Music Education
- A First Look at Sibelius 5
- A First Look At Finale 2008
- AmEx To Donate To Music Education
- Heavy Metal Music Education
- The Benefits of Music Education
- Peavy Wants To Pimp Your Band Room
- Music Activities For Kids
- Patriotic Music Sources
- Buglers Wanted
- Band Audition Deadline Extended
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
Is the new Sibelius 5 music notation software worth the big price tag? Read on for a quick test drive!
I have been using music notation software for over a dozen years now, dating back all the way to my college days pecking out basic melodies on antiquated computers in the University's music lab. Thankfully the technology has made great leaps forward in usability and function, culminating with the recent release of the Sibelius 5 music notation software package. Of the major music notation software vendors, Sibelius Music and Finale are the two major players. I recently did a first look at Finale 2008 by MakeMusic, and have done my best to not compare the 2 in the article. Debating the merits of the two competing systems will be reserved for a later date. For now, let's take a look under the hood of this new import from across the pond.
First, allow me to tell you how I went about evaluating the Sibelius 5 software. I installed the program on two PC's, one being a desktop with plenty of RAM and disk space, and another on a laptop with a configuration typical of what you might find on a school band director's desk. Out of the box you notice that the program is shipped on a single DVD-ROM rather than multiple CD's. This is convenient, but could also prove a problem as there are still school districts that do not have DVD drives in every machine. The install went smoothly, but on the laptop I was required to download and install a separate package from Microsoft before I could proceed. The installed Sibelius software clocks in at over three gigabytes in size. The vast majority of this bloat is caused by the special MIDI sounds fonts that are included. These sound files are optional, but the quality of the music playback is unquestionably superior to the standard MIDI voices that most computers have available.
The first thing I did with Sibelius 5 was to read through the handbook to familiarize myself with the changes that had been made to the program since my last encounter (Sibelius version 3). I then proceeded to create a very basic concert band score and attempted to enter in an arrangement of the traditional song "London Bridge." Manual note entry was very easy and intuitive, but I have always had a problem with mouse based input in that Sibelius is very sensitive to where in the measure you click. If you are too close to the previous note the program places your new note on top of the old one, sometimes kicking you into an alternate voice in the process. Using a MIDI keyboard greatly speeds up the note entry process, but I had some major problems with the Flexi-time music input settings at first. Notes that I was attempting to play in as quarter notes came out as strange, convoluted lines of note heads. I eventually fine tuned the preferences to match my personal playing style and the accuracy greatly improved.
In future articles here on Suite I will jump into the very handy worksheet creation utility that comes with Sibelius 5, the many useful plugins that ship with the full version, and the great improvements in part handling and extraction.
First, allow me to tell you how I went about evaluating the Sibelius 5 software. I installed the program on two PC's, one being a desktop with plenty of RAM and disk space, and another on a laptop with a configuration typical of what you might find on a school band director's desk. Out of the box you notice that the program is shipped on a single DVD-ROM rather than multiple CD's. This is convenient, but could also prove a problem as there are still school districts that do not have DVD drives in every machine. The install went smoothly, but on the laptop I was required to download and install a separate package from Microsoft before I could proceed. The installed Sibelius software clocks in at over three gigabytes in size. The vast majority of this bloat is caused by the special MIDI sounds fonts that are included. These sound files are optional, but the quality of the music playback is unquestionably superior to the standard MIDI voices that most computers have available.
The first thing I did with Sibelius 5 was to read through the handbook to familiarize myself with the changes that had been made to the program since my last encounter (Sibelius version 3). I then proceeded to create a very basic concert band score and attempted to enter in an arrangement of the traditional song "London Bridge." Manual note entry was very easy and intuitive, but I have always had a problem with mouse based input in that Sibelius is very sensitive to where in the measure you click. If you are too close to the previous note the program places your new note on top of the old one, sometimes kicking you into an alternate voice in the process. Using a MIDI keyboard greatly speeds up the note entry process, but I had some major problems with the Flexi-time music input settings at first. Notes that I was attempting to play in as quarter notes came out as strange, convoluted lines of note heads. I eventually fine tuned the preferences to match my personal playing style and the accuracy greatly improved.
In future articles here on Suite I will jump into the very handy worksheet creation utility that comes with Sibelius 5, the many useful plugins that ship with the full version, and the great improvements in part handling and extraction.
