When did you first pick up a baton in front of a band?
My high school band director, Tom Johnston, gave me the opportunity. In my sophomore year at Farmington High School (CT) I decided to be a band director. I knew I wanted to become a teacher but was not sure what I would teach. Like so many future directors, I lived in the band room during high school. One day when I was hanging out during study hall, Mr. Johnston came in with a set of scores. He had been called to a meeting in the counseling center and asked me to run a 35-minute lesson to a mixed group of freshmen from the Symphonic Band. I looked at the scores and jumped in. I fell in love with teaching music on the spot.

That year, my father gave me a Jethro Tull songbook, and I loved playing from it. One day as I was practicing, Mr. Johnston stuck his head in and said, “You should be a band director.” I said, “I think I should, too,” and that was it. That moment stands out so clearly as a turning point in my life.

Did you ever waver and think of doing something else?
I absolutely knew what I wanted to do, although every band director has many gigs, hobbies, and outside interests. We are natural teachers in all sorts of activities. Band directing is at the center of my life and career, and there has never been a moment when I didn’t want to do this. I love leading the Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony and loved running a prenatal and postnatal yoga business for mothers. I wrapped up the yoga business when I became Director of Bands at Westhill High School because it was just too much. Band directing has always been the thing that lights me up the most.

How prepared did you feel when you started teaching?
I was lucky to do my student teaching at Westhill, and began a one-year master’s program the day after receiving my undergraduate degree at Syracuse University. By Thanksgiving break, I missed the kids from my student teaching and stopped in to visit. That fall, there had been an additional director hired at Westhill who was not going to finish out the year. My host teacher asked if I knew anybody to fill the position for the rest of the year. All of my friends had a job or were in the same intense master program as I was. John Laverty, my mentor and Director of Bands at Syracuse said, “You do these master’s programs to become strong enough and good enough to get the gig. You have a chance to get the gig. We will support you in any way you need to make this happen.” That was 21 years ago.

I sometimes think back to those early years. As a young teacher you have such lofty goals and think if the kids work their hardest and everything comes together, we can play a particular difficult piece of music. The biggest hurdle is learning how to program. You have to see students as they are and meet them at that level, picking repertoire that fits them and challenges them. As a young musician and teacher, I always had a phenomenal network of mentors and colleagues I could contact.

What lessons from your mentors still come to mind as you teach?
John Laverty cared deeply about what students needed. He gave me so many extra opportunities, whether it was leaving a score on my chair and inviting me to sit in on a rehearsal I might not have been a part of or checking in to see how I was doing. He taught me the value of true, deep caring about students as musicians and individuals. I continue to connect with him to this day.

How do you approach score study?
Investigating repertoire is the most challenging aspect of teaching music. We are so lucky to have complete freedom to design our curriculum. Score study for me is a journey that starts with a light perusal of the music and researching the composer and piece. I want to get the music into my ear. I go through the music in layers and start by trying to map out the form of a piece. I have had 21 student teachers and one of my favorite lessons for them covers score study.

We start by going through all of the layers: form, instrumentation, the melodies and harmonies, dynamics, articulations, styles, and various tempi. I map out the entire work on a single page. Sometimes I use colors, labels, and post-its. Distilling the piece into one map that I can share with students has a big impact on how I rehearse.

How do you select music for your ensembles?
In programming, I look for a beautiful way to honor our traditions and histories while also including diverse programming, both for the Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony and my school wind ensemble. I strive to program a wide range of composers including those who might have been underrepresented in the past or have not had their voices heard. I am so fortunate to teach within such a strong music program at Westhill and co-conduct the Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony. With the privilege of programming such great ensembles, I can help to be an amplifier. It feels like a deep honor. When programming, I make sure that rather than doing what I’ve always done, I try to learn about more options that are out there. In our inaugural season with the SYWS, we performed Of Endless Miles and Empty Rafts by Michelle Fernandez and Symphony No. 1 Culloden by Julie Giroux. We also presented a 1914 piece by Amanda C.E. Aldridge and edited recently by Kaitlin Bove. Aldridge wrote under the name Montague Ring though she was a Black woman composer.

The question has been asked: is your repertoire a mirror for students? Are players always on the outside looking into someone else’s histories, traditions, cultures, and experience, or does the music allow students in your rehearsal to look at music that mirrors their life experiences and traditions? I feel strongly that it should do both.

When did you realize that you were good at teaching?
That’s a tough question because even after 21 years, there are moments when I think about how much I still have to learn. When I go back to a piece I programmed earlier in my career, I realize how much I didn’t understand the first time. There never was a point where I thought, “I’ve got this.” Bands will humble you in a second if you believe you know all there is to know about a piece, an ensemble, or aspect of band pedagogy. That is the beauty of what we do: we constantly evolve, assess, and grow. In the same vein, I have had invaluable mentorship and support from the beginning. My administration and community have always supported me. I never felt afraid to ask for help and guidance. I love the present, where my students are, and where the program is going.

What is your daily school schedule like?
We start at 7:40 am and end at 2:10 pm each day. There is a period each day for instructional assistance from 2:10-2:55. I typically teach four structured lessons during the day and some flex periods that might include working with the pit bands for the musical. I teach the wind ensemble third period every day. During the instructional assistance period, we have a five-day rotation with jazz lab, jazz ensemble, percussion ensemble, modern band, and the audio production and engineering club. I also get release time during the day for serving as the Fine Arts coordinator.

As a flutist, how did you get started teaching percussion ensemble?
As a student at Syracuse University, I participated in a group called Samba Laranja (Orange Samba), a Brazilian percussion ensemble. When I did my student teaching at Westhill High School, the brass and percussion instructor ran a concert percussion program and took the group out on the drum line circuit and performed standstill concerts. She probably had 12 to 15 students and all of a sudden, the concert percussion group started growing. I had 20 students and saw that number grow to 40. I decided it was untenable for concert percussion and asked the administration about purchasing a set of Brazilian Samba instruments. They were all for it and purchased a full set. I played in groups as large as 60 in college and drew on that experience and also stayed in touch with the directors.

How do you organize and run your rehearsals?
I was just talking to my student teacher about this. Rehearsals move in this arc pattern, and the arc changes if you are far away from your next performance. With more time until the concert, you can address various fundamentals. Our curriculum includes work on tone quality, blues-based improvisation, sightreading, and preparing for the state solo and ensemble festival. As the performance gets closer, rehearsals have a sharper focus on the performance repertoire.

For me, every rehearsal starts with meeting students, saying hello, and doing my best to connect with a name and eye contact. Our opening warmup helps me gauge where students are musically and personally. You detect their energy as kids walk through the door. As music educators, we assess our students throughout the rehearsal. Part of that assessment includes checking in and seeing how they are doing. We plan our lessons carefully, but in class, every next second depends on the present moment. Sometimes, students arrive, and your plans go out the window.

We talk often with students in our program about their experiences and try to describe the culture of the program. We discuss our values, and the primary value is joy. I was working with students on the school musical today, and they were exhausted. It wasn’t a day to focus on notes. It was about connecting to joy.

I hope that as they approach the band room, they can take a deep breath and exhale any thoughts or feelings weighing them down. I want them to know that someone will be ready to truly see them if they want to be seen. They will hear their names spoken and know that someone cares about who and how they are that day. Then, we get to make music and struggle and face challenges and find meaningful victories. Making music is not just checking boxes and moving on to the next thing. It is about community and engagement.

