Performed by Fred Albright. By Fred Albright. Edited by Ray Brych. Percussion. 76 pages. Published by Alfred Publishing.

(Bass Clef Edition) By J.J. Johnson. Instructional book (leadsheet notation) for trombone (and bass clef instruments). 159 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

The Group Singing Songbook. By Various. Vocal. Size 9.5x12 inches. 281 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

Treble Clef Edition. By J.J. Johnson. Instructional. Size 9x12 inches. 148 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

Arranged by Peter Blood, Annie Patterson. Vocal. Size 7.5x10.5 inches. 283 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

Piano

SKU: BO.BC0006

Composed by Pau Casals. Published by Editorial de Musica Boileau (BO.BC0006).

Despite a strong vocation for the cello, which he studied and began to play with a distinctive character, Pau Casals, like most ambitious, creative musicians, wrote at the piano and for the piano, as it is the ultimate teaching instrument, summarising the full vision of the creative process. Any creative musician habitually worked at the piano, whether for this instrument alone or for piano accompanied by other solo instruments. To date, it has not been possible to document whether Casals had systematic training on this instrument, although at that time it was more common than it is today because, considering its qualities of timbre and combination, it was particularly attractive for creating test pieces and different kinds of compositions.

Th e piano works contained in this second volume include part of the salon repertoire, a continuation of the first volume, and four sardanas for piano of diverse origin: some are reductions of more complex forms and others sketches for instrumental groups. In the first group, some works intended for children are published, a demonstration of the tenderness the ‘cellist felt for the children of his closest friends. In the second case, the sardanas are works from his first exile in Prada and show the nostalgia of the composer, away from his country against his will.

In general, the works are not especially complex; their purpose and nature are diverse. They come in the context of salon music, with the appearance of creative entertainments characterised by a basically tonal, transparent language with a widespread tendency to modulate to nearby keys more as a momentary expressive resource than as a structural evolutionary procedure. They show a lack of systematic work on the instrument as well as the commonplaces of piano composition of their time. In some of these works, the piano thread breaks, the works do not have the thrust of finished products; the occasional appearance of chords that are difficult or impossible to finger leads us to think of intentions closer to test pieces than to products intended for normal performance. But not all these piano works are circumstantial. There is also a prelude and a minuet of a certain piano writing complexity.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon, Bells, Chimes, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Crash Cymbals, Euphonium, Euphonium T.C., Flute 1, Flute 2, Horn, Mallet Percussion, Oboe, Percussion 1, Percussion 2, Percussion 3, Snare Drum and more. - Grade 3

SKU: CF.CPS234

Composed by Travis Weller. Folio. Cps. Set of Score and Parts. 8+8+4+8+8+8+4+4+8+4+4+8+8 +8+8+6+6+6+4+8+6+2+4+4+6+ 32 pages. Duration 3 minutes, 10 seconds. Carl Fischer Music #CPS234. Published by Carl Fischer Music (CF.CPS234).

ISBN 9781491156346. UPC: 680160914883. 9 x 12 inches.

