This month we’ve added 17 large ensemble titles to the SmartMusic repertoire library, including pieces for concert band, jazz ensemble, string orchestra, and choir. See all the new repertoire.

In addition, we have:

• Updated three Suzuki viola books (replacing MIDI tracks with audio)
• Added Rubank Book of Flute Solos, Intermediate and Rubank Book of Clarinet Solos, Intermediate
• Integrated the popular choral method Habits of a Successful Choral Musician
• Placed a “Black History Month” tile in the SmartMusic carousel

This month we’d also like to introduce you to our friend, Larry Clark, founder of Excelcia Music Publishing.

Meet Larry Clark

For many years we’ve enjoyed working with Larry Clark due in part to his commitment to the music that educators care the most about, like solos from state lists. Last July Larry launched a new publishing company, Excelcia Music Publishing, and we recently spoke with him about this endeavor.

What is Excelcia Music Publishing’s mission?

Excelcia Music Publishing is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. We publish artistic, high-quality music by composers who are sensitive to and passionate about the needs and educational aspirations of young musicians. Our catalog includes school performance music for concert band, orchestra, and choir, as well as cutting-edge methods, solos and teacher resources.

What sets Excelcia Music Publishing apart?

Because we are led by experienced music educators and composers – as well as a veteran publisher – I believe we are uniquely positioned to link today’s composers with today’s directors and their ensembles. We publish the music and resources educators want, guiding their students to the next levels of musicianship and success. We provide our composers with unparalleled support and respect, creating professional and meticulously-edited music that educators, ensembles, and audiences truly enjoy.

Our tagline is “Music that Inspires.” We support our outstanding composers to provide inspiring music for dedicated teachers to use with and to inspire their students.

In addition to providing excellent music from these composers, we provide teachers with solid resources to help them choose and then use the music with their students. We are doing that in many ways, including professional recordings, score videos, composer podcasts, and the use of technology like SmartMusic.

What are some of the challenges?

Trying to break the mold is always tough. Getting Excelcia Music Publishing out there and letting music directors know that we are new and different and are publishing high-quality music is a challenge. But we have found great success with today’s vehicles for public engagement, like social media, YouTube and podcasts.

How’s it going?

It’s going extremely well. We have been embraced by the music community, and the retail sheet music dealers around the country. We have music from 40+ composers who write outstanding music for choral, band, and orchestra.

What have you published so far?

So far we have released two solo series. Accessible Solo Repertoire by Larry Clark and Tyler Arcari contains 18 solos with piano, written at the grade 2 to 3 level for adjudication or recital purposes. There are six books in the series for the major wind instruments and violin. Each book contains a code once purchased that the customer can use on our website to download recordings of the piano solo and accompaniment parts. There are also full recordings of the solos for listen and study.

Legacy Solo Series contains, as of now, ten standard repertoire solo pieces with piano for many different instruments. All of these solos appear on many state festival lists for use at adjudicated festivals. This series provides performers with new editions that are meticulously edited and beautifully set, and they also come with piano accompaniment recordings that are downloadable from our website.

All of Accessible Solo Repertoire is currently in SmartMusic, and soon all of Legacy Solos will be, too.

Try the new SmartMusic for free!

What was the inspiration for Legacy Solos?

The idea of the series was suggested to us by a supportive sheet music retailer. They felt there was a need for clear and easy-to-read new editions of many of the standard pieces, since many of the available editions have been the same for a long time (in some cases, 100 years!), and are showing their age.

What’s coming up?

This spring, we will release our first packages of concert band, string orchestra and school choral music! In April, we will release our choral music edited by Jamey Ray, the founder and arranger for the popular group Voctave, and a teacher at Rollins College. Also in April, we will release 27 new string orchestra pieces of various grade levels of difficulty from some of the top composers in the field.

In May, we will release 50 pieces for concert band from many composers you will know, and some exceptional new composers too. All of these releases will come with professional recordings, YouTube score videos, and other resources to help teachers select the music, and use it with their students. What’s more, they’ll be available from the major retail sheet music dealers around the country.

In advance of the big performance releases coming this spring, we will release the Excelcia Music Publishing Ensemble Series this month. The series will include 12 new compositions or arrangement for quartets and quintets of various instrumentations. And in March, we will be releasing a new series of duet books that includes 29 compositions or arrangements by composer/arrangers Tyler Arcari and Matthew Putnam.

A lot of excellent new music is coming soon and it sure is keeping us busy!

We’re excited to continue our working relationship with Larry and publishing many more Excelcia Music Publishing titles in the future.