What people are saying...
Allison Werner
Band Director
Horseheads Intermediate School
Horseheads, NY
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If there is any word that would summarize what the Harmony Bridge program has brought to my students it would be CONFIDENCE! Each year I learn new ways to use the books - not only as a tool in preparing them for performances, but as a wonderful supplement to their every day practicing and learning. The 5th and 6th grade students in our district love playing these books in lessons, at home, virtually, AND in random performances. I watched as students went from dreading playing in front of any audience to practically begging to play a trio in front of their class or the school principal!! We even started playing the trios as welcome music in the hallway as the buses arrived in the morning... which required a sign up sheet since so many wanted to play!
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The books have been my go-to during this time of social distancing and have truly helped me in the transition of virtual teaching. We even used them as an end of the year celebration to perform socially distanced trios with our students — having the books made the experience so efficient and, more importantly, fun!!
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Allison Werner
Band Director
Horseheads
Intermediate School
Horseheads, NY
Courtnie Elscott
Band Director
5th/6th Grade
Horseheads
Intermediate School
Horseheads, NY
Harmony Bridge empowers my students to take ownership of the music they're making. Not only is the music well-written and beautifully arranged for small group rehearsing, but the passing of the melody between parts allows each student an opportunity to shine."
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Courtnie Elscott
Band Teacher
5th/6th Grade
Horseheads
Intermediate School
Mike Fuller
Band Director
Meyer Middle School
River Falls, WI
We've been involved with Harmony Bridge for over 5 years, working primarily with the Trio and Intermediate books but also spending some time with the Advanced Book. In addition to allowing for flexible instrumentation, the use of brackets to identify melody and secondary parts is a great tool in helping my students recognize how their part fits in with the ensemble. I also appreciate the fact every voice is given the theme at some point in each song and the color-coded lines in the Trio book really helps my young players follow along with their parts.
Students in our after-school Harmony Bridge Club really look forward to getting together every week to play out of the books and sharing the music with others in our community.
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Mike Fuller
Band Director
Meyer Middle School
River Falls, WI
Tom Seaton
Music Director
Creative Connections
Arts Academy
North Highlands, CA
I have known Michael Levine for 24 years and although his career has been in the performance arena I have always been impressed with his, and the Dallas Brass', unwavering dedication to music education. The Harmony Bridge program exemplifies Mike's desire to help and inspire kids of all ages. My students have thoroughly enjoyed these books, especially the Trio book. The brackets indicating who has the melody and the color-coding makes it fun and easy to divide the band into colors. The arrangements are a fresh take on some old familiar favorites. Building small ensemble strength is the best way to build your overall band strength.
Tom Seaton
Music Director
Creative Connections
Arts Academy
North Highlands, CA
Keith Hodgson
Director of Music Education
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, PA
In my 30 years of teaching music, nothing more has inspired me to the true power of music than seeing my students motivated to perform for our seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in our community. It was an honor, and career changing experience, to pilot the Harmony Bridge project developed by Michael Levine in 2015 with the students at Mainland Regional HS, in a small South Jersey community outside of Atlantic City, NJ. More important than large ensemble performance, pursuit of advanced literature and drive toward festivals and competitions… the ability to connect students to people through the joy of music is often lost in our school programs. Don’t miss out on this unique, creative and inspiring opportunity to elevate your students, your program and your community!
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Keith W. Hodgson,
Director of Music Education
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, PA
Nathan LeFeber
Director of Bands
Kearney High School
Kearney, NE
Harmony Bridge is the perfect synthesis of musical development,
outreach, independent musicianship, stage presence, musical understanding and all of the other skills we try to teach our students in a band class. Harmony Bridge has had a tremendously positive impact on the morale and musicianship level of my students. It is unlike anything that is out there and every director would be wise to check it out.
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Nathan LeFeber
Director of Bands
Kearney High School
Kearney, NE
Collin Smith
Band Director
Horseheads High School
Horseheads, NY
With the Harmony Bridge music, students become more aware of the interplay of different parts, all while playing their own part! They begin to realize the music is about more than notes and rhythms. It is rewarding as a teacher to see them immediately start talking about balance and function all on their own. Students find the charts really fun and are eager to share ideas with each other in rehearsals, letting the director move into an advisory role while the students take charge of their own musicianship! Harmony Bridge uses mostly familiar tunes which gives the students an immediate sense of how they want it to sound. I’ve never seen any other repertoire have this effect on my kids.
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Collin Smith
Band Director
Horseheads High School
Horseheads, NY
Tim Keller
Director of Bands
Papillion-La Vista High School
Papillion, NE
The music of Harmony Bridge actively engages my students in the rehearsal setting. My kids have especially enjoyed the opportunity to work in self-directed small ensembles. In addition to the music, the students have really
embraced the outreach. We started Harmony Bridge in September, 2019, and had been out to perform in the community almost
weekly prior to the onset of
Covid-19. We are exploring the possibilities to continue the outreach this fall.
Tim Keller
Director of Bands
Papillion-LaVista High School
Papillion, NE
Kendra Mohn
Lakes Area Christian Home Educators Band
Detroit Lakes, MN
I have a homeschool band of around 20 kids. I love Harmony Bridge because EVERYONE gets the melody, and EVERYONE has interesting parts. The tunes are all tried and true classics. My kids love working from the Harmony Bridge books both on their own, and with me. We use them for ensembles, and for our full group.
