Here is a list of new items available for purchase at the IHS Online Music Sales page. These works were all written by John Graas, Jr. and edited by Jeff Snedeker.

Block Sounds

Block Sounds was recorded in Los Angeles on August 15, 1957, and released on Graas's album Coup de Graas. In the album’s original liner notes, jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote:

Written in a modern jazz vein but with traditional roots, it is based on a 32-bar pattern with solos by Pepper, Collette, Cooper, Moer, and Clark. It goes out lightly without any climactic pretension.

It is scored for horn, alto sax, tenor sax, trombone, piano, bass, and drums (with alternate parts for trumpet, alto sax, horn, baritone sax, and tuba). 

Blue Haze

Blue Haze was recorded in Los Angeles in June of 1953 and released on Graas’s album French Horn Jazz in 1957. It is scored for horn, tenor sax, piano, bass, and drums.

Mood

Mood was first recorded in July 1956 by the Westlake College Quintet and released on Complete College Goes to Jazz. In the liner notes for the Quintet recording, John Tynan of Down Beat magazine wrote:

Redolent of a restless Caribbean night. From the almost mournful opening theme in minor to the brief solo spots assigned [to] Firmature, McDonald, and Fritz, the feeling of tropic unease is sustained throughout. There is atonal voicing in the dissonant intervals between the horns [i.e., winds] in the first 16 bars, with a rhumba beat lurking in the background. A straight jazz 4/4 beat takes over on the bridge with the horns modulating into intervals of thirds. Firmature’s contrasting tenor work, from pretty to nearly shouting, is notable.

It is scored for horn, tenor sax, piano, bass, and drums (with alternate parts for horn, alto sax, tenor sax, and trombone). 

Rogeresque (1955 version)

Rogeresque was composed as a tribute to Grass’s friend and mentor Milton “Shorty” Rogers. Rogeresque was recorded two different times, first in 1955 for seven parts and again in 1957 in a quintet version. Tom Mack, writer, critic, and publicity staff member at Decca Records, describes the piece:

One of the two major influences (the other is, of course, Gerry Mulligan) on Graas’s approach to jazz composition is his friend Shorty Rogers, whom John salutes herewith. In addition to the fine horn performance, this selection highlights the beauty and inventiveness of Mariano’s alto and Candoli’s trumpet.

This version is scored for alto sax, trumpet, horn, guitar, piano, bass, and drums.

Rogeresque (1957 version)

 Of this later arrangement, jazz critic Leonard Feather wrote:

Rogeresque is played by the small group…opening with eight bars of jumping piano leading into the theme, it proceeds to some pleasantly casual jazz on the traditional I Got Rhythm changes by Pepper’s tenor (two choruses), then offers 16 measures to Moer and returns to a brief ensemble to seal it off.

This version is scored for horn, tenor sax, piano, bass and drums.

Swing Nicely

Swing Nicely was recorded in Los Angeles on August 15, 1957 and released on the album Coup de Graas. It is scored for flute, oboe, alto sax, horn, trombone (alternate part for tuba), piano, bass, and drums.

by Inman Hebert 

As busy students, we navigate rehearsals, classes, assignments, projects, work, clubs, extracurricular pursuits, and other obligations. Because time is a finite resource, many of us struggle to find time to practice. Luckily, building good time management habits can be learned, and understanding the tools and strategies to manage our time consciously reduces stress, increases productivity, and prioritizes our activities.

To begin this process, we must evaluate how we spend our time. Examine commitments to determine if they align with priorities and interests. Identify time spent browsing social media, chatting, playing video games, and watching streaming services or live sports. Think about breaks between classes. This time accumulates throughout the day, detracting from productivity. In scrutinizing time management, we must visualize our future and examine whether it matches our intention.

To begin improving time management, leverage technology by creating a planner. Enter all classes, tests, deadlines, assignments, appointments, rehearsals, performances, and other time commitments. On this planner, try to schedule practice times. Too often, with busy schedules, it is easy to believe that we will practice music when we get around to it; however, without scheduling practice time, music loses priority in our lives. Do not wait until you are in the mood to practice, because motivation follows action.

