ĢżĢż With so many bands on the field preparing for marching season, we asked a distinguished panel of judges to share their collected wisdom from decades of experience. They have judged locally and in most cases with Bands of America, US Bands, MAC, Drum Corps International and Drum Corps Associates. All have taught scholastic band. In addition to sharing their perspectives from having watched countless performers, they also offered helpful ideas for continued learning and dialogue between judges, educators, and students.

What are the vital details that lead to success or failure on the field?

Jeff Smith: Creation, communication and collaboration. The design staff must create a musical and visual presentation that resonates with the staff, members, judges, and the audience. This presentation cannot be created in isolation. The musical and visual concept must be developed simultaneously. Too often, design teams simply select music they like and attempt to squeeze the music into a weak, unrelated visual concept. Conversely, designers must not pair a visual concept with disjunct selections of music that are chosen merely to complete visual moments and lack continuity and line of thought.
ĢżĢż During the creation process, the design team must communicate with other members of the staff in order to detail, coordinate, and emphasize the performance requirements and musical and visual vocabulary needed to successfully perform the presentation. This communication should continue throughout the teaching and performance process. As with any work of art, revisions and additions are necessary to skillfully communicate the show concept and nuances.
ĢżĢż During the season, collaboration between staff, members, judges, and the audience is crucial for the growth and development of the performance. Some staffs act as if their jobs are complete after teaching the music and visual packages. These are just the skeleton of the presentation. Subtleties and performer communication must be continually revised and enhanced and detailed and can only improve when reactions to the show are incorporated into the presentation.
ĢżĢż Staff members should avoid watching the performers exclusively and ignoring the audience and judges. The design team should listen to all of the judgesā€™ commentaries and analyze their collective reactions to the performance. The staff can then decide whether to incorporate or dismiss the feedback.

Peter Furnari: Directors should prepare performers to have the ability to demonstrate good technique and training, consistent performance musicality, and understanding of material. The program should demonstrate good musical/visual construction, consistent coordination/use of elements, and an understanding of program direction.

Debbie Torchia: Make sure members can meet the challenges of the show through scheduled training sessions and skills they already have. These skills/choices are driven by designer intent and require variety with the use of many different methods. Performers require an understanding of the choices needed to accomplish the challenges in the manner required.

Key areas for training sessions include:
Equipment
Choreography
Field Orientation
Meter and tempo changes
Motion
Role Playing
Form control

ĢżĢż The list has endless possibilities from location on the field to the emotions intended by the vehicle.
ĢżĢż Failure on the field occurs when performers are not trained in all of the skills needed to accomplish the required choices. Again, the possible ways the show can fail on the field are varied ā€“ from asking performers to communicate different emotions using the same skills to not being able to control meter or tempo. In each case, training is what leads to success, and lack of training can lead to disappointment.

Charley Poole: Program selection is the first and most critical decision an instrumental staff makes. Often groups attempt material outside the reach of students. This may occur with units at both ends of the skill development spectrum. Directors must carefully assess the skill level of the group and also each component section.
ĢżĢż Ideally the arrangements will fall comfortably within the reach of the members but also provide enough challenge for musical growth. The next step is developing a technique and skill development regimen that supports the program to be performed and leads to successful results. Finally, you have to predict how much members will buy in to the show based on the genre, themes, and challenges presented.

Jim Vitagliano: I look for strong show planning process being evident or neglected, strong training being displayed or absent, and commitment or lack thereof by the students to the project.

What is the difference between a stellar show and one that doesnā€™t reach its potential?

Debbie Torchia: When the show and performers can express the intent of the designersā€™ choices in the same way ā€“ at the highest level ā€“ then a stellar performance happens. All sections of the group have the same understanding and achievement of their individual responsibilities. That doesnā€™t mean that errors do not occur. Often they can in a great performance, but this does not interfere with the success of the show.
ĢżĢż Programs may not reach their potential for several reasons. For example, different sections may reach different levels of achievement, or rehearsals may have neglected some of the groupā€™s responsibilities. Sometimes a group is so perfect but it lacks emotion, or the students were so intense, but I couldnā€™t follow what they were doing or why.

Peter Furnari: High levels of achievement will elevate a programā€™s overall presentation. Levels of achievement can be seen in ensembles of any age, size, or competitive class. This excellence can be displayed through the performersā€™ maturity and musical and visual understanding of the repertoire along with the delivery of a well-constructed, coordinated and balanced composition. A program canā€™t reach its potential when the how or the what of the program falls short.

Jim Vitagliano: In a great show, foundational training blocks are evident and compositional choices are well thought out and delivered. A weak one includes program choices that do not reflect strong planning and foundational preparation.

Charley Poole: The best programs generally have the following characteristics:
ā€¢ Consistent thread: This binds the varied musical selections so it is not a disjointed grouping of musical ideas.
ā€¢ Pacing: There must be methodical pacing of musical and visual concepts that takes the audience on an organized and logical journey.
ā€¢ Tension and release: To maintain viewer intrigue, the program segments must deliver effects through the application of sufficient tension followed by robust release.
ā€¢ Staging: This includes the proper placement of ensemble sections and segments to achieve a pleasing and consistent blend and balance.
ā€¢ Coordination: All aspects of the unit, winds, percussion, guard, and visual design must work in concert to achieve an effective
presentation.
ā€¢ Creativity: This requires the insertion of novel concepts or variations on accepted norms.

Jeff Smith: An outstanding show incorporates musical and visual variety with consistent coordination between musical and visual concepts. Continuity, line of thought, coloration, subtlety, nuance, contrast, communication, and audience engagement are crucial factors to coordinate all elements of the show. George Zingali had a rule that guided him in designing ā€“ that every 20 seconds there needs to be a moment of visual or musical effect leading to a climax of events.
ĢżĢż These development elements must be apparent throughout a show to create a coordinated and cohesive presentation. Proper design creates a mutual line of thought shared by musical and visual design to demonstrate direction, flow, intrigue, and emotional ebb and flow rather than a string of isolated, albeit brilliant, moments. Consistent staff and performer collaboration and communication through the final performance will beget a stellar presentation.

What elements do you look for in early season performances?

Charley Poole: With regard to the program, I watch for the framework of a thoughtfully packaged concept supported by the musical offerings and visual representation. With regard to performance, I want to see evidence of solid training on the technical approach to the instruments, uniformity of technique, ensemble listening skills, outline of phrasing concepts, signs of blend, and balance with the sections and the whole.

Jeff Smith: My primary focus for early season performances is potential. It must suggest moments of continuity, line of thought, variety, method of connecting thoughts and coordination of elements. Cleaner performance will come with practice, but it should be secondary to the showā€™s potential for future growth at this point.

Peter Furnari: I look for performers who understand what is being asked of them and how they deliver it. I simultaneously look at the construction of the program and how it is perceived. The layers of responsibility in the composition and the performersā€™ display of the skill sets required to deliver the material will often reveal the level of understanding that the designers have in the studentsā€™ abilities and the level of understanding the students possess as performers.

Debbie Torchia: I never look for anything in judging. I sit back and allow the program to develop so I can understand the design intent and how they have chosen to communicate it. By doing it this way, I donā€™t pull apart one aspect or idea from another and can then offer information on what they intended. If it is early in the season, performer accomplishment often will not be at its highest level, but as long as it is recognizable, I can understand what is happening and how well it is being demonstrated. As judges, we understand how to put a program together, so in early season I try to understand what they want to present and how well it comes across. By letting them know when, where, and how this is being accomplished, I offer them recognition and, hopefully, where they need to direct their attention to continue to develop their ideas.

What are the challenges of judging in the short school band season compared to summer DCI?

Peter Furnari: Consistency. Some factors include performer consistency ā€“ age, maturity, ability, skill sets. Performance consistency includes level of detail, time invested in rehearsal, and number of performance opportunities. I try to recognize the performance qualities of each ensemble as they are displayed and reward the performances of that day, summer or fall.

Jeff Smith: Making unyielding value judgments of a fall show too early in the season can be a challenge. In the Northeast, units have about ten weeks to perfect and perform their show. All aspects of the show may not come together until the final two weeks.
ĢżĢż DCI and DCA judges and staff must avoid judging bands at a level just concluded at drum corps championships. Bands in September have only practiced together for two weeks at most before school started. Once school commences, many bands rehearse just ten hours a week, a single dayā€™s practice for drum corps. Also, unlike marching bands, drum corps often rehearse during the non-competitive season and boast advanced experience, more mature performers, and larger staffs than do high school bands.

Jim Vitagliano: The biggest differences are fewer program views and less time for programs to institute a plan for noticeable progress.