Kendra Mohn
Lakes Area Christian Home Educators Band
Tab Treacy
Band Director
Horseheads Middle School
Horseheads, NY
My students enjoy the variety of music available in the Harmony Bridge books. This music is very well thought out and arranged and speaks volumes for the importance of giving every kid an opportunity to be in the spotlight even if it’s for just for a couple measures at a time. It builds confidence and self-esteem. Thank you Harmony Bridge!
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Tab Treacy
Band Director
Horseheads Middle School
Horseheads, NY
Sue Kim
Band Director
Wayzata East Middle School
Plymouth, MN
I have been using the Harmony Bridge books for about 3 years and love them! There are two specific elements that make these books different. The fact that everyone gets the melody is a big thing – especially for middle schoolers. And the kids sense that every part is important, melody or not. They know they have to listen and work together. The second one is the use of the melody brackets. Kids generally don't know if you ask them who has the tune. They are so busy blowing through their instruments, counting and trying to play the correct notes, they don't listen. Now we can quickly focus on listening and balancing. Using the Harmony Bridge system has been revolutionary for me with my middle school students.
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Sue Kim,
Band Director
Wayzata East Middle School
Plymouth, MN
Stephanie Boice
Program Director
Mohawk Valley
Chamber Ensemble
Amsterdam, NY
The student musicians of the Mohawk Valley Chamber Ensembles program in Amsterdam New York, began a fabulous musical journey in October 2019 using the Harmony Bridge Trio, Intermediate and Advanced music books. The music is scored perfectly, allowing all of our musicians of all ability levels to advance their skills as well as enjoy the sound of well-arranged music! This is one investment that will continue to pay dividends for our community-based organization. I highly recommend Michael Levine’s Harmony Bridge ensemble books to all music programs!
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Stephanie Boice
Program Director
Mohawk Valley
Chamber Ensemble
Paul Kile
Director of Bands
Edina High School
Edina, MN
The Harmony Bridge books have been an invaluable
addition to our band music library. The flexibility and versatility offered in the books gives all of my students the opportunity to grow their individual skills, ensemble skills, musicianship skills and
have a fun and rewarding music-making experience. I use the Harmony Bridge books as chamber music, a classroom method, sight reading material and concert music — and it’s packaged all in one, easy to use method. I love it!
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Paul Kile
Director of Bands
Edina High School
Edina, MN
Kim Bejot
5th/6th Grade Bands
General Music
Ainsworth
Community Schools
Ainsworth, NE
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Harmony Bridge is an ongoing gift to our band students. Working through the Trio books, our 5th & 6th grade band students gained confidence, practiced project management skills, learned to actively listen and have grown to appreciate personal musical space. They have gained in their ability to lead and to follow, along with placing greater value on the contributions everyone makes to an ensemble. Having access to all the levels of books, especially at this time, has been the best investment our department has ever made.
Kim Bejot
Ainsworth Community Schools
5th & 6th Grade Bands
General Music
Mark Brenner
Retired
Paul D. Schreiber High School
Port Washington
Long Island, NY
The Harmony Bridge program became an integral part of our band program. The music is exceptionally well-written and in an array of styles that appealed to my students and encouraged them to practice on their own and with others. Plus, they thrilled at performing these tunes for “the greatest generation."
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Mark Brenner
Paul D. Schreiber H.S.
(Retired)
Port Washington,
Long Island, NY
Brian Hadley
Instrumental Music Teacher
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis, MN
My students really enjoyed being able to form their own small groups and being able to decide who plays each part. It is so important to create opportunities for student autonomy in the classroom and these trio books were an accessible, ready-made resource that helped empower the band kids to form their own performing groups.
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Brian Hadley,
Instrumental Music Teacher
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis, MN
Dr. Jay Stolzfuus
Retired Horseheads
School District
Former Assistant Professor
of Music Education,
The College of Saint Rose
Horseheads, NY
Everyone knew they would have the opportunity to play the melody at least once per tune, and — because they truly enjoyed the arrangements — readily accepted responsibility for their role in the group’s success.This heightened awareness of reading and playing skill sets led to a willingness to practice at home that helped many students quickly achieve a level of independence that transferred to new tunes in the small and large ensemble settings. The Trio book changed the way I teach.
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Dr. Jay Stolzfus
Retired Horseheads
School District
Former Assistant Professor
of Music Education,
The College of Saint Rose
Horseheads, NY
Chris Rowbotham
Director, Siuslaw Bands
OMEA District 7 President
Florence, OR
The Siuslaw Band Department is a relatively small program out here in Florence, OR. The Harmony Bridge library supplements our standard band repertoire in the perfect way. The charts are interesting, fun to play, musically rewarding and great to take out to share with the community. My kids are playing better than ever and Harmony Bridge has played a significant part in that.
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Florence is considered a retirement town on the Oregon Coast. Harmony Bridge has really allowed the Siuslaw Band Department to "bridge" relationships with our senior residents in the community. We will need to adapt to the ‘new normal’, but we WILL find a way to continue bringing music to our community.
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Chris Rowbotham
Band Director
Siuslaw School
Florence, OR