April 2012 Archives - The Instrumentalist

The Double Stroke in Mallet Technique

theinstrumenta — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:02:52 +0000

   Technique on mallet instruments (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, and bells) is primarily based on the use of alternating single strokes as the means of manipulating the mallets. This is as it should be, for the single stroke provides the most rhythmic and least complicated method of moving over the instrument. Single-stroke technique must be thoroughly mastered as a basis for performing on the mallet instruments.
   However, the use of the double stroke – or two strokes in a row with the same hand – is also an extremely important technique to mallet players. The use of a double stroke in the logical place can facilitate the execution of a passage that would be awkward if played using alternating strokes exclusively. It minimizes time and motion in getting to the next pitch.
   One should not confuse the term “double stroke” with the expression “rebound stroke.” The double stroke uses two distinctly executed wrist strokes with the same hand, both the first and second strokes identical in attack and in method of execution. The rebound stroke uses one basic wrist motion, with the second stroke being a rebound of the first and not identical with the first in attack or in method of execution. Although the rebound can be controlled with the use of the fingers and can be executed faster than the double stroke, it is of little value to the mallet player because it does not have the clarity and consistency of volume of the double stroke.
   The following example is from a transcription of the Bach Sonata No. VI for Unaccompanied Violin and provides an excellent example of how using only alternated strokes would tie a player’s hands in a knot. Regardless of which hand starts the passage, the player’s hands, if completely alternated, would have to cross each other in such a way as to make the passage unplayable. The only sensible way to play this section is to insert double strokes at key points, as illustrated.

The example is only one instance, but there are many in which the use of a good double stroke can be employed. To have a good double stroke when needed takes practice. The following are a few possible techniques for developing this stroke.
The following exercise is to be repeated numerous times. Play first with single strokes, then on the repeat with double strokes. Alternate between single and double strokes each time the exercise is repeated. The benefit of this exercise is that it gives students a chance to match the sound of the single and double strokes. The exercise should be practiced slowly until the strokes match in all respects. Then it should be practiced at faster tempos, but always with the aim of producing strokes that are perfectly matched in sound and height. Accenting the second stroke is another way of strengthening it.

One of the best ways to develop a good double stroke is to work on a good triple stroke.

Such exercises are good for developing facility and control with various intervals by use of the double stroke. Again, students should practice for clarity, not speed, and must use a double stroke, not a rebound stroke.
All these exercises can be transposed into all major and minor keys. Students should use as much variation as possible, practicing at various tempos with various dynamics.

When using a double stroke, students should select small intervals, they should also avoid using double strokes unnecessarily. Directors should watch to make sure thy are not cheating by using rebound strokes.
The above examples are only a few exercises that will be useful to students developing a double stroke. Students should also be taught to invent exercises to work on this. The point to remember is that students should always work for clearness and not speed. Students will need to listen carefully for consistency in volume and avoidance of the node of the bar and ought to record their practice to check for such things.

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Trumpet Intonation

theinstrumenta — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:48:57 +0000

It takes patience and subtlety to play with excellent intonation, but directors know that most young trumpet players lack both traits. With limited classroom time, directors may feel that refining intonation is impossible, particularly with a looming concert program every six weeks. However, the task can be less difficult that it seems, and an early dedication to a few key techniques will yield satisfying results.

Then and Now

About ten or fifteen years ago, manufacturers made a significant change by outfitting beginner trumpet models with both a first and third valve slide ring (the first valve slide may alternately have a U-hook). Whether in response to pleading band parents or as a gift to weary school directors, this quantum leap forward in trumpet manufacturing means every beginning students can play a fully outfitted trumpet.

I recommend retiring any trumpet in your inventory that lacks fully functioning first and third valve slides. From the very first week students play fingered notes, have them use the appropriate slides along with the fingerings. This saves teaching the concept later and allows players to begin coordinating these motions and making needed corrections in trumpet balance and hand position.

Smooth as Silk

Good left-hand technique will help players be consistent and skillful as they learn to use the valve slides properly. The left hand should remain on the valve casing when extending the first and third valve slides, whether separately or together. When extending the third slide, only the ring finger should extend and retract; for the first valve slide, only the thumb should extend. On rare occasions, young students may use the whole arm for pushing and pulling. Make sure they learn the correct technique of using only the finger or thumb.

The first and third slides should move with an easy motion. If a slide is rough or sluggish, students will develop improper technique or even stop using the slide altogether. Apply a dab of grease along with a few drops of valve oil to a clean slide. If the slide still resists, send the trumpet to a repair person. This small hassle is worth being able to play in tune.

If you have trumpeters using a marching band lyre, which is inserted in place of the third valve slide ring, have them keep the third valve slide slightly extended to avoid low D and C# being extremely sharp. Following marching season, remind players to replace the third valve slide ring and resume using it in regular playing. With some investigation it may be possible to find lyres that attach to the leadpipe, allowing the third valve slide to move.

Working with Tuners

A chromatic tuner is essential for developing perfect intonation. Students should spend time daily with this generous truth-teller. They can also practice with a tuner during sectionals to establish the habit. Players should move methodically through a series of notes, checking each note with the tuner. I like to create a game during afterschool sections to see which player can make the needle stay centered. A bit of competition builds excitement and emphasizes the value of tuning practice.

During their long-tones warm-up, students can work with a tuner to train their ear. The tuner helps students refine their sense of internal pitch. Have players work with the tuner at different dynamic levels to learn necessary adjustments at different volumes. Remind students that the tuner is only for private practice, not rehearsal. When their eyes are focused on the tuner, they will miss the opportunity to develop the most important skill of all – learning to listen to those around them.