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
I recently received a copy of the now shipping Finale 2008 music notation software program for Windows and Mac. Will it live up to its name?
For many years I have been an avid Finale user for printing high quality music notation for use in my classroom. Each year the folks at MakeMusic come out with a new version with more bells and whistles to play with. This year's release spouts a number of very desirable additions, but can it shake off the ideosyncracies that have plagued it since its first release over a decade ago?
I began my analysis of the new Finale 2008 software by giving it a fairly simple test. I used it to create a very simple transcription of the traditional children's song, London Bridge, for use with my fifth grade band this fall. Using the simple entry tool and number pad on my keyboard I plopped down the melody in short order, selected it, copied, dragged, and pasted the melody into all of the needed staves. The layout and overall design of the interface remains unchanged from other recent versions, but I admit to being slightly confused at first by being placed in Studio View when I exited the setup wizard. Had I not taken the time to look at the many tutorial videos in advance of starting my session I would have wondered what exactly I was looking at and how to get back to the more familiar scroll view or page view that I had been accustomed to.
One very nice addition to the Finale 2008 product is the use of Garritan Personal Orchestra Instruments for the playback of your compositions. These synthesized instruments are incredibly lifelike, so much so that when I first had the computer play back my simple composition I was visibly surprised. The Garritan sound fonts are unlike any that I have heard in a software notation product before, and add a lot to the experience. I in turn opened one of the many sample files that are found in the Finale 2008 folder and found that the Garritan sounds are everything that MakeMusic has touted them to be and are a fine practical addition to the overall program.
I ended my first session with Finale 2008 by printing out my new London Bridge score. It is only here that I found that Finale's old nemesis still remains. Since Finale was first introduced I, and many others, have lamented the fact that the printed output is not what is often considered "engraver" quality. In this category it appears that Finale has not attempted to make any inroads against the much more pleasing print quality of other competing music notation software products.
In future weeks I will publish more thoughts on this new version of the Finale music notation software and delve deeper into its many features.
I began my analysis of the new Finale 2008 software by giving it a fairly simple test. I used it to create a very simple transcription of the traditional children's song, London Bridge, for use with my fifth grade band this fall. Using the simple entry tool and number pad on my keyboard I plopped down the melody in short order, selected it, copied, dragged, and pasted the melody into all of the needed staves. The layout and overall design of the interface remains unchanged from other recent versions, but I admit to being slightly confused at first by being placed in Studio View when I exited the setup wizard. Had I not taken the time to look at the many tutorial videos in advance of starting my session I would have wondered what exactly I was looking at and how to get back to the more familiar scroll view or page view that I had been accustomed to.
One very nice addition to the Finale 2008 product is the use of Garritan Personal Orchestra Instruments for the playback of your compositions. These synthesized instruments are incredibly lifelike, so much so that when I first had the computer play back my simple composition I was visibly surprised. The Garritan sound fonts are unlike any that I have heard in a software notation product before, and add a lot to the experience. I in turn opened one of the many sample files that are found in the Finale 2008 folder and found that the Garritan sounds are everything that MakeMusic has touted them to be and are a fine practical addition to the overall program.
I ended my first session with Finale 2008 by printing out my new London Bridge score. It is only here that I found that Finale's old nemesis still remains. Since Finale was first introduced I, and many others, have lamented the fact that the printed output is not what is often considered "engraver" quality. In this category it appears that Finale has not attempted to make any inroads against the much more pleasing print quality of other competing music notation software products.
In future weeks I will publish more thoughts on this new version of the Finale music notation software and delve deeper into its many features.
AmEx To Donate To Music Education
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
American Express has announced the top fifty semi-finalists in its philanthropic "Member's Project." A major music education initiative is one of the finalists!
American Express, a USA based credit card company, has announced its list of fifty semi-finalists to be voted on by card members in its "Member's Project." The list of fifty was selected from thousands of community based suggestions for charitable funding. An advisory panel narrowed the list down, and among the semi-finalists is an initiative to:
Young Audiences (YA), the nation's leading source of arts-in-education programs and services, is committed to providing music education to young people. Among our national initiatives is the groundbreaking Arts for Learning project, which includes a substantial music education component. YA's Arts for Learning project provides an effective way to implement the "Preserve Music Education in Our Public Schools" idea for the American Express Members Project.
