A page to share digital documents and folders.

Recommended Literature:

• Beginner Bands

Marching Band Drill Writing Software:

• QuickCharts by Eric Combs

Free Music!

• 23+ FREE full band works from composer Tim Smith.
  • The Promised Land
  • HS Band Catalog
  • Young Band Catalog
• COVID - A Song About Us by Joseph Hasper.
  • Parts
  • Score
  • Audio Recording
• Matthew Curley's Website: FULL of free music - mainly percussion, all levels, solos and ensembles. Lots of great content!
• Free marching band warm-ups from Spencer Nance. Follow the link and click on the pdf icon next to "free marching band warmups click here."
• Free compositions at Joel Knecht's website. Joel wrote these full band elementary, middle school, high school, and small ensemble compositions for his own students.
• Beginner: After Midnight and Still, a lyrical "wintery" piece for beginners using the first 6 notes and slow tempo 8th notes. By Steve Graves.
• Grade 1.5 Rock Island Bridge March for Concert Band, by Mark Connor (ASCAP). Copyright 2015 Mark J Connor/SODY Music.
• Grade 3 Mid America March for Concert Band, by Mark J. Connor (ASCAP). Copyright 2015 Mark J Connor/SODY Music.

School band websites with free materials:

• Eric Combs' Free Band Materials
• Mr. Dickson's Band Stuff - Justin Dickson

Do you have a band website with useful information? Email Eric Combs to add it to this site!

Blogs:

• Thoughts From a Beginning Band Director - Eric Combs
• Sound Beginnings Beginner Band Series - Eric Combs
• Middle School Band Maven - Kim Tucker

Podcasts:

• The Band Director's Lounge - Logan Burnside
• Everything Band - Mark Connor
• Leading Band Through Covidland - Lindsey Gardner
• Program Notes: The Beginning Band Director Podcast - John Denis, Ph. D.
• AMusEd: A Music Educators' Podcast - Veronica Tonus, Olin Hannum, Susanna Peeples, John Cargile
• The Growing Band Director Podcast - Kyle Smith.

Free Books!

• I love My Job But It's Killing Me: The Teacher's Guide to Conquering Chronic Stress and Sickness - By Lesley Moffat
• Thoughts From a Beginning Band Director - By Eric Combs
• The RCMS Rank System (Tradition of Excellence Version) - By Eric Combs
• Flue Refresh Book - By Amanda Dame

Flashcards - Contributed by Eric Combs

• First 5 notes in Essential Elements for flute, clarinet, alto sax, trumpet, trombone, and baritone.
• First 5 notes (C-F) for horn.
• First 5 notes in Essential Elements for bass.
• Clarinet high notes. B to F and G to D.
• Enharmonics.

Method Books

• Beginning Band Music Book by Mathew Provino. A free beginner band method bood.
• A set of beginning band method books by Derrick Maxey.

Miscellaneous Free Stuff!

• Awesome PowerPoint Slide Decks for many beginner band songs, by Melissa Carpenter. Great for teaching several different beginner songs. Includes links to background tracks as well!
• "United Lessons," by Peter Sciaino. UNITED was originally designed as a group lesson or ensemble activity book that inspires progress in fundamentals and allows for differentiated instruction. It can also be used for remote learning projects and small group Zoom lessons providing maximum flexibility for music educators.
• www.beginningbandrecruitment.com, a site where you can view recruitment methods (or add your own!) used by other schools, searchable by size and location. By James Colombo and Brad Meyer, presenters at the 2019 Illinois Music Educators' Conference.
• Eric Combs' personal Google Drive folder.