Student Background Assignment
    Each student teacher selects two students and conducts research into the students’ permanent records to establish trends and class performance from the past. The intent is for each student teacher to investigate the students’ backgrounds with the goal of individualizing their instruction. The student teacher then writes up a one-page summary of findings along with a list of instructional strategies based on those findings.

Video Responses
    Student teachers are instructed to videotape themselves teaching a class four times during the semester. These videos should be viewed, and then the student teachers should write up a short reflection on their observations. They should critique areas of strength and weakness. These videos are usually very enlightening (and humbling).

Technology Project
    Each student teacher selects a project that demonstrates the use of technology to improve instruction; this can include student use of technology or teacher use of technology on the students’ behalf. This means that a student teacher could use a music notation software program to create warm-up exercises for his ensemble or use SmartMusic with students. This project can involve any of the music applicable technologies such as digital recording or various MIDI applications.

Effect on Learning Project
    This item is the most likely to draw the attention of prospective employers. Each student teacher selects a concept that is new to the class. This might be teaching eighth notes for a beginning ensemble or interval studies for advanced performers. The student teacher creates a pre-test, following good principles for rubric and test construction, to find out what the students already know about the topic. This pre-test can be in the form of a written test, a sound recording of the ensemble performing or any other form of assessment that will illustrate the students’ prior knowledge. The student teacher then teaches a minimum of three lessons on the topic. More than three lessons may be needed to cover the concept, but the limited time a student teacher has with a given class may limit the number of lessons taught. A post-test is then given to see how far students have progressed in their understanding of the concept or skill.
    The amount of progress the class makes on the post-test is really not as important as the process of taking students from point A to point B in a logical and efficient manner. The student teacher then must write up a summary of the project which would include several examples of differentiation and describe several possible changes which would make the lessons even more effective.

Sample Lesson Plans
    Many administrators insist on detailed lesson plans with stated student outcomes and assessment tools included. The lesson plans should include learning objectives and materials needed to teach the lesson as well. These documents are intended to provide evidence that a student teacher is proficient at planning lessons, assessing students, modifying plans to improve instruction, meeting the needs of diverse learners, using technology in the classroom, and generally developing a good climate for learning. Sample lesson plans should also show evidence of reflection and growth.

Conclusion
    Additional items such as practicum write-ups, repertoire lists, a performance list, and a short philosophy of music education will add even more depth to this documentation. A one-page cover letter and a resume can also be effective inclusions. The student teacher portfolio is a valuable way for a student teacher to illustrate that the best practices for teaching are forefront in their music educator training.   

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James M. Rohner
Publisher

(P.S. Santa, can we try again on that Cubs World Series? I’ve been very good.)

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General Woodwind
Wind Talk for Woodwinds: A Practical Guide to Understanding & Teaching Woodwind Instruments by Mark Ely and Amy VanDeuren (Oxford). This book is normally marketed as a woodwind techniques textbook, but it offers much more. Instead of relying on text, the book is organized to be a reference, with an alphabetized list of topics for each instrument in the woodwind family. This book also contains an extremely clear and easy-to-use set of woodwind fingering and trill charts.

Woodwind Anthology: Volumes 1 & 2 (The Instrumentalist). There is a wealth of information here, along with many fascinating historical articles from some of the world’s greatest pedagogues and performers. Volume 1 covers general woodwind topics and the flute with 50 years worth of general knowledge culled from the finest woodwind performers and teachers in the world. The second volume of the set focuses on clarinet, saxophone, and double reed topics. This is both a practical and highly enjoyable source.

Flute
The Simple Flute: From A to Z by Michel Debost (Oxford University Press). This book is a delightful resource that alphabetically tackles nearly every common concern or question of the developing flutist and flute teacher. Embouchure, intonation, vibrato, and much more are covered in an engaging style.

The Flute by Ardal Powell (Yale University Press). This book is a nearly exhaustive musicological and social history of the flute. It is likely that only the most serious of students will want to read it, but this book provides fascinating information about the origins of the modern flute and its literature to the interested teacher and performer.

The Flute Book by Nancy Toff (Oxford University Press). This highly useful and interesting text discusses all of the usual aspects of flute performance and pedagogy in a way that every student and teacher will appreciate. It also contains a fine repertoire catalog, and even includes some fascinating details on things young flutists may be unaware of, including the extreme low flutes and new advancements like the quarter-tone flute. This book will answer basic questions while also inspiring curiosity.

Clarient
The Clarinet by Eric Hoeprich (Yale University Press). The origins of the clarinet are described in detail, as are the backstories of many of the instrument’s most famous pieces of literature. In addition, the author also provides accounts of the clarinet’s roles in bands and jazz.

The Cambridge Companion to the Clarinet edited by Colin Lawson (Cambridge University Press). Wide ranging essays focusing on many different aspects of performance and pedagogy are offered in this book. Topics such as repertoire, famous performers, contemporary clarinet music, and jazz clarinet are all covered.

The Clarinet and Clarinet Playing by David Pino (Dover Publications). This book focuses on many different aspects of performance technique and more. Basic concepts like embouchure, tone production, and articulation are included. In addition, however, the text includes advice on musical interpretation, and even goes so far as to offer advice to how to make single reeds.

Saxophone
The Saxophone by Stephen Cottrell (Yale University Press). This is an excellent source of information about the history and development of the saxophone. Virtually every major event, trend, and performer (classical, jazz, and pop) is discussed. Any serious student or band director eager to learn about this all-too-often misunderstood instrument should own this book.

The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone edited by Richard Ingham (Cambridge University Press). In-cluded are essays from some of the world’s greatest teachers and scholars of the instrument, from the late Thomas Liley to the great Claude Delangle, saxophone professor at the Paris Conservatory.

The Art of Saxophone Playing by Larry Teal (Alfred Music). This was one of the first attempts at a comprehensive text on basic saxophone technique and pedagogy, and it is still the standard. While the passages on recommended literature are now out of date, virtually all of the other information in this book is just as valuable to saxophonists and teachers today as it was in the 1960s. Hand position, breathing, embouchure, articulation, vibrato, and virtually every other standard facet of performance are covered excellently.