Arts for Learning is a two-year-old YA project designed to improve students' reading and writing abilities in grades 3-6, using music and other art forms. An independent evaluation of the fall 2006 field test of the first two Arts for Learning units of instruction in four school districts within three local YA chapters demonstrated positive, measurable effects of the Lessons on students' reading and writing.
To read the rest of the article please visit the project site.
American Express card members can go to the Members Project web site and register their vote. Each vote cast will add one dollar to the donation to that cause. The winning project will receive at least one million dollars in donations and up to five million dollars depending on card member response.
“Our Cardmembers are passionate about making a difference, expressing their ideas and supporting causes that are important to them, which was clear from the more than 7,000 project ideas submitted to The Members Project,” said Jud Linville, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Consumer Business, American Express. “We’re encouraging all Cardmembers to make their voices heard by voting for the idea they want American Express to make a reality -- the power is in their hands.”
If you are an American Express card holder get out there and register before the deadline on August 5th! It's easy, free, and a great way to help bolster music education in our country.
- “Preserve Music Education in Our Schools – While the infrastructure of music programs in schools already exists, this project proposes that The Member’s Project supplements adequate funding to strengthen music education.”
Young Audiences (YA), the nation's leading source of arts-in-education programs and services, is committed to providing music education to young people. Among our national initiatives is the groundbreaking Arts for Learning project, which includes a substantial music education component. YA's Arts for Learning project provides an effective way to implement the "Preserve Music Education in Our Public Schools" idea for the American Express Members Project.
Arts for Learning is a two-year-old YA project designed to improve students' reading and writing abilities in grades 3-6, using music and other art forms. An independent evaluation of the fall 2006 field test of the first two Arts for Learning units of instruction in four school districts within three local YA chapters demonstrated positive, measurable effects of the Lessons on students' reading and writing.
To read the rest of the article please visit the project site.
American Express card members can go to the Members Project web site and register their vote. Each vote cast will add one dollar to the donation to that cause. The winning project will receive at least one million dollars in donations and up to five million dollars depending on card member response.
“Our Cardmembers are passionate about making a difference, expressing their ideas and supporting causes that are important to them, which was clear from the more than 7,000 project ideas submitted to The Members Project,” said Jud Linville, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Consumer Business, American Express. “We’re encouraging all Cardmembers to make their voices heard by voting for the idea they want American Express to make a reality -- the power is in their hands.”
If you are an American Express card holder get out there and register before the deadline on August 5th! It's easy, free, and a great way to help bolster music education in our country.
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
Heavy Metal music is as big as it ever has been, and while not everyone likes this genre, no one can deny that it has had a profound influence on music in general.
When a person thinks of music education he or she often does not think about heavy metal music or any currently popular musical genre. While heavy metal may not be the most educational genre in terms of musicality there can be no doubt that heavy metal musicians have had a significant influence on current musical styles and interests. Names such as Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osborne are big right now, decades after their prime has passed. More and more music students are becoming interested in these performers and in their music simply because of the media coverage that they are receiving of late on reality shows such as Gene Simmons' Family Jewels and The Osbornes. Should music educators embrace these performers as an integral part of our musical history? Maybe that answer will be clearer in another fifty years or so, but for now, VH1 has made it possible for all of us to witness a bit of the history of these mega groups in a special documentary titled Heavy: The Story of Metal.
From the VH1 Music Studio Web Site:
This episode of VH1 Music Studio features VH1’s original documentary series Heavy: The Story of Metal, which traces the evolution of heavy metal music and culture from its dark, grim beginnings in Birmingham, England to the worldwide force that it remains to this day. Metal is rude, crude, irreverent, and irrepressibly loud, which is why throughout the years everyone from Black Sabbath to Slipknot have been hated by critics, feared by parents, attacked by politicians, and blamed for most of the world’s ills. Heavy: The Story of Metal, explores four decades of heavy metal music, examining this powerful and often misunderstood genre.
If you would like to brush up on your appreciation of heavy metal music or simply want to impress your kids with your amazing trivial knowledge of Metallica, consider watching this program. If you are a night owl this will not be a problem. If, however, you are like the rest of us and can't bear to stay up past midnight any more you will need to set up your DVR to record the program. Heavy: The Story of Metal Part 2 will play on VH1 on July 3rd at 4am Eastern Time.
To preview the show ahead of time visit the VH1 Music Studio web site. Lesson plans are also available for teachers to use to incorporate this video into your curriculum.