Debbie Torchia: Many DCI performers have been doing this for years, while scholastic performers turn over every four years. This means that the training may vary considerably between the types of skills required. Judges have to understand the differences in philosophy when judging these two types of programs. School bands have time constraints that DCI corps do not, so when offering information, we should take that into account.
ĢżĢż Also, judges rarely see a school band more than once a season, so we do not witness their progress over the time. Judges do not always get a chance to critique with band staffs, so many questions we have are not answered. In contrast, DCI corps usually have critiques through most of their season and often corps are seen more than once a season.

Charley Poole: The major differences in adjudication in fall marching band are exposure and judging guideline variations. Compared to DCI adjudication, a judge may only see an ensemble once during the fall. As a result, you must be familiar with scoring guidelines and criteria to provide an accurate ranking and rating. Second, if you judge in a variety of associations, you must be cognizant of the particular scoring and spread guidelines, criteria references, and any other home rule mandates. This requires study prior to each assignment.

Are programs usually underwritten or overwritten? How do you advise teachers whose programs have problems of either variety?

Jim Vitagliano: This varies from group to group. For overwritten programs, conversations about editing are essential. The same goes for underwritten programs, but because of the short time span in marching band, the conversations about underwritten programs may focus more on the achievement of performance excellence. These conversations will happen on different levels based on the experience of the staff, program structure, and knowledge levels

Debbie Torchia: An overwritten production needs clarity of thought (musically/visually), clarity in delivery (what/how), and an elevated level of achievement (write for skill sets). For an underwritten production, directors should review the skill sets of performers, introduce additional colors or textures visually and sonically, determine appropriate opportunities for visual or musical layering, maximize performer involvement, and maximize available resources.

Charley Poole: Overwritten. My advice is to know your players, design/arrange to their skill levels, and maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses through design.

Peter Furnari: A majority of compositional issues occur with overwritten visual/musical concepts. Overwritten programs often lack clarity, either because of too many layers in the composition or performers with underdeveloped skills that cannot achieve the desired performance qualities. Clarity of intent becomes cloudy and difficult to read.

Jeff Smith: I believe programs are more often underwritten. Inexperienced staffs may not trust students to learn the materials, so they place creative restrictions on the visual designer. This is especially apparent in visual passages that lack coordination, continuity, and creativity between visual and musical phrasing. Show design and coordination are difficult to discuss without hurting a unitā€™s feelings. Judges must reflect on how to address this subject.
Tactful honesty is the best policy. Make suggestions that will advance the program. Some ideas may take longer than one season to implement but will lead to substantial benefit for the program. Volunteer to come in for a rehearsal.
ĢżĢż Some directors are open to suggestions, while others are defensive and think the judges do not understand their plight even when we have written, designed, taught, teched, and performed for decades. Indeed, those decades of experience may suggest to a youthful instructor that the older judge has antiquated ideas and doesnā€™t understand their current problems. As judges, we must remain students of the activity and suggest opportunities for growth. Through our judging and critique dialog, we must assure the young staff and directors that we are here to advance the activity and help them grow within it.

How do effective staffs handle critique?

Charley Poole: Some staffs focus on numbers or placement. Effective use of critique time is demonstrated by staffs that secure as much information and clarification from the adjudicator as possible. Solid open-ended questions always seem to provide the most fodder for improvement.
Jim Vitagliano: They understand the criteria used to evaluate their group, they listen to commentary, and make notes that spark conversations about the application of the criteria. They are willing to engage in conversations that not only benefit that group, but broaden a judgeā€™s perspective.

Jeff Smith: They listen! Before entering critique, effective staffs listen to the adjudicatorsā€™ sound files or at least the summary at the end of the recording. If there are multiple staff members, they divide up which recordings each caption leader should review. Each staff member decides on one or two areas from the judgeā€™s commentary to discuss thoroughly.
After critique, the staff meets immediately to discuss the adjudicatorsā€™ evaluation for their
caption and the implication for the other captions. They develop three areas to work on at the next rehearsal to advance the performance of the show. The staff collaborates prior to that rehearsal and determines methods for addressing those areas.

Peter Furnari: They come in with clear ideas of what their show/presentation is, where it is headed, and how they will reach their ultimate goal. They come in prepared having listened to and taken notes about the recorded commentary. They then formulate questions or answers based on judge commentary and are ready to engage in an interactive level of communication. Directors should come in ready to elevate the overall educational process through meaningful dialogue.

Debbie Torchia: I find the most effective critiques are with staffs that see not only their strengths but also their weaknesses. They know and can discuss what they are doing to improve. These staffs ask about specific moments and understand their show and their intent. They are clear on where they are going, and if I have any questions that I have asked on the file, they explain and answer my questions without attitude or accusations. If judges ask about a moment, it is not coming across as intended. They may discuss how to fix it or not, but the discussion remains professional throughout. It is clear that these staffs are able to see their competitorsā€™ strengths and try to do it better than their competition.
ĢżĢż It is a discussion of the program, not an argument about numbers, although it may end with a statement about working up to the number they want. They use their time wisely to gain and share as much information about their program as possible. Over the years, I have learned so much from this kind of critique because they are sharing the new things they are trying and I have the opportunity to watch that process unfold. It has made me a better judge, and I am thankful.

Marching photos courtesy of Jeff Smith and Westbrook (ME) High School Marching Band

Peter Furnari is a percussionist, instructor, and adjudicator with over 40 years of experience as a performer and educator. He joined the Mass Judges Association in 1976 and has been an adjudicator at a national and international level ever since. He has been an active judge for DCI since 1983 and WGI since 2000. In 2009, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Drum Corps and Music Educators Hall of Fame.

Charley Poole has taught, arranged for, and adjudicated marching bands, drum corps, and percussion ensembles throughout the United States, Canada and Japan. He has served as an adjudicator for DCI, DCA, WGI, New England Scholastic Band Association, Maine Band Directors Association, United States Scholastic Band Association, and Bands of America. Recently retired, he was a member of the music faculty of the Everett Public Schools for over 20 years as an instrumental teacher, as well as directing the marching band and percussion ensemble. He is a member of the World Drum Corps, Drum Corps International and Massachusetts Drum Corps Halls of Fame

Jeff Smith has been involved in the marching arts for over forty years as a visual designer, musical arranger, director, show coordinator, caption head, instructor, and judge. He is the Judge Coordinator for the Musical Arts Conference. He taught instrumental music in several public schools over 35 years, and is the visual designer/instructor for the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcat Marching Band and designs for high school bands in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Debbie Torchia has been an instructor and designer of Drum Corps, Winter Guards, and Marching Bands, including The Guardsmen Drum and Bugle Corps, St Josephā€™s Grenadiers Winter Guard, Triton Regional High School Band, Melrose High School Band, and The Boston College Eagles Marching Band, among others. She has a long history of judging locally and nationally for several associations, including Eastern Massachusetts, CYO, Massa-chusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association, WGI, Bands of America, Western Band Association, WGASC, and DCI.

Jim Vitagliano served as the President of Massachusetts Judges Association. from 2006 through 2019. Currently, he sits on the Board of Directors as Past President and Director of Communications. He served for several years on the WGI Board of Directors. He is chief judge of the Maine Band Directors Association. Since 1988 he has been active as a show designer, technician and consultant for a number of winter guards, marching bands, indoor percussion groups and drum corps in addition to his work as a judge. He is a member of the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

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Ģż

ĢżĢż I was sitting in a sold-out Orchestra Hall. The Chicago Symphony had finished warming up and tuning as we awaited the conductorā€™s entrance. You could have heard a pin drop. Then, the stage door swung open, and John Williams stepped out to a standing ovation and deafening roar as he approached the podium. He turned to the orchestra and launched into his Olympic Fanfare and Theme.
ĢżĢż The program was filled with music from several of his most celebrated scores plus more recent compositions. Following the final piece, the audience did not move. It took four encores, with Williams finally motioning the orchestra off the stage and giving a smiling goodbye wave, before the concert came to a close. I have since spent much time reflecting on the impact of this magical evening.

Ģż

Conducting
ĢżĢż I admire many professional conductors who turn the works they conduct into musically moving experiences that stay with you. My favorites include Muti, Solti, Giulini, Ormandy, Dudamel, and my idol, Leonard Bernstein. They are all known for distinctive movements leading to outstanding performances. I add John Williams to this list because his conducting is so meaningful due to his knowing every minute detail of his music. Every visual movement he makes is purposeful, meaningful, and musical.
ĢżĢż As one who has studied and taught conducting, these observations reinforce some of my basic beliefs. To be a fine conductor obviously requires knowing basic patterns and giving musicians what they need. It also takes a fearless approach to make unorthodox gestures that portray the sounds and meanings of the notes. Those kinds of movements can create a unique and even transcendental result.

