concert conducted by John Williams, Academy Award-winning composer and Conductor Laure-ate of the Boston Pops, on July 20, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Williams, perhaps a modern equivalent of the Marine Band’s legendary 17th director John Philip Sousa, led the
band in some of his most beloved and well-known composi-tions, including music from the fi lms Superman, Close En-counters of the Third Kind, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Jaws, the Indiana Jones fi lms, Star Wars, and E.T. (the Extra-Terrestrial). Other highlights included Suite from The Reivers, featuring narration by former Wyoming Senator The Honorable Alan Simpson, and images from selected movies playing along on a screen above the band.
The Marine Band is America’s oldest professional mu-sical organization. Founded in 1798, the band has per-formed for every U.S. President since John Adams. Given the title “The President’s Own” by Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band’s primary mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
For more information, contact the President’s Own: U.S. Marine Band Public Affairs Offi ce, (202) 433-5809, or e-mail: [email protected].
1) How long is your pre-season day camp?1) How long is your pre-season day camp?
4% 42% 33% 21%
A fewdays
Oneweek
Twoweeks
More thantwo weeks
Online Survey Results
Visit www.sbomagazine.com and let your voice be heard in the current online poll – results to be
published in the next issue of SBO.
9th Annual SBO Essay ContestSBO’s 9th annual Music Student Scholarships Essay Contest will be awarding ten $1,000 scholarships to students between grades four and twelve. Inter-ested students need to answer, in 250 words or less, “How Does Music Unite Cultures Within Your School and Community?” Attached to this month’s issue of SBO you’ll fi nd the promotional poster for this year’s Essay Contest – please display in your school’s music room or elsewhere and encourage the students in your program to enter. In addition to the ten scholarships, matching merchandise prizes will be presented to the schools of the winning entrants, courtesy of the contest’s sponsors: Alfred Publishing, Co., Hershey’s Fund Raising, Yamaha Corporation of America, and Avedis Zildjian Co.
“The President’s Own” Performs at 210th Anniversary Gala
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SBO_10 10 8/4/08 10:39:25 AM
Well, it is not really what I did; it is more what I
learned. And it wasn’t really my summer vacation,
but that of my daughter, Natalie. And what I learned
through her experience may provide some insights
that can help your program.
12 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
BY BOB MORRISON
Bob Morrison is the executive vice president and chairman emeritus of Music for All Inc. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
Natalie is 12 (going on 28… I mean 13) years of age. She just fi nished seventh grade and is heading into her last year of middle school. There are many things Natalie likes and one thing she loves: music. She sings all the time and she plays the violin, which she has been doing for 4 years now.
This spring, with school nearing an end and the summer break staring us in the face, we were struggling to fi nd the proper summer activities for Natalie. As par-ents of a middle-schooler, my wife and I were seeking out summer music oppor-tunities. There are lots of programs for high school students. Finding something for the middle school age was a much bigger challenge.
Last summer she attended the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s (NJYS) Sum-mer Orchestra Camp. This camp really transformed Natalie. She went from a somewhat blasé attitude about playing the violin to having her eyes opened to
What I did on my Summer Vacation
SBOFrom the Trenches
SBO_12 12 8/4/08 10:23:04 AM
14 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
the musical possibilities. In our middle school, the string ensemble is good and the director does a nice job. However, it is impossible to overstate the power that sitting in the middle an 85-mem-ber full orchestra playing great music for several hours each day can have to truly expand a child’s horizon on the potential music provides.
So this summer, Natalie decided she wanted to attend this camp again. And, like last year, the NJYS camp ex-ceeded all of our expectations. Nata-lie had the chance to perform with a chamber group, as part of a smaller chamber orchestra, as well as with the full camp orchestra. Lot’s of playing – lot’s of music to learn!
After the fi rst night of camp she came home… and practiced! Yes, that’s right: after eight hours in camp play-ing in three ensembles and singing in a choir she came home and practiced. The next morning after breakfast… she practiced.
“Who is this strange child that is inhabiting my daughters body,” I won-dered. Practice has never been some-thing Natalie has embraced. She has done it. And we have had to remind her to do it – don’t most parents? But this was totally different. She was play-ing at a different level with very high expectations and she now realized to perform at a high level she would need to raise her game. This experience has, dare I say, changed her outlook on her instrument. It has changed her outlook on her own ability and it has changed the way she will be able to contribute as a member of her school ensembles.
The fi nal concert was in this beautiful old church in Plain-fi eld, N.J. The camp-ers were all dressed in white. Conductor Marc Gunderson waved
his baton, creating a sound that was beautiful.
I closed my eyes and could hardly believe I was listening to
middle school children performing at such a high level.
After the fantastic concert, my wife Nora (who, as I have mentioned be-fore, is an elementary school instru-mental music teacher, which in my opinion is the equivalent of a saint!) and I had already agreed to send Natalie to her fi rst sleep-away camp. But where? Natalie has always loved singing but never really had any for-mal training. My wife had learned of
a two-week choir camp after she had brought the American Boychoir (the nation’s premiere boychoir) to our lo-cal school to perform for the students. They host a wonderful summer session called Camp Albemarle based in Princ-eton, New Jersey for students ages 7-14. Knowing that our daughter loved to sing and that she longed for some vocal training we thought this might be a great way to fi nd out if she really loved vocal music.
If the NJYS programmed changed Natalie’s outlook on instrumental music, Camp Albe-marle changed her outlook on vo-cal music – and everything else.
First, it was an overnight camp, so for two weeks she was on her own. Away from us – her loving and over-protective parents – and her brother, who is working on his masters degree in sibling torment. Natalie would need to be responsible for herself and her belongings, get along with three other roommates, make new friends, and
keep to a fairly strict schedule. For the fi rst week she could not call home, which was probably harder on us than it was on her. (Being that Natalie is our oldest child, my only daughter, and the apple of my eye you can appreciate the trauma this was to send her away to a camp for two weeks.)
Camp Albemarle is held on the Al-bemarle estate, which is the campus of the American Boychoir. This beauti-ful old estate built by pharmaceuticals magnate Gerard B. Lambert. There are dormitories and grand practice facili-ties, a great lawn and pool. The camp schedule was fi lled with a mix of mu-sic (both small group and full choir), swimming, outdoor games, and a little bit of free time. But mostly there was music.
We dropped Natalie off at camp on a Sunday and toured the beautiful grounds. We met the camp directors Derek Kanarek and Carl Nelson and moved Natalie into her room. Then we said good-bye. We received our fi rst letter from Natalie on Wednesday. We had our fi rst call with Natalie on Fri-day. She seemed excited to speak to us, but we were not sure she was having a good time. Which led us to the obvi-ous question: had we done the right thing by sending her to this camp?
A few more calls during the second week and before we knew it the two weeks had gone by and we were arriv-ing at the fi nal concert held at the old Miller Chapel of the Princeton Theo-logical Seminary. We got to our seats,
“If a student has the slight-est interest in music, a camp experience could be the event that transforms a spark into a
raging bonfi re.”
SBO_14 14 8/4/08 10:23:25 AM
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16 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
waved to our daughter, and then the fi rst notes from Leonard Bernstein’s Mass came wafting through the air. We were stunned. Under the masterful direction of Marianna Parnas-Simp-son, in just two short weeks this group of strangers – many from New Jer-sey, but also from around the country – had joined together to create some of the most moving angelic music my wife and I have ever heard.
And Natalie… she loved it. She couldn’t stop talking about it. And she can’t wait to go back next year.
I have rambled on about Natalie’s experiences this summer because I have seen first-hand the transfor-mative nature of these camps to ignite the musical passion in these children. I know that Natalie will
carry with her this newfound pas-sion and the lessons learned during camp back to her school program. I know that the school program will be better because of this experience. And I think as music educators we should encourage these kinds of summer activities for our younger (read: Middle School) students. If a student has the slightest interest in music, a camp experience could be the event that transforms a spark into a raging bonfire.
In other words, you should estab-lish a relationship with instrumental and vocal camps in your area, camps that will provide an experience at a higher level than you may have in your program. Provide a list of these camps to your all your parents like
I wish our teacher had done for us. These experiences could help you build your program. And maybe, you as a teacher, could learn a thing or two as well. I know as a parent and someone who has made my career in music… I have.
Nora and I have no expectation for Natalie to become a musician or music teacher. That is not the point. We just want her to be happy and suc-cessful at whatever she decides to do. We both know that whatever career path in life our daughter takes, it will be a much more meaningful journey if music is always a part of her life.
At the end of the day, isn’t this very point we want any of our students to walk away with?
To learn more about the Ameri-can Boychoir and Camp Albemarle visit: www.americanboychoir.org. To learn more about the New Jersey Youth Symphony visit: www.njys.org.
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¨For additional music education articles, please visit the School Band and
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SBO_16 16 8/4/08 10:23:28 AM
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20 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
SBO_20 20 8/4/08 10:34:47 AM
ng tion
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 21
There is arguably no more prolifi c col-legiate ensemble than “The Spirit of Troy,” the University of Southern California’s Trojan Marching Band. Since Dr. Arthur C. Bartner assumed the reins in the fall of 1970, the Trojan Marching Band has per-formed at four World Expos, two Super Bowls, two World Series, the World Cup, and 15 Tournament of Roses parades, as well as making numerous television, mov-ie and other high profi le appearances. Dr. Bartner has also been called upon to di-rect world-class ensembles for the Olym-pic Games, Presidential inaugurations, the opening of Epcot Center and Euro Disney-land, and the Democratic National Con-vention, again, among other events.