From the VH1 Music Studio Web Site:
This episode of VH1 Music Studio features VH1’s original documentary series Heavy: The Story of Metal, which traces the evolution of heavy metal music and culture from its dark, grim beginnings in Birmingham, England to the worldwide force that it remains to this day. Metal is rude, crude, irreverent, and irrepressibly loud, which is why throughout the years everyone from Black Sabbath to Slipknot have been hated by critics, feared by parents, attacked by politicians, and blamed for most of the world’s ills. Heavy: The Story of Metal, explores four decades of heavy metal music, examining this powerful and often misunderstood genre.
If you would like to brush up on your appreciation of heavy metal music or simply want to impress your kids with your amazing trivial knowledge of Metallica, consider watching this program. If you are a night owl this will not be a problem. If, however, you are like the rest of us and can't bear to stay up past midnight any more you will need to set up your DVR to record the program. Heavy: The Story of Metal Part 2 will play on VH1 on July 3rd at 4am Eastern Time.
To preview the show ahead of time visit the VH1 Music Studio web site. Lesson plans are also available for teachers to use to incorporate this video into your curriculum.
The Benefits of Music Education
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
High quality music education programs deliver more positive academic benefits than do lower quality programs a new study shows.
It has long been said that participating in music increases academic achievement in other areas. Anecdotal evidence of this ideas has been touted by dozens of officials, even by President Bush. True research based evidence of this positive effect has been less prevalent, leading to what some consider a lack of true music advocacy in our public schools. Schools in which music, despite the perceived benefits, continues to be considered a non-essential subject. Now it appears that a new study made public by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has found data that may help change this perception. But the study goes beyond simply stating that music has a positive academic benefit. This study provides evidence that high quality music education programs increase the academic benefits by a larger margin than low quality music education programs.
In a study of 4,739 elementary and middle school students the results were very interesting. Among elementary schools:
The complete results and commentary on this study is available on the NAMM web site.
In a study of 4,739 elementary and middle school students the results were very interesting. Among elementary schools:
- Students in top-quality music programs scored 22 percent better in English and 20 percent better in mathematics than students in deficient music programs. These academic differences were fairly consistent across geographic regions.
- Students at the four elementary schools with high-quality music programs scored better than students participating in programs considered to be of lower quality.
- Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19 percent higher in English than students in schools without a music program, and 32 percent higher in English than students in a deficient choral program.
- Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 17 percent higher in mathematics than children in schools without a music program, and 33 percent higher in mathematics than students in a deficient choral program.
- Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English test scores across the country than students in schools with low- quality music programs; this was also true when considering mathematics.
- Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in English and mathematics than students who had no music at all. Students who participated in low-quality choral programs generally scored the lowest.
The complete results and commentary on this study is available on the NAMM web site.
Peavy Wants To Pimp Your Band Room
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
Does your band's equipment need a face lift? A simple email may help you win your band a ton of new stuff! Read on to find out how!
Is your band room old and tired? Do the sousaphones look like they have seen one too many low doorways? Are you tired of piecing together your drum set from parts you found under the percussion cabinet? If so then Peavy and InTuneMonthly.com want to help you pimp out your band room with a $25,000 makeover.
Think about it, what could your band buy with $25,000 in free equipment and instruments? Past winners have bought enough stuff to start several new rock bands including high end guitars, amplifiers, and microphones. On top of all that great loot they went on to buy instruments that most schools have to beg for like tenor saxes and four valve euphoniums. They even went so far as to get some great music education software from Notion, and a whole ton of new drumsticks, mallets, and other toys.
Entering the contest is easy, just send an email to info@intunemonthly.com with "Ultimate Music Room Makeover" in the subject line, and then tell them exactly why you think they should choose your music room as the winner. The winning school will be notified by August 1st, which for most schools is in plenty of time to celebrate before classes resume this fall. They'll even come to your school to deliver the goods, take pictures, and do a little happy dance with you to show off your good fortune. Students, can you think of a better way to get in good with your band director than to win him or her $25,000 in equipment and supplies? Who knows, maybe he will even let you have a little input on what color the band's new bass guitar should be.
Hurry though! The submission deadline is June 15th, 2007!