Oboe
The Oboe by Geoffrey Burgess (Yale University Press). This work describes the history and literature of the oboe, as well as prominent oboists. A fairly recent publication, this may be quite valuable for band directors. If nothing else, it will help point them toward fine examples for their young oboists.

The Art of Oboe Playing by Robert Sprenkle (Alfred Music). Included in this reference work are all the basics of tone production, embouchure, articulation, and vibrato. In addition, this book provides a wonderful introduction to reed-making for the young oboist.

Oboe Art and Method by Martin Schuring (Oxford University Press). Schuring’s guide offers practical advice on musical basics and reed working. The book also contains information on instrument care and an excellent fingering and trill chart.

Bassoon
The Bassoon and Contrabassoon by Lyndesay Langwill (W. W. Norton). This classic guide is entirely appropriate for those enthusiastic bassoon students who wish to delve into its history and traditions. For others, it may be a bit dry, but it will still serve band directors well in understanding this sometimes mysterious instrument quite a bit better.

The Art of Bassoon Playing by William Spencer (Alfred Music). This long-standing reference work introduces many important concepts to teachers and young bassoonists. Care and maintenance of the bassoon, selecting and adjusting reeds, breathing, embouchure, vibrato, and articulation are all discussed. Reed making itself receives little attention, but students can either consult other guides or leave that subject for a later time.

The Bassoon by James B. Kopp (Yale University Press). This work tells a fairly complete history of the bassoon. In addition to the usual great information about pieces and performers, fascinating information on the contrabassoon and other rarer types of bassoon is included. The author also discusses the bassoon’s use in wind bands and sacred music.  

The post Woodwind Books for Band Directors appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Equipment
    Each member of the orchestra should bring a sharpened pencil with a working eraser to rehearsals. Encourage students to keep at least one pencil in their instrument case. Next to the instrument and bow, the pencil is the most important tool. The next step is to frequently remind less-experienced musicians to write suggestions from the conductor and section leader into the music. At first they may need explicit instructions about how and where to mark their parts.
    Provide students with a checklist of what should be inside the instrument case. In addition to pencils, each player should have rosin, a mute, extra strings, and nail clippers. Instruments and bows should be properly maintained. For example, show students what a fraying string or crooked bridge looks like or how to tell when a bow should be rehaired.

String Parts
    Elementary and intermediate string parts usually come from publishers with acceptable bowings and fingerings. This is less often true for advanced orchestral literature. Parts may be full of distracting markings from previous students. If you do not have a designated librarian, form a group of students to serve as a task force to clean up illegible music and enlarge hard-to-read print.

Bowings
    The parts need to be bowed with age-appropriate bowings that are coordinated between sections. Bowings that work well for professional orchestras do not always work for a school or youth group where the players present different levels of ability. Always recheck bowings before giving parts to the players. Often bowings used previously may seem inappropriate. Music borrowed from others may not have well-organized bowings.
    Start by marking bowings in a score to make sure the bowings match between the sections. When you mark the individual parts, it is helpful to write bowings in throughout the music to help the students stay on track. (More advanced groups will tend to write fewer markings and know to follow the pattern.) This is especially useful during a typical start and stop rehearsal.
    Ultimately it will save precious rehearsal time if every part (including the score) has measure numbers marked in the left margin. Measure numbers are better than rehearsal letters that are often far apart and difficult to locate.
    While working on bowings, insist that all bow strokes should match: on or off the string; frog, middle, or tip. Remind students to write these details in their parts. If you have sectional coaches, ask them to assist with this. Many private teachers are reluctant to help students with orchestra parts due to lack of time in lessons. This is unfortunate because school, youth, college, and later community orchestras will be the primary performance outlet for most string students.
    If you do not have coaches readily available, there are usually local teachers and performers who would be happy to help. Do not be afraid to ask. As labor intensive as editing string parts is initially, the investment leads to more efficient rehearsals and a stronger performance.

Marking the Parts in Rehearsal
    Students should mark directions from the conductor, sectional coach, or section leader (bowings, tempo changes, etc.) immediately at rehearsal. Again, younger students should be reminded to do this frequently until it becomes a habit. This also applies to any personal markings such as fingering choices or accidental reminders. Players should mark an X in the margin to identify spots they should practice at home.
    A standard procedure in professional orchestras is for outside players to put their fingerings on top of the notes while the inside players put their fingerings below the notes. This helps players keep track of which fingerings are their own.
    Tempo changes are not always printed in the music and are subject to the individual ideas of the conductor. Players should mark them as they rehearse and not rely on rote drill. Professional musicians have developed a shorthand for this: a forward arrow indicates a faster tempo or accelerando and a backward arrow represents a ritard or slower tempo. Often a squiggly line is used to point out a ritard.
    Neatly written beat marks (or simply writing in 2 or in 4) can be useful for indicating a change in meter or clarifying a conductor’s beat pattern. This is also helpful after a long rest or a page turn.
During a long series of rests, parts should include instrumental cues (cello melody, second violin entrance, etc.). Every player should count long rests (not just the section leaders) and stay actively involved in the rehearsal even when they are not playing.

Page Turns
    The inside player almost always turns the pages. One exception is when a divisi passage would cause the loss of the bottom note when the inside player drops out to turn the page. In this case the page turns should alternate between inside and outside players by stand.
    If a quick turn is required, this should be indicated at the bottom of the page. The turn should occur early enough to enable the outside player to start the top of the next page in time. This often means that the inside player drops out a few beats or a measure early. Most of the time, a page turner will not have time to put the instrument and bow down. Instead the musician turns the page from a playing position. For a violinist or violist, this means transferring the bow to the left hand and leaning in to the stand to turn the page. If there are rests at the bottom of the page, these should be rewritten at the top of the next page.