Part of evolving as a band director is learning how to give and receive with your heart, musicianship, and intellect in a beautiful way, but not give away too much of yourself in the process. It is hard to keep that balance. Band directing is not just a job: it is such a part of the fabric of who we are. At the same time, we also have families and hobbies and life outside of teaching. I have a background in yoga, mindfulness, and meditation that helps me to find that balance. Especially for those just starting out in the field, it is important to make sure that you take care of yourself as a person and not just as a director.

In our wind ensemble, which is an auditioned group, we do not have fixed chairs and rotate throughout the year. There is no hierarchy of first, second, and third chair. All of my clarinets should know how to be third clarinets and how to be first clarinets. We emphasize the importance of every seat in the band. When we talk about band family, it’s honest and authentic.

What advice do you give to your student teachers about dealing with parents?
We work to keep parents informed about what happens in the program. They hear the words and characteristics of our band culture and understand what their child is doing and why. I have learned that the key to resolving any challenge or conflict in the program is personal communication early and often. It feels safer for some directors to communicate through email. I found that if I had to have a difficult conversation with a parent, I might spend hours crafting an email. With a phone call, however, you can hear their voice, and they can hear yours. They can tell how much you care about their child, and that makes everything easier. I tell student teachers that it might be scary to call when they have a concern weighing on them, but it is so worth it.

How often do you sightread music in rehearsal that you have no intention of using in a concert?
All the time. I hope my groups play a whole bunch of notes they will never perform, from traditional pieces that don’t fit my group to music played for sightreading practice. It doesn’t feel like something special or different – it’s just part of what they do. We also encourage students to provide feedback on repertoire and suggest pieces we should play. They will hop online and find tunes they want us to consider, and we read them.

What led you to co-authoring sightreading books for students?
It came out of necessity. I was teaching a lesson to a middle school player heading to the state solo festival, and we practiced sightreading. I put a piece of music in front of her and realized that it was too different from the eight measures she would have to play at the state contest. We needed a better pedagogical tool.

I sketched out an eight-measure line of music and reminded myself that the contest manual has a grid for every instrument and playing level, showing the possible rhythms, articulations, dynamics, and range for the sightreading. I asked Brendan Van Epps, the fifth-grade director for the district, if he wanted to write sightreading books with me. He is a composer and began drafting the books, and I was the editor. It was a perfect partnership.

The result was sightreading material that illustrates exactly what you would find at any all-county or state audition in New York State down to every last detail. At the beginning, we just wanted accurate materials for our students, and then other directors started discovering that we had these books as a resource. Brendan has a publishing company, Happy Jack Music, and he started selling them.

How was the Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony formed and what have you learned from the group?
It really comes out of COVID. There is more of a range of playing experience in my wind ensemble than before the pandemic. I looked out at my ensemble and heard some students playing at a very high level. At the same time, other students had just started playing their instrument on a Google Meet during COVID.

I started talking to other area directors, who mentioned the same ability variations in their groups. I thought it would be neat to provide a youth orchestra intensive for the band students. Right next to Westhill is the West Genesee District, which also has a very strong band program. A year ago, I called their wind ensemble director, Greg Borsz, and asked if he would co-conduct this ensemble with me. He immediately said yes, and I started researching best practices for starting a program like this. I contacted another college mentor, Barbara Tagg, who is the founder of the Syracuse Children’s Chorus about how to found a 501c3 nonprofit musical organization. We met and she helped guide me through the process.

She was incredible and provided logistical assistance on finding an attorney specializing in 501c3 creation and developing a support group that would work tirelessly for the ensemble. She emphasized that creating a mission statement to explain the importance of this wind symphony would persuade others to buy in as well. She said that explaining the why for the group will make other directors encourage their students to join. From this, the SYWS mission statement became:

Musicians will perform a transformative and diverse repertoire of Wind Band music within an ensemble culture that embodies and celebrates connection, collaboration, belonging, musician-leadership, joy, and excellence in music-making. The SYWS seeks to augment, support, and serve our musicians’ outstanding school music education programs with its presence and outreach.

Last fall, we waited until marching season began to wrap up to advertise and hold auditions for the new group. Once you start something and put it out in the world, it is no longer under your control. You have to wait and see if anybody shows up. Students arrived for auditions, area directors supported the group, and the Wind Symphony held its first concert in January.

It is a complete and utter joy to stand in front of a group that makes sounds like this and rips through challenging repertoire like they do. I love watching students from across Central New York develop friendships, camaraderie, and inside jokes. Low brass kids are the same everywhere. When I head out to All-County, I see kids from different schools connecting because of the Wind Symphony. It’s a dream come true.

Erin Althen is Director of Bands and Fine Arts Department Chair at Westhill High School, in Syracuse, NY. The Westhill CSD has 1,750 students with 575 at the high school. She is the advisor to the school’s active Tri-M music honor society chapter, founder and co-conductor of the Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony, and has conducted honor ensembles and presented clinics to music educators at County, All-State, State, and National conferences. Althen earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music Education with Performance Honors in Flute from Syracuse University.

All photos: © Root and Wander Photography, used with permission.

***

Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony
2023-24 Repertoire (Inaugural Season)
(alphabetical by Composer)

Series 1
Concert January 21, 2024
Americans We – Henry Fillmore
Cry of the Last Unicorn – Rossano Galante
Symphony No. 1 Culloden (Mvts I, II) – Julie Giroux
Irish Tune from County Derry and Shepherd’s Hey – Percy Grainger
Rhapsodic Celebration – Robert Sheldon
Havana Nights – Randall Standridge

Series 2
Concert March 17, 2024
On Parade: Quick March – Amanda C. E. Aldridge, ed. Kaitlin Bove
The Rakes of Mallow – Leroy Anderson
Midnight on Main Street – Brian Balmages
Halcyon Hearts – Katahj Copley
Three Irish Dances – James Curnow
Of Endless Miles and Empty Rafts – Michele Fernández
Pablo! – Richard Meyer

Series 3
Concert May 12, 2024
Beyond the Horizon – Rossano Galante
Until the Scars – John Mackey
Jazz Suite, Waltz No. 2 – Dmitri Shostakovich
Washington Post March – John Philip Sousa
English Folk Song Suite – Ralph Vaughan Williams
In Two Places – Haley Woodrow

The post Honor the Past Love the Present Dream the Future – A Conversation with Erin Althen appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Editor’s Note: This article features ideas in the recent book The North American Wind Symphony, published by GIA Publications ©2024. Mark Camphouse conceived and edited the project.

The title of this article comes from two iconic musicians: H. Robert Reynolds, Director Emeritus of University Bands, University of Michigan; and the late Vincent Cichowicz, 22-year Chicago Symphony Orchestra member and Northwestern University Professor of Trumpet. Their words strongly endorse the founding of the North American Wind Symphony (NAWS). I conceived, edited, and served as principal contributing author of a new GIA Publications book that details a vision for this ensemble, which would be the only full-time, professional, non-military wind band in North America.

Part One of the book, Musical Moonshot!, is a clarion call to found the North American Wind Symphony, North America’s first full-time, professional (civilian) wind band of the 21st century: why it is needed, what it will require, and what it can accomplish. Nearly half of the 116 pages of Part One are devoted to my detailed and comprehensive blueprint for this initiative. Four notable musicians (Frederick Fennell, Vincent Cichowicz, David Amram, and Paula A. Crider) and former U.S. Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig, Jr. expand on this proposal with their own thoughts and endorsements, as do the contributing authors. Additional endorsements include those by composers Adolphus Hailstork and Robert Sheldon, and conductors Greg Bimm and H. Robert Reynolds. 

