I am no longer a beginning piano player.  But, don’t worry, that doesn’t mean that I’ve quit.  To the contrary, I have started my first eight-week session of Advanced Recreational Music Making.  Yep, I said advanced.  A classic example of “No Child Left Behind,” you ask?  Who knows, but I’m two weeks in and there’s...

It seems like we're always seeing articles and studies documenting the benefits of music education, and an equal number bemoaning the lack of it.  Nobody at Amro isn't a little heartbroken with each of those articles.  The folks that haven't worked in music education are by and large ones that have benefited from it.  The general manager was a high school trumpet player, our events coordinator played piccolo, and our shipping manager played saxophone.  And some of us just...

Uncle Joe's Book Pick of the Week by Joe Utsey, Print Music Specialist     Many times, we'll have students come in looking for solo or ensemble festival pieces.  One great option is the Standard of Excellence book of Festival Solos, which comes in two ...

  By Frank Cantrell, Sr. I’ve told you before that I love my Roland FP-4 electronic piano.  I’m not backing off of that statement-- but over the Christmas holidays, I played a Steinway-designed Boston acoustic grand piano.  Wow!  They don’t call ‘em grand for nothin.' The first thing that I noticed was how good my...

  PASIC 2009: Day One by Alan Compton, In-store Educational Representative and Percussion Master I wish there were more chances in a year for percussionists to immerse themselves so completely in the world of percussion as they can at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.  ...