Testimonials

“Rob’s music is perfect for any high school marching band. It is catchy, user-friendly, and impressive sounding. We have performed two of his shows, receiving a gold and silver medal at State Championships, and are now going on our third year working with Rob. Last year we had Rob come out to work with the band and his motivation was infectious. His technical expertise both in music and marching, and ability to tap in to the pulse of the band created an unforgettable experience and brought my band to a higher level.”

“I have recently found Standing O Marching and Rob Stein and have used his materials for the last several years. Rob and his team have been very easy to work with and most helpful as I try to find a show. His music is accessible, fun, and engaging to my students and always comes with tons of visual possibilities. Rob and his team take the time to work with my situation, make sure that the show is at the right level for my students, and is relevant to the current trends in marching band. I highly recommend Standing O Marching to anyone who is looking for something new!”

“I have told the kids and the parents that in my 31 years of teaching marching band, I think this may be my favorite show. I cannot tell you how pleased we are with the music! It fits our kids so well, and we have had nothing but compliments on the musical design. Our drill writer has done a great job with the coordination as well.  The music and drill work so well together and the show just fits out kids (oops, I already said that). I love all the soli sections and how the theme brings the show full circle. We are not a BOA group. I don’t do all the electronics or props. We have a limited budget and have mostly former students (that are music majors) as staff members. This show was very approachable and the kids have really dug it. It has challenged them musically without stepping off the edge of the cliff. Thanks again for putting quality literature out there!”

“Being a football band, much of our music comes from rock and pop genres. Rob did an outstanding job bringing elements of both of those genres to our 2016 classical show. The 2017 arrangements had elements of classical in pop songs, which is fantastic. The arrangements for 2018 went very well,  as they have in the past. We were actually asked to encore the 2018 show because it got such a great reaction from the fans. Rob has given the Marching Ravens everything we’ve asked for, and more!”

“The fall of 2015 was the first time we used Rob’s music. We found his awesome website, Standing ‘O’ in the spring of 2015 and were immediately attracted to his new composition “RA”. The structure of the show – from impact moments to overall phrase structure was exactly on par for what we believed to be a great product. We loved the professional samples, brilliant percussion writing and masterful wind scoring. Rob understands what it is like to be a wind player on the field and composes his music with those “on the move” demands in mind. On top of that his scoring is fresh, original and formulaic. His tenure as a both a performer and educator has helped him master what is and is not going to be successful in show design. My high school band program was extremely successful performing Rob’s music. On top of Rob’s unique ability to compose is his willingness to go the extra mile for his customers. Rob went above and beyond just selling us the show…he was part of our team. I highly recommend using Rob’s services!”

“Working with Rob over the last four years has been such a positive experience for our program at University City High School. Rob’s music has been popular with students, audiences, and judges alike. His field shows are thematic, well-paced, and intelligently scored.

Rob really takes a personal interest in supporting the programs that perform his compositions. He has visited us in person every year to detail out the show and motivate our performers. He has also provided rehearsal feedback through video messages and has set up live video chat sessions to hype up the students.

Our program has reached new levels of programming sophistication and competitive success while performing Rob’s music!”

“Just wanted to share with you the news that we are the NYSFBC Small School 2 class Champion! This show has been such a joy to work with and the music book has truly enhanced our ability to thrive both musically and visually. With a small band of few musicians (22), we struggle a bit, but the students gained a great deal of music success with this show.”

“We have worked with Rob both with his pre-composed show options and with custom writing projects, and been very happy with the process and results. Rob is timely with his production schedule, and his arrangements are well paced, musical, and effective. We have heard from judges that they felt our arrangements were fresh sounding and stood out from the crowd. Rob is good at working with his clients to make sure that the arrangements are really what is wanted, and has been good with reimagining and rewriting sections that initially didn’t match what was in my head. This past year we were able to bring him out to work with our students for a day in the middle of our season, and he was very effective and helpful with his clinic. The kids loved working with him, and thought it was really cool to have that connection with our show composer. We are happy to work with Standing O Marching on a regular basis.”

“Rob’s product fits our ensemble perfectly. His customer service is outstanding and he is always willing to listen to what my group needs and to make suggestions or customization to his music. We have had great success on the regional and state level with his products and look forward to continuing to use his music.”