Think about it, what could your band buy with $25,000 in free equipment and instruments? Past winners have bought enough stuff to start several new rock bands including high end guitars, amplifiers, and microphones. On top of all that great loot they went on to buy instruments that most schools have to beg for like tenor saxes and four valve euphoniums. They even went so far as to get some great music education software from Notion, and a whole ton of new drumsticks, mallets, and other toys.
Entering the contest is easy, just send an email to info@intunemonthly.com with "Ultimate Music Room Makeover" in the subject line, and then tell them exactly why you think they should choose your music room as the winner. The winning school will be notified by August 1st, which for most schools is in plenty of time to celebrate before classes resume this fall. They'll even come to your school to deliver the goods, take pictures, and do a little happy dance with you to show off your good fortune. Students, can you think of a better way to get in good with your band director than to win him or her $25,000 in equipment and supplies? Who knows, maybe he will even let you have a little input on what color the band's new bass guitar should be.
Hurry though! The submission deadline is June 15th, 2007!
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
Need a rainy day activity for your kids? Why not work some music into it with these fun online musical activities!
Finding fun and entertaining musical activities for kids during the summer months can be a lot of fun for the entire family. I have compiled a list of several online activities that you can share with your kids while helping them learn more about music!
- Dragon Tales sing-along at PBSKids.org. For the younger kids in the house that are a fan of the Dragon Tales series, what could be more fun than singing along with their favorite tunes from the Dragon Tales Singing Springs? There are several different songs for each of the main Dragon Tales characters plus there are many other fun activities on the site as well. In order to play the music you will have to have RealPlayer installed on your system.
- Does your child envision himself as a DJ one day? With the Turntables web site you can create your own basic beat and scratch patterns to listen to. Scratch away!
- If you have the free Shockwave Flash plug in installed on your browser your kids will love playing with Aaron Siegel's drum and bass application. Drag any of the various parts (including the big target itself) around the screen to play with the various pieces of the ensemble. The closer the individual pieces get to the center of the target the louder they become.
- All kids love playing in tents! On a rainy day, make a big tent in your living room from bed sheets and chairs and have an indoor camping trip! Sing a few songs like the ones detailed in my article about traditional summer camp songs and let your kid's imagination run wild!
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
In a recent article I listed several of the most popular pieces of patriotic music. This post shows you where to find audio, lyrics, and sheet music to many more.
Patriotic music for your fourth of July celebration is easy to find if you know where to go looking. There are many different places around the Internet that you can find recordings and sheet music to various pieces of traditional patriotic music, but the quality and variety of their information varies greatly from site to site. Take a look at these suggested web sites for all of your flag waving, toe tapping, patriotic needs!
The Wikipedia Songs Project- American Patriotic Music
All the information and links you could need to dozens of pieces of patriotic music from the United States. The landing page is not incredibly useful, but scroll to the bottom to see the listing of all cataloged patriotic songs in the Wikipedia database. Each of the individual song pages has a list of additional references that you can use as well.
Play a game of Name That Tune with your kids or other family members.
All the information and links you could need to dozens of pieces of patriotic music from the United States. The landing page is not incredibly useful, but scroll to the bottom to see the listing of all cataloged patriotic songs in the Wikipedia database. Each of the individual song pages has a list of additional references that you can use as well.
Kid's Pages at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Play a game of Name That Tune with your kids or other family members. Visit this NEIHS page and you will be treated with a list of audio files. Play each file in your browser, name it, and then check to see if you were correct! The songs start out pretty easy but get more difficult as you go down the page.
Free Patriotic Sheet Music At MusicEdMagic
If you are simply looking for sheet music to sing or to play on your clarinet, flute, trumpet, or any other concert band instrument, check the collection of full size printable sheet music available on this site. Current sheet music includes the Star Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle, My Country Tis' Of Thee, and many others.
The Wikipedia Songs Project- American Patriotic Music
All the information and links you could need to dozens of pieces of patriotic music from the United States. The landing page is not incredibly useful, but scroll to the bottom to see the listing of all cataloged patriotic songs in the Wikipedia database. Each of the individual song pages has a list of additional references that you can use as well.
Play a game of Name That Tune with your kids or other family members.
All the information and links you could need to dozens of pieces of patriotic music from the United States. The landing page is not incredibly useful, but scroll to the bottom to see the listing of all cataloged patriotic songs in the Wikipedia database. Each of the individual song pages has a list of additional references that you can use as well.
