Exercises for Beginners
    The first discussion should be about the placement of the left-hand thumb. If you teach the thumb Bb first, explain this placement in relationship to the B natural position. For those working on the C flutes, the left thumb should be straight and pointed towards the ceiling. The bottom of the thumb keys should touch the first joint back from the player’s nail. Having the key touch the thumb in this position prevents the left wrist from jutting or twisting out from a healthy position.
    With the thumb in the B natural position, the keys, when closed in order, spell the word BAG. When lifted, they spell the word GAB. Have the students step onto the B key, then the A key, and finally the G key. There should be a person on the right pinky D# key for each of these three notes. The flutists will notice that the student standing on the D# key rarely moves. This encourages the realization that there are few notes that are played without the right-hand pinkie.
    With a metronome set on 60, have the students step on to the Floor Flute mimicking the fingerings for B, A, G and then step off for G, A, B. Then randomly call each note name and see how quickly they can step onto the mat for the correct fingering. Have the flutists repeat this exercise on their C flutes using the metronome. As both exercises becomes easier, increase the metronome speed incrementally up to 120.
    Once fluent in the B, A, G fingerings add the F and the E fingerings. All these fingerings have the right hand pinkie on the D# key. Practice going up and down the scale (E, F, G, A, B, C (thumb off) B, A, G, F, E) with the metronome. Practice trills from E to F by having the person on the E key lift and replace his foot as quickly as he can. Repeat the trills with F to G, G to A, A to B, and B to C. If you are an early music specialist, you can practice trills from C to B, B to A, A to G, G to F, and F to E.
    Repeat this type of drill using one of the three-note melodies such as Hot Cross Buns or Mary Had a Little Lamb. After exploring this drill on the diagram, repeat on the C flute. For melodies, you may write them on a blackboard or white board or create a handout to encompass the material you wish to teach. Eventually students should be able to do the fingerings in rhythms.
    Have students practice the lower and upper octave of E, F, G, A, B, and C. Quickly they will notice that the fingerings are the same for each of these notes in the first and the second octave. Use music note flash cards to practice this concept. Then teach the other three notes that fall into this same category (F#, G#, and Bb).

Intermediate Flutists
    Use this method to explore major scales with intermediate-level flutists. First teach one-octave or nine-note scales before moving to two- and three-octave scales. Use a metronome to be sure the flutists step on and off the mat in time and with clarity of movement just as the fingers move on the flute. When a new fingering is introduced, have students practice trilling to and from the note.
    Footjoint notes are often less understood than other notes. One by one have each flutist work on the mat to master the lowest D# (Eb), C#, C, and B. Be sure their feet are precise when standing on the roller keys. They can also work on minor, chromatic, and whole tone scales plus scales in thirds and arpeggios (major, minor, augmented and diminished).
    To add articulation patterns into the mix, indicate slurred notes by holding hands and tongued notes by placing hands down at their sides. For vibrato practice, have each person wiggle 2, 3, or 4 pulsations (hula style) on each note of the scale (metronome set on 60). This exercise not only teaches subdivision, but that the vibrato should not stop when raising or lowering a key. The vibrato must be independent of the fingerings.

Advanced Flutists
    Basically almost anything that can be played on the flute can be practiced on the Floor Flute. For advanced students practicing all trill fingerings, top octave notes (3rd and 4th octaves), sensitive or alternate fingerings, and fingerings that offer special challenges can make huge difference in flutists’ performance on their regular flutes. Many of the top octave fingering require both stepping on and off of the mat exactly in time.
    The third octave F# to G# is one of the most difficult movements on the flute. Usually it takes several tries before flutists can execute this fingering eight times in a row on the Floor Flute without a mishap. Once they return to the C flute, there is a better understanding of what each finger does.

Bell Choir
    The concept of this mat is similar to each person playing one or two notes in a bell choir. For this reason, with each exercise have students switch from one key to another so there is better understanding of the big picture.

Mental Imaging or Visualization
    After working on the Floor Flute and on the C flute, have students practice difficult fingerings by visualizing which fingers move and which fingers stay without moving any fingers at all. Unlike most instruments, flutists cannot see their fingers while playing. Im­printing a movement plan in students’ minds improves the quality and timing of their movements on the flute.

The post Strategies for Teaching Fingerings appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Play one hand at a time.
    The advantage to practicing each mallet individually first is that students simultaneously strengthen their hands and arms to play two mallets in each hand together. Students can now play one hand (two mallets) at a time, executing repeated static intervals, such as a perfect fifth or minor sixth. Students should practice these repeated intervals in various combinations of black and white keys, noting the need for adjustments in angle and grip to accommodate the keyboard layout. They should focus on maintaining flexibility in their fingers so that the mallets can move freely and play fully. The mallets should move and attack precisely and simultaneously, but they should not be held tightly within the hand. Again, periodic comparison to students’ original two-mallet technique should help. In both cases, mallets should move freely, with the hand providing only the minimum physical guidance necessary.
    Once students can play isolated intervals repetitively, they should begin experimenting with changing intervals, still just one hand at a time. They can play a consistent pulse with one mallet repeating a pitch and the other ascending or descending the scale, gradually widening and closing the interval. During these shifts they should maintain fluid physical motion, steady tempo given the inconsistent size of changing intervals, and precision of playing spots, especially when shifting back and forth between black and white keys.
    A natural extension of the previous exercise will be to continue playing scalar patterns, alternating the pairs of notes rather than playing them together. As the interval widens and closes, the hand must maintain the technical priorities just described, while also balancing the weight of one mallet against the other in motion. Students can also play scales in thirds and various arpeggio patterns to practice this stability and fluency.