“Working with Rob Stein has been a game-changer for my program. The music is engaging, it’s challenging, and the students love it. Rob makes excellent arrangement choices, and the percussion writing is logical and lays well on the hands. Very professional and a great guy!”

“Your show has worked very well for us. It as been an absolute hit with the students, parents, and audiences alike! I really think the flow of the show works very well and has really great impact moments as well as opportunities for nuance. The show also lends itself to many visual opportunities. Thank you!”

“My staff and I were extremely impressed with the quality of music written by Rob Stein and his staff. It made for a powerful show at an attainable level, and Rob was in contact from start to finish. I especially appreciate his helpfulness in adapting certain aspects to fit our program, giving my students the best possible opportunity to succeed. His other works are definitely at the top of our list for next year!”

“Standing O Marching helped my program successfully transition from a non-competition marching band into a competitive program within the WBA circuit. Having expertly written professional arrangements and original compositions tailored to our theme and provided in a timely manner has been a lifesaver! Thank you Rob!”

“Our group made SC State Finals for the first time in program history!! Thank you again for allowing us to use your music.”

“I ran across Standing O Marching 4 years ago. I had just been hired by a district as the director and needed a marching show and there wasn’t time to hire an arranger to get it all done before the start of Summer Band. So I began the process of scouring the internet and all of the other resources I had to find a show. I ran across Rob’s website and immediately found 2-3 shows that I liked a lot. We ended up purchasing a show from him and it was great. He customized the arrangement for the band and even reduced some of the scoring for us. We had a successful season that year and as a result we went ahead and used him for all of our marching band arrangements since. We are coming off of our 3rd season using him and the band has consistently improved. This last season we were class champions at the BOA Super Regional in St. Louis. We swept all captions. We also placed 2nd at our State Marching Contest.
Here are some of the things I’ve noticed about using Rob’s services:
-He’s never been late with anything which is very important in this profession in my opinion.
-He’s always gotten back with me if I had an inquiry about something. This hasn’t been the case with other arrangers I’ve used in the past.
-His arrangements sound terrific.
-I like his writing, the way he scores for marching band. He knows what he’s doing!
-He’s very professional.
-He contacts us if there is a question.
-He’s been able to recommend a drill writer for our band that we use.
-We’ve sent him video’s of our show, and he provides feedback on things we can improve upon.
I recommend using Rob for your marching band music!”

“Rob is one of the finest composers/arrangers I have had the pleasure of working with. The Live Oak High School Marching Band is a small band with odd instrumentation that faces many challenges with balance and voicing that most large bands do not. Rob was there to help every step of the way. He is very communicative and responsive in every stage of the design and refinement process. I spent hours and hours on the phone with Rob telling him exactly what I want my students to get out of the music and he captured it all and more. Rob composed for us a show that my entire program could get behind and dedicate ourselves to perfecting. The Live Oak High School Emerald Regime has won over a dozen music and general effect caption awards, was the 2014 class A WBA Champion and the 2015 bronze medalist at WBA Grand Championships largely thanks to the quality work of Rob Stein.”

“I have always appreciated the musicality and creativity of Rob’s shows. They provide my staff and I with a solid foundation of a well paced and programmed show that still has plenty of room for us to customize and make our own. If that’s not enough, Rob’s also a great guy…Bravo Standing O!”

“I always look forward to opportunities to collaborate with Rob Stein and Standing ‘O’ Marching! Rob and Standing ‘O’ Marching go beyond professionalism and timeliness. Rob’s knowledge of repertoire, musicianship, and thoughtful musicality is among the highest levels all while thinking of the big picture. The personal attachment Rob brings to his projects is hard to find!”

“This was our first year using Rob Stein’s music and we couldn’t be happier. The music is excellently score for variety and effect. The impact moments are paced well, and Rob provides the high quality stereo samples for the sound effects and voice overs. Rob is very “hands on” through the process and offers feedback on performance videos. He is tech savvy and uses Dropbox to deliver all of the musical scores, individual parts and sound samples.”

“Rob’s arrangements and original music are some of the best I’ve heard in a long time! He is able to write to a groups strengths and weaknesses, while still maintaining cohesive musical thoughts. Rob also has a great personality to bring in to work with your kids, and has a lot to offer the future of the marching arts!”