SI Soloist
Alfred Music has introduced Sound Innovations Soloist for Intermediate Musicians, a collection of original solo repertoire for winds, strings, or percussion. Suitable for concert or contest, the collection includes a variety of styles and a diverse group of composers. Advice and tips from the composers are included. Each solo also includes preparatory exercises exclusively on the MakeMusic Cloud. The books are available for $12.99 at music stores, online retailers, and alfred.com.
Weaver to Lead Music for All
Doug Pileri, Chairman of the Board of Music for All, has announced that James Weaver has been selected to become CEO and President of Music for All. In announcing the end to the national search, Pileri praised Weaver’s “experience and understanding of the ecosphere” along with his leadership and collaborative approach. After earning his doctorate in 2014 from the University of South Dakota, he transitioned into teaching and later began working in administration at the state and national levels. This appointment coincides with the 50th Anniversary of Music for All. Weaver starts in his new post in August 2025. musicforall.org
New Book from Compass Rose Publishing
Music educator and author Lindsey Williams has written a new book, Where the Valley Widens. Using elements of creative non-fiction, Williams tells an uplifting story of passion and persistence as she navigates helping students progress from elementary school to high school graduation. On the journey, she navigates daily challenges and a catastrophic flood that tests the entire community.
Instrumentalist readers may remember Williams’ 2022 article about a unique project to honor the history of her school’s music program. That project included collaboration with the legendary Frank Battisti and a commission by composer Dana Wilson. The new book by Lindsey Williams is available from various bookstores. compassrosepublishing.com
Hal Leonard Flex Series
Hal Leonard has released its Flex-Pops series for winds and strings to help educators cope with an unbalanced instrumentation or ever-changing student enrollment. These collections feature popular songs arranged to be performed by soloists, duets, or trios, with the same or mixed instrumentation. Every book includes a three-part score, making the series helpful for small or blended ensembles, group lessons, assessments, solo practice, and performances. The debut release in the series is Disney, featuring 16 popular songs. halleonard.com
Met Museum Adds Guitar Collection
The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently announced that it has received a landmark gift of more than 500 of the finest guitars from the golden age of American guitar making, from 1920 to 1970. The collection includes Leo Fender’s first guitar, made in 1948; a Gibson 1955 J-50 acoustic guitar used by Delta blues musician Mississippi John Hurt; and the 1959 sunburst Les Paul guitar used by Keith Richards during The Rolling Stones’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. metmuseum.org
Midwest Clinic Scholarships
The Midwest Clinic Foundation Scholarship covers the cost of attendance at the December conference for five deserving music educators who have never had the opportunity to attend the Midwest Clinic. Applications are due by August 31 and can be completed online. Recipients will receive full registration to the 79th Midwest Clinic, a $500 travel stipend, three nights of hotel accommodations, and a one-year subscription to the Midwest Clinic Online Education portal (learning.midwestclinic.org), midwestclinic.org
MidAmerica Productions Releases 2025 Concert Season
MidAmerica Productions recently unveiled its 42nd season at Carnegie Hall with a lineup of concerts celebrating the power of music to inspire and connect people. The season includes the return of New England Symphonic Ensemble for several concerts. The ensemble will perform the U.S. premiere of Paul A. Aitken’s Missa Pro Terra, conducted by the composer. A concert on May 26 will pay tribute to the late Peter Tiboris, founder of MidAmerica Productions. This performance will feature the talents of the Oxford Philharmonic as well as soloists and choirs from across the United States The season will run through June 29, 2025. midamerica-music.com
Lutefish Featured at TMEA
Lutefish, a music collaboration platform from Wenger Corporation, sponsored the Technology in Music Education Pre-Conference at TMEA in San Antonio. The platform enables musicians to rehearse, teach, and perform in real-time from up to 500 miles away through high-speed internet. The Lutefish Stream delivers 48K audio and latency levels under 30 milliseconds. The platform helps to overcome such obstacles as busy schedules, expensive rehearsal space, and logistical problems.
lutefish.com, wengercorp.com
Virtual Tour of Jupiter
Jupiter Band Instruments has introduced a new virtual factory tour on its website. The tour shows the various stages of the manufacturing process and also highlights sustainability efforts, community engagement, and inspiring stories of musicians.
tour.jupitermusic.com
Jay Kennedy, Northshore Band Honor Mallory Thompson
Let Your Light Shine, a new work by Jay Kennedy, was commissioned by the Northshore Concert Band to honor Artistic Director Mallory Thompson’s two decades of musical leadership. The piece celebrates Thompson for her superb musicianship and ability to motivate Northshore Concert Band and other ensembles to achieve wonderful performances, as well as her knack for communicating with ensemble members in simple and often pithy phrases. The composition received its world premiere on February 16, 2025, at the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on the Northwestern University campus.
northshoreband.org