Discipline
    Legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry once said that the job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be. It has always amazed me how often students want to accomplish great things but at the same time take so much prodding to succeed. I think directors sometimes get overly frustrated by this; it would be much easier just to accept it as part of our job description.
    I had a freshman student once who was giving me so much trouble that I wanted to kick him out, but he never missed a practice or performance. The only thing that really held me back from removing him was the belief that he was there for some reason; he certainly could have quit at anytime, and I wouldn’t have begged him to stay in. For all of the headbutting that went on, I wasn’t sure why in the world he wanted to stay, but by his junior year, he was one of my best band members. The successful director is one who fights through student apathy, real or imagined.

Dedication
    How do you convince students to be dedicated? First, they have to see that the director is dedicated. Second, the director must convince them of what it takes to succeed. Third, students must understand that any dedication to success involves sacrificing instant gratification for long-term achievement. Finally, directors and students must learn to appreciate whatever steps and processes – both physically and mentally – lead to better performance.

Energy
    Before concert contest each year I tell my band students that the one comment I want to see on the judges’ score sheets is that our performance had great energy. The judges may find fault in other aspects of our performance, but they should never find us performing listlessly. Accordingly, conducting must have energy conveyed in the face and in body language. However, the director should avoid over-conducting, flailing like a hyperactive, inebriated goose.

Expectations
    Students can rise above the expectations of band directors, but this is an exception, not the rule. The longer I teach, the greater the danger of believing I can peg a student’s ultimate level of success right off the bat, particularly if he is struggling. I have to fight to keep my snap judgments in check with every new beginning class that I teach. This is because expectations can affect performance, either positively or negatively, depending on whether the teacher’s expectations are low or high for a particular student. The director’s different manner of communicating with musicians of differing ability will indicate to them his view of their competence. This will affect their musical self-concept and motivation, both of which will impact performance.
    Legendary basketball coach John Wooden defined success as “peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” Not every band student possesses limitless talent, and maybe not even much talent at all, but directors should help them achieve Wooden’s definition of success by helping them determine what their best really is. As Wooden’s numerous national championships attest, the rest will take care of itself.

Excuses
    Excuse-makers never improve. They see themselves as victims of their environment with seemingly no control over their circumstances. What is our most common excuse for lack of success? I suppose it may be blaming the students, their parents, or perhaps our administration. In many cases, those concerns may be warranted to some degree. However, I’ve always believed that if someone in a very similar or worse situation than mine (and there are many) could achieve great success, then I should put no limits on my situation.
    Some years I have wished that there was some way I could observe someone considered to be a great teacher deal with the same exact problematic students I have for an extended period of time (say four years) and see what happens. What would John Philip Sousa do with these kids? William Revelli?  Toscanini? Would the director survive? Would the students?

Failure
    On the other end of the spectrum from excuse-making is taking too much blame and letting failure rule. History is replete with great successes who faced major obstacles to success and faced failure before eventually experiencing ultimate success, including Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Simon Cowell, Steven Spielberg, Jay-Z, Bill Gates, and Albert Einstein. Take the time to read their stories sometime. The true failures are those who give up.

Goals
    Setting goals is important; the most successful people in the world are goal setters. However, it is important not to set goals over which one has no control. For example, a student should not set the goal of being first chair all-state because it is impossible to control how other students play or exactly how the judges will judge. It would be much better to focus goals on specific and achievable ways to improve. Having goals of this type will help to sustain their efforts and allow them to evaluate their progress on a regular basis.
    The same is true in a larger context. Instead of having the goal of placing in the top five of a marching contest, set and prioritize smaller goals over which the group has complete control and teach to that end.

Honesty
    Credibility is one of the director’s most important assets. When dealing with students it is tempting to act like we know everything. Who are we kidding? How can we be perceived as a life-long learner if we already know it all? One of the most fascinating aspects of music is its undiscoverability. We should unmask its secrets with our students, not just impart what we know. We lose credibility if we act all-knowing because the students know better.
    I am convinced that we lie to ourselves more than anyone else. This usually comes in the form of rationalization. In examining the progress of a band program, self-honesty is the only way to successfully evaluate a program and make appropriate changes.

Intimidation
    One of the better things that has happened in the last forty years or so is the slow extinction of the old-school brand of coach and band director who throws tantrums, screams, and berates. Students and parents will rarely put up with that kind of treatment anymore. The bad news is that kids and parents have swung way too far the other way, wearing hearts prominently on their sleeves. Because of this, I do coach students on the importance of having a thick skin, particularly during marching season when there are so many times when students can be corrected individually. I tell them that unless we say something like, “Hey, you’re a step off you big moron!” (and we wouldn’t), they shouldn’t take a correction personally.
    Young teachers can be intimidated by students, afraid to enforce rules that may cause the students not to like them. Remember, you are their director, not their buddy.

The post Characteristics of Success appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Often percussionists play timpani just like every other percussion instrument, meaning they use the same technique and grip without putting much thought into how to play the instrument properly. Timpani is a transitional instrument between the percussion section and the rest of the ensemble. A good timpanist should think like a percussionist and a conductor because they both help lead the ensemble. Timpanists should know where their part fits into whatever the ensemble is playing.
    Ultimately the goal of any musician is to create a great sound, and technique is a tool to create that sound. If percussionists become more aware of the way they play their instruments, they are more likely to perform at a high level. In this article I will explain how to use each of the three main timpani grips to produce a legato stroke. These grips and approaches  are just a few of the factors in becoming a great timpanist.

The Fulcrum
    The main part of any grip, the fulcrum, is important for all struck percussion instruments. The fulcrum is the part of the stick or mallet that pivots while playing. Where exactly the fulcrum lies on the mallet varies based on mallet size and weight and hand size. Most players place their fulcrum so that the entire hand can wrap around the mallet with about half an inch to one inch of the mallet sticking out behind their hand. Students with smaller hands may choke up to maintain a solid grip. As far as the position in the hand, the fulcrum is between the thumb and index finger. The thumbs should be flush with the mallet so that the nail is pointing to the tip and the first joint of the index finger should be on the shaft. The thumb will be straight and the index finger will curve slightly around the mallet as seen below.

    It is important to have as little tension in the body as possible while playing. With the fulcrum there should be a firm but relaxed grip on the mallet. If the grip is too loose the mallet can fly out of the player’s hand after striking the drum. If it is too tight then the mallet will not rebound properly and the sound will be poor. This can also cause physical problems with the wrists and arms. If the student is holding the mallet too tight then their skin will turn red or white. It is preferable to have a grip that is more on the relaxed side than too tight.

The Back Fingers
    The back three fingers will wrap around the mallet but not grip it; if they hold the mallet too tightly, there is no room for the mallet to breathe and it cannot rebound correctly. These fingers can be used for playing rolls with certain techniques and also control the rebound to make sure the mallet does not bounce back uncontrollably. A common mistake is having the back fingers too far away from the mallet, as shown below. If the mallet is held this way, it becomes much harder to control the rebound and will prevent the player from getting a full resonant sound.

The Grips
    The three types of timpani grips are German, French, and American. These are by no means exclusive to the countries for which they are named; these are just the names that percussionists have associated with them. Each of these grips also has a nickname, which usually makes them easier to identify. The terms for these are also used for other percussion instruments but most commonly associated with timpani.

German
    The German grip is  also known as matched grip or snare drum grip because it looks and acts similarly to the grip commonly used for snare drum. While holding the mallets the back of the hands should face up with the thumbs facing inward towards each other. The mallets should produce about a 90-degree angle in front of the player. The player’s arms should be at a comfortable place over the drum, neither too high where the shoulders are lifted nor too low where they have to reach to strike the drum.

    The stroke used for timpani is called the piston stroke. To produce this properly, the mallet starts in the upward position, travels down to strike the drum, and then rebounds back up to where it began. All of this occurs with one smooth motion, not two individual ones. This is one of the big differences between using this grip on snare drum and using it on timpani. Timpani students will frequently force the mallet down into the head, which keeps the mallet against the head for too long. The mallet should lift out of the drum because the longer the mallet is on the head, the less it will resonate. It is imperative to use wrist with this stroke because using arm and shoulder motion prevents the mallet from rebounding and produces a dead sounding tone.
    Many teachers choose not to teach German grip to younger students, who may try to play the timpani like a snare drum. Other teachers prefer starting here because students are usually more comfortable with this grip. Young percussionists often play snare drum and mallet percussion long before trying timpani, so keeping a consistent grip can be beneficial so they do not have to learn a completely new technique.
    The German grip is more aggressive than the others and produces a darker tone. It can be a good grip to use for very articulate passages or when playing rolls to produce a smooth and even sound. The single stroke rolls used for mallet playing are also used, so it is possible to use the same idea when rolling on timpani. If employed properly this technique can produce a great sound, but it can be a hard grip to control, especially at first.