It is not a characteristically American trait to live in the past. Historically, Americans look ahead and thrive on challenge. We are an inventive and creative nation. The world has always marveled at America’s ability to see and live into the future.

In today’s classical music world, if there is one large instrumental performing medium that often looks to the past and carries on traditions more European than American, it is the symphony orchestra. The classical music establishment in America continues to be largely dedicated to imitating and perpetuating 18th- and 19th-century European repertoire, genres, and performance traditions. Many aspects of that imitation and perpetuation are important and enriching. However, an approach using a different medium with the goal of greater repertoire balance and sonic variety for audiences could also prove important and enriching. I love orchestral music. Several of my earliest compositions were written for orchestra. I have had some of my most enriching conducting experiences with orchestras, but the extent of the continuing genre imbalance concerns me.

If there is one large instrumental performing medium today that far more often looks at the present and to the future and carries on traditions that are more distinctly American, other than jazz, it is the wind band.

Frederick Fennell, founder of the Eastman Wind Ensemble in 1952, like American pioneers in other disciplines, saw into the future. Fennell’s innovative programming and many outstanding Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings made under his direction during the 1950s exemplify the extraordinarily high levels of American collegiate woodwind, brass, and percussion performance skills. Although performance excellence continues to rise today among college, university, and conservatory students, meaningful employment opportunities following graduation are in decline.

As we finish the first quarter of the 21st century, several questions come to mind.

• What new dimension can be added to Dr. Fennell’s pioneering innovation of over 70 years ago?
• What, for art’s sake, can begin to bring greater balance to professional music making and provide new opportunities for North American performing artists, composers, conductors, and performing arts managers?
• What, for our communities’ sake, can provide high-quality, enriching, entertaining, non-elitist, and distinctly North American alternatives for concert audiences?
• What, for our children’s sake, can assist in their developing a greater appreciation for and understanding of the art of music in North American schools?
• Very importantly, how can a musical organization strengthen friendship, trust, and cooperation among North American nations?

The North American Wind Symphony is one answer. It seeks to inspire a Renaissance in North American music, wind band, and instrumental music education. In addition to elevating the stature of the wind band as a wonderfully expressive and exciting medium, the NAWS initiative is also designed to strengthen music education and emphasize the acute need to create more meaningful jobs for especially gifted recent college/university and conservatory graduates.

The ethnic and racial makeup of the American mosaic is changing rapidly. We must recognize and address imbalances in racial and ethnic participation for school band programs, indeed instrumental music itself (including the symphony orchestra), to remain relevant. Failure to do so will have devastating consequences for instrumental music education in the next 25 years. The North American Wind Symphony will be deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hiring of and interaction with all staff and performance personnel as well as participants in NAWS educational initiatives.

Free from the somewhat isolated environments of academe and the military, the structural design, philosophy, and priorities of NAWS, both musical and non-musical, will necessitate its performance personnel and staff to understand the complex needs and compelling realities of culturally underserved communities. This will create a unique and well-informed team of quasi-cultural ambassadors to serve effectively both at home and abroad. NAWS staff, working with elected officials and civic leaders on globalization, immigration, border and environmental issues, economic revitalization, (and yes, the performing arts and arts education) will make important contributions by promoting goodwill and mutual understanding with citizens of all North American nations.

Detailed information on the timeframe, organizational structure, performance and staff personnel, budget, auditions, and first season performance schedule are also outlined in the book.
Three important “Prelude” periods will occur over a span of 24 months and progress logically to the first season. The ensemble will include 55 performers selected from applicants (pending auditions) from the three principal North American nations (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) and seven Central American nations (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama). Forty-three full-time staff members will be selected with a thorough screening process culminating with in-person interviews. Staff positions will be phased-in during the three prelude seasons.

The North American Wind Symphony will be designated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. With potential representation from ten North American nations, I hope NAWS will be viewed by the performance and music education communities and the public as a unique, dynamic, and innovative entrepreneurial organization, designed to elevate the stature of bands and provide audiences with an enhanced appreciation for the art of music being brought to life by world-class musical citizens and artist-teachers. With thanks to Abraham Lincoln and Aaron Copland, “We must think anew and act anew.”

The League of American Orchestras has a membership of over 1,800 orchestras in North America, including 400 youth orchestras. We are fortunate to have so many excellent professional symphony orchestras in North America. Some, without question, rank among the finest in the world. But it is most unfortunate that there isn’t even one full-time professional (non-military) wind band in 21st century North America. (Paradoxically, there are far more school, community, and military wind bands than orchestras in North America.)

President John F. Kennedy successfully captured the imagination of the American people (especially young Americans like me as a 7-year-old boy) with his passionate embrace of American exceptionalism and steadfast support of NASA in his May 25, 1961 address before a joint session of Congress when he stated: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.”

The American Moonshot, the Apollo 11 mission, was an inspiring display of American exceptionalism at its finest. I am firmly committed to a successful launching of a Musical Moonshot, an initiative with a none-too-subtle embrace of the symbolism and, yes, the audacity of President Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. I have dreamed of the Musical Moonshot initiative for about 40 years. I am deeply grateful to GIA Publications President Alec Harris for granting me the opportunity to share this dream with readers of this book.

I hope readers will reflect on the power and beauty of imagination, and witness not only the successful launching of the North American Wind Symphony, but also the successful launching of other forward-looking musical initiatives that will hopefully emerge and flourish in the years ahead with courage, persistence, and (respectful) audacity.

In addition to common borders, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central American nations also share many interests, opportunities, and challenges. There is a growing number of reasons why we should move closer to one another in a genuine effort to enhance friendship, trust, stability, and cooperation among North American nations. Clearly, the greatest wealth of North American nations lies in the talent of their people.

The multicultural, continental scope and design of the NAWS initiative is an integral part of its construction. Those factors, together with its exciting and forward-looking artistic vision, substantive educational initiatives, and unique philosophy and goals, promise to contribute significantly to the cultural enrichment and economic growth for communities everywhere. This, in turn, will enable greater discovery by audiences of the rich treasures of our priceless North American musical heritage.

Friends, colleagues, and students: This Musical Moonshot needs to be done, and I believe it can be done! If you feel this initiative has merit and contains “the right stuff,” to achieve its multifaceted goals, and if you feel this is “a daring idea whose time has come,” I encourage you to read this new book. I welcome you to join me in this effort.

***

Also Featured in the Book

The book begins with an inspirational foreword by Timothy Mahr, distinguished composer-conductor and St. Olaf College Professor Emeritus of Music, and ends with a very insightful afterword by Frank Ticheli, distinguished composer-conductor and USC Thornton School of Music Professor Emeritus of Composition. I wrote a substantial introduction for directors and students focusing on the power and beauty of imagination, thoughts about my education and career, advice for young musicians and parents about setting goals and establishing priorities, the college/conservatory selection process, and the need to appreciate and learn from the past while looking to the possibilities of the future.

I am particularly appreciative of the writings by the 12 contributing authors who are truly remarkable individuals, musicians, and educators. These authors span three generations and possess varied backgrounds and a wealth of expertise. They make astute observations and provide creative recommendations on topics found in all three parts of the book:

1. Music education
2. Composition, conducting, and performance
3. Ways to elevate the stature of the band medium to reach its full potential

I am also thrilled with the contributions of the three bright and gifted young emerging composers. Already in promising careers, they are the voices of the future in our profession.