And yet, in a genre often defi ned by tradition and discipline, the Spirit of Troy manages to stay hip, setting itself apart in terms of presentation and repertoire. This facet of the USC program is perhaps more distinctive in light of the background of its director of bands, who was a disciple of the legendary University of Michigan band director, Dr. William D. Revelli.
SBO recently caught up with Dr. Bart-ner to chat about the formation of this unique ensemble.
SBOUpClose: Dr. Art Bartner
By Eliahu Sussman
SBO_21 21 8/4/08 10:34:57 AM
22 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
School Band & Orchestra: How did you fi rst become involved with music?
Art Bartner: My older brother played trumpet. And then he dropped it. But the trumpet remained there. I saw his instrument and I guess I liked the way it looked, so I picked it up and started playing. This was in fourth grade; I was just about 10.
In junior high I really got into the band music. The catalyst there was
the Marine Band. They came to my junior high and I heard them play and thought, “Golly, how can I make music like that?” They played “Bugler’s Hol-liday,” which is a very famous trumpet trio, so I fell in love with band music.
Then in ninth grade, I was the youngest member of the New Jersey all-state, all-star orchestra, and we did Tchaikovsky’s 4th. So then I fell in love with classical music. I thought that was terrifi c.
Later, I heard the famous Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall album, so then I fell in love with big band jazz in high school.
SBO: One by one these genres opened themselves up to you?
AB: One by one. Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with the Broad-way stage. I was born and raised in New Jersey and we used to get into the shows and check out the musicals and also the jazz scene about once a month. I pretty much like everything. I even like opera! [laughs]
The last piece was that I went to the University of Michigan, and there I fell in love with the marching band. So ba-sically, as it goes through my primary years, I fell in love with each one of those genres. And to this day, I really love them all. Of course, I also get into the pop culture because I deal with col-lege kids on a daily basis. I’m into Chi-cago, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tower of Power – all the bands that kids listen to because that’s how I make my liv-ing. That has occurred while I’ve been here at USC.
SBO: Where along the line did you realize that education might be in your future?
AB: When I was in high school, I had two loves: basketball and music. I was actually all-state basketball and all-state band and orchestra. Like most kids, I fi gured either I was going to be the next Cazzie Russell, who was a great basketball player at the time, or the next Harry James, the great trum-pet player.
Then I went to the University of Michigan and went out for the basket-ball team, where I found out I was too short, too slow, and couldn’t jump high enough. I also found out I was a pret-ty good trumpet player, but not good enough to be Harry James. At around that same time, I got into the marching band. And I thought, “Hey, I really like this.” In marching band, I realized you have to be very athletic, you have to be a very good player, and I liked working with people. I liked the whole structure and discipline of marching band. Re-ally, that fi rst year in college was when I thought to myself that teaching could be a possibility.
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24 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
SBO: But you didn’t initially go for education.
AB: I really wanted to be a player, but education is where my college ca-reer led me. In Michigan, when you get to that level, there are just phenom-enal players and I just seemed to fl ow into that marching band and music education scene. It’s obviously worked out well – I’ve been in the business for almost 50 years now.
SBO: Going back to your days at Michigan and your early days thereafter, would you mind walking me through your progression as an educator?
AB: Sure. So I was in the Michigan band, then I became a Music Educa-tion and Instrumental major. The big push for me was my Master’s era. I was there for fi ve years, and the summer of that fi fth year, I really started to get serious about teaching. My mentors were William D. Revelli and George Cavender. William D. Revelli was the icon, and he concentrated on the
music. George Cavender was the drill sargeant. Jerry Bilik was the arranger and he wrote the shows. I thought all three of these guys were just brilliant. So I came up with this plan: my goal was to become a college band director. I started to make plans to go through with my doctorate.
I started going to every march-ing band clinic within 60 miles of Ann Arbor. I started playing in every
group I could play with – outside of school. I had my own dance band. I was in a Wind Ensemble that Dr. Rev-elli directed. I moved to Flint because I was teaching there at Davison High School, and I was in the Flint Sympho-ny Orchestra. I just immersed myself in this career.
Without bragging. I built one of the best high school band programs in the state of Michigan. It took fi ve years.
SBO_24 24 8/4/08 10:35:08 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 25
And there were other great programs, don’t get me wrong, but I would con-sider mine one of the best. When I ar-rived there, they had one band of 60 kids. And when I left the school, they had three bands: a wind ensemble, a concert band and a freshmen band. The two upper bands marched. I had doubled the size of that band in fi ve years. And in two of those fi ve years, those bands won the top fi rst-division ranking at the State Competition.
SBO: What specifi c steps did you take to effect that achievement?
AB: The main thing is that you have to go in and talk to students. Basically, you have to sell the program, sell your-
self, and convince everybody that this is a worthwhile experience. I did the same thing at USC, which is a whole different story.
Sell people on going to the games, going on trips, the camaraderie that is formed, the leadership skills the kids get. The second year at Davison I had new uniforms, which is part of that image you have to create for the band program that this is a place where you want to be. A lot of it is also the music you select and the type of shows you write.
SBO: How does that process com-pare to what you did at USC?
AB: At USC, I started with 80 kids. It’s an amazing story – USC had a great football team and in January of 1970 they beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl. While USC was the better team on the foot-ball fi eld, the Michigan band was vastly superior. Actually, that’s one of the reasons I got the job. The Michigan band was so superior to the USC band that the dean of the mu-sic school at USC, a Michigan guy himself, was looking for someone from Michigan to come in and revamp the pro-
gram. It was that Michigan tie in that got me the job.
As I was saying, the band that I took over was 80 kids, and mostly mu-sic majors who really didn’t want to be on the fi eld. They were only march-ing because that’s where their scholar-ship money came from. I wanted an all around student organization, not just music majors. So I convinced the School of Music to give me their schol-arships. Then I went about attracting kids from the student body, regardless of major. The second thing I did was I added women to the band. There had never been women in the USC band.
So from that fi rst band of 80 kids, last year we had 300.
SBO: Also, that was a reluctant 80 to an enthusiastic 300, right?
AB: Oh, yes! Here’s another exam-ple: all bands have band camp. It’s the week before school and you teach the kids all the fundamentals. I had 56 kids show up for that fi rst band camp. The high school band at the program I had just left had 120. So, you can imagine what it was like for me, the size of my band had dropped in half!
SBO: There are some pretty amaz-ing opportunities afforded by your location and the connections that the school has in the Los Angeles community. Would you mind talking for a minute about these unique opportunities and how you think they affect the student body and the identity of the band?
“It’s not my band. It’s not the football team’s band. It’s not the university’s band. It’s the students’ band.”
SBO_25 25 8/4/08 10:35:14 AM
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School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 27
AB: It’s all about the experience that you offer these students. When you join the USC band, number one, you become a part of a program that is really locked into our football program. This is really one of the unique things about our program: the relationship between team and band is very close. Before every home game we’ll give them their own private pep rally. It’s a very unique situation. We play for them, just the team, at least once a week. And sometimes the coach comes over to band practices, so there’s this whole experience with the foot-ball team which is very unique to USC.
SBO: Can that be a little diffi cult because in some respects the band can’t always control the out-come of the sporting event?
AB: Our philosophy is that we’re part of the game. We play for every down. We have a response for every play that occurs on the football fi eld. This goes back to what an assistant coach once said, a guy by the name of Marv Goux. He’s the guy who got a hold of me in 1970. He said, “Here’s what this band needs to be. Here’s what the relationship to the football team needs to be.”
I came from a very conservative Michigan background, where we nev-er played during the games. We only played during timeouts. But at USC, we play after every play; we have a musical response to everything that happens.
Total Number of Students: 300Director of Bands: Dr. Art C. BartnerYears Under Dr. Bartner’s Direction: 38Consecutive USC Football Games Attended: 250Rose Parade Appearances: 32Typical Number of Performances in a Year: 350 Typical Miles Traveled in a Year: 20,000Number of U.S. Presidents Played for: 7Countries Performed in Since 1985: 17Number of World Expos Performed at: 4
On the Web: www.uscband.com
Select Television and Movie Appearances:The Naked GunForrest GumpGrease IIThe Last Boy ScoutThe Little RascalsSgt. BilkoThe Academy AwardsAmerica’s Funniest Home VideosAmerican IdolThe Arsenio Hall ShowThe Best Damn Sports Show, PeriodDoogie Howser, M.D.Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe ESPY AwardsFSN’s College Football SaturdayGood Morning AmericaHollywood SquaresIn Living ColorJeopardy!L.A. LawLast Comic StandingThe Rosie O’Donnell ShowScrubsSports Illustrated Swimsuit 07SportsCenterThe Tyra Banks Show
USC’s Trojan Marching Band at a Glance
Dr. Bartner with members of the alternative metal group, System of a Down.
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School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 29
SBO: How was that transition for you, going from that Michigan atmosphere to the University of Southern California?
AB: That’s a good question be-cause I initially brought out the Michigan philosophy. And you know what? It didn’t work! These are west coast kids, these are kids that are used to living at the beach, and I needed a new approach. I got together with a group of guys, one of whom was Dr. Ken Dye, who’s now the band director at Notre Dame, one of our archrivals. Ken Dye was part of that first genera-tion of students with whom I talked about what we were trying to do. I got together with this group of stu-dents, I remember it like it was yes-terday, and this whole philosophy developed. At that point, I realized
something: it’s a student band. It’s not my band. It’s not the football team’s band. It’s not the university’s band. It’s the students’ band.
This is how we started attracting students. Also, we became a very contemporary band. Today, we’re playing tunes that can be heard on the modern rock radio stations. For example, we had a meeting just re-cently and there’s a group called the Offspring. Dexter Holland, their lead singer, is a USC graduate. They have a new album coming out and one of my teaching assistants heard their new single on his way into work. He said to me, “We gotta play this tune!”