French
    The French grip is nicknamed the thumbs-up grip. With this technique the fulcrum is in the same place as before, but the hands will be rotated so the thumbs will face up rather than towards each other. A good way to think about it is to put your arms out as if shaking someone’s hand while holding a mallet. The position of the hands will also differ from that of the German grip. Instead of a 90-degree angle with the mallets, they will produce approximately a 20- to 30-degree angle, which causes the elbows to move away from the body.

    While producing this stroke there will be less wrist motion and more of a rotation with the arms. It is still important to let the mallet rebound and lift it away from the drum. Start with the mallets straight up, parallel to the body, then let them drop towards the drum and lift them back. Do not lift the mallet back before dropping it because that will change the tone; simply let gravity take over. One way to approach this is to start and end the stroke at the same place, parallel with the body. Use the thumbs to help lead the mallet down so that it will go straight down and straight back up.
    A great stretch to go with this grip is the prayer stretch. To do this stretch place the palms of both hands together directly in front of the chest with the fingers facing up. This stretch causes the elbows to point out. Next, rotate the wrists so that the fingers move forward, and then bring them back to where they started. This will not only stretch the arms and wrist, but it is the same motion used when producing the stroke.
    The French grip produces a brighter tone and makes it easier to play legato and let the mallets rebound. When crossing the mallets, this technique can  help avoid hitting them together. Initially this grip will feel quite uncomfortable. It is not a grip that players will be used to, so it is common to get some negative response when first teaching it. After it becomes more familiar, the negativity will usually disappear. I teach this technique first because playing timpani is quite different from playing any other percussion instrument. The mentality is different, so I use a different grip to make sure that students will approach the instrument in a different way.

American
    The last grip is most commonly referred to as the American grip. One reason why some people teach this grip is because it can help ease a player into eventually using French grip. They will start them with American grip and slowly make the transition to the French grip.
    This grip is fairly ambiguous, and there is little literature about it. Few percussionists over the last century have even heard of the term, but many have used the grip in some fashion. Some players develop this grip out of habit. It can be a natural and comfortable choice because it tends to lie well in the hands. However, students who come into the habit of using this comfortable grip may without training may become lazy and stop listening to the sound created.

    The fulcrum is exactly the same as the other grips, but the thumbs are not straight up or facing each other; they are in the middle of the two. The angle of the mallets can be anywhere between 90 and 20 degrees. Because the stroke is a mix of the other grips, players should use both wrist and arm rotation to get good sound out of the drums. Many players who use this stroke use more arm than they would with the other strokes; that motion is similar to the Moeller stroke, where the arms use a whip like motion. It starts with the shoulders and moves through the arm and into the mallet. Other players still use a piston stroke to get a full, resonant sound. The angle of the hands can make it difficult to move the mallets straight up and down, so timpanists taking this approach should pay careful attention to the stroke. If the mallet comes down at an angle, it will produce a thin, undesirable tone.
    In the 20th and 21st centuries there has been a major rise in the number of approaches to timpani technique. Many timpanists experiment with various ways of playing and do not use one grip exclusively. Sometimes it can be beneficial to use more than one grip if needed. It is best to start students on one grip and once they mature, have them try to experiment with the other grips. The most important aspect to focus on is the sound that is created. Skill with various techniques is a helpful, but the tone and touch of the instrument matters the most.

The post 3 Timpani Grips appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

The Basic Position
    In playing the cello the joints of the thumbs of both hands should be bent outward, not squished in. Some teachers refer to this as a bumpy thumb.

    When the thumb is bent inward, it is designed to grab onto something like a hammer. It maximizes the grip and enables power and strength from the arm to manipulate a tool. However, in playing the cello, that kind of force is unneeded – in fact, we need to reduce tension and facilitate the flexibility of the thumb and fingers. A simple test can show the difference between when the thumb is round (bent outward) and when it is straight (bent inward). If you hold your left hand in your right hand with the thumb bent inward, you can squeeze hard and apply pressure. However, if the thumb is curved, you cannot squeeze as hard, which is desirable in playing the cello with both the left hand (for fingering) and the right hand (for bowing).  When the thumb is kept round and bent out, we can access the fine motor skills that are necessary for subtle nuances in playing. When the thumb is bent inward, it is inflexible and leads to grabbing the bow, excess tension, and a lack of flexibility. This should be avoided.

The Remarkable Thumb
    It turns out that the thumb has more nerve connections to the brain than any other part of the body – except for the tongue. I find this fact interesting because it is these things that separate humankind from the animals: humans have the ability to speak (tongue) and the ability to use tools (thumb). The prehensile, opposable thumb is not only useful for holding things and using tools, but it also is amazingly sensitive and dexterous.

Position of the Thumb
    The thumb should be positioned across from or behind the middle finger on both hands.

    Although some cellists advocate the thumb connecting with the ring finger on the bow, I think it is preferable to use bilateral symmetry with the same thumb-middle finger relationship in both hands, so that one side of the body is similar to the other side.
    It is especially important for the left hand thumb to be under the middle finger in extensions. One major problem for many young cellists is that they do not release the thumb before making forward extensions. As a result, when these extensions are made, the hand position becomes distorted, tension increases, and intonation suffers. To avoid this, the thumb should release before making the extension and then move with the middle (second) finger during the extension.
    Although it is sometimes difficult for students to train the thumb to use the optimal configuration, it is important for teachers to help them get it right. That means being vigilant, determined, and also creative about how to build good habits. One trick I have found useful is to put scotch tape on the inside of the thumb once it is correctly bent. If the student then feels the tape pulling and stretching, that means the thumb is starting to straighten out, which it should not do, and like Pavlov’s dog they will become conditioned to make the changes.
    Students also may be confused about where to place the left hand thumb in neck positions when playing on different strings. I instruct students that as they play on the C string, the thumb should be under the A string; when playing on the A string, the thumb should be under the C string. Thus, the entire arm should move upward when going from the A string to the C string, and the thumb should move around the back of the neck as the player moves across the strings so the whole mechanism works together as a unit.

The Thumb in Thumb Position
    The left hand thumb should be well organized in the neck positions before a young cellist starts playing in thumb position – where the thumb is placed on the fingerboard. In thumb position the joints of the left thumb should be the opposite from what was previously described. The joint of the distal phalange (the part of the finger with the nail) should be bent inward, and the joint at the base of the thumb should poke out. I call these joint positions the inny and the outy.

    This configuration adds strength and stability to thumb position, and it also prevents the thumb from wobbling as it moves up and down the fingerboard. In establishing the basic thumb position – which creates an octave between the thumb and third finger across two strings (and a perfect fourth on one string) – the knuckles should not be squashed down, and the hand should form a C-shape between the thumb and the first finger as you look down the fingerboard.
    There is some disagreement among professional cellists as to whether the thumb should be on one string or across two strings in thumb position. My view is that young students should first learn how to create a stable thumb across two strings in the octave position. Then, in passages in which the second string is not used, students can learn to play in thumb position with the thumb on just one string, which may help to reduce tension. However, passages that require thumb position often employ octaves and double-stops, and in those situations, it is best to have the thumb placed across both strings.

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    The tuba is an essential part of the band sound, but selecting, training, and retaining good tuba players can be exceedingly difficult. The following ideas will help to ensure that tubists have the best possible start to their musical endeavors while laying the groundwork for continued development and success.

Selling Students on the Tuba
    The tuba can be a hard sell during instrument selection. While initial play-testing of instruments will help identify students with the requisite physical makeup for tuba playing, if those students also show promise on other instruments, it might be difficult to overcome negative impressions and stereotypes and convince them to choose the tuba. The same problem exists when students start on another brass instruments and are later asked to switch to tuba; selling those students on the idea of switching can be difficult, and exhortations about the importance of the tuba sound might ring hollow.
    One step to overcoming these difficulties is to have recordings of fine tuba players on hand or to direct students to streaming services that have such recordings available. Recordings by great tubists like Gene Pokorny, Jim Self, Roger Bobo, and David Zerkel can go a long way toward convincing students that the tuba is a worthy instrument that possesses a beautiful sound in skilled hands. Continue to use such recordings as models for students to emulate as they develop.

Choosing Instruments
    Even the best recordings might fail to persuade students to choose the tuba if available instruments are difficult to manage or in disrepair. At one time it was not uncommon for beginning tubists to be placed on the Eb tuba, a practice that I wish could be resumed. These smaller and shorter instruments were in some respects easier for young players to manage than the BBb tuba.
    Still, manufacturers do include small-sized BBb tubas in their catalogs, and these should be used if at all possible. Instruments such as the Yamaha YBB-105, King 1135, and Jupiter 378 are designed with younger students in mind; they have narrower bores and smaller dimensions that help students to hold and play the instrument more easily. If purchasing smaller instruments for beginners is not possible, tuba stands can help students to manage the larger instruments. Regardless of the age of instruments available for beginners’ use, keeping the instruments clean and in good working order will help students to play better and feel more enthusiastic about switching.