Part Two provides a brief history of the National Band Association/United States Air Force Band Young Composer/Young Conductor Mentor Project. The program’s origins and impactful legacy are discussed by three leaders with the project – Paula A. Crider, U.S. Air Force Colonel Don Schofield, and me. More than a dozen mentees also offer their perspectives.

In Part Three, contributing authors examine important issues facing music education today and in the future. Topics include educational philosophy, concert programming, racial diversity in school band programs, curricula at the collegiate level, and the state of wind band composition, among others.

***

Facts in Brief

People
55 Full-Time Performance Personnel
43 Full-Time Staff in 6 areas of NAWS organizational structure: Administrative, Artistic, Development, Marketing and Communications, Community Engagement and Partnerships, Operations.
4 Full-Time Conducting Staff: Music Director and Principal Conductor, Associate Conductor, 2 Assistant Conductors
10 First Season Guest Conductors
6 First Season Guest Artist Soloists

A total of 104 first-season performances
of 41 programs by full NAWS, NAWS Chamber Players, NAWS Junior & Senior Symphonic Youth Bands, and NAWS Adult Community Symphonic Band

A 9-concert NAWS Summer Outdoor Concert Series
Fall Regional Performance Tour
Winter International Performance Tour (Mexico and Central America)
Spring State Performance Tour

NAWS Composer-in-Residence Program:
world premiere performances of NAWS commissioned works by three composers (One U.S., One Mexican/Central American, One Canadian)

NAWS Prelude Season Two:
4-day Continental Advisory Conference (CAC) attended by 100 invited representatives in 5 divisions: Artistic, Audience Development, Administrative and Management, Organizational Structure/Authorizations/Fundraising, Associations and Industry. CAC will have 4 featured guest speakers.

Principal First Season Music Education Initiatives:
12 Young People’s Concerts
2 NAWS Junior & Senior Symphonic Youth Band Concerts*
2 NAWS Adult Community Symphonic Band Concerts**

2 NAWS Community Music Education Day Open House Events
NAWS Conducting Workshop for School Band Directors
NAWS Open Reading & Recording Session of works by regional composers (including student composers)
NAWS International Young Composers Symposium
NAWS International Young Conductors Symposium

Proposed Post-First Season Principal Music Education Initiative:
NAWS Fellowship Program for college/university/conservatory music students in the following 3 areas: Instrumental Performance Fellowship: woodwind, brass, percussion. (Fall)
Instrumental Arts Management Fellowship (Winter/Spring)
Wind Conducting Fellowship (Summer)

***

In accordance with NAWS DEI policy, young musicians from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply to applicable NAWS Music Education Initiatives.

There were 22 U.S. metro areas in 17 states that were under initial consideration as a home base location for NAWS. That has now been narrowed down to four metro areas in four states.

A 30-page precise itemization of the 3 “Prelude” Seasons and First Season expenditures totaling $15,459,572 can be found on pages 77-107 in the new GIA Publications book.

*Symphonic Youth Bands students receive two 60-minute private scholarship lessons per month and one 90-minute sectional coaching session per month with NAWS members.
**Adult Community Symphonic Band members receive weekly 90-minute sectional coaching sessions by NAWS members in preparation for their 2 first Season summer performances.

The post A Daring Idea Whose Time Has Come appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

On May 16, 2024, Washingtonville High School (NY) performed their annual spring band concert. For the first time, the school gave a concert where all of the wind ensemble music and one piece performed by the concert band were composed, rehearsed, and conducted entirely by students. The student-led rehearsals became a fully immersive experience that stretched far beyond simply showcasing student compositions. For the composers, it provided a distinctive opportunity to build leadership skills. The band took charge of every facet of the music-making, and by concert-time they were proud to know that they would be world premiering five original compositions by their friends.

The Spark
Senior Ryan Godfrey provided the initial catalyst for this project. With guidance from his middle school band director, Laura Giorgio, Ryan composed several full-band compositions before entering high school and wrote eighteen full wind band pieces while in high school. Six of his pieces have been programmed at concerts by three different schools.

Last year Ryan, along with Ella Dueck and Jack Carola, took Jeremy Groth’s digital production class. There, using SoundTrap, a digital audio workstation program, they learned the fundamentals of composition, including writing melodies, creating chord progressions, and understanding compositional form. One of their class projects would eventually turn into Ella’s and Jack’s compositions for this year’s band concert.

At the start of school, we asked Ryan to compose a piece for his final high school concert. He then encouraged Ella to rescore her previous year’s composition for our band. Once Jack heard Ryan’s and Ella’s pieces were going to be performed, he decided to write a percussion ensemble piece based on his composition from digital production class. Around this same time, Andrew Dahlstrom also became interested in composing. Once again, Ryan’s influence was essential.

The five compositions performed at our spring concert were: Journey’s End for percussion ensemble by senior Jack Carola, Phoenix Rising and The Adventure Begins for wind band by senior Ryan Godfrey, Soaring by junior Andrew Dahlstrom, and Petrichor by senior Ella Dueck.

Compositional Inspirations
Whether drawing from personal experiences or media, these composers had creative insights that shaped their work. Jack commented, “The concept behind [my] piece was to create the ending credits music to a story-based video game. You’d be able to look back on your journey and see all of the memories you have made along the way.”

When composing, Ella tries to create a visual story through music. “I draw inspiration from movie scores,” she said. “Composers like Hans Zimmer, Daniel Pemberton, and John Williams have made a huge impact on my music, and I always strive to tell a story through my compositions. While writing Petrichor, I incorporated cinematic themes while telling a story through music.”

Ryan was inspired by his experiences as a band student in the district. “When composing The Adventure Begins, I drew on my memories as a Washingtonville music student, with the goal of crafting a symphonic love letter to the music program to be premiered at the final concert.”

Andrew’s work portrayed his experiences from honor band festivals. “Playing in honors ensembles inspired me because I wanted to recreate impactful moments that I felt during those festivals in a creation of my own,” he said. “There is always one moment in a program where my heart drops, and I become engulfed in the music. I do my best to recreate that moment in my pieces.”

Guiding the Compositional Process
The compositions developed over several months. Early on each student worked on their own without help. Once they had enough material to share, we met with them individually to offer suggestions. We deliberately guided them in a way that allowed each student to make their own musical decisions. Often, just listening to their music allowed us to share ideas. Incorrect notes or unintended clashes of harmonies were obvious items to point out. More detailed recommendations addressed orchestration, potential balance problems, and technical facility difficulties. We gave students options, never prescribing a solution.

Making revisions was a key part of the composing process. After listening to the music live, each student noticed musical issues to correct. A balanced sound on a computer did not always translate to an ensemble performance. Balance was the most common problem, requiring adjustments to dynamic markings and instrument doublings. Whatever they settled on, it was correct as long as it was an intentional decision. Andrew recalls, “I was disappointed that I had to scrap ideas, but looking back, I now realize how important it was to do so. I learned not to force a musical idea to work if it just doesn’t.”

It was essential for students to hear their music played with the band. Playing music back on a computer is far less exciting than hearing it on acoustic instruments. Students understood that having it read in rehearsal did not obligate us to program it on a concert. However, if the piece was well-scored and engaging, we might choose to program it. After hearing their music come alive, the student composers took the initiative to schedule appointments with us to go over their work.
We weren’t surprised that the composers had great experiences. However, we did smile at how excited the rest of the band was to play their music. Several younger students started composing, too.

