J.W. Pepper, the world’s largest sheet music retailer, has been in business for nearly 150 years. In that time, we’ve sold an extensive range of products, and we even helped design the first sousaphone which is on display in our headquarters!
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the items you may not have known that we have available for purchase. Some of these products have been part of J.W. Pepper’s inventory for years, while others are relatively new. We’re always working to expand our product offerings to serve music teachers, performers, and directors everywhere!
1. Color Guard Flagpoles and Rifles
J.W. Pepper is now your source for all things marching arts! We have always supported the music of the band, and in 2022, we began helping to tell the visual story by adding flagpoles and rifles for color guard to our inventory.
Coming in all standard colors—gold, silver, white, and black—flagpoles from Director’s Showcase International (DSI) are a marching standard. We have five-foot through seven-and-a-half foot poles as well as flagpole weight anchor kits and vinyl pole caps.
Along with flagpoles, we carry DSI rifles and related accessories in all the standard sizes. Rifles come with gold, silver, or black bolts and with or without a strap.
2. Marching Shoes
Also in the marching arts category, J.W. Pepper stocks shoes for marching band and color guard.
On our site, you’ll find the DSI MTX Marching Shoe and the DSI Velocity Marching Shoe. These shoes are the gold standard for marching footwear: both the MTX and the Velocity are styles of choice for the country’s top marching bands and drum corps! Each is available in all men’s and women’s sizes and in both black and white.
3. Chairs
Moving indoors: chairs may not be the most exciting purchase to consider—but the right ones make a major difference for both ensemble members and directors.
J.W. Pepper stocks every chair from the Wenger Corporation. The Student Music Chair—the ubiquitous model found in almost every school music room—promotes correct posture and can be fitted with right or left hand table arms.
A step up from the Student Music Chair, the padded and upholstered Musician Chair is a great choice for keeping students comfortable throughout longer performances and rehearsals.
For professional level musicians, the adjustable Symphony Chair provides two optimal playing positions for string and wind players. The Symphony Chair is also padded and upholstered, and it features a molded high-density foam seat and back.
We even offer chairs designed for specific instrumentalists as well as directors! The Cellist Chair helps to keep cellists stable and comfortable while in the optimal lean-forward playing position, and the Sousaphone Chair supports the instrument to make playing easier and less cumbersome. Finally, the ergonomic and adjustable Conductor’s Chair provides elevation to give you better visibility and control while seated.
Keep all these chairs organized and transport them easily with Wenger’s Chair Mover and Storage Cart. Go to our site to see even more varieties and styles.
4. Music Stands
To play or sing from sheet music, you’ll need to put it on a stand! We have you covered in this area, from industry standard Manhasset and Wenger stands to travel stands for early beginners. Plus, J.W. Pepper carries the Hamilton KB100 Music Stand Storage Cart, which can make it very easy to organize and move your stands.
In addition to sheet music stands, we sell microphone stands! Samson boom microphone stands and straight stands are great for amplifying and recording your ensembles.
J.W. Pepper also carries percussion cymbal stands and hardware. You can order Gibraltar Drum Set Hardware Packs from us in full kits that include a hi hat stand, a snare stand, a straight stand, a boom stand, and a pedal. The kit even includes a rolling case for transporting all the equipment!
For speakers, we offer stands sold in singles and in pairs, including the Samson Expedition Single LS40 Speaker Stand and the Samson LS50P Speaker Stand Set.
5. Portable Speakers and PA Systems
The Expedition XP310w, a rechargeable portable speaker from Samson with 33 watts of power, 12 hours of battery life, and Bluetooth® connectivity, works very well with the aforementioned LS50P Speaker Stand Set (also from Samson). This speaker is a great choice for rehearsals! There are several models available—browse the full list to find one that best fits your needs.
Also available on the J.W. Pepper site, the MegaVox PRO Deluxe AIR Package is the industry standard portable PA speaker system. Ideal for voice amplification over long ranges, this speaker system also has built-in Bluetooth and can connect wirelessly to other MegaVox AIR speakers.
6. Drumsticks, Heads, Hardware, and Kits
Percussionists, rejoice! J.W. Pepper carries a huge variety of accessories and equipment just for you, including coated and clear batter and resonant drumheads from Remo, Evans, and more. We have marching hybrid snare drumheads from both of these manufacturers as well, including bass heads, tenor heads, and even System Blue percussion from Evans!