Choosing Mouthpieces
    One of the most common – and unnecessary – difficulties I observe with young tubists stems from the use of inappropriately large mouthpieces. The Conn Helleberg is a very common choice, and while it is a fine mouthpiece for older, more developed players, it is on the larger end of available tuba mouthpieces and can be difficult for beginning students to play. If the Helleberg style is desired the Schilke Helleberg is a good bit smaller and thus more manageable, and the Conn Helleberg 7B lies between the two extremes. The Bach 25 and Wick 4 are smaller than any of these; while these may not be good choices for older students, something that small might be helpful to new tubists just getting their feet wet. Some confusion regarding tuba mouthpieces is understandable, as sizing and labeling of mouthpieces from different manufacturers lacks the standardization found among trumpet and trombone mouthpieces.

Breathing
    The development of adequate breathing is important for all wind players but is especially so for tubists.   Hopefully you are already having the entire band perform breathing exercises, such as those found in The Breathing Gym by Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan, on a regular basis. Such exercises need not take a great deal of class time; even a couple of minutes of breathing exercises at the beginning of rehearsal will improve the entire band sound. For tuba players, these exercises are necessary to make great playing possible.
    Beyond breathing exercises, I recommend that beginning tubists be required to play phrases of no longer than two bars in 44 time. While having beginners on other instruments strive for four-bar phrases is usually appropriate, young tubists will likely be able to play these longer phrases only with a weak and uncharacteristic sound. Instead, encourage them to play out, and allow more frequent breaths. (Conversely, make sure that the tuba players are not breathing too frequently; some will breathe after every note if not corrected.)

Tone Quality
    Although this expression can become clichéd, the tubas do form the foundation of the band’s overall sound, and a full and robust tone should be encouraged at all times. As already mentioned, providing examples of great tuba playing and facilitating proper breath development and management will go a long way toward enabling students to achieve this sound. Furthermore, encourage students to fill the entire mouthpiece with buzz. The more lip surface vibrating inside the mouthpiece, the fuller and richer the resulting sound will be. Having students imitate a horse and then replicate that feeling inside the mouthpiece will give them an idea of how this should feel.
    Teachers must be vigilant to make sure tubists are playing with a full sound. While uncharacteristic sounds from higher-pitched instruments can be shrill and thus command immediate attention, a lacking tuba sound is usually mellow and difficult to notice.

Articulation
    Teaching young brass players to articulate properly should be kept as simple as possible. Having students say tah or perhaps too will produce the desired result in most cases, but with tubists, a more open vowel such as oh or aw will better facilitate the desired tone quality, particularly in the lower register. Additionally, a softer consonant (doh or daw) is often appropriate, as this removes from the attack a certain forcefulness that can destabilize the tubist’s already relaxed embouchure.

Music Selection
    While the band’s earliest music will likely consist of unison exercises and short pieces, as the repertoire advances a disparity quickly develops between the difficulty levels of parts for traditionally melodic instruments and those for the low brasses. Make an effort to find at least some music for the band that includes interesting and challenging tuba parts. This will help to emphasize and develop the concepts discussed, and might even improve retention of tuba players, who can be prone to quit band out of boredom. Encouraging private lessons and solo and chamber music is also helpful in this regard. While a little extra effort can be needed to provide them with healthy challenges, doing so will ensure that young tubists develop into engaged and capable musicians.    l

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    Teaching vibrato can be a daunting task, especially for someone who plays an instrument that does not use vibrato. It does not need to be. When starting a beginner, always play with vibrato, and as soon as you hear any hint of vibrato in the student’s playing, it is time to teach vibrato. Early signs of vibrato sometimes occur as early as the eighth or ninth week of lessons. Using the following instructions, teaching vibrato can happen in minutes; however, learning how to use vibrato artistically takes a lifetime.
    Vibrato is a small fluctuation of the pitch (going sharper and then flatter) produced by the breath. This happens in the vocal folds just where you swallow.
    Start by whistling silent staccato notes. There should be no movement in the abdomen or chest. Vibrato is slurring these whistled staccato notes together. Another option, one that uses the headjoint, is to play three breath attacks (no tongue) followed by a rest. A breath attack (no tongue) is the same as playing hah-hah-hah-rest staccato and very softly. If this exercise is done too loudly, the abdomen and chest will move. When vibrating, only the vocal folds move. Play hah-hah-hah-rest until the flutist can do so perfectly many times in a row. Then, slur the hahs.
    If a student is having difficulty pulsing, without the headjoint, try sh-sh-sh-rest staccato and pp. However, with the sh sound there may be a tendency to move the abdomen or chest, so remember to keep the dynamic at the pp level.

Headjoint Exercises
    Muscles learn in chunks of playing followed by a rest. Practice the following hah chunks first staccato and then followed by a slurred set. (MM=60-80.)

After a student is proficient in these patterns, then practice vibrato patterns with 02320 vibrato cycles per beat, 0234320 and 023454320 with the metronome. (MM=60-80.)

Good Things to Know

• In the high range, the vibrato speed is faster; in the low range, it is slower.
 
• When playing in a flute section (tutti), the vibrato should be less prominent than when playing a solo.

• A vibrato that is too fast and narrow on stage will sound like a straight sound in the audience, so think about imprinting the vibrato cycles.

• Vibrato starts at the beginning of the note. The vibrato cycle first goes to the sharp side of the pitch and then to the flat side. At the end of the phrase, leave the note while going toward the sharp side of the pitch.

• Artistic playing means varying the speed of the vibrato. Experiment with various speeds.

• When learning vibrato, use a beginning book or hymnal placing four vibratos per quarter. This is a good exercise to learn to subdivide the beat. In compound time, vibrato six pulsations to a dotted quarter note.
• Practice vibrato on a harmonic note. For example, finger a low D and overblow to the third partial, which will be an A. Practicing vibrato on a harmonic note (the A) has some built in resistance so that once the resistance is removed, the vibrato will flow more freely. Repeat on an Eb sounding a Bb, an E sounding a B, an F sounding a C, and so on. A harmonic note has some built in resistance, so once the resistance is removed, the vibrato will flow more freely.

• Color vibrato (a faster than usual cycle for tone coloring purposes) may be used on the first note of a slur, on any note with an accidental, on the note before a skip of an interval of a fourth or more, and on the highest/lowest note of the phrase.

• In modern usage, the vibrato is continuous. Practice scales with 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 vibrato cycles per pitch. Do not let the vibrato stop when you change notes.

• He-Haw. If the vibrato is continually too slow, place the vibrato forward as if saying he. Likewise if it is too fast, place the vibrato back as if saying haw.

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David Wyss
Lindbergh H.S. Jazz Ensemble
St. Louis, Missouri

Life Lessons from a Baseball Coach
    Baseball was a very important part of my life in high school, particularly pitching. During my freshman year tryouts, I blew out my arm and thought I would never be able to play again. My dad contacted a man by the name of Sterling Redfern, who was a businessman in his upper 60s, to help me recover and give me pitching lessons. I was hesitant, but I decided to give it a shot. He ended up being the greatest teacher I have ever had. I showed up once a week for five years, taking Mr. Redfern’s lessons home and doing every single thing he asked – religiously. He taught me the importance of a strong work ethic, dedication to a craft, persistence, and, above all, humbleness. The only compensation he ever asked for was that I did the work each week. There is no way I could ever repay him for all that he taught me about life. He earned my ultimate respect.   

Getting Ready for Midwest
    My goal going into the preparation period was to try to keep the semester as normal as possible leading up to Midwest. My message to students has been to remind them of all the hard work it took to get here and to trust our process of preparation.
    As we are preparing, I have found myself being much more efficient at time management. My teaching goals are now more focused and zeroed in than ever before, and the ensemble is more focused on reaching a new and better level as well.

Two Cornerstones of a Good Program
    I would definitely emphasize the importance of having some form of daily music experience during the student’s initial year, and ideally this will continue each year after that. Daily learning is where habits are formed, good or bad.
   The other thing that I recommend, which we have here at Lindbergh, is a strong vertical teaching approach. All of our band directors teach and get to know our students for the entire band experience – a total of seven years. This is invaluable at times of key student transition points, such as recruiting of beginners, as well as the transitions from beginning to second year and from eighth grade to high school. This structure is also important to our teaching curriculum. Our teachers know where the curriculum leaves off each year, and they can then pick it up from there. If I could set up an entire music program at a brand new school, these two items – daily music, vertical team teaching – would be my cornerstones.