So I said sure, and now we’re probably going to be the only band in the country that’s going to play that tune. But that’s what the students lis-
The Trojan Marching Band in Brazil, May 2008.
SBO_29 29 8/4/08 10:35:26 AM
30 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
ten to. So that’s how contemporary we try to be.
SBO: Yet, at the same time, you also, I’m sure, want to present some of the great literature of the past that students might not be familiar with.
AB: Absolutely, and I tell the kids this. If it was up to them, all we would do is material that was writ-ten yesterday. But we have 92,000 people at every football game – they always sell out. So we need a variety of material.
As an example, we’re going to open next season with a Stevie Won-der show. I consider his music to be timeless because the kids like it, adults like, and it has a very broad appeal. Then, for example, we’ll do an Olympic show, which has the mu-sic of John Williams. That will be a fun show in which we honor the USC students and graduates who are participating in the Beijing Olym-pics. So now you have a show that appeals to everybody in that house. Then we’ll do a homecoming show. Because homecoming honors alumni who return to USC, we’ll do “Sing Sing Sing,” which goes back to my roots. I really love that stuff. That’s one of the problems with me. What I really love is big band jazz, which is not what the kids are into. As far as classical music, probably the closest we get is John Williams. When Cal and Stanford come down and bring their bands, well, then we go back to contemporary material because then it becomes a battle of the bands and we want to play what we do best and what the kids like.
During the course of our season, which includes six home games, all the shows will be different. We have the same 92,000 people, so every halftime show has to have a different theme, has to have differ-ent style music to keep the interest of the audience and your students, and I think that’s one of the exciting things about collegiate bands in gen-eral: every week, they’re changing shows. The band members have to be able to read. When students come into USC, one of the things that I see is that most high school bands only
SBO_30 30 8/4/08 10:35:33 AM
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32 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
We are the Trojan Marching Band. We are the face of the
University of Southern California and have been for more than
125 years. We are “The Spirit of Troy.” We earn that title every
day. We have not missed a Trojan football game since 1987, we
have brought our music to six continents, and we perform over 350
times every year. We have played at Super Bowls, the Olympics,
and for eight U.S. Presidents. We are “Hollywood’s Band.” We
have appeared on American Idol, the Academy Awards, and in
Forrest Gump. We have two platinum albums and have performed
with guest artists ranging from John Phillip Sousa to OutKast. Our
director Dr. Arthur C. Bartner has lead us for nearly 40 years,
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We have, and always will, “Fight On for ol’ SC.” Will you join us?
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learn one show. That’s it. They learn one show, and that show gets them through a whole season. So, oftentimes, when they come into my band, the kids don’t know how to read, or can’t do it well. We spend a lot of time devel-oping that skill.
Also, all our music is memorized. Not only do they have to read, our kids also have to be able to learn material fast. We spend a lot of time developing reading and memoriza-tion skills.
SBO: In addition to the football season, the USC band also makes numerous appearances around town. Would you talk for a minute about those performanc-es?
AB: This Hollywood experience is something that I can offer students that no one else in the country can. For ex-ample, we just did the fi nale of American Idol. Over 30 million people watched that show. Whether you like that
“You have to sell the program, sell yourself, and
convince everybody that this is a worthwhile experience.”
SBO_32 32 8/4/08 10:35:42 AM
34 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
show or not is another discussion, but over 90 million people voted for the eventual winner. That’s more people than vote for the President of the United States. And this is just the last thing that we’ve done. We’ve done countless other events and high pro-fi le performances.
SBO: Is there anything special that you do in preparing students for this level of exposure?
AB: It’s just become a part of our tradition. It’s a part of what we do. To be on television in front of all those people, well, we know how to do that. Our kids are willing to rehearse and willing to take direc-tion. These shows have producers, so all of a sudden I’m not really in charge. I’m just relaying the infor-mation from the people who are running the show. It’s a great expe-
rience, and obviously there’s a very strong USC connection. We have a very strong cinema school, which has produced the likes of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. A lot of the guys in the business are from USC. Also, because we’ve done so many of these events, people al-ready know about the band. We’ve got that connection both from our graduates and from the reputation of the band that makes these events possible.
SBO: Do you approach it as training professional musicians? What’s your mentality in that regard?
AB: It’s a work ethic. I’m training kids to be successful in life. By sur-rounding them with Super Bowls and Olympics – we closed the Grammy’s one year, we were in Forrest Gump, and doing all these things – I’m just trying to create kids who are going to be successful in life. These are doctors, these are lawyers, teachers. The music school really prepares the music majors, and my goal is just to help these kids become a success in life.
SBO_34 34 8/4/08 10:35:48 AM
SBORoundtable: Fundraising
36 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
of FundraisingThe Essentials
One of the most vital aspects of
many school music programs
is fundraising. The cost of mu-
sical equipment, travel, per-
formances, and any other of the many
projects associated with successful en-
sembles can overwhelm any school’s
fi xed budget, especially in a fl agging
economy.
The challenge of raising funds, more often than not, falls squarely on the shoulders of school music direc-tors. They must decide what the best options are for raising funds, and they also must motivate students and par-ents to join in the effort.
SBO recently contacted 10 music directors from all over the country to get their detailed thoughts on fundrais-ing – what works and what doesn’t.
Barry TrobaughBand DirectorMunford High School Munford, Tenn.
We usually try to do 10 to 12 fund-raisers per year, and this past year we raised $353,000. Our longest-running fundraiser has been the fruit sale. We
get all of our 600 students involved, tak-ing orders for two weeks, and the fruit is shipped directly from our supplier, Langdon Barber Groves in Florida, and delivered by our students. Some years we have seen upwards of a $30,000 profi t. We have a good bit of success with each of our events, in part because we have culled the ones that have not shown sig-nifi cant profi t or student/parent involve-ment. Still, we are defi nitely feeling the impact of the sagging economy and we have had to raise our band fee slightly to compensate.
The keys to successfully raising funds are simple. You must have a tan-gible goal you are aiming for, one that the public can both appreciate and champion. You really need student and parent involvement to ensure that all are engaged. To be honest, if the
cause is genuine, the product is sec-ondary. We very seldom engage our-selves in candy sales or items that have only pennies for profi t. It simply takes too many sales and hours to raise the funding we need. Integrity, honesty and a cause must be evident to every-one in the community. Students must be coached as to their delivery and also understand that there are conse-quences for not participating. Every-one involved must be motivated.
Richard BergmanBand DirectorHerndon High SchoolHerndon, Va.
We have done many different fundraisers,
SBO_36 36 8/4/08 10:43:18 AM
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38 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
but tag day has been our most success-ful one, with over $35,000 collected each year. We break our program into 12 areas and the students go out to ask for donations.
Several things have made this pro-gram so successful over the years: the students stay in their home area, and the houses are mapped out so that ev-ery eligible home is asked to contrib-ute. The students receive a portion of their collected revenues, which is
transferred into their band accounts. If the band meets its expected goal, the collections above that are recorded as a growing percentage in the individual student’s account. We leave self ad-dressed envelopes at each house where there is no answer. The envelope also has the name of the student on it. We have received as much as $15,000 by mail! We ask for checks and not cash. People will not usually write a check for one to fi ve dollars, but most of
the time they will write one for $10 or more. This also prevents the donor from suspecting that a student might pocket the cash and the check can be used as a tax write off.
It’s always important to remember that the community doesn’t want to be hounded with excessive fundraising. You need to know and communicate with your community, utilizing them as a positive resource for fundraising.
My biggest concern for next year is the economy. With gas prices more than doubling from 2007 to 2008, our transportation will be more lim-ited. We are planning to do more local shows and keep the number of com-petition weekends limited to four. We have had to raise our band fees by $25 per student to help defray our expect-ed costs.
Keith JordanBand DirectorLa Cueva High SchoolAlbuquerque, N.M.
We do an av-erage of six fund-raisers per year, but in twenty-nine years of fundrais-ing we’ve nar-rowed our selec-tions down to a few that we know will work. Our most successful fundraisers are ones that we can do with a variety of people, in shifts. We work for two weeks selling for Walgreen’s and Kodak at the Bal-loon Fiesta here in Albuquerque. Parents and students work shifts and the profi t is split equally among the participants, according to the number of shifts they work. Some folks pay for their entire year doing this fundraiser, and they get to watch the balloons every morning.
We have a craft fair at our school in December. There are usually 180 booths, and each pays a fee to enter the show. We have a waiting list of over 70 crafters. Every student and parent is required to participate, either in set up, clean up, pre-marking the booths or at the various stations during the day. We have the largest school craft show in New Mexico.
SBO_38 38 8/4/08 10:43:25 AM
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We have also had successful mag-azine sales. We focus on renewals and new sales and use a local vendor,
who gives us a great discount, which we pass along to our customers. Lastly, we have our 501-C3 so we can be designated as a United Way service organization. People ear-mark their donations for the band, and we receive monthly checks from the United Way. I believe that suc-cessful fundraising is a partnership between schools, parents, and stu-
dents. It has to be something that everyone can see the
value in and is willing to work hard for. It also helps if the fundrais-
ers are fun and en-tertaining.
Kevin GeorgeOrchestra DirectorGlenelg High SchoolGlenelg, Md.
I think that all high school mu-sic teachers look on fundraising as a necessarily evil. We joke about the time we spend collecting money and managing student accounts, but it can really be a problem. It is im-portant to fi nd parents to assist in the fundraising events. One of my con-cerns for the future is how to fund our growing music technology program. We have a lab full of rapidly aging computers and other music technol-ogy products, and our school district does not have a replacement plan. I do not want to start fundraising for music technology products – the fundraising for orchestra takes enough time!
