SBO August 2008

AUGUST AUGUST 2008 2008 $5.00 $5.00

USC’s

Dr. Arthur C. Bartner:

Forging Tradition Roundtable: Fundraising Essentials Technology: Music Notation Software

Contents 12

August 2008

Features 12

FROM THE TRENCHES: WHAT I LEARNED THIS SUMMER Bob Morrison expounds on the tremendous impact that music-based summer camps have had in his own family.

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UPCLOSE: DR. ART C. BARTNER In this recent SBO interview, Dr. Art Bartner, the famed director of the University of Southern California’s Trojan Marching Band, shares the story of the inception and continuing evolution of this unique and unparalleled ensemble.

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ROUNDTABLE: FUNDRAISING 10 music directors from all over the country give their detailed thoughts on fundraising – what works and what doesn’t.

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COMMENTARY: DEAR BAND DIRECTORS Pecknel Music’s Tracy Leenman provides a few recommendations for educators that might help local music dealers better fulfill teachers’ and students’ needs.

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SURVEY: FUNDRAISING

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TECHNOLOGY: MUSIC NOTATION SOFTWARE John Kuzmich updates readers on the latest releases in the world of music notation technology.

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Columns 4 6 66 69

Perspective Headlines New Products

70 72 72

Classifieds Calendar Ad Index

Playing Tip

Cover photo by Ben Chua, Los Angeles, Calif.

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.

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Perspective

Expanding Boundaries

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ith their trademark dark sunglasses, Southern California swagger, and gleaming gold helmets, it is clearly evident that this band steps onto the field 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 profile, 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 OutKast, The Offspring, John Williams, Fleetwood Mac, and George Clinton; they’ve appeared in numerous movies, television shows, magazines, and CDs, including Forest Gump, Fame, Naked Gun, the Sports Illustrated “Swim Suit” issue, and at the Olympics and Super Bowls.

“Bartner should be One of the many unique aspects of Dr. Bartner’s leadercredited for expand- ship is his open mind to music of all genres. In this excluing the image of sive SBO interview, he indicates that he personally enjoys marching band to a wide variety of musical styles, including jazz, Broadway, classical, traditional band music, contemporary and even reach across musi- opera. It is this breadth of interest that has helped open cal, cultural, and many doors in Bartner’s personal career and has enabled international bound- him to lead the USC band in so many directions. Dr. Bartaries.” 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 normally defines 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 credited for expanding the image of marching band to reach across musical, cultural, and international boundaries. Read on…

®

August 2008 Volume 11, Number 8

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HeadLines NAMM, Sesame Street, and Music For All Create Float for 2009 Rose Parade

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AMM has announced that plans are underway to create a float for the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade that represents a “musical extravaganza.” Overflowing with live music and depictions of how much fun playing music can be for everyone, the NAMM float 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 benefits of playing music for people of all ages.

The NAMM float is being created in collaboration with “Sesame Street” and Music for All. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind “Sesame Street” and a well-known advocate for integrating music into its program to help children viewers learn and grow. This is the fourth year that “Sesame Street” has collaborated with NAMM on a float for the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Music for All’s mission is to create, provide and expand positive life-changing experiences 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 float. This is the second edition of Music for All’s Bands of America Honor Band since it first performed in the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade. The band members will meet for the first 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” float will highlight the many wonders of making music for all people to enjoy.

The flower-covered creation will comprise a first-ever “mega unit” with three satellite “pod” floats following the main float and will feature a variety of musical talent. Onboard the main float 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 float 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 programs. Selected band members auditioned and have rehearsed the music using the latest music teaching technology, MakeMusic’s SmartMusic®, which has allowed the teaching 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.

SBO Essay Contest Winner Ed note: Burford’s photo was omitted from the Essay Contest coverage in SBO’s July issue.

6 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

Brenda Pigg and contest winner Jiaan Burford of Doniphan (Mo.) High School

HeadLines Yamaha Celebrates 20th Year of Young Performing Artist Awards

T

alented young artists from across the country were honored recently as Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, announced the winners of the 2008 Yamaha Young Performing Artist (YYPA) program, the 20th anniversary of the awards.