Breathing

Excellent breath support is essential for consistent tuning. Improper breath support produces a sagging pitch and lackluster tone. Correct breathing technique from the beginning avoids many tuning problems later. A great way to learn about how breath support affects pitch is mouthpiece buzzing. Good breath support leads to buzzing a clear even note; poor support can drop the buzz to a lower pitch or make it disappear completely.

Tuning to a chromatic tuner while playing trumpet is hard enough; doing so while buzzing is even harder because the instrument isn’t guiding them to each note and stabilizing the pitch. Students should spend ten minutes a day buzzing with a tuner or matching pitches on the piano. The will improve their ears and establish muscle memory for the correct embouchure and tongue height for each note.

Listening

We want students to evaluate their tone moment by moment. When they listen carefully to what is going around them, doors start to open. Besides correcting errors, they will discover how their part makes musical sense and contributes to the larger symphonic story. One key to this discovery is listening to themselves play one note at a time in tune.

Dirty Instruments

Instruments littered with tiny debris can often be the culprit of many musical crimes. Any blockage can keep the air from flowing through the narrow pipes. Require your afternoon students to carry a travel toothbrush and use it just before practice. This will cut down on the need for cleaning during the year. Schedule a periodic instrument cleaning check in each of your ensembles to make sure students are properly caring for their instruments. For young students a monthly cleaning is best.

Bumpy Sound

Professionals use their valve slides as smoothly as professional trombone players and the slide actions seems nearly invisible. For beginning trumpeters, the use of these slide may actually make such bump that the notes almost sounds accented. Pounding of the slides can also cause the mouthpiece to rock on the embouchure, producing a fast wa-wa sound.

To remedy the problem make sure that all trumpets have their slides in perfect working order. The slide should be thrown simultaneously with the valve reaching its down-most point and retracted as soon as it is no longer needed for that particular note or line.

Often, the slide is pushed or pulled more than necessary. Take, for example, a passage that needs an extended third slide for low D (valves 1 and 3) several times. Keeping the slide extended is fine as long as the passage doesn’t contain notes fingered 2-3 (for example G# or Eb) because the slide would make these notes flat. The reduction in motion will reduce bumps in lyrical passages and is especially helpful for younger students.

Learning to Adjust

As students develop their embouchure, they can make minute adjustments that do not require using a valve slide. Notes like fourth-line D and fourth-space Eb are flat on the trumpet and cannot be corrected by extending the slide, which can only lower the pitch. For these notes students will have to lip up slightly. The chart below gives general remedies for various valve combinations.

Lip Bends

Practicing lip bends is not just for advanced players. Even younger students can benefit from these once their embouchure is fully established. By bending a pitch downward, slowly and gradually, by as much as a half to a whole step, students learn to hear the pitch center of each note and develop muscle memory to produce it. The point of the exercise is less the bending than the return to the center of the note. Have students listen for the point when they think the note is centered and in tune. Now, check their perceptions with a tuner. It gets easier with practice to find the center.

Establishing good intonation in a trumpet section takes considerable effort but there are silver linings to all of this work. You may discover that players have been more aware of poor intonation than you realized. Some students shut their ears to their out-of-tune playing almost in self defense. When they realize that they are now in tune, students will be more willing to listen to themselves and others. A better sound will lead to more success in practice sessions and rehearsals. When the concert arrives the trumpet section will be memorable and gripping for all of the right reasons.

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2012 National Brass Symposium

theinstrumenta — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:45:27 +0000

   The 2012 National Brass Symposium will welcome attendees ranging from young high school music students learning about brass playing for the first time to accomplished university students to professional brass musicians and educators of all ages. The event takes place June 8-10 at the Bailey Center for the Performing Arts of Kennesaw State University, Atlanta, Georgia with the aim of giving participants an unprecedented opportunity to see, hear, and learn from the greatest orchestral brass players of our time. There are traditional master classes and concerts, but the three-day session is structured to be an intimate, up close event that breaks down the barrier between participants and artists. The three-day event also includes a meet-and-greet, recitals, orchestral excerpt performance sessions, and a solo competition for participants.
   This is the second year for the National Brass Symposium. One of the most successful 2011 events was the Orchestral Excerpt Performance Session. In this session, the NBS artists formed a standard orchestral brass section and played some of the great passages from the standard repertoire, including excerpts from Mahler’s Symphony #2, Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra, Bruckner’s Symphony #8, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony #4. The session featured insightful discussion and tips alongside the performances, and participants in each section got to play alongside the artists. This event will be expanded for this year.
   The 2012 event will also feature more recitals and chamber music from the artists, giving everyone the opportunity to hear these great players in intimate settings. Of particular interest to educators, this year the symposium offers a certificate of participation showing attendance. Attendees can use it as a remembrance of the conference or as documentation of their attendance for school districts requiring evidence of attendance for professional learning.
   Chris Martin, one of the founders, said, “When discussing the idea, we wanted to bring these great artists together, but more than that, we wanted to share them with the community where we grew up. Atlanta, Georgia is a booming metropolis that grows every year, but despite its prominence, the community is rarely visited by other great American orchestras. The Symposium changed all that – at least for the local brass community.”
   About the National Brass Symposium artist brass ensemble, Chris Martin said, “Hearing this group of the finest orchestral brass musicians in America play together for the first time was an exhilarating experience I will always remember. Where else could you hear the principal brass of the New York, Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Atlanta orchestras in one place?”
   To register or for more information, visit . The website also includes artist biographies and videos. Walk-up registration is available the day of the event.

