THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

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Marching Band

Sight-Reading Exercises for At-Home Music Practice

Sight-Reading Music Practice Now is the perfect time to work on sight-reading skills. Students can use their moments at home to strengthen their ability to...

Free Virtual Learning Resources from Wingert-Jones Publications

To help teachers adjust to virtual learning situations, Wingert-Jones Publications, J.W. Pepper’s publishing division, is offering free online resources for band and orchestra directors...

5 Tips on Student Retention in Music Ensembles

Have you been in this situation before? It’s the start of the school year. You have returned from a summer of planning and preparation....

How to Plan Visuals, Formations & Choreography for Your Marching Band

The pressure to create visually spectacular marching band shows can be high in the age of short attention spans, reality TV competition shows, and...

Black History Month Songs: Using Music to Teach About the Past

Updated January 2020 The idea for Black History Month was developed during a difficult time for African Americans in the United States. In 1926, segregation...

Avoiding a Sheet Music Emergency

To those of us in the sheet music biz, contest and festival season is also known as "score season." Contests and festivals are great...

Building Successful Band Programs in Smaller Schools

The student population at Louisburg High School where I’m in my 40th year of teaching is about 535 students. Yet we’re proud that more...

Practicing Sight-Reading Year-Round with Your Band

Sight-reading is a wonderful assessment of musical literacy, but it's a skill that takes time to learn. This is why I advocate having an...

Stands Music of the NCAA Basketball Championships!

Exciting, fun, blown away – these are just some of the adjectives and phrases pep band directors have used to describe the experience of...

Protecting Teacher and Student Health with Earplugs at Band Practice

When school is in session, as teachers we all know to stock up on hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and tissues, and schedule the annual...

Music Essentials Checklist

It's back-to-school time! Many of you are already back in the classroom while other teachers are gearing up for the first day. That means...

Favorite Basketball Pep Band Songs of the Final Four

For some, the end of the school year means it’s time to prepare for final exams and start planning summer vacations. But for high...

Taking Your Marching Band to the Next Level

In all areas of the country, marching band is a vital part of the fall high school experience. While the types of bands at...

Choosing Festival Repertoire

Last updated January 14, 2020 You have decided on the trip, made all the preparations, and your students and parent groups have been hard at...

Traveling with Your Music Department

Traveling with your school ensemble can be a wonderful experience for your students and your program. It can help deepen the social ties within...

A History of Service: Editors’ Choice

Part of J.W. Pepper’s dedication to serving musicians entails providing the largest selection of sheet music in the world. While the company has long prided...

Three Marching Band Horror Stories

Trying to keep a rehearsal running smoothly with a collection of musicians is difficult enough as it is.  Add to that the unpredictable outdoors,...

Necessities for Marching Band Maintenance

With limited resources for many music programs these days, proper instrument upkeep has never been more important.  While you need to handle major repairs...

Band Camp: A Crash Course in Life Skills

For some, band camp has concluded and the school year is underway;  for others, camp is in full swing, complete with marching and maneuvering...

Qualities That Make a Great Student Leader in a Marching Ensemble – Part 3

Over the past few posts, we have been discussing the qualities that define an excellent student leader.  The first two traits this three-part series...

Qualities That Make a Great Student Leader in a Marching Ensemble – Part 2

In Part I, we explored the undeniable tie between a student leader’s attitude of service and the ensemble’s willingness to follow a leader who...

Qualities That Make a Great Student Leader in a Marching Ensemble – Part 1

With marching band season gearing up once again, directors find themselves looking to their flock of students in search of that indispensible percentage that...

The Story of John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. in 1854, on G Street near the Marine Barracks. His father, Antonio, played trombone in the U.S. Marine...