Michael Link
McKinney Boyd High School
Honors Chamber Orchestra
McKinney, Texas

Wisdom from One Who Went Before
    The person who is responsible for why I am an orchestra director is my life-long friend and colleague, Bart Ghent, who was the director of bands at VanderCook College. Later Mr. Ghent was the Director of Bands at Louisiana Tech University, where I was assistant band director and percussion instructor. Bart made the transition from band to orchestra about 15 years ago here in Texas, and soon after that he gave me the chance to be the assistant orchestra director at his feeder middle school. I then went on to teach high school myself. From that point on Bart has always been my mentor and go-to person. We both had experience as band directors, so the challenge we faced was in learning how to transition those skills from band to orchestra.

Advice for Other Directors
    Do not limit yourself. If you are a band person, do not think you cannot also be a good orchestra director. If you are a good orchestra director, do not think you could never do anything with a wind band.

On Competition
    I would encourage directors to remember that music is not a competitive sport. Competition can be a motivator, but if it drives your entire program, then that isn’t a good balance. 

Alex Kaminsky
Buchholz H.S. Wind Symphony
Gainesville, Florida

Experience​ Teaches What Matters
    Having done this twice before, I knew that efficient rehearsing​ was key. Because we also present an annual Veterans Day Concert that involves all of our bands, it is especially important for me to have specific rehearsal plans and not waste a second of valuable rehearsal time.

A Firm Foundation
    Be sure the fundamentals are in place, both individually and as an ensemble, before attempting to re-hearse the concert music. In the end, the music comes together much more quick-ly after fundamentals are solid​. A firm grounding in fundamentals enables students to achieve a level of excellence in ensemble playing that will truly affect them in a profound way.

Covering All Grades
    I would emphasize the importance of a unified and progressive K-12 ​teaching model and approach. I believe there should be benchmarks for every grade level, which would make transitions from elementary to middle school, and especially from middle to high school, more sequential and seamless.

Fariga Drayton
Nipher Middle School Orchestra
Kirkwood, Missouri

Qualities Most Needed in a Director
    Pacing, patience, and persistence. You can’t have one of these without the other two.

Make the Most of Opportunities
    One tip I would give to teachers is to make your program your own. It does not matter what the program was like before you were hired. What matters now is what you will do with the opportunity.

David Puckett
Indian Springs M.S. Band
Keller, Texas

Traits of Inspiring Teachers
    My dad was in the United States Air Force, which allowed me to travel all over the world and have a wide variety of amazing teachers and directors growing up. I cannot possibly pick just one most inspiring teacher, but they all had common traits. They all were passionate about what they were doing; they were not afraid to show their human side; they had high expectations; and they loved to have fun. Not one of them let me settle for anything less than my best.
    After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I moved to Texas where I found further inspiration on my first visit to the Texas Music Educators Association Convention. It was a paradigm-shifting event for me when I heard students with less than two years of playing experience who were able to produce characteristic sounds and create wonderful musical moments. I was both inspired and overwhelmed by this, so I found mentors and colleagues to help me try to unlock the hidden potential in today’s classroom student. In working with my own students, I have always tried to live up to the standards my mentors have set for me.

More to Do than Rehearse
    I never stop being amazed at what young musicians can accomplish when they are given encouragement, support, high-quality instruction, clear expectations, and personal accountability. There are so many details to work out when preparing for a monumental trip like The Midwest Clinic, and many of these have absolutely nothing to do with making music! I keep saying, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, sleep is optional.”

Long-Term Planning
    Have a mentor so you never stop evolving and improving as an educator. My mentor told me, “Dream big, then chase your dream!” When I opened this school in 2001, I got to the end of the first year and set a goal to one day have a band worthy to perform at The Midwest Clinic, and thirteen years later, this goal has been met. Set high expectations and build healthy relationships with students to help them get there. Know how you want your students to sound and the skills they should have, then pour in some fun along their musical journey.

Amy Allison
Canyon Ridge M.S. Honor Band
Austin, Texas

Biggest Influence
    Fred J. Allen, director of bands at Stephen F. Austin State University, will always be one of my biggest influences. I was so lucky to learn from him. He has this amazing ability to teach not only a passion for music and band directing, but also how to be a wonderful human being and how to demonstrate that to your students. Mr. Allen cares so much about the young people he works with, even after they graduate. He also does a great job of preparing his students on how to be a good first-year teacher.
 

Seek Advice from Experienced Teachers
    I have learned that it is impossible to over-plan and that you should not be afraid to ask for help. Once school starts you basically have two jobs, so the more logistics you can take care of during the summer, the better. I also learned to seek out people who have taken ensembles to Midwest and ask them everything. I am lucky to have many band directors in my area who have done this before.
    I believe that if you stop trying to perfect your craft, then you have lost your drive and forgotten why you chose this profession in the first place. Therefore I always try to surround myself with people who I think teach better than I do and who will challenge me. I am always asking other teachers questions and trying to find out why they do what they do. I try to visit other bands to watch how other directors teach, and I bring in clinicians throughout the school year. I am not afraid of having other people critique my teaching, even in front of my students. I want my students to see that I am still learning, and I let them know that I will always still be learning.
    I also think staying humble is very important. No matter how good you are at what you do, or how good your band sounds, there will always be someone with wisdom who can teach you something.

The Role of Competition
    I sometimes wonder if we focus too much on competition and not enough on whether or not we are creating future supporters of music and fine arts. I believe competition is very important and can be a great measure to assess where you are in your teaching, but it should not be the only thing we focus on. There are more important questions. Are we creating future adults who will attend a symphony or local community band performance? Will they want their children to be in band or orchestra? Will I see my students performing in a community band one day?

Teren Shaffer
Orange County School of the Arts
Wind Ensemble
Santa Ana, California

The Benefits of Structure
    I have long been aware of this, but it has become more pronounced to me this year: students thrive in a structured rehearsal environment. I prepare daily rehearsal schedules and distribute them every two weeks or so. This helps to keeps everyone organized with their practicing, and it also clearly illustrates exactly how much time students have to prepare their music before a concert.
    For Midwest, we are preparing a long program with nine pieces of music. If we did not maintain an organized rehearsal schedule, we would undoubtedly run out of time. Students perform best when they are aware of expectations and the rehearsal sequence trajectory.

The Value of Singing
    Make your students sing often. I use singing in my wind ensemble rehearsals to work on phrasing, articulation, rhythm, and more. Students may be nervous and shy about singing at first, but the importance of singing cannot be overstated.

Smaller Groups and Individualized Instruction
    Private lessons and chamber music are very important. Smaller class sizes and individualized instruction make a tremendous difference. In a smaller environment (1:1 in lessons, and perhaps 5:1 in chamber music), there is nowhere for students to hide, and teachers have the ability to focus on the needs of individual students to a much greater degree. Chamber music also provides an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills. Working without a conductor also helps to develop communication skills, which is critical for young students.

Luis Piccinelli
Coral Springs M.S. Jazz Band
Coral Springs, Florida

Midwest Preparation Lessons
    I have learned several things in preparing for Midwest. The first is that raising money can be quite difficult and stressful. The process of raising money to go to Midwest has been more difficult than getting my band prepared to perform.
    I have also learned that an experience of this magnitude has turned my young middle school musicians into monster players. We had to rehearse through the summer, and the progress the students have made from late last year to now is incredible.
    Finally, I have learned the importance of having a strong group of band parents, as well as supportive administrators, in preparing for this trip. I am blessed to have great parents and administrators, so that helps during the difficult and stressful times.     

The post Midwest Clinic Preview: Thoughts from the Directors appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Chris Ozley
How did you get started composing?
    I grew up the son of a music minister and trombonist in the rural southeastern United States. I was always interested in music from early childhood, and my father, John Ozley Jr., helped me develop an eclectic taste in music. I remember listening to vinyl recordings of everything from the Beatles to Shostakovich on our old record player. I knew that I was infatuated with the sound of music and that I wanted to create my own. Before I ever studied music formally in school, I was writing pieces. I would come up with simple melodies and harmonies, and my father would dictate them onto manuscript. Then, he made suggestions about how I could improve upon them while also teaching me what I was actually doing. Later, during my senior year of high school, I took an AP music theory course with my band director, David Arvold. He gave me great encouragement to pursue music in college, and he saw that I had a talent for arranging and composing.

What is the best composing lesson you learned?
    The best lesson that I ever learned about composing is that music must communicate something. Early in my development as a composer I wrote music simply as an exercise, but learning to write music that elicits a meaningful response from an audience is part of what I now strive for as a composer.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
     The piece that I wrote for Midwest is entitled Beyond the Ridge. I wanted to write about entering a new phase in life. The work references the name of the school for which it was commissioned, Canyon Ridge Middle School in Austin, Texas. The title also speaks to the fact that this is the first time that this school has played at the Midwest Clinic. I wanted the title to have special significance for the students; it is meant to symbolize their journey as young musicians to a new place.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    I normally begin composing a new work at the piano by finding simple ideas that interest me. I improvise short motives until I find one that I want to work with in the piece. Then, I begin writing the work, often from the beginning. I tend to write intuitively without a lot of written preplanning although I do often have a shape and an approximate length of the piece in mind from the beginning. Since music is a temporal art form, I always conceive one sound leading to the next, and trust my intuition to help navigate through the process. After I have composed around a minute of music, the forms of my works tend to materialize based on the ideas I have chosen and their implications.