40 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
SBO_40 40 8/4/08 10:43:32 AM
42 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
Most of the money that we raise goes into individual student accounts to help pay for our spring trip. One of the things that I like about directing an orchestra is that I do not have to worry about the tremendous amount of money that band programs put into marching season. Orchestras also have a lot less equipment to purchase, so our overall fundraising needs are smaller than those of a comparable band program.
We treat our performances as fund-raisers. All of our concerts are tick-eted, and we apply the ticket sales to the individual student accounts to help students pay for their spring trip. We used to sell lots of candy, but now our school system has a “well-ness” program, and the good old days of candy sales are a distant memory! Pizza is always our best fundraiser. It sells easily, and people look forward to it each year. Food is always popular, and if it is high quality, people do not seem to mind paying the fundraising premium.
Quality and customer service go a long way in the fundraising business. Vendors who supply consistently high quality products will get return cus-tomers. Companies who have a good system for dealing with inevitable mis-takes and errors will also get repeat business.
DJ Alstadt Band Director Naperville Central High SchoolNaperville, Ill.
Our most suc-cessful fundrais-ing has come from parental gifts and corporate match-ing gifts. Parents are the strongest supporters of our music programs. Any time companies match that gen-erosity, it is a win-win for our kids. I fi nd that selling items usually does not go well, so I avoid those types of fund-raisers. There is too much room for error – everything from people miss-ing a time to pick up their item to lost checks or missed deadlines.
For me, it is important to make sure that the kids are excited and that they are learning; if they are excited, then paren-tal volunteers will increase, which leads to more opportunities for kids. We work
hard to try new ideas and think outside of the box with fundraisers. We always attempt to work around things and make the music program happen in spite of the economy. I am very proud of our parents and administration for their attitude and support of the NCHS band program.
Finally, it is important for me to remind our parents where the money is going – I frequently take pictures of guest artists, clinicians, equipment, to remind everyone how important music and music education is at our school. Parents truly make a difference.
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SBO_43 43 8/4/08 11:28:39 AM
44 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
David RatliffBand DirectorMadison Southern High SchoolBerea, Ky.
We typically have fi ve to sev-en fundraising projects per year, including some short-term and some which run throughout the school year. We are very fortunate to run the conces-sion stands for a number of the ath-letic events held here at our school. We manage and run the concession stands for all home games for soccer, football, and basketball. We also have a candy sale that runs throughout the school year, a citrus fruit sale around Christmas time, a car wash, bake sale, and yard sale. We have also been par-ticipants in programs such as Good-Search.com and iGive.com.
As the likelihood of less and less money coming from the state increas-es, we are faced with a greater need for raising our own funds to support our program. We have also begun to search out more corporate level sponsorships to help augment our program’s bud-get. I anticipate this need to continue to grow, given the seemingly constant rising cost of fuel.
I think of fundraising as a neces-sary evil. It takes time away from the day-to-day running of the pro-gram, but it is necessary to provide the funding that allows the students the best possible experience in the band. While we are very grateful for the fi nancial support we get from the school and also from the school dis-trict, there is still a defi nite need for additional funding to allow for the type of program our students and parents have grow accustom to over the years.
Daniel P. FyffeBand DirectorFranklin Central High SchoolIndianapolis, Ind.
When I took over as band director for this program, I told band boost-ers if a fundraiser does not generate
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SBO_44 44 8/4/08 10:43:45 AM
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SBO_45 45 8/4/08 11:28:46 AM
46 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
at least $1,000, it is not worth the time and effort. New band directors will receive many fundraising oppor-tunities. They should always check the profi t margin to make sure they will make at least 50 percent of the total sale.
Almost all of our group fundrais-ers have been very successful. They are great because they take place in a single day, all students and parents participate, and students work in small
teams, displaying a great attitude. Our students really take ownership of group fundraisers.
Our dinner theater has been a great success. It takes place in the winter following the Indiana Solo and Ensemble Contest. Students sell tickets and our chamber ensembles (woodwind choir, brass quintet) perform. We usually sell 400 tick-ets. It is a win-win event for our program. I have always wanted to
have a concert to display the talents of our small ensembles, and I have wanted to have a dinner theater as a mid-winter band social event. This takes care of both, and as a bonus, we generate funds for band during the winter months.
Patricia QuigleyBand DirectorCedar Ridge High School Hillsborough, N.C.
We have three major fundraising campaigns a year. We sell Florida citrus in the fall and cookie dough, biscuits, and pizza in the spring. Our big-gest campaign has been working concessions at one of our local university’s athletic events. We’ve sold candy bars, scratch off cards, pizza cards, and portrait pack-ages. We’ve hosted an indoor march-ing arts competition and a golf tourna-ment. The concessions venture is our most lucrative, followed by the citrus and cookie dough.
We have stuck with these three projects for all six years of our school’s existence. I believe they are successful because people see the cost analysis benefi ts of working concessions, and they don’t have to go out and sell any-thing. Plus it’s a fun social event and a great chance to get to know the other folks involved in the band. We’re sell-ing great, high quality products that have been marketed in our area for years. We’ve built a client base that looks forward to hearing from us each fall and spring.
We tried several different things in the fi rst years of our program that simply did not work. I believe that we were trying to market products that people could get anywhere, so there was a lack of interest from the students and parents to sell the product, along with a lack of interest from the com-munity to buy the product.
Fundraising is one of the toughest challenges of our jobs. Most of us do not get information on how to handle fundraising in our college education, so
SBO_46 46 8/4/08 10:43:51 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 47
the experience we do have is what we did personally as band students when we were in middle and high school. These fundraisers may have seemed to work from our perspective as students, but reality may have been different from our perception. I’ve found that enlisting the help of parents in choosing fundrais-ing opportunities is the most benefi cial. The parents know the community better than us, and they understand the eco-nomics of the people in the community. Also, if you allow them to participate in the decision making process of the fund-raising, they’re more likely to get on board with the event. Let’s be honest, the parents do the majority of selling of products to their friends and co-work-ers. If the parents are not on board, the event will not be as successful.
Tom CoxBand DirectorGoshen High SchoolGoshen, Ind.
We do all kinds of fundraisers. I wish we did not have to do any at all, but we do.
We average around six to eight per year. We park cars at the county fair, sell cheese and sausag-es, work concessions at Notre Dame football games, work the county air show, sell tickets for different events,
and other things like that. Generally, one-day events work
best. We can get kids to do something for six or eight hours, and this is easier than doing a candy bar sale that takes many days. We also do a corporate campaign. For a certain price, com-panies will get their names in the pro-grams and advertising.
Now we are facing new challenges with the rising gas prices. This year we are being charged one-third more
for the school busses we use during the year than we were charged last year.
Alex KaminskyBand DirectorBuchholz High SchoolGainesville, Fla.
We generally do between 13 and 15 fundraisers per year. We sell local and national coupon books, academic planners, beads, t-shirts. We also sell holiday wreaths, gift wrap and candy before Christmas. We do a band camp dinner, a rehearse-a-thon, car washes, silent auction, program ads, and corpo-rate sponsorship. Sponsorship is pure profi t.
Unfortunately, we have felt the im-pact from the changes in the economy – donations for the winter auction were down in 2007 and sponsorship has not increased. Fundraising becomes more challenging for us because we are in a college community that also taps the resources of the private sector. Choose fundraisers that do not demand a great deal of time from the students. They are already very busy with school and clubs, on top of their band responsi-bilities.
SBO_47 47 8/4/08 10:43:58 AM
48 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
SBOCommentary: Dear Band Directors
From one Musical Instrument Dealer
An Open Letter to Band DirectorsBY TRACY E. LEENMAN
Dear Band Directors,
First, a word of thanks. Thank you, from all of us in the school music retail business, for your con-
tinuing efforts on behalf of the students you teach. Despite budget cutbacks, scheduling confl icts, di-
lapidated equipment, and long, insufferably hot afternoons on the practice fi eld, you devote your lives
to young people, teaching them music – and more importantly, teaching them real-life skills. Though it
may not always seem so, you have a positive, long-term effect on the life of each student you teach.
As you plan for next year’s beginners, I would like to ask a few favors. These are things that may
seem trivial, but they are important to those of us who will be providing instruments and supplies to
your students and their parents; these are the things that will allow us to give you the best possible
service and give your students the best possible start in your band class. Here is my “wish list.”
SBO_48 48 8/4/08 10:46:27 AM
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SBO_49 49 8/4/08 11:28:54 AM
50 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
Please take the time to mouthpiece test each student, or make arrange-ments with your local school music retailer to help you with this. Like many other school music dealers, we have performers and former band directors on staff who are ex-perienced, and more than willing to help our local band directors with testing.
Nearly 75 percent of the stu-dents we test here in our store leave the store wanting to play some-
thing different from what they were “sure” they wanted to play when they fi rst walked in. Some-times there are physical limitations, sometimes a mouthpiece “feels funny,” and sometimes producing a sound on one mouthpiece is very hard for a child while getting sound from another is very easy. Some-times playing a certain instrument is just not what the child expected. Sometimes a child who would be a C+ player at best on his chosen
instrument can be gently guided – and get excited about – an instru-ment on which he could perhaps be an A+ player.
Students who are mouthpiece tested are much less likely to drop out of band than those who chose their instrument by what looks the “coolest,” or shiniest, or what their friends are playing. And, through mouthpiece testing, you can have more control over instrumentation and better balance in your band. The best part of mouthpiece testing is that each student will begin band excited – rather than apprehensive – about his or her chosen instru-ment, knowing he or she has the potential to succeed.