There was one significant advantage to using student compositions over commissioning an outside composer. These students knew the strengths and weaknesses of each section of the ensemble. They could write parts that featured outstanding players. Ryan knew he had a fantastic euphonium player and acoustic guitarist in the band and wrote them a long duet in the middle of his piece. Ella added an important piano part for Ryan in her work.

Jack tailored each part of his percussion ensemble piece to emphasize each person’s strengths. He wrote challenging technical parts for the experienced mallet players while crafting manageable battery parts for the less experienced musicians. Andrew emphasized difficult running lines in the upper woodwinds, knowing that there were All-State level players in the sections.

A favorite memory during the composing process was watching Ryan help Andrew while they sat on the floor in front of my computer. Seeing Ryan in the role of mentor and teacher was incredibly special. He analyzed the score and its problems as easily as someone can see a math problem with a wrong answer. Andrew was sincerely appreciative of Ryan’s help.

Rehearsals
Daily rehearsals were the most rewarding part of the project. Because the composers were so immersed in their pieces, it was their job to make the music come to life. We handed over the reins to them for eight weeks. Though Ryan and Jack had conducted before, it was a new experience for Ella and Andrew. To get comfortable on the podium, they started conducting daily warm-ups. This taught them what it feels like to have 55 sets of eyes on them and how to show basic conducting patterns.

Andrew recalls, “At first it was incredibly nerve-racking and definitely harder than it looked. After some time, however, I realized that I was really just making music with my friends and peers, and it got a lot easier after that.” We quickly shifted to conducting run-throughs of their pieces.

As the students gained experience on the podium they took over rehearsal planning. Because they knew their compositions intimately, leading rehearsals came naturally. We remained close by to make suggestions in our respective rehearsals. Having students conduct was not only beneficial to them, but was an engaging and insightful experience for the rest of the band, too. “I had so much fun playing music written by my friends,” said Sophie Kilcoyne, junior oboist. “Our ensemble was always engaged by the pieces our friends made, so it never felt boring. The ensemble showed so much respect to the student composers. The composers were all working with good friends, people who wanted them to succeed.”

A Culture of Support and Trust
One element that made this endeavor so successful was the existing band culture in the Wind Ensemble and Concert Band. These ensembles thrive in an atmosphere of respect and support. We give sincere compliments at each rehearsal and make it customary for students to demonstrate genuine, enthusiastic applause or cheer any time someone does something well. We knew this attitude was genuine when students shared a story from an honor band rehearsal they attended. One commented, “We finished a run through of the piece, and I put down my flute and prepared to clap for the performance. Then, I realized that no one else was clapping.”

It was wonderful to see our norm of encouraging fellow students continuing during the student-run rehearsals. “My favorite memory was when I asked the students to sing through their parts,” Andrew said. “When they finished the class broke into applause! It was rewarding to know that everyone else was enjoying the process as much as I was.”

“Some of the most important things I learned was to always be kind, respectful and supportive of the musicians,” Ryan reflected. “Providing frequent sincere compliments is incredibly important. Point out the things that they are doing well, and compliment individuals who are really doing their best. It goes a long way with ensemble members.”

In addition, the students hold a deep respect for the music they perform, and they hold each other accountable to a high level of preparation and performance. Within the ensembles, students do not audition or compete for placement. All students are eligible to audition for solos, and students play different parts on different pieces of music. Because of these standards, there is an unspoken recognition that every member of the ensemble is critically important to the group’s success, and this is apparent in how students interact during rehearsals.

“What really allowed our ensemble to pull this off would have to be the atmosphere of our band room,” said Brady Crowe, an 11th grade flutist. “We’re all friends in that room, we clap after solos, encourage one another during rehearsals, and most importantly have each other’s backs.”

Advice for Helping New Composers
If you have a student with prior composing experience, you may only need to provide guidance as they share their work with you. However if you have eager students with no prior experience, here are a few ideas to help them get started:

• Create melodies by ear at first. As a starting point, have students use their primary instrument or piano to improvise short melodies. Initially, have them record themselves so they are not shackled by music notation. Once they have some ideas they like, give them advice on how they can expand their melodies to form musical phrases.

• Document their progress. Using a music notation program helps students transcribe their melodies. This way, it will be easy for them to experiment with adding additional parts.

• Help them with the fundamentals of composition. Teach them about the basics of compositional elements – use of repetition, building phrases, form, structure, and chords and progressions to fit their melody.

• Create accompaniments. Help them with crafting accompaniment parts that properly fit their melodies harmonically speaking.

• Assist with scoring. Guide students in making decisions as to which instruments will get the melody versus the accompaniment parts making sure the students stay within a comfortable playing range for each instrument. (Most music notation programs will highlight notes that go beyond the normal playing range of an instrument). Refer to scores of familiar compositions to see how professional composers arrange their parts (e.g. in easier music, the saxophones and horns typically have the same parts).

• Help with percussion instruments. Unless students have percussion experience, they will need to learn the basics of each percussion instrument. Take students on a tour of your percussion section, allowing them to experience each instrument. You will likely need to help them with notating what they are envisioning. Show them percussion parts to provide notation examples.

• Talk to other students. Have student composers talk with players in other sections of the band to learn the fundamentals of each instrument. Encourage composers share their music with the other students to learn if the music is playable.

• Play secondary instruments. Have beginning composers start playing as many secondary instruments as possible.

Advice for Starting Student Conductors
The initial goal is to give students experience on the podium in a non-threatening way. Prepare them in advance so they can demonstrate basic conducting patterns. Once they are comfortable, have them conduct the band’s warm-up exercises. If needed you can co-conduct on the side of the podium so they have a model to imitate. Depending on the students, they may need multiple times on the podium before feeling comfortable enough to conduct their own piece. After each rehearsal, try to meet with them to discuss what went well and the plan for the next rehearsal.

Once they get used to the process they can start creating lesson plans for your review. Depending on student skills and the rapport they have with the ensemble, you can decide how much or little you want to steer the rehearsal. We were fortunate to have four very strong students, but we still sat next to the podium with a score guiding rehearsals by sharing suggestions as needed.

Lessons Learned
• Our students can accomplish more than we could ever imagine with the opportunity and the space to grow. They need the freedom to make mistakes and the guidance to learn from them. Making mistakes or changes are not failures; they are part of the process.

• Creating and sustaining a collaborative, supportive culture makes everything better in class.

• Through the rehearsals, each composer was challenged with questions about their music. Each question demanded a thoughtful answer or decision by the composer. It was important to us that each student make these decisions with a clear, thoughtful rationale, but the final decision always belonged to them.

• Not all compositions will be ready or appropriate for public performance. All compositions can be given time for reading in a rehearsal and the opportunity to make changes for the purpose of becoming a better composer. Be clear and upfront about expectations and opportunities that may or may not be possible.

The Concert
As a gift for all of the hard work that they did, we wanted to do something special. At the beginning of the concert, we presented all of the composers with their own custom baton. Though we had program notes printed in the concert program, each composer spoke about their composition and the experience of preparing it with the band.

To help the audience understand how much work went into this project, we posted the musical scores on display panels just outside the auditorium. As the concert ended, we announced that the composers would stand at their displays for photos and autographs. It was a wonderful way to finish.

We have never received so much positive response from a concert. Students were thrilled to help turn their peers’ dreams into reality. Junior flutist Jaclyn Chubay commented, “Seeing my friends up on the podium conducting the pieces that they worked so hard on filled me with a sense of pride. The student pieces also gave me the rare opportunity to speak directly with composers about their music and intentions.”