The YYPA program was designed in 1989 to provide early career recognition for outstanding young musicians in the United States. Hundreds of applicants, ages 16-21, apply annually 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 winners 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 concert 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 successful careers, with highlights that include playing with worldrenowned 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-

The 2008 Yamaha Young Performing Artist winners.

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: 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

For more information about the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program, visit www.yamaha.com/band.

Jupiter Web Re-launch

J

upiter Band Instruments, Inc. introduced an update of its Web site, which provides better resources for educators along with comprehensive product information. The redesigned www.jupitermusic.com site offers product coverage for Jupiter woodwinds and brass, Mapex concert and marching drums, Ross mallet and Majestic percussion establishing it as a one-stop site for all band instrument needs.

The newest features on the site re-launch include a complete artist roster with information about requesting a

8 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

clinic. There is refined navigation to easily locate products from Jupiter, Ross, Majestic and Mapex concert and marching 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 locate dealers in their area. The redesign also clarifies the association of the brands to the corporate namesake of Jupiter Band Instruments, Inc. For more information, visit www.jupitermusic.com.

HeadLines 9th Annual SBO Essay Contest

SBO’s 9th annual Music Student Scholarships Essay Contest will be awarding ten $1,000 scholarships to students between grades four and twelve. Interested 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 find 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 “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band celebrated 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 Laureate 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

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band in some of his most beloved and well-known compositions, including music from the films Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Jaws, the Indiana Jones films, 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 musical organization. Founded in 1798, the band has performed 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 Office, (202) 433-5809, or e-mail: marineband.publicaffairs@usmc.mil.

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SBOFrom the Trenches

What I did on my Summer Vacation

BY BOB MORRISON

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ell, 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.

Bob Morrison is the executive vice president and chairman emeritus of Music for All Inc. He can be reached via e-mail at bob@musicforall.org.

12 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

Natalie is 12 (going on 28… I mean 13) years of age. She just finished 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 find the proper summer activities for Natalie. As parents of a middle-schooler, my wife and I were seeking out summer music opportunities. 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) Summer Orchestra Camp. This camp really transformed Natalie. She went from a somewhat blasé attitude about playing the violin to having her eyes opened to

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-member 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 exceeded all of our expectations. Natalie 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 first night of camp she came home… and practiced! Yes, that’s right: after eight hours in camp playing 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 wondered. Practice has never been something 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 playing 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.

14 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

The final concert was in this beautiful old church in Plainfield, N.J. The campers 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 before, is an elementary school instrumental music teacher, which in my opinion is the equivalent of a saint!) and I had already agreed to send Natalie to her first sleep-away camp.

But where? Natalie has always loved singing but never really had any formal training. My wife had learned of

“If a student has the slightest interest in music, a camp experience could be the event that transforms a spark into a raging bonfire.” a two-week choir camp after she had brought the American Boychoir (the nation’s premiere boychoir) to our local school to perform for the students.

They host a wonderful summer session called Camp Albemarle based in Princeton, New Jersey for students ages 714. Knowing that our daughter loved to sing and that she longed for some vocal training we thought this might be a great way to find out if she really loved vocal music.

If the NJYS programmed changed Natalie’s outlook on instrumental music, Camp Albemarle changed her outlook on vocal 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 overprotective 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 first 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 Albemarle estate, which is the campus of the American Boychoir. This beautiful old estate built by pharmaceuticals magnate Gerard B. Lambert. There are dormitories and grand practice facilities, a great lawn and pool. The camp schedule was filled with a mix of music (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 first letter from Natalie on Wednesday. We had our first call with Natalie on Friday. She seemed excited to speak to us, but we were not sure she was having a good time. Which led us to the obvious 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 arriving at the final concert held at the old Miller Chapel of the Princeton Theological Seminary. We got to our seats,

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waved to our daughter, and then the first notes from Leonard Bernstein’s Mass came wafting through the air.

We were stunned. Under the masterful direction of Marianna Parnas-Simpson, in just two short weeks this group of strangers – many from New Jersey, 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 transformative nature of these camps to ignite the musical passion in these children. I know that Natalie will

carry with her this newfound passion 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 establish 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

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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 successful 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 American Boychoir and Camp Albemarle visit: www.americanboychoir.org.