Divisi
    For two-part divisi the outside person usually plays the top line, while the inside player covers the bottom part. For three-part divisi, it is easiest to divide by stand. The first stand would play the top part, second stand the middle part, and third stand the bottom part. Four-part divisi can vary based on the passage in question. Sometimes it is easiest to divide by person, sometimes by stand.

Pizzicato
    Often music requires a quick change from arco to pizzicato or vice versa. In this case, players do not have time to move the bow to the palm of the hand and instead will have to pluck from a playing bow hold. Be sure to show students how to accomplish this when such a place occurs, so they do not lose time trying to move to a standard pizzicato position.

Seating Position
    Ideally all stands should have a clear view of the conductor, the first stand of each section, and each other. Visual communication is important, especially for ensemble and bowing style, and should not be blocked by a large music folder or stand pushed up too high. Risers can be very helpful for players sitting in the back of sections.
    In order to increase individual involvement in the music, each stand should switch places for a few rehearsals (excluding the first stands). This will insure that no one feels stuck in the back of the section. Professional orchestras do this routinely and call it revolving seating. Players in the back of sections need to watch even more than listen. They need to anticipate their motions to stay synchronized with the rest of the section. Revolving seating allows players who move from the front to the back to have a clearer picture of the interplay between visual and aural skills.

Section Leaders
    Choose your section leaders carefully. These players should be responsible and enthusiastic. Each string section should have a principal and an assistant. Often two players rotate between these positions throughout the year. These players act as a liaison between the conductor and section members. They communicate both on and off the stage with the other section leaders and perhaps even with principals in the wind and brass sections. In addition to playing incidental solos, the leaders are responsible for cuing section entrances in a rhythmically solid manner.
    A well-organized and disciplined orchestra will perform at a higher level, and the experience is ultimately more enjoyable and valuable for the players. Approaching ensemble playing with clear guidelines and organization teaches students important skills that will help them both in music and in life.  

The post Orchestral String Techniques appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    The saxophone, as all instruments do, includes notes in its range that are inherently out of tune. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fixing them or even listing them. There are a wide range of tuning discrepancies between instrument manufacturers and even variability between models within the same brand. Additionally, soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones will often exhibit opposite intonation tendencies on certain notes.
    It is important to note that the pursuit of exemplary intonation is more complicated than raising flat notes and lowering sharp notes; saxophonists should remain flexible by developing a repertoire of fingering choices for each note in order to have options available in any musical situation. As an example, conventional methods would tell students that G4 is a flat note best corrected by adding the third-finger fork F# to the regular fingering. However, at an extremely quiet dynamic, the G will likely not need to be raised because the natural tendency of the instrument is to play sharper at piano or pianissimo dynamics. Also, if this G is part of an Eb major chord, then it would be desirable for the note to be a little flat; furthermore, if the Eb in this scenario was flat, it would be necessary for the G to be lowered even more.
    Thus, the best choice is to approach tuning from the perspective of being adaptable rather than assuming that one way of doing things is always correct. This mindset has the added benefit of encouraging students to listen to ensemble intonation and adjust if it sounds wrong. If the brass section naturally drifts slightly sharp on a forte passage, it is much easier for a saxophonist to temporarily raise notes with a fingering adjustment that it is to re-tune everyone. Even if the saxophone note in this scenario is inherently sharp, it may be necessary to raise it further to compensate for the loud dynamic, which generally causes the saxophone to drift flat.
    Some schools of pedagogy favor adjusting via voicing manipulation or embouchure pressure changes rather than fingerings. Many professionals use such methods of adjustment, and they remain a valuable pedagogical approach. However, it is much safer to approach the pursuit of good intonation through fingering adjustment for three reasons.
    First, it is a more exact science. If a student has to lower a note by a certain amount, it is much more predictable and reproducible to use a fingering to make the adjustment instead of a manipulation of embouchure or voicing. Similarly, telling a whole section to “lip it down” will produce wildly varying effects due to different interpretations of the same statement. In short, the fingering will have a similar effect in every instance, whereas adjusting the embouchure or voicing is dependent on fatigue, reed resistance, and dynamics, just to name a few factors.
    Changing fingerings also preserves timbre better. In certain registers and on certain notes, it is crucial for a constant amount of embouchure pressure be maintained to achieve a good timbre and response. For example, on low notes lipping down creates poor response and can introduce a buzzy sound. On the other hand, lipping up is unable to elicit as big of an adjustment and can make a very thin sound.
    Finally, changing fingerings fits better with band pedagogy. A trumpet player adjusts written D4 with the tuning slides, not by lipping it down. Similarly, one would never tell a tubist to lip down a fingering using first and third valves if the instrument has a fourth. Thus, telling the saxophone section to lip it down when a better fingering exists is not the best practice.
    To these ends, the fingering chart (pdf below) should be viewed as a simple point of departure for students to use when approaching intonation. Many saxophonists use corrective fingerings that are widely known and accepted, and many have also adapted their fingerings relative to their specific make and model of saxophone. These fingerings should also be viewed in the proper context; if a student always plays flat, there are fundamental tone production problems that are causing this. It is not as simple as fixing every pitch with a corrective fingering.
    The notes below written D4 are usually quite sharp on most saxophones and can be problematic to adjust by altered fingerings because of how many fingers it takes to play these notes. If the saxophonist tries to lower the pitch by relaxing the embouchure, response in this register will be greatly diminished and the timbre will become unstable.   

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Body Awareness
    Students are often unaware of how much tension they carry in their body or how poor their posture tends to be. There are a few exercises that can promote better awareness as fledgling conductors prepare for what can be a rigorous physical activity.

The Penguin
    If done properly, this exercise will create significant tension in students’ bodies. It can also be quite tiring, so limit the number of times it is done consecutively. To start, students should spread out across the room; each student will need a full arm span of space around them. Instruct them to do the following:
1. Stand up straight, feet together.
2. Raise the shoulders toward the ears.
3. Straighten both arms and place them at the sides with the top of the wrists anchored to the legs.
4. Flap the hands as fast as possible.
5. After 30 seconds, stop and release the tension from the body.