Play both hands together.
    As students become comfortable playing both mallets in each hand together and in alternation, they can combine both hands in similar exercises. They should begin by playing static block chords, with all four mallets striking exactly together. They should aim for the same goals as described for one hand only, but now supervising their technique across two hands and four mallets. Students should use their visual, aural, and kinesthetic senses to troubleshoot technical problems and monitor progress. A slight change in technique can be seen, heard, and felt if one is paying close attention, and any of these three modes can be the most effective in a given situation. As always, the mallets must be allowed to move freely within the hands. One can easily see in a mirror the physical tension created in the hands and arms if the mallets are controlled too tightly.
    Once comfortable with playing repeated block chords, students can progress through changing intervals and alternating mallets in various combinations. At this stage students should learn to discriminate quickly whether a technical challenge that arises is truly a full four-mallet issue, or just a one-handed (two-mallet) issue. They should be prepared to revert back frequently to one-handed practice to isolate problem spots before returning to full four-mallet practice.

Additional tips.
    Position the body in the middle of the range of notes you will play. Some foot shifting may be necessary, especially on a large marimba, but most of it can be eliminated with this bit of planning.
    Develop a flexible roll speed, much like developing flexible vibrato on wind or string instruments. Per­cus­sionists should be able to sustain longer notes comfortably, with a single-stroke roll, and free from reliance on a predictable subdivision of the beat at the given tempo. The ear quickly tires of a roll that sounds like repetitive 16th or 32nd notes.
    Remain physically flexible while playing, ready to reposition both large and small parts of the body quickly and more frequently than in two-mallet playing.
    Practice four-mallet technique on numerous instruments. Playing close-knit chords with hard mallets on the orchestra bells is very different than widespread, resonant chords on a five-octave marimba. Students should become accustomed to playing four-mallet techniques with various mallets on many instruments.
    Once you have developed the technique, use it. Four-mallet skill can be helpful when playing with multiple sticks and mallets in all sorts of busy situations. For example, a percussionist might hold two suspended cymbal mallets for a normal roll but add a triangle beater in one hand for the note that immediately follows it.
    Four-mallet technique is a great asset to percussionists’ technical and musical abilities. Thoughtful, sequential development of strength, flexibility, and dexterity through individual, paired, and four-mallet practice opens opportunities to play modern ensemble parts and solo repertoire successfully.

The post Four-Mallet Tips appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Many students at the intermediate level and beyond develop habits that inhibit the effective improvement of finger dexterity. Of these habits, most seem to be related to the use of the third valve and might involve one or more of the following problems.

    Incorrect fourth-finger position. By placing the fourth finger into the trumpet’s finger hook, the student may create tension and rigidity in the third finger. This problem is compounded when the right thumb is extended along the underside of the leadpipe, further stretching the hand. Remind the player that the fourth finger is inserted into the finger hook only when the trumpet is being held by the right hand while turning a page in the music or when inserting a mute with the left hand. For normal playing he should support the instrument with the left hand. The right hand should be placed in a relaxed position with the tip of the thumb between the first and second valve casings, the first three fingers arched naturally with the fingertips on the valve caps, and the fourth finger on top of the finger hook.

    Incorrect third-finger position. Some students let the third finger drop below the valve cap and curl in toward the palm. When it is needed, the student must take extra time to move the finger up and onto the valve cap before the valve can be depressed.
A similar problem results when students let the third finger drift toward the second valve. A few students will even use both the second and third fingers to play the second valve – a habit especially common on euphonium and tuba.

    Lifting the fingers off the valve caps. This tendency increases the distance the fingers must travel to depress the valves, and because the third finger is used less than the other two, it often flies the highest. Rapid finger technique usually depends on minimizing movements and omitting unnecessary ones, so finger motion should be quick and deliberate, but not exaggerated.

    Insufficient use. Use of the third valve is more common in the lower register than in the middle and upper registers where the open tones in the harmonic series get progressively closer together. As the student’s upper range begins to develop, problems with third-valve technique may occur simply because the third finger is not being used as much as the other two. Also, conductors usually select music that lies well for certain instruments. For the trumpeter, some keys are inherently more awkward than others, largely because of the number of fingerings requiring use of the third valve. Therefore, many students and conductors shy away from these awkward keys which impedes third-finger dexterity.
    To correct some of these problems the teacher may ask the student to spend some time each day playing short remedial exercises. Each should be repeated several times, giving the student an opportunity to observe his hand position and finger movements closely. Emphasize proper placement, minimal motion, and relaxation. I have used the following exercises to improve third-valve technique.

    When the exercises can be played evenly and rapidly, the student should work on his technique in a normal manner, checking periodically to see that no further difficulties are developing with the sometimes troublesome third finger.