For the directors, it was the first time that we sat back at our own concert and watched the wind ensemble perform without help. We will never forget this experience.

To see performances from this project, use the QR code below or go to: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-EDE9WRcsbqxkL4nqddrUPPaf3eZ-8EQ&si=w6UNu2KEhte8Ea9b

* * *

Ryan Godfrey will attend SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music to study Music Education with a minor in Music Composition. He has been a member of numerous honor bands including the NYSSMA All-State Symphonic Band and NYSBDA Honors All State Symphonic Bands. After college he hopes to be a published composer of band literature and a high school band director.

Percussionist Jack Carola, will attend SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music to study Music Education. During high school he performed in the NYSSMA Area All-State Band, Senior High All County Orchestra, and various community ensembles. He plans on becoming a music teacher to share his passion for music.

Ella Dueck will be attending New York University to study Music Composition and Screen Scoring. As a clarinetist Ella has been a member of many honor bands including All County, Area All-State, and the NYSBDA Honors All State Symphonic Bands, and the NYSSMA All-State Symphonic Band.

Andrew Dahlstrom is entering his senior year at Washingtonville High School and hopes to go to college for music education. Andrew has been a member of the NYSSMA Area All-State Band, Senior High All-County Orchestra, and various community ensembles.

The post Four Students Make Their Mark – Indelible Lessons in Composing, Conducting, and Life appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Photo by Kirby Fong

Big Bang or Fade
With music from the Romantic era, a movement concludes in one of two ways. It is either with a big bang or with a fade/diminuendo. This is true of internal phrases too. If the big bang is done correctly, musicians keep their throat open (or the vocal folds separated) until the note concludes. If the throat closes, then a glottal stop is produced. To demonstrate a glottal stop, ask students to say the words Uh Oh. At the end of the Uh the vocal folds have closed and are stopping the air. This makes a rather abrupt, unpleasant sound. The trick is to keep the throat open (or vocal folds separated) by saying Hah-Ho.

The taper or fade is achieved by slowing the air stream in an organized way. If playing with vibrato, the vibrato is stopped before the note ends so the final taper is achieved with a straight sound.
William Kincaid, the legendary principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra and flute professor at The Curtis Institute, suggested a taper that is terraced shaped like the terraced farming used in hilly areas. He suggested the exercise in the box below where the note is tapered for 12 counts. Since there are six dynamic markings that are used most often, he suggested playing each dynamic for two counts.

This exercise can be done at any tempo and is a valuable way to count and organize the taper. When using vibrato, it is stopped a little bit before the end, perhaps on count eight or nine, and the taper is concluded with a straight sound.

When finishing the taper on a final note of a piece or movement, the conductor and the ensemble should remain still so it seems to the audience that the taper is continuing for an even longer time. This is called, “Holding your audience.” Check the notation carefully. If the final note is a dotted half note, the taper is completed before the next downbeat. If the final note is a dotted half note with a fermata, continue the taper down as far as you can within reason.

Practice with a tuner when tapering. The tendency is for the pitch to go flat. If flatness is detected, slightly increase the air speed and adjust the angle the air.

A taper over 12 counts is a luxury that happens infrequently. Many tapers are executed in half a beat or so. The following exercise explores quick tapers while vibrating. One of my flute students compared a perfect tapered ending of a note to the swirl on the top of a soft serve ice cream cone.

Two-note slurs are also good to practice quick tapering. These two-note slurs are played strong/weak and are sometimes called sigh figures because in text painting the notes correspond to words like lov-ing, be-ing, kiss-ing. Most instrumentalists who use vibrato tend to vibrate on the first note, but neglect vibrating on the second which makes the note ending less beautiful. Have students practice vibrating on the first and second notes, making the second note softer than the first.

Passing a Phrase
Many compositions are written where one section plays a phrase and then it is passed off to another section. The goal is to make this transition from one section to the next seamlessly. Things to consider when making this transition are tempo, pitch, dynamic, and tone color. For tempo, practice with a metronome ticking the subdivision of the beats, remembering that the last note for one section will be the first note of the next section. In many ways, practicing transitions is one the of most efficient ways to raise the level of an ensemble.

The tuner is helpful in fixing pitch issues. If students know the pitch tendencies of their instrument and the pitch tendency of the instrument they are passing to, things generally go better. Of course, as Michel Debost (legendary flutist and pedagogue) said, “Your two best professors are ear no. 1 and ear no. 2;” so listen, listen, listen. When passing a phrase, consider the dynamic. If the clarinets are passing to the flutes, then both sections should play at the same dynamic on the passing notes.

Using tone color in passing is perhaps the most sophisticated skill of all. I remember hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra woodwind section passing a scale from high to low. They were so skillful in passing that it was almost impossible to tell where the flute passed to the oboe, the oboe to the clarinet, and finally the clarinet to the bassoon. Of course, they used sub-dividing and pitch, but each player changed tone color to blend into the next instrument. Changing tone color means adding or subtracting the amount of core there is in the sound.

Metronome Track
When playing Romantic era etudes with the metronome, students quickly realize that it is difficult to play a stream of sixteenths and breathe at the end of the phrase as time (metronome) does not stand still. Usually, the student does not close the phrase gracefully, but tries to continue playing while taking a breath and staying in sync with the metronome. This means that a note or two do not sound. Teaching the concept of turning a phrase means that in the performance of Romantic era music, a player takes time to close the phrase (slight slowing), breathe and continue. Introduce students to the idea that Romantic music is about singing, and when singing, we breathe. Many contemporary lyrical, slow movements are played in the Romantic style.

Focusing on the first note of a composition as well as the last improves the impression that an audience has. Focusing on internal note beginnings and ends raises the level of musicianship for both performers and listeners. Success often happens just by making students aware of musical goals. This is true for marching band performances as well as concert settings.

The post Note Endings appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Mental health has been deemed an important part of each person’s well-being (Copeland et al., 2021). In schools everywhere, students’ mental health has been a recent concern for parents, teachers, and administrators. This concern is well founded as numerous researchers note how heightened anxiety, depression, and stress have been observed in students, particularly after the recent pandemic (Payne, 2023). Anecdotally, ensemble directors have noticed that students seem different post-pandemic and absences have risen.

While access to official and professional resources is often the first step to addressing immediate concerns, there are other ways that directors can assist students and serve as a positive moderator between life experiences and good mental health. Recently, at a College Band Directors National Association Athletic Bands Symposium, I had the pleasure of serving on a panel discussion centered on the mental health of students in marching bands. Marching band students often spend significant time together, socializing with peers and forming a sense of belonging. It is through this sense of belonging that students can establish a support system for difficult times. In the panel discussion, I had the opportunity to discuss with colleagues the many ways that marching band directors can assist in students’ good mental health. A collection of ideas from each member of the panel is presented below.

Justin R. Stolarik
Panel Moderator/Director of Bands
Stony Brook University
At Stony Brook University’s band camp, all new members are matched with a small family of returning members, based on interests. At many schools around the country, the terminology surrounding first-year or freshman members has shifted away from words like “rookie” members. Words do matter, particularly to the current generation of students, and this change alone may reduce any stigma and stress that can be associated with prior verbiage. This helps new members feel like they belong from the first day, instead of struggling to fit in socially and musically with older students.