While planners help us visualize our obligations, we must also understand what is necessary for completion. We underestimate the time required to complete work. Break longer-term projects into smaller tasks and set incremental deadlines. Try to create a realistic timeline but build in a buffer. Then, in planning ahead at the end of each day, build in accountability. Each weekend, reflect on the past week and prepare for the next week and month. The more routine, the less energy is expended thinking about when and what will be accomplished. Through this process, we can break up long-term practice goals, such as learning concertos or improving aspects of technique.

Using a planner effectively can reduce procrastination; however, inevitably, when we procrastinate, identifying the emotions behind the action can help us move forward. Is there insecurity, self-doubt, or anxiety about a task? If so, starting with a smaller measure of progress can make it more achievable. Is procrastination about infinite choices? Learning to say no sometimes to social invitations can be challenging, but setting boundaries with ourselves and with others helps us focus on our priorities.

Within our allotted practice time, we must also concentrate on one task at a time and stay in the present moment. Multitasking is a myth, so understand the costs of distraction. When switching between tasks, even briefly, for example, to respond to a text, the brain has to refocus and may take over twenty minutes to return fully to the previous activity. Eliminate distractions. Even having the phone within reach can reduce productivity, as willpower must be exerted to resist reaching for it. Our standards for practice assume that the time spent practicing music will be focused and deliberate. In addition to distractions, our sleep schedules can also affect our focus. Getting a reasonable amount of sleep can improve our focus and productivity.

Our commitments must not exceed our capacity to practice music and for self-care. By exercising better time management, we can maximize our available time, and this creates space for fun and balance in our lives, setting us up for success in both the present and the future.

Inman Hebert is a freshman music major at the University of Alabama and a member of the IHS Student Advisory Council.

by Lisa Bontrager, IHS Advisory Council Member

This afternoon, I enjoyed the faculty horn recital of Dr. Sarah Schouten at the Penn State School of Music. Sarah is both my former student and my successor. She played beautifully and boldly. A favorite piece was When I’m Older, by Shanyse Strickland (vol. 6 no. 1, vol. 6 no. 4, vol. 8 no. 12). It allured me into a reflection on my career and what may be ahead for me. After two horn degrees at University of Michigan, I spent two years freelancing in the Cincinnati area, then 37 years teaching and performing at Penn State. And now, I’ve been retired from that job for 3 semesters. I chose to retire on the early side, after a long stint with aging parents and their exhausting care. So now…I am still playing and traveling and teaching, and I am so grateful.

The best things about a horn career are music and people. Playing in a horn section, or in my case, playing tons of chamber music, is a great way to make deep and lasting friendships. Horn players know how to “lean in” and support one another, and I love that! Teaching scores of students has been unbelievably rewarding and that, certainly, is really all about the people. I am going to have the opportunity to keep it going with my ’23-24 position at the University of Kentucky with a Recurring Guest Artist Residency where I will augment the work of Dr. Melanie Kjellsen. I head to Lexington next week and I can’t wait. (If anyone needs a sabbatical or short-term replacement, please give me a call!)

Another recent highpoint was attending the 55th annual IHS Symposium in Montréal. Again, the music and horn playing were inspiring, and seeing old friends was energizing. My weeks are filled with just enough performing as I continue to play in the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra (moving down to second horn has been awesome), Penns Woods Music Festival, Masterworks Festival, and in my position as third horn in the Punta Gorda (Florida) Symphony. I even have a “reunion” gig with the Millennium Brass coming up later this month.

These playing and teaching opportunities keep me moving forward, practicing, seeing old friends, and meeting new ones. I am grateful to be exhausted by three darling grandbabies, ages 3 and under. I am blessed, and “when I’m older,” I hope to continue to enjoy both music and friends.

I made a CD in honor of my aging father who loved hymns. Please enjoy his favorite, It is Well With My Soul.