Tag Archives: midweek newspeak

Keepin’ it Real: Music [Education] in the Social and Digital Age

Companies large and small go in and out of business all the time, much like the ebb and flow of the tides each day. There is no sector of business immune to it, and sometimes there seems no rhyme or reason for it either. The business of sheet music is no different. Sheet music stores and sheet music publishers rise and fall, rise and fall, akin to a lilting melody in a song.

Some make it and some don’t. Take Carl Fischer sheet music, a tried-and-true music publisher that is celebrating 140 years of service this year to 1,400 sheet music retailers worldwide, Pender’s Music Co. being one of them. Consider this: when the founder of Carl Fischer first opened up for business, he didn’t sell sheet music at all. Carl Fischer, the business, was a musical instrument repair shop, and there is really little in common when comparing band instrument repair with the writing, designing, printing, publishing and distributing of a piece of sheet music.

But what about Southern Music Company, a business that was both a sheet music retailer and a music publisher, too? In February of this year, after 75 years of retailing and publishing, the San Antonio mainstay for music educators, performers and students everywhere closed its doors for good. Of course, it must be noted here that Lauren Keiser Music Publishing eventually took over the publishing division in June, but still, it’s the sign of the times —  rise and fall, rise and fall.

Like Carl Fischer, Pender’s Music Co. is also celebrating an anniversary, albeit only 45 years and counting. And somewhat similar to them, our primary focus in the beginning wasn’t sheet music either. Think soda fountain, art supplies, school supplies and more (a little bit of music), sold right on campus to college students. But even more similar? The acceptance of change, and the willingness to adapt to it, with a little bit of risk-taking for good measure.

That’s what small business is best at. That’s what a family-owned business is best at: the germ of the idea, the drive to make it happen, the willingness to cut your losses when necessary, the stick-to-it-ive-ness to ride the rise and fall, the dare to dream big all over again.

And what does all of this have to do with music education, social media, and the digital age? Quite a lot. Over the past few days, we’ve seen the viral video of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” as arranged and performed by the 3Penny Chorus and Orchestra. The 3Penny Chorus and Orchestra is a volunteer pickup ensemble conducted by Arianne Abela, a choral music conductor and educator who graduated from Yale’s School of Music Masters Program in choral conducting in 2010. And Colin Britt, who arranged the music for the group, was one of her classmates. He is now on the faculty at the Hartt School of Music.

We’ve also seen Korean singer’s Psy “Gangnum Style” as performed by the Ohio University Marching Band. These classically trained musicians, educators and students have put their own spin on popular music of today and shared it via social media to millions of people. Brilliant! It’s certainly a positive spotlight on choir, orchestra, and marching band.

As music educators, music makers, and the companies that supply needed goods and services to them move forward, it will be important for everyone to try and adapt to the changes of how media and information is transmitted nowadays. Embracing technology and its power of connecting people to people and products and services to people will be vital to staying strong both in education and in business. Sheet music, just as recorded music and published books before it, is rapidly transforming itself into a more digital-friendly medium — point of purchase digital downloads, online score and part perusal, streaming sample audio, etc. But let’s not forget that the content — that piece of sheet music with the lilting melody — remains the same, and the value of it is truly immeasurable.

Browse the new Carl Fischer Concert Band titles for 2012: listen to recordings, view full scores, shop online!

Texas UIL | PML & You

The University Interscholastic League was created by The University of Texas at  Austin in 1910. It facilitates educational extracurricular academic, athletic, and music contests, and has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world. In particular, the Music Program of the UIL is designed to support and enrich the teaching of music as an integral component of the public school curriculum in the state of Texas.

And while your area may or may not have its own version of the UIL, there’s no doubt that the resources available from them can and are helpful to most educators, whether from the state of Texas or not. The TX UIL has been in the process of revising its Prescribed Music List, and recently, more than 100 titles were added to the band division of the list. Scroll through the slideshow below to review the latest additions, as well as to click through to audio files and pdf sample scores (where available).

Oklahoma Horn Day

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!