To learn more about the New Jersey Youth Symphony visit: www.njys.org.

¨ © For additional music education articles, please visit the School Band and Orchestra archives at: www.sbomagazine.com

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16 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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Forgi Tradi 20 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

SBOUpClose: Dr. Art Bartner

By Eliahu Sussman There is arguably no more prolific collegiate 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 performed 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, movie and other high profile appearances. Dr. Bartner has also been called upon to direct world-class ensembles for the Olympic Games, Presidential inaugurations, the opening of Epcot Center and Euro Disneyland, and the Democratic National Convention, again, among other events.

And yet, in a genre often defined 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. Bartner to chat about the formation of this unique ensemble.

ng tion

School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 21

School Band & Orchestra: How did you first 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 Holliday,” 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 terrific.

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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 Broadway 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 basically, 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 college kids on a daily basis. I’m into Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tower of Power – all the bands that kids listen to because that’s how I make my living. 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 figured 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 trumpet player.

Then I went to the University of Michigan and went out for the basketball team, where I found out I was too short, too slow, and couldn’t jump high enough. I also found out I was a pretty 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. Really, that first year in college was when I thought to myself that teaching could be a possibility.

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SBO: But you didn’t initially go for education.

AB: I really wanted to be a player, but education is where my college career led me. In Michigan, when you get to that level, there are just phenomenal players and I just seemed to flow 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 Education and Instrumental major. The big push for me was my Master’s era. I was there for five years, and the summer of that fifth 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

24 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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 marching 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. Revelli directed. I moved to Flint because I was teaching there at Davison High School, and I was in the Flint Symphony 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 five years.

And there were other great programs, don’t get me wrong, but I would consider mine one of the best. When I arrived 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 five years. And in two of those five years, those bands won the top first-division ranking at the State Competition.

SBO: What specific 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-

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 music majors who really didn’t want to be on the field. They were only marching because that’s where their scholarship 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 scholarships. 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 first band of 80 kids, last year we had 300.

“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.”

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 compare 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 football field, 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 music school at USC, a Michigan guy himself, was looking for someone from Michigan to come in and revamp the pro-

SBO: Also, that was a reluctant 80 to an enthusiastic 300, right?

AB: Oh, yes! Here’s another example: 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 first 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 amazing 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?

School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 25

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USC’s Trojan Marching Band at a Glance Total Number of Students: 300 Director of Bands: Dr. Art C. Bartner Years Under Dr. Bartner’s Direction: 38 Consecutive USC Football Games Attended: 250 Rose Parade Appearances: 32 Typical Number of Performances in a Year: 350 Typical Miles Traveled in a Year: 20,000 Number of U.S. Presidents Played for: 7 Countries Performed in Since 1985: 17 Number of World Expos Performed at: 4 On the Web: www.uscband.com Select Television and Movie Appearances: The Naked Gun Forrest Gump Grease II The Last Boy Scout The Little Rascals Sgt. Bilko The Academy Awards America’s Funniest Home Videos American Idol The Arsenio Hall Show The Best Damn Sports Show, Period Doogie Howser, M.D. Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show The ESPY Awards FSN’s College Football Saturday Good Morning America Hollywood Squares In Living Color Jeopardy!

L.A. Law Last Comic Standing The Rosie O’Donnell Show Scrubs Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 07 SportsCenter The Tyra Banks Show

Dr. Bartner with members of the alternative metal group, System of a Down.

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 football team which is very unique to USC. SBO: Can that be a little difficult because in some respects the band can’t always control the outcome 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 field.

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 never 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.

School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 27

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SBO: How was that transition for you, going from that Michigan atmosphere to the University of Southern California?

AB: That’s a good question because 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 generation of students with whom I talked about what we were trying to do. I got together with this group of students, I remember it like it was yesterday, 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 recently 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.

School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 29

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 written 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 Wonder 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 music of John Williams. That will be a fun show in which we honor the USC students and graduates who are participating in the Beijing Olympics. 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 different 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 general: 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 30 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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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 developing that skill.

