Finding things on FAMIS

Item #: 604335865
Net Price: $16.38
Contract #: 1C50605
Description: BELLS , RESONATOR, 8-NOTE ‘STEP’ SET
U/M: EACH
Manufacturer Name: RHYTHM BAND INSTRUMENTS
Manufacturer Item #: RB2303
Vendor Catalog No: RB2303

The above description comes from the FAMIS site and identifies a staple item for early childhood music: the eight note “step-bell” set. This item is manufactured by Rhythm Band Instruments and can be found on the RBI website for $26.00 plus shipping. The price on FAMIS is $16.38.

On FAMIS, you’ll be ordering the step-bells from the DOE’s contracted vendor: Bronen’s Music, in the Bronx.

Bronen’s “vendor number” is BRO057000. If you search that vendor number on the FAMIS site, you’ll see a 1000-item list of products they offer for DOE customers. If you click on the name (Bronen’s Enterprises, Inc.) you’ll get a vendor listing with contact information. It’s strongly advised that you speak to the vendor personally before placing orders on FAMIS, for help finding things you want, or learning about availability. Naturally, the same is true with any of the other vendors listed above.Next example is a set of Musical Terms and Symbols suitable for a music-room bulletin board.

The item number is #399626654, which refers to a product sold by GRAMCO, a vendor whose glossy catalogs of school supplies are in every main office across the city.

But the FAMIS site’s description shown at left provides the actual manufacturer’s name (McDonald) and a catalog number (MCB964).

Using that information you may be able to find the manufacturer’s website and look up the item and see if it’s what you really want.

Choral Music

The Choral Information Site offers a lot of useful material for directors and teachers.

The Internet Center for Choral Resources serves all choirs (adult, children, church).

The Choristers Guild serves primarily church choirs. Their catalog offers literacy materials and videos, including some on the master teacher Helen Kemp. Kemp’s video, Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice is sometimes hard to find.

At Musicanet, browse through 143,000 choral works available for download, for free.

Singers.com is a wonderful site primarily for a capella singing, and it offers a ton of print resources in its sections on “Teaching  Kids How to Sing.”

Young People’s Chorus of New York City

Books:

• Teaching Kids to Sing by Ken Phillips (Wadsworth, 1996).

• Teaching the Elementary School Chorus by Linda Swears (Parker, 1985).

• Choral Music Experience by Doreen Rao, Vols 1-5, (Boosey & Hawkes, 1987).

• Choral Music for Children. (MENC, 1990).

• We Will Sing! (Boosey & Hawkes, 1994).

P.S. 22 Chorus performances on YouTube

Take a look and listen at some videos of the elementary school chorus at P.S. 22 in Staten Island, including the very strong solos by their young singers.

This is an example of a chorus that uses very up-to-date repertoire — without resorting to karaoke-style unison performances with a digital track.

They have a lot of performances available online at the P.S. 22 Chorus YouTube Channel, and also a blog. On SchoolTube you can watch their rehearsal of the Suzanne Vega song “Language.”

Technology, collaboration and music learning

Classroom 2.0 is a site where people share and discuss their ideas for using Web 2.0 tools in school, and there’s a section devoted to teaching and learning music.

The term “Web 2.0″ refers to the increased interaction between people who post material online and people who look at it, through forums and blogs, social networking, and through online tools for collaboration such as

and

For elementary-age children these can be effective ways to present and demonstrate their learning and their achievement, in ways that can be shared with a broad audience.

YouTube is not generally appropriate for all ages, but has some impressive work by the chorus at Staten Island’s P.S. 22.