Trumpet
Frits Damrow, Zürich Univ. of the Arts
* Thomas Hooten, Atlanta Symphony
* Chris Martin, Chicago Symphony
Michael Martin, Boston Symphony
* Thomas Rolfs, Boston Symphony
* Michael Sachs, Cleveland Orchestra
Horn
* Brice Andrus, Atlanta Symphony
Jeff Nelsen, Indiana University
* James Sommerville, Boston Symphony
Gail Williams, Northwestern University
Trombone
* Joseph Alessi, New York Philharmonic
James Markey, New York Philharmonic
* Toby Oft, Boston Symphony
* Colin Williams, Atlanta Symphony
Tuba
* Dennis Nulty, Detroit Symphony
* Gene Pokorny, Chicago Symphony
* Mike Roylance, Boston Symphony
* denotes principal player

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Maurice Andre (1933-2012)

theinstrumenta — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:41:46 +0000

   Legendary trumpet player Maurice André died on February 25. For decades he wowed audiences with both amazing technical skill and absolutely beautiful tone. He attributed both his skill and stamina on the trumpet to moving 17 tons of coal a day working in coal mines at age 14. He was especially known for his performances of Baroque music, which played a big part in increasing the period’s popularity in the 1960s.
    Born on May 21, 1933 in Alès, France, Maurice André received his first cornet at age 12. His father, a coal miner and amateur trumpet player, quickly recognized the boy’s potential and sent him to study with Léon Barthélémy, a former student at the Paris Conservatoire. At age 18, André joined a military band in Paris to gain free admission to the Paris Conservatory and study under Raymond Sabarich.
    André recalled in an interview, “I didn’t deliver the goods as he wished. After three months he threw abuse at me and chucked me out of the class. Before his death Sabarich always said, ‘It’s when Maurice André woke up.’ How a good scolding does one good occasionally!” André returned after much practice and played all 14 etudes from the back of the Arban book perfectly. He won the cornet prize his first year and the trumpet prize his second year.
    He played with the Lamoureux Orchestra (1953-60), the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra (1953-62), and the Opéra-Comique (1962-67). At age 30 André was invited to sit on the jury of the 1963 Munich Trumpet Competition; he decided instead to enter the competition, as he was just within the age limit. He won first prize, which launched his career as a soloist. It was at this time that he met and married his wife, Liliane, who became his manager and companion on his tours.
    When André started as a soloist there was little music for trumpet, which was not considered a solo instrument comparable to the violin or oboe. To add to the repertoire, André transcribed solo works for other instruments and started using the piccolo trumpet. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, he averaged 180 concerts per year, and by 1978 he had also made more than 200 recordings.
    André succeeded his teacher as a professor of trumpet at the Paris Conservatory in 1967, where he taught until 1978. He continued to tour after that, first with his brother Raymond, also a trumpeter, and later with his children Nicolas, a trumpeter, and Béatrice, an oboist. He also continued recording, eventually ending up with more than 300. His 2008 farewell concert took place in St. Nazaire Cathedral, Béziers, in southern France. In the 1990s, André had moved to a hilltop villa in the Basque country, where he developed his talents as a woodcarver and painter but continued to practice the trumpet daily.

If Only They Could Sing
   Some years ago flutist Michel Debost and a friend attended the Paris Conservatory. Along with daily instrument classes, the study of harmony and theory, and occasional dollops of music history, the two were subjected to the solfège classes of Madame Dieudonné, a tiny, elderly woman who applied herself to the teaching of solfège with missionary zeal. A charming woman to those who could navigate the required intervals, Dieudonné regularly dispensed wrath and vitriol to those who could not.
   As frequent recipients of her sarcasm, Debost and friend weathered her class as best they could. Often she counseled them to seek employment in some allied art; bricklaying would do just fine. “Madame, if you asked me to play these solfège exercises in any key on my instrument, I could easily do it,” Debost’s friend once told the diminutive Dieudonné during one of her vituperations.
   Such appeals did little good; to Dieudonné learning solfège was part of the natural order of things. Neverthe-less, the two muddled through several semesters of the class and eventually passed a final exam, proving they could solfège with the best of them.
   Years later the two survivors of her solfège class were appointed to the faculty of their alma mater, where Dieudonné, who had not softened in the intervening years, still instructed the faithful. Upon their first meeting with their old teacher, the one-time prisoners of the fixed-Do system reminded Dieudonné of their years in her musical purgatory and noted that, despite her pessimism and suggested career choices, they succeeded in their chosen field. Dieudonné was astounded that two so inept at sightsinging could have careers in music, and scurried away to inflict solfège on the current inmates.
   Debost became principal flutist of l’Orchestre de Paris and presently teaches at Oberlin. His friend and fellow escapee from Dieudonné’s class was Maurice André.
– Told by Michel Debost, July 1991

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A Dilemma

theinstrumenta — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:37:45 +0000

