"11 minutes in 7th grade, 8 in 8th grade. 9 for my high school. Your system is incredible." Stacy Briggs, Indiana

"If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend 6 sharpening the ax."
Abraham Lincoln

Teach students to read and write any rhythm in the span of one lesson period. This was even done once with 5th graders, across 2 lesson periods.

In conjunction with Rhythm Readers, I suggest considering Function Chorales & SCALEWORKS! or better yet, The Teaching Suite DVD.

ARTICLE involving MMMS Curriculum by MATT SMITH

Well, Ladies & Gentlemen, this may be the only thing you need read. I am deeply grateful to Glenn and to all those dedicated Teachers who have offered not only their words of support, but their hard work in making a new reality.

"Ok, Steve.  It took me a few days, but I got it.  The music in the STORMFilms™ opening tutorial is JIDAI. And please, feel free to use this testimonial.

PART ONE:

Steve, I've been using your methods for a few years.  But not to the extent of recent, mostly inspired by the STORMSummate.  If you have the chance to go watch Steve work, or work with him, do it.  You WILL be transformed; you will be energized and refreshed and so will your students.

As of this year, ALL students in grades 7-12 know all 15 major scales, thanks to SCALEWORKS™ and the process included therein.  We practice 15 scales almost daily.  The days we do not are spent working on specific scale challenges, be it playing all flats, all sharps, 3 flats and 3 sharps, or 4 and so on and up.  We are exercising more creativity in our scale work than ever before, and it is showing up in the language used in the concert & jazz ensembles.  

The FUNCTION CHORALE™ work we do has added a new dimension to our rehearsing as well, adding transposition at sight, intonation and tuning, creativity and musicianship to the warm-up process.  No longer is warm-up "routine" (a DANGEROUS notion in music!).  Using the FUNCTION CHORALES™ as a blueprint, we have explored the concepts of modality, poly-tonality, chord changes and improvisation, transposition, musicianship and creation.  Student musicians now are beginning to develop a keen sense of musical reasoning.  In one instance, a group of 7th graders and I played a Function Chorale as a trumpet quartet.  The resultant tones were absolutely fantastic.

Using RHYTHM Readers™ as a basis for musical thought in both ensemble and classroom music has really spurred the creative process and understanding of music.  Students in 7th Grade Music have taken rhythmic dictation including examples in alternating meters: 5/4, 3/4, 6/4, and 9/8, 7/8, 5/8 and 3/8, and averaging scores of 80 or better.

At the University level, we are just beginning our journey, although the foundation was laid before them a year in advance.  In a University that is NOT a music school, the concert band has begun to approach tuning and intonation the same way that a professional ensemble does, and is beginning to tackle similar challenges.

The use of PAD Bass, which until this year was used only in my public school job, and not in its ideal way (until this year) has transformed the sound of the ensemble.  When tuning a 7-8 band from the bottom up, we hear such overtones that flutes can be heard... when none are playing.  The smiles and giggles that happened in the flute section were immediate; all because the overtones that THEY would play were already sounding! This is the exact same approach to tuning that professionals use: listening for colors in the sound they want to hear. Yes, Resonant sound IS within the grasp of young students.

In short, the approaches used are NOT gimmicks that force the students into a corner to think a certain way.  It is an approach that, when given creative application and careful thought, brings out of the students the inner musician that is inside of everyone.  There are NO flashy pictures, no cartoon characters, no merchandising or silly pre-packaged and contrived, meaningless pandering.  It all rests on the shoulders of the creative educator to bring about; but trusting in the music that Steve writes even into "exercises" brings about a transformation like no other music.  Be prepared for "lesson books" to take a back seat to musicianship and creativity. PS: I tried desperately to keep it to-the-point; there is so much more...

PART TWO:

Then there is the Music.  This Music is completely different from the typical "band music".    It has depth, meaning and connection both to other works and the world; indeed the Universe around us.  I have been approached after concerts where your Music in on the program by audience members (lately that's nearly every concert I have the privilege of conducting) who always allude to the same idea: they feel the Music very clearly.  One audience member told me it made her toes curl and that she could not believe that these were 7th and 8th graders. Another said, "I laughed, I cried, I felt it all."  

THIS is why people go to concerts; THIS is the purpose of all art: to make you feel, think and react, and to take those lessons and apply them to yourself.  There is a definite lesson in all of Steve's Music that does lift one and give hope.

There is an energy created by his Music and the pedagogical approaches necessary to fully realize it.  Each ensemble takes on that energy with tremendous drive.

There is a very interesting video on YouTube where John Corigliano is discussing the role of the composer in an address to the Pittsburg Symphony board, and how the symphony orchestra has evolved over the years.  According to Mr. Corigliano, the contemporary orchestra dates to Mahler's time.  There are no saxophones presently on consistent payrolls; and nearly no electronics used at all.  

