A group of resourceful kids start "solution-seekers.com," a website where "cybervisitors" can get answers to questions that trouble them. But when one questioner asks the true meaning of Christmas, the kids seek to unravel the mystery by journeying back through the prophecies of the Old Testament. What they find is a series of "S" words that reveal a "spectacular story!" With creative characters, humorous dialogue and great music, The "S" Files is a children's Christmas musical your kids will love performing.

Jazz pianist, recording artist, educator, and author Michael Orta provides effective tools to develop and improve your jazz piano solos. Taking the melody and chord changes of standard songs in every jazz musician's repertoire, Michael walks the pianist through the following steps: a familiar melody rephrased so that it swings, two solo choruses on the chord changes, and an analysis of the solo with regard to voice leading, phrase linking, and sequences. For intermediate to advanced pianists with some knowledge of chord scale theory.

For an aspiring jazz instrumentalist, playing piano is one of the most important skills for developing a jazz vocabulary. Bob Mintzer is a renowned jazz composer, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, educator and member of the group, the Yellowjackets. His new book is designed for the instrumentalist who is not an accomplished piano player but wants to acquire basic jazz piano skills and jazz vocabulary. The book includes etudes that make players aware of the sound, texture, cause, effect and function of jazz chords and harmony. The 22 piano etudes feature a variety of styles, tempos, chord progressions and a the book also includes a chord voicing glossary. Mintzer offers a practical guide with a realistic approach.

Piano/Keyboard Methods/Series

Pianists all know the benefits of playing the "Two-Part Inventions" of J. S. Bach. Now, world-respected jazz pianist and composer Bill Cunliffe has written his own "inventions" that will benefit every player's understanding and performance of jazz. These great-sounding etudes explore the specific harmonic, melodic, and technical challenges faced by jazz keyboardists, including the ii-V and ii-V-I progressions, outlining changes, chord-tone ornamentation, playing in octaves, tonic patterns, block chords, polytonality, stride piano, and left-hand walking bass. Pieces feature chord symbols, explanatory notes, and preparatory exercises, and each invention is performed on the CD by Bill Cunliffe. 123 pages. " . . . perfect for daily warm-up, explores the harmonic and melodic intricacies of jazz, each etude targets a specific technical skill and includes performance notes, inventions gradually become more challenging and the harmonic progressions are varied and very musical . . . a musical feast." -International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE)