Habits of a Successful Musician gives the music teacher a resource that combines pedagogy, technique building, fundamental development, and sight-reading into a single book. I love being able to cover everything without having to juggle multiple method books in the student folders.

—Gary Gribble, Director of Bands, Pope High School, Marietta, GA

Habits of a Successful Musician is a great resource for band directors looking for that warm-up book that offers everything: Breathing and technical exercises, lip slurs, etc. Something is in here for every student in every band in our program, from the most advanced to the most remedial. I found the sight reading section to be particularly helpful, special and unique. Our books were well used at the end of the school year.... What a great teaching tool!!

—Scott Casagrande, Director of Bands, John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights, IL

Habits of a Successful Musician is a vital, field-tested series for building fundamentals and—most importantly—a musical collection of more than 200 sequential sight-reading exercises.

Perfect for use by an entire band or solo player at virtually any skill level, this series contains carefully sequenced warm-ups, sight-reading etudes, rhythm vocabulary builders, and much more. In one place, this series collects everything an aspiring player needs to build fundamental musicianship skills and then be able to transfer those skills directly into the performance of great literature.

Habits of a Successful Musician...

• Provides material for use during fundamentals time that would promote a comprehensive approach to developing skills necessary to fill the musical toolbox.
• Promotes the idea that fundamentals time should transfer directly into the performance of great literature.
• Includes a sequential format that leads to the mastery of reading rhythms and, ultimately, to musical sight-reading.
• Provides chorales for the development of tone quality, ensemble sonority, and musicianship.
• Presents rhythm charts in a new format to allow transfer from timing and rhythm to pitches in a musical context.
• Provides audition etude sight-reading in a full-band format that is well thought-out in scope and sequence.
• Presents exercises in various keys, tonalities, and modes to aid in the development of the complete musician.
• Creates a mindset intent on establishing a culture of excellence for both the full band program and individual players.

Habits of a Successful Musician is the answer to the very simple question: “What should I be learning during fundamentals time?”

Available instrumentation: Flute (G-8127), Oboe (G-8128), Clarinet (G-8129), Bass Clarinet (G-8130), Bassoon (G-8131), Alto Saxophone (G-8132), Tenor Saxophone / TC Baritone (G-8133), Baritone Saxophone (G-8134), Trumpet (G-8135), French Horn (G-8136), Trombone (G-8137), Euphonium (G-8138), Tuba (G-8139), Mallet Percussion (G-8140), and Conductor's edition (G-8125).

A full preview is available online for the Oboe book. 

Scott Rush is Director of Bands at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Rich Moon teaches elementary music in the Charleston County (SC) School District. Marguerite Wilder is a clincian and education consultant with GIA Publications, Inc., and an instrumental music teacher.