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The Black Cat Music sponsored ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the 2016 Music Teacher Awards evening was presented to the indefatigable Dame Fanny Waterman. And what a lifetime of inspiring a love of piano music Dame Fanny can claim, which at the age of 95 shows no sign of diminishing. As a music teacher her reputation for developing talented pupils is legendary, she created a popular series of teaching aids and was co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Leeds International Piano Competition.

Alice Dagger, Managing Director of sponsors Black Cat Music, (pictured here with Dame Fanny Waterman), said, “It was a great honour to sponsor the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was won by the wonderful Dame Fanny Waterman, who has inspired pianists for generations.” Alice continued, "It was also an honour to meet other awards-winners and nominees throughout the world of music education - from ‘Best School Music Department’ to ‘Best Musical Initiative’. It was a truly inspiring evening.  Congratulations to all involved.”

Alice Dagger, Managing Director of Black Cat Music and MusicPracticeRooms.com said, “It was a great honour to sponsor the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was won by the wonderful Dame Fanny Waterman, who has inspired pianists for generations.

Alice continued, "It was also an honour to meet other awards-winners and nominees throughout the world of music education - from ‘Best School Music Department’ to ‘Best Musical Initiative’. It was a truly inspiring evening.  Congratulations to all involved.”

At Black Cat Music we are always pleased when our customers are delighted with the music equipment they buy from us.

Simone Kluge, on behalf of music group Villa Musenkuss e. V from Schkeuditz in Germany recently bought 40 Classic 50 Music Stands together with a large Move and Store Cart and sent some photographs of their music ensemble in action. It seems they are really appreciating their new equipment.

Responding to a request from the school’s Creative Arts Administrator, who asked, “We’ve just built a new performing arts centre, and the opening night of the first production – a panto – is imminent. It would be amazing to have the new chairs in the pit!” A speedy delivery of 45 Encore Chairs, 8 Encore Cello Chairs and 10 Encore Adjustable Stools and the orchestra were all set for the big day. And the verdict? “The players love the chairs, especially the cellists.”

 Ibstock Place School is described as “an independent co-educational day school for pupils aged 4 to 18, providing a rich variety of opportunity in a friendly, supportive atmosphere with a strong family ethos.” By investing in the   Encore Chairs from Black Cat Music the school has recognized the benefit of the importance of good posture to musicians. Standard chairs let the musician slouch, allowing the spine to be forced out of its natural supportive position. This lowers the rib cage and constricts the diaphragm, reducing airflow. Encore chairs are designed to maintain the correct posture.

Informed musicians are aware that good posture is essential to minimise health problems and that playing wind, string or percussion instruments can lead to repetitive strain injuries. For players of wind instruments, a good posture, opens up the chest cavity allowing for good breathing. There are differences, sometimes significantly different, between sitting and standing postures. Musicians who have learned to play in one position may find it difficult to play in the other so both postures need to be exercised in order to strengthen the necessary muscles.

Black Cat Music’s Encore Chairs are designed to put students and musicians in the best possible position to promote easier breathing and a more natural range of motion while decreasing fatigue and discomfort.

If you were thinking of buying a set of music folders for your musicians or choir, then February is the time to take action. Black Cat Music are offering up to 30 per cent discount for the whole of the month.

Imagine the visual impact created by a set of smart new matching music folders to give a great identity to your orchestra, chorus, band or choir. The hard-wearing leatherette covers enhanced by hand stitching and brass-bound corners are sure of a long life protecting your music and keeping it together. Choose your style and size, whether for orchestra or choir, some with options such as expanding pockets or retaining strings, pencil pockets and windows.

And there is a choice of colour – Concert Black, Royal Blue or Cardinal Red. Check out the February deal now!

Always a popular choice, Classic 50 Music Stands are being discounted during January

This week is the last chance to buy these iconic music stands at a generiously discounted price with quantity discountv breaks as low as £40.45 when purchased in quantities of 50 or more.

Schools and colleges looking to equip with new music stands designed for robust and regular handling can take advantage of this great offer in the last few days of the month.

