Music Direct

Thinking of starting a percussion ensemble at your school? Or are you looking to expand your current drumming group? Join presenter Joe Porter tomorrow night for practical ideas and advice! Visit https://musicconferenceab.ca for details; it isn't too late to register!

This year's provincial music conference will be unlike any before. Music Conference Alberta Online offers 19 valuable sessions in four streams band, choir, classroom, and studio between January and April 2021. We invite musicians and music educators from across the province to participate! Given the many challenges musicians and music educators are facing in these COVID times, the Music Conference Alberta Joint Planning Committee identified accessibility and affordability... as top priorities. For that reason, delegates can register for a single stream for $60, 2 streams for $100, or the entire conference for $150. That works out to less than $8 per session. We also wanted to contribute as little as possible to the Zoom fatigue that many of us are feeling. For that reason, we elected to offer conference sessions/webinars over a period of 4 months. If you're not able to attend the livestream presentation, most sessions will be recorded and available 30 days later. This offers some flexibility to delegates and ensures they are able to benefit from the wide variety of conference offerings. Even in these uncertain times, you Alberta's musicians and music educators continue to inspire your students and ensemble members. I believe strongly that those who inspire also need inspiration, and it is my hope that Music Conference Alberta Online will serve as that inspirational resource for many of you. The first session with Indigenous singer-songwriter Leela Gilday on the Power of Music in "Reconciliation" happens this Saturday! Register for Music Conference Alberta: http://www.musicconferenceab.ca/registration1.html The best way to support the Alberta Band Association is by renewing your membership to ensure that we have healthy membership numbers to report to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and other granting agencies. Help us reach our membership target of 300 current and renewed members for 2021! Now more than ever, the ABA is relying on its membership to sustain and support the Association. Memberships expire on August 31. For information on the different types of membership, please visit our website! https://www.albertabands.com/member-types.html

Music directors deserve huge accolades and admiration for being amongst the most imaginative and adaptable people in the school. This applies at all times, but especially so in our current climate. Thank you for; standing on your head, walking on burning coals, and marching to the unsteady and warped beat of Covid, all to keep the music alive for your students. Remember, you are making a difference. And let's hope Covid marches off a cliff soon at a brisk and steady 240 b...Continue reading

Hello! Music directors are using a variety of alternative resources to keep the music going this fall. Thank you for your creative work that enables students to have music, in whatever form that may be right now. Maybe we aren’t where we want to be but we will pull through. If you are playing and singing, absolutely great! If not, below are resources that can help until we are back, or can be great supplements at any time. You may also view alternative resources from ...Continue reading

Upcoming: New Music Virtual Band Session! The links and passcodes to the Zoom meetings are provided below. Saskatchewan/BC/Manitoba... When: Monday August 24th 3.00 pm Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85334670352 Zoom Meeting ID: 853 3467 0352 Zoom Passcode: 776689 Calgary/Red Deer/Southern Alberta When: Tuesday August 25th 3.00 pm Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82433493857 Zoom Meeting ID: 824 3349 3857 Zoom Passcode: 221401 Edmonton/Northern Alberta When: Wednesday August 26th 3.00 pm Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87638527022 Zoom Meeting ID: 876 3852 7022 Zoom Passcode: 737025

This can help make 2020 more hopeful...with a universal message of compassion, kindness, peace, and love to all mankind "The Nine" by Randall Standridge is a moving piece of music the world can use. Written for grade 4 band with solo voice (and entire band singing at the end) this can be a poignant and powerful selection in an upcoming concert program. Of course a performance will have to wait to when schools and bands get back. A unifying and wonderful team-building pursuit for your band, with outreach to the school and community. A great message. At the time of the photo (Midwest Conference 2019) Randall stated it was his favourite composition! Click here to listen and see the conductor score https://musicdirect.ca/product/the-nine-standridge/

Our annual JUNE SALE is on now! Method books, supplies and music with an extra 10% discount! This helps schools with; delayed billing 'till fall on next year’s budget, and an extra discount on low school prices to stretch that budget. Your order is ready at the end of August (or whenever you wish during Covid-19 times). If you need to deplete your current budget before it is lost you may use the sale for that too. Prices will be discounted at time of billing. Extra discount applies to already reduced sale titles for concert band, jazz band and choir too. Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and colleagues! I am thinking of you and thankful for what you do - from our many composer and publisher friends to our various US providers! Looking forward to visiting your country when the border re-opens for conferences, meetings and maybe some mountain biking in Utah! Enjoy your holiday, stay safe! Don Closson

Music directors deserve huge accolades and admiration for being amongst the most imaginative and adaptable people in the school. This applies at all times, but especially so in our current climate. Thank you for; standing on your head, walking on burning coals, and marching to the unsteady and warped beat of Covid, all to keep the music alive for your students. Remember, you are making a difference. And let's hope Covid marches off a cliff soon at a brisk and steady 240 b...Continue reading

Hello! Music directors are using a variety of alternative resources to keep the music going this fall. Thank you for your creative work that enables students to have music, in whatever form that may be right now. Maybe we aren’t where we want to be but we will pull through. If you are playing and singing, absolutely great! If not, below are resources that can help until we are back, or can be great supplements at any time. You may also view alternative resources from ...Continue reading

Music Direct Virtual New Music Session! Please visit our webpage for our virtual zoom session here, where the session chat and timestamps are included; https://musicdirect.ca//music-direct-virtual-new-music-se/