What’s the best way to find great music class sheet music for your elementary school band? Do you scour the internet, looking for advice, and free sheet music? Do you spend hours arranging a song so it works for every instrument? Do you waste your time, (and your ink) printing off individual sheets of music for your students?
Lesson books are great for learning, but students also need entire songs to play so they can feel the satisfaction and inspiration they need to continue on with music. A lot of times, finding sheet music is left up to the band director. And it takes a lot of patience, persistence and experience to choose the write songs and have them perfect for your band.
With my 40+ years of experience teaching elementary school band, I’ve collected and arranged over 160 songs for the beginner band musician. I’ve self published the Yankee Collection for alto sax, cello, clarinet, fife, flute, guitar/keyboard, oboe, trombone, trumpet, viola and violin. My goal is to help elementary school band directors find the perfect song for their students, so their students can get the instant gratification of playing a song they recognize and light the spark for them to continue learning music.
The Yankee Collection is full of complete songs (not excerpts), arranged in the best keys and simplified rhythms intended for 5th and 6th grade music students. The collection is composed of familiar songs that are easily incorporated into the school’s curriculum and broken up into sections like folk songs, patriotic songs, beginner songs and many more.
If you’re a music teacher or band director looking for an alternative to sheet music, take a look at the Yankee Collection. Please feel free to email me with any questions you may have.