Who are your favorite composers?
    I am drawn to composers whose works have deep emotional agency and also have an exceptional level of craft. Bach and Beethoven are two of my favorites, but in terms of more current examples, John Corigliano and Christopher Rouse are two who I truly admire. Both composers are masters of communication, and I love their attention to compositional details. John Corigliano’s Second Symphony, for example, is full of subtle musical metaphors while also being exquisitely crafted.

What is a work of someone else’s that you think is underplayed?
    I love Barber’s First Symphony, although I have never heard it played live. I think it is an incredible piece in terms of its form and the meaning it communicates. The symphony is in one continuous movement which can be divided into four seamless parts and illustrates numerous compositional devices such as the passacaglia in the final portion of the work. There is a lot of strife in the piece and a conflict that comes to full fruition in the final moments when one hopes that the darkness will turn to light. You must listen to find out how it ends.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    I exercise. Running a few miles or going to the gym helps me gain perspective when I get stuck. The most futile action for me is to sit and mull over the details over and over again.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    Dave Matthews Band would be my choice here, but I do not think liking his music is embarrassing. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for 90s jam bands.

    Chris Ozley is a native of Augusta, Georgia. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Jacksonville State University in Alabama, where he studied percussion with Clint Gillespie and composition with Michael D’Ambrosio. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Music Composition degree from the University of Texas where he has studied with Donald Grantham, Dan Welcher, and Russell Pinkston. Chris has written and arranged numerous works across a broad spectrum of media. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Gary P. Gilroy
How did you get started composing?
    In the mid-1970s, I was lucky enough to attend a Catholic high school that offered three years of music theory. My high school band director Joe McCaskey taught the small classes, and he gave us a wonderful diet of theory, sight-singing, and ear-training. I completed my first orchestration project in his class, and I’ve been learning to write better with each and every project since.

What is the best composing lesson you learned?
    I have learned the great value of score study over many years of composing, arranging, and conducting. As a conductor, I am constantly studying and trying to learn the scores of other composers. Composers learn from studying the works of their colleagues, much like engineers and doctors, because music is collaborative. My compositions are a product of the eclectic catalog of ideas and concepts I have studied in other composers’ scores.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
    Indian Springs Middle School will be performing my Lament and Jig For Mickey as part of their program. I wrote the work in memory of my father, Michael R. Gilroy, who passed away in June of 2007. The composition pays tribute to my father’s Irish heritage in both a sorrowful and celebratory manner. My father was a strict man who had a no-nonsense attitude. I was one of eight children in my family, and we learned early on in life to respect our elders and do as we were told. I think I developed an instinct very similar to my dad’s in everything I did as a high school band director.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    While I don’t have a precise routine, I always spend time at the piano. Sometimes the ideas come so quickly I can work in a Sibelius file right away. Most often I sketch some things in a notebook before I start the process of specific orchestration. Anyone who knows my work understands the significance of the percussion section to me. I integrate the percussion section as I compose, but even after the majority of the work is complete, I go back and add interesting colors and challenges from the incredible pallette of percussion timbres and effects to give the entire section of players plenty of opportunities to play instruments and enhance the overall work.

Who are your favorite composers?
    In high school, I was fortunate to play percussion in the Lancaster (Pennsylvania) County Youth Symphony under the wonderful baton of Otis Kitchen, who exposed us to Igor Stravinsky and The Firebird Suite, among other great composers and their repertoire. Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky were the first composers I fell in love with as a result. Years as a bandsman and band conductor have endeared the works of James Barnes, Mark Camphouse, David R. Gillingham, and Timothy Mahr to me. All of these composers offer fresh ideas that keep the listener and performer completely engaged. Their music is unpredictable, interesting, and contemporary without being so far out there that the common audience member cannot relate. I find their music to be emotionally charged and quite captivating to listen to and study. The living composers of this group have also been very friendly and supportive to me as a conductor and composer. 

What is a work of someone else’s that you think is underplayed?
    I am not sure how popular it is in other parts of the world, but in my regional circles, I have only heard The Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol by Percy Aldridge Grainger performed once at the Midwest Clinic quite a few years back. This wonderful work is sublime. We are going to perform it on our next concert here at Fresno State with the wind orchestra, and my students are loving it.  

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    I constantly deal with deadlines for various commissions from band directors, organizations, and publishers. When I feel like I am out of ideas for the moment, I take a break from my studio to go out and do other things. Sometimes it is yard work or errands to run, but I never seem to stop singing through things in my head, constantly updating and editing these ideas. There have been times when I then have rushed back to my home office to write more things down. This time away from the keyboard and computer never fails to yield a nice development of ideas and plans with my compositions.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    I love the music of Ricky Skaggs. Bluegrass music in general is really a kick, full of energy and life. Although I am not a string player, the playing I hear on bluegrass tracks often sounds quite virtuosic, and I respect the fantastic sounds they make together. My son turned me on to the Punch Brothers, who are in the category of Newgrass. Their music is fresh and interesting, and extremely heartfelt. 

If you have had compositions premiered at the Midwest before, what is your most memorable premiere?
    George Hayden and RoAnn Romines of the Maryville (Tennessee) Intermediate School used some of my music for their Midwest Clinic audition recording, and they flew me in to work with their group as they prepared it. We became great friends, and when their band was accepted to perform as part of the 2007 Midwest Clinic, they commissioned me to compose Three Stars of Tennessee. Although I have had a good number of works performed at Midwest over the years, this was my only experience with a commission specifically for this fantastic convention. I’ll never forget the incredible sounds those little sixth graders made as they earned three standing ovations during the program. Throughout the process, George pushed me to challenge his students. The result was a three-movement, grade 4 work for concert band published by Wingert-Jones. I was a little embarrassed when I saw the published grade-level, worried that people might think ill of me for writing such a challenging work for sixth graders, but, if you were at the performance that year in Chicago, you know that they did a great job with everything they played that day. I was proud to be a small part of it.

    Gary P. Gilroy is Director of Bands and Director of the Bulldog Marching Band & Colorguard at Fresno State, where he has taught since 1993. Prior to this appointment he served for a decade as Director of Bands at Fred C. Beyer High School in Modesto, California where his band was awarded several national honors. Gilroy also was on the faculty at CSU-Stanislaus and a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon where he completed his doctorate in 1995. As an adjudicator for Drum Corps International, Music in the Parks, Youth in the Arts, and Bands of America he has served in 39 states and throughout Canada. He has been involved as a performer or instructor/arranger for many Drum and Bugle Corps, including the Santa Clara Vanguard, Valley Fever, and the Concord Blue Devils. He is also in demand as a guest conductor for many honor bands throughout California. He is president of Gary P. Gilroy Publications.

Randall Standridge
How did you get started composing?
    I taught myself to play piano at an early age. My brother received an electronic keyboard for Christmas one year; he was interested in it for a while, but he eventually tired of it. I started picking out simple songs by ear and eventually added chords and accompaniment over the next few years. Eventually, I had that moment that I like to think most composers have. I thought, “I can write my own music instead of just playing someone else’s.” So, I began writing.
    They were simple songs at first and eventually grew more complex. I was lucky to have two teachers in high school, Ron McHone and Michael Ferguson, who were very supportive of my interest. Upon entering college at Arkansas State University, I began taking composition lessons with Tom O’Connor and eventually earned a master’s degree from the same institution while studying with Tim Crist. The rest, as they say, is history.

What is the best composing lesson you learned?
    The best lesson I have ever learned about composition actually came out of the book On Writing by Stephen King. He discusses the practices and discipline that he uses to be a successful novelist. I absorbed it all. The best lesson is the need for self-discipline. He wrote every day because he wanted to be a serious novelist. So, I write music every day. Some days it is hard to find time, but I make it. This is my dream, my passion, and my ambition. If you’re going to be successful, you must make time for it.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
    Ruckus, being performed by Indian Springs Middle School from Keller, Texas and their conductor, David Puckett, was inspired by my love of loud, bombastic music. I have always loved asymmetric meters as well. There are sections where I use the wind ensemble as a giant drumset, experimenting with rhythmic layering. I hope it comes across as a fun, raucous work that still has musical substance and integrity. The commissioning organization, the Central Cass High School Band of Casselton, North Dakota, and their director, Darcy Brandenberg, also asked that it be loud and boisterous as it was commissioned in honor of Steve Lorentzen, their principal.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    The only routine I follow is to make sure that I compose every day. Other than that it varies. Sometimes I start at the piano, sometimes I start at the score, and sometimes I start with GarageBand. Some of my best ideas come to me when I am driving; in such a case, I usually activate my iPhone and start singing the ideas into it so I’m sure not to forget them. Every piece is unique, and you have to let it develop in its own way. I also spend a lot of time listening to the piece upon completion, and then I go back for edits, usually trying to cut out any extraneous material or unneeded ideas.