Mercury - the Roman god of financial gain, commerce, travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery, merchants, and thieves. A popular deity in Roman culture, he was instantly recognized by his unique winged shoes (talaria) and hat (petasos). With its close proximity to the sun and faster orbit than all other planets, the Romans named this small celestial body after the swift-winged messenger of their culture. It is not surprising that in Holst's major orchestral suite The Planets that Mercury utilizes such light and swift themes. There is some duality to the title of the work. Part of it involves my impression of what a playful chase of the winged messenger sounds like. The other part is the opening motif chasing two themes of Holst around the rest of the work. It was only after developing the first few ideas that I recognized some of the commonalities with some of those same themes from Holst's orchestral work. There are several quotations from that famous piece by Holst (notably as both are stated successively at mm. 13-20). The idea of someone having to chase the Winged Messenger struck me as a unique title around which to craft a work. One of my core beliefs about music is that it can be imbued with meaning by a composer, and as the sonic story unfolds an ensemble, director, and audience members can draw out their own meaning from the experience. Who exactly is chasing Mercury? I leave that up to the wonderfully creative minds of the young ladies and gentlemen who have the opportunity to bring this work to life. The opportunity to compose music and allow student musicians to give this piece new life and draw out different meanings is a humbling experience. Rehearsal Notes and Suggestions As stated earlier, the opening motif (a range of a seventh) comes back frequently in the work in a variety of settings and textures. Throughout the work, it is important for students to recognize the two themes from Holst when they are present in the sound canvas. If the solos (clarinet and alto saxophone) are utilized, the supporting parts around and underneath those lines must be sensitive and play in such a way to properly balance those parts. There are number of muted sections for the trumpet section, and I would advocate for all trumpets acquiring the same mute to contribute to unity in timbre. The bold fanfare sections (the first occurs at m. 37) must be presented with a unified articulation style. As the texture intensifies prior to m. 169, it is crucial for the ensemble to play within themselves and exercise musical courtesy to allow all voices to be heard as they arrive at m. 181. My thanks in advance for your support of this music, and I wish you well as you and your ensemble begin Chasing Mercury!.
Mercury – the Roman god of financial gain, commerce, travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery, merchants, and thieves. A popular deity in Roman culture, he was instantly recognized by his unique winged shoes (talaria) and hat (petasos). With its close proximity to the sun and faster orbit than all other planets, the Romans named this small celestial body after the swift-winged messenger of their culture. It is not surprising that in Holst’s major orchestral suite The Planets that Mercury utilizes such light and swift themes.There is some duality to the title of the work. Part of it involves my impression of what a playful chase of the winged messenger sounds like. The other part is the opening motif chasing two themes of Holst around the rest of the work. It was only after developing the first few ideas that I recognized some of the commonalities with some of those same themes from Holst’s orchestral work. There are several quotations from that famous piece by Holst (notably as both are stated successively at mm. 13–20). The idea of someone having to chase the Winged Messenger struck me as a unique title around which to craft a work.One of my core beliefs about music is that it can be imbued with meaning by a composer, and as the sonic story unfolds an ensemble, director, and audience members can draw out their own meaning from the experience. Who exactly is chasing Mercury? I leave that up to the wonderfully creative minds of the young ladies and gentlemen who have the opportunity to bring this work to life. The opportunity to compose music and allow student musicians to give this piece new life and draw out different meanings is a humbling experience.Rehearsal Notes and SuggestionsAs stated earlier, the opening motif (a range of a seventh) comes back frequently in the work in a variety of settings and textures. Throughout the work, it is important for students to recognize the two themes from Holst when they are present in the sound canvas. If the solos (clarinet and alto saxophone) are utilized, the supporting parts around and underneath those lines must be sensitive and play in such a way to properly balance those parts. There are number of muted sections for the trumpet section, and I would advocate for all trumpets acquiring the same mute to contribute to unity in timbre. The bold fanfare sections (the first occurs at m. 37) must be presented with a unified articulation style. As the texture intensifies prior to m. 169, it is crucial for the ensemble to play within themselves and exercise musical courtesy to allow all voices to be heard as they arrive at m. 181. My thanks in advance for your support of this music, and I wish you well as you and your ensemble begin Chasing Mercury!

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon, Bongos, Chimes, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Clarinet 3, Contrabass, Contrabass Clarinet, Contrabassoon, Crash Cymbals, Euphonium, Flute 1, Flute 2, Flute 3, Glockenspiel, Horn 1, Horn 2, Horn 3, Horn 4, Oboe 1 and more.

SKU: PR.11540233L

A Period Piece for Bands of Winds. Composed by Carter Pann. Spiral. Large Score. 58 pages. Duration 12:30. Theodore Presser Company #115-40233L. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.11540233L).

ISBN 9781491129418. UPC: 680160674367. 11 x 14 inches.