Expectations
ĢżĢż The audience at this concert, which ranged in age from children to senior citizens, undoubtedly had certain expectations. They were very familiar with recordings of the music and probably thought it would sound exactly the same in concert. Mr. Williams might have worried that the audience would feel disappointed if the live performance was not identical to the music heard in the films, during sports and news broadcasts, or on album recordings. To the contrary, Williams must have been confident that the program would move us in an extraordinary manner, and he had us as he entered through the stage door.
ĢżĢż From the downbeat of any such amazing concert, the performer and audience are locked into a unique time and space. The performance that night belonged only to us. At concerts where video and recording are not permitted, people still yearn to capture a bit of the performance to have as their own. This is why music must be made and heard live. Recordings are like postcards that give us wonderful reminders and help us remember. However, music must be recreated in real time again and again to make it live both in the moment and in the memory.

Rehearsing
ĢżĢż Accounts from orchestra members confirm that Williams is all business in rehearsals, and even members of the Chicago Symphony are asked to tidy things up and make adjustments. These same players report that their parts are quite difficult yet within the range of what is possible to execute. Williamsā€™ choice of instrumentation is unfailingly flawless, making themes and counter-themes not only heard but balanced. This is due to his compositional skill and by the orchestra playing on stage in a particular space.

Education
ĢżĢż Music composed by John Williams reveals his stellar ability to translate his ideas with unmatched orchestration technique. As with many fine composers, his formal education included study with eminent teachers at prestigious institutions. Perhaps because he worked side-by-side as an orchestrator with such legends as Franz Waxman, Bernard Hermann, and Alfred Newman, he is unmatched in creating wonderful symphonic color palettes. He combines that skill with his uncanny ability to capture the emotions and action of the films he scores.
ĢżĢż Steven Spielberg remarked, ā€œwithout John Williams, bikes donā€™t fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes. There is no Force. Dinosaurs do not walk the earth. We do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.ā€ He is a consummate dramatist who knows where music is needed in a film but also where it is not needed.
ĢżĢż In many cases, his music becomes a character. Who doesnā€™t recognize the shark theme in Jaws? His Star Wars scores are, in fact, quite operatic. He shares musical story telling with the great Romantics of the past ā€“ Berlioz, Respighi, and Tchaikovsky. Were they alive today, one or all of them might be composing scores for film. Todayā€™s young composers only need look to John Williams to realize the need to truly understand the capabilities of instruments and also what combinations work best to realize their intentions.

Collaboration
ĢżĢż Clearly, John Williams has a close relationship with the Chicago Symphony. He has conducted numerous concerts with them, composed a horn concerto for the late Dale Clevenger, and asked that they record his film score for Lincoln, which was recorded in Orchestra Hall with director Steven Spielberg and actor Daniel Day Lewis in attendance keeping a close eye on the proceedings. The players not only understand how important this music is to audiences, but they embrace it and enjoy performing it. Even though their facial expressions are subtle while playing, it is hard to miss the delighted looks and slight smiles when they stand and acknowledge the audienceā€™s applause.
The orchestra clearly loves collaborating with Williams and must hope that first-time visitors to Orchestra Hall return for future concerts. For many years I taught a music appreciation course based on the music of Broadway and Hollywood, and it is not difficult to step from the movie theater and a John Williamsā€™ Stars Wars score, to the concert hall and Gustav Holstā€™s suite The Planets.

Meanings
ĢżĢż Musing about my fantastic evening with the CSO and John Williams brings me to a few basic thoughts. Today, the musical world encompasses many periods, styles, and genres. That world keeps evolving, changing, and expanding. In every kind of music there are good and bad examples. Some define a culture itself, or touch the human spirit as nothing else can. Donā€™t miss out. Be open to them all. As for John Williams and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I and the rest of the audience can be thankful that we were able to experience an evening together with them. That experience belongs only to us.

Orchestra photos courtesy of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, photos by Anne Ryan

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ĢżĢż We have talked with countless conductors over the past 77 years and often ask about their rehearsal ideas ā€“ how to warm up, what to correct, and how to make the most of every minute. As a new school year begins, we take a look back at a few of most interesting approaches used by conductors at every level of the profession. Perhaps there will be an idea or two that you can add to your teaching repertoire.

No Magic Formula
John Paynter, July 1979
ĢżĢż You have to find as many ways to make a point as you can. I donā€™t think there is anything more dull than saying the same thing the same way over and over again. A common rehearsal technique is to stop and correct, stop and go down the line and have the next person play and the next person. Although Iā€™ve done my share of that, I always dislike myself in the morning after Iā€™ve done it because there are so many better ways to teach….
ĢżĢż There are rehearsals where I feel like Iā€™ve spent the whole time chipping away at things that donā€™t matter. Thereā€™s no magic formula. To be efficient, the most important thing is to know your people. Obviously you rehearse a group like the (professional) Northshore Band that meets once a week for two hours much differently than you would a university band that meets four hours a week or a high school band that meets 40 minutes every day. [The key question is] what do you try to get done and what do you let go? I know the personnel of the Northshore Band so well now that I know that just by uncovering the mistake, the mistake will be corrected. Thereā€™s no need to go back and prove you can do it if youā€™ve had the opportunity to scowl at somebody when they did it wrong. With a group you donā€™t know as well, there has to be a period of time in which you make sure they will make the corrections once you have pointed them out.
ĢżĢż Correcting is really not the most efficient way to rehearse. It is best to have in your head the sounds you want and to conduct those sounds right from the start, guiding the performers so the mistake is never made in the first place. Thatā€™s idealistic, but it certainly is more efficient.
ĢżĢż Of course, the most efficient rehearsal technique is the score study that precedes the rehearsal. This nitpicking rehearsing you and I have seen is the result of the conductor really not knowing the score. The conductor will spend time pecking away at something he knows is safe because he doesnā€™t know what else to rehearse.
ĢżĢż A legend in the band world, John Paynter directed bands at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois for more than 40 years.

Beginning Rehearsals
Amanda Drinkwater, October 2010
ĢżĢż Instead of calling the start of rehearsals a warmup, we refer to that time as an opportunity to work on fundamentals. I donā€™t think using the term warmup is necessarily negative, but it can have a physical connotation more than a musical one. Fundamentals are the musical building blocks from which musical literacy grows. Winds work on breathing with and without the instruments, and percussionists work on technique and quality of stroke the first time they play the instruments each day.
ĢżĢż Following this, we may focus on sustained sounds in the middle range of the instrument and move from there to articulation, volume, or technique in a context of transposition or extended ranges. As ensembles progress over the course of the year, things get more complex, but always with the same focus. A good sound is a good sound, and if you simply expect that regardless of the technical demand, then students will always value a good sound. The individual sound quality, along with ensemble balance, becomes the signature of a groupā€™s ensemble sound. These are the first things I hear when the baton goes down.
ĢżĢż We construct specific exercises for our students with music-writing software or simply by rote explanation. I will take something well known like Remington and write it out in a specific manner for the ensemble so that thereā€™s a unified perception of note length and release points. For outdoor rehearsals weā€™ll put spaces between the exercises so we can recover visually and get set up with a good breathing plan for the next entrance. Thereā€™s nothing groundbreaking about the exercises weā€™re pursuing, we simply unify our efforts in a way that might offer additional benefits in an outdoor setting. The goal is for every student, from the mallet percussionist to the oboist to the trumpet player, to know what to do if we say Remington.
ĢżĢż Amanda Drinkwater is Director of Fine Arts at Lewisville ISD in Texas, overseeing programs at 60 schools. She previously was Director of Bands of the nationally recognized program at Marcus High School.

Efficient Rehearsals
Marin Alsop, April 1995
ĢżĢż The thing that bothers musicians most is having their time wasted. Orchestral musicians appreciate a conductor who uses rehearsal time well, and when theyā€™re done, theyā€™re done. I try to be efficient and to maintain a sense of humor, getting the work done while enjoying the music making. My father often said there was no point to a concert if you havenā€™t enjoyed the rehearsal…
I have the reputation of being tough and demanding. At the same time, Iā€™m often able, especially with standard repertoire, to finish what needs to be done and end rehearsals early. Musicians appreciate that; not finishing early, but completing a task and not wasting time. I have to be prepared because musicians will know if I mess up. When conductors make mistakes on the podium, even if itā€™s just an accident, they should apologize and not try to cover it up.ā€
ĢżĢż Marin Alsop was Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for 14 years. She is Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor of Chicagoā€™s Ravinia Festival.