Who are your favorite composers?
    My favorite band composers currently are Eric Whitacre and John Mackey, both for similar reasons. When I listen to their music, it doesn’t sound like anything I have heard before, and that excites me. I love Whitacre’s use of harmony, and I think Mackey is a master at orchestration. In addition to these gentlemen, I am a big fan of Elliot Goldenthal, Philip Glass, David Maslanka, Bruno Coulais, and Danny Elfman. I enjoy cinematic, romantic music that transports me to another place. I think that movie music is one of the most underappreciated art forms in the academic circles of music. There is a definitive language and expressive quality to this music that appeals to me. All of the composers mentioned above make me think of and consider new colors and textures every time I hear their work.

What is a work of someone else’s that you think is underplayed?
    I think April by Aaron Perrine is extremely underplayed. It is one of the finest works written for young bands in the last 20 years. It is an amazing example of up-tempo lyricism and does not follow the stereotypical ABA format of most music composed for young musicians. While providing real substance, it also can be played by younger and smaller ensembles. I program it at every opportunity.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    I just keep writing. If that does not work, I study scores or listen to music to help ignite the creative spark. I don’t get writer’s block very often; I think it has to do with my approach to composition in general. I think that most writer’s block comes from the fear of writing bad music. There is a certain level of expectation by most composers, I think, that everything they write needs to be a masterpiece. While that is a nice ambition, I readily accept the fact that not everything I write will be good. I have written some really bad music in my time. However, my goal is to not let you hear any of it. For every piece I have had published, I have at least two more that will never leave my computer. You just keep writing and develop a sense of aesthetic for what is good and what is not.
    The worst case of writer’s block I ever had occurred in 2012 when my grandmother passed away. I found myself unable to write at all. I avoided my work station for months afterwards. Slowly, I began working on a piece in honor of her and my other grandparents, an arrangement of the hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It took me almost a whole year to write, and it slowly brought me back to the creative process.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    That would be a difficult one to answer, as I don’t find any music embarrassing. However, a few that some of my friends have told me I should be embarrassed about include Lady Gaga, Josh Grobin, polka music, They Might Be Giants, and several heavy metal bands. My tastes are very eclectic, and I find worth and value in anything I listen to.
 
If you have had compositions premiered at the Midwest before, what is your most memorable premiere?
    It was not a premiere, but one of the most memorable performances of my work occurred at the 2013 Midwest Clinic. The VanderCook Symphonic Band performed my work When the Spring Rain Begins to Fall. Shortly before the performance, I had an opportunity to speak with Charles Menghini, conductor of the ensemble. He said, “I hope you won’t be mad with what we have done to it.” This, of course, aroused my curiosity. The work in question used the trumpet for the primary melodic instrument for much of the piece. They stationed their trumpets around the performance hall and created an immersive, 3D effect with the melodic line being passed all around the space. It was absolutely magical.

    Randall Standridge received his Bachelor’s of Music Education from Arkansas State University. During this time, he studied composition with Tom O’Connor, before returning to Arkansas State University to earn his Master’s in Music Composition, studying with Tom O’Connor and Tim Crist. In 2001, he began his tenure as Director of Bands at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, Arkansas. He left this post in 2013 to pursue a career as a full-time composer and marching band editor for Grand Mesa Music Publishers.

Vince Oliver
How did you get started composing?
    I fell in love with film scores when I was in middle school with music by John Williams, Michael Kamen, Jerry Goldsmith, and James Horner. I would sit at the piano and listen to their scores and try to pick out as many melodies and harmonies as I could. Eventually I began composing my own music, emulating styles that I liked, or that I found exciting to explore.

What is the best composing lesson you learned?
    My sophomore year at the University of Southern California I studied composition with Erica Muhl; she was one of the last students of Nadia Boulanger’s and was trained with the Paris Conservatory’s notorious discipline when it comes to the craft of composition. In one of our composition classes, she handed out a piece of paper with four measures of an obscure impressionistic piano piece and told us to finish the piece. It needed to be thirty measures long and continue and develop material based off of the original four measures. My colleagues and I returned to the next class – each with a completely different version of the piece. Muhl then took our pieces and completely destroyed nearly all of them:

•  “You changed the motivic rhythm here – why? You have to develop a single idea for more than four or eight measures, especially if it’s rhythmic.”
•  “You used chromaticism here – there’s nothing harmonically in the four bars that would warrant this decision.”
  
•  “You used a tritone in the melody – there’s nothing with the pitch relationships given that would suggest this is okay.”
  

    It was then that I realized that there were actually rules to composition. Some people consider composition an art, while others would consider it more of a craft, but either way there are definitely considerations to be respected, and to merely improvise your way through the writing process won’t always and consistently lead to the most sophisticated or coherent outcome.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
    I have recently had some amazing opportunities and commissions for pieces or projects that juxtapose electronics with acoustic instruments. Michael Boitz requested a closing piece for the Saratoga String Symphony, so I tried to write a piece, titled Press, that would conceptually turn the string orchestra into a rock band.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    No, I usually have a sense of the feel or form of the piece before I start writing, but the actual writing process is different for different pieces. Sometimes I start at the piano, figuring out some harmonic and melodic cells that I would like to explore. Sometimes I hop on my computer and sequence some ideas. For Press I stepped away from the studio altogether and started with manuscript paper and pencil for several hours figuring out my system. My fear in developing a routine is that my pieces may all start to sound similar. Additionally, I get bored pretty quickly, and a standard composition routine would either make me sleepy or frustrated – neither of which for me is conducive to creativity.

Who are your favorite composers?
    Ravel was a master of orchestration, a revolutionary with his use of harmonies (which I still find interesting today), and he composed one of the most beautiful moments in the history of Western music. I’ve probably listened to the second movement of his Piano Concerto in G Major no fewer than 300 times, but it still elicits an emotional response from me every time I hear it. There have been many pieces throughout my life that I have felt emotional or intellectual connections with, but this particular piece, and this particular composer, have stuck with me throughout the years. Stravinsky is another favorite. There are few works by him that I do not love or find masterful in their construction and execution.
    I am completely in awe and enamored by many contemporary composers, but I have to acknowledge John Adams for changing my life. I heard The Chairman Dances live as a freshman in college and was exposed to sounds I hadn’t heard before. Over the years I continue to study and listen to most of his works. I have immense appreciation for his creative honesty, complexity, and sophistication.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    I take a nap. Usually when I know things aren’t going well with a piece I will get really tired.
Taking a nap or going for a walk usually gets me out of this space, and I am usually able to come back to the piece with a new perspective.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    I’m pretty proud of my eclectic taste in music, so it is tough for me to be embarrassed by anything on my iPod. I love bluegrass music (Nickel Creek, Chris Thile in particular), I like some country music (old and new), and I really like a lot of contemporary pop-artists and bands.

    Vince Oliver is the percussion director and composer-in-residence at Saratoga High School in California and endorsed by Innovative Percussion. While in high school, Oliver was introduced to percussion and immediately fell in love. He participated in drum corps – Santa Clara Vanguard, and Concord Blue Devils – and went on to major in Percussion Performance and Music Composition at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Oliver toured with the show, Blast! for two years throughout the U.S., Canada, and Japan. As a composer/arranger, Oliver has written for various ensembles throughout the world. He arranges for several marching bands across the United States and is the music arranger for the Yokohama Inspires Drum and Bugle Corps the electronics designer for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps.

Brian Beck
How did you get started composing?
    At age 7 my parents bought my older sister a piano that she never used, so it sat there for years. I loved playing with it, not on it because it was simply a toy to me. I was infatuated with how the black keys sounded, which I later discovered was the pentatonic scale. I played along with the tv shows of the time and picked up most songs by ear. Later, I found out that the piano seat had a secret door where my sister kept her piano music. I began studying notation and began writing my own melodies. Looking back, they were hilariously terrible: no barlines, stems and note heads not making any sense, handcrafted staves, etc.

What is the best composing lesson you learned?
    I am also a band director, which is my main impetus for composing. I try to engage every instrument, even euphonium. I have learned that every instrument has a tonal purpose – a color that makes it important to the ensemble. I look at the ensemble, think why that instrument is here, and try to create a significant part for each.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
    Sometimes it’s good simply to have fun and Fireball is just that. There is no moving backstory or sincere dedication. It is the musical equivalent of an ice cream sandwich, and who doesn’t love that? It’s loud, fast, and aggressive but still has many stylistic markings, dynamics, and moments of contrast to make it interesting for the performers and audience.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    It starts with a Dr. Pepper, a bowl of Doritos, and something good on tv. I sit with my laptop and start with a melody. If it sounds good, I keep it. If it doesn’t, I erase it. I think about what the performer would like to see on the page and write that.

