Proper maintenance is essential to keeping your saxophone in top condition. Here's some handy tips to make sure that it stays in the best playing condition possible!

West Music Music Education Consultant Judy Pine demonstrates the benefits of using Performance Wristies for band performers during the cold fall and winter months. Wristies are a great choice for brass and orchestra instrument players that often play at outdoor pep rallies and events, and need to keep their hands snugly warm without constraints on their fingers.

West Music Company is celebrating being 70 years strong this year! Here’s some background on how the West Music Catalog Department started……

We've digitized the new 2011-2012 West Music catalog, and released it for free download! Now you can take a portable, digital version of the catalog wherever you go, or get a free copy anywhere that there's internet access. Every product is linked to a web page where you can place an order. Simply click on the product's Item number (i.e. 800965) to view an even more detailed description, along with options to add it to your shopping cart and place an order.

Now is the perfect time to remind yourself or learn about the proper care of stringed instruments. For violin, viola, cello, and bass players of all ages and abilities who would like more information on taking care of their stringed instruments.

Do you ever have those times where you are just completely obsessed with things? You know, so much so that your friends give you a hard time about it every time they can. Not a DSM-IV type of obsession, just a healthy love and passion for something. Lately, mine has been cupcakes. I don’t know why, but my world just changes when I eat a cupcake with extra frosting (cream cheese if you are wondering). As a music therapist, we go through phases where we are obsessed with certain instruments or activities.

Music Advocacy: Music Matters! Let your voice be heard about the importance of music education for every child! Find out more from the links on this page.

A saxophone or clarinet players intonation can have a lot to do with how tight his/her embouchure is. All players develop different jaw sets as they are learning and adjust for intonation based on that jaw set and their specific instrument. These jaw sets and adjustments often make it difficult to play the entire range of the instrument “In Tune”.

Having difficulty with those last minute gifts, or finding musicians hard to buy for? Here's a list that will make your shopping easy, provided by the blog of voice instructor Cindy Shadrick.

Every now-and-then, a new product comes to surface and you say “Man, I wish this would have been my idea!!”. Such is true with “The String Cleaner®” from the guys at ToneGear.

27% of online shoppers who plan to buy holiday gifts online this year will look for ideas about what friends and family want on sites such as Facebook. And nearly one-half will use social networks to research items, compare prices, & look for special offers like free shipping. (Mashable)

“Technology” is one of those words that we use and believe we understand. However it’s a difficult word to define. Wikipedia.com defines the word like this: Technology is a broad concept that deals with human as well as other animal species’ usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment." New technology is always being applied as we create, use and adapt to new learning tools. Musical instruments are good examples of tools that are constantly in a state of change. We search for ways to make them easier to play, more sturdy, more unique and more fun. We learn from and adapt to these changes, and then find more ways to apply new technology – it goes on and on.