The post Problems with Third Valve Technique appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Set a musical direction.
    A number of years ago I was hired to teach a small marching band in Biddeford, a mill town in southern Maine. They played football games in a football-crazed community and had a moderately successful competitive marching band that played mostly pop material. The previous band director had resurrected the band from disaster to an ensemble with promise. The staff was small but dedicated; most had a drum corps background.
    We inherited a pop and movie music show written by the former director. It fit the band’s image and worked well that first year. Having this taken care of before I came in gave the staff and me the opportunity to take a breath and assess the group’s identity and determine a future direction.
    Many new directors make the mistake of not taking into account the group’s identity or what the expectations for the group are. If a group has been known to do well with jazz and has that identity, it makes little sense to shift abruptly into Bach or Mozart. Drum Corps International groups provide a cautionary tale. At one point, Santa Clara Vanguard, known at the time for classical music and Broadway, switched to a show that mixed jazz and classical. Crossmen, known for jazz, abruptly switched to Samuel Barber and Alfred Reed. Madison Scouts, also known primarily for jazz, attempted to do Kabalevsky. All the literature was of excellent quality but didn’t fit the image. These corps quickly reverted to what fit their image.
    If you are new to a program and have the opportunity to start from scratch, think incrementally, especially if the band’s past image doesn’t jibe with where you would like to take it. Many people look at programming as a one-year process, but it is better to think long range.
    For a number of years I was fortunate to work on projects with Jim Prime, the DCI Hall of Fame brass writer. He always thought four years in advance. When he first took over Boston Crusaders, he worked with a group that programmed eclectically, with lots of film music, some jazz, and some orchestral. To create a focus, he shifted focus to orchestral music, but carefully. He realized that there needed to be a definable direction that was in concert with the corps’ image and past. Boston had past success with Mussorgsky’s Coronation of Boris, so the thread from the past that he chose to pull was that composer and Pictures at an Exhibition.
    That wasn’t his end game, but a point of departure. He had a four-year plan that culminated with Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky Cantata. Between these two he established an evolution that included Rimsky-Korsakov, Gliere, and some populist Prokofiev.
    The lesson is that by taking the long view one can orchestrate a progression that leaves a group musically far ahead of where it started. This is similar to concert band and jazz programming. Some program concert to concert, but this often leaves a group stuck in one place. You can end up programming just to fill slots rather than with long-range musical development in mind. The upperclassmen should feel that they and the group are progressing in what is being asked musically. With groups that often mix many underclassmen with upperclassmen, this can be tricky. The key is keeping technical demands reasonable while upping the ante musically.

Determine leadership style and staff structure.
    A director should decide early whether to operate the staff as a CEO – acting as the final arbiter of a staff-led creative process – or to determine the direction yourself and hand that down to your staff. This decision depends on your leadership style and the resources available to you, as physical location and budget often dictate structure and staffing. In Maine, staff – particularly visual – can be difficult to acquire because of distance from major metropolitan areas. Budgets and bands are often small, and band directors are often doing everything.
    The advantage of the CEO approach – sharing creative control with the staff – is that the creative process is much more open and permeable to a wide range of thought. If you have the right people in the room, this can work exceptionally well. The band director is always in the mix without necessarily dictating the direction.
    Under this structure, a good strategy is to set up a completely non-judgmental planning session. Any idea – no matter how crazy – is in play; the only rule is that practicality will not be discussed at this point. Can we make the entire band disappear? What would be some great magic tricks? Could we cut the drum major in half (figuratively)? What if we made part of the show audience interactive? What if there was a part of the show that was improvisational for the group and the improvisation changed every show? What about taking a small segment of the show, teaching three different segments and letting the audience decide? You’d find the synergy terrific. Many of these ideas are impractical, but this might be the next discussion: “This couldn’t work, but what about . . .?”
    The director as decision maker, who hands down the program direction to staff, has as its advantage that the direction is always clear. Directors who lead this way reason that concert band and jazz ensemble programming decisions are not made by committee, so marching band should operate similarly.
    This approach can work, to a point. However, there must be a balance between curriculum and the creative freedom given to visual designers, particularly if the director is a music designer and not visual designer. This approach can also lead to a narrow, limited vision.
    One permutation of this that worked well for me was to solicit show ideas and develop them at a basic level to present to the design team. I would take each concept and outfit it with multiple literature choices for each tune. The staff would then decide which program it wanted to develop and choose the piece for each segment. If none of the pieces for a segment passed mus­ter, I would go back to the drawing board for that segment. What made this work was that I wasn’t ceding control of the quality of literature. To me that was critical; a band’s literature is its curriculum. As the musician in charge, that is ultimately my responsibility.

