Performing artists and teachers often speak of the huge impact "Center" has upon their profession and craft. In this book, conductor and educator James Jordan details how the power of Center grounds performance, teaching, and learning, bringing the reader full circle to the ideas first introduced in his best-selling book, "The Musician's Soul." Nova Thomas, an acclaimed singer and master teacher, relates how she employs Centering in her work preparing actors and vocalists for their life on the stage. The insights of these two renowned teachers reveal the importance of Centering in the day-to-day life for all performance, artists, and teachers - illustrating the "hows" and "whys" of Centering, and how Centering can transform one's performance and teaching. The authors also cover the groundbreaking contribution of M.C. Richards, whose efforts to define Center profoundly shaped the creative life of all musical and dramatic arts in the United States. The book also covers: a definition of Center; the importance of knowing "The Crossing Point"; an overall philosophy of Centering; aspects of Spiritual Center; aspects of Physical Center and Grounding; breath exercises to access Center; performance/teaching focus as an aspect of Center; the application of Stanislavski's Circles of Attention to performance, teaching, and conducting; the role of Centering in the development of the creative arts; insightful applications of Centering by the authors to all performing artists and teachers; the role of focus and its use in performance, teaching, and conducting; and how to achieve authenticity, honesty, and spiritual presence in both performance and teaching. This beautiful illustrated book is an invaluable resource for performers, actors, conductors, and teachers!

Here is all the information a music educator needs to fine-tune ensembles. Contents cover the origin of our pitch tuning standard; the best tuning notes for each instrument; 14 steps for tuning chords; how to properly tune brass slides; and much more. In addition, intonation charts for each instrument show pitch tendencies and alternate fingering suggestions. The most complete intonation resource for band directors!

Here's a concise and easy to understand reference for the instruments of the concert band. It provides a detailed guide to intonation tendancies for each instrument as well as solutions for each problem. Comprehensive and practical, it's ideal for use in rehearsals and practice.

Editors' Choice
The invaluable information contained in this book is based on the work of cellist and educator William Conable. He developed the concept of Body Mapping to free the body and mind to move and make music naturally and expressively. This spiral-bound book is written clearly and concisely. It can be effectively applied by all types of musicians including instrumentalists, pianists and singers. It describes the structure and movement of the head and neck; the spine; the torso; the legs; the arms the hands and the head. It details brain and movement; Body Mapping; how to support the instrument and breathing. You'll immediately be equipped to apply the concepts to yourself and educate your students.

This new publication is an extension of Battisti's"The Winds of Change," which traced the development of the American wind band/ensemble in the twentieth century. This book covers all the important conferences, concerts, events, initiatives, and compositions created for wind bands/ensembles during the first decade of the twenty-first century. In gathering information for this book, the author examined hundreds of scores, listened to dozens of recordings, attended conferences, interviewed wind band/ensemble director-conductors, and surveyed numerous professional journals and magazines. The result is a book that provides a panoramic view of the American wind band/ensemble scene from 2000-2010.

This book offers discussion on the important wind band personalities and organizations of our time, and provides useful information on hundreds of compositions for the modern band.