By Various. Piano/Vocal/Chords Songbook (Arrangements for piano and voice with guitar chords). Size 9x12 inches. 440 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

Composed by Ronald Perera. Advanced/Collegiate. Catholic Year A The Nativity of Our Lord. Secular, Christmas, 21st Century. Octavo. Duration 4 minutes, 40 seconds. Published by E.C. Schirmer Publishing (EC.8320).

Chamber Music Violin

SKU: PR.144407380

Composed by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. Performance Score. 4 pages. Duration 4 minutes. Merion Music #144-40738. Published by Merion Music (PR.144407380).

ISBN 9781491133903. UPC: 680160683475. 9 x 12 inches.

In her powerful Foreword to the music, violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins has written: “There are great works which give voice to important moments for generations, and this is one of them.” The tragedy of Elijah McClain’s murder has moved us all, and for many musicians the image of this gentle young man playing his violin for kittens at an animal shelter has added a poignant extra layer. Zwilich was a professional violinist before turning exclusively to composing, and A LITTLE VIOLIN MUSIC is a memorial from the heart of one violinist to another.
[THESE NOTES MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLICATION; OK TO QUOTE A BIT AND GIVE AUTHOR CREDIT]We often research important pieces of music to gain some glimpse into the mind of the composer by understanding the times in which a piece was written. The times that brought this piece into being, 2020, has been a year like no other in our lifetimes.With the suffering of a once in a century pandemic raging in ever higher waves, and millions of people around the world confined to their homes with a shared attention span for the first time in generations, we watched in horror the 8 minute 46 second killing of George Floyd, a man previously unknown to us, but now unwillingly joining a long list of names of unarmed African Americans killed by police. The anguished backlash of citizens around the world, from Japan to New Zealand to Germany to the United States, of every age, color, and creed, has rallied for weeks and months on end to demand enough and that “Black Lives Matter.”And yet, in the midst of it all is an America starkly divided against itself with some defiantly pushing back, emboldened by authoritarian-style government actions against its own citizens occurring all over the country. It is against this backdrop that we ever had a chance to know of Elijah McClain. Here in quarantine I sometimes practice my scales in front of the news. And one day the mirror image looking back at me from the screen was a slight young man, warm, affable brown eyes, and also a violin under his chin. The newsreel-style camera pan so familiar now, I knew the only reason we were gazing upon his unfamous face was that he too had been killed by police nearly a year before. But the revelation of it in the broadcast hit me particularly hard.Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, who is not only one of the great composers of our time, is also a dear friend, and called me the next day, also deeply saddened by the news. It was from Ellen that I learned that Elijah used to play for the kittens at the local animal shelter so they wouldn’t be lonely. This kind, gentle soul was aggressively taken into police custody while saying, “I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking... I’m going home.” He was never seen alive again.Ellen and I spoke of the sadness and the injustice of this several times. She felt a powerful calling to contribute something in a statement and the result is the piece you now hold in your hands. I am deeply honored to be the dedicatee of the piece, to have worked together with Ellen on some of the final details, and to pen this score note. As an invited alumna of the Eastman School of Music, I premiered the work for their virtual event on Diversity and Inclusion. Each time I play it, there is a persistent lump in my throat because Ellen has captured something poignant and powerful here.There are great works which give voice to important moments for generations, and this is one of them. We humbly offer this piece in memory of Elijah McClain.Foreword © 2021 by Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Used by permission.

Van Halen. For Guitar. This edition: Guitar TAB. Guitar Personality. Book. Published by Alfred Publishing.

Chamber Music Piano, soprano Saxophone

SKU: PR.114419290

Composed by Chen Yi. Edited by Chen Yi. Arranged by Wong Tak Chiu. Sws. Score and parts. 44 pages. Duration 20 minutes. Theodore Presser Company #114-41929. Published by Theodore Presser Company (PR.114419290).

ISBN 9781491135235. UPC: 680160676118. 9 x 12 inches.