At Her Ladyship's Request (2016) was an idea born out of admiration for the wind works of Percy Grainger - most notably his Lincolnshire Posey. The names and places here are all fictitious. Four countrymen have come forward at Her Ladyship's request as we commoners (and for as long as I can remember) have been led to believe Her Highness has grown complacent in her aged betrothal to His Lordship. I. It has long been established in this hill country that young, svelte Tom Abel has caught her fancy eye. He knocks about with the swagger of a visiting dignitary, confident and cocksure. And then there is his father's fortune. Cecil Abel may be the richest man in the land save for His Lordship. Tom, his only son, will run his face straight into that pile the moment his old man kicks. II. It is rare to spy Father Daniel Bennett, High Priest from the Abbey at Lockwood Cross, loitering in our very own town square...but not as of late. III. Is Her Ladyship so desperate as to call upon Old Man Dimplesweet? Were you to confirm this, I would have straightened my back and spit the ground before you. Then I saw what could not possibly be misconstrued. And where is His Lordship anyway? IV. Pettybone! Conniving... insidious. I don't believe there has been a greater rivalry among men for generations. The Duke's ego alone could run our nation. The grudges he grows are notorious. His mount is legendary. The day has come to collect his toll.
At Her Ladyship’s Request (2016) was an idea born out of admiration for the wind works of Percy Grainger – most notably his Lincolnshire Posey.The names and places here are all fictitious. Four countrymen have come forward at Her Ladyship’s request as we commoners (and for as long as I can remember) have been led to believe Her Highness has grown complacent in her aged betrothal to His Lordship.I. It has long been established in this hill country that young, svelte Tom Abel has caught her fancy eye. He knocks about with the swagger of a visiting dignitary, confident and cocksure. And then there is his father’s fortune. Cecil Abel may be the richest man in the land save for His Lordship. Tom, his only son, will run his face straight into that pile the moment his old man kicks.II. It is rare to spy Father Daniel Bennett, High Priest from the Abbey at Lockwood Cross, loitering in our very own town square…but not as of late.III. Is Her Ladyship so desperate as to call upon Old Man Dimplesweet? Were you to confirm this, I would have straightened my back and spit the ground before you. Then I saw what could not possibly be misconstrued. And where is His Lordship anyway?IV. Pettybone! Conniving… insidious. I don’t believe there has been a greater rivalry among men for generations. The Duke’s ego alone could run our nation. The grudges he grows are notorious. His mount is legendary. The day has come to collect his toll.

A Systematic Approach to Understanding Guitar Fingerboard Harmony. Reh Publications. Book and CD package. With notes and tablature. Size 9x12 inches. 40 pages

Choral Double bass voice, Piano, Viola, Violin 1, Violin 2, SATB chorus

SKU: CF.CM9735

Jubilate Agno. Composed by Z. Randall Stroope. 16 pages. Duration 0:03:05. Carl Fischer Music #CM9735. Published by Carl Fischer Music (CF.CM9735).

ISBN 9781491161159. UPC: 680160919741. Key: A minor. Latin, English. Christopher Smart and ZRS.