Preparing for Performance
Bruce Dinkins, May 2011
ĢżĢż When putting a piece of music together, the notes and rhythms have to come first. Without those, the performance will not convey the intentions of the composer. Every composer has a trademark sound, and producing that is the goal of a performance, not just playing the notes sitting on the stand. It is important that students realize that music connects us with some kind of past experience, whether musical or otherwise. As Hindemith so aptly put it, if we didnā€™t have an emotional connection to what we hear, it would simply have a tickling effect on our ears. The music would not connect with the emotions and the mind.
ĢżĢż I spend a lot of time working on fundamentals. I like to go back to some of the old books, for example the Unisonal Scales and Chords by William White, which was used by the service bands in the 50s and 60s to build an ensemble sound. I also use the Grover Yaus books, including 101 Rhythmic Rests. I think thatā€™s the one most know, but there are several others, each with a varying degree of difficulty. I use the 150 Unison Exercises book with my freshmen because it repeats rhythm after rhythm, all in unison. That way it not only teaches a unified articulation but also intonation.
ĢżĢż I use I Recommend by James Ployhar and the Claude T. Smith Symphonic Warmups for Concert Band for the chorales. The tunes in Smithā€™s book are familiar and use difficult keys like Ab and Db, so students become comfortable in keys other than Eb, Bb, and F. Directors frequently pass something out in Db, like one of those dark, sonorous Alford marches, such as The Vanished Army, and students just fight notes for weeks. My freshmen have to play all 12 major scales individually. It still doesnā€™t guarantee a great reading of The Vanished Army, but it does assure that students can listen in all of the keys and make adjustments.
ĢżĢż A book that few people still use is Leonard Smithā€™s Treasury of Scales, which really builds the ensemble sound. It creates a strong sonority by teaching players to hear the root, 3rd, and 5th in different settings and to drop the 3rd or raise the 5th in a major chord.
ĢżĢż I always teach rhythm with drumsticks in my hands. My clarinet teacher at Juilliard said that every minute you practice without a metronome is a minute wasted, and that has stuck with me for 30 years. Pulse holds the group together, so I constantly keep tempo and pulse in their minds. I use drumsticks because Iā€™ve broken so many batons by banging them on the stand. After a while the students settle into the rhythm and make that their responsibility. Rarely do the groups here lose tempo.
ĢżĢż I also teach tempo memorization. To do that I will set the metronome to 120, and we will play for a while. We move on to something else, and a couple minutes later Iā€™ll ask somebody to tap 120. After someone guesses I turn on the metronome to see how close it was.
ĢżĢż Bruce Dinkins was a highly respected conductor who led acclaimed music programs at James Bowie High School in Texas and Irmo High School in South Carolina.

Developing Tone
Gabe Musella, November 2010

ĢżĢż The best compliment I can give our students is to praise their openness to constructive criticism from the staff and their peers. I ask frequent questions from the podium about the sound and how it could be improved. The critiques are different depending on the playing level of the group, but even in the fourth band, I encourage students to give critiques of other players. With the younger students, it is really cool to watch their eyes light up as they develop the skills to hear playing weaknesses and make improvements.
ĢżĢż I make it clear from the beginning that all critiques must be done in a constructive way without belittling anyone. The rehearsal room has to be a safe, comfortable environment at all times. I will ask leading questions about missed notes or whatever to steer the discussion. It works well to have one student play and then ask for comments from the rest of the band, but the director has to make sure that there is no personal vendetta or hurtful criticism of players. As we work on music and make suggestions for improvement, there is always a bit of the coach in me. If you make a suggestion about someone elseā€™s playing, I might put you on the spot and see how you would play the same passage. In a friendly environment, this approach works well.
ĢżĢż After a distinguished 30-year teaching career, Gabe Musella serves as UIL Assistant Music Director in Austin, Texas.

Mutual Respect
Harry Begian, November 1968
ĢżĢż Implicit to a successful interaction of the two parties is mutual respect. Each side needs the otherā€™s respect; the conductor without a group of players to conduct has no function, while the group without a conductor can only reflect a wide range of disjointed ideas and approaches to rehearsing and performing. It is the conductorā€™s task (mission) to unite individual attitudes and concepts and to direct their abilities toward a common musical ideal. This can only be achieved through musically demanding rehearsals during which the time is wisely spent in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Though the essential purpose of rehearsals is the detection and elimination of errors and wrong concepts, all opportunities to compliment exceptional performance should be enthusiastically and genuinely recognized.
ĢżĢż Among many musical accomplishments, Harry Begian served as Director of Bands at the University of Illinois for 14 years and also at Michigan State University.

Lessons at a School Dance
John W. Knight, February 1994
ĢżĢż As a first-year teacher of students in grades 5-12, I found that rhythms were the most prevalent rehearsal problem. I sent students home with the metronome and explained a foot-tapping method to them, but they returned the next day to make the same mistakes. Each day I sang the correct rhythm to them and hated myself for relying on rote teaching. One night I chaperoned a school dance and watched students who couldnā€™t keep a steady beat in rehearsals as they danced all night to complex rhythms. I realized that my traditional method of teaching rhythm had failed because it was too abstract.
ĢżĢż That summer I read everything I could find about rhythm and concluded that students have difficulty when introduced to rhythms as fractional units instead of flowing patterns of duration with an internal pulse. To teach basic rhythm patterns that flow instead of isolated fractional units, I used a rhythm card devised by H.E. Nutt of the VanderCook School of Music and a counting system by E.C. Moore, from a helpful little book, Playing at Sight (Leblanc). I started teaching these rhythmic concepts to the fifth grade band during the two-week wait for instruments to arrive from the music store. I gave each student a percussion instrument on which to learn the rhythms on the card. They developed a firm basic understanding of rhythm from the start and progressed rapidly.
ĢżĢż Rhythmic problems are not difficult when isolated and understood without being part of a context. I told students that a note has a beginning, middle, and end; the secret of reading rhythms is concentrating on all three areas and ending the previous note at exactly the right time by feeling the internal subdivision. I asked them to conduct the beat pattern and sing the rhythm while patting the subdivision with their free hand. After learning these in 4/4, I wrote cards in 2/4, 3/4, 6/8, and various asymmetrical meters. To add variety, I arranged the rhythms in chords and performed them at different tempos, styles, and dynamics. I had students count in both staccato and legato styles and in softer dynamics. Each day the band sightread a different rhythm composed by a student.
ĢżĢż One student devised the rhythm, wrote it on the board, and taught it to the ensemble. The players also sang the rhythm card in canon with the bases and tenors starting on the tonic, the altos on the third of the chord one measure later, and the sopranos on the fifth of the chord one measure later. I emphasized the integrity of rests by explaining the silence is a dramatic and expressive element in music. I asked students to imagine the rests as a fortissimo dynamic. To augment my teaching I played a Toscanini recording of the introduction to Beethovenā€™s Fifth Symphony and let them hear how dramatic a rest could be.
ĢżĢż John W. Knight is Professor Emeritus of Conducting and Ensembles and Music at Oberlin Conservatory, where he joined the faculty in 1978. He has published more than 100 articles on conducting.

Finding Balance
Robert W. Smith, December 1997
ĢżĢż More ensembles should focus on the concept of balance, which is three-dimensional. Each individual has to match tone color with the other members playing the same part; then each small section has to blend with like instruments; and finally choirs have to balance. In other words, the third clarinets have to balance with one another. Then they have to fit with the first and seconds, and finally the clarinet choir has to balance with the brass choir.
ĢżĢż I spend some time teaching traditional Western harmonies. Most people assume that the three notes in a major triad should be equal in dynamic intensity, and thatā€™s not necessarily the case. To establish tonality, the tonic is most important. The third establishes color and should receive a little more dynamic weight than the fifth. If the fifth is weighted more heavily than the third, the chord begins to sound hollow.
ĢżĢż In rehearsal, Iā€™ll take three clarinets or three trumpets so tone color is not an issue and explore this concept. Also, look at where a specific chord occurs within a bar. If it is on the downbeat and you want to establish the key, the tonic has to be prominent. Once thatā€™s been established, you can concentrate on the third and fifth on beats two, three, and four. I spend time making sure students understand weight. If you have a dominant seventh chord, the most important tones are the third and the seventh because they resolve and provide color. From there, I take passages from chorales and have students identify their harmonic role.
ĢżĢż Composer Robert W. Smith has more than 600 works in print and is President of RWS Music Company, exclusively distributed through C.L. Barnhouse.