“You have to sell the

program, sell yourself, and convince everybody that this is a worthwhile experience.”

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 memorization 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 performances?

AB: This Hollywood experience is something that I can offer students that no one else in the country can. For example, we just did the finale of American Idol. Over 30 million people watched that show. Whether you like that

Tradition Dedication Excitement 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,

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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, longer than any president, dean, or football coach at the university.

We have, and always will, “Fight On for ol’ SC.” Will you join us?

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 profile 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 direction. These shows have producers, so all of a sudden I’m not really in charge. I’m just relaying the information 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 already 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 surrounding 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.

34 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

SBORoundtable: Fundraising

The Essentials of Fundraising

O

ne of the most vital aspects of many school music programs is fundraising. The cost of musical equipment, travel, per-

formances, and any other of the many projects associated with successful ensembles can overwhelm any school’s fixed budget, especially in a flagging economy.

The challenge of raising funds, more often than not, falls squarely on the shoulders of school music directors. They must decide what the best options are for raising funds, and they also must motivate students and parents to join in the effort.

SBO recently contacted 10 music directors from all over the country to get their detailed thoughts on fundraising – what works and what doesn’t.

Barry Trobaugh Band Director Munford High School Munford, Tenn.

We usually try to do 10 to 12 fundraisers per year, and this past year we raised $353,000. Our longest-running fundraiser has been the fruit sale. We 36 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

get all of our 600 students involved, taking 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 profit.

We have a good bit of success with each of our events, in part because we have culled the ones that have not shown significant profit or student/parent involvement. Still, we are definitely 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 tangible 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 secondary. We very seldom engage ourselves in candy sales or items that have only pennies for profit. It simply takes too many sales and hours to raise the funding we need. Integrity, honesty and a cause must be evident to everyone in the community. Students must be coached as to their delivery and also understand that there are consequences for not participating. Everyone involved must be motivated.

Richard Bergman Band Director Herndon High School Herndon, Va. We have done many different fundraisers,

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but tag day has been our most successful 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 program so successful over the years: the students stay in their home area, and the houses are mapped out so that every eligible home is asked to contribute. 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 addressed 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 five 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 limited. We are planning to do more local shows and keep the number of competition weekends limited to four. We have had to raise our band fees by $25 per student to help defray our expected costs.

Keith Jordan Band Director La Cueva High School Albuquerque, N.M. We do an average of six fundraisers per year, but in twenty-nine years of fundraising we’ve narrowed our selections 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 Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque. Parents and students work shifts and the profit 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.

38 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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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 earmark their donations for the band, and we receive monthly checks from the United Way. I believe that successful fundraising is a partnership between schools, parents, and students. It has to be something that everyone can see the value in and is willing to work hard for. It also helps if the fundraisers are fun and entertaining.

Kevin George Orchestra Director Glenelg High School Glenelg, Md. I think that all high school music 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 important to find parents to assist in the fundraising events. One of my concerns for the future is how to fund our growing music technology program.

We have a lab full of rapidly aging computers and other music technology 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!

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 fundraisers. All of our concerts are ticketed, 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 “wellness” 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 customers. Companies who have a good system for dealing with inevitable mistakes and errors will also get repeat business.

DJ Alstadt Band Director Naperville Central High School Naperville, Ill. Our most successful fundraising has come from parental gifts and corporate matching gifts. Parents are the strongest supporters of our music programs.

Any time companies match that generosity, it is a win-win for our kids. I find that selling items usually does not go well, so I avoid those types of fundraisers. There is too much room for error – everything from people missing a time to pick up their item to lost checks or missed deadlines.

42 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

For me, it is important to make sure that the kids are excited and that they are learning; if they are excited, then parental volunteers will increase, which leads to more opportunities for kids. We work

“It is important to remind our parents where the money is going.”

DJ Alstadt Naperville, Ill.

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.

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David Ratliff Band Director Madison Southern High School Berea, Ky. We typically have five to seven fundraising projects per year, including some short-term and some which run throughout the school year. We are very fortunate to run the concession stands for a number of the athletic 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 participants in programs such as GoodSearch.com and iGive.com.

