Another popular clearinghouse for brass music is Sheet Music Service of Portland. (http://www.sheetmusicservice.com) This web site is similar to Robert King’s in that you can search their large catalog of pieces by composer, title, and arranger. However, it falls a bit short in that you can’t search by instrumentation or by publisher. This makes it more difficult to view their offerings online based on a combination of instruments. If you know what you are looking for you can find it here quickly and get it ordered securely online. There are no bells and whistles to this site and they seem to be more interested in encouraging you to order over the toll-free phone line than through the web site.

Based in New York City, Charles Colin Music Publications (http://www.charlescolin.com/) is another retail company dedicated to publishing and distributing high quality materials for brass. Their web site is set up a bit differently than those mentioned above but you can easily browse their method books and many other items listed on the left side of their main page. Ordering online is not quite as seamless as on the other sites, but they do offer online purchasing through a secure server.

'Mon and Pop.' Next I would like to feature the smaller “mom and pop” businesses who rely primarily on Internet marketing to sell their music. Many of them have complete pieces available for free download on their web sites in PDF format.

If trumpet ensemble music is what you are looking for then Triplo Press (http://www.triplo.com/) is the answer. Triplo Press is the company of ITG Past President and ITG Journal Online Editor James Olcott. This site is elegant and feature rich. Jim has made sample recordings of real trumpets playing almost everything in his catalog and he makes available PDF score samples as well. The site is easy to navigate and beautifully designed. Olcott does all of his own web design work and maintenance. He also plays all the parts on recordings himself and each one is excellent. Olcott also makes available for free download his arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner for five to ten trumpets and the Carmen Dragon version of America the Beautiful for twelve trumpets.

One of my favorite new publishers of trumpet music and study books is Balquhidder Music. (http://home.earthlink.net/~balqmusic/) This company, founded by Los Angeles trumpeter Rob Roy McGregor in 1991, has published music that is both interesting and diverse. The covers are distinctive and attractive and the engraving is of the highest quality. The web site is very basic, but does allow you to browse their catalog. There are some things available only in electronic format that you print yourself. The web site could be improved if Balquhidder made available audio and PDF samples of the offerings. Some color photos of the covers of his books and music would be a plus as well. Unfortunately, you cannot order items online through the web site. There is an order form, but you are asked to print it out, fill in the order and fax or snail mail it. In spite of the web site lagging behind the technological curve a bit, the products published by Balquhidder are worth checking out.

Eighth Note Publications (http://www.enpmusic.com/) is another relative newcomer in the area of original arrangements for brass, woodwinds and percussion. They have hundreds of titles for all combinations of brass instruments. The arrangements are of high quality, and are well designed and engraved. Their online catalog is easy to browse and navigate, but I don’t see any way to order through the web site. Instead, they point you to the retailer in your area.

C.J. Seipp Music Publications (http://www.cjseippmusic.com/) is a small company specializing in high quality arrangements of popular classical pieces for brass groups. Owned and operated by Washington D.C. trumpet player, Chuck Seipp, this company can provide your brass quintet with music for ceremonies, concerts, receptions, and other similar events. Browsing and ordering music on the web site is fast and easy, but there are no sound or score samples to hear or view.

If free music is what you are looking for, check out the web sites below.

Eddie Lewis Music (http://www.eddielewis.com/) - Lewis is a gifted composer and well-known freelance trumpet player from Houston. He has written etude books, jazz tunes, and pieces for trumpet, and also writes chamber music for brass quartet and quintet. Almost everything listed is free.

Jay Lichtmann, trumpet professor at the University of Hartford has a great deal of music for trumpet, trombone and brass ensembles available for free download on his site (http:// uhaweb.hartford.edu/Lichtmann/).

Although (http://joeleymard.free.fr/parts.php) is in French, there is a large quantity of free music for trumpet and organ, brass quintet, orchestral music, and more to download. If you are fluent in French you can read the other informational pages on this site that look to be quite good.

Several free compositions and arrangements for brass ensembles can be downloaded on a web site from Dave Taylor (http://www.geocities.com/dtmusicuk/).

Finally, I will mention StewMuse Publications (http://www.stewmuse.com/) by Michael Stewart. Stewart is the former conductor of the Chicago Brass Choir, a professional trumpet player, and a talented arranger and composer. He has many items available free on his web site, but also sells original method books, Christmas music, arrangements for brass in many different combinations, and jazz combo and big band arrangements.

The sites listed in this column are the tip of the iceberg in the area of online music publishing, but they should get you started if you are looking for music that is new or old, free or not.