Who are your favorite composers?
    Grieg, Ravel, and Dvorák. Grieg rarely wrote for large venues. He specialized in getting the most out of a small ensemble. No note was wasted. Ravel (as with most French composers) was the king of tone color. I love studying his scoring – especially keyboard, mallets, and percussion. Dvorák composed at his kitchen table and would often pause his creativity to play hide-and-seek with his children. Composing doesn’t need to be pretentious. It doesn’t require one to wear all black, strut around in leather pants during the summer, wear sunglasses indoors, have long flowing hair, and use big words. Write something that sounds cool, and people will play it.

What is a work of someone else’s that you think is underplayed?
    There is a gorgeous arrangement of Pavane pour une infante defunte by Ravel arranged by Robert W. Smith for young band. It is on the Texas Prescribed Music List (grade 2), and I rarely hear it. I believe it to be the most beautiful piece for that level I’ve heard in a long time.

What is one work that you wish would be retired from the repertoire?
    Pinnacle by Rob Grice (Gr. 2). I love most of Grice’s work, and that piece is really popular in Texas, but it is difficult to execute properly. The opening is engaging enough for directors to buy it and begin rehearsing, only to discover that the instrument ranges and tuning become much more difficult past the first page of the score. Having said that, any band that can play Pinnacle well is a great band.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    I sit at my keyboard and play, play, play, until something cool comes out. Most composers keep some sort of journal for their themes and ideas. I thumb through my old writings and see what develops in my mind.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    It’s a tie between “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot and the greatest hits of ABBA.

    Brian Beck serves as Director of Bands at Faubion Middle School in McKinney, Texas. Formerly, he was the conductor of Byrd Middle School’s Symphonic I Band in Duncanville, Texas. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Texas A&M University-Commerce and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Houston. Beck is very active in composing and arranging for both instrumental and vocal ensembles, many featured in TMEA Honor Band concerts, Midwest performances, Western International Band clinics, UIL state marching contests, compact disc recordings, and choral concerts. His works have been published/recorded by Southern Music Publications, Anthem Publications, Alfred Publishing, Mark Custom Records, and DPB Audio.

The post The Art of Composing, A Look at Composers Featured at the 2014 Midwest Clinic, Part 2. appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Eugene Migliaro Corporon is the conductor of the Wind Symphony and Regents Professor of Music at the University of North Texas. He is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach and Claremont Graduate University. Having recorded over 600 works, including many premieres and commissions, his groups have released 100 recordings on the Toshiba/EMI, Klavier, Mark, CAFUA, Donemus, Soundmark, GIA, Albany, Naxos, and Centaur labels.   

    Twenty years ago The Instrumentalist interviewed Eugene Migliaro Corporon to discuss aspects of creating music and sustaining rehearsal intensity. Today, we revisit with the clarinetist turned educator and conductor to see what has changed since the January 1994 interview and what remains the same.

How has your conducting evolved, and what do you feel are the most noteworthy conclusions about conducting that you have come to?
    Certain things that used to be extremely important to me seem to be less essential now. As important as it is to eliminate error, I work to spend more time helping my students understand the importance and value of making music. I strive to put the focus on the music and its impact rather than the music and its problems.
    In my situation, because of the players I get to work with, I am afforded the luxury of not constantly worrying about what is wrong with the music, but rather what is right with everything else. It is very different from when I first started 45 years ago. Because most of the people I work with are adult musicians and future professionals, my role is to help them figure it out for themselves. Whether they go into teaching or performance (or both), they will need to come up with their own answers as they progress in their careers. My job is to facilitate their independence.
    All of this has influenced my conducting style and my rehearsal approach. Instead of immediately offering a solution to a problem or requesting the musician to change their approach, I am now more collaborative. Some ways I achieve this are by addressing the ensemble with requests such as, “Before I give you my thoughts, how about telling me how you think it should go,” or “I would love to hear your opinion before I weigh in, so play it for me.” I recognize that getting students to think creatively and independently is a challenge, but this approach has proved successful.
    I am still a true believer in clarity, and I insist on being able to hear what I see in the score. I will not give up until we can get things in the right sonic order and everyone can hear what the composer has put on the page. I am lucky to have players who are not only patient with this method but who are also willing to step aside so others can be heard. I do a lot a work on articulations to achieve clarity – wind articulations are as important to us as bowings are to an orchestra. Until everyone has the same concept of which way the bow is going, or how notes are to be started, maintained, and completed, we cannot achieve clarity. Typically there are markings in the score provided by the composer that may need additional clarity by the conductor, and this takes time and patience.
    My rehearsals have also become more centered on ear mapping – what is important for us to bring out in the written music. You cannot play a piece if you don’t know how to listen to the piece. Like everybody else, there are times when I have to slow the tempo down so that we can figure out what is going on. Sometimes my reason for slowing things down is to give us time to hear a complex rapid passage – not necessarily to practice it but just to hear it. I frequently remind my players that there are three components that make up a successful process: practice, rehearsal, and performance. Great ensembles understand the difference and function of each. Nobody wants to be the one who turns a rehearsal into a practice, but if you run a passage over and over in rehearsal to help solve one player’s problem, then you have turned that rehearsal into a practice. It happens to all of us, but we should guard against it. Likewise, no one wants to turn a performance into a rehearsal. Building an understanding of the purpose and function of each of these elements can really help improve the music-making experience.
    As I have gotten older, I have been willing to take more chances by making minor changes to what is on the printed page. If the composer is living, and I can contact them about a clarification or change, I will. There are times that I stick my neck out and make a decision to achieve clarity. I feel the conductor has a responsibility to make certain decisions when they take on a piece because the notation is not always 100% reliable. Consequently, conductors are forced to be as informed as possible and act in the best interest of the composer.
    Finally, I believe connecting with the members of the ensemble is very important. We have players who have never seen a rotary dial telephone. Some students think you are kidding when you say that you saw your first television at the age of 8 and it was only in black and white. Exploring effective ways to communicate is always a challenge. I was recently explaining to a group of conductors that the conductor is actually a wireless router. When we broadcast the thoughts and feelings of the composer out to the musicians, we are using Wi-Fi technology. The ideas and feelings are invisible and traveling through the air. Probably the best Bluetooth tool we have is our baton. The group began to smile as they got the analogy. The baton (or hands for those who do not use a baton) is the instrument we use to connect the listeners and musicians to the composer. Making my concepts more viable to the latest generation of players is an ongoing challenge in our ever-changing society.

What advice would you give to a high school student wanting to major in music? To a new teacher?
    I would say first and foremost that if you don’t like listening to music, don’t be a music major. You must be listening frequently to music of serious artistic merit. Listen a lot and broadly. I find that many aspiring music majors have a substantial amount of talent but may never have heard a Brahms symphony or know who Paul Hindemith or Ingolf Dahl are. When I was a freshman in high school, I bought the NBC Symphony recordings to all nine Beethoven symphonies conducted by Toscanini. I also got the scores. I wore those recordings out, and I learned so much from following the score. I really think the best way to learn about music is to listen to music.
With the computer, the exploration of music and composers has been made very easy. You can go online and find almost anything. If a student likes Frank Ticheli, John Mackey, or Wolfgang Mozart, they can find incredible amounts of information online. It is also enlightening to spend time researching composers who you have never heard of. I would hope that high school students would enter college knowing several band and orchestral pieces, along with being familiar with outstanding ensembles and performers that they follow. It is important to develop opinions without becoming opinionated; stay open to the possibilities.
    For a busy teacher, picking and choosing music becomes essential. In such a time crunch, I suggest investigating at least one new work each month, or simply listening to a new work once a month that is not in students’ folders. Focus on works recommended by people you respect. There may be a good reason you should be aware of it, even if your ensemble is not able to play it just yet. In our busy work world of preparing concerts and contests, it is sometimes too easy to focus only on the music in the folder, but it is extremely important to continue to broaden our understanding of the three major areas of repertoire that we draw upon: traditional works, transcriptions, and new music. Adding to our knowledge base makes us better musicians and teachers.
    In addition to repertoire, high school students considering a career in music will find reading about music history, theory, conducting, and performance practice to be particularly helpful. Observing conductors in rehearsals is another great way to prepare. I believe teaching is a noble profession and a great way to spend your life. However, it is not a job, but rather a calling. Students wanting to pursue a career in music should take time to identify what being a musician and teacher means to them. Most people who pursue this field likely had a mentor or someone they admired, someone who got them interested and inspired their passion. Teaching is about mentoring and helping others to grow.
    I was one of those people who, right up to the moment I was offered a job as a conductor and teacher, thought I was going to go to Juilliard and get my master’s in clarinet performance. In one day my life changed because I was offered a good teaching job. I decided that teaching was really what I wanted to do. Unexpectedly, but willingly, I put my clarinet away, which was difficult because I had been playing 6-10 hours a day. I felt like I betrayed my instrument, especially at the end of my first marching season. I was thinking, “Wow, what have I done?” However, I came to understand that all the time I had invested in my performance ability as a clarinetist was transferable. It could be converted to helpful musical knowledge that I could use on the podium. I learned as much about how to make music from my clarinet teacher, Larry Maxey, as I did from my conducting teachers. I value all of the experiences I had in both areas.