Decide what the message will be.
    Some groups thrive on audience rapport; others seem to shun it. If your group has the former in its DNA or strives to create that as an identity, that will determine your musical and visual vocabulary. Study how this has been done by groups such as the Bridgemen, Velvet Knights, and Bluecoats.
    The Bridgemen, a Bayonne, New Jersey group, are a fascinating case study in establishing a strong, audience-friendly identity, They were a competent, if garden-variety, DCI corps. In 1976 they flipped the switch creatively and established an identity that set up the corps for eight years of sustained success in DCI. They adopted a Harlem persona with yellow zoot suits (the corps was kicknamed “The Bananas”) and chose music that was New York jazz (42nd Street), contemporary pop (Earth, Wind, and Fire’s In the Stone) and light classical (Pagliacci with a jazz twist, William Tell Overture, and an outside-the-box-take on Ritual Fire Dance). The hip persona and great arrangements of literature audiences would know made Bridgemen the prototype entertainment corps.
    A similar tack was taken by California’s Velvet Knights, who took the Bridgemen’s approach one step further and introduced humor into the proceedings. Like Bridgemen, they performed a range of quality music leavened with audience-friendly concepts (trips around the world, for example) and biting satire, including dancing gorillas, a Carmen Miranda mashup complete with color guard giant banana implements, Miranda costuming, and a tweaking of cross-state rival Santa Clara Vanguard’s famous Bottle Dance from Fiddler on the Roof.
    Bluecoats’s 2016 Downside Up brought performance art to a new level with imaginative percussion staging, infectious melodic writing and a variety of devices including performers scaling a huge prop and floating down slides. The story was amorphous, but the message – fun – was clear.
    If storytelling is your goal, look toward groups such Tarpon (Florida) High School. Kevin Ford and his staff are masters of this approach. The key is giving your audience a universal message and a clear story about which they can care. In recent years this has been highly successful for Tarpon, which has produced shows titled Pandora, Caged (complete with an array of cage props), and Man vs. Machine. There is great depth to these designs, but the message isn’t obtuse.
    The key this type of design is to make sure the audience can figure it out without needing a libretto. Many groups make the mistake of designing for themselves and not the audience.
    If you want a cerebral approach, make sure it has a populist element – something that will keep the audience engaged – even if the message is dark. Consider whether you are looking to be provocative, controversial, political, avant garde, or something else.
    Be careful of programming by YouTube, which makes an excellent springboard for creativity but it is not in and of itself creative. Just because a design is on YouTube does not mean it is of high quality. In addition, a segment that worked well in another context might not be the right fit for you.
    Plan intelligently, but don’t be afraid to be you. In a Winter Guard International position paper, the late judge Shirlee Whitcomb put it this way: “Be original and take a creative step that will make you unique.” She also said, “If you don’t break away from the ‘common’ mold, what else can judges do but reward the best of what everyone is doing?”
    As educators, marching band can be a great outlet for creativity. Whether you are a band with BOA aspirations, a band that performs at Friday evening football games or something in between, your audience and students deserve imagination, integrity, and vision.

The post Planning the Marching Show appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Background
    Growing out of the military band tradition, the modern band has endured a prolonged struggle to validate itself as a viable music ensemble capable of much more than “providing music for entertainment and civic/public functions/celebrations.”¹ Music of the 19th century through the first part of the 20th consisted “primarily of transcriptions of orchestral literature, opera excerpts, light music (waltzes, polkas, patriotic and popular tunes, etc.) and, of course, marches.”² With limited original music of quality written for band, many bandmasters including, Albert Harding, Patrick Gilmore, William Revelli, and John P. Paynter, actively transcribed works for their ensemble to perform.
    Beginning in the early 1900s band leaders began to encourage established composers to write original music for band. This led to a trickle of new works, many of which are still considered cornerstones of the repertoire, including First and Second Suites for Military Band by Gustav Holst; English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams; An Original Suite by Gordon Jacob; Hill Song No. 1, Hill Song No. 2, and Children’s March “Over the Hills and Far Away” by Percy Grainger; Concert Music for Wind Band by Paul Hindemith; and Dionysiaques by Florent Schmitt.
    Gradually more original works were written for band. For the first time, on July 21, 1942 the Goldman Band presented a concert consisting entirely of original works for band. Edwin Franko Goldman became a champion of bands and began commissioning original band works in 1949 through the League of Composers, the first program of its kind in America.³ In 1952 Frederick Fennell, in conjunction with founding the Eastman Wind Ensemble, sent letters to approximately 400 composers about his new ensemble, imploring them to write for it.
    Progress was slow. In 1958, sixteen years after Goldman’s Jubilee concert, The Instrumentalist questioned respected band leaders across the country, asking them to list the “best creations for wind band.” Of the 118 titles listed, 67 were transcriptions (57%).⁴ Eventually, as a result of the foresight of these great band leaders this ratio changed. A 1970 Northern Iowa College survey of College Band Directors National Association members concert programs between 1961 and 1966 showed that out of 234 performed pieces, 136 (68%) were original compositions for band.⁵ This trend continued into the end of the 20th century.

Why Don’t We Play Transcriptions?
    The development of such a rich repertoire of original band works led to fewer performances of transcriptions. For almost a century band leaders encouraged composers to write for band. However, most leaders of the movement did not do so at the expense of transcriptions. Here is Frederick Fennell speaking at the 1975 CBDNA conference:

    “Wind band transcriptions would have educational value as long as the performers preserved the beauty of the original musical ideas through listening to recordings or performances during the preparation process.”