Origins of the Tarantella The tarantella is a popular southern Italian dance with origins in the 11th century. (There is even some mention of the tarantella in ancient Greek mythology.) Of the possible sources of the dance, the most popular comes from the villages of Tanto and Tarentum (little spider), Italy. During harvest, workers in the field were sometimes bitten by the tarantula spider. To combat the poison, the afflicted workers went into a frenetic, almost musical exorcism to sweat the venom out of their pores. In the millennium since, the very energetic nature of the dance has remained, although the curative focus of the dance has given way to more enjoyable endeavors, even stately courtship. Origins of the Text Christopher Smart (1722-1771), also known as Kit Smart or Jack Smart, was born in Kent, England and suffered from what is now believed to be acute asthma and other health issues as a child. As such, he did not work in the fields, but spent much time reading and writing, a passion that he nurtured for a lifetime. Well known in London literary circles, his career as a writer floundered due to mounting debts and his falling out of favor with the literary establishment: Sadly, he was forced to confinement at St. Luke's Hospital for Lunatics, though this was based on his mounting debt, and not on insanity. (Confinement, or debtor's prison, was common during this period if one's debts could not be paid.) During his confinement, he worked on two of his most famous works, Jubilate Agno and A Song of David. (Part of Jubilate Agno [Rejoice in the Lamb] was set to music by English composer, Benjamin Britten.) Smart's writing style (which, at times, bordered on the absurd), along with his many obsessions, lead to frequent misperceptions of his work and his lucidity. In this present work, portions of Smart's Jubilate Agno were used in mm. 24-31, 103-110 and 149-156. The remaining text was gathered by the composer, including the rapid, almost patter-like, delivery of words from A-Z in the alphabet. (Christopher Smart had a preoccupation with the alphabet.) These words both rhyme and accentuate the frenetic nature of the spider dance: theraphosa [teh-rah-fo-sa] a genus of tarantula spiders bellicose [beh-lee-ko-sah] hostile; aggressive odiosa [o-dee-o-sa] hateful; vexation tenebrosa [teh-neh-bro-sa] creeping; dark nemorosa [neh-mo-ro-sa] wooded; shady lapidosa [lah-pee-do-sa] stony area; gritty The convergence, then, of the medieval tarantella (spider dance), the writings of a brilliant poet who bordered on the absurd, and the infusion of strong, descriptive and otherwise random, rhyming words, synthesizes to make dramatic lyrics for this work. About the Composer Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor. He has served as Professor of Music at three universities (an Endowed Professor at two), conducted 47 all-state choirs, and directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall, among other American venues. Randall guest conducts full-time, and composes from his home studios on Merritt Island, Florida and in Sandia Park, New Mexico. Performance Notes Text: In Latin, the r is flipped; use s instead of z on endings such as phosa, cosa, and so on; the Latin o is a cross between oh and aw; in the transliteration above, I chose to simply use an o for consistency. The director will blend the oh and aw in the rehearsals to his/her own preference. Lastly, tarantula is pronounced tah-rah-n-too-lah (avoid teh-ran-choo-luh) within the confines of this text. Stomp: This can be done by the entire chorus, or just the first row. It is as much visual as it is auditory. The string quartet is preferred over piano when that option affords itself. I created a piano score that is a viable option and included it in the piano/vocal score if a performance uses chorus/piano.
The tarantella is a popular southern Italian dance with origins in the 11th century. (There is even some mention of the tarantella in ancient Greek mythology.) Of the possible sources of the dance, the most popular comes from the villages of Tanto and Tarentum (“little spider”), Italy. During harvest, workers in the field were sometimes bitten by the tarantula spider. To combat the “poison,” the afflicted workers went into a frenetic, almost musical exorcism to sweat the venom out of their pores. In the millennium since, the very energetic nature of the dance has remained, although the curative focus of the dance has given way to more enjoyable endeavors, even stately courtship.Christopher Smart (1722-1771), also known as “Kit Smart” or “Jack Smart,” was born in Kent, England and suffered from what is now believed to be acute asthma and other health issues as a child. As such, he did not work in the fields, but spent much time reading and writing, a passion that he nurtured for a lifetime. Well known in London literary circles, his career as a writer floundered due to mounting debts and his falling out of favor with the literary establishment: Sadly, he was forced to confinement at St. Luke’s Hospital for Lunatics, though this was based on his mounting debt, and not on insanity. (Confinement, or debtor’s prison, was common during this period if one’s debts could not be paid.) During his confinement, he worked on two of his most famous works, Jubilate Agno and A Song of David. (Part of Jubilate Agno [“Rejoice in the Lamb”] was set to music by English composer, Benjamin Britten.) Smart’s writing style (which, at times, bordered on the absurd), along with his many obsessions, lead to frequent misperceptions of his work and his lucidity. In this present work, portions of Smart’s Jubilate Agno were used in mm. 24-31, 103-110 and 149-156. The remaining text was gathered by the composer, including the rapid, almost patter-like, delivery of words from A-Z in the alphabet. (Christopher Smart had a preoccupation with the alphabet.) These words both rhyme and accentuate the frenetic nature of the spider dance:The convergence, then, of the medieval tarantella (spider dance), the writings of a brilliant poet who bordered on the absurd, and the infusion of strong, descriptive and otherwise random, rhyming words, synthesizes to make dramatic lyrics for this work.Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor. He has served as Professor of Music at three universities (an Endowed Professor at two), conducted 47 all-state choirs, and directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall, among other American venues. Randall guest conducts full-time, and composes from his home studios on Merritt Island, Florida and in Sandia Park, New Mexico. In Latin, the “r” is flipped; use “s” instead of “z” on endings such as “phosa,” “cosa,” and so on; the Latin “o” is a cross between “oh” and “aw”; in the transliteration above, I chose to simply use an “o” for consistency. The director will blend the “oh” and “aw” in the rehearsals to his/her own preference. Lastly, “tarantula” is pronounced “tah-rah-n-too-lah� �€ (avoid “teh-ran-choo-luhâ €) within the confines of this text.Stomp: This can be done by the entire chorus, or just the first row. It is as much visual as it is auditory. The string quartet is preferred over piano when that option affords itself. I created a piano score that is a viable option and included it in the piano/vocal score if a performance uses chorus/piano.
The tarantella is a popular southern Italian dance with origins in the 11th century. (There is even some mention of the tarantella in ancient Greek mythology.) Of the possible sources of the dance, the most popular comes from the villages of Tanto and Tarentum (“little spider”), Italy. During harvest, workers in the field were sometimes bitten by the tarantula spider. To combat the “poison,” the afflicted workers went into a frenetic, almost musical exorcism to sweat the venom out of their pores. In the millennium since, the very energetic nature of the dance has remained, although the curative focus of the dance has given way to more enjoyable endeavors, even stately courtship.Christopher Smart (1722-1771), also known as “Kit Smart” or “Jack Smart,” was born in Kent, England and suffered from what is now believed to be acute asthma and other health issues as a child. As such, he did not work in the fields, but spent much time reading and writing, a passion that he nurtured for a lifetime. Well known in London literary circles, his career as a writer floundered due to mounting debts and his falling out of favor with the literary establishment: Sadly, he was forced to confinement at St. Luke’s Hospital for Lunatics, though this was based on his mounting debt, and not on insanity. (Confinement, or debtor’s prison, was common during this period if one’s debts could not be paid.) During his confinement, he worked on two of his most famous works, Jubilate Agno and A Song of David. (Part of Jubilate Agno [“Rejoice in the Lamb”] was set to music by English composer, Benjamin Britten.) Smart’s writing style (which, at times, bordered on the absurd), along with his many obsessions, lead to frequent misperceptions of his work and his lucidity. In this present work, portions of Smart’s Jubilate Agno were used in mm. 24-31, 103-110 and 149-156. The remaining text was gathered by the composer, including the rapid, almost patter-like, delivery of words from A-Z in the alphabet. (Christopher Smart had a preoccupation with the alphabet.) These words both rhyme and accentuate the frenetic nature of the spider dance:The convergence, then, of the medieval tarantella (spider dance), the writings of a brilliant poet who bordered on the absurd, and the infusion of strong, descriptive and otherwise random, rhyming words, synthesizes to make dramatic lyrics for this work.Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor. He has served as Professor of Music at three universities (an Endowed Professor at two), conducted 47 all-state choirs, and directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall, among other American venues. Randall guest conducts full-time, and composes from his home studios on Merritt Island, Florida and in Sandia Park, New Mexico.In Latin, the “r” is flipped; use “s” instead of “z” on endings such as “phosa,” “cosa,” and so on; the Latin “o” is a cross between “oh” and “aw”; in the transliteration above, I chose to simply use an “o” for consistency. The director will blend the “oh” and “aw” in the rehearsals to his/her own preference. Lastly, “tarantula” is pronounced “tah-rah-n-too-lah� �€ (avoid “teh-ran-choo-luhâ €) within the confines of this text.Stomp: This can be done by the entire chorus, or just the first row. It is as much visual as it is auditory. The string quartet is preferred over piano when that option affords itself. I created a piano score that is a viable option and included it in the piano/vocal score if a performance uses chorus/piano.