Especially for those students who want to play saxophone, please make sure the child actually holds the instrument he or she chooses. We do not test students on sax mouthpieces in our store, because with proper instruction, anyone can make a sound on a sax mouth-piece.
If a child demonstrates the abil-ity to form a good clarinet embou-chure and wants to play sax, we will have them hold the instrument to see if they can reach around the palm keys. Unfortunately, we have too many students who tell us, “My band director said I could play sax-ophone,” or “I made a great sound on a sax mouthpiece,” when in truth they have never actually held a sax and cannot reach to play even the fi rst note in their band method book.
It’s not fair to the student to put him or her on an instrument on which he or she is physically unable to succeed; it’s not fair to the par-ents to go to the added expense of obtaining a saxophone if the child cannot succeed. And it’s hard for us, knowing that more saxes are re-turned than any other instrument, having to decide whether or not to tell the parents that sax may not be the best choice for their child.
If the child is small in stature, or has small hands, why not suggest
SBO_50 50 8/4/08 10:46:34 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 51
he or she play clarinet for a year or two fi rst, and then switch to sax? This will give the child a better chance of success in band, will save the parents money, and will give the student a better foundation in woodwind playing.
Up until the 1970s, all begin-ning sax players first had to play clarinet for a year or two. This was intended to give the students a stronger embouchure and to give them the ability to pick up saxophone, flute, bass clarinet, oboe or even bassoon more easily in the future. Some fine band di-rectors still keep to this practice today. Others have a minimum height requirement for sax play-ers. While you may not think it necessary to go that far, please be frank with parents whose chil-dren would have a hard time suc-ceeding on sax and help guide them towards something more appropriate.
Please tell parents upfront about the higher cost of obtaining some instruments. Saxophones, oboes, open-hole fl utes, French horns and baritones cost more – everywhere. When you suggest these instru-ments, please remind parents that the cost of these instruments will be higher, even if you don’t want to mention specifi c prices.
Please be specifi c when recommend-ing your students play “percussion.” There are snare drum kits, percus-sion kits (these have a practice pad and set of bells only) and combo kits (practice pad, set of bells, and a snare drum). Different band direc-tors prefer different equipment. If you have too many percussionists, requiring a pad and bell (only) kit will help dissuade those who think that “percussion” means “drum set.” Most school music dealers stock all three options.
Make sure your local school music dealers know what your re-quirements are – including stick and mallet preferences – and be specifi c with parents as well, so they know what to expect. Some
parents get upset when they fi nd out that their child will be playing bells, not just “drums” like they played when they were in school. Please explain to your parents why a snare drum from a trap set won’t work in school band – not only will the sound be different, but by the time they invest in a carrying case and a concert-height stand, they are usually more than half-way to the (proper-sized) concert snare drum anyway.
Please be specifi c with parents about the accessories and other supplies you require, and why you prefer them. Do you prefer a cer-tain brand and/or strength of reed?
Do you prefer a certain brand and/or size mouthpiece? A special liga-ture?
We often hear, “But the band director didn’t say we needed a book,” or, “He didn’t say we need-ed reeds.” We explain to parents that the method book is the child’s required textbook. We explain why a folding stand is essential for home practice, and why the child will need to clean his or her instrument after playing it, every time. But it helps us a great deal if parents hear this from the band director, too, so they don’t think we’re “just out for a sale.”
Please be sure your local school music dealers know which meth-
SBO_51 51 8/4/08 10:46:44 AM
52 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
od book you are using – parents sometimes come in for “the sixth-grade book for trumpet” without realizing there are many, many beginning books for trumpet stu-dents.
Please keep up with product chang-es and music industry develop-ments. Sometimes model numbers change, sometimes models are dis-continued, sometimes changes in manufacture mean that models you have used for years now have to-tally different specs.
Your school music dealer has ac-cess to information from manufac-turers on the latest product devel-opments, and will be glad to help you update your recommended in-strument and accessory list.
We had one band director rec-ommend a certain model of fl ute that no longer existed – and then on the note he sent home to parents, he said, “Do not take the word of
any music store regarding alternate models. Please purchase only the models listed above.” Needless to say, we were in a no-win situation, as we tried to explain to parents that the model requested was no longer made!
Please plant the seeds early for step-up instruments. Let parents know that, down the road, there may be a double horn, solid silver fl ute, grenadilla clarinet, full-conserva-tory oboe, silver plated trumpet or f-attachment trombone in their child’s future, so that they are not caught off-guard when we mention step-ups to them.
Starting a new class of beginners is exciting. Each year, we look for-ward to working with you and to meeting your new students and their parents; in many ways, it’s our fa-vorite time of year. With your help, we can make sure each student is of-
fered everything he or she needs for the best possible start to a musical career, and that all your students ar-rive in your classroom ready to be-gin learning.
Tracy E. Leenman has over 35 years of teaching experience at the elementary through college levels, including instrumental music, choral music, classroom music, private teaching, church choir directing, and teaching conducting and rehearsal techniques.
As director of sales and market-ing for Pecknel Music Company, Mrs. Leenman’s responsibilities include working with area schools and educa-tors, and heading up various educa-tional outreach programs. She also serves as the technology chairman of the South Carolina Music Educa-tors Association, and president of the South Carolina Coalition for Music Education.
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SBO_52 52 8/4/08 10:46:52 AM
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SBO_53 53 8/4/08 11:29:00 AM
SBOSurvey: Fundraising
Squeezing
54 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
thetone
Candy sales or a concert din-
ner? Plan a car wash or
draft pledge letters? All
too often, these are ques-
tions band and orchestra directors
must ask themselves if they want to se-
cure the necessary funding required to
achieve their musical goals. With
school music programs so
often left to their own
devices when search-
ing for funding, be it for
frills or the most basic of necessities, fi nding
creative options to garner those extra dollars is
no easy task.
SBO_54 54 8/4/08 10:48:08 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 55
In this recent SBO survey of more than one thousand band and orchestra directors, your peers shared their thoughts on this often prickly topic, including advice on planning successful campaigns, as well as potential pitfalls to be wary of.
Where does most of your program’s funding come from?
“The school district funding has been going down every year.”
Cynthia EisenmannCentral Middle School
Waukesha, Wis.
“In the recent past, even two years ago, most of the fund-ing for my program came from the district. Due to budget woes, I had zero budget last year, and will have close to the same this year.”
Amanda ShellySaugus High School
Saugus, Mass.
“We do get support from our district, but it’s not nearly enough to sustain our program.”
Ralph Lee HicksFontainebleau High School
Mandeville, La.
How often do you typically hold fundraisers?
Have recent changes to the economy affected your funding and/or fundraising efforts?
“The downturn in the economy has drastically affected our fundraisers. In past years, we have done $30k in the fall; this year we did $17k. Since all of our funding comes from fundrais-ers, we are quite fortunate that the community supports us.”
Mary Louise GucikCadwallader Middle School
Las Vegas, Nev.
Which do you fi nd more successful, selling products (fruit, candy, magazines) or providing services (car washes, dinners, concerts)?
“Products tend to bring in more money, but services carry a higher percentage of profi t and internal gratifi cation.”
Brandon IvieBoyne City High School
Boyne City, Mich.
“Providing services can be a wonderful way to engage the community and make them aware of our needs. We sell coffee and cookies at rest stops, and this can be very profi t-able. Also, the coffee bar is a steady income, which in turn provides us with some fi nancial stability.”
Marianne BallLa Salle High School
Union Gap, Wash.
Fundraising
School/District Funding
Direct support/ parents/community
Grants 3%9%
51%37%
Continuously
Monthly
Once a semester
Once a year
Never 8%30%
22%
16%24%
Yes
No
68%32%
Products
Services
58%42%
“Since all of our funding comes from fundraisers, we are quite fortunate that the community sup-ports us.”
Mary Louise Gucik, Las Vegas, Nev.
SBO_55 55 8/4/08 10:48:14 AM
56 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
What types of product sales have been most profi t-able for your program?
Which of the following fundraising services have been most profi table for your program?
“We have made tremendous money in a short time by pledge car washes. (Students get pledges for every car washed by the group; we wash all the cars for free on the designated day). After 22 years, I have found what works for my community. If it isn’t broken…”
Dan NorthMadison High School
Rexburg, Idaho
“Dinner concerts, concerts, and car washes have all been successful, at different times – the key is to have a large turnout of people.”
Richard F. WongAmerican High School
Fremont, Calif.
How often do you try new fundraising ideas?
“Find one or two things that work and stick to them.
This way the community will expect and look forward to that fundraiser each year.”
Roger GregoryDeer Creek High School
Edmond, Okla.
“Seeing as how we can’t sell candy in our district, we’ve had to think outside the box. We’ve done Bowl-a-thons, rummage sales, and this year we’re going to try a Guitar Hero Tournament.”
Patrick DoerrSweetwater High School
National City, Calif.
What was your most unique/successful fundraising campaign?
“We call our program ‘Invest-in-your-Band.’ It is a strict donation program. Students solicit friends and family to do-nate and for every $50 donated they can opt to throw a pie at me (the band teacher) and sometimes other teachers of their choosing.”
“Our donation program works, so I do not venture from it often. The parents appreciate the fact that their time is valued and my colleagues love the student-interaction that the pie throwing provides.”
Windy FullagarLake Norman Charter School
Huntersville, N.C.
“Our concerts with jazz artists such as Buddy Rich, May-nard Ferguson, and Woody Herman were very successful.
Candy/Cookie/Fruit sales
eScrip
Magazine sales
Performance CDs
Gifts
Other
10%9%
8%14%
54%5%
Dinners
Band performances
Car Washes
Parking
Other 10%14%
18%
35%23%
All the time
Sometimes
Rarely
Never 14%28%
15%43%
“If we keep bailing out school funding, they will never fi x that mess.”