Supported by a major commissioning award from the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress, my Chinese Folk Dance Suite is written for violin solo and orchestra, and premiered by The Women's Philharmonic with violin soloist Terrie Baune, conducted by Apo Hsu, on March 10, 2001, at Yerba Buena Center For the Arts Theater in San Francisco. Inspired by various Chinese traditional folk dances, I've composed three movements in the suite: 1) Lion Dance. Traditionally, people dance with richly decorated hand made lions, accompanied by percussion ensemble, to celebrate happy occasions and major festivals throughout the country. In the composition, I use Chinese drum and other percussion instruments in the background, to form a dynamic and rhythmic texture responding to the solo part, which imitates the tunes played on the suona (traditional Chinese trumpet). The pitch materials came from traditional Guangdong Music tune and Chaozhou Music tune ; 2) YangKo. Originated in northern China, it's a major folk dance form in mass performance popularized in the country. In YangKo performance, people always play rhythmic patterns on the drums hung around their waists while singing and dancing. In my second movement, I have imagined a warm scene of YangKo dancing in distance. The solo violin plays a sweet and gracious melodic line while all members in the orchestra sing the non-pitch syllables in different layers as the soft background, to imitate the percussion sound which produces the ever going pulse. 3) Muqam. It is a large scale traditional music and dance form from Uygur nationality in Xinjiang province, originated in the 15th century. In my third movement, I keep the meter of seven eight and the melodic style of Muqam music. The fiery dancing gesture cumulates the sustained climax section at the end of the work, after a colorful violin cadenza in both improvisational singing style and polyphonic writing with woven lines. Scored for 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, 3 trombones, percussion 1 (3 congas, low tom-tom, temple block, paddle castanets), percussion 2 (snare drum, 6 small Beijing opera gong, 12 big Beijing opera gong, crotales, tambourine), percussion 3 (suspended cymbal, a pair of 6 Chinese cymbals, bass drum), solo violin, violins I, violins II, violas, cellos and double basses. Duration is about 16 minutes. The work is recorded on Bis [CD-1352] and released in 2003, performed by Cho-Liang Lin and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, cond. by Lan Shui. Reduction for B-flat soprano saxophone and piano by Wong Tak Chiu (2017) and edited by Chen Yi (2018) The second movement YangKo is premiered by Dr. Wong and Korak Lerpibulchai at the Singapore Saxophone Symposium on 8/13/2017. The American premiere of the saxophone and piano reduction version of Chinese Folk Dance Suite is given by Chi Him Chik and Hao Yin at the Society for American Music National Conference in Kansas City, MO on 3/2/2018.

Performed by Elton John. For keyboard (right hand only) and voice. Format: easy piano/vocal/chords songbook. With vocal melody, lyrics, chord names and big note notation. Rock and pop rock. Series: Hal Leonard E-Z Play Today. 224 pages. 9x12 inches. Published by Hal Leonard

Solo Guitar Arrangements in Standard Notation and Tab. By Various. Guitar Solo. Fingerstyle, Pop. Softcover. With guitar tablature. Published by Hal Leonard

Performed by Elton John. For voice, piano and guitar (chords only). Format: piano/vocal/chords songbook. With vocal melody, piano accompaniment, lyrics, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. Rock and Pop Rock. 240 pages. 9x12 inches. Published by Hal Leonard.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon, Bell Tree, Bells, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Crash Cymbals, Euphonium, Euphonium T.C., Flute, Flute 2, Horn, Mallet Percussion, Oboe, Percussion 1, Percussion 2, Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Tam-tam, Timpani and more. - Grade 2

SKU: CF.YPS208F

Shlof, Mayn Kind. Composed by Larry Clark. Young Band (YPS). Full score. With Standard notation. 12 pages. Carl Fischer Music #YPS208F. Published by Carl Fischer Music (CF.YPS208F).

ISBN 9781491152966. UPC: 680160910465.