SKU: HL.1158247

Vertex Effects. Guitar Pedal. Duration 162 seconds. Vertex Effects #BI. Published by Vertex Effects (HL.1158247).

UPC: 749350578400. 6.25x4.0x3.0 inches.

VERTEX BUFFERS NOW AVAILABLE TO THE MASSES! For over a decade, every buffer that's come out of Vertex Effects has been custom made, bespoke, for the pedalboard it was designed for or the customer that ordered it. Needless to say, our buffers were very limited, with only a few hundred made over the last ten years. Over that time, and through hundreds of custom buffer interfaces being made, several common applications for buffer combinations and routing emerged as the most common uses as it comes to placing buffers on a pedalboard for the most optimal results. Routing schemes such as mono, stereo, audition loops (inserts), four-cable method, five-cable method, and wet/dry/wet were all common requests from our customers, but there was never an all-in-one solution that provided all of these options for buffering and routing your pedalboard in a pedalboard-friendly enclosure – until now. Introducing the Vertex Buffer Interfaces and Buffer Modules. The first all-in-one solution that covers 99% of all pedalboard routing options, whether you have multiple amps, amps with effects loop, a wet/dry/wet rig, an impedence sensitive fuzz, or want to side-chain pedals off the board in the middle of your signal path with an insert loop, these boxes have a solution for you that won't compromise on tone. WHY ARE OUR BUFFERS BETTER? Firstly, our buffers are designed to have no sound of their own – totally transparent, no color, no EQ, no distortion – just your tone as though you plugged your guitar directly into your amp with a 10ft cable (even if you're running a dozen or more pedals between the guitar and amp with over 100 ft. of cable). So often buffers in our industry will be described by the manufacturers with words like “warm” or “fat” when really the buffer should NOT be imparting anything to the sound other than 1) loading the guitar pickups properly with the same loading as your guitar would see if plugged into a tube amp and 2) converting the signle to low impedence, driving the line so it is the least susceptible to environmental factors that might alter the tone. Unfortunately, 99% of the buffers available on the market don't do this – they add a color to the signal and lack the proper specifications to dive even 20 feet of cable without introducing artifacts into the sound.

by Jay Farmer. First Lessons. Level: Beginning. Book/CD Set. Size 8.75x11.75. 32 pages. Published by Mel Bay Pub., Inc.

Bass guitar - Beginning

SKU: MB.99933M

Composed by Jay Farmer. Saddle-stitched, Electric Bass, Method, Contemporary, Children and Young Beginner. First Lessons. Style. Book and online audio/video. 32 pages. Mel Bay Publications, Inc #99933M. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc (MB.99933M).

ISBN 9780786693184. UPC: 786693185. 8.75 x 11.75 inches.

First Lessons Bass is intended to introduce beginning students to the fundamental concepts of playing the electric bass. The material covered in this book is approximately the material covered in the first 8 lessons of private bass instruction. This book makes use of the 3-finger left hand position commonly found in double bass technique. The emphasis on left hand technique allows the student to develop a consistent fingering approach to the fingerboard, reduces unnecessary strain on the left hand, and makes the bass more accessible to younger students or students with small hands. After the left hand technique has been established, the book introduces the student to important elements of bass line construction including blues patterns, the root-fifth relationship, and common rhythmic patterns. Includes access to online audio and video.

â?¢ Introduction for beginning students to the fundamental concepts of playing the electric bass.
â?¢ Book is approximately the material covered in the first 8 lessons of private bass instruction.
â?¢ Makes use of the 3-finger left hand position commonly found in double bass technique.
â?¢ Offers student important elements of bass line construction: blues patterns, root-fifth relationship, and common rhythmic patterns.
â?¢ Includes access to online audio and video.

(The Easiest Ukulele Method Ever!). By Ron Manus and L. C. Harnsberger. For Ukulele. Book; CD; DVD; Method/Instruction; Ukulele Method or Supplement. Alfred's Kids Course. Children. Beginner. 120 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing

Choral Cello, Piano, SATB chorus

SKU: CF.CM9714

Composed by Z. Randall Stroope. 16 pages. Duration 4 minutes, 48 seconds. Carl Fischer Music #CM9714. Published by Carl Fischer Music (CF.CM9714).

ISBN 9781491160329. UPC: 680160918904. Key: F major. English. Robert Frost.

