Category Archives: Events

March is Music in Our Schools Month

Did you know that March is Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM)? That’s right, in just a few days there will be a prime chance to highlight the music program in your own school, or perhaps the school(s) of your past, or maybe the school(s) of someone you know and/or are related to.

MIOSM is when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation, and the celebration has grown since its inception in 1973. MIOSM began as a single statewide event. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music. MIOSM is a perfect venue for music teachers to bring their music programs to the attention of the school and the community and to display the benefits school music brings to students of all ages. The theme for 2011 is Music Lasts a Lifetime.

It’s also a prime time to heighten the awareness of all school music programs, since it’s budget time for many school boards. In this era where all cuts are discussed in earnest, there’s no better opportunity than now to chime in and make your case for the preservation of your program.

Things that can help:

Music in Our Schools Month Website: The destination for resources and guidance in celebrating the month in your school, including logos, activity ideas, contests, advocacy and more.

SupportMusic.com: SupportMusic.com is a public service initiative that impacts resolve and support for music education in local communities around the United States and abroad. Tens of thousands of concerned citizens visit the website every month and use its resources to keep music education strong in their schools and communities.

The Make Your Case database, powered by SupportMusic.com, and presented through MENC: This destination will help you build a case for your music program, particularly if it’s threatened. Music education advocates can use the facts, statistics, research, and anecdotes on specific topics for presentations, speeches, and other communications with school board members, administrators, and legislators.

Music indeed lasts a lifetime…..celebrate Music in Our Schools Month!

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Elementary Music Mondays, the series, posts to www.pendersbuzz.com a couple of times a month, with information from our staff, our publisher partners, guest bloggers and more. Come back to this site, or access it from our main Home Page, to find out the latest buzz!

Back to Bach

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The Denton Bach Society (DBS) hosts a competition each year for young musicians, where the prizes in each division include $150 cash, a Pender’s Music Co. gift certificate, and the opportunity to perform at a Denton Bach Society event.

Any high school or home-schooled student of voice, piano or an orchestral instrument may enter. Students from Denton County and its adjacent counties are eligible (Competitors must have turned 14 by September 1, 2010).

Do you want to enter, or know someone who might be interested? Here’s what you need to know:

The Music: To enter, eligible musicians must prepare two challenging pieces, each in a contrasting style. The pieces must be approved by the student’s instructor, as well as the DBS audition committee. The audition itself lasts only 10 minutes, so participants may not be required to perform each piece in their entirety.

The Money: An entry fee of $15 is required, and needs to be made to The Denton Bach Society. It should be sent with the completed application form.

The Method: Applications may be obtained at Pender’s Music Company [Denton].

The Mail: The Application and fee must be mailed to Heidi Klein, Denton, TX 76201. Postmark may be no later than Friday, April 15, 2011. Entrants will be notified of the exact time and place of their audition.

The Denton Bach Society: The Denton Bach Society (DBS) exists to provide Denton and the greater North Texas Community with the highest quality choral and instrumental music, particularly of the baroque period, at a reasonable cost and in a format which encourages attendance by the widest possible audience. Established in 1976 as a not-for-profit organization, the Society and its performance groups, the Denton Bach Choir and the Denton Bach Orchestra continue to offer the community a unique and accessible opportunity to experience fine choral and instrumental music. For more information about the DBS or the Competition, you may contact Heidi Klein – heidiklein@verizon.net.

Tuesday’s Tidbits for Strings, the series, will post to www.pendersbuzz.com about once a month, with information from our staff, our publisher partners, guest bloggers and more. Come back to this site, or access it from our main Home Page, to find out the latest buzz!

Oklahoma Horn Day

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It’s Wednesday — Midweek Newspeak for Band and Instrumental @ Pender’s Music Co.! As we begin 2011, we also begin a new initiative — The Pender’s Buzz — an added way in bringing content, resources, teaching tidbits & strategies, social media and more to our loyal customers. Today, we look to our Oklahoma City store for inspiration…

The University of Oklahoma’s Horn Studio hosts an annual workshop each year for horn players of all ages. While Oklahoma Horn Day is filled with Masterclasses and sessions that are led by artist/faculty from various Oklahoma universities, the day is always centered on a featured Guest Artist. This year’s guest is Julie Landsman, long-time principal horn of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (a position she held from 1985 to 2010). She was born in Brooklyn, New York and is a graduate of the Julliard School, where she studied with James Chambers.

Topics for middle school will include classes on Horn Basics (Horn 101), and how to start developing technique. High School sessions will concentrate on solo masterclasses in preparation for State Solo & Ensemble Contest. Collegiate and Adult performers will be able to participate in masterclasses that cover solo literature and orchestral excerpts. There will be numerous opportunities for both individual playing as well as ensemble performance.

Anectdotally, Landsman’s Met audition was documented in the last chapter of the national bestseller Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.

What: Oklahoma Horn Day 2011
Who: Masterclass with Julie Landsman, Horn
When: Saturday, February 19th, 2011
Where: Oklahoma University Music Department
How: Register in advance or at-the-door. Registration fee is $10.00 per person.

Midweek Newspeak for Band and Instrumental, the series, will post to www.pendersbuzz.com a couple of times a month, with information from our staff, our publisher partners, guest bloggers and more. Come back to this site, or access it from our main Home Page, to find out the latest buzz!

ASTA and You

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It’s Tuesday — Time for Tuesday’s Tidbits for Strings @ Pender’s Music Co.! The Pender’s Buzz is our added way in bringing content, resources, teaching tidbits & strategies, social media and more to you, our loyal customers.

If you’re a string person, whether it be a teacher, student, or performer, you’re most likely aware of ASTA – The American String Teacher Association. This national organization supports string orchestra teaching and playing, by providing various resources and benefits that include an annual conference, membership competitions, advocacy initiatives and more.

But here’s something you may not know about yet: The brand new Eclectic Strings Festival, which is scheduled for March 17-19th, in Kansas City, MO. The Eclectic Strings Festival (ESF) is a three-day event that provides participants with the opportunity to work with nationally-recognized clinicians in their specialty areas. For 2011, it’s: Andy Carlson (fiddle), Christian Howes (rock), Martin Norgaard (jazz), and Randy Sabien (jazz). The event will culminate in a featured performance at the ASTA National Conference.

Who’s eligible to attend, you ask? Well, students in the eighth through twelfth grades during the 2010-2011 school year can apply, as well as registered participants of the National ASTA Conference, may participate in this event. The festival is sponsored by Yamaha Music Corporation, NAMM (The National Association of Music Merchants), and Alfred Publishing Co.

Tuesday’s Tidbits for Strings, the series, will post to www.pendersbuzz.com about once a month, with information from our staff, our publisher partners, guest bloggers and more. Come back to this site, or access it from our main Home Page, to find out the latest buzz!