SKU: GI.G-9199

ISBN 9781622772087. English.

A summary of the practice of music advocacy, this book compiles research and thirty years’ experience of one of the nation’s most successful advocates for music education. It gives music educators, administrators, school board members, and community advocates step-by-step procedures for saving and building school music programs. John L. Benham has been in music education for over forty years and has worked as an advocacy consultant saving and building music programs for thirty years. His advocacy work and the methods presented in this book have saved $70 million in proposed music cuts, equivalent to approximately 2,000 teaching positions and 500,000 music students. Read what people have to say about Music Advocacy: Moving from Survival to Vision: Finally—a how to book for music education in our own districts! John L. Benham provides us with ‘the right stuff’ as well as rules to ensure that programs stay intact and keep complacency at bay. This must-have resource helps us understand educational processes and how budget decisions are made. It also provides suggestions on how to involve all constituents in the process of advocacy by guaranteeing that the best interest of the students remains the basis for all decision making. Music programs can be saved even when cuts appear to be imminent, and Music Advocacy: Moving from Survival to Vision provides effective, proactive strategies not only to avoid these cuts but also to establish a long-term plan for continued development. —Marcia M. Neel, president, Music Education Consultants, Inc.   John Benham is a rare individual who walks his talk with a sense of mission unknown in common hours, and every person connected with arts education is the beneficiary of his immeasurable commitment and dedication. Once again he has come to the forefront of the profession by sharing his profound knowledge and wisdom. Simply put, this book represents a tried-and-true blueprint of success. It is a priceless gift to the future of our educational landscape and a reflective tribute to the visionary contribution of an author of purpose. —Tim Lautzenheiser, Attitude Concepts for Today, Inc.   Benham’s new book is a must-have for every music department at both the K–12 and collegiate levels. His theory of reverse economics along with his guidance have saved music education experiences for thousands of students as well as many careers. This book provides information on scheduling issues as well as a clear explanation of his reverse economics theory. It gives a step-by-step outline on how to handle threats to music programs. The book is a wealth of information and is highly recommended. —Mary Wagner, chair, Fairfax Arts Coalition for Education, and National ASTA past president   As a music retailer who has worked closely with John L. Benham for over ten years, I appreciate his discovery of reverse economics. It is brilliantly simple and proves the financial efficacy of a healthy music department! Every instrument retailer needs to share this vital resource with all of their school customers. This is the manual that every music department needs to fully support their program. The information needs to be shared with your school board every year.  —Doug Schmitt, vice president of music education, Schmitt Music Stores.

SKU: AP.46718S

UPC: 038081533520. English.

Students will be swept away by North of the Mountain: a vivid musical adventure by Doug Spata in 3/4 time featuring advanced part independence, required shifting, and bracing sixteenth-note runs. The dramatic, filmic style and assertive melodies moving between each of the sections describe thrilling adventures. Students and audiences will respond to the contrasts between bristling ostinatos and longing legato melodies while teachers will appreciate the important skills the piece reinforces. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

SKU: KN.62350

UPC: 822795623505.

Commissioned by the Long Doug Beach (CA) Polytechnic High School Jazz Ensemble, this spicy salsa original for proficient groups will be the highlight of your concert or festival performances. Named after a district not far from Puerto Rico's capital city, San Juan, it features driving Latin rhythms, vivid dynamic contrasts, catchy melodies, and dense harmonies. A short written bass solo sets up the open solo section where changes are provided for alto, tenor, trumpet, and trombone. Duration 5:05. Available in SmartMusic.

SKU: PR.140401310

ISBN 9781491134153. UPC: 680160684250. 9 x 12 inches. Key: G major.

NORA’S DANCE is a jazz-influenced rag from 1921, and among the only surviving compositions by Nora Douglas Holt. A charming and exciting work rejuvenated by Lara Downes’ 2021 recording for the Rising Sun label, the rag is both a fun 2 minutes for pianists and audiences, and also a fascinating time capsule. Composed several years after Scott Joplin’s death, and several years before the Charleston pervaded popular music, NORA’S DANCE blossoms with the energy and jazz harmony starting to emerge as The Roaring 20’s, using ragtime and stride as the seed for pianistic style.
My own life in music has been driven by a quest to find strong female role models, trails to follow, shoulders to stand on. In Nora Douglas Holt, I find an inspiring example of creativity, independence, and resilience – with a dash of troublemaking. She was a free spirit, a force of nature, and she lived a fascinating and eventful life on her own terms. She reinvented herself through five marriages and at least as many careers. From her beginnings at the piano at age four, she explored many avenues of musical expression – performing, composing, music journalism, broadcasting, teaching – all with inventiveness, style, and zeal.She made the most of the Roaring ’20s, as an artist, socialite, jetsetter, muse, and patroness of the Harlem Renaissance. In 1921 she started an independent arts journal called “Music and Poetry,” where the charming piano solo Nora’s Dance was first published. I think the piece captures beautifully, in a little under 2 minutes, the energy and excitement of those heady years.In 1926, Nora left New York to travel the world, performing in nightclubs throughout Europe and Asia. She put her belongings in storage before she left, and when she came back she discovered that many of her things had been stolen, including more than 200 of her musical compositions. She never composed again.When the Depression hit, she moved out to Los Angeles, where she studied music education at USC, taught music in the LA public schools, and opened her own beauty salon. She returned to New York in the ’40s and worked as a music critic for several major newspapers, then launched yet another career, this time in broadcasting. Her popular radio concert series “Nora Holt’s Concert Showcase” broadcast to New York’s classical music audience, with a focus on Black composers and performers.Ahead of her time, larger than life, full of ideas…. I am so pleased to introduce you to the feisty and free spirited Nora Douglas Holt!