About the work ... Few American poems are as well known as The Road Not Taken. Robert Frost, the author, is an international icon, not unlike Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill or Mark Twain in their own disciplines.The poem is full of contradictions and quirks of form and structure. Perhaps that illusiveness is part of the poem's intrigue. But beyond all of the literary devices that only a few scholars may fully appreciate, this poem has taken on a sort of fanfare for the common person credo - a challenge to individualism, stepping out on one's own, and breaking the mold out of sheer determination if nothing else. Frost connects to the core of the human spirit in just a few stanzas using the analogy of a fork in a road. The message super cedes geography, culture, race or creed. Rather, it is part of the DNA of most every person on the planet - the inner desire to feel empowered to create one's own destiny, to forge a road not taken, and ultimately in doing so, to make a difference. Rehearsal notes ... Research strongly suggests that there is a direct connection between the first rehearsal and the performance. First impressions last. I find it helpful to immediately lock three concepts into place - mechanics (notes/rhythms), text/phrasing (intent and motivation) and color (timbre). Performers need to think musically from the first reading forward (first impression). The cello is very much a collaborative instrument in this work, and should be located in front of the ensemble (not to side). Lastly, let the text speak. The simplest melodic lines are often the most exposed. Keep the voices clear and transparent, floating over the top in softer passages, and singing with vibrancy and forward focus throughout. Z. Randall Stroope A definitive recording was made by the New American Voices, with Randall conducting. This can be found on Spotify, YouTube, his website (www.zrstroope), and other social media. About the composer ... Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor. His composition teachers were Normand Lockwood and Cecil Effinger, both students of the Nadia Boulanger, the famous French teacher (and student of Gabriel Faure). He is the artistic director of two international summer music festivals, is an Honorary Member of the National Association of Italian Choral Directors, and has conducted in 25 countries. He has directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall, and is a frequent conductor at other prestigious concert venues. Randall has 190 published works, and his music can be heard on Spotify, YouTube and other platforms, including his website (www.zrstroope.com).
A bout the work ...Few American poems are as well known as The Road Not Taken. Robert Frost, the author, is an international icon, not unlike Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill or Mark Twain in their own disciplines.The poem is full of contradictions and quirks of form and structure. Perhaps that illusiveness is part of the poem's intrigue. But beyond all of the literary devices that only a few scholars may fully appreciate, this poem has taken on a sort of fanfare for the common person credo - a challenge to individualism, stepping out on one's own, and breaking the mold out of sheer determination if nothing else. Frost connects to the core of the human spirit in just a few stanzas using the analogy of a fork in a road. The message super cedes geography, culture, race or creed. Rather, it is part of the DNA of most every person on the planet - the inner desire to feel empowered to create one's own destiny, to forge a road not taken, and ultimately in doing so, to make a difference.Rehearsal notes ...Research strongly suggests that there is a direct connection between the first rehearsal and the performance. First impressions last. I find it helpful to immediately lock three concepts into place - mechanics (notes/rhythms), text/phrasing (intent and motivation) and color (timbre). Performers need to think musically from the first reading forward (first impression). The cello is very much a collaborative instrument in this work, and should be located in front of the ensemble (not to side). Lastly, let the text speak. The simplest melodic lines are often the most exposed. Keep the voices clear and transparent, floating over the top in softer passages, and singing with vibrancy and forward focus throughout.Z. Randall StroopeA definitive recording was made by the New American Voices, with Randall conducting. This can be found on Spotify, YouTube, his website (www.zrstroope), and other social media.About the composer ...Z. Randall Stroope is an American composer and conductor. His composition teachers were Normand Lockwood and Cecil Effinger, both students of the Nadia Boulanger, the famous French teacher (and student of Gabriel Fauré). He is the artistic director of two international summer music festivals, is an Honorary Member of the National Association of Italian Choral Directors, and has conducted in 25 countries. He has directed over 40 times at Carnegie Hall, and is a frequent conductor at other prestigious concert venues. Randall has 190 published works, and his music can be heard on Spotify, YouTube and other platforms, including his website (www.zrstroope.com).

Don Mock's Modal Mojo. (The "No Mystery" Approach to Modal Improvising). By Don Mock. For Guitar. Guitar Method or Supplement; Method/Instruction. Audio Workshop Series. Book and CD. 84 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing

By Aaron Stang. For Guitar. Guitar Method or Supplement. The Ultimate Beginner Series. Book and CD. 36 pages. Published by Alfred Publishing.

A beginning/intermediate guide to hearing the chord changes. By Roberta Radley. Instructional. Level: beginning/intermediate. Book and 2 CDs. 168 pages. Published by Sher Music Company.

By Corey Christiansen and Mike Christiansen. For Guitar (All). Methods. First Lessons. Blues. Level: Beginning. Book/CD Set. Size 8.75x11.75. 40 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering the Blues. Composed by David DiGiuseppe. Squareback saddle-stitched. Book and online audio. 96 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc

By Jim Ferguson. For jazz guitar. Saddle-stitched. Guitar Master Class. Book/CD Set. 32 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc

Real Stories, Real Strategies, Real Solutions. Composed by Ann Kaczkowski Kimpton and Paul Kimpton. Music Education. 162 pages. GIA Publications #9216. Published by GIA Publications