    Students often begin to moan or giggle from the tension they are experiencing. Some will begin to sweat, others will hold their breath. To illustrate the differences between tension and relaxation, immediately follow this exercise with the next.

Swinging Arms
    This is a simple but challenging exercise to see if students can relax their bodies. It should be done in tandem with The Penguin because the two together demonstrate the differences between bodily tension and relaxation.
1. Make sure to stand at least a full arm span away from other students
2. Relax the shoulders and stand comfortably with feet generally shoulder width apart.
3. Slowly and gently begin to twist the torso from side to side.
4. Gradually increase the energy and momentum.
5. After approximately 20 seconds, decrease the energy.
6. Come to a stop at 30 seconds.

    If done properly, the arms will swing freely and bounce off the side of the body on each side. As the energy increases, the arms will swing higher. As it decreases, the arms will descend. Students tend to keep their arms rigid and attempt to artificially control the movement. Check for that issue and instruct students to allow their arms to flop at their sides. Repeat the exercise until the students can swing their arms free from tension. This will show them what it feels like to really relax their bodies. This relaxation will lead to better endur-ance and lower likelihood of soreness and injury from conducting.

Body Movement
    A good musician can perform and explain how to phrase a passage of music, but for a conductor it is necessary to express these ideas in physical form. The message and intent must be not only be clear but also mean the same thing to all ensemble members. Expressing the intent of the music requires comfort with moving the body, specifically moving rhythmically through space in front of others. The former encourages freedom of expression, and the latter acclimates them to moving in front of an audience. The following exercise encourages expressive freedom with the body and can be repeated over several class periods with an assortment of different music and styles.

Moving Freely
    This exercise is designed to get students moving to music through a large space. To begin, have them students scatter throughout the room, spread out so each student has enough space to move freely. Have the class listen to a musical excerpt once without moving about or mimicking conducting patterns. Play the excerpt again, this time having the class move in place to it. The motion should reflect the music but avoid traditional conducting patterns. Following this, play the excerpt a third time, having the students now move about the room to it.
    Each time, allow the excerpt to play all the way to the end, no matter the students’ reactions. Typically students will be tentative at first. Some will joke. Others will move very little and hope no one is looking at them. A few students will perform for the others, moving histrionically around the room to get attention. These reactions are often defense mechanisms against the embarrassment and nervousness they feel doing this exercise.
    How they look does not matter at this point. It is important that everyone is moving with some level of intensity. At the end of the exercise, ask students what the music was expressing and how they were translating that to motion. I do not do this beforehand because the students tend to gravitate to the same idea and imitate each other. Have someone with a particularly strong answer – or someone who looked confident in the exercise – demonstrate for the class. Repeat the exercise using different styles of music. This can include different genres, from classical to jazz to rock, or any other music that has a strong style and personality.
    Eventually, this exercise can be adapted to reduce the amount of movement. Although students begin by moving through a large space, eventually the available space should be reduced to the dimensions of a podium. Then begin to eliminate leg movement, restricting the motions to the upper body, thus preparing the students for more conventional conducting styles.

Facial Expression
    I have seen a number of conducting teachers tell students to “show the music in your face,” a phrase that may not have much meaning to a novice conductor. Using meaningful and expressive facial expressions can be a foreign concept, especially to wind players who have had an instrument in their face during most of their musical training. As for string players, keyboard players, and percussionists, the facial expressions they employ in performance may or may not appropriately or effectively convey the musical idea the way it would need to be communicated when conducting an ensemble. Students should get to the point at which they feel uninhibited by physical or psychological barriers, and in the case of facial expression, it is often more psychological than physical. There are two exercises for helping students to better express themselves using their faces.

The Silly Circle
    Students stand in a circle in the middle of the room. One student is selected to begin by making a facial expression of his choosing at the person to his left. That student imitates the expression, turns and makes a different expression to the person on the left. This continues until the circle arrives back to the person who started. Instruct students to make emphatic and exaggerated expressions so it is obvious to the person to whom they are turning as well as everyone else in the class. Students should also use their entire face when making the expression.
    A few things will likely occur during this exercise the first few times it is done. Some students will make little or no discernible expression, while others will copy expressions they have already seen. Additionally, some students will giggle. They laugh impulsively at the exercise – and not necessarily the expressions – as a way to diffuse the situation. Those who do not make expressions are often concerned about looking silly in front of the other students. This concern can also cause the circle to move too slowly as the students overthink their expressions. Assuming some or all of these things will occur, inform the students to move quickly by concentrating on the exercise, making split-second decisions on the facial expression, and just doing it. In conducting it is necessary to be reactive and proactive at the same time, which is what the silly circle encourages.
    Repeat the exercise several times. Even a slow circle only takes 30 seconds in most conducting classes, and one done correctly the exercise is completed in seconds. Over time students will learn to make facial expressions quickly and emphatically, as is demanded when conducting.

Conclusion
    These are only a few of the exercises that can be done to promote physical expression and creativity. Once the students become more comfortable with free, expressive, and intense physical motion, only then is it time to add beat patterns.  

The post Expression Unlocked, Developing the Skills of Young Conductors appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Achieving Your Ensemble Sound
Chris Grifa
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

Make the Time for Fundamentals
    To improve your ensemble sound, it takes time and dedication outside of working on your concert music. Music teachers should reflect on the goals they are trying to accomplish and the purpose of the exercises they are working on. By using the first part of rehearsal to actively engage students on exercises that reinforce posture, breathing, tone production, articulation, and releases on a daily basis, your group’s overall sound and confidence will improve. As your students’ understanding of these concepts increases, their hard work will begin to show in their concert music.