We offer all Vic Firth drumsticks, including signature marching sticks from Paul Rennick, Tom Aungst, and Colin McNutt along with the classic SD1 sticks. Pepper also sells the Innovative Percussion Marching Stick Bag and practice pads from Innovative Percussion, Remo, Vic Firth, and RealFeel by Evans. These accessories, along with wire brushes, mallets, and much more, are great additions to your order the next time you’re in search of band repertoire!
In addition to the Gibraltar Hardware Packs that we mentioned in the Music Stands section, J.W. Pepper has full drum kits from major brands including Gretsch and Ludwig. Choose from several finishes and options, from standalone kits to full kits that include hardware and cymbal packs.
For electronic drummers, we carry the Roland TD-11 K-S V-Drums Electronic Drum Kit and the Roland TD-4KP V-Drums Electronic Drum Kit. Both kits are easy to use and work well for drummers of all skill levels.
7. Risers
You may not think of us as a source for furniture or large stage items, but we have many types available!
The NPS Three-Level Choral Risers feature an 18 inch by 96 inch platform and can be fitted with gray, blue, black, or red carpeting.
We also carry the Signature Choral Riser from the Wenger Corporation in both three-step and four-step variations and with optional side rails.
For a major step up (literally!), go with the StageTek Riser Set, also from Wenger. This set is so easy to set up and tear down that Wenger claims a crew of two can set up a 12-deck stage in under 30 minutes!
There are several more options available on our site. Click here to shop our full selection of choral risers.
8. Acoustical Shells
To go along with the choral risers, you may wish to consider an acoustical shell. The lightweight Portable Acoustical Shells from Travelmaster can improve the acoustics of any venue.
These shells are easy to set up, tear down, and transport to performances. Choose from a basic three-shell set with two filler panels and a larger option for full choirs that includes five shells and four filler panels.
Improving acoustics isn’t just for vocalists! To help with sound reduction for drum sets and other percussion instruments, J.W. Pepper also carries a clear Drum Sound Shield that includes five-and-a-half foot by two foot acrylic panels that fit together with flexible hinges.
9. Brass, Woodwind, and String Accessories
Every director and instrumentalist needs accessories, and J.W. Pepper has you covered with an entire accessories catalog that includes reeds, mouthpieces, strings, and much more!
Highlights include Rico clarinet reeds (sold in boxes of three, 10, 25, and 50), the Yamaha 4C Alto Sax Mouthpiece, and the silver-plated Bach Trumpet Mouthpiece in a variety of sizes. For orchestral musicians, we carry Super-Sensitive Red Label Violin, Viola, and Cello strings, Jade rosin, rosin remover, and much more.
Go to our Woodwind Accessories, Brass Accessories, and String Accessories pages to see all the products we have to offer!
10. Front Ensemble Carts and Field Carts
In addition to the marching arts products we mentioned in the start of this article—color guard equipment, marching shoes, and so on—we now carry many types of front ensemble equipment carts from top brands including Pageantry Innovations and Corps Design. It’s important to have carts and equipment that are tough, durable, and feature large wheels to protect your valuable instruments and gear.
We sell Corps Design’s Round Stage, which is perfect for highlighting a soloist on the field, along with their Dual Speaker Cart, Lightweight Synth Cart, and specialized equipment including their Adjustable Sideline Screen and rolling prop tower.
From Pageantry Innovations, we have Speaker Carts; Single, Double, and Triple Mixer Carts; Enclosed Synth Carts which both protect your synth and provide a stand from which players can perform; and Floor Carts for both indoor drumline and indoor color guard.
While this last item isn’t specifically for your front ensemble, just about every marching arts group has uniforms—and the rugged, versatile Uniform Cart from Wenger Corporation holds up to 24 of them.
Like all the marching arts accessories we carry, Pageantry Innovations and Corps Design carts are industry standard equipment. All the top bands and drum corps in the country use these products, and now you can get them from the world’s largest retailer of sheet music!
You already know us as the place where you can get your sheet music. Now, you can count on us to supply many more of your program essentials while providing the same high level of service and satisfaction guarantee. This article is by no means a full list: go to our website and search each product category to find even more for your performing ensemble, elementary or secondary music classroom, or church ministry.
We hope you found this list helpful! Would you like to see an in-depth review of any of these products or hear more about what we have to offer? Let us know in the comments!