As the likelihood of less and less money coming from the state increases, 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 budget. I anticipate this need to continue to grow, given the seemingly constant rising cost of fuel.

I think of fundraising as a necessary evil. It takes time away from the day-to-day running of the program, 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 financial support we get from the school and also from the school district, there is still a definite need for additional funding to allow for the type of program our students and parents have grow accustom to over the years.

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at least $1,000, it is not worth the time and effort. New band directors will receive many fundraising opportunities. They should always check the profit margin to make sure they will make at least 50 percent of the total sale.

Almost all of our group fundraisers 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 tickets. 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 Quigley Band Director Cedar 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 biggest 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 packages. We’ve hosted an indoor marching arts competition and a golf tournament. 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 benefits of working concessions, and they don’t have to go out and sell anything. Plus it’s a fun social event and a great chance to get to know the other folks involved in the band. We’re selling 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 first 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 community 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

46 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

for the school busses we use during the year than we were charged last year.

Alex Kaminsky Band Director Buchholz High School Gainesville, Fla.

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 fundraising opportunities is the most beneficial.

The parents know the community better than us, and they understand the economics of the people in the community.

Also, if you allow them to participate in the decision making process of the fundraising, 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-workers. If the parents are not on board, the event will not be as successful.

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, companies will get their names in the programs and advertising.

Now we are facing new challenges with the rising gas prices. This year we are being charged one-third more

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 corporate sponsorship. Sponsorship is pure profit.

Unfortunately, we have felt the impact 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 responsibilities.

Tom Cox Band Director Goshen High School Goshen, 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 sausages, work concessions at Notre Dame football games, work the county air show, sell tickets for different events, School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 47

SBOCommentary:

Dear Band Directors

An Open Letter to Band Directors From one Musical Instrument Dealer

BY 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 continuing efforts on behalf of the students you teach. Despite budget cutbacks, scheduling conflicts, dilapidated equipment, and long, insufferably hot afternoons on the practice field, 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.”

48 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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*Each Band, Orchestra, and Choir Director receives FREE Park Admission Plus One FREE Adult Park Ticket will be given for every 30 paid students.

Б Please take the time to mouthpiece test each student, or make arrangements 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 experienced, and more than willing to help our local band directors with testing.

Nearly 75 percent of the students 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 first walked in. Sometimes 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. Sometimes 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 instrument 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 instrument, knowing he or she has the potential to succeed.

Б 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 mouthpiece.

If a child demonstrates the ability to form a good clarinet embouchure 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 saxophone,” 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 first 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 parents 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 returned 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.

Б If the child is small in stature, or has small hands, why not suggest 50 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

he or she play clarinet for a year or two first, 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 beginning 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 directors still keep to this practice today. Others have a minimum height requirement for sax players. While you may not think it necessary to go that far, please be frank with parents whose children would have a hard time succeeding on sax and help guide them towards something more appropriate.

parents get upset when they find 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.

Б Please be specific with parents about the accessories and other supplies you require, and why you prefer them. Do you prefer a certain brand and/or strength of reed?

Do you prefer a certain brand and/ or size mouthpiece? A special ligature?

We often hear, “But the band director didn’t say we needed a book,” or, “He didn’t say we needed 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-

Б Please tell parents upfront about the higher cost of obtaining some instruments. Saxophones, oboes, open-hole flutes, French horns and baritones cost more – everywhere.

When you suggest these instruments, please remind parents that the cost of these instruments will be higher, even if you don’t want to mention specific prices.

Б Please be specific when recommending your students play “percussion.”

There are snare drum kits, percussion 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 directors 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 requirements are – including stick and mallet preferences – and be specific with parents as well, so they know what to expect. Some School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 51

od book you are using – parents sometimes come in for “the sixthgrade book for trumpet” without realizing there are many, many beginning books for trumpet students.

Б Please keep up with product changes and music industry developments. Sometimes model numbers change, sometimes models are discontinued, sometimes changes in manufacture mean that models you have used for years now have totally different specs.

Your school music dealer has access to information from manufacturers on the latest product developments, and will be glad to help you update your recommended instrument and accessory list.

We had one band director recommend a certain model of flute 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!

