Making Music Matter – Bulk Band Method Book Set – Books 1 & 2

21 student titles across 12 instruments — a complete classroom-ready set authored by Frank Ticheli and Gregory B. Rudgers, published by Manhattan Beach Music.

About This Set

This bulk purchase is built for a band director equipping a full program. Covering both Book 1 (Beginning Band Method, 2016) and Book 2 (Intermediate Band Method, 2017), the set spans the critical first two years of instrumental study — from the very first note to increasingly sophisticated technique and ensemble playing. The quantities are carefully matched across the woodwind, brass, and percussion families, making this ideal for a director who is running parallel beginning and intermediate groups or stocking a school's library for an entire season. Frank Ticheli's involvement as both author and composer of the original compositions woven throughout the curriculum makes this far more than a drill book — it is a complete musical experience from page one.

Key Highlights

• Authors Frank Ticheli and Gregory B. Rudgers — a composer-educator pairing that brings real musical depth to early band education
• Book 1 features 24 original compositions and 15 solo pieces with optional piano accompaniment by Frank Ticheli
• Book 2 continues with 24 ensemble compositions and 16 solo works, building directly on Book 1 skills
• Edited by Bob Margolis and published by Manhattan Beach Music — a respected name in concert band literature
• Covers 12 distinct instrument voicings across woodwinds, brass, and percussion
• Designed to develop technique, creativity, and performance simultaneously — not one at a time
• Recordings by the University of North Texas Wind Ensemble support classroom and home practice

Great Fit For

• Middle school or junior high band directors stocking a full beginning and intermediate program
• Schools adopting Making Music Matter as their primary band method curriculum
• Directors running split-year groups needing Books 1 and 2 simultaneously
• Music programs replacing aging or worn method books across multiple instrument sections
• Private lesson teachers maintaining a studio library across a wide range of instruments

Curriculum Context

Making Music Matter was designed to replace the traditional "learn the note, move on" approach with a curriculum that treats music-making as the goal from day one. Book 1 lays foundational technique and introduces students to original concert band literature at the earliest stages. Book 2 picks up that thread and develops it — adding range, rhythmic complexity, dynamic control, and ensemble awareness. Together, the two books represent a cohesive two-year journey. This bulk set reflects a real-world instrumentation spread, with heavier quantities on the high-demand voices like trumpet and clarinet and appropriate coverage for the full supporting ensemble.

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