    Fennell believed that some works were actually superior when transcribed for band. “Many people have always felt that [Richard Wagner’s] music sounds better when played by a band than it does in its original orchestral setting.”⁶
    Additionally, those band leaders in this era who avoided transcriptions often did so for good reason. As previously mentioned many bandmasters were freely transcribing music to fill out their concert programs. With such a high level of proliferation, and often haste to be the first ensemble in the area to perform a work, the quality of such transcriptions was sometimes questionable. For evidence, consider the number of these transcriptions that have survived. While several masterworks are firmly established as core repertoire, the vast majority have faded.⁷
    While past band leaders are sometimes misconstrued as anti-transcription rather than pro original music, some directors are intimidated by the perceived monumental undertaking of performing the works of Wagner, Bach, and Copland. They may be unfamiliar with common performance practices and historical background associated surrounding the work. For some it may be the fear of misinterpreting a work so firmly established in classical music due to unfamiliarity with the genre. (It should also be noted that one significant obstacle to the performance of transcriptions is that many are only available with a condensed score, making rehearsal arduous.) With these deterrents, it can be easy to turn to yet another ABA composition off the shelf or a previously performed original work for band. However the reward of discovering and sharing the intricacies of historical masterworks is well worth the additional score study and preparation time.

Why We Should Play Transcriptions
    Transcriptions should remain an integral part of band repertoire. Outstanding music does not lose its value in a different medium. If the transcriber has preserved or added excellence, the work is worthy of study and performance. This perspective is one readily adopted by orchestras and vocal ensembles routinely perform transcribed works.⁸ Some even perform pieces originally written for band. Transcriptions are so prevalent in other genres that modern composers will often transcribe their own work for various ensembles. For example, Eric Whitacre originally composed Lux Aurumque for chorus in 2000, he then transcribed it for band in 2005, and again for orchestra in 2011. As directors, the music we perform is arguably our most significant decision with regard to our ensemble, and we cannot forsake such a substantial segment of repertoire simply because it was not originally conceived for our ensemble.
    From an educational standpoint transcriptions offer bands the opportunity to study musical eras that predate our young ensemble. Through their use, ensembles may perform music from each musical era, exposing them to Western music’s rich heritage. Transcriptions open the door to conversations about form, performance practice, and compositional techniques, that are often left closed by contemporary band works for band. Additionally, holding a discussion related to the efficacy of a transcription, or the strategy that led to orchestration decisions can be educationally rewarding. Students could be asked what choices they might have made that would have been different. One could even ask students to create their own transcription of a simple piece or section of a piece.

Conclusion
    If the history of wind literature is a pendulum, it began (out of necessity) well into the area of transcriptions, but as bands matured it is now firmly entrenched on the side of original band music. We should recognize the value of original works and high-quality transcriptions, and find better balance between the two.  

End Notes
1 The Winds of Change: The Evolution of the Contemporary American Wind Band/Ensemble and Its Conductor by Frank L. Battisti (Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications, 2002), 3.
2 Ibid, 13.
3 The American Wind Band: A Cultural History by Richard K. Hansen (Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, 2005), 83.
4 “The Best in Band Music,” The Instrumentalist (August 1958): 74-76.
5 “An Emerging Band Repertory, A Survey of the Members of the College Band Directors National Association.” by Karl Holvik, Journal of Band Research 6 (Spring 1970): 19.
6 Time and the Winds: A Short History of the Use of Wind Instruments in the Orchestra, Band and the Wind Ensemble by Frederick Fennell (Kenosha, WI: G. Leblanc, 1954).
7 Expert Wind Band Director’s Perceptions of the Purpose and Value of Transcriptions in the Wind Band Repertoire by Michael Phillips (Phd Diss. University of Florida, 2014).
8 Phillips, 17.

* * *

Transcriptions

Compiled in a 2014 University of Florida study by Michael Phillips, the following list of transcriptions includes those deemed significant contributions, and worthy of performance. Members of the American Bandmasters Association were provided an extensive list of band transcriptions and asked to rate several factors including their familiarity with, and more importantly, the significance of each work. The list below represents those pieces receiving the highest overall rating of significance (approximately 25% of the given list).

Grade III
Nimrod from Variations on an Original Theme “Enigma Variations” (1899) by Sir Edward Elgar, edition: Alfred Reed (1965).

Grade IV
    Festive Overture Op. 96 (1954) by Dmitri Shostakovich, edition: Donald Hunsberger (1965).
    Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral (1838) by Richard Wagner, edition: Glenn Lucien Cailliet (1983).
    County Band March (1903) by Charles Ives, edition: James Sinclair (1974).
    O Magnum Mysterium (1994) by Morton Lauridsen, edition: H. Robert Reynolds (2003).
    Prelude No. 14, Op. 34 (1952) by Dmitri Shostakovich, edition: H. Robert Reynolds (1988).
    Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor BWV 582 (c.1708) by Johann Sebastian Bach, edition: Donald Hunsberger (1975).

Grade V
    Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber (1943) by Paul Hindemith, edition: Keith Willson (1947).
    Four Scottish Dances (1957) by Sir Malcolm Arnold, edition: John Paynter (1978).
    Fantasia in G Major, BWV 572 (c. 1712) by Johann Sebastian Bach, edition: Richard Franko Goldman (1957).
    Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (c. 1704) by Johann Sebastian Bach, edition: Donald Hunsberger (1998).
    Overture to Candide (1956) by Leonard Bernstein, edition: Clare Grundman (1986).
    Lincoln Portrait (1942) by Aaron Cop­land, edition: Walter Beeler (1995).
    Variations on America (1891) by Charles Ives, edition: William E. Rhoads (1968).
    La Procession du Rocio (1913) by Joaquin Turina, edition: Alfred Reed (1962)

Grade VI
    Profanation from Symphony No. 1 Jeremiah (1943) by Leonard Bernstein, edition: Frank Bencriscutto (1995).
    Carmina Burana Suite (1936) by Carl Orff, edition: John Krance (1967).
    El Salon Mexico (1939) by Aaron Copland, edition: Mark H. Hindsley (1972).