Kid's Pages at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Play a game of Name That Tune with your kids or other family members. Visit this NEIHS page and you will be treated with a list of audio files. Play each file in your browser, name it, and then check to see if you were correct! The songs start out pretty easy but get more difficult as you go down the page.
Free Patriotic Sheet Music At MusicEdMagic
If you are simply looking for sheet music to sing or to play on your clarinet, flute, trumpet, or any other concert band instrument, check the collection of full size printable sheet music available on this site. Current sheet music includes the Star Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle, My Country Tis' Of Thee, and many others.
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
There is a need for experienced buglers to assist in the National Day of Remembrance in Washington DC this coming memorial day. Are you willing to answer the call?
Everyone has heard the hallowed notes of a bugler performing the song "taps," for a veteran's funeral. Although the song , and bugle playing in general, is used on many other occasions, the most reverent and most honored is when this simple melody is played in respect to those who have given their lives in the service and protection of our country and our way of life.
Over the years, buglers have become a very rare commodity, so much so that in 2003 the United States Government approved the use of an electronic bugle, known as a ceremonial bugle, to stand in whenever a real bugler was unavailable for a veteran's funeral. While not ideal, these electronic bugles still provide a sense of honor and respect during a family's time of sorrow.
One can only hope that none of these electronic instruments will be used at 3pm on this coming Memorial Day (May 28, 2007) during the National Moment of Remembrance. In fact, the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC) is putting out a call for any and all interested buglers that might be interested in playing for an event in our nation's capital on that hallowed day. Musicians that are interested in this opportunity should contact stephaniej@menc.org for further information.
Over the years, buglers have become a very rare commodity, so much so that in 2003 the United States Government approved the use of an electronic bugle, known as a ceremonial bugle, to stand in whenever a real bugler was unavailable for a veteran's funeral. While not ideal, these electronic bugles still provide a sense of honor and respect during a family's time of sorrow.
One can only hope that none of these electronic instruments will be used at 3pm on this coming Memorial Day (May 28, 2007) during the National Moment of Remembrance. In fact, the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC) is putting out a call for any and all interested buglers that might be interested in playing for an event in our nation's capital on that hallowed day. Musicians that are interested in this opportunity should contact stephaniej@menc.org for further information.
Band Audition Deadline Extended
Posted by
Chad Criswell
Chad Criswell
The deadline for submitting audition materials for the 2008 All American Marching Band has been extended to May 25, 2007.
I has been announced the the Music Educator's National Conference (MENC) has extended its deadline for accepting audition materials for the 2008 All-American Marching Band from the original deadline date of April 8th to the new date of May 25, 2007. Interested music students that will be high school seniors next January are eligible to apply. Only ninety musicians from the entire United States will be accepted into this honored group.
Students must complete an application form and submit audio recordings of selected musical etudes as well as a solo of the student's choice. PDF copies of the required music are available on the All American Marching Band information page located on the MENC web site. Students may audition on most common marching band instruments, including piccolo, clarinet,alto sax, tenor sax, trumpet, mellophone, trombone, euphonium, tuba, snare drum, or multi-tenor drum. Interestingly, acceptance into this group is not based solely on musical talent. Applicants must complete an application which includes information regarding their personal scholarship, community citizenship activities, and community service activities. The MENC also offers a basic list of frequently asked questions regarding the application and admission process. There is a $20 non-refundable application fee.
Sponsors of this event include Drum Corps International and American Musical Salute, the coordinators of the National Anthem Project which concludes this summer. The primary sponsor is Sportslink, in conjunction with their organization of the 2008 All-American Bowl to be held on January 5th.
Students must complete an application form and submit audio recordings of selected musical etudes as well as a solo of the student's choice. PDF copies of the required music are available on the All American Marching Band information page located on the MENC web site. Students may audition on most common marching band instruments, including piccolo, clarinet,alto sax, tenor sax, trumpet, mellophone, trombone, euphonium, tuba, snare drum, or multi-tenor drum. Interestingly, acceptance into this group is not based solely on musical talent. Applicants must complete an application which includes information regarding their personal scholarship, community citizenship activities, and community service activities. The MENC also offers a basic list of frequently asked questions regarding the application and admission process. There is a $20 non-refundable application fee.
Sponsors of this event include Drum Corps International and American Musical Salute, the coordinators of the National Anthem Project which concludes this summer. The primary sponsor is Sportslink, in conjunction with their organization of the 2008 All-American Bowl to be held on January 5th.
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