Let Students Conduct
Author Unknown, December 1986
ĢżĢż In my college band, we give two outdoor concerts in the spring that are rehearsed and conducted entirely by students. They also select the music. Any member of the band may conduct, including the liberal arts students. When I gently urge a freshman music education major to try it, the usual response is, ā€œOh, but I havenā€™t had conducting yet.ā€ Ridiculous. I coax with more questions:
ā€œHow long have you played in band or orchestra? Havenā€™t you watched your conductors? Couldnā€™t you handle a favorite march?ā€
ĢżĢż The student usually answers: ā€œFive or six years. Not really. I donā€™t know?ā€
ĢżĢż So why donā€™t more of us give more of them conducting opportunities early in their musical training. The answer, of course, is time. However, every kid who has had the experience of leading peers through a piece of music is going to be that much more aware of what a conductor is trying to communicate. That can save a great deal of time, and the earlier students start, the better. After all, learning to follow intelligently is a pretty important basic for any band member.
ĢżĢż The first time I tried to promote student conducting with a junior high band (a non-audition group of students who were supposed to have had at least a full year on their instruments), I was met with looks of utter disbelief. They had never thought of such a possibility. Conducting was only for band directors.
ĢżĢż Almost any student can correctly complete the following sentence: The first beat of a measure is always _______. Next with a little prompting, anybody can figure out that the last beat of a measure just about has to be up, which takes care of a rather rudimentary two-pattern. If there are three beats in a measure, then we have to find another direction in which to go, and so on. This particular junior high band was fascinated with the whole idea.
ĢżĢż ā€œDonā€™t I have to have a stick?ā€ No sooner said than done. After a few hysterical giggles and a false start or two (because nobody really believed a kid could conduct), I urged the group to watch, and voila. The stick came down, the band started, and to the amazement of all, everyone continued together for quite a few measures. ā€œAny volunteers?ā€ You bet your baton there were.
ĢżĢż Nobody expects every band member to become a Wynton Marsalis, Vincent Cichowicz, or Woody Herman. Neither will they become a John Paynter, Arnald Gabriel, or Erich Leinsdorf. Give them a little exposure to conducting, though, and just maybe one or two of them might have the spark. It is a real thrill to watch a student find that peers are actually following. It is even more impressive when you realize the ensemble seems to be watching the young Toscanini more intently than they ever watched you!

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ĢżĢż To research the legendary bandmaster and composer John Philip Sousa, scholars must visit at least three repositories. Although the materials at each location are fairly distinct, it is unusual for the archives and personal effects of one person to be so widely dispersed. How did that happen, and what materials are where?

United States Marine Band Library
ĢżĢż By the early 1970s, Sousaā€™s heirs needed to divest their famous ancestorā€™s townhouses in New York City and Washington, DC. The house at 318 Independence Avenue SE in Washington had been offered at a discount to the American Bandmasters Association as the location for a Sousa museum, along with a selection of Sousa memorabilia, including uniforms and other clothing, batons, medals and trophies, photographs, press clippings correspondence, financial documents, books, artwork, study scores, libretti, recordings, instruments, tour trunks, and firearms. The museum never happened, and the trove of Sousa artifacts became the property of the National Museum of the Marine Corps as curated by the United States Marine Band. There, the materials joined the encore books and several holograph music manuscripts described in the John Philip Sousa Papers.

ĢżĢż

The Library of Congress
ĢżĢż The small portion of the Sousa Band music library that Grabel did not take to Florida was sold to Louis M. Blaha, band director at J. Sterling Morton High School in Cicero, Illinois. The high school gave this music to the Library of Congress in 1992.

ĢżĢż When the Sousa family prepared his Manhattan townhouse located at 80 Washington Place for sale, they set aside two trunks full of music manuscripts for shipment to the Library of Congress. This music was to join the materials already held at the Library, which included holographs that former Music Division chief Oscar G. T. Sonneck began acquiring in 1917 as well as the holograph full score for band of The Stars and Stripes Forever, donated by family members in 1954. According to legend, two men walking past the nearly empty house spied the trunks through the living room windows and broke in to help themselves to the bulky antiques. To make the load lighter, they dumped out all the music, deeming it to be of little value compared to the trunks.

ĢżĢż We are grateful for their error, as this music represents the bulk of the holograph music in the John Philip Sousa Collection at the Library of Congress. The collection also includes photographs, drafts of three of Sousaā€™s books, memorabilia, and business papers. Over the years, several members of the Music Division have sorted and identified hundreds of sketches, individual pages, and previously unknown compositions and orchestrations for the concert hall and stage.

ĢżĢż These newly identified materials can enable a scientific investigation of Sousaā€™s remarkable organic compositional technique. Rich in holograph materials for his works for the stage, the collection invites serious appraisal of his efforts to create an American operetta genre. His first stage work, Katherine (1879) and his pioneering orchestrations of the music of Sir Arthur Sullivan and others have yet to receive serious examination. The archive stands ready for deeper exploration and a reappraisal of the famous composer.

Sousa Archives and Center for American Music ā€“ The University of Illinois
ĢżĢż Sousa started a second Sousa Band music library in 1897 when his initial holdings were in litigation with Blakelyā€™s widow. This new library became the one most used by the Sousa Band during its last three decades. In 1931, Sousa gave a small segment of this music to the University of Illinois Bands, directed by Austin Harding. Sousa and Harding enjoyed a close professional and personal relationship, and the gift was a gesture of Sousaā€™s high esteem for his friendā€™s flagship band program. After Sousaā€™s death in 1932, the remainder of the Sousa Bandā€™s second performance library was transferred to the University and is now held by the Universityā€™s Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, along with a small amount of correspondence, clippings, photographs, programs, and artifacts, as described in the John Philip Sousa Music and Personal Papers.

ĢżĢż Although these repositories hold the bulk of materials available for Sousa research, they are not the only places to look for information. Suggestions for further research include the New York Public Library and the Special Collections in the Performing Arts at the University of Maryland.

Reference Links

Information on the Sousa materials held by the United States Marine Band Library can be found at

For inquiries or to consult the Library of Congress collection, contact the Performing Arts Reading Room at

Several items from the collection can be viewed in the online presentation The March King: John Philip Sousa:

Information on the John Philip Sousa Music and Personal Papers at the University of Illinois can be found at:

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A good band or orchestra program can be made better if more students studied privately. Private instructors can focus on a studentā€™s set up, drill the basics of rhythm and technique, and work on tone and musicianship. When students are able to work on these skills in private lessons, the performance level of the ensemble soars.

If you do not have a private lesson program in your school, here are some ideas to develop one. Be sure that the administration in your school is on board with the development of a private lesson program, as they will be responsible for writing contracts with the teachers, providing teaching spaces, acquiring background checks of faculty and setting a lesson fee schedule. The school district also assumes personal liability for the program. Discuss who collects the tuition fees, who pays the teachers, and what the cancellation policy will be. Often booster programs can underwrite part or all of a private lesson program. Generally, students are required to cancel 24 hours in advance or will be charged for the lesson. Private lessons may be taught before and after school, during study halls and during band rehearsals. Payment for the lessons can be by month or semester.

Populated Area
If your school is located in a populated area with a close proximity to a university music program, then there is a larger pool of possible private teachers. This could be the university professors themselves who may be interested in teaching in your program as a recruiting tool or it may be their students. Many of these students have taken pedagogy classes which focus on one-on-one instruction. Place a job announcement with the university placement office and contact each applied music faculty member to inquire if they are interested or if they have an advanced student to recommend. Form a committee from the music boosters to help you review resumes. Most programs require the new hire to have a background check which your administration can facilitate. Involving the boosters in the early decision-making stage lays a foundation for them to possibly underwrite the entire program in the future.

Beside musicians at a university, look for musicians in the community. These may be members of the local symphony, community band, or chamber groups. Inquire if any of them would like to teach in your program. If they agree, place their names and contact information on a private lesson sheet that will be made available to all students and their parents.

One advantage to this option is that many of these musicians will already have a private studio set up outside of the school. They will also be responsible for their own bookkeeping.

As part of the traditional interview, observe a candidate teaching a private lesson to one of your students. Evaluate the quality of their teaching plus how professionally they treat the student. Discuss with the potential teacher what your hopes are for the curriculum and goals for the semester or the year. Fall goals during the marching band season might include setup, tone production, scales and arpeggios for technical development, etudes, regional and all-state audition material, and an ensemble work. The ensemble could be a group of like instrumentalists or a mixed consort such as a woodwind quintet, brass quintet, or percussion ensemble. During the second term, students might learn a solo for the spring festival plus another chamber work.