   Why am I training all these young music majors for a career as a professional musician, when making a living as a professional musician is such a long shot, and especially so in this bleak economy? Teachers struggle with this question, as well as with how to balance encouragement with reality checks. The sad truth is that professional orchestras are folding, public and private schools are cutting music positions, and parents are becoming less eager to fund private lessons and upgrades in instruments. At auditions for highly competitive graduate programs in music, applicants are often asked if they have a Plan B. Until recently majoring in music education was a fairly safe option. Lawrence University, where I taught for many years, used to have a 100% placement rate of music education majors finding jobs within a year of graduation. That percentage has dropped as the economic downturn has reduced the number of music positions available.
   So what do you tell an aspiring young musician or the parent of a child planning to major in music? I was fortunate to teach at an institution that offers a very real solution: the double degree program which allows a student to obtain a bachelor of music degree in performance or music education and a bachelor of arts degree in another field. The program takes five years. During the time I was the flute professor at Lawrence, double degree students typically made up a large portion of the flute studio.
   Not all students who enroll in the program complete both degrees, but even those who do not, receive a couple of years of classes in both majors. This enables them to make a more informed decision about which path to choose. This program is better than simply taking two majors. Because of the high number of college courses, a typical BA student cannot fit hour lessons into the program most semesters nor practice several hours a day. The extra year of study allows students to have the best of both worlds: sufficient time to practice as well as the academic challenge of a liberal arts or science major.
   More and more colleges offer this option, but some schools are better than others at integrating the two degrees. For instance, the school might schedule science labs during times that do not conflict with performing ensembles or make sure that athletic coaches are aware of the ensemble rehearsal and concert schedules.
   The double degree, even at the best of schools, is quite demanding. Students will typically have several semesters of overloads, especially if they are music education majors. Most of my double degree students were performance majors, which meant they had fewer course requirements than their music education peers. (Of course, that is offset by the additional practice hours.)
   The most successful double degree students are not only bright, but also good at managing their time. While I am always proud of those students who make it as professional performers, I am equally proud of those who chose to pursue careers in fields connected with their BA degrees. Former students from my studio have enrolled in law school, medical school, and graduate programs in history, psychology, social work, religious studies, biochemistry, and astrophysics.

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Mark Music Effectively

theinstrumenta — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:15:41 +0000

I recently observed an honor band festival in which the guest conductor told the students to dive for their pencils. His phrasing was intended to create a sense of urgency for students to mark their music, but I was disappointed to discover how few students had pencils at the ready. Early in my musical training, I was taught that having a pencil in rehearsal was an absolute necessity. Teachers should impart this same clear expectation to students.
The importance of having a pencil in every rehearsal cannot be over-emphasized. The simple act of marking music makes an indelible imprint in a student’s mind about how the music should be performed. Teaching students to mark their music properly, greatly accelerates the total rehearsal process as it avoids wasted time spent re-visiting musical concepts that have already been covered.

   At the beginning of the school year, I provide every student with a pre-sharpened pencil. This is the easiest way to jump right in, rather than waiting for every student to bring one in. During the first few weeks, I check for pencils frequently during rehearsals. Students quickly learn that having a pencil in rehearsal is required to be a competent musician. By mid-year, a fair number of pencils will disappear from folders, so I provide another as a New Year’s gift. I would rather ensure that every student has one at the ready, instead of trying to deduct points from an elaborate grading system.
   I encourage musicians to keep a pencil in their instrument case. I have found, however, that the most effective way to ensure that students have a pencil ready during rehearsal is to keep them in their music folders.
Once all students are armed and ready, the real business of learning how to mark music begins. Although there are many common markings, encourage students to develop a system that makes sense to them. Students should see symbols and phrases that they can interpret immediately while playing. There is no sense in marking a part if the performer can’t remember what it means.
   Here are many of the markings that students need to learn:
Releases: This is one of the first markings that I teach students. The two basic types are:

   Releases are typically open-ended. This means the tongue does not stop the sound; the air either tapers softly or stops abruptly. Occasionally, the musical style requires a closed release which would be tongue-stopped like in jazz. I have students write T or aht above the release point as a reminder.
   Breath Marks: Students typically breathe whenever it is convenient and not necessarily in the same place twice. Identify places to breathe early in the rehearsal process and make sure all students mark them. Similarly, teach students that they must honor breath marks that are provided by the composer. These typically indicate important phrase breaks. Students should also mark critical moments when they should not breathe. Many musicians use the abbreviation N.B. for no breath.
   Phrase Markings: Students should use a solid or dotted slur marking to indicate phrase lengths. Explain the standard phrase lengths in a given piece, such as 4- or 8-bar phrases, and then students should mark any extended or truncated phrase lengths in their parts. Mark the peak of a given phrase with a star or asterisk to show where the phrase is heading.
   Horizontal Arrows: I teach students to use an arrow to indicate a virtual crescendo or to maintain intensity through a given phrase. It is amazing how often students play better if they are simply reminded to use more air. Marking horizontal arrows in music is a good visual reminder.
   Dynamic Changes: Composers often use block dynamics so that all instruments playing at a given moment have the same dynamic level indicated. This rarely results in appropriate balances. The most common changes needed are to correct balance issues between melody and accompaniment. Soloists should often increase their dynamics to project above the ensemble. It also is helpful to write out crescendos and decrescendos as long hairpins to show how long a given dynamic change takes to occur.

   Rhythm and Meter: As students learn difficult rhythms, they should write the counting on their part or a separate sheet of paper as a worksheet. When students simply learn to play a rhythm by rote without understanding how it works, they will not remember it in the future. Have students draw vertical lines to show the beat in measures that contain highly syncopated figures or unusual combinations of rests and rhythms.

   In asymmetrical meters, musicians may need to notate how the subdivisions are grouped, such as 3 + 2 in 58.
   Tempo changes and transitions: Many publishers print metronomic markings on the conductor’s score but not in the individual parts. Students should mark tempos so that they know their target for home practice. If students tend to rush or drag a particular transition, it is helpful to write short phrases like: Slower than you think. Simply writing watch can be very effective too. Another common problem in transitions is when part of the band plays a pick-up note after a fermata, but the rest of the group doesn’t play until the next downbeat. Have students indicate the pick-up rhythm in their part.

   Listening Relationships: As students learn a piece, it is important to identify other sections that they should listen to for rhythmic alignment, balance, or pitch center. Examples might include blend with the horns, align with xylophone, or match pitch in low winds. Instead of writing words, it might be helpful to notate the rhythm of other sections or a composite rhythm for the entire group. Early or late entrances are often the result of not understanding how one part fits with another.

   Foreign Terms: Initially, I teach students that if they do not know the meaning of a given music term, they should look at the conductor while playing. This instills the importance of watching the conductor in performance. In rehearsals, provide translations for the many foreign terms that the students encounter, but simply defining a term once does not ensure retention. Insist that students write definitions directly on their parts so that they are reminded of the meaning each time they read them.
   Articulations: Depending upon the publisher and the composer, there may not be enough articulations present to assist the musician with stylistic decisions. While some amount of repetition and drill is necessary to ingrain a given style, adding articulations to their parts will help musicians recall the correct style faster from rehearsal to rehearsal. For younger musicians, it is helpful to include the correct syllable as well, such as du or toe.
    Mute Changes: Publishers typically indicate mute changes in music at the exact moment when a mute is needed. Students should mark the mute change at the beginning of multi-measure rests so that they have adequate time to insert the mute. In some instances, students should make a note at the top of their music to put the mute upside down in their laps before the song begins.
   Fingerings: Younger students sometimes will ignore an accidental if they do not know the correct fingering. It is important to identify these mistakes in rehearsal and have students write in the fingerings. This is especially important when teaching alternate fingerings or woodwind shadings as students will forget them since they already know the basic fingering for a given note. Clarinetists should develop the habit of marking L and R for specific finger combinations. Percussionists should write in stickings for various rhythms.

Pitch Tendencies: When fixing troublesome intonation, students can use a vertical arrow pointing up or down to remind them which direction to adjust the pitch. Advanced musicians that understand the tendencies of each interval can simply mark which chord tone they have, such as M3.

   Courtesy Accidentals: Students often forget to carry an accidental through the full measure, particularly when the accidental occurs at the very beginning of the measure, and the note appears again, unmarked, at the end of the measure. Students should write courtesy accidentals as needed in front of notes and large enough so that they can quickly interpret the marking. Writing an accidental above a given note is okay if there is not enough space preceding it, but don’t allow students to write accidentals beneath or after the note affected. If students miss an accidental in the key signature, they should mark it so that they don’t miss it again.
   Header: It is often useful to add a header at the top of the music. For example, students might write a reminder to be patient when transitioning from an uptempo fanfare to a slower ballad.
   Home Practice: Rather than take precious rehearsal time to help students practice collectively, I ask them to circle difficult passages to practice on their own. Mallory Thompson, Director of Bands at Northwestern University, tells her students that practice is when you learn your individual part, and rehearsal is where you learn everyone else’s part. Section leaders should keep a separate sheet of paper in their folder to mark down trouble spots that need to be addressed in sectionals later.
   Errata: In my experience, there are very few compositions in which every music part contains the same information as the score. Even critical editions often contain errors. Students should ask questions if they believe an error might exist in a part. Once identified, be sure to mark it both on the individual music part and in the conductor’s score for future performances. Many errata lists exist for well-known compositions and can be found easily online through a search engine.
   Resource Sheet: The broader concepts that students learn through the study of a particular piece will apply to many future pieces as well. While most information should be marked on each individual music part, other concepts and definitions should be recorded on a separate piece of paper that remains in the folder throughout the year. I provide students with a resource sheet, which is simply a two-sided, lined piece of paper.
   This does not cover every possible marking that students might make. I encourage younger students to mark their music a great deal and then allow more advanced students to use their own judgment as to how much they want to mark.
   As the students learn the music, I encourage them to memorize it. This allows them to focus more on hearing than seeing. They also spend more time communicating with one another and the conductor instead of staring at the music. If parts have been adequately marked from the beginning, then the pertinent information is permanently embedded in their memory.
   After the final performance, I ask students to erase the parts before passing them in. There is nothing worse than receiving new music that is already covered in markings. It is critical that all students have the opportunity to mark the music themselves. Effective markings will remind students of important musical moments and ensure a strong performance.

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A Piece of Their Own, The Composing Project at St. Thomas More High School

theinstrumenta — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:17:13 +0000

   When Lloyd Potter decided to work with his band students at St. Thomas More High School on an original soundtrack for a silent movie, he did not realize just how rewarding the project would become. Over the months it took to complete the project and rehearse the music, Potter saw his group improve musically and grow closer as friends. The final performance was also a big hit with parents, administrators, and the community, and it received coverage from the three local television stations near Rapid City, South Dakota. Potter has subsequently tried the project again with his high school group and has even let his middle school band develop their own composition. His students discovered the joys and difficulties of creating music, not just reproducing it for a performance.
   The composition project developed out of a belief that students should do more than prepare for the next concert. I talked with one of my former students, Altman Studeny, an artist-in-residence for the state of South Dakota. We developed an idea for him to work on a project with the band, advanced art class, and creative writing class. The classes were divided into three groups, and each researched local pioneer and Native American culture along with distinctive geographic features of the Black Hills. The band students each wrote a melody of 8 to 16 bars, the art class painted pictures, and the writing students wrote poems.
   I took the six strongest musical samples and arranged them into minute-long pieces. The other teachers and I then found paintings and poems that worked well with the short arrangements. We performed these short works at a concert with the pictures projected on the band shell and students reading the relevant poems. The concert was a big success and made me think about the logical next step – a more elaborate composing project.