Б Please plant the seeds early for stepup instruments. Let parents know that, down the road, there may be a double horn, solid silver flute, grenadilla clarinet, full-conservatory 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 forward to working with you and to meeting your new students and their parents; in many ways, it’s our favorite 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 arrive in your classroom ready to begin 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 marketing for Pecknel Music Company, Mrs. Leenman’s responsibilities include working with area schools and educators, and heading up various educational outreach programs. She also serves as the technology chairman of the South Carolina Music Educators Association, and president of the South Carolina Coalition for Music Education.

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SBOSurvey: Fundraising

Squeezing the

tone

C

andy sales or a concert dinner?

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 secure the necessary funding required to achieve their musical goals. With school music programs so often left to their own devices when searching for funding, be it for frills or the most basic of necessities, finding creative options to garner those extra dollars is no easy task.

54 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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?

51%

Fundraising School/District Funding

37% 9%

Direct support/ parents/community Grants

3%

Have recent changes to the economy affected your funding and/or fundraising efforts?

Yes No

32%

68%

“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 fundraisers, we are quite fortunate that the community supports us.”

Mary Louise Gucik Cadwallader Middle School Las Vegas, Nev.

Which do you find more successful, selling products (fruit, candy, magazines) or providing services (car washes, dinners, concerts)?

“The school district funding has been going down every year.”

Cynthia Eisenmann Central Middle School Waukesha, Wis. “In the recent past, even two years ago, most of the funding 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 Shelly Saugus High School Saugus, Mass.

“We do get support from our district, but it’s not nearly enough to sustain our program.”

Ralph Lee Hicks Fontainebleau High School Mandeville, La.

Products Services

42%

58%

“Products tend to bring in more money, but services carry a higher percentage of profit and internal gratification.”

Brandon Ivie Boyne 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 profitable. Also, the coffee bar is a steady income, which in turn provides us with some financial stability.”

Marianne Ball La Salle High School Union Gap, Wash.

How often do you typically hold fundraisers?

16%

Continuously Monthly Once a semester Once a year Never

8%

24% 22%

“Since all of our funding comes from fundraisers, we are quite fortunate that the community supports us.”

Mary Louise Gucik, Las Vegas, Nev.

30% School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 55

What types of product sales have been most profitable for your program?

Candy/Cookie/Fruit sales eScrip

5%

Magazine sales Performance CDs Gifts Other

54%

14% 8% 10% 9%

Which of the following fundraising services have been most profitable for your program?

Dinners Band performances Car Washes Parking Other

35% 23% 18% 14% 10%

“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 North Madison 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. Wong American High School Fremont, Calif.

How often do you try new fundraising ideas?

All the time

15%

43%

Sometimes Rarely Never

14%

28%

“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 Gregory Deer 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 Doerr Sweetwater 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 donate and for every $50 donated they can opt to throw a pie at me (the band teacher) and sometimes other teachers of their choosing.”

“If we keep bailing out school funding, they will never fix that mess.”

Dani Jo White, Woburn, Mass.

“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 Fullagar Lake Norman Charter School Huntersville, N.C. “Our concerts with jazz artists such as Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and Woody Herman were very successful.

56 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

They raised lots of money, but also gave the entire community a great musical opportunity.”

Craig Kepner Orange City Schools Pepper Pike, Ohio

Is there anything directors should be wary of when planning a fundraiser?

“If you sell products from companies, make sure you know exactly how much profit you will see (check for sales quotas and small print) and find 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 Hascall Park Hill High School Kansas City, Mo. “Check to make sure no one else is doing a fundraiser at the same time – or has just finished one – with the same type of product.”

Ricky Allgood Bluestone High School Skipwith, Va.

Any additional thoughts on fundraising that you’d like to share with your fellow music educators?

“Too often we forget about asking the school for proper funding. If you have a detailed, long-range plan and communicate this to your administrators well in advance, you’d be surprised how they can help your cause.

Administrators don’t like fundraisers either!”

Todd Park Marceline School District Marceline, Mo.

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SBOTechnology: Music Notation

Music Notation Programs: The New Generation

BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.