The post Essential Transcriptions appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

During your tenure at Truman State University, how have the incoming music education students changed?
    Our enrollment dramatically increased due to the quality of our performance groups. The solid reputation of the Master of Arts in Education also drew freshmen who had already decided to go into teaching. The program, rigorous both academically and musically, attracted students who were assured a great internship with the best mentor teacher available in the field. Early on, students questioned the need to earn two degrees, but the reputation of the University, the quality of those completing the new MAE program, and their placement in fine teaching positions upon graduation, turned that around within my first few years at Truman.

What knowledge do young music educators need now that was not necessary 20 or 30 years ago?
    The easy answer is skill with technology. Because technology changes so rapidly, I feel that some hands-on knowledge can be picked up during the internship and later on the job. Trying to keep up with technology can shortchange the grounding in solid musicianship. I think becoming a good musician continues to be the most important requirement for anyone going into music education.
    In addition, young educators have to think outside the box when establishing their music programs. They cannot go into the field to focus exclusively on performance, but also need to establish a comprehensive music program that includes composition, performance, improvisation, listening, AP theory, and even musicology. I used to talk in my university courses about the value of having a historian in my bands to gather information, photographs, and articles, and to write program notes; these are all skills of a musicologist. There are always students who will enjoy that type of work.

What changes or challenges do you see the profession facing over the next 20 years?
    The challenges are probably the same as always. The public tends to view music education as expendable one minute and essential the next. Educators have to advocate for and explain what is being taught and learned. We assume people understand it, but I think we have to be more intentional about reminding everybody that the arts are essential to a high-quality and culturally complete education.

What are the best ways to explain what is being taught and advocate for music education?
    Having taught for most of my career in public schools, I am a strong supporter of uniform access to a sequential, standards-based music education taught by instructors fully certified in music education in all schools – public, private (often made possible through vouchers), charter, and home schools. That said, teachers must tell their story and spend time doing so through public relations work. Speak at concerts explaining what students have learned about melody, rhythm, harmony, and form in terms the public can understand. Invite parents to rehearsals to witness the teaching and learning process. Reach out to perform for senior citizens. Inform your elected officials about your program and outstanding student accomplishments. Do not forget to use the media – print, web, radio, and television. Advocating for music and your program simply has to be part of the job.

What traits are the best predictors of success for future music educators?
    I think great people skills and a certain charisma are essential. You do not have to be flamboyant necessarily, but you have to have the ability to draw people to you and communicate effectively. The best teachers want to make the world a better place and understand how music can touch the human spirit.

Are there ways to teach charisma to aspiring teachers who need more?
    Charisma is something one can observe and try to emulate, but I am not sure it can be learned in a traditional sense. You know it when you see it. The teachers who exhibit charisma are attractive, caring, open and self-revealing, self-assured, comfortable and relaxed, joyful, and passionate about what they do. They are also truthful, disciplined, and goal oriented. Most importantly, they teach students music, not music to students.

What advice should high school teachers offer to students who want to pursue a music education degree?
    Advise students to have as many experiences as possible outside of school. This might include giving lessons to students, studying piano, babysitting, playing in a drum corps, and singing in a church choir. Students should not rely on a single college program to gain and complete a musical education. It helps to be intentional and set varied activities and goals while still in high school. At the college level, we can do more to help students identified as likely to be future educators such as providing opportunities to come to campus for summer programs and to shadow professors.
 
With all of the state and NASM requirements, is it still realistic to complete an undergraduate degree in four years?
    I think the four-year degree has been outmoded for many years, actually. I don’t know what the solution is, but we keep trying to shoehorn more content into four-year programs and something has to give. Currently, it is often going to take longer than four years for students to finish their degrees. Politicians want students to graduate in a timely fashion (four years), but added requirements and costs in most cases do not make this possible. I don’t know when this problem will be solved, but not soon, I fear.

What are your biggest concerns about music education?
    Currently, the common core. In the field of music education, teachers are often expected to teach subjects other than music. Music, of course, relates to history, science, math, and language, but it happens through a musical lens. Music educators are music educators, period. I think we can and should reach out and cover other areas, but it has to occur through our musical lens. Also, I do not think future teachers are being sufficiently prepared to teach in rural schools with few students. For instance, when faced with a band of eight students, they are ill-prepared to envision anything other than the traditional large concert or huge marching band. This must change.

Why did you initially enter the field of music education?
    I knew I had to make music the center of my life, and there is no better way to spend a day than to get up, go to school, spend time with great young people, make music, and get paid for doing it. I have always had a strong drive and work ethic, and some great early mentors provided inspiration starting when I was seven years old. It is powerful to learn from people who are doing something really important and appealing.

