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Friday, October 28, 2011

The Keyboard Cache

After more than 35 years, The Keyboard Cache, the only retail store w/sheet music in town, has closed.  The owner's husband, long retired himself, has been begging his wife to retire for some time.

I myself shopped there while at UAA and remember it fondly. I am wondering what the folks in the Bush are doing for their sheet music.  Probably the same as me:  Googling sheet music companies.

I went in when they were closing and picked up quite a few books for myself and my students but of course could not totally anticipate what I would be needing.

It is a shame they are closed, because we teachers are forced to order from Outside and unable to look at scores and sheet music before purchasing.  Since I am not a self-employed teacher, I am unable to pay wholesale prices and could not by in bulk anyway, having only 26 students and two small choirs. 

I did just receive two piano/vocal books from JW Pepper: Taylor Swift and Adele, but didn't order Strauss' Four Last Songs like I wanted to and I am sorry, because the order came quite quickly.  I just ordered them from Amazon.  That collection is for me; I have been waiting to sing it all my life.  Now I have the right experience and maturity to appreciate it. The cycle has been sung by all the greats:  Lucia Popp, Renee Fleming, the current reigning diva; Jessye Norman; and Kirsten Flagstad and others.

Strauss did not live long enough to see the premiere.  They are titled "Fruhling" (Spring), "September", "Beim Schlafengehen" (Going to Sleep), and  "Im Abendrot" (At Sunset) and all deal with death.

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