Rural Area
If you teach in a rural area, there simply may not be professional instruction available on each instrument. If this is the case, look at the other faculty in your system and district to see if anyone has an interest and the ability to teach these instruments. If offering private instruction is not a possibility, then consider weekly or bi-weekly group lessons on like instruments and import a professional to teach the class. If you import a teacher, factor in paying travel time and expenses in addition to the teaching fee. Group lessons offer several advantages. First, the teacher has less contact hours and can make more money per hour than teaching privately. There is also the potential that members of the group class will sign up for one-on-one instruction in the summer which helps the teacher develop a studio. For the students, the individual cost for a group lesson is less because there are more students paying.

Group lessons can offer many advantages when private lessons are not feasible.

I taught group lessons as an import teacher when I lived in Idaho. I structured the class similarly to that of a private lesson. There were assignments to be practiced for the next class and the peer pressure of keeping up provided excellent motivation for home practice. They all studied the same solo which I selected from the state solo list. When solo festival arrived, more than three quarters of the class performed at festival. In prior years, only one or two had played at solo festival. At the end of each group class, students played a round. After a few weeks, they progressed to flute duets (multiple players on a part), trios, and quartets. This meant they sightread something as a group at each class.

Other Options
A band program in Summerville, South Carolina has a designated weekend held at the high school where students alternate between band rehearsals with a guest conductor and like instrument masterclasses taught by a specialist. This event culminates with a Sunday afternoon concert for the parents. The boosters provide dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings and lunch on Saturday. The students seem to thrive on this dedicated allotment of time, perfecting their ensemble music and improving their individual playing skills. If you have private lesson faculty already on your team, then providing a weekend like this is simple.

While starting a program is a time-consuming process, the rewards and benefits are almost immediate. If you decide to forgo a private lesson program, consider providing group lessons on each instrument several times a semester. There is nothing better for student than to hear a great player demonstrate on their instrument in person.

What to Teach

Education classes often devote more time on how to teach than music classes on what to teach. While each child has their own learning style and teachers should address that, musical content is equally important. In private lessons, it is easier to address each studentā€™s musical needs than in a large ensemble. Start by making a list of things a player needs to know about playing their instrument. This might include: how to assemble the instrument, how to stand and sit when playing, how to balance the instrument in the hands, how to breathe, how produce a tone (attack, duration, and release), how to finger the notes, how to read notation, how to slur, how to vibrate, how to play softer/louder, how to shape a phrase, etc. Once the list is made, create a file on your computer for each of these topics and write everything you know about each topic. Research areas you feel less comfortable with and be sure to attend masterclasses, festivals, workshops to continue to add information to your ever-growing file.

A good curriculum for private lessons is divided into three parts: warmup (tone and embouchure studies) and theoretical technical material (scales, scales in thirds, arpeggios, and seventh chords), etudes, and solo repertoire. Included in solo repertoire is audition material for regional and all-state bands.

A pitfall for many teachers is assigning material that is too advanced for a studentā€™s playing level. Slow down, take your time, and help the student move forward with understanding ā€“ both musically and technically. Playing music that is too hard too soon creates tension in the player that can take years to get rid of. I regularly tell myself to go slowly and thoroughly. Quality is more important than quantity.

Many directors instruct private teachers to focus the lesson time on audition and ensemble music. I find this to be a mistake. All music study goes better when students understand the basic set up the instrument and can play theoretical technical materials such as scales, scales in thirds, arpeggios, and seventh chords, followed by studying articulation marks, various rhythms, and dynamics. If the teacher does not lay a foundation, then they must start over parrot-teaching the material with each new audition packet.

This is similar to teaching students to read. Children start with a few simple words and then learn to sound out more words and increase their vocabulary. For music, first scales may be only one octave or nine-note scales, but with time students expand the range to two or three octaves. Practicing this material with varying dynamics, rhythms, and articulation marks gives students the tools to play musically. If each member of an ensemble has better skills, then the overall group will play at a higher level.

Chamber Music Study and Performance

If you havenā€™t included chamber music into your curriculum, I strongly suggest considering this option. The programs that I have observed that include chamber music study in the curriculum have developed independent functioning musicians because the instrumentalists can play one on a part without a conductor. The total responsibility of counting and dynamics lies with each player. Playing in like group ensembles such as flute choir, clarinet choir, or brass ensemble helps students learn to match tone color and improve intonation. For flute choir, I like each flutist to learn all the parts of the composition, so in rehearsal they can switch parts and still have a successful performance. They learn that playing the melody is often the easiest part while playing a counter melody or accompaniment offers different challenges. The private teacher for each instrument can teach the music in private lessons and later coach the ensemble.

If students learn one chamber music composition in the fall and another in the spring, it is possible to schedule a chamber music recital in late fall and in the spring just before contest festival. This gives students practice in walking on and off the stage professionally, taking a bow, setting the chairs and stands, tuning, cueing, and playing without a conductor. They also learn when to play out and when to take a secondary role.

Chamber groups that have played together for multiple years will also be available to gig in your community. Having small ensembles performing throughout the community makes your program much more visible. It is also a way for students to use their skills to create income.
Programs like this are quite popular now in universities because the curriculum helps students find ways other than teaching or playing in an orchestra to generate income. Encourage your students to think creatively about ensemble possibilities and have them research groups such as Apolloā€™s Fire or Eighth Blackbird.

The post Private Lessons: Starting a Program appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

After 35 years as a band director at the elementary, middle school, high school, and collegiate levels, I decided to retire. Shortly thereafter, I started playing with a professional big band in Northwest Indiana. A year later, I was asked to be the music director for rehearsals and band leader on gigs. This shift created an interesting but challenging transition from working with students to professional musicians.

As an educator, the teacher is the smartest person in the room. Standing in front of a group of professional musicians can be intimidating. Now you are dealing with people who know as much or more than you do. The leader must acknowledge that the players are colleagues, not subordinates. Credibility with the group relies on genuine respect. Musicians immediately detect a disingenuous comment where the leader is being patronizing instead of complimentary. Moving from educator to professional band leader seems simple, but a shift in mindset is necessary for working with pros.

Professional Disposition
Professional musicians are quite serious about their music, their role in the ensemble, and how they are regarded by their colleagues. As the music director, I found that my temperament with students was not suitable for professional players. Students came to the class to be educated and knew they would be corrected. Professional musicians are rarely corrected when dealing with the utilitarian aspects of performance and assume that their performance will generally be considered flawless. Well, this is not always the case. I quickly discovered that correcting a musicianā€™s mistake was tantamount to stabbing him with a knife in broad daylight with 20 cell phones recording the felony.

If the pro bass player is rushing, I make a general comment to the entire rhythm section. If the problem persists, itā€™s mandatory to have a private conversation with the bass player stating that a particular rhythmic figure may be getting ā€œcompressedā€ ā€“ rather than saying it is ā€œrushed.ā€ Compressed is a clinical word, but rushed can be seen as personal attack. Plus, as a member of the trumpet section, a comment to the rhythm section may be seen as none of my business. I am not saying that professionals canā€™t handle criticism, but often a gentler approach works best.

Band leaders have to maintain a delicate balance while keeping the peace with a professional group. A harmless comment during rehearsal can easily be interpreted as critical and judgmental. At other moments directors may need to step in to quash criticism or harassment of one player by another member. Just as with a classroom of younger players, the leader must make clear that personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Praise
A professional baseball player who hits .300 makes $40 million a year, signs autographs, and gets standing ovations despite failing to get a hit 70% of the time. Professional musicians are expected to give an outstanding performance every time they play. The comparison seems unfair Musicians should be acknowledged for playing well, so praise is warranted. Acknowledgement for a job well done is a necessity for both students and professionals. I will routinely stop a rehearsal to point out a great drum fill, an awesome sax solo, or a brass section nailing a chord reminiscent of the Basie Band. After the initial awkwardness of receiving a compliment subsides, the recipient will start to grin.

Know the Music
A professional band can read down just about anything, but the leader still must have thorough knowledge of the music. A perfectly well-read performance still may not sound stylistically authentic. Because my band plays standards, knowing multiple recordings of a particular tune, including different styles, goes a long way when addressing a tricky figure or argument over tempo. Frank Sinatra recorded multiple versions of the same tune as a laid-back swing, an up-tempo opener, or as a mellow saloon song. If I need to specify that a tune should be played a certain way, Iā€™d better have accurate information to back up my assertion. More importantly, the band leader can never say ā€œI donā€™t know.ā€ The leader always knows. A lack of knowledge or confidence can hurt morale.