Scoring a Movie
I thought about how cool it would be to write music to accompany a movie picture. I wanted to add a new dimension to a concert by requiring students to keep up with the movie while playing. I also thought it would be great to accompany a silent film because the soundtrack is so essential to conveying the mood and momentum of the picture. These older movies are generally in the public domain and have a long history of being shown with live musicians.
I found several Charlie Chaplin movies that were under 20 minutes and played them for students to get their reactions. The movies played without the sound because I did not want them to be influenced by someone else’s soundtrack ideas. It was strange watching without sound and a few students broken the silence by adding their own dialogue. Surprisingly, these students who grew up watching the Lord of the Rings movies enjoyed the slapstick comedy and action of the silent era. This enthusiasm spilled over into the work on the soundtrack.

Division of Labor
After picking a movie, I considered dividing it into different scenes and assigning each student to write for a different scene. I thought that might intimidate some with no previous writing experience. Instead, students were selected to write a particular style of music appropriate for various scenes: chases, dancing, scary moments, and humor. They had a month to watch at least ten movies with that style of music. For those watching movies with chase scenes, for example, they wrote down the key characteristics of that music – fast, slow, dissonant, and so forth. I instructed them to take notes that would help later in writing their own music.
When the month ended, we spent class time to write out their ideas, many of which were quite creative. Some of the students with limited experience with theory and composing had very interesting ideas on phrasing. Other students enjoyed composing so much that they wrote 50 measures or more. Most had some difficulty figuring out how to transfer the music they were playing on their instrument to paper. They devised crazy rhythms and needed help with notation.

Arranging the Fragments
   Once the music was turned in, I put the melodies into Finale and added a bass line. I played the music samples with the bass line for the class, and they were astonished by the sound. Some doubted their abilities as composers but perked up when they heard this early version. Although I expected that putting the music with the movie would be the hardest part of the project, it actually took just a couple of weeks. I watched the movie repeatedly and tried different bits of music against various scenes to determine what worked best. I was amazed at how often the students’ music lined up well with a movie from decades ago.
   I arranged the music as I went along, figuring out the melody for a section of the movie and then arranging that part for full band. When I did a similar project a year later, I decided on the music for the whole movie with just the piano and bass parts, and then wrote an arrangement for band. That approach worked faster.
   One benefit of writing an arrangement for my group was understanding their strengths and weaknesses. I tried to give brass players some rest during the 20-minute movie, and the melody was spread around the band so no section spent the entire time playing half notes. However, if a flute player wrote a nice bit of melody, I would try to give that part to the flute section.
   I quickly discovered the importance of keeping the music interesting but not too difficult. I tried to keep tempo changes to a minimum. I soon learned that quarter=120 is a tempo that everyone could play and is a great speed for action scenes. The hardest part of the entire project was for students to keep playing straight through while keeping up with the film. The task forced them to learn the music really well. One of the unexpected benefits of this project is that students now watch me much more closely because we had to make many, slight adjustments during the performance.

Putting on a Show
   With the music arranged, I showed it to the students, who were impressed with the result. We then spent months learning to play it from top to bottom. I decided early on to memorize the score because my job required watching the movie instead of the score during the performance. I found over the months that by managing time well, the composing project did not take away from everything else I was trying to accomplish during the year. The process did test my patience at times.
   The night of the concert was a big success. The fine arts club decorated the gym like an old time movie theater. We found replicas of silent movie posters and the art department made now playing signs. We sold popcorn and pop as concessions and this produced a nice atmosphere and was a good fundraiser. We brought the house lights down, and students watched the music with stand lights. I even conducted with a glow stick.
   I was surprised before the concert to receive calls from all three local tv stations, which covered the event. I had no idea that they had even heard of our project. A local news anchor even attended in person. The parents could not believe how well the concert went and gave a standing ovation. We received glowing comments even from students who do not play in band but came to support their friends. We later put the movie up on our website to allow students to point out which parts they wrote to their parents. At the end of the project, we completed the copyright process with students. They now have their names on a copyrighted piece of music.

A Middle School Composition
   I tried a shorter version of the composition project with the middle school this year because we had over two weeks after the Christmas concert before winter break. I gave them a weekend to go watch cartoons and a style of music to study. We spent a week in class teaching notation and how to figure out rhythms, and then used a couple of days to compose. Once again, I walked around offering guidance. It took me about
ten days to arrange the 3-1/2 minute piece.
   I showed it to them the day before break, and they were very excited. Because of the difficulties in learning the music and keeping up with the movie, we have decided to play the movie with the finale score at an assembly. We are going to have three of the students talk about the experience and what they thought of it. The 6th graders were perhaps the most excited about the project. I don’t know if it is the age or that particular group.
   In working with the younger group, I used the same basic approach to running the project with a shorter timeframe. I tried to be as encouraging as possible. A few of the students were shy and didn’t want to write the music because they didn’t think they had the skills. I remained patient and spent more time walking around and asking students to play what they had. There were some students who would hide their music whenever I would walk up to them. They tried to be stealthy and keep it from me until they turned it in. When I played the arranged music back for the first time, you could see students pop up with pride. They really enjoyed creating something new instead of just playing their instruments.

