Instruments & Gear

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Gear: Sax Accessories

Beginner and step-up saxophone accessories for the education market

With a nearly constant stream of new products coming to market, it can be nearly impossible to stay up-to-date on the latest musical equipment innovations and designs. This can also present challenges in terms of figuring out what equipment to recommend to your beginning and advancing saxophone students. With this in mind, these following reviews of woodwind mouthpieces, ligatures, reeds, and neck-straps for the beginning and advancing students should help provide a starting point as woodwind students consider upgrading their gear.

Jupiter Wave-Line Flutes

The Jupiter 509S and 510ES flutes solve the problem of with the ergonomic concerns many instructors experience while teaching beginning flute students to play. The “Wave-Line” design and shortened length is more ergonomic, and keeps the headjoint in line with the body, promoting correct playing posture.  The 509S model is designed for children from 5 to 8 years of age and features assisted fingering key cups with a specially designed low D body without trill keys.

PreSonus AudioBox iTwo Studio Recording Kit

This special all-PreSonus system combines a USB bus-powered interface for Mac, Windows, and iPad with Studio One® Artist DAW software (Mac and Windows), Capture^tm Duo recording software (iPad), monitoring headphones, a large-diaphragm condenser microphone, Nimbit® Free account, and all necessary cables.

MusicNomad Band & Orchestra and Piano & Keyboard Care

MusicNomad’s additions to its instrument care products include: Valve Oil, T-Slide Trombone Lubricant, Bore Oil, Silver Polish, Lacquer Polish, Polishing cloths for Piano/Keyboard, Brass and Woodwind, String Instrument, Piano ONE polish, Key ONE Key, and Keyboard cleaner.

On-Stage Stands U-Mount Accessories

The TCA1066 Accessory Kit includes a Presentation Grip, two additional Mounting Posts, and a Mounting Post End Cap. The Presentation Grip is a comfortable hard foam sleeve that slides over any u-mount post. The Mounting Post End Cap protects the threading and adds a finishing touch to the post, providing a non-slip contact point. The two additional mounting posts provide extra length with the 5” UM-42 or a lower profile with the 2-3/4” UM-41.

Vandoren M|O Lite Alto Sax Ligature

The M|O LITE is made out of a synthetic material and offers the quick response and resonance of the standard line of M|O inverted ligatures at a lower price point.

Kaces Redesigned Percussion Line

Kaces percussion line includes a broad selection of everyday items such as marching drum stick quivers, snare drum porters, bell kit porters, snare and bell kit duo porters, snare drum backpacks, and bell kit bags. All porters feature durable heavy-duty wheels, convenient telescoping double-handles and either padded shoulder straps or built-in backpack straps.

JazzDeck from NorCal Jazz

The JazzDeck™ “textbook in a box” is designed to help players of all levels build confidence and sharpen their chops as jazz soloists. Comprised of 54 high-grade playing cards color-coded by chord type, the JazzDeck systematically illustrates the ways to excel as a soloist.

Carl Fischer’s 2014-2015 String Orchestra Catalog

The new Carl Fischer Music 2014-0215 String Orchestra features 35 new titles, including a variety of music for all levels featuring some of the best known names in string orchestra writing, such as Alan Lee Silva, Keiko Yamada, Sean O’Loughlin, Joseph Compello, Doris Gazda, Matt Turner, George Sweet, Bill Calhoun, Yukiko Nishimura, Kevin Mixon, Deborah Baker Monday, David Hinds, and Larry Clark, along with new composer James Meredith.

carlfischer.com

Intermediate Studies for Developing Artists for Woodwinds from Meredith Music

Exploring New Electronic Keyboards

Manufacturers discuss the latest keyboard tools for the music classroom

The integration of powerful new software has changed the way many sectors of the music industry have done business, from recording software to live sound and lighting and even at-home guitar rig design. But one segment that’s been poised to take advantage of this shift for years is electric keyboards, specifically those designed in tandem with educational programs.

For both educators and students, it’s all about options, according to Roland key accounts manager Ellen Gonzales. “We, as a consumer nation, have changed the way that we consume things,” she says. “We’re not just looking for things that we can buy to use today. We want something that can grow with us. Just think of iPads – people buy them and then constantly upgrade and add to them. I do think that’s a trend that won’t go away and it’s wise to play into that mentality.”