The ever popular Classic 50 Music Stand is tough enough to handle the hardships of regular classroom use thanks to a formulation of advanced polymers offering inherent tensile strength that will not bend or dent like metal stands.  Its elegant design makes it quiet and rattle-free during performances. And the scratch resistant desk surface also incorporates a unique recess for keeping pencils in place. The patented one-hand height adjustment of the music desk is simplicity itself, requiring no screw or locking collar adjustments. To learn more watch the Classic 50 put through its paces at   YouTube.com .

Full details of the January offer can be found on the    Black Cat Music web site.

For January only, Black Cat Music is offering a massive 10 per cent discount on their best selling Classic 50 music stands in a special New Year promotion.

Quantity discount breaks allow purchase prices as low as £40.45 when purchased in quantities of 50 or more. Schools and colleges looking to equip with new music stands designed for robust and regular handling can take advantage of this great offer throughout the month.

The ever popular Classic 50 Music Stand is tough enough to handle the hardships of regular classroom use thanks to a formulation of advanced polymers offering inherent tensile strength that will not bend or dent like metal stands.  Its elegant design makes it quiet and rattle-free during performances. And the scratch resistant desk surface also incorporates a unique recess for keeping pencils in place. The patented one-hand height adjustment of the music desk is simplicity itself, requiring no screw or locking collar adjustments. To learn more watch the Classic 50 put through its paces at   YouTube.com .

Full details of the January offer can be found on the    Black Cat Music web site.

With the Christmas shows, carol services, concerts and other musical events over, time to take a quick review. How effective was the production? Did we have the right equipment? What could be improved in time for the Easter concert?

Christmas is a busy time for school choirs. After months of rehearsal how was the presentation? For those who haven’t already equipped their choir or orchestra, a nice presentational touch is to have matching choral or orchestral folders, particularly if customised with the school crest gold-blocked on the covers. 

Staying front of house with the orchestra were the music stands doing their job, or were they showing their age and creaking and ratling at just the wrong moment? How about smooth operating rattle free music stands next time? Did you know there are some smart clip-on LED  lights on the market now and the great thing is that not only do they illuminate the sheet music beautifully, but thanks to battery operation there are no trailing cables to trip over. Sitting down for a long time can be demanding, so do you have ergonomically designed music chairs to support your young musicians with the correct posture? 

  How was the staging? Many venues offer only a flat floor or stage, but this can be transformed by the use of risers. Risers can provide  three or four tiers which is great for choirs with everyone able to see and be seen and their music projected into the auditorium. What is really clever, the risers fold up to move and store away and great if your choir is visiting another venue. There are complete staging systems too that can be configured  to suit the available space.

Could everyone see the conductor? Ofen conductors struggle with wobbly podiums and inadequate music  stands. Yet there are perfectly affordable, dedicated conductors’ stands available to enable conductors to organise and store their sheet music. Elegant looking, robust conductors’ podiums are also available at surprisingly affordable prices.

Finally, how were things back stage? A portable make-up station is great for shows and concerts and how about costume storage racks to keep clothes tidy, ready for a quick change and not take up valuable space?

All these items and more can be supplied from    Black Cat Music products. Sign up to join their Education Discount Programme and qualify for a discount on future purchases of  Black Cat Music products. There is no fee to join, so call Freephone 0800 072 7799 or email sales@blackcatmusic.co.uk to join.

New to the Black Cat Music catalogue for 2016 is the Adjustable Orchestra Chair.

With seat and back upholstered in a business-like black fire resistant fabric and with co-ordinated matching black base, the new adjustable chair certainly looks professional. Adjustments can be made to basic parameters to suit individual musician’s personal requirements. Each leg can be individually adjusted in height and further adjustments allow the tilt of the seat and back to be fine tuned too, as well as vertically setting the preferred back height. Up to five chairs can be stacked for compact storage and there is even an under-seat music storage rack!

Speaking at the product’s launch, Managing Director, Alice Dagger said, “ Thanks to the very affordable price for our new   Adjustable Orchestra Chair, orchestra managers and music departments can now consider equipping the whole orchestra, whereas up until now often funds would only stretch to having a few such chairs.” Alice continued, “ Adjustment is very important to allow musicians to set the chair for personal comfort and good posture is an essential contributor to good health.” “We believe this new chair will be well received by orchestra managers and music departments alike.”