Band camp activities in The Spirit of Stony Brook also include evening social events that help sections build cohesiveness. Presentations by campus representatives, specifically from the office of Counseling and Psychological Services, are also held during camp. These sessions are vital to the conversations about resources available on campus, including mental health and social programming outside of the band.

Once the regular season begins, the band social committee organizes movie nights, game nights, and other events, with support from music organizations such as Kappa Kappa Psi. The band continues mental health conversations and support for students throughout the season. Additional activities that create a sense of belonging include: themed rehearsal days, October pumpkin carving/painting contests, and an end-of-season festival featuring student solo and ensemble performances, and a catered meal chosen by students.

Matthew Brunner
Director of Athletic Bands
Temple University
At Temple University, the Diamond Marching Band directors and staff stay in contact with first-year members throughout the summer, primarily through virtual meetings. These sessions let new students know about band program expectations, how to prepare, and where to go to have questions answered. The directors want to be approachable and be seen as safe people when students need assistance, band-related or not.

During student leadership training, section leaders are recognized as a first line of defense for identifying peers who may be struggling. Student leaders have more regular contact with their peers than directors do. For this reason, student leaders receive information about available services through presentations from campus representatives. Specifically, section leaders participate in role-playing exercises led by counseling center staff to help recognize who needs help and what to do. This training prepares student leaders to assist directors in safeguarding mental health.

During band camp, students are placed into academic support groups made up of students from the same major. This approach, used by other schools in this article, strengthens communication and bonding between students who share a common academic major or focus.

Once the season begins, students are officially allowed two mental health days to take a break as needed, except on the day of or the day before a performance. Additionally, section leaders send out anonymous check-ins to their sections to see how everyone is doing and solicit general feedback as the season progresses.

Tremon Kizer
Associate Director of Bands
University of Central Florida
During the summer, the UCF Marching Knights student leaders communicate with new and returning students by writing introduction letters that highlight what they are excited about in the upcoming season and hosting online meetings. These efforts create a sense of togetherness and belonging within the band and university. As found by Stewart (2005), students’ self-efficacy and relationship with others in band is important to their future enrollment.

At UCF, a buddy system is used that pairs new and returning members. Often, older students have connections with alumni working in the music profession who can serve as positive role models and provide yet another touch point for students to communicate with and discuss the current and future challenges of their academic majors. University personnel hold sessions with the entire band on conflict resolution, dealing with differences, and celebrating the diversity of the ensemble.

Music programming is also vital for making connections between the curriculum and students. Just as with concert ensembles, it is important for marching bands to rehearse and program a variety of music that resonates with each person in the ensemble. This can include music originally written and performed by diverse artists or music arranged by people who can create authentic treatments of existing music. Band members appreciate directors who recognize students’ unique backgrounds in order to make meaningful and musical connections together.

In the regular marching season, the daily grind of rehearsals, changing performance themes, and high-profile performances, along with additional academic rigors outside of band, can take a toll on students. At UCF, the band allows for one full week of no rehearsals, which provides time for students to focus on community service, rest, and other academic work.

Additionally, a student advisory board creates several activities (Olympic games, online game nights, community service projects, and kickball/dodgeball tournaments). A newsletter distributed every few weeks features band sections, individual members, upcoming events, recipes, and other fun facts about the band and university. Finally, drum majors monitor an online form asking how students are doing so directors and staff can keep a pulse on them.

Amy M. Knopps
Associate Director of Bands
University of Missouri
Each year, the Marching Mizzou (M2) first addresses the mental health of students through spring training leadership sessions. During these sessions, students meet in groups, large and small, to discuss and evaluate the band’s mental health plan and identify areas needing improvement before each season. By meeting in small student-led groups, ideas can be discussed freely without directors present. Later, these ideas or concerns are brought to directors to enact a plan of action.
The band also has several student committees that assist the directors’ vision of the band’s health plan including the Health and Wellness Committee; Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee; Recruitment and Outreach Committee; Movement Committee, and others. These committees give a sense of ownership to the entire band.

New members of the band are introduced to returning members as soon as possible, often in the spring during music events hosted on campus, such as state music assessments. M2 members are instructed to go to the events of their new members to meet and support them in their performances. Meeting them and showing that level of support has been a valuable strategy to decrease new member mental stress during the transition to college.

Throughout the season, a “Resource of the Day” is frequently shared during rehearsals. These 30-second presentations share information about the range of mental health and campus health resources available to students. Often, representatives from those resources are present after rehearsals for student engagement. These tools are also shared on the band’s social media accounts. Additionally, the year 2024 marks M2’s 4th annual mental health day where the band dedicates an entire class period for students to focus on mental health and complete self-care activities. During this day, students are also given help to connect with campus health resources as needed.

Finally, students are given outlets and latitude to contribute new and creative ideas that can improve the band’s physical and mental health. In M2, such ideas have led to summer cardio contests tracked via phone apps, general marching health, advance distribution of rehearsal plans, and shared mental health and physical fitness videos from YouTube.

Jason Cumberledge
Director of Athletic Bands
University of Louisville
Schools should be prepared to address the continued mental health impacts of the recent pandemic. Band directors must be familiar with school and local resources for students’ good physical and mental health.

The Cardinal Marching Band assists students by prioritizing mental and physical health-related services and resources to support academic success. However, I do ask that students take ownership of their health because band directors are typically not mental health experts. This year we have added a Health and Wellness Committee as part of the student leadership team. Recently, we founded a health and wellness committee in our marching band. A draft of the committee’s mission statement is:

The Health and Wellness committee acts as an advisory role to the directors and teaching assistants of the Cardinal Marching Band. We strive to bring attention to health and wellness concerns by informing members on preventative measures and provide resources that will benefit and assist in this process. We will organize events that cater to these subjects and take in feedback from the community on improving this process in order to accommodate, inform, and give back to the band for their time and personal sacrifices that help the band be successful.

As the director, I maintain open lines of communication and an open-door policy. Open communication may not produce monumental conversations, but it is important for students to have directors who care about them. Remind students that this area of communication is a judgment free zone. In a study focused on best practices for students’ mental health, Jääskeläinen et al. (2023) recommended that students receive opportunities for orientation to academic studies, school counseling, encouragement of feedback, and stress and time management skills.

* * *

I would like to thank each director who contributed to this article. Often, we can gain the most by discussion with colleagues, and serving on a panel discussion with the outstanding and accomplished directors above is no exception. Clearly, many of these suggestions can generally be provided by the front offices at schools, but directors can implement these concepts in our programs as well, particularly in welcoming feedback on band operations so mental health remains a priority and is established in all facets of the organization. While these collected ideas are presented in the context of college marching, many of them can be instituted in marching band programs of all levels.

* * *

Band photos courtesy of Temple University

Interested readers are invited to continue discussions about students’ mental health via email:

Jason Cumberledge: cumberledge@gocards.com
Justin Stolarik: justin.stolarik@stonybrook.edu
Matthew Brunner: matt.brunner@temple.edu
Tremon Kizer: tkizer@ucf.edu
Amy M. Knopps: knoppsa@missouri.edu

References
Copeland, W.E., McGinnis, E., Bai, Y., Adams, Z., Nardone, H., Devadanam, V., … & Hudziak, J.J. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health and wellness. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 60(1), 134–141.

Jääskeläinen, T., López-Íñiguez, G., & Phillips, M. (2023). Music students’ experienced workload in higher education: A systematic review and recommendations for good practice. Musicae Scientiae, 27(3), 541–567.