How have you changed as an educator over time?
    My basic approach remains mostly the same but has deepened. I have a greater appreciation for the importance of music in people’s lives. I always took it seriously, but the more that time has gone on, the deeper that has become. I stayed motivated and taught for 45 years because I do not know what else I could have done that would have been so worthwhile.

If a new teacher asked for help in designing a curriculum and running a rehearsal, what would you suggest?
    Design a program and curriculum that is comprehensive, including as diverse an experience as possible with multiple genres of music to hear and learn. Always teach from your strengths. If you don’t, it will show.
    Rehearsals and classes must be planned in advance while being flexible enough to address problems that arise. Selection of appropriate music is the most important thing to get right for any teacher. Therefore, know the capabilities of your students as well as their potential for growth. Determine those things, and you have a recipe for success for everyone. As a high school band director, I chose and studied all of my concert music during the summer, so it was possible to lay out rehearsal plans for the entire academic year. I planned backwards by first determining the goal, and then the steps to reach that goal.

What are the most important lessons you learned as a high school director?
    There is strength in numbers. Never pass up an opportunity to combine forces – band and choir – with the dance, drama, and art departments to stage a musical or show, to work alongside of colleagues as a team. Share everything, and give credit where it is due. I have worked with wonderful fellow faculty members for my entire career. Whether it is in an elementary, middle, high school, or university department, working to achieve strong supportive relationships with professional associates and groups is essential. 

What do high school students most need to learn that they did not master in junior high and how did you teach it?
    Rhythm, particularly understanding and. For whatever reason, students understand downbeats, but not subdivision. I had no magic formula, so I relied on old school methods to teach students how to count 1-&-2-& – writing up and down arrows in their music, foot tapping, and clapping. I incorporated rhythm drill into every rehearsal using the books available at the time – especially 101 Rhythmic Rest Patterns by Grover C. Yaus. It was all traditional but it did work.

What are your plans for retirement?
    I hope to work with educators as a consultant and perhaps do in-service clinics. I also want to continue my passion for art, and present programs on Lincoln and the music of the Civil War and on Sousa’s life and career – a real passion of mine. I also hope to influence policymakers in Missouri to give greater financial rewards to the best public school teachers. That is where financial investment is needed. It is important to reward teachers for being great mentors to young people coming into the field. I would support full-year internships for future teachers, with stipends for mentors to cover the time to observe and properly evaluate interns. Teachers should receive funding for travel to conferences and visits to observe in other school districts.

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What are some of your favorite strategies for mixing things up in rehearsal?
    I want students to become independent thinkers and do this by occasionally telling students, “I’m not going to start you on this piece. You can start yourselves, but you can’t talk or count off.” The first time I did this was a challenge for students. Eventually a trumpet player decided to breathe loud enough for everyone to hear him, so the band started, but it was ragged. On the second try, they got it. I have done a similar exercise by having students play and keep together Molly on the Shore without me. It forces students to think every second, listen more intensely, and depend on one another.
    We have done what we call monk rehearsals, where the director is absolutely quiet and acts out what we want our students to do, much like charades. I tell students the plan when rehearsal starts, and that is the last thing I say to them. Students have to watch the director and listen to each other. If students are rushing, I hold up two fingers and move them up my arm like they are little running legs. Then I move my fingers up my arm again at a slightly slower pace. If a clarinetist with the melody is being overwhelmed by the rest of the band, I point at him while looking at everyone; then students know to listen for that part. The point of the exercise was for us to learn to communicate with each other without ever speaking a word. It is not an exercise we have been able to maintain for the entire class period, it can get tough, mostly on me. But, during the activity the kids are very engaged. They are sitting up to the edge of their seat as if they will be able to hear what I am acting out. Directors and their groups are constantly communicating with each other during a live performance through a cue, a baton gesture, a look. It’s the way we talk with one another.
     I once passed out National Emblem and told students that they were responsible for preparing it. Each principal player was responsible for setting up weekly rehearsal times, and we set a deadline of six weeks for the project to be completed, at which point we would record it. I asked students if they thought they could do it, and they did. This was inspired by learning about how quickly and independently Japanese bands work. Those students spend hours outside of the school day – and entire weekends – rehearsing in sections where the older students lead the rehearsal. While we do not have that kind of time, our students are no less capable of putting music together on their own if given the responsibility.