Dani Jo White, Woburn, Mass.
SBO_56 56 8/4/08 10:48:19 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 57
They raised lots of money, but also gave the entire community a great mu-sical opportunity.”
Craig KepnerOrange City Schools
Pepper Pike, Ohio
Is there anything directors should be wary of when planning a fund-raiser?
“If you sell products from compa-nies, make sure you know exactly how much profi t you will see (check for sales quotas and small print) and fi nd out when the product will be delivered (especially if it is frozen). We try to make more money for ourselves than for a company.”
Ky HascallPark Hill High School
Kansas City, Mo. “Check to make sure no one else
is doing a fundraiser at the same time – or has just fi nished one – with the same type of product.”
Ricky AllgoodBluestone High School
Skipwith, Va.
Any additional thoughts on fund-raising that you’d like to share with your fellow music educa-tors?
“Too often we forget about asking the school for proper funding. If you have a detailed, long-range plan and communicate this to your adminis-trators well in advance, you’d be sur-prised how they can help your cause. Administrators don’t like fundraisers either!”
Todd ParkMarceline School District
Marceline, Mo.
“If we keep bailing out school fund-ing, they will never fi x that mess.”
Dani Jo WhiteWoburn Public Schools
Woburn, Mass.
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58 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
SBOTechnology: Music Notation
BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.
Dr. Kuzmich is a nationally-known music educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience. He has certifi cation from TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators) to serve as a training instructor throughout the country. His academic background also includes a Ph.D. in comprehen-sive musicianship.
As a freelance author, he has more than 250 articles and fi ve textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S. and several for-eign countries. For more information, visit his Web site: www.kuzmich.com.
Music notation software is perhaps the most ubiquitous
creative tool used by music educators. Unfortunately,
outdated versions probably grace many most school
computers, while today’s products are vastly superior
and more powerful. Here are ten reasons why now is the per-
fect time to upgrade or purchase the latest version of a notation
program:
Music Notation Programs: The New Generation
1. Today’s products are more user-friendly with fewer keystrokes to learn, sim-pler interface and have great tutorials.
2. They have more power and features.3. Prices are very competitive, especially for educators.4. There are more quality products to select from than ever before.5. Playback options are vastly improved with virtual instrument technology.6. There are signifi cant editing capabilities with multimedia options.7. Sharing musical compositions via MusicXML is revolutionary.8. Printing technology has never been
more affordable.9. Music scanning is fast and economi-
cal.10. Posting musical scores on the Inter-
net has never been easier.
Is it important that each notation product featured in this article contain every feature? No! Everyone has his or her own preferences and needs, and many teachers may not require all the whistles and bells available. In some cas-es, simplicity and user-friendliness may be more appropriate than complex no-
SBO_58 58 8/4/08 10:52:33 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 59
tation capabilities. This article focuses on several excellent products designed for all levels of music education.
Music Notation ProductsDatasonics’ Mastering Music, (www.
datasonics.com.au) is a unique product combining both a professional nota-tion product and a MIDI/digital audio sequencing program in one easy-to-use interface. Best of all, it works with
seven different editors to cus-tomize even the most diffi cult score. These in-clude notation, global track, keyboard, event, mixer, drum, pi-ano, and tempo editors, giving users detailed composing/ar-ranging/editing capabilities. Not
only does it have fi lm scoring capa-bilities, but also music theory and aura training components. What clearly sets this product apart is that this student-friendly, curriculum-based product is classroom-ready “out of the box” with more than 400 tutorials and 75 videos.
Musitek’s SmartScore X (www.smartscore.com) is a slick upgrade from previous versions. Although primarily designed as a music scanning product,
it is has rather sophisticated music no-tation editing along with a powerful sequencer to playback scores, making it an attractive music notation product with unbeatable music scanning capa-bilities. Its playback system supports both VST (Windows) and AU (Mac) digital plug-ins, including the Garritan and Motu libraries. Available are fi ve
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SBO_59 59 8/4/08 10:52:38 AM
60 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
Products Manufacturer List Price Academic Price Foreign Language Supported Frequency of Updates
Mastering Music Datasonics $99.00 + $5 student licensing Same Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Italian Once a year
SmartScore X Musitek $399, see foot note 1 $299 German, Japanese, French (soon) Every 2 years
Encore Gvox $399 $299 French, Spanish, Dutch, German, and Portuguese (ready by end of 2008)
As needed
Notation Composer Notation Software
$149.95 $149.95 with site license discounts None Major release once a year. Others as needed.
Play Music Notationware $49.99, $35 for students $35.00 None Yearly
NOTION/PROTEGE (same features except where noted)
Notion Music $499/$69.95 $299/No academic pricing for Protege
None Three times a year
ScoreWriter GenieSoft $59.00 None from Geniesoft but $49 from selected dealers
None Small upgrades regu-larly, Major upgrades sporadically
Overture GenieSoft $349 (boxed), $300 (download) None, but $210 from selected dealers
None Small upgrades regu-larly, Major upgrades sporadically
Music Pad Pro Plus FreeHand Systems
$899 Yes German, Japanese, Chinese 6 to 12 months
Productivity Features
Products Manufacturer VST Support Auto Arrange for Creating Compositions
Curriculum Test Worksheets Included
Mastering Music Datasonics No No Yes, 400+ lessons integrated with applicationYes
SmartScore X Musitek Yes No No
Encore Gvox No, but will work with any VST host No No
Notation Composer Notation Software No (currently under development) No No
Play Music Notationware Target for Quart, 2009 No Planned for Quarter, 2009
NOTION/PROTEGE (same features except where noted)
Notion Music No No No
ScoreWriter GenieSoft PC only, up to 2 instruments No No
Overture GenieSoft Up to 256 VST instruments plus 4 effects
No No
Music Pad Pro Plus FreeHand Systems N/A No No
Productivity Features
To help make the selection process easier, the accompanying tables provide product-by-product comparisons.
different versions ranging from guitar (1 music staff), piano (2 staves), MIDI (4 staves), songbook editing (3 staves) and pro edition with 36 staves per system. The price is a bargain consid-ering its extensive music notation fea-tures along with a primo professional music-scanning product with nearly 100 percent accuracy on well-printed
scores included, not to mention its MusicXMl capabilities to Finale, Sibe-lius and others.
Notation Composer by Notation Composer (www.notation.com) is a delightful notation program with nu-merous innovations. It is quick and easy to set up the staves, meter, and key signature for a new song. Its no-
tation editing tools are uniformly presented in the user interface. Most are also accessible via palette buttons, menus, and keyboard shortcuts. It of-fers a great combination of integrated tools for editing notation and sound. Some of these include accent marks, dynamic marks, grace notes, trills, tremolos, phrase marks and MIDI. It
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School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 61
Charge of Updates Computer Platforms Operating Systems Minimum Operating Requirements Product Update Credit
$1.00 per student on annual support agreement
Locally, on a network and Internet
Windows 2000, XP and Vista 500 MHz+ CPU, 128 MB RAM, 1024 monitor display, IE 5.5+
Buy support Agreement
Free Windows/Mac Win XP, Vista/Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5
None
Free Windows/Mac Win XP, Vista/Mac OS X Mac G3 CPU or better, 32MB of RAM, 16MB Hard Disk space Mac OS 10.3 or higher
Discounted to $129.99 for upgrades
$49.95 for major update, others free. Windows Windows Vista, XP, 98 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, 20 MB disk space 66.6 % discount for major update
Free PC, Mac in development Win 200, XP, Vista 16 MB RAM (32 MB recommended), SoundBlaster compatible soundcard
None
Free Win, Mac Win (All), Mac OS X (Tiger, Leopard)
512 MB, 3 GHZ CPU None
Varies, small updates free Win, Mac Win 95 through Vista, Mac OS X 10.4 and above
Win Pentium 100 MHz, 256 MB Application RAM, MIDI interface, CD ROM, Mac 68020 or Power Mac, 256 MB application RAM, MIDI interface, CD-ROM
None
Varies, small updates free Win, Mac Win 95 through Vista, Mac Os X 10.4 and above
Win Pentium 100 MHz, 256 MB Application RAM, MIDI interface, CD ROM, Mac 68020 or Power Mac, 256 MB application RAM, MIDI interface, CD-ROM
None
Some are free, others approx. $50 Win, Mac Win 98E thru Vista, Mac OS X 10.3.2 or later
Win – Pentium II or higher CPU running Win 98 SE, Win ME, Win 2000 or Win XP (includes SP2) – Mac OS X v.10.2.6 (or later minimum), or Mac OS X v. 10.3.2 (or later recommended) 50 MB available hard disk space, XGA display with settings at 1024x768 pixels, 16-bt color
Negotiable
# of Sample Songs Included Use Third-Party Plug-ins # of Third-Party Plug-ins Transposing
9 Yes, Any Virtual Instrument sound source with MIDI In driver, any movies for sync to video in any format
Yes
5 Garritan VST Yes
100+ No Yes, Any Virtual Instrument sound source with MIDI In driver Yes
5 No Yes
30 Yes, VST t targeted for Quarter 1 2009 Yes
12/7 No All
4 VST Instruments & effects Yes
4 VST Instruments & effects Yes
13 sheet music fi les, 12 MP3/MIDI samples N/A Yes, for Solero fi les
can also export to MusicXML. With many new features forthcoming later this year, Notation Composer is a sol-id product for most music educators.
ScoreWriter (www.geniesoft.com) is a good entry-level notation product, similar to MakeMusic’s Print Music 2008. It allows users to utilize up to two VST instruments, such as Band-
Stand by Native-Instruments, for re-alistic playback. Notes can quickly be entered on-screen with a mouse or a computer keyboard and recorded for a MIDI performance. Scores can sound studio recorded through VST technol-ogy, and this is the least expensive no-tation product on the market offering VST capabilities.