M

usic 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 perfect time to upgrade or purchase the latest version of a notation program:

Dr. Kuzmich is a nationally-known music educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience. He has certification 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 comprehensive musicianship.

As a freelance author, he has more than 250 articles and five textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries. For more information, visit his Web site: www.kuzmich.com.

58 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

1. Today’s products are more user-friendly with fewer keystrokes to learn, simpler 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 significant 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 economical.

10. Posting musical scores on the Internet 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 cases, simplicity and user-friendliness may be more appropriate than complex no-

tation capabilities. This article focuses on several excellent products designed for all levels of music education.

Music Notation Products Datasonics’ Mastering Music, (www. datasonics.com.au) is a unique product combining both a professional notation product and a MIDI/digital audio sequencing program in one easy-touse interface. Best of all, it works with

seven different editors to customize even the most difficult score. These include notation, global track, keyboard, event, mixer, drum, piano, and tempo editors, giving users detailed composing/arranging/editing capabilities. Not only does it have film scoring capabilities, but also music theory and aura training components. What clearly sets this product apart is that this studentfriendly, 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 notation editing along with a powerful sequencer to playback scores, making it an attractive music notation product with unbeatable music scanning capabilities. Its playback system supports both VST (Windows) and AU (Mac) digital plug-ins, including the Garritan and Motu libraries. Available are five

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School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 59

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 considering its extensive music notation features 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, Sibelius and others.

Notation Composer by Notation Composer (www.notation.com) is a delightful notation program with numerous 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 offers 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

To help make the selection process easier, the accompanying tables provide product-by-product comparisons.

Productivity Features 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 regularly, Major upgrades sporadically

Overture

GenieSoft

$349 (boxed), $300 (download)

None, but $210 from selected dealers

None

Small upgrades regularly, 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

60 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

can also export to MusicXML. With many new features forthcoming later this year, Notation Composer is a solid 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 realistic 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 technology, and this is the least expensive notation product on the market offering VST capabilities.

Overture is a more advanced version of ScoreWriter by GenieSoft. Users can quickly enter notes on-screen with an intuitive interface and powerful editing tools and symbol palettes.

It offers a wide variety of jazz articulations including lift, rip, wah-wah, fall off, wow-wow and shake with seven selection line types. Playback capabili-

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

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

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 files, 12 MP3/MIDI samples

N/A

Yes, for Solero files

Yes, Any Virtual Instrument sound source with MIDI In driver

Transposing

Yes

School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 61

Notation Layout Features 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 files

Extract Parts / Score – Display and Print an individual track from a conductor score Parts Dynamically Linked to Score – One Part when updated appears updated also in the conductor score Stave/Voices/MIDI Channels – Number of parts in a conductor score # of Templates with Product – Number of different templates for conductor scores Notation Scroll View – One linear row for each part that scrolls continuously from beginning to end

Notation Editing Features Products

Manufacturer

# of Toolbar Buttons and Palettes

Chord Export/auto Fret

Rhythmic Duration Ranges

Percussion Single Line Score

Tablature UserDefinable 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

For more product comparisons, view the article online at www.sbomagazine.com. ties are significant and can load up to 256 VST instruments and 4 effects, resulting in studio-quality playback.

There’s an excellent web site comparing the features of ScoreWriter 4 and Overture at www.geniesoft.com/products/comparison.htm.

Encore by Gvox (www.gvox.com) has just made its most significant update in ten years, offering many new features that make this product user-friendly for simple lead sheets 62 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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 Garritan Personal Studio-ready for more authentic playback options. Users can choose between engraver spacing and mathematically aligned notes depending 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 Music (www.notionmusic.com) are the ultimate music notation applications for the most realistic playback per-

# of Templates with Product

Notation Scroll View

Notation Page View

Notation Scaling

Family Ordering

Staff Brackets and Braces

Yes, User Definable

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

20

Yes

Yes

Yes

Not Known

Automatic Editable

36, Unlimited user defined

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 printing Notation Scaling – Scaling notation vertically and horizontally to fit more or less bars on a line and lines on a page Family Ordering – Instruments grouped into families and the order of these families within a conductor score Staff 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

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 files 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 files as Protégé or .WAV file formats. All other features are identical to Notion. Articulations, 33level dynamic resolution, performance techniques, tempo, and other score elements are rendered by a proprietary playback engine that uses samplings

from the London Symphony Orchestra, featuring 33 instruments bundled with the software. Instruments can be added from an ever-expanding sound library. These programs feature complete real-time tempo and performance control utilizing their NTempo, including fermatas and breath marks. This ultra-control is great for customizing play-along accompaniments. It offers extensive editing, as well as MusicXML importing/exporting.