Choosing Literature
When selecting music for the band, player input can be helpful, but be careful. When I became the music director for the band, I was reminded that professionals come to a rehearsal with decades of experience, which can lead to a free exchange of ideas. Thereā€™s nothing wrong with the leader accepting suggestions from professional musicians. A leader who refuses good ideas usually lacks confidence. Being in charge doesnā€™t mean being a dictator.

Leadership requires balancing your authority with the importance of a collegial atmosphere. A suggestion for a chart must evaluated based on the best interest of the ensemble and the audience. It is not unusual for a typical rehearsal band to be more interested in entertaining themselves. This is a big mistake. Audiences typically do not understand all aspects of a jazz performance and may be confused or get bored. The director does need to make the final decision regarding a particular chartā€™s acceptance by the audience. The audience is the ultimate consumer. Always know, however, that the leader owns every decision, even when accepting input from others.

Jazz Improvisation
Jazz improvisation is one of the most personal forms of musical expression. Teaching improv to students can be challenging. Directors donā€™t want to stifle a young musicianā€™s development as a soloist with burdensome criticism. Similarly, the band leader should never ever take issue with a proā€™s improvisational chops. Professional musicians are vetted before they join the band. Some play lead, some are section players, and some are considered jazz soloists. Once they are identified as a soloist in the band, the decision is made.

While there are some jazz soloists who seemingly never play a bad lick, we all trip over ourselves from time to time. No one knows better than the soloist that they played a lick that stepped out of the changes or was rhythmically dumb. Never criticize an improvised solo. In the rare instance where a soloist doesnā€™t realize that their solos arenā€™t cutting it, facing the issue is comparable to an elephant walking on eggshells without cracking them.

First, never discuss it in front of the band. Any comments made at this time must be general and non-threatening. ā€œWow, the modulation during the bridge is a real painā€ or ā€œblowing changes in Gb is a real bearā€¦why didnā€™t they just write the chart in F.ā€ Sharing the pain as a fellow soloist is safe. A direct criticism could be a musical death sentence. While pros may seem to accept correction when playing a wrong pitch or rhythm in a written part, they may lose confidence in their solos and volunteer to solo less often.

Written solos, on the other hand, are a different issue. If a player is struggling with a written solo, they need to be given the opportunity to correct the problem. If a player simply canā€™t handle the part, it must be passed to someone else. A leader is ultimately responsible for the bandā€™s performance.

Dress Code
Glen Miller reportedly had his players wear matching socks, along with suits and ties. While the socks idea may be over the top, dressing well will never be out of style. We wear black shirts and pants and light blue ties. We add a black jacket for a wedding or corporate event. Basieā€™s band dressed like bankers. with matching suits and ties. Looking like stiffs, but really knowing how to swing is a great combination.

Organization
I remember my first rehearsal with my pro band. I had a full agenda with charts typed in order from most to least important. I also had goals and expectations for the rehearsal, and, most importantly, pencils. When I started passing them out, there was immediate laughter, especially when I said ā€œplease take a pencil and pass the rest down to your neighbor.ā€ The point was, I fully expected everyone to mark their parts when I asked. Pros donā€™t own pencils. I reminded them that marking down important information was just as important for a potential sub as it was for them.

When passing out new charts, I always have the pages taped together with the chart number clearly printed. Professional musicians donā€™t like to deal with mundane organization. Basically, they are expected to show up to the gig, play the show, get paid, and leave. Hoping for anything more will simply create disappointment for the director. That is not a slam to professionals. Itā€™s important that the leader understand the role of the musicians in the band.

Conclusion
The educational and professional music arenas do have some similarities. Those similarities carry advantages and disadvantages. While the organizational skills used in teaching do help with the general aspects of running a band, a director has to adopt a different mindset when switching from students to professional musicians. Adults will instinctively think they are being treated like kids if the former educator points out mistakes or asks for quiet during a rehearsal. However, there is no point to rehearsing if the band simply reads through charts with no musical focus or vetting by the director.

Pros talk during rehearsals and occasionally make silly mistakes. These issues need to be addressed, but patience and careful word choice are keys to success. As educators, we sometimes view students as our children. They are stuck with us. This is not true with pros. An inappropriate comment made to a professional can end a relationship. When you find yourself losing patience, chill, take a deep breath, think before you speak, and move forward. Oh, and handing out Jolly Ranchers after rehearsal never hurts.

The post The Lessons of Going Pro appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

It is hard to believe that I retired from band directing four years ago. Retirement has been as good as I heard it was going to be, but there have been some challenges to navigate. If you are starting to think about retirement, maybe some of my musings and advice will be helpful.

My first problem upon retirement (which I have not solved yet) is the discomfort with the word retirement itself. Every time I use it, I feel conflicted because it sounds like I am not doing anything. While there is nothing wrong with that, I suppose, I feel like a jar of mayonnaise left out on the counter to spoil when I say it. Every time I tell someone I have retired, I feel like I have to qualify it with all of my current activities. Part of this may be from the fear of being asked to do things because in othersā€™ minds I have so much time on my hands. My dad told me years ago that you stay busy during retirement but donā€™t get paid for any of it.

The timing of my retirement, the summer of 2019, could not have been better. My health was great. (I had a principal pass away within three months of retirement just a few years before so that was a sober reminder that sooner than later might be the way to go.) I was not burned out, still loved kids, and would miss much of my daily routine. However, it definitely was the right time to let certain things go: weekends away from home, 60-hour school in-service sessions in the summer, fundraisers, worries about school schedule changes, student retention, paperwork, morning duty, and adjusting to new administrators and their latest educational programs and jargon.

Best of all, I was going out on top with our band program. We had a highly successful last year together with a super group of seniors leading the way. Little did I know that my decision to retire that spring was even better than I thought with school closings in March 2020. There is no way I would have gone out on top in 2020. I was teaching private lessons in two local schools and witnessed the havoc firsthand. All goodbyes were said haphazardly in March with no final concerts, banquets, or any sense of closure.

Financially, I was in pretty good shape. I wasnā€™t rich but I was not going to be on the Forbes list of richest people in the world anytime soon anyway. Arkansas has a good retirement system, and I was a part of that for 34 years. I was not one to watch the stock market, so I just let them invest the money. I would read a newsletter each month, so I wasnā€™t completely in the dark about potential legislative changes and such.

As I approached retirement, my primary concern was doing meaningful things. I had plenty I wanted to do, but which were of real value to my life on a daily basis? As is my habit, I did some research. Surprisingly, there was little written on this aspect of retirement that I could find. After Google searches and visits to the library, most of the sources I found were concerned with the financial end of things. I wanted to know how I could handle retirement emotionally and mentally.

Fortunately, I found a great book titled Donā€™t Retire, Rewire by Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners. The authors identify 85 drivers, or motivators, that keep you going in life and make you tick. The authors suggest looking at these drivers and selecting those that are a part of your current job that you will no longer have once you retire. Once those are selected, they recommend finding post-retirement activities that fulfill those same needs. Some retirees are lost and unfulfilled after retirement without anything to replace the drivers they lost when they stopped working.

After reading the book, I did a little self-analysis. I began by listing everything things I wanted to do after retiring: increase service at church, spend more time with family, travel, improve on guitar, practice euphonium, compose, play in a community band, coach soccer, write and publish books in several genres, improve technology skills, become a chess master, write poetry, teach private lessons, improve improvisation skills, join a civic club, start a community band, join the Association of Concert Bands, do adjunct work at a university, serve as the executive secretary of the Arkansas Small Band Association, consult with area bands, join ITEA, and attend conventions. With my list prepared, I began matching up activities with my list of drivers. (You can see a sample of drivers I adapted from the Rewire, Donā€™t Retire in the sidebar at the bottom.)

Of course, drivers will vary from person to person. If you answer yes to a question, then itā€™s one of your drivers. I discovered that I had many drivers, but for my purposes here, I will only discuss five of them.

As I matched the things I wanted to do with the list of drivers, I also had to set priorities because there was no way to do everything at once. In fact, I have reached the point that for everything I add, I deduct something else.

For fulfillment, I selected things that I could work toward and complete ā€“ music articles and books. For goals, I learned how to use iMovie and make YouTube videos. In terms of leadership, I increased my role at church, co-founded a community band, and continued my work with the Arkansas Small Band Association.

Lifelong learning experienced the most cuts because I have many interests. I will not be a chess master unless I live to be 110, donā€™t look for me on the cover of Rolling Stone with a guitar anytime soon, and a term as Arkansas poet laureate is definitely out. As for mentoring, I decided to teach private lessons and work with young band directors as needed.