The Power of Sustains
    One of the most impactful exercises that my groups do on a daily basis is a simple variation on a long tone. Most long tones are done to a specific tempo (usually slow) and for various count lengths. What I would like to suggest is a different approach to a long tone where students sustain one note for at least thirty to sixty seconds. Your students should be encouraged to breathe whenever they feel like their sound will suffer if they don’t take a breath, while focusing on playing with a full sound that is constant, steady, and free from tension. Sustaining a note for an infinite amount of time will allow students to listen to themselves and make adjustments to their sound. After holding a single note for up to a minute, a sixteen-count phrase should be a piece of cake. This exercise can be used to work on other important ensemble skills like balance and blend, as well as playing in a lyrical style.

The Common Sense of Common Core
David Kish
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

    One of the Anchor Standards for Writing states that students should “conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.” Instrumental music teachers can address this standard by asking students to answer focused questions about the music being prepared for the next concert. Students should compose the answers outside of class and submit them electronically (or in written form). Sample writing prompts might include some of the following:

   What is Third Stream music, and who coined the phrase?
   What is your favorite American folksong? Why?
   Describe syncopation in your own words.
   Do you like music in simple or compound time? Why?
   List four possible ways in which composers vary a theme in music (Theme and Variation form).
   What is a pentatonic scale, and how is it constructed?

    Another Anchor Standard for Writing states that students should “write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.” Teachers can craft writing prompts that can be answered by the students in one sitting, or develop more complex questions that require extended time (perhaps a week or two).

Techniques to Evoke Creativity in Rehearsal and Performance
Carolyn Barber
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

    The creative process is to the arts as the scientific method is to the sciences. For too long, and for perfectly understandable reasons, music educators have felt obliged to apply scientific principles (empirical measurement) to creative endeavors in an effort to justify a place in the core curriculum. Assessment in ensemble settings is typically reduced to measurement of fundamentally non-artistic elements, such as accuracy in decoding notation and participation (attendance). The inevitable result is Dr. Moreau-like hybrid that is acceptable in neither the artistic nor the scientific community. For the arts to gain a sure footing in the educational core, they must be taught in a manner that is rooted in the creative process. This is not a matter of teaching different things, it is a matter of teaching things differently.
   One way to do this is by flipping questions 180 degrees. The creative process requires the development and exercise of divergent thinking skills. These skills are called into play when a person is faced with open-ended problems to solve. It’s the difference between asking for the correct fingering for F# (a closed, single-answer question) and asking students how many different ways they can produce an F# (an open, multiple-answer question). It is less efficient, but that is essential. A range of answers will be produced, among which some will be better than others. Choosing from a spectrum of possibilities to evoke a particular response is at the heart of artistic thinking.

Strategies for Improving Playing Position and Flexibility in Your Orchestra Students
Pamela Tellejohn Hayes
Wednesday, 12:00 p.m.

    Poor position habits exist in every orchestra classroom. As teachers we must try to prevent these habits from developing, and try to remediate them when they do occur at any level. To keep tension to a minimum in the left hand, try to use as much of the fingerboard as possible from the beginning of instruction. This doesn’t mean actually playing notes in every position, but rather simply doing activities that require the students to venture out of first position. The late Paul Rolland developed some of the most effective exercises to accomplish this goal. Simply divide the fingerboard into three positions – low, middle, and high. Low position is defined as where first position occurs. Middle position is when the fourth finger is placed on the octave harmonic. High position is located as near the end of the fingerboard as possible. In high position violins and violas should leave their thumbs behind the neck, while cello and bass players move the entire hand.
    Once these locations have been identified have students do activities such as left hand pizzicato, strumming across all four strings, and/or tapping the fingerboard with the left hand (keep fingers curved). Do various rhythm patterns such as four taps and four rests in one position, then move to another position and do the same thing. As the students become more comfortable with each activity, reduce the number of rests. This technique allows students to experience the entire fingerboard, so even though they are not playing actual pitches, they realize some of the future skills that will be needed. For violins and violas it also increases their awareness of a well-supported instrument. Remember, if a student stays in first position forever, tension develops in the left hand, which makes the skills of shifting and vibrato much more difficult to accomplish.

In Tune With Your Timpani
Ear Training and Sound Production Strategies for the Student Percussionist
William M. Shaltis
Wednesday, 12:00 p.m.

    As a college teacher, one of most common deficiencies I see with my incoming students is the ability to tune timpani well. To quietly and efficiently tune the timpani, a student needs to possess the ability to hear pitches and recognize intervals and a replicable method for tuning at the timpani console. I first have my students practice hearing and singing intervals at a piano or keyboard percussion instrument. We start with the perfect intervals and use the following four-step process:

1. Sing and play the scale between the two pitches in the interval. For instance, if the two pitches needed are an F and a Bb, we sing and play F/G/A/Bb.
2. Sing and play only the interval (F/Bb).
3. Play a tonic drone and sing the scale between the two pitches. For instance, sustain the F while you sing F/G/A/Bb. Then sing only the interval against the tonic drone (F/Bb).
4. Play the first pitch. Without the aid of the keyboard, sing the interval. Check with the keyboard.

    In addition to pitch and interval recognition, the student should know what pitches are possible on each drum and where those pitches are located. They should memorize the following chart so that they can tune most efficiently.

If a piece calls for F2 and Bb2, one could place the F on either the 32" or 29" timpano, where it would be in the middle and bottom of the range, respectively. For the Bb, one could use either the 29" or 26" timpano, where it would be located towards the top and at the bottom of the ranges, respectively. To tune the timpani, they use what I call the Ballpark Tuning Method:

1. Start with the head completely detuned (pedal heel down, toe up)
2. Using a tuning fork, hum or audiate the first pitch needed.
3. Lightly strike the head with a finger or mallet once.
4. Tune up to the pitch needed.
5. Hum the next pitch needed based on the timpano that was just tuned and follow the same procedure.

    With practice, students will become more confident with their tuning and will also be able to adjust their intonation with the rest of the band or orchestra. They will also begin to make pitch placement decisions for musical reasons and not just for convenience. At your next rehearsal, watch how the drums are tuned and listen to the resultant tone. The more critical your percussionists are of their timpani tone, the better overall sound quality of your ensemble.