In contrast, Steve's Music, looks forward.  He has, with the use of PAD Bass, voice sounds, harp sounds (most schools I know do not have harp players, so most will need to synthesize them), and recently, the innovative use of video, creating new forms entirely, in such works as LAST WORLD STANDING & THAT WE MIGHT LIVE, to pre-recorded sounds as in OUR TIME as a SONG in the UNIVERSE and The UNIVERSE BELOW broken ground and explored areas not explored by "commercial" composers.  

From its inception, with part distribution on CD-ROM, STORMWORKS has been ahead of the curve by a good decade.  This is the breath of fresh air needed in todays music world. With arts organizations beginning to experience financial difficulty, and so many classical concert goers having "white hair", it is now left to the younger generation to become supporters of the arts.  Music with meaning (such as Stephen Melillo's) does much to create this future audience.  His is Music for its own sake, not created to fill a contractual need or pre-determined output with specified borders and boundaries." Glenn Roberts, Lisbon Central School & St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY

"Stephen - I was at the conducting symposium in Greeley and saw you present - it was inspiring to say the least. I purchased the ScaleWorks, Rhythm Readers and Function Chorales (an investment) and have begun using the ScaleWorks with my 8th graders. The process is incredible! After introducing the concept Tuesday, practicing, and reinforcing yesterday, one of my weakest players was able to construct and play C# Major - flawlessly. The class sat in shocked silence before erupting in cheers. He left yesterday feeling like a king and I left knowing that any student can have success in music."

Amen.

"I have never left a professional conference so inspired, excited, or energized. So much of what we see as music educators is "same old, same old," or slight variations on the techniques used to teach music to our grandparents. Seeing you teach in such a different mode, without holding any knowledge or passion back was a breakthrough for me, more valuable in many ways than some graduate courses I have taken. I know that my students see a passion in me that they have not seen in a long time. Thank you so much for the inspiration and guidance!" Justin Mavity, Laredo Middle School

"Hi Stephen - I recieved your teaching tools DVD recently, and have been using your methods in all of my classes. I cannot believe how much I am able to teach in such a short period of time. There is no way that there is a more efficient way to teach than your methods. I have always dreamed of the day when I would be able to teach music without spending hours of rehearsal time re-teaching rhythm, reminding students of fingerings, and re-explaining key signatures." Nathan Beutler, Sidney Public Schools, NE

"Thanks! Your music and mission. The voice with which you speak has truly been and will continue to be an inspiration to me. It has reminded me of what is true, right, noble, and noteworthy about what we do and WHY we do it. No words could suffice to describe what an inspiration, motivation, and yes... sometimes even a kick in the pants it has been." Larry Barnett, Teacher

Testimonials from Waynesburg College, PA:

"Music has been my life. I’ve held the upper chairs in flute sections and was section leader of my high school band. I can play a variety of instruments. However, the Stormworks Suite caused me to see music and its theory in a totally different way. I’ve never taken a music theory class, but now I can transpose music and play 15 major scales. Stephen Melillo’s teachings have changed music for me. More importantly, it has changed my life. Being able to read and understand music better has re-inspired me to write music. I gave up composing due to my lack of music theory knowledge. All I can say is “Thank you!” Stephen Melillo’s Teaching Suite is priceless and will affect yours and your students’ lives drastically…and permanently." Heather Bryner, Flute/Piccolo, Freshman, Waynesburg College

"Steve Mellilo’s work is without a doubt the bright future of music education. Many students create mental barriers, believing that music theory and technique is beyond their reach. These concepts are very intimidating to students, so they don’t want to learn it. Furthermore, theory is often over-looked within our schools. Steve completely breaks these barriers and makes learning not merely attainable, but surprisingly easy. With Steve’s method, ANY student can succeed." Jesse Maxwell, Trumpet. Freshman, Waynesburg College

"Scaleworks, to be specific, has helped me a great deal. I now have a much greater understanding of the sharps and flats. With the scale sheet, I can see the arrangements of sharps or flats in a scale and know exactly how to manipulate the notes for any given scale." Steve Zak, Euphonium, Junior, Waynesburg College

" If every music class used Stephen Melillo’s teaching tools as a starting point, development and understanding of musical theories and ideas would increase exponentially and endlessly…guaranteed!" David Call, Percussion, Freshman, Waynesburg College