A stunning and heart-wrenching composition based on the Jewish folk son Shlof, Mayn Kind. You can hear the emotional content pour out of this piece written in memory of an outstanding orchestra director. The piece beginnings with original material to set the tone, followed by a clarinet solo on the song. It then develops through a variety of different harmonic presentation before building to a nice key change and climatic moment. The piece ends as it began, but with a more hopeful tone. An amazing piece.
Sleep, My Child was commissioned by the Madison Middle School Band and Orchestra in Tampa, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Orchestras Kevin Frye. Director of Bands Chris Shultz championed the commissioning of this piece to honor Kevin after he passed away in December 2016. Mr. Frye was a beloved member of the staff at Madison Middle as well as the music community of Tampa and the state of Florida. I was a personal friend of Kevin’s. We were in several musical groups together when we were young that were formative to both of our musical careers. I also guest conducted his Madison Middle School Orchestra several times over the past four years. His musicianship, teaching skills and love for his students were exemplary.When taking on the challenge of writing a piece to honor Kevin’s legacy, Mr. Shultz and I decided to try and include several important aspects of Kevin’s life into the piece. Kevin was proudly Jewish, a fantastic trumpet player and loved Jazz. With that in mind, and after a lot of research, a Jewish folk song Shlof, Mayn Kind was selected as the basis for the piece, not to be religious, but to honor his faith and heritage. Plus it is a beautiful song, and I felt the title reflected the sentiment I was looking to express, which is of someone taking rest after a long battle with illness. Thus, a lullaby seemed appropriate.I also wanted to incorporate Jazz into the piece, but in a concert setting, so you will hear as the piece develops, the harmonies of the folk song expand into ones found more commonly in Jazz compositions. Not in a far out way, but in a subtle way to again honor this part of his life. For example the climactic moment of the piece at the fermata in m. 57 is a Dbmaj9#11 chord. It appropriately give the piece the angst that I was looking for at this moment in the piece, while honoring the importance of Jazz in Kevin’s musical life.The piece was also conceived to include both the Madison band and orchestra in the performance at the premiere. I wanted the pieces to work separately by the band and separately by the orchestra, but I also wanted them to be able to play the piece together to honor Kevin.The piece begins with original material designed to set the mood of the piece with a tempo/style marking of pensive, but also as material that I used as connective musical tissue between statements of the folk song.  After this introduction, the folk song is presented by a solo violin (or clarinet) with orchestral accompaniment in a simple straight forward presentation of the song. This is followed by a woodwind section statement of the folk song accompanied by muted trumpets. During this presentation the harmony starts to expand with more color notes in the chords. The low brass are added half way through this statement to add depth and lushness.The introductory material returns, but with some angry hits in the lower voices. This leads to a full ensemble state of new material that is used to transition to the climax of the piece, and to build tension. After the build, the piece modulates to a shortened statement of the folk song with more advanced harmonies and an active counter line in the violas, horns, saxes and first clarinets to further build the tension.  This tension is released at the fermata in m. 57, as mentioned above. After a thoughtful pause, the piece concludes with a completion of the folk song again with a solo violin (or clarinet) followed by a return of the introductory material to tie the piece together. The piece ends hopeful, with a solo trumpet (Kevin’s instrument) that is dissonant at first, but then resolves as if to say - everything will be OK! It has been my distinct honor to have been asked to write this piece in Kevin’s memory! I hope that in some small way the piece helps to bring comfort to his family, students, colleagues and to all those that knew him!–Larry ClarkLakeland, FL  2017.

The Complete Resource for Every Guitar Player!. By Various. Guitar Collection. Softcover. With notes and tablature. 240 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

By Lalo Schifrin. Arranged by Roger Emerson. (SATB DV A Cappella). Pop Choral Series. 16 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon, Bells, Cabasa, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Crash Cymbals, Euphonium, Euphonium T.C., Flute, Flute 2, Horn, Mallet Percussion, Oboe, Percussion 1, Percussion 2, Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine, Timpani and more. - Grade 2.5

SKU: CF.YPS212

Composed by Larry Clark. Young Band (YPS). Set of Score and Parts. With Standard notation. 16+4+8+8+4+4+10+4+4+8+8+8 +12+6+6+2+2+4+10+20+4 pages. Duration 3 minutes, 39 seconds. Carl Fischer Music #YPS212. Published by Carl Fischer Music (CF.YPS212).

ISBN 9781491152317. UPC: 680160909810. Key: C minor.