To see the finished projects, go to

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Student Opinions

    As a senior at St. Thomas More High School, I have had the opportunity to take part in the composition of two original scores for silent film features. At first I though this was going to be an impossible task to write music for a 20-minute film, but soon our band’s creative juices were flowing. We were asked to watch ten movies to fit our genre of music, and it gradually became easier to conceive a feasible score. It was a moment of movie magic when we first saw the film with our score synched to it; the music seemed to fit flawlessly with the film Some apprehension existed as it was hard to stay perfectly in synch with the film, but Mr. Potter kept us on track with his conducting. The final product was a hit, so we decided to do it again this year with a shorter piece starring Gertie the Dinosaur.
   The process was similar to the first year, but it was even harder to compose because we all wanted to match the excellence of last year’s success. Somehow, it all came together again, and the music seamlessly fit together to form the perfect background for Gertie and her antics. The process has been so amazing and has broadened the musical talents of the entire band. It has given me a new appreciation for music through the realization of how hard it is to compose music, especially when it must capture the essence and actions of a film where all the emotion depends on the music produced.
       – Elise Twohy, Senior Alto Saxophone

Recently, our band director thought it would be fun to compose a soundtrack to a Charlie Chaplin movie. We were not thrilled at first, but I once we started writing the parts it was quite a bit of fun. I was the person to compose the main Charlie Chaplin theme, and it was a really great experience. I love Charlie Chaplin films a lot. This year we wrote the theme to a really old cartoon about a dinosaur named Gertie. We composed another score for it, and it turned out really well. For a really small band, we sound pretty good. I recently played in a band of over 100 people and then came home to play in our band. I was more impressed with our group than any other. In a small band like ours, you are friends with pretty much everyone.
– Clay Adams, Junior Tenor Sax

Our band teacher asked the class to write at least eight measures of music according to a specific mood (scary, happy, festive). We were not happy about doing this at first because it’s hard to organize music that sounds really good. We didn’t think it was going to sound good, but were surprised at the result when the pieces of our music were arranged together to be played with a silent Charlie Chaplin movie. When we did the assignment again the next year, we had an easier time whipping something together. Writing the music took a lot of effort, but it was really interesting to see everyone’s view on music and what they thought sounds good.
– Jessica Halvorson, Senior Clarinet

St. Thomas More High School is a private Catholic school in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has about 250 students with about a quarter who perform in band, orchestra, and choir. Director Lloyd Potter notes that students are driven by academics at the school and often have busy schedules of AP classes that make participation in music difficult. The high school band meets daily during the school day and a jazz band meets three days at week for academic credit.

The post A Piece of Their Own, The Composing Project at St. Thomas More High School appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Students Help Design Drill

theinstrumenta — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:04:13 +0000

   Teaching at a small school in east central Illinois, it is difficult to find outside help or advice. We’ve always had a decent marching band, but my wife and I are the entire marching band staff. While some directors take their marching band design staff on winter retreats to brainstorm for a weekend, for my program, drill design has always been limited to what I can develop. This year I put together a student-led design team to help think of ideas. The team included the two drum majors and two students each from the color guard, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.
   Usually at the end of the season I start looking through music for next year, and as I get ideas I jot them down. Our show theme, Magnetic, came quickly, and browsing catalogs and listening to music online, I found songs that fit the theme well. At the initial meeting I gave each student a CD with the music on it along with the show theme. They had a week to listen to the music and come up with ideas, impressions, or pictures. The plan was to brainstorm and see what ideas students had.
   The second meeting was for three hours after school on a Friday. I played the music again, then listed each song on a whiteboard and had students volunteer ideas about pictures that came to mind. Each song represents something about magnets or attraction. For every song, each student had three or four different ideas, so we wrote them all down.
   Our opener is a piece called Gravitas. The students thought that it represented attraction or pulling things together. After we had gone through each tune, we came back to this one to sketch and discuss specific ideas and came up with an idea for the first set. The show will start out with the band spread out all over the field, and as the opener builds, they will come together into little groups, which will merge into larger groups. The entire band will end up in the shape of a triangle. Some students thought the first visual should be a circle, but we settled on the triangle shape as a stronger form. They also decided to have one group or section represent the magnet itself, pulling the other groups toward it or pushing them away.
   The second tune, Electricity, will represent repulsion. Students thought there were several spots in there where we could split the band in half with one group moving toward the other while it moves away. The two groups could go back and forth a bit, pushing and pulling each other. That ends with a big impact where everything stops suddenly, and students thought that should be a point where the band scatters.
   The third song, which I may replace, will revolve around the idea of opposites attracting. Both of the charts I am looking at have a couple different themes, each of which will be played separately with the band being split into different groups with each musical theme. By the end of the song they’ll build and come together again. All of the themes will be played to gether at the end of the song.
   Our closer is a combination of Breadfan by Metallica and a song called Alive and Amplified. This movement is going to be called “Electromagnetic.” It’s fast, high-powered rock music. We didn’t get much into this one at our meeting, but student ideas included lots of spinning or fast-moving drill to go along with the music.
   At this point we hadn’t written any specific drill; I wanted to keep the focus on picture ideas. At the end of the meeting I told students to keep listening to the music, specifically the first song, and to bring to the next meeting any ideas of pictures or forms they might get.
   Many of the students’ ideas were quite good, although a couple were impossible to work out on the marching band field. There were suggestions for all sorts of crazy props and costumes, and one student suggested remote-controlled, moveable drum major podiums. I had to point out we were limited in what we could do with such things.
   I plan to keep students involved as long as I can. At a second meeting in March we went through the rest of the first song and planned out as much of the drill as we could. We’ve been at about 70 members for the past several years, so we charted for that number. I would like to have drill for the first two songs written by the end of school.
   These meetings have students thinking about how things fit together rather than just where on the field they were supposed to be. It is my expectation that this will translate to increased leadership on the field this fall from these students. They will know how everything fits together and should be motivated to make sure everybody is doing things right.