Overture is a more advanced ver-sion of ScoreWriter by GenieSoft. Us-ers can quickly enter notes on-screen with an intuitive interface and power-ful editing tools and symbol palettes. It offers a wide variety of jazz articula-tions including lift, rip, wah-wah, fall off, wow-wow and shake with seven selection line types. Playback capabili-
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62 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
Extract Parts / Score – Display and Print an individual track from a conductor scoreParts Dynamically Linked to Score – One Part when updated appears updated also in the conductor scoreStave/Voices/MIDI Channels – Number of parts in a conductor score# of Templates with Product – Number of different templates for conductor scoresNotation Scroll View – One linear row for each part that scrolls continuously from beginning to end
Products Manufacturer Extract Parts/Score Parts Dynamically Linked to Score
Stave/Voices/MIDI Channels
Mastering Music Datasonics Yes Yes Unlimited
SmartScore X Musitek Yes Yes Yes
Encore Gvox Yes, including all parts with one keystroke
No 64/8/32 Additional MIDI de vices can be used to increase MIDI channels
Notation Composer Notation Software Yes Yes Unlimited/ 2 / virtual 16+
Play Music Notationware Yes Yes 24/8/8
NOTION/PROTEGE (same feataures except where noted) Notion Music Yes No 64/128/2 voices per staff
ScoreWriter GenieSoft Yes No 16/4/
Overture GenieSoft Yes No 256/8
Music Pad Pro Plus FreeHand Systems No N/A Yes. for Solero fi les
Notation Layout Features
Products Manufacturer # of Toolbar Buttons and Palettes Chord Export/auto Fret
Rhythmic Duration Ranges Percussion Single Line Score
Tablature User-Defi nable Standard/ Converts To & From
Mastering Music Datasonics 22 None All note durations supported Single line, drum staff
No/No
SmartScore X Musitek 26 Toolbar buttons/28 Palette buttons Yes 128th note to double whole Yes Yes/Yes
Encore Gvox 1-90 buttons available/11 Palettes No/Yes 128th note to double whole Yes Yes//MIDI
Notation Composer Notation Software N/A Yes/No 128th note to double whole Yes No/No
Play Music Notationware N/A Yes/Yes/Yew 128th note to double whole No Yes/Yes
NOTION/PROTEGE (same features except where noted)
Notion Music 3 No 128th note to double whole note Yes No//No
ScoreWriter GenieSoft 23 Yes 128th note to double whole note Yes No/No
Overture GenieSoft 31 Yes 128th note to double whole note Yes Yes/Yes
Music Pad Pro Plus FreeHand Systems 4 on Main Menu, 11 on Annotation Menu
N/A N/A No N/A
Notation Editing Features
ties are signifi cant and can load up to 256 VST instruments and 4 effects, resulting in studio-quality playback. There’s an excellent web site compar-ing the features of ScoreWriter 4 and Overture at www.geniesoft.com/prod-ucts/comparison.htm.
Encore by Gvox (www.gvox.com) has just made its most signifi cant update in ten years, offering many new features that make this product user-friendly for simple lead sheets
or symphonies in less time and with more control than ever before. I like its powerful editing capabilities along with how it graphically displays and plays back dynamic marks, repeats, multiple endings and pedal marks, with any MIDI controller. It is Gar-ritan Personal Studio-ready for more authentic playback options. Users can choose between engraver spacing and mathematically aligned notes depend-ing on his or her own layout prefer-
ences. Encore now offers Music XML import and export, and has Soundfont support with handwritten music style options. This is a versatile notation product for creating motion picture scores, orchestral arrangements, and choir songbooks, as well as teaching music.
Notion and Protégé by Notion Mu-sic (www.notionmusic.com) are the ultimate music notation applications for the most realistic playback per-
For more product comparisons, view the article online at www.sbomagazine.com.
SBO_62 62 8/4/08 10:52:58 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 63
# of Templates with Product Notation Scroll View Notation Page View Notation Scaling Family Ordering Staff Brackets and Braces
Yes, User Defi nable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
20 Yes Yes Yes Not Known Automatic Editable
36, Unlimited user defi ned Yes Yes Yes, not automatic Templates are in Family order Templates are bracketed and braced in family order
33 No Yes Yes Yes Yes
30 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
15 plus unlimited number of user created No Yes Yes Yes Yes
25 No Yes Yes Manual Yes
25 No Yes Yes Manual Yes
No limit; accepts all formats (graphic) No Yes Yes, Manual Yes, Manual Yes, Manual
Notation Page View – Notation displayed in pages ready for printingNotation Scaling – Scaling notation vertically and horizontally to fi t more or less bars on a line and lines on a pageFamily Ordering – Instruments grouped into families and the order of these families within a conductor scoreStaff Brackets and Braces – Brackets and Braces for staves in conductor scores based on family groupings
Text Lyrics/Headers & Footers/ Annotation
Number of Musical Fonts Supports Alternative Font Heads
Cross Staff & Measure Beaming
Non-standard key signatures Complex Meters/ Non-Metric Music
Yes 1 Yes Yes No Yes/Yes
Yes 1 Yes Yes Yes No/Yes
Yes 2 Yes Yes No Yes
Yes 1 Yes No No Yes, e.g. 3+2+3/8
MIDI, ASCII, Notation Ability to insert meta fi les in note head
Yes Yes Yes No
Yes 1 Yes No Yes, microtones support (microtones in the key signature)
Yes (also hides time signatures)
Yes 1 No No No No/Yes
Yes 1 included, others can be added Yes Yes No Yes/Yes
Yes N/A N/A N/A Yes, when transposing from Solero File N/A
formance directly from a score with 1,000-voice polyphony and an audio mixer with variable decay. The only difference between Notion and Protégé is that Protégé can write for only eight staves and save fi les as Protégé or .WAV fi le formats. All other features are identical to Notion. Articulations, 33-level dynamic resolution, performance techniques, tempo, and other score el-ements are rendered by a proprietary playback engine that uses samplings
from the London Symphony Orches-tra, featuring 33 instruments bundled with the software. Instruments can be added from an ever-expanding sound library. These programs feature com-plete real-time tempo and performance control utilizing their NTempo, includ-ing fermatas and breath marks. This ultra-control is great for customizing play-along accompaniments. It offers extensive editing, as well as MusicX-ML importing/exporting.
Play Music (www.notationware.com) is a great entry-level music nota-tion product built especially for mu-sic educators who are not into music technology but would like to create music compositions arrangements and teach their students. The product is very affordable and yet powerful (up to 24 staves, MIDI recording, lyrics and more) and very user-friendly with 31 templates. Site licenses can bring down the price even more. One can
SBO_63 63 8/4/08 10:53:02 AM
64 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
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easily create a composition, save, and print it in 30 minutes or less. And best of all, the manual is only 17 pages long.
Looking for a more innovative music hardware/combination to cre-ate and share musical compositions? Investigate the MusicPad Pro Plus by FreeHand Systems (www.freehandsys-tems.com). This tablet-like device for viewing and editing music and other documents enables convenient usage and storage of sheet music in digital format on the unit itself or on a USB memory stick inserted into the prod-uct. It can store thousands of pages of music with easy access, from home or from school. It turns pages automati-cally. Users can zoom in to edit more precisely and scores can be annotated in color. Quick revisions to existing sheet music, guitar tab or lyrics can be made using the Pad’s editing features. Touch the screen to erase notes/mark-ings; then use the a point-and-click notation palette to insert notes, rests,
accidentals, dynamics markings, bow-ings, performance instructions and more. Import blank staves and do simple music composition using the same features. A future update will provide “scratch pad” notation func-
tions, where if the user hand-draws staff lines, printed ones appear.
No More Hide-and-Go-SeekUnfortunately, there are few sources
for purchasing music notation products these days. However, here are three very knowledgeable and reliable sourc-es to shop for music notation software: Kelly’s Music & Computers (www.kel-lysmusicandcomputers.com); Romeo Music (www.romeomusic.net); and Mike Klinger (www.midiworkshop.com). Kellys Music offers a Web data-base wizard that can compare several music notation products side-by-side.
In September’s issue of SBO, look for a run-down on the complete fam-ily of music notation products by Si-belius and MakeMusic (Finale), com-pleting the spectrum of quality music notation products. One last note: most of these products offer demos, so try several demos before consider-ing a purchase.
SBO_64 64 8/4/08 10:53:06 AM
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66 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
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V-812 Peg Wrench, Stringed Instrument Shoulder Wrest from MeiselMeisel Stringed Instruments has intro-duced the V-812 Peg Wrench for violins, violas and cellos. This new product fi ts neatly over tuning pegs so they can be turned conveniently and precisely by any student or player.
By making it easier for students to turn pegs and keep their instruments in tune, the V-812 Peg Wrench is said to, “enhance the experience of learning music, which encourages young musi-cians to stick with their instruments.”
The V-812 Peg Wrench fi ts any violin, viola, or cello peg, and has a list price of $12.95.
Meisel’s V-809 adjustable shoulder rest allows students to continue to use the same shoulder rest as they move up from frac-tional violins to a full-size model. This spares parents the expense of buying a new shoulder rest with each instrument, something that is sure to be appreci-ated during these economic times.
The V-809 can be adjusted to fi t any violin from a 1/8 model to a full-sized instrument, as well as 11-inch to 14-inch violas. The unique design of the V-809 makes the adjustment process simple and convenient. Weighing only two ounces, the ergonomic V-809 is comfortable and unobtrusive, so it will not in-terfere with a student’s concentration or performance. The V-809 Adjustable Shoulder Rest for violins and violas has a list price of $24.95. www.meiselmusic.com
T-Handle Drum Key CruzTOOLS has announced the GrooveTech T-Handle Drum Key, which offers a novel approach to drum keys.