Taking its title from a poem about grief and loss by Chrissie Pinney, Live On honors the life of band director Linda Mann, to whom the piece is dedicated. The piece begins with a pensive intro before shifting to a whimsical theme that brings about happy thoughts of a life well-lived. After a return to the poignant opening material, the music surges to a triumphant conclusion based on an augmented version of the whimsical theme.
Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students, in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017. Linda Mann’s impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should “depict Linda’s personality: dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like.” They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.After contemplating their thoughts, I did some research to find inspiration for the piece. This led me to poetry about grief and loss. In time, I stumbled upon a short, yet poignant poem that I felt perfectly depicted the sentiment that I wanted the piece to convey.  That poem is entitled Live On by Chrissie Pinney.Live OnNow as I live onWithout youI hope to keepThe pieces of youThat I loved so dearlyYour mannerismsAnd compassionate characterAnd smiles through struggleSo that youMay live on too -Chrissie PinneyI reached out to Ms. Pinney, and she graciously agreed to allow me to quote her powerful poem in these notes. She expressed that she was deeply touched that her work would inspire me to write a piece in honor of Linda Mann.The piece begins with a poignant, pensive opening section. The use of the musical interval of a tritone between the first two openly voiced chords are used to represent the sadness we all feel from this type of loss. When I sat in front of my piano and started to work on this piece, my hands seemed to naturally and immediately play these first two chords, which set the process in motion of composing the piece.After the somber opening, the piece shifts to a whimsical theme that I hope brings about happy thoughts of Linda and her personality. It was also my intent, however, to include some musical dissonance in the theme that still reflected the bittersweet loss at the same time. The piece develops into a secondary theme that is a quasi inversion of the main fast theme. This section is followed by a return of the opening material, with snippets of the fast theme intertwined, before the piece builds to a triumphant, augmented presentation of the main theme in a lush form to complete the work.It is my hope that in some small way, this piece will bring comfort to those affected by the loss of Linda Mann, and that the music will allow her memory to Live On.–Larry ClarkLakeland, FL 2017.

Composed by Terre Johnson. Sacred anthem. General. Octavo. Published by Chorister's Guild (LO.CGA1479).

By Various. Instrumental Folio. Softcover. 146 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

By Various. Instrumental Folio. Softcover. 146 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

By Various. Instrumental Folio. Softcover. 146 pages. Published by Hal Leonard.

Band Bass Clarinet, Bass Drum, Bassoon, Bells, Cabasa, Clarinet 1, Clarinet 2, Crash Cymbals, Euphonium, Euphonium T.C., Flute, Flute 2, Horn, Mallet Percussion, Oboe, Percussion 1, Percussion 2, Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Tambourine, Timpani and more. - Grade 2

SKU: CF.YPS212F

Composed by Larry Clark. Young Band (YPS). Full score. With Standard notation. 20 pages. Carl Fischer Music #YPS212F. Published by Carl Fischer Music (CF.YPS212F).

ISBN 9781491152997. UPC: 680160910496.

Takin g its title from a poem about grief and loss by Chrissie Pinney, Live On honors the life of band director Linda Mann, to whom the piece is dedicated. The piece begins with a pensive intro before shifting to a whimsical theme that brings about happy thoughts of a life well-lived. After a return to the poignant opening material, the music surges to a triumphant conclusion based on an augmented version of the whimsical theme.
Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students, in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017. Linda Mann’s impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should “depict Linda’s personality: dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like.” They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.After contemplating their thoughts, I did some research to find inspiration for the piece. This led me to poetry about grief and loss. In time, I stumbled upon a short, yet poignant poem that I felt perfectly depicted the sentiment that I wanted the piece to convey.  That poem is entitled Live On by Chrissie Pinney.Live OnNow as I live onWithout youI hope to keepThe pieces of youThat I loved so dearlyYour mannerismsAnd compassionate characterAnd smiles through struggleSo that youMay live on too -Chrissie PinneyI reached out to Ms. Pinney, and she graciously agreed to allow me to quote her powerful poem in these notes. She expressed that she was deeply touched that her work would inspire me to write a piece in honor of Linda Mann.The piece begins with a poignant, pensive opening section. The use of the musical interval of a tritone between the first two openly voiced chords are used to represent the sadness we all feel from this type of loss. When I sat in front of my piano and started to work on this piece, my hands seemed to naturally and immediately play these first two chords, which set the process in motion of composing the piece.After the somber opening, the piece shifts to a whimsical theme that I hope brings about happy thoughts of Linda and her personality. It was also my intent, however, to include some musical dissonance in the theme that still reflected the bittersweet loss at the same time. The piece develops into a secondary theme that is a quasi inversion of the main fast theme. This section is followed by a return of the opening material, with snippets of the fast theme intertwined, before the piece builds to a triumphant, augmented presentation of the main theme in a lush form to complete the work.It is my hope that in some small way, this piece will bring comfort to those affected by the loss of Linda Mann, and that the music will allow her memory to Live On.–Larry ClarkLakeland, FL 2017.

(101 Movie Hits for Trumpet). Composed by Various. For Trumpet (Trumpet). Instrumental Folio. Softcover. Published by Hal Leonard