Written by a renowned composer whose works have been performed by major orchestras around the world, The Study of Orchestration is the only text that explores the characteristics of orchestral instruments and shows students how a master composer approaches orchestration. The fourth edition invites students to experience the instruments through online audio and video recordings and now offers more coverage of writing for band.

Sound Innovations for Concert Band is a revolutionary new method that combines time-tested educational concepts, input from thousands of teachers, and advances in modern technology. Using solid pedagogy that follows state and national music education standards, the methods can be customized by teachers to use their own experiences in creating the best approach for their unique classroom. Sound Innovations is available in two versions: Standard Edition and the custom Director's Choice Edition. Visit www.alfred.com/soundinnovations for more information. This title is available in SmartMusic.

Sound Innovations for Concert Band, Book 2 continues your student's musical journey by teaching with segmented presentation of new concepts and introducing ensemble playing. Isolating concepts and teaching them individually helps facilitate understanding of the more advanced material. Following the unique Sound Innovations organization, the book contains four levels, each of which are divided into several sections that introduce concepts separately and provide plenty of practice and performance opportunities to reinforce each lesson. Visit www.alfred.com/soundinnovations for more information.
"Sound Innovations by Alfred Publishing is a dream-come-true method for beginning concert band and string orchestra. Its infusion of technology provides an open-ended architecture of the first order. This unique blend of time-tested strategies and technology offer a great foundation for a successful learning experience."
?John Kuzmich, Jr., BandDirector.com

The state of contemporary music is dizzyingly diverse in terms of style, media, traditions, and techniques. How have trends in music developed over the past decades? Music Composition in the 21st Century is a guide for composers and students that helps them navigate the often daunting complexity and abundance of resources and influences that confront them as they work to achieve a personal expression. From pop to classical, the book speaks to the creative ways that new composers mix and synthesize music, creating a music that exists along a more continuous spectrum rather than in a series of siloed practices. It pays special attention to a series of critical issues that have surfaced in recent years, including harmony, the influence of minimalism, the impact of technology, strategies of "openness," sound art, collaboration, and improvisation. Robert Carl identifies an emerging common practice that allows creators to make more informed aesthetic and technical decisions and also fosters an inherently positive approach to new methods.