"Steve Melillo is a mentor teacher for me! He constantly encourages me to reach farther than I initially believe possible. Our music program at Waynesburg does not currently have a music degree. After our ‘non-music majors’ were connected with Steve’s Scaleworks, Rhythm Readers, and Function Chorales, their understanding and level of engagement was combustible…off the charts! I started using the Teaching Suite this past spring term. The financial investment in this program is minimal in comparison to the rewards for our students. I have literally overheard my students explaining scales and rhythms to their friends on campus – these are the same students who began the year saying, “I can’t really count,” and “What’s a triad?” They are now saying, “Oh, that’s just music in threes,” and “Can you go through the section again, because I missed my leading tone.” Our goals are now MUSICAL GOALS! With my summer preparation time, I can’t wait to get my former students back in the fall, as well as introduce the incoming freshman class to these amazing methods, just to see how far we can go. As Steve would say, “Let’s Find Out!” Dr. Ronda DePriest, Waynesburg College, PA

"Got the DVD Teaching Suite Today. Spent my planning time going over the DVD. My freshman band class walked in and it was guinea pig time! We are a little country school in the rural part of Georgia and the greatest weakness of our band is its reading skills. My freshman freak out at new rhythms and are afraid to play. After spending time with them on the Rhythm Readers we started reading rhythms immediately from a very complex Grade V piece with no effort! I can't wait to spend more time on this with all of my kids! Thanks Steve!"Jarrett Farrell, Worth County High School

"Steve, having confidence in your system and my kids, we sight-read a piece on the concert last night and they did great. I am so proud of my kids and honored that they learned your system so well. It works!!! And scales? Grades 7-12 know all of their scales and can play them chromatically. We even made a 10 push-up bet that I couldn't teach them to play all of them in less than 15 minutes. 11 minutes in 7th grade, 8 in 8th grade. 9 for my high school. Your system is incredible." Stacy Briggs, Indiana

"Hello Steve, I just finished a rehearsal and had to email you. I took over an elementary band program this year. The previous director taught everything by rote. Needless to say learning the new concert music was rough at best. I have been persistent about not using rote teaching and insistent about using Rhythm Readers. At first the kids were very resistant to this new method. The sixth grade just finished rehearsing a section of a piece with complex 8th note/8th rest patterns and multiple parts. Twice through and they had it!! They are very excited and I am much happier!! Thanks for the great materials and ideas!!" Jeff Kitzman Elementary Bands School District of Cudahy

"O Steve,there were really funny and great things with your pieces:
I did "Time in the Balance!" with my youth-band, the kids are about 12 and 13 years old. I wrote a 20/8 measure on the board and explained the rhythm "ta-mh-mh-ta-mh-mh" and so on... and the kids could play the piece!! That was unbelievable for me!! The next concert of this band is at the end of November, but "Time in the Balance!" is for the concert in January. But the kids don´t want to play the pieces for November-concert - they want only play this "cool new piece"!! Thank you!" Andreas Grandl, Germany

"Steve! I just wanted to write and thank you again for all that you've contributed to the music ed world. Between your methods and those of our friend Sir Edward Lisk, this has been a truly remarkable year for my bands! Less than three weeks into my daily rehearsals and the groups are tuning so well that they're getting the overtones to sound! I've been rendering By Love Compelled... with my 9th grade band. The levels of teachable music are astounding. I even took your suggestion about relating the music to the literature the english classes are reading. When I told them this music was "heroic like Atticus Finch" (every 9th grader just finished the book) the sound clicked! So thanks again for everything. And be on the lookout for a PO from Lower Merion HS for Escape From Plato's Cave - I can't wait to turn my advanced wind ensemble onto the same piece that introduced me to the world of stormworks! Sincerely", Aaron Datsko, PA

"Mr. Melillo, My goodness! It's been about two weeks since I started using the Function Chorales and ScaleWorks in my band classes/rehearsals, and I am BLOWN AWAY!!!!! I am a brand-new teacher straight out of college. I have struggled a bit to find different techniques that work for my students, but your model for ScaleWorks was so excellent I hit one out of the park right away (not that I won't go back and refine, of course). My students absolutely LOVE the function chorales--they keep asking for "the next one". We are moving quickly but cautiously, striving for precision in each. We are making effective transfers into the literature with these--we are doing an arrangement of Shenandoah, an obvious transfer, but I'm noticing things like a sense of direction on long notes and listening "vertically" for intonation in ALL of our playing, up to and including our spring musical. As for ScaleWorks, BRAVO! My students LOVE the method and process. I presented the information as you do on your DVD (an excellent model), and my students eyes got to be the sizes of dinner plates--they were drawn in within minutes. "Sing and Fing" has become a regular part of my vocabulary--for scales, but also chorales and difficult passages. I had my doubts about the "stopwatching" (because I'm a brand new teacher and know everything, right??), but I did it and it had its intended effect--some harmless competition amongst the students that creates a sense of "urgency" in order to not have the lesson become stagnant. My next project is Rhythm Readers--I can't wait!! My only regret is I did not use this source sooner. Bravo! Best," Keith Roeckle, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA

"I have been following your music for about 3-4 years now, ever since I first heard it and subsequently did a research project for a Wind Band Literature course. Over the course of that time, I have tried Function Chorales, STORMQuest, and most recently Fountainhead and the Let's Find Out DVD. The music is very powerful, and very playable by ensembles at ALL levels. I teach grades 5-12. Last year I began making full use of the PAD Bass concept with Time in the Balance, and liked it so much that I use it now with ALL literature, and can't imagine not having it. Scaleworks and Rhythm Readers are without a doubt 2 of the most important components of my teaching repertoire. At ALL levels, they have proven time and again to be valuable, reliable, and meaningful to the KIDS as well as opening my eyes to see some things that I always knew were there, but never really noticed. The scores are LARGE size, which makes for very easy reading. I am especially moved by Steve's personal signature on every score and CD ordered. The kids really enjoy playing this music because it touches and speaks to them, and they feel that they are touching and speaking to their audience in a more direct manner. Who says sixth graders can't learn 15 scales? In short, I have been transformed by this approach, and my students have also. Thank you." Glenn Roberts, Lisbon, New York

"I knew that it would take some time, but we a finally seeing the results of starting our kids in the "STORMMethod" right from the time they start playing. We see our beginners twice a week for 30 minutes. They can all play a chromatic scale from low concert E to Ab in the middle of the staff, and most of them can write all the notes and fingerings in for their instruments.

Our 7th grades know all 15 major scales by the end of the year, and a 2 octave chromatic scale, and our 8th graders can play all 15 scales two octaves where possible, with the arpeggio and thirds, and start learning their minor scales. The kids work out of the rhythm readers, and play the function chorales. The 8th graders are going to start writing some of their own chorales by the end of the year." Roy Maxwell

"Now the important stuff. My kids think that I've completely lost all common sense. We've been sharpening our ax and (here's a news flash) IT WORKS!!!! I've been energized. My kids, although they think I'm crazy now, also know that they can do this stuff. I set them up pretty good. I told them what they were going to be able to do in a few minutes and most of them said "Yeah, right." Within a few minutes it was with great pleasure that I said, "See, I told you so!" I wish I would have video taped their faces. You could just see the lights go on in not only my brightest students but more importantly those struggling students. I could just see them say to themselves, "He's right. I CAN do this." Feel free to use me as a reference. I'm ready to go do clinics about this method. I'm a true believer. My email address if you would care to post it is - ewesrussell@msn.com. THANKS and Godspeed to you!" Wes Russell, Joliet, Illinois

"Too often, we are caught in the daily grind of deadlines, tension, and frustration, occasionally interrupted by brief fleeting moments of beauty, energy and order. Stephen Melillo offers a philosophy as well as a "greater meaning" to us all in the form of musical composition as well as fundamental approaches to music in general. A comprehension of these two things has helped me to better understand myself and the greater purpose behind what I have chosen to do with my days. As a result, my days are filled with beauty, energy, and order, occasionally interrupted by brief fleeting moments of deadlines, tension and frustration. Musically, an intensive relationship with Function Chorales (sharpen the ax.) in tandem with inspiring literature has helped reduce the level of resistance within my classroom and has shortened the distance between my mind and the minds of my students. Thank you, Stephen." Anonymous

"Wow! I am a believer in what you are doing! The passion, excitement, uniqueness, musicality - and also fun, practicality and educational worth to be found in your creative work is all quite impressive. A very sincere and hearty thanks from me to you! During the past several months I have been using your Function Chorales in daily rehearsals with my students, and have found them to be a significant and essential tool in my teaching. The students have found them helpful and interesting, especially for understanding balance and intonation issues across the entire ensemble. I really believe that my students are better ensemble musicians as a result of the versatile ways these chorales can be used to help students understand scoring, balance and intonation, as well as practical theory applications, and transferring these specific concepts to the music we are rehearsing. Function Chorales are an incredible innovation and indispensable learning tool for me and my students. Thank you! In addition, we have thoroughly enjoyed performing STORMWORKS! Your writing is distinctive, beautiful and exciting! We look forward to exploring many more of your unique compositions! Sincerely." Steve Olsen, Eden Prairie High School, Minnesota

"I have found the use of your Function Chorales invaluable in advancing the musical independence of my students: listening, blend, balance, intonation, phrasing, style, theory - they cover it all - in all keys! They make the student's think! Bravo, Steve!" Wayne Dorothy, North Dakota State University

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