Boost Your Technology Chops
Keith Ozsvath
Wednesday, 12:00 p.m.

    For directors looking for an alternative to traditional assessment methods, video assessments are a viable option. Rather than using precious rehearsal time for individual assessments, directors can watch, listen, and critique videos of their students performing playing tests at their convenience. It is an effective tool to assess playing skills like note and rhythmic accuracy, technique, fingerings, articulations, and dynamics.
    To record a video on the Chromebook, students will need to download a Chrome browser extension called Screencastify. It is free and can be accessed in the Chrome Web Store (https://chrome.google.com/webstore). Once installed and set-up, students can select the Cam option to record using the front-facing camera on the Chromebook. Mic level settings can be adjusted for optimum recording levels and videos can be saved to Google Drive. It is important to instruct your students to save their video as “unlisted” for privacy purposes.
    Students will find it easy to record and submit their performance videos. So much can be learned from viewing and listening to students perform individually. My students often share with me how much time they spend recording their playing tests in order to record them perfectly. Below are a few more helpful suggestions and advantages to ensure you and your students have a good experience with video assessments.

• Take your time when teaching your students to install and set-up the Screencastify extension.
• Review again when assigning a playing assessment.
• Practice recording a sample video in class and submitting to Google Classroom or emailing the video link.
• Provide written instructions to your students for recording with Screencastify.
• If your school does not have Google Classroom, students can email you a link to their video.
• Create a rubric to grade the assessments. Quality feedback is essential to growth.
• Brass players should focus the bell of their instrument away from the microphone for better audio quality.

You Are the Band Whisperer
David Morrison
Wednesday, 12:00 p.m.

    Twenty band directors visited my high school band rehearsal several years ago. At the time we were preparing Russian Christmas Music for a winter holiday concert. After 20 minutes or so, one of the band directors raised his hand and asked the question, “How can your band play so well in tune, when you never work on intonation?” The answer in my mind was clear; fine intonation had become a way of life in our group. The students possessed intonation tools, they learned the craftsmanship necessary to apply those tools, and they operated with the momentum required to apply the tools to new situations, even when they weren’t specifically instructed to do so. In light of the above discussion, I created a set of step-by-step instructions for music educators at all levels of expertise to ponder, follow, react to, and generally adopt in some form, in order to improve both teaching and learning with their ensembles. I believe that with the right tools and the necessary skills to apply them, teachers can move mountains.
    In my mind, a tool is a piece of information, an exercise, or a strategy that a music educator uses to address challenges with an ensemble or an individual musician. Just as a craftsman uses physical tools to shape and mold physical products, a music educator uses intellectual tools to produce and refine musical structures. Whichever way the conductor thinks of them, these tools serve two important functions in rehearsal: They assist the musicians in an ensemble (conductor and players) to construct a new piece of music from the ground up, and they aid in the maintenance, repair, and continued improvement of an already completed piece of music.
    The terms assist and aid are important, because these are all that tools are capable of accomplishing; the real value of tools relies on the skill of the person using them. Having struggled with many home improvement tasks over the years, I have come to the understanding that good tools do not necessarily make good craftsmen, as the tools are necessary but not sufficient for producing outstanding results. The good news is that everyone, regardless of age or skill level, can improve in this area. All it takes is a willingness to keep trying, to make mistakes, and to learn from those mistakes.
    The following, more specific, example of my Universal Teaching Method further illustrates the relationship between tools, craftsmanship, and momentum, and how they are applied in a classroom:

1. Identify, locate, and prioritize a problem. For example, something sounds sour in the low brass area and seems to be coming from the trombones. The section has a major triad, and the third of the chord is sharp. If this can be addressed successfully, the pitch of the ensemble will noticeably improve to the point where further refinements will be possible.
2. Articulate this to the trombone section. “Trombones, you have a pitch problem on this major chord. Can you hear it also?”
3. Provide a tool for the students to use. “Did you know that the third of a major chord has to be played flat in order to sound in tune? Who has the third of this chord? Let’s build that chord from the bottom up and see what we can do.”
4. Guide students through use of the tool. Ask the person with the root to play, then add the third. When it is played sharp (it usually is), keep asking the player with the third to move the slide out until it locks into pitch with the root. Then add the fifth.
5. Check for understanding. Once the adjustments are made, and the chord sounds good, ask the students if they can hear the difference.
6. Encourage and empower the students to apply the tool called “lower the third of any major chord” to all of the major chords that they perform. Asking students to maintain momentum by frequently reminding them to use the tool on their own creates a self-correcting culture within the ensemble.
7. Repeat steps 1-6 as you hear similar problems crop up in rehearsal.

Building Virtuosity in the Brass Section
Raquel Rodriquez
Wednesday, 1:15 p.m.

    Brass players must practice fundamentals daily to maintain a certain level of proficiency as well as developing virtuosity. These fundamentals include tone, flexibility, articulation, finger/ slide dexterity, and range. Turn-of-the-century virtuosic theme-and-variation solos can be a great resource for teaching the fundamental aspects of brass playing. Using virtuoso solos to complement fundamentals can give the practice session purpose, makes practicing more enjoyable, and can serve as a key motivational strategy.
    These solos can also aid in teaching musicality, rhythms, and ensemble techniques. The use of brass solos after brass fundamental work can give students an opportunity to put the technical aspects that were practiced in a more musical setting. Solos can also contribute to an increased sense of motivation for students. Solos are fun and contain advanced technical aspects that require outside work (i.e. fundamentals). Students will need to master a high level of proficiency in their technique to play the pieces. In addition, intrinsic results are more immediate with solos than when practicing dry fundamentals.
    Finding new innovative ways to practice is essential as we are bombarded with social media and other distractions. Continuing to find creative ways for students to learn will contribute to an increased interest in music education. Some ideas to incorporate is using a popular cornet solo like Frank Simon’s “Willow Echoes” in conjunction with flexibility exercises, tonguing exercises (triple tongue), and range studies. This would be an appropriate solo for an advanced high school trumpet student.  Giving students a solo to work on with fundamentals allows them to see the results in a more concrete manner that will assist in motivation. There are many of these theme and variation solos that can be used in this manner, try collecting a few of these solos to use with specific fundamental aspects with your students.