Payne, P.D. (2023). Music education majors and mental health: A follow-up study. Research and Issues in Music Education, 17(1), 1–50.

Stewart, J.L. (2005). Factors related to students’ decisions to continue in band. Contributions to Music Education, 32(1), 59–74.

The post Safeguarding Mental Health A Marching Rountable appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Aaron Copland is a 79-year-old whirlwind who has not only composed some of our modern American masterpieces but has also worked feverishly at dismantling the barrier between the composer and the audience by lecturing, teaching, organizing festivals, and writing books.
He is highly regarded as a composer who ingeniously combines various elements of native American musical forms into large works. His music not only borrows from, but delights in using jazz and blues motives, fiddle tunes, square dances, Mexican folk songs, revivalist hymns – anything representative of our culture. He has a particular genius for using all of these influences without sounding cliched. The respect accorded him has been based on his refusal to be stuck in one category and his charm is seen in the enthusiasm and joy he brings to his work.

When we asked Aaron Copland about the composing process, he told us that you go about writing the music by getting musical ideas that seem full of possibilities for development.” He added enthusiastically, “You might get a music idea and think ‘This is pretty, but what am I going to do with it? It doesn’t seem to suggest any particular use.’ But an idea that seems to have within itself the possibility for development, for being combined with other ideas – it’s these nuggets of expressivity that you hold onto for dear life – you write them down immediately so that you won’t forget them.

Now, I compose at the piano. People used to think it was rather shameful for a composer to admit that he used an instrument to write his music. But one day Stravinsky said he always wrote at the piano, then it became ok.

“Unfortunately, a young person just starting to compose is liable to be mixed up by this. He thinks that all you have to do is go to a piano and by chance you put your hand down on a chord and it’s the right sound. But it doesn’t work like that. Composing music doesn’t happen just by chance; something is guiding those ten fingers of yours. But of course, a musical idea is just a musical idea. You’re not a real composer if you don’t know what to do with it. So even though you may use an instrument when you write, that doesn’t solve your problem of how to write a piece of music.

“I suppose the formal structure of a piece of absolute music (music that has no story) is one of the most challenging things that the human mind can battle. How the devil does a piece start with a few notes here, and half an hour later, end over there? How do you get all of those notes so that they have a logical flow: that they are focused around a subject; and that they make sense together?

“That’s very mysterious indeed. All of the counterpoint exercises you do and rhythmic studies and so forth will be a help, but they will not solve that final problem of putting a piece together from beginning to end. Even a simple piece has to make sense.

“However you write it, the end product is always the result of a considerable amount of inspiration, calculation, and knowledge, as well as things you were taught, things you remember, and things you have experienced when you’ve listened to music. An enormous amount of background material is there for everything you create.

“The experience of hearing one of your works performed in public is important. The piece that you play to yourself at home in your studio is one thing, but to sit and hear it with an audience – that’s different. The piece doesn’t sound the same as it does at home. Those long parts that you thought were maybe too long will get their real test when they are played before an audience.

“Composers must be able to think about their music as if it were written by someone else. That’s not so easy to do. Many composers fall in love with their own work and lose all sense of objectivity. It’s very valuable to get away from what you’re doing and for a while and forget it. Then when you come back you can think about it freshly. That’s extremely important. I know there are great composers who have to write an entire piece all at one time with wild inspiration, or they can’t compose at all. But I’m the other type. I need to get away from it, because the music always seems different when you come back.

A poet once wrote: ‘Two dangers never cease threatening the world. One is order, and the other is disorder.’ You must indicate spontaneity, but in the writing, the composing of the music, you have to hang on to control. The whole creative act is almost symbolized in that sense of not being in control, and yet being in control. If you control yourself too much, you never get those bright ideas that come from uncontrolling yourself.”

The post Copland on Composing appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

While working on this first issue of the school year, a question kept popping up. What experiences inspire people to pursue a career in music education? Certainly, some young musicians achieve quick success on an instrument and know early on that they want to teach. For others, the musical journey is harder, and that struggle can make them even better future teachers. Everyone who eventually ends up on the podium has a first memory of leading an ensemble. As this issue developed, I informally started exploring that moment when the excitement of directing a band outweighed the initial fears.

When interviewing high school director Erin Althen, I asked about the first time she ever held a baton. She remembered immediately. Her high school band director, Tom Johnston, found Erin in the band room during her sophomore year and handed her a stack of scores. He wanted her to cover a rehearsal for him. As she led the symphonic band through the music, “I fell in love with teaching music on the spot.” A short time later, while rocking out on her flute with an arrangement Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick, she casually announced to Mr. Johnston that she was headed toward a career teaching music.

I also worked with composer and conductor Mark Camphouse on his article where he proposes the creation of a professional, full-time, non-military wind band to elevate the stature of bands in North America and beyond. Because of his passion for music and his 44 years of college teaching, I felt confident that he would have a memory of his early conducting. He shared two.

Mark Camphouse:
I recall first picking up a baton in front of an ensemble during my freshman year of high school. As a brass player (trumpet) I took the initiative of putting together a 15-member student brass-percussion ensemble comprised of my friends from the school concert band to read new and standard works for that medium, including some of my own compositions. I organized the players, chose the music, formulated the rehearsal schedules, did all room set-ups, and conducted the rehearsals. I found my trumpet performance skills, solid piano background, and doing much listening to classical music proved to be very helpful. It was my first taste of having the pleasure, privilege, and responsibility for providing organizational and musical leadership. It was truly exhilarating!

My first performance experience as a conductor-composer occurred in July 1969 on the campus of the University of Illinois during their excellent Illinois Summer Youth Music (ISYM) camp. My high school band director had apparently alerted ISYM faculty that I was a budding composer and conductor. They asked me if I might like to conduct one or two of my brass-percussion ensemble pieces on an outdoor concert. What a great opportunity! I immediately and with great appreciation said yes.

The ensemble I conducted (two 30-minute rehearsals and the performance) was comprised of U. of I. Faculty and music education students who were serving as camp counselors. It was a fine group, and the performance was received enthusiastically by the audience of several hundred ISYM camp students, faculty, and staff. I remain very grateful for that important, memorable, and enriching first performance experience as a very young and very inexperienced composer-conductor.

The final article completed for this issue depicts a memorable, months-long journey for four student composers at Washingtonville High School in New York that ended with a triumphant final concert. Directors Ari Contzius and Nikki Redeker monitored and guided student progress throughout the project but allowed the students to reach their own musical decisions. When the time arrived to rehearse and refine the compositions, students led rehearsals for eight weeks, while their directors observed remarkable growth from everyone in the room.

One student composer, Andrew Dahlstrom, recalled his early jitters on the podium. “At first it was incredibly nerve-racking and definitely harder than it looked. After some time, however, I realized that it was really just making music with my friends and peers, and it got a lot easier after that.”
Flutist Brady Crowe, a band member, noted the secret to success for the student conductors. “What really allowed our ensemble to pull this off would have to be the atmosphere of our band room. We’re all friends in that room, we clap after solos, encourage one another during rehearsals, and, most importantly, have each other’s backs.” Three of the students who composed works have begun music school with plans to teach. A fourth expects to do the same after graduating from high school next spring.

I hope to talk with more directors about their early conducting experiences. As you move through this new school year, remember the students who do not sit first chair or speak the loudest but might gain the most from a chance to conduct. There may not be time to let every student conduct, but what could happen if you made the time? Have a great year!

– James M. Rohner, Publisher

The post Moments That Matter appeared first on The Instrumentalist.