How important is it for music educators to continue performing on their instrument?
    I conduct a professional group called the Lone Star Wind Orchestra in Dallas. It is made up of young professionals teaching their instruments in the public schools and band directors who are working pretty hard as conductors but still playing incredibly well. There are groups like this all around the country. I find that the conductors in my group are really great players, and I am often told that it helps them to keep playing. When they go back into the classroom they feel more connected to the music. It is important to keep in touch with those things you are asking others to do for you.
    There are also opportunities for educators to play duets and quartets with students or to demonstrate a musical line. When you play for a group as their conductor, you earn instant credibility. You become more believable if you can demonstrate what it is you are asking them to do.
    Keeping the instrument active in your life will really benefit you in the long run. Expanding your musical world beyond your daily classroom routine can greatly benefit your teaching and make your life better.

When selecting literature, what criteria do you consider?
    I have spent my life pondering this issue. A quick piece of advice is to pay attention to the Acton Ostling, Jay Gilbert, and Clifford Towner studies. I put every work I play through the ten points of evaluation mentioned in the three studies.
    I get stressed about what I want to play. Recently, I pulled two works for a concert that was approaching and moved them to the third concert where we have fewer rehearsals because I could tell when we read them that they were going to come together way too quickly. I am never sure exactly how a program will come together until I have seen the group react to the pieces and participate in that interaction. Intellectual stimulation must be part of the process. Some people believe that if there is a good story, then that is all that you need, but does the work line up with the story? How well has the composer attached the elements of the story to the piece? I think the form, the use of compositional techniques, and the other things Acton Ostling talks about are truly important. Few pieces will hold up to 100% of all ten criteria, but you want to be in the 80th percentile if you can. There is plenty of good music available these days. Be sure to invest the time it takes to make credible decisions. Nothing works if the music isn’t substantive.
    I recently recorded 100 middle school band pieces, grades 1 through 2. The music was selected by teachers who are knowledgeable and really care about high-quality literature. They invested a great deal of time and did an excellent job. There are a good number of these pieces that I would not hesitate to perform. These works had fewer technical demands but much integrity. No one can tell a teacher what is best for them. They have to decide what is best for their situation as well as what works with their group.
    I encourage people to think not only about quality but also to consider practicality and try to balance those two things. You do not want the piece to be so easy that everybody gets bored or so difficult that everybody gets frustrated. You have to balance both elements. It is not only the pieces you pick, but also how you put them together on the program or into the curriculum based on how many rehearsals you are going to have. It is always a good idea to balance difficult pieces with some that are more approachable. Repertoire is a way of measuring progress. Teachers should definitely have a three- to five-year plan in mind; what you are playing now should lead to what you want to be playing three years from now.

You said 20 years ago that rehearsals were your favorite part of making music. Is this still true? What has changed about the way you rehearse?
    The process is still more important to me than the product. It is all about discovery. It is always difficult for me to let go of the music I have focused so intently on. I always feel like there is more to do. Luckily, after 45 years I have had the opportunity to come back to pieces and get another chance to reconnect. I love the process of exploration, and my rehearsals tend to focus on figuring out what the music is about and what’s going on rather than solely stopping to fix problems. At times I isolate things in a rehearsal not because there is a problem but because I want players to be aware of and value the choices the composer has made.
    Although rehearsals are still my favorite part of making music, that desire also extends to recordings. To me, a recording session is a rehearsal that gives you the ability to prove you got something done. If something goes wrong, we stop and go back and do it again. Recording provides the opportunity to perfect something or at least make it as good as possible given the available time frame.
    I enjoy performances as well. In fact I told my ensemble right before a concert recently that I was looking forward to others hearing what they can do because I am the only one who gets to hear what they accomplish on a daily basis. I can’t wait to share that experience. I like it when the audience can be involved in the presentation and have them understand the music and appreciate the work of the composer.
    Thanks to the internet, we can now have composers witness our concerts as they happen. In fact we just performed a piece by Kenneth Hesketh and he was able watch from London where the local time was 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. The next morning when I woke up, I had an email from him. Even when the composer cannot be with us, they can still experience their work. We have had many composers take advantage of that. It is always exciting to get a letter or an email from the creator that thanks you for doing their work. You never get tired of hearing those comments.
    I certainly enjoy rehearsing, but the performance makes me stop stopping. It makes me go all the way through the work. You want to have a feeling of completion at some point. Otherwise you would never stop because there is always something to do. When you have done your work, it is nice to be able to present it to somebody and have an audience that appreciates it.

What exercises and techniques have you employed with younger groups that have yielded great tone and intonation?
    I am a big believer in the importance of moving air and the velocity of air through the instrument. I will have breathing exercises available to use only if the tone seems to be funny or if pitch seems to be problematic. I rarely do this the first moment I get to the podium because students want to play, and I want to hear the group. I might stop and have everyone put their instruments down for a minute and then do some breathing exercises focusing on the idea of taking in air and directing the air stream towards the hand while feeling its speed. Imagining moving the air further and further away from the performer is always a good exercise. I don’t talk much about where the muscles are and everything, but I watch to see if someone is breathing with their shoulders instead of breathing naturally, and then I will comment on that or use an exercise to eliminate a problem.
    I believe in the importance of fundamentals, which include hand position, embouchure, and all the other things we are taught to watch for. I also spend time with young players on developing a sense of pulse. I advocate keeping time with the fingers and not with the feet. The idea is to make time where they are touching the instrument and creating time between the fingers and the instrument rather than between the foot and the floor.
    There are four basic principles that have guided me for the past 45 years. I call them the In Principles.

    In Tone: One must have a characteristic beautiful sound. Does the clarinet sound like a clarinet? How many recordings of the clarinet do you own? Who is your favorite classical and jazz player? You cannot make a beautiful sound without having a sound image in your mind.

    In Time: This means not only having a good sense of time, but also being able to play with others at the same time.

    In Tune: You cannot be in tune if you do not have a good sound and you are not in time with the other players.

    In Touch: This may be another way of saying technique. Technically, intellectually, and spiritually, being in touch in all three ways. Do you understand the piece, do you know how to move your fingers, and do you have a sense of the message or the spirit of the piece?

    This is what I listen for when I audition players. In fact I give this lecture every fall after auditions when students ask for improvement, and it is really just these four things that can make the difference.
    For me sound is always first. If the sound is not characteristic of the instrument, it does not matter how fast your fingers can move or how high you can play, because nobody is going to want to listen. This is a daily concern and can be improved with long tones, interval studies, and exercises to match registers. It is what we are taught when we are young, and it is the same stuff you hear members of a symphony doing when they are preparing to play. They are listening to intervals, they are matching, and they are thinking about sound and air. Arnold Jacobs did it with brass players, but it is just as important for woodwind players.
    It is also important to warm up. After all, we are using muscles. I believe in having a routine and individually teaching students the routine, which includes how to warm up individually and collectively with the band. If you have a 50-minute class, you cannot spend 40 minutes warming up. You should find something that allows students to make chords, something to play in the comfortable middle of the range where they can find their best sounds and then work their way out from that. This is why the Remington exercises work so well. You are working away from an easy good sound into other registers that will need some work. It also allows you to compare the next sound to the one you were just on.

If it exists, what is a typical lazy summer day in the life of Eugene Corporon? What do you do for recreation?
    I have a fantastic wife and three dogs and love spending time with the entire pack. Additionally, one of my true passions has to be automobiles. What can I say, I grew up in California. If I get some time off, I go to high-end car dealerships and drive my favorite machines, especially the ones that I cannot afford to own. I really appreciate going to car shows where I can see a lot of different automobiles. A Cars and Coffee event is a great way to spend a Saturday morning in Dallas. I may not know anything about how they run, but I appreciate the technology and see them as art. I very much enjoy spending time with my wife, who is a busy corporate executive. We have an interest in art and regularly visit galleries and shows. There are also occasions when we find time to be together that we are perfectly happy to do absolutely nothing.
    My summers are so full of teaching that I sometimes go six weeks without a break and then suddenly have a couple of weeks off. In that case, I will usually take time simply to decompress. The idea of doing nothing really appeals to me after an intense couple of months with no down days.
    There is always something around the house to do, and often when there are people here working on the house, I like to just watch what they are doing. I am an HGTV fanatic, and observing someone work on a project in the house intrigues me. I want to be able to understand the process, so I can further appreciate the job they are doing.

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