Establishing the Bottom Line
Christian Carichner and Kevin Sanders
Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

    “Drop your jaw and open your throat.” These two phrases have entered the folklore of low brass playing, but often they create problems that hinder the desired result of an open, full sound. Instead of addressing the jaw, one should focus on the tongue placement, working to keep the tongue as flat as possible. A good tip is to tell students to use only one taste bud to articulate. As for the throat, encourage players to think about a relaxed throat that allows for the player to sigh through the horn.

Sound Production
On Percussion Instruments
William James
Thursday, 10:30 a.m.

    Unfortunately, there is a tendency to be happy with percussionists as long as they play the right rhythm at the right time. We would never accept this from a trumpet player. Sound is a concept discussed on day one with almost every other instrument and yet it is something rarely talked about with percussionists. Here are two of my favorite tips for improving sound on percussion instruments.

Snare Drum
    A simple touch-up once a month will keep your drum sounding brand new. I try to keep my top head sounding roughly an A, which will probably be much higher than most directors are used to. It is easier to hear this pitch with the snares off. After I tune the top head I tune the bottom and make sure it sounds a second or third higher than the top. The bottom head is just as important as the top, as it controls your snare response.
    Once the heads are tuned, I tune the snares. Start with the snares so loose that when you turn the snares on they still do not touch the head. Then slowly tap on the drum as you tighten the snares. At first the drum will sound very wet but as your tighten the snares it will become crisper. If you tighten the snares too much, the drum will sound choked. Loosen them a little and find that happy medium where the drum is nice and crisp. This five-minute process once a month will keep your drum sounding like you just bought it.

Articulation
    Articulation terms are something every wind player is familiar with. If you ask a clarinetist to play a note with a soft articulation, he will respond accordingly. Use these same terms with percussionists. It may take a few attempts as this will be new, but everyone understands the sound you are requesting. Instead of dumbing it down for percussionists, speak in the same terminology you would to a wind player. When a bass drum passage needs to be dry and punchy, say exactly that. Do not just request a harder mallet; that doesn’t fully explain what you want. This also puts a little control in the percussionists’ hands to be creative. Instead of being told exactly what mallet to use, let them try and figure it out. Even if their first guess is wrong, they will probably realize this quickly and can search for something more appropriate. This freedom and imagination will create more expressive percussionists instead of players with a goal of simply hitting the right instrument at the right time.

Rehearsal Strategies
Benjamin Lorenzo
Thursday, 10:30 a.m.

    The most important part of the rehearsal process actually begins before setting foot on the podium. Selecting music for students to play is perhaps the most important decision directors make. It goes far beyond a single concert or semester; it is the curriculum, and determines the course of the students’ development as musicians. In addition to enriching the musical lives of students, the music selected for them to rehearse and perform defines an individual’s values as a musician. Besides the long-term benefits, one can design exercises to develop fundamentals during the warm-up period of rehearsals. Having exercises that directly apply to the music makes rehearsals more productive and engages the students. Selecting the right music to rehearse and perform will make a dramatic impact on the rehearsal process—not only in the short-term, but the long-term development of the conductor and students.

Using Technology to Improve Listening and Engagement in Music
Kathleen Melago
Thursday, 10:30 a.m.

    I spend many hours each summer visiting sites, downloading apps, and pondering how useful various offerings could be for my students and my students’ future students. I have found some enjoyable and inexpensive ways to bring technology to instrumental programs in ways that are not trite attempts to just use technology to use technology. In this clinic, I will be presenting several practical ways to use technology, including free and low-cost apps and websites, to improve student learning and engagement and to manage assessment in performance-based instrumental courses.

Principles of Melodic Interpretation
Leslie W. Hicken
Friday, 8:30 a.m.

    To produce expressive melodic intervals, it is helpful to imagine a great violinist making a melodic leap in either direction of an octave in an expressive passage. The technique that they use to connect the notes of the interval is called portamento. However wind players cannot slide into these upward pitches. We can connect these notes by increasing the air pressure on the first note and allowing the subsequent note to appear as a result of the airflow. A good way to teach this principle is to play diatonic intervals up and down from tonic. What you are listening for is a strong first note that leads to the second pitch of the interval achieved with no break in the sound. Additionally, you do not allow the upper note to crescendo out of context relative to timbre or dynamic. This is a powerful principle to enhance expressive melodic interpretation.

Flipping the Classroom
James Spinazzola
Friday, 1:30 p.m.

    Flipping the classroom is an approach to teaching in which students gain initial knowledge before each class, and class time is used to assimilate, process, and apply that knowledge through activities focused on active learning. I believe every ensemble rehearsal should ideally be a flipped classroom: students should learn their part outside of class, and class time should be used to assimilate those parts, to learn how each part functions within the score, to listen, and to collaborate.
    It is useful to begin by presenting pre-class instruction through electronic media. For example, teaching demonstrations and information about composers, pieces, and musical concepts can be disseminated through pre-recorded lecture videos using technology such as Panopto. Curated recordings, copies of the score (particularly useful with chamber music), links to online videos, and other resources can be posted on Blackboard or similar platforms. An ensemble blog is an effective tool when used to stimulate conversation about the music, or to post rehearsal footage along with questions designed to focus students’ attention. To coach individuals and incentivize their preparation before class, ask them to record assigned passages and submit them via email or the ensemble blog, and then reply with comments. In a less technological application, consider writing pithy instructions on index cards and placing them on students’ stands before rehearsal.

What You Need to Do Now
Before You Start Your First Job
George Boulden
Friday, 3:00 p.m.