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Logical Steps To Drillwriting

theinstrumenta — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:01:06 +0000

Designing a marching band show can be an intimidating adventure. Novice drill designers often turn immediately to computer-aided drill design software, but computer programs are only capable of working with and manipulating information received. To function effectively as a designer, first take steps to gather as much informations as possible, then turn to the computer. Following these steps will ensure a show that follows a cohesive logical progression, aided by clearly designated visual and musical climactic moments.

Listen
   It is important to listen to the music and begin imagining different movements, shapes, and forms that support the music. Keep a list of descriptive terms, which will eventually determine movement and forms. For example, music described as hard and driving will best fit angular forms. A lyrical and flowing mood will result in soft and open forms. Occasionally I hear a section that inspires something specific and I immediately sketch something out on paper.
   Avoid thinking only in terms of pictures or sets when listening. It is also important to consider what kind of movement might best fit the music. Motion and movement are the glue between sets and often play a big part in determining how the picture on the field comes across. It is not just a matter of going from point A to point B. From the perception of movement in a stationary form to actual movement such as follow the leader, expansion or contraction, motion is key.
   The listening phase is open-ended. I usually keep the music in my car or listen in my free time. The longer I listen, more of the answers fill in, although time quickly becomes scarce when writing a new show each week.

Sketch
   Based on the findings from listening, begin writing down types of movement and sketching shapes and possible forms that allow this movement. Time spent sketching can range from an idea that pops to mind at dinner and is written on a napkin to being precise and focused, where I sit down specifically to sketch. When writing drill, I am extremely aware of shapes. I remember driving to work one morning and noticing the shape of the street lights for the first time. Inspiration of what to sketch comes from many sources, including the curvature or angle of a logo or the softness of clouds.
   These sketches create a point of departure when charting and designing begin, and a simple sketch frequently leads to a completely different idea. Sketches bring clarity to the boundaries and space the designer has to work. A sketch idea may work for the entire band, or it may need to be augmented with other shapes. With the curve of the street lamp, it might only work for the brass up front, in which case I could frame it in back with some of the woodwinds. It depends on the music and the size of the ensemble.
   The beautiful thing about sketches is that they can be recycled. What is unused one week will almost certainly work at some point in the future. Each drill designer has a toolbox of tricks to which he keeps returning.

Analyze
The next step is to compile a phrase and structural analysis of the musical chart. This information is entered into a count-segment table () that will eventually be the blueprint when the time comes to start designing. Data compiled thus far from the listening and sketching stages should also be entered. Important information such as type of movement and motion, designated climax, and useful descriptive adjectives to describe musical phrases is added.
The designer may also choose to include staging and integration information for the drum line, color guard, dance team, and majorettes. The final product will be a detailed and descriptive table that keeps track of counts, musical segments, staging, transitions, and other pertinent design and staging information needed during the design process. The table can include as much information as a designer might wish to have.

Know the Flow
An energy chart can be another useful tool. This chart is like a line graph, showing direction of musical energy, up or down, for each individual musical selection, and for the show as a whole. Within the overall framework of the story, individual peaks and valleys occur to avoid stasis. The most visually and musically compelling aspect of the show will be the highest point of the graph. Other climactic moments may occur, however, these sets must be secondary to the most compelling moment of the show. Knowing the high point of the show is important; everything is either leading to or a consequence of that moment. It helps to build the storyline by knowing what the show is progressing toward.

Begin Charting
After all the information has been collected, the designer must accurately size forms through charting. This is where a computer program comes into play. Computer programs only work with the information they receive, so designers who have already been creative and done their research can now pluck ideas, no matter how rough the may be, into the program and play with the form to see if it will work with the available instrumentation. Rarely does the rough size of a form fit exactly to the number of marchers, so experimentation with form and spacing is necessary. Do not worry if a sketch must be discarded; it may work for next season’s show.
The decision about whether to use a consistent distance of spacing or an adjusted interval will have to be made at this point. The advantage of a consistent interval between marchers is that students are used to one interval throughout the entire show. A benefit to variable spacing is that it allows for more creativity in design.

Design
   At this point in the process the count-segment form table, flow chart, and information from charting, will guide design decisions. The designer has many puzzle pieces at his disposal to create the final product that will be the show. What occurs visually is driven by what happens musically. The two exist in a symbiotic manner.
   This is the point at which a novice designer may revert to thinking in terms of pictures or hard sets, instead of movement and motion. The designer should consider movement and motion first, and the resulting set from that movement second. A majority of what is seen in a show is the motion between sets; the set is a byproduct of the movement that is called for and often serves a utilitarian rather than aesthetic purpose.
It is ineffective for a designer to start on page one and move straight through the show. Unfortu-nately, drill design software makes this mistake very easy. Often starting on page one can lead a drill designer to write into a corner. This does not allow the show to progress with cohesion and proper flow, and will result in a series of random pictures.
   The first form and page designed should be the most musically and visually compelling moment of the entire show. Next to be designed are the climaxes of each tune. Once climaxes have been designed, continue to tell the story by designing connective sets that serve as glue between climaxes. With some programs a show can be written backwards, but there can be so much distance between the beginning of the show and the climactic point that this feature is not always the most helpful.
   When I first started writing for my university marching band, it took roughly 40 hours to finish a show. Over time I became more efficient, but even now I stick with this process, and I can get a show taken care of in 5-10 hours. Any director is capable of designing a show, as long as a careful and thoughtful, step-by-step process is followed. Countless opportunities and decisions exist in the initial planning stages, and trusting and investing in this six-step process will allow even novice drill designers to create musically and visually compelling shows.

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