Free Resources

Free Resources

Chorales & Warm-Ups (http://pmhmusic.weebly.com/band-resources.html)

Phil Hash has transcribed several three- and four-part chorales from various hymnals. They are all in accessible keys and technically very simple to allow students to focus on fundamentals of tone, intonation, and balance. Each instrument has a designated part (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) for all chorales, which simplifies rehearsing individual voices and allows directors to distribute parts to fit the instrumentation of the ensemble.

The warm-ups are nothing revolutionary. They simply consist of basic long tone and scale exercises. Nonetheless, the creative director will find a number of ways to use them.

One Size Fits All Band Books (http://osfabb.com/index.html)

FREE music ideal for small concert bands. This site contains arrangements for flexible instrumentation for grade .5 through 2. There are numerous arrangements of familiar tunes suitable for holiday, patriotic, or other occasions. All parts contain the melody and a harmony line, making these arrangements suitable for soloists, small ensembles, or full band. The director (and students) can arrange these pieces in a variety of ways, or play them as recommended. The percussion parts are optional. GREAT RESOURCE FOR THE SMALLEST OF BANDS!!

TedED Talk on Instrumental Music

This TedED Talk (video) discusses some of the recent research on the potential benefits of playing an instrument might have on brain function. It is under 5 minutes and might be a useful tool on recruiting night or as a link in an email to parents. (http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins?utm_source=TED-Ed+Subscribers&utm_campaign=0fd1ca8b79-2013_09_219_19_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1aaccced48-0fd1ca8b79-47005797)

McCracken MS Band Web Site (http://www.mccrackenband.com/)

Director Chip DeStefano has posted several resources including first lesson practice exercises, recommended repertoire, articles, and free arrangements. This band made its second appearance at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago in 2014.

Band Music PDF Library (http://www.bandmusicpdf.org/)

The Band Music PDF Library offers over 3200 public domain titles from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for free download. Each download includes a full set of parts, a score (if one was published), and biographical information on the composers and arrangers. Although some pieces include modern parts, directors will likely need to transpose Db piccolo and Eb horn for modern instruments. Users can search by title, composer, grade level, genre, publisher, year, and other filters. Organizers continue to add new titles each month.

New National Core Music Standards (http://www.nafme.org/my-classroom/standards/)

On June 4th, 2014, the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards released NEW National Core Arts Standards. NAfME spearheaded the creation of the new music standards, led by a team of hundreds of music educators from across the country with over 1,800 years of combined teaching experience. These new standards are comprehensive, flexible and ready for use.

Assessment and Teacher Evaluation (http://pmhmusic.weebly.com/mi-teacher-evaluation.html)

This web page provides a number of links and resources related to assessment and music teacher evaluation in Michigan. Please feel free to contact Phil Hash at any time with questions.