What are the keys to building a strong program?
    When students enter the band hall we want it to be a place where they feel comfortable. I tell the older students that the new students come in will be nervous and need to feel welcomed. We do have rules, but kids have a way of enforcing behavior. They know how we do things.
    Part of comfort is eliminating the fear of making mistakes. When I was an assistant here, students frequently talked to me about things, but when I became the head director they are a little more reluctant to speak with me. I do try to speak with the kids about their outside interests and try to form a better relationship, but it can still be difficult for them to approach me, it takes encouragement on my part. I had a student once who told me: “Ms. Ramirez, you know when you ask us ‘do you hear the difference in the color and sound?’ we will say ‘yeah,’ but we don’t necessarily hear that.” I looked at him and said, “You have to be able to tell me when you don’t get it, so I can help you hear what I am hearing.” It is important that students feel able to be honest. I ask a lot of questions and make it as clear as I can that there are no wrong answers. I ask them “What do you think?” “What could we do better?” “What would you do differently?” Students need to know you respect and value them, and this is a way to do that.
    Band students usually get their instruments out and warm up a little bit on their own before we begin the rehearsal. One time, I asked students to come in quietly and not play on their instrument. After everyone was seated my first question was, “How many of you feel a bit of tension right now?” The all raised their hands, and I pointed out that it was because I changed the routine. I told them that I normally trusted them to prepare for the rehearsal, but that today I thought I would change things up. I asked students what they normally did to prepare for rehearsals and why they did that, making it clear that there was no wrong answer. A trumpet player mentioned doing long tones and lip slurs to loosen lips up, and a clarinetist used the time to make sure reeds responded well. I said that these examples were good for an individual warmup, but then I pointed out that I had scheduled the march to be the first thing we rehearsed that day, and that warmup time could also be spent spot-checking music as needed.
    Valuing students extends to the whole student; they are valuable as people, not just because we need them in the band. Some students have problems with their grades in other classes, so we have tutorials for them. They know we are taking an interest in the total person not just how they perform in band. The things they learn by being a member of the band program will help them function in college and on their job once they leave us. We want our kids to be successful in life.


How do you help students develop their full potential as musicians?
    We strive to develop individual students, because improving individuals makes the whole group sound better. We will stop and address issues relating to embouchure placements, hand position, posture, and good characteristic sounds. We do split band class where I will work with the brass, Alex will take the woodwinds and Marshall will work with the percussion. This is a much more effective use of time.
    Our school in 48.9% economically disadvantaged and it can be difficult for many to take private lessons. So we fundraise, apply for grants, and get masterclass teachers, often from the University of Houston, to come in.That way, they may not get an individual private lesson, but at least they get information from a master teacher without worrying about how to pay for it.
    When we bring in masterclass teachers, they meet with all the students who play that instrument, not just the students in the top band. It is best to expose students at every level to everything. We try different ways to say the same things so that someone who may not understand the concept when it is explained one way can eventually get what we are trying to teach.
    Each spring, we invite the eighth graders to play with the high school students. Although this used to be only for the top band, we recently changed it to include all high school students to make it feel like a region band experience and to give more students a change to sit next to the top players. We divide students into three groups of equal ability, and each learns two pieces. The middle school students cannot be bused over here until 5:00 p.m., so the concert starts at 8:00. We rehearse from 5:30 to 7:30, they eat pizza and socialize, and then we give a performance for parents. Each of the three high school directors leads one group so all of the middle school students meet their future teachers. The music is all fun, typically from movies or Broadway. The event was a big hit. The next day the directors from the middle school called to say how much the eighth graders were talking about the experience.

When you bring in masterclass teachers, what are your goals?
    What masterclasses cover depends on the time of year. In July, the all-state music will come out for Texas. I have masterclass teachers in for four days, two hours each day, to introduce the music to students and give them ideas about how to practice it. We always start out a half tempo. We never learn anything at full tempo. I want students to hear a master performer play the music, so they will know how it should sound on that instrument. When we have masterclass teachers in during the week in the school year, I ask them to focus on fundamentals first and them whatever we may be working on at the time. The directors are in the class as well taking notes. I tell the students all the time that we are learning too. It is import for students to know a person never stops learning.

How do you get students interested in the hard work of rehearsing?
    We set both program and individual goals together with students. Last summer, students decided that they wanted to make it to the state marching finals as their goal. We didn’t necessarily want that to be the goal, because there are numerous good bands in Texas, and if for some reason they didn’t make it to state finals, we didn’t want them to think the whole fall semester had been a waste. Instead, we steered students to focus on how we got from point A to point B and to see their successes along the way. Rather than “how can we be a state finalist?” a better question is “what work has to be done to do well at our first show?”
    We said that we were setting them for success with his approach and asked them to trust us, and even though we did not advance to the state marching finals, we did compete in the state marching contest. More importantly, students learned how to work together and recognize that they were accomplishing goals all along the way. We like this approach because students are going to spend a lot more time in rehearsal working than the seven or eight minutes the performance lasts. The lesson was taken to heart, as last fall’s drum majors are working with next year’s leaders to set similar goals more related to the process that the final outcome.

What are some of the goals you set for the marching band?
    We aim to sound like a concert band on the field. We aren’t the biggest band, but if students play well, move air, and match pitch and tone, then they can have an impressive sound. The other half of sounding like a concert band on the field is to be able to hear every part of the score. We teach this in concert band, and it should apply on the field as well.

What advice would you give to new directors?
    New directors should surround themselves with successful people. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I don’t know that many new teachers are doing that. When I started out, I went to as many concerts and contests and rehearsals by people I knew were good at their craft. The really good directors are so willing to share. Ask them if you can visit a rehearsal or take them out to lunch or dinner to ask questions. I still go to concerts and watch people teach when I have free time. Being a good band director is something I always want to try to be. When I first began teaching I felt the need to prove myself. What I found was that I focused a lot on winning this trophy or that trophy. But, what I came to realize later on was that we win because we get better each day and we do that together. That is a saying I got from my mentor Eddie Green. When you are in a performance and you can just feel that everything is working and the kids are creating something amazing, well you don’t need a trophy. You know every moment spent rehearsing for that performance was worth it just by the looks on your kids’ faces. I just love what I do.

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