The pandemic derailed some items initially selected from my list, but the unwanted free time allowed me to reevaluate my priorities. I enjoyed coaching soccer but found I was not passionate about it since my grandkids were not old enough to play. After COVID canceled the spring season, I decided not to resume coaching until my grandkids were older. The most unexpected thing I did was not even on my list ā€“ drive a school bus for school activities. I found that I enjoyed staying connected to the school in a way beyond just private lessons. Schools need bus drivers badly, so if you ever feel undervalued, drive a bus and that will change.

No matter what you call retirement, whether itā€™s rewiring, throwing in the towel, standing aside, hanging up your hat, calling it quits, calling it a day, or going out to pasture, itā€™s a wonderful time because of the choices that you have. If you are retiring anytime soon, start evaluating your choices well in advance so the transition is as smooth and fulfilling as possible. And for one final idea ā€“ have a cozy, memory-filled quilt made out of your old band shirts. I snuggle under mine each day for my daily nap while youā€™re at work.

Assessing Your Drivers

Adapted from Donā€™t Retire, Rewire By Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners

Determine what your current drivers are and consider what post-retirement options will fulfill the same needs.

Fulfillment
Do you look for a sense of completion or satisfaction from what you do?
Do you need a reason to jump out of bed every morning?

Goals
Do you manage time with a to-do list with defined objectives that you complete?
Is your life discombobulated without goals to shoot for?

Leadership
Do you like being the boss or in charge?
Do like motivating people to follow you?
Does it irritate you when things are not done correctly?

Lifelong Learning
Do you have interests that you enjoy for the sake of knowledge?
Do you have many interests outside your job requirements?
Are you curious?

Mentoring
Do you like to take people under your wing?
Do you like to see people grow?
Do you like helping others hone their skills?

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Ingredients:

A pinch of patience
A dash of diligence
A ration of relationship-building
A load of love
An ounce of organization
A portion of planning
A cup of communication
2 cups of classroom management
A course of consistency

There are many different recipes to create a successful music program, and you must find the one that meets the needs of your situation. You must also customize the above ingredients (adding the right amounts at the right times) and blend them in a way that fits your personality and those of your students and families.

All of the ingredients are essential for success at any level. Before starting to mix them, define success for you and your program. It is important to have a clear mission and vision for the program and to communicate that to everyone. Know your end goals and develop benchmark goals along the way. The following is a little bit about each ingredient that is included in the recipe.

Patience
This one can be difficult as all teachers want rapid improvement, but real change takes time. If it is really worth it, you have to wait for real results. When making changes, remember that change is difficult for most people. Patience will help in this process. Celebrate the small wins along the way, and before you know it, your goals will come to fruition. You may not even remember slow progress at the beginning.

Diligence
When working towards a goal, remember that it will take sacrifice and hard work. You have to be willing to work through the tough times and challenges. You canā€™t give up ā€“ even on the things that seem small. Persistent, careful work will get you to your goals. When you are modeling grit, determination and diligence, you will influence others to do the same. In the end, hard work pays off.

Relationships
It is impossible to build a successful band program alone. You need others to develop a culture and sustain momentum. You need help from people with strengths that compensate for your weaker skills. Relationship-building is key. Music programs with a tradition of excellence often feel like a family where everyone contributes. Everyone is part of the program, including students, band staff, parents, other family members and friends, administrators, fellow teachers and staff, and community members. Invite everyone to be involved, heard and celebrated. Show gratitude for those who are involved in your program at any level.

Some people feel uncomfortable with the vulnerable, emotional parts of developing relationships. When you open your heart and share your love of music, your program, and people, others will feel free to be vulnerable as well. Music is about expressing emotions through music. By openly showing love for your art, career, and students, you invite students to do the same. This approach can have a huge impact on everyone in the program and community.

Organization and Planning
If you struggle with staying organized, find someone to keep things on track. A music program often resembles a small business with many moving parts. You do a disservice to the entire program when there is not proper organization. By staying on top of things, you convey professionalism and trust will follow. You will also feel less stressed, a feeling that will spread to everyone around you.

Careful planning is an important component of organization. Build a master calendar as early as possible and complete any paperwork well in advance. Plan for every contingency with your team and work closely with others outside of the program to avert possible conflicts. For example, I collaborate with the fine arts team and coaches as I make my plans.

Be sure to consider the schoolā€™s master schedule. I include any special programs and school events that occur during the year on my calendar. Check district and state calendars to avoid conflicts such as testing dates. I do not want to discover a scheduling problem at the last minute that I have to scramble to solve. Because students are involved in a wide range of activities, I avoid making them choose between involvement in music and something else they deem just as important.

Communication
You must communicate in every way possible with every stakeholder in your program. Here are some essential ways to keep people informed:

ā€¢ Develop an approved band handbook that is available to everyone. Make sure that all expectations are communicated in it. Provide parents and students with a way to acknowledge reviewing the material.

ā€¢ Have band meetings in person and online for those who would receive your messages better coming from you. Record a beginning of the year band parent meeting and upload it to YouTube or your band website and provide a link to parents.

ā€¢ Send weekly newsletters via email or Remind.

ā€¢ Share as much as you are able on social media platforms.

ā€¢ Send text messages.

ā€¢ Start a parents group and recruit a smaller group of parents to help get band news out to everyone.

There is never enough communication. If some feel they are getting too much information, they can always opt out of one or more of the types of communication. You never want a student or parent to say, ā€œI didnā€™t knowā€¦ā€ Also, make personal phone calls as much as possible, particularly with good news or praise about a student. Document every communication that you have with individual students. Each school or district has a preferred method of documentation.

Classroom Management
You can be the most knowledgeable and talented musician in the room, but students wonā€™t learn what they need to know without effective classroom management. Know ahead of time the procedures needed for every activity in your program. Make sure you communicate and practice these procedures with your students so there is no confusion.

Establish an attention signal that you use every time you need them to focus on you. My students know that there are clear consequences for not following procedures. I use a three strike approach ā€“ students get two warnings from me in a class period and then they pack up, complete a worksheet, and receive a participation grade of zero for the day. Parents also get a call from me.

It is important to avoid emotion with discipline. I simply look at a student not following procedures and tell them that they have a strike. I rarely have to give strike three, and every student has a clean slate at the beginning of each day.

Most students want to do well, but some may need help with the right way to succeed. You can show them how. Do not back down on what your goals are or what your expectations are. Your students must rise to the challenge and try to reach your expectations for them and the program.

Consistency
Hold yourself and students accountable using consistent expectations and procedures as you build a culture of excellence. If you initiate too many ideas and approaches and never follow through, it is difficult to see results. You can measure progress more effectively when following consistent actions. Consistency requires sustained effort until you achieve your goals.

Each ingredient in the recipe is important when building a successful band program. Over time, you will find just the right blend. Best of luck to you and your program in the new school year!

The post A Recipe for a Successful Program appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Her teaching career began at an early age. In a 2001 interview for Flute Talk magazine, she recalled: ā€œIā€ˆwas 12 when I started teaching in Amarillo, Texas and I just never stopped. While pursuing a masterā€™s degree, I taught music minors and preparatory students. Some musicians establish private studios after they fail to establish a career in performance. I have always taught because I love doing it.ā€

In addition to teaching in the Eastman Preparatory Department, she also taught at Idaho State University and Brigham Young University. She spent 13 summers as principal flute in the Sun Valley Summer Symphony followed by 19 summers as flute professor and principal flute at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.

Her summer teaching once led to an unexpected example of long-distance learning in the late 1990s. ā€œA boy came to Sewanee Music Festival for a summer and made rapid progress. Back home he had no flute teacher in the area, so he sent cassette tapes, and I continued to help him. I heard him play several times when I was teaching masterclasses, but mostly just planted the seeds from a distance, and he made them grow. This fall that young man entered Trevor Wyeā€™s flute class in England and is the only undergraduate student to ever be accepted into the program. It takes a rare student to absorb new information quickly, make mental connections, and apply this knowledge.ā€

In the same interview she was asked about competition among students. ā€œCompeting with yourself is the only useful competition. How each player sounds often depends upon the music at hand. I want there to be an interchange of ideas among students in a teaching studio so the strengths of one flutist are shared with other students. Blaisdell treated every student as if they might become the first flute in the New York Philharmonic, and I feel the same way.ā€

After writing her first article for Flute Talk in 2002, she later served over 10 years as Editor. In addition to teaching and publishing award-winning flute pedagogical books, she contributes her regular column, The Teachers Studio, to each issue of The Instrumentalist and serves as the Senior Contributing Editor. Congratulations!

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