Every drummer carries a compact drum key, which is well-suited for normal tuning adjustments. It’s very limited, however, for certain operations. Head changes involve removal and replace-ment of six to twelve tension rods, each of which requiring a dozen revolutions in both directions. Power tools can be used, but aren’t always available and carry the risk of damage to the head from over tightening. The GrooveTech T-handle allows easy spinning of the rod, with proper feel for correct tensioning.
A unique sliding handle allows extra leverage, which can be particularly useful for high-tension drum corps tuning and other applications requiring ex-tra torque. Additionally, the drum key socket detaches from the T-handle using a standard 1/4” drive tip, allowing use of other sockets for various hardware needs.
The GrooveTech is professional grade, using heat-treated chrome vanadium alloy for maximum strength, fi nished in polished chrome. The socket is manu-factured to precise tolerances, with a thin wall that fi ts into wood rims.
The GrooveTech T-Handle Drum Key, part number GTDKY1, measures 5 1/2” wide by 8” long and ships in a reusable vinyl pouch. Street price is $14.95. www.cruztools.com
SBO_66 66 8/4/08 10:55:51 AM
School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 67
D’Addario Zyex Composite Violin StringsD’Addario announces an improved version of the popular Zyex violin strings, utilizing a new confi guration of the composite Zyex synthetic core material. Zyex is a new generation of synthetic material, tremendous for professional players. Zyex strings are versatile, and are excellent for a vari-ety of musical styles, from classical to modern or jazz to country.
The advanced core confi guration al-lows musicians to have an even greater ability to control the fi ner nuances of their tone. The strings also remain stable in tuning—even under extreme climate conditions and have the fastest break-in time of any synthetic string on the market. Zyex strings maintain a warm, rich tone quality. www.daddariobowed.com
Brazilian Music for Piano from Mel BayBrazilian Music for Piano, Part 1: the Choro, by Carlos Almada & Flávio Henrique Medeiros is the fi rst in a series on a variety of Brazilian musical styles.
Dedicated to the choro, it contains 12 piano pieces, including 6 original com-positions by the authors and 6 arrange-ments of choros written by some of the greatest Brazilian composers like Patá-pio Silva, Joaquim Callado, Anacleto de Medeiros and Sátiro Bilhar.www.melbay.com
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68 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
NewProductsMegaVox Pro from Anchor Audio Anchor Audio, Inc. introduces the durable MegaVox Pro, public ad-dress system projects 126dB’s of in-telligible speech from one, self-con-tained, portable sound system that is designed for users with no technical knowledge. MegaVox Pro can be heard across a football fi eld for band member instructions from the con-
ductor to the last row in formation. The MegaVox Pro was designed with the school marching band in mind. This fl exible PA can run off of an AC power source if the battery supply is exhausted.
Additional features include a large capacity battery that does not increase the overall weight, just 15 pounds – great for fi eld transportation. A high effi ciency amplifi er has been installed for better performance. Smoother frequency response and cleaner voice projection is a result of the utilization on an internal equalizer. A matching companion speaker can be connected to the MegaVox Pro to double its out-put. This feature is used to reach au-diences up to 3,000 in large capacity venues.www.anchoraudio.com
MusicMedic.com’s Leak Tester and Post Fitting PliersMusicMedic.com has just fi nished the fi rst production run of their new Post Fitting Pliers. Head tool designer Matt Scott, in collaboration with pro-fessional saxophone repair technician Curt Altarac, has developed a new post truing tool that takes out the play between the post and the rod on any non-threaded woodwind post.
The MusicMedic.com Leak Tester is a very sensitive leak detection ma-chine for woodwind repair. It will fi nd leaks in any instrument or tubing and is easy to use. It is also possible to use the Leak Tester to test for leaks in in-
dividual pads on fl ute, wooden instru-ment bodies, brass tubing or any part of any instrument that can be sealed on both ends. The Magnehelic gauge on the face of the Leak Tester gives a reading that quantifi es the amount of air leaking from an instrument. www.musicmedia.com
Finale 2009 MakeMusic recently announced it is shipping Finale 2009, the latest version of its music notation software, featur-ing a number of new additions and op-timizations. Finale 2009 features true multi-page viewing and editing, while adding “world-class” sounds from Garritan Personal Orchestra and Tap-
space Virtual Drumline. In addition, Finale 2009 includes the Garritan Aria player, providing VST/AU playback, and open VST/AU hosting, allowing any instrument plug-in to function. MakeMusic optimized the creation of SmartMusic accompaniment fi les, in-cluding support for linked parts, and also upgraded Engraver Slurs, Finale-Script, and MusicXML, among oth-ers.
MakeMusic is currently selling Fi-nale 2009 for $600, with upgrades for previous users ranging from $100 to $150.www.makemusic.com
SBO_68 68 8/4/08 10:56:08 AM
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SBO_71 71 8/4/08 10:59:02 AM
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AdIndexCOMPANY NAME E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS PAGE #
Acoustica Software www.acoustica.com 57All American Music Festival www.allamericanmusicfest.org 66All American Music Festival www.allamericanmusicfest.org 42All American Music Festival www.allamericanmusicfest.org 66Antigua Winds, Inc. www.antiguawinds.com 16Band Shoppe www.bandshoppe.com 11Bari Woodwinds www.bariwoodwinds.com 52Barrington Music www.wwbw.com 34Bili, Inc. www.bilila.com 68Bob Rogers Travel www.bobrogerstravel.com 6Charms Music Software www.charmsmusic.com 51D’Addario & Co. www.daddario.com 42Disney Festival www.festivaldisney.com 7Dutch Mill Bulbs, Inc. www.dutchmillbulbs.com 28EPN Travel Services www.epntravel.com 35Festivals of Music www.educationalprograms.com Cov2-1Fiesta-Val Music Festivals info@fi estaval.com 49Fiesta-Val Music Festivals info@fi estaval.com 39Flower Power Fundraising www.fl owerpowerfundraising.com 64Gateway Shoes www.gatewayshoes.com 44Gator Cases www.freedmusic.com 30The Getzen Co. www.getzen.com 26Good for the Goose Products www.chopsaver.com 40Grover www.grotro.com 47Hamilton Stands Inc. www.hamiltonstands.com 30Hawaiian Music Festivals www.himusicfest.com 51International Schools Services www.iss.edu 57Intropa Tours www.intropa.com 67Jarvis Industries Inc. www.jarvisonline.com 18Jupiter Band Instruments www.jupitermusic.com 17Jupiter Band Instruments www.jupitermusic.com 5Man-How Inc. www.styleplusband.com 19
Manhattan Concert Productions www.manhattanconcertproductions.com 9Marching Show Concepts www.msconcepts.com Cov4McCormick’s Ent. Inc. www.mccormicksnet.com 33Meisel Stringed Instruments www.meiselmusic.comom 67Musicfest Orlando www.musicfestorlando.com 46Musicfest Orlando www.musicfestorlando.com 38New Horizons Tour & Travel www.nhtt.com Cov3New Horizons Tour & Travel www.nhtt.com 65New Horizons Tour & Travel www.nhtt.com 13Peace Musical Co. LLC www.peacedrum.com 69Pearl Corp. www.pearldrum.com 3Percussion Source www.percussionsource.com 67Pro-Mark Corp. www.promark.com 44Rasmussen Company www.cookbookprinter.com 68Sabian Ltd. www.sabian.com 15SKB Corp. www.skbcases.com 50Sonaré Winds www.sonarewinds.com 24Stanbury Uniforms www.stanbury.com 23Super-Sensitive Musical String Co. www.cavanaughcompany.com 43Suzuki Music www.suzukimusic.com 45The Tuba Exchange www.tubaexchange.com 53USC Thornton School of Music www.uscband.com 32Van Wyk Confection http://onedollarbar.com/fundraising.html 10Vanderbilt University www.vanderbilt.edu/blair 59Vandoren www.dansr.com 22Vic Firth, Inc. www.VicFirth.com 25Vic Firth, Inc. www.VicFirth.com 27Vic Firth, Inc. www.VicFirth.com 29World’s Finest Chocolate Inc. www.WorldsFinestFundraising.com 37Yamaha Corporation of America www.yamaha.com 31
COMPANY NAME E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS PAGE #
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72 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008
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TEACHING RESOURCES
September
Labor DaySeptember 1
Autumn beginsSeptember 22
Rosh HashanahSeptember 30
Every attempt has been made to provide accurate data, though readers should note that all event dates and information listed are subject to change.
If you have information on any relevant future events that you’d like to see included in next month’s calendar, please e-mail SBO editor, Christian Wissmuller: [email protected]
EventsCalendar
Classifieds.indd 72 8/5/08 10:05:43 AM
Strut Your Stuff!Customized apparel boosts your school spirit and unity.From coordinating show shirts to band boosters, we’ve got you covered with top quality, easy care shirts with durable imprints and affordable prices.
Our service is fast and economical — we will help you get the best value. Go online to see available designs:
for every 20 ordered by September 1, 2008. ORDER EARLY and mention this ad! 800-356-4381
Rock the Field!Show flags add that “Wow!” factor to your performance. Our flags are custom-made to enhance your show without depleting your budget — built to last and designed to impress. No minimum orders!
See our full selection at
* with minimum order of six (6) flags. ORDER BY September 1, 2008, and mention this ad.
CALL NOW!
800-356-4381
SBO_COV4 COV4 8/4/08 11:19:42 AM