No/Yes

Play Music (www.notationware. com) is a great entry-level music notation product built especially for music 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 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 63

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 create and share musical compositions?

Investigate the MusicPad Pro Plus by FreeHand Systems (www.freehandsystems.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 product. It can store thousands of pages of music with easy access, from home or from school. It turns pages automatically. 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/markings; then use the a point-and-click notation palette to insert notes, rests,

tions, where if the user hand-draws staff lines, printed ones appear.

No More Hide-and-Go-Seek

accidentals, dynamics markings, bowings, 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-

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Unfortunately, there are few sources for purchasing music notation products these days. However, here are three very knowledgeable and reliable sources to shop for music notation software: Kelly’s Music & Computers (www.kellysmusicandcomputers.com); Romeo Music (www.romeomusic.net); and Mike Klinger (www.midiworkshop. com). Kellys Music offers a Web database 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 family of music notation products by Sibelius and MakeMusic (Finale), completing the spectrum of quality music notation products. One last note: most of these products offer demos, so try several demos before considering a purchase.

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NewProducts V-812 Peg Wrench, Stringed Instrument Shoulder Wrest from Meisel

Meisel Stringed Instruments has introduced the V-812 Peg Wrench for violins, violas and cellos. This new product fits 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 musicians to stick with their instruments.”

The V-812 Peg Wrench fits 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 fractional 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 appreciated during these economic times.

The V-809 can be adjusted to fit 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 V809 makes the adjustment process simple and convenient. Weighing only two ounces, the ergonomic V-809 is comfortable and unobtrusive, so it will not interfere 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 wellsuited for normal tuning adjustments. It’s very limited, however, for certain operations. Head changes involve removal and replacement 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 extra 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, finished in polished chrome. The socket is manufactured to precise tolerances, with a thin wall that fits 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

For the Serious Player from Beginner to Pro

D’Addario Zyex Composite Violin Strings

D’Addario announces an improved version of the popular Zyex violin strings, utilizing a new configuration 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 variety of musical styles, from classical to modern or jazz to country.

The advanced core configuration allows musicians to have an even greater ability to control the finer 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 Bay INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE TOURS

Brazilian Music for Piano, Part 1: the Choro, by Carlos Almada & Flávio Henrique Medeiros is the first in a series on a variety of Brazilian musical styles.

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www.melbay.com School Band and Orchestra, August 2008 67

NewProducts MegaVox Pro from Anchor Audio

Anchor Audio, Inc. introduces the durable MegaVox Pro, public address system projects 126dB’s of intelligible speech from one, self-contained, portable sound system that is designed for users with no technical knowledge. MegaVox Pro can be heard across a football field 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 flexible 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 field transportation. A high efficiency amplifier 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 output. This feature is used to reach audiences up to 3,000 in large capacity venues.

dividual pads on flute, wooden instrument 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 quantifies 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, featuring a number of new additions and optimizations. Finale 2009 features true multi-page viewing and editing, while adding “world-class” sounds from Garritan Personal Orchestra and Tap-

www.anchoraudio.com

MusicMedic.com’s Leak Tester and Post Fitting Pliers

MusicMedic.com has just finished the first production run of their new Post Fitting Pliers. Head tool designer Matt Scott, in collaboration with professional 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 machine for woodwind repair. It will find 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-

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 files, including support for linked parts, and also upgraded Engraver Slurs, FinaleScript, and MusicXML, among others.

MakeMusic is currently selling Finale 2009 for $600, with upgrades for previous users ranging from $100 to $150.

www.makemusic.com

68 School Band and Orchestra, August 2008

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PAGE #

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