    Managing an account at your school or local bank doesn’t have to be a daunting task, but knowing some basic money management skills can ensure that your program is financially solvent. I always tell my music education students that there are really only two rules for surviving and thriving in the classroom. Rule #1 is don’t touch the money. I am always disheartened to hear of a music program that has been purged by a director or booster. So many programs struggle to exist from year to year and when this happens it leaves many groups devastated both financially and emotionally. As a student, take the time to talk to teachers in your area of expertise and find out how they deal with the duty of collecting money and maintaining an account for the their program. Every school district is different, but having some knowledge of how to be fiscally responsible will help you establish the foundation for establishing a transparent and fiscally sound music program.
    As well as fiscal responsibilities, you will be held accountable for handling the paperwork associated with your position. In my time as an educator the level of paperwork has increased dramatically, and I have seen colleagues become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails, forms, performance requests, and field trip requests that cross their desk every day. My best advice for you as a student is to develop a system for managing paperwork now. It begins with how you handle your schoolwork, personal affairs, and work life.

The Instrumentalists Guide
To Conducting Choirs
Derrick Fox
Friday, 3:00 p.m.

    Teaching both band and choir has become a reality for many music educators, but walking into a room full of singers without much vocal pedagogy experience can be a daunting task. Instrumen-tal music educators who find themselves in this situation do not have to start from scratch but can maximize instruction by using instrumental techniques and exercises that can be effectively translated into the choral rehearsal. Employing lip trills (mouth piece buzzing) and singing long tones with dynamic contrast (mezza di voce) with your choral singers will aide in developing breath management and improving tone quality.

The post Tips from the Clinicians appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    As the calendar year comes to an end, music education turns its attention to the Midwest Clinic. Those who will gather in Chicago include a great many current and future teachers, legends in music education, and hard-working bands, orchestras, jazz ensembles, and chamber groups, some of whose members will be hoping to see snow for the first time. We asked a few of the directors bringing a group to the Midwest Clinic this month about their preparations, as well as the lessons they have learned over the years.

Erich S. Rivero
Glades Middle School
Concert Jazz Band
Miami, Florida

Know Your Students
    One lesson that I’ve learned from my Midwest preparation is that to perfect a variety of genres for our program we must approach it from many different directions. This can be a daunting task. I tackled this challenge by taking meticulous notes on my students’ progress, section by section of each piece. I record and evaluate my ensembles’ progress on a daily basis. This allows me the opportunity to reflect on what should be improved upon at our next rehearsal. I bring in numerous professional musicians from our community to rehearse sections and the ensemble. This allows for a different perspective to enhance the overall performance. We use publisher recordings and professional recordings as a resource. This helps in perfecting the style. By combining all of these resources, we are able to achieve the highest level possible.

A Mentor Who Inspired
    My most influential teacher was probably my junior high band director, Mayra Cobia. She was an outstanding director that inspired her students in any and every way possible. She was a clarinet player but I remember her playing duets and trios with students on different instruments. She was always challenging all of the ensembles through difficult literature and different rhythmic counting exercises that she would prepare for us. She was an outstanding role model and educator. She demonstrated that if you are going to do something you must do it to the best of your ability.
    I give my students higher grades of music than most middle schools. We tackle each piece one section at a time. We listen to different styles of music both in and out of class so they can get a better understanding of the jazz art form and styles. We work on improvisation through listening and transcribing solos from the jazz greats and expanding our knowledge of chords and jazz mode scales. This along with building a diverse program that encompasses different styles will help to create a more well-rounded musician and ensemble. Challenge and inspire your students and they will always rise to the occasion.

Two New Jazz Tunes
    We have two composers who wrote pieces that are being premiered at Midwest. The first, written by Victor López, is an authentic Salsa Style piece entitled Sabor de Cuba (A Taste of Cuba). This piece has exciting melody and rhythmic beat that will want to make you get up and dance. The second piece was commissioned by the Florida Bandmasters Association for Glades Middle School’s Concert Jazz Band Midwest performance. The piece is titled One More Twice and is composed by Paul Baker. It is a medium swing chart in the style of Ellington and Count Basie that has an exciting 16-bar acapella ensemble followed by an exhilarating shout chorus.

Darcy Potter Williams
Stiles Middle School
Honors Band
Leander, Texas

A Balanced Teaching Style
    I pattern much of my teaching style after Betty Pierce, formerly of the Grisham Middle School Band in Round Rock ISD. Early in my career, I took a number of personal days to sit in her band hall watching not only how she approached concepts but how she approached her students. I lead my band program with a healthy mix of high expectations, honesty, and humor, and much of that comes from watching her set the example. Balance your intensity with an equal but opposite dose of silliness, hilarity, or light-heartedness – whatever fits your personality. Kids will work exceptionally hard for you, but you also need to be a human in their eyes.

Music for Young Bands
    Julie Giroux arranged a wonderful chorale for my band based on the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony. I think the audience is going to find it a welcome addition to the repertoire for younger bands. Giroux made this music playable by this age group without making it cheesy or watered down.

Christopher Yee
Four Points Middle School
Wind Ensemble
Austin, Texas

Knowing Early
    “That’s what I’m going to do when I grow up.” These were my words to David Egan, a fellow seventh grade trumpet player sitting next to me in Susan Scarborough’s band rehearsal at Doerre Intermediate School. There is power in watching someone live out their passion in a pure and genuine way. That is exactly what Susan did during my time in her band. To this day, she continues to inspire me through mentoring my directorship of the Four Points Middle School Band. She visits five times a year and spends the day with us observing, teaching, and providing wisdom. Our 20-year relationship is extremely special to me, and I am honored to have her guest conduct a special piece during our performance this December.

Talk Shop
    Stephen Peterson, at the end of my senior year at Ithaca College, said, “Make time to hang out with other music teachers your age once a week and talk about what you are doing in the classroom. Share what is going well and ask for help with what is not going well. You will be surprised by how much you can learn from one another.” I followed that advice and can confidently say that my band director family within Leander