Lights, Camera, Practice! An interview with Brian Balmages, creator of the new Foundations Series

Lights, Camera, Practice
Tell us about the Foundations Series. What is it and why are you so excited about it?

I believe this series solves several problems that ensemble conductors and private teachers struggle with on a daily basis:

Motivating their students to practice more Helping students make more of an immediate connection between the music they are playing in band or orchestra and the world around them Achieving more meaningful student engagement during the technique portion of ensemble rehearsals (and for that matter, making technique more fun for students in general!)

Essentially, the Foundations Series is a collection of technical exercises that are set to actual movie soundtracks.

Power Up! Taking Your Clarinets Over the Break

Over the Break

Taking clarinet students “over the break” can be a daunting task for many band directors.  Often, a single method book does not give the students enough access to the needed skill for them to be successful. 

January 2024 Repertoire Update

January 2024 Repertoire Update

In the last month, our Repertoire Development team added 73 interactive tracks across 57 new publications to the Music Catalog. 

Sight Reading Studio Is Free for a Limited Time

Sight Reading Studio Is Free

We have an exciting announcement—Sight Reading Studio is now free for a limited time. We hope this enables even more musicians and music educators to experience how impactful Sight Reading Studio can be to improve sight reading skills.

A Week in Washington, Advocating for Music Education

Advocating for Music Education

Ron Manus, Chief Business Development Officer, Tom Gierke, Senior Vice President, Business Development, and Jennifer Paisley-Schuch, Director, Business Development from MakeMusic and Alfred Music joined a delegation of 85 music and arts advocates, music industry leaders, music teachers and faculty, and business leaders to speak directly to Members of Congress and their staff in support of full funding for quality, comprehensive school music education programs for all children. 

MakeMusic Cloud’s 2023: Wrapped

2023 wrapped

Thank you for being part of the MakeMusic family in 2023. We’ve had a great year and are excited to see what 2024 will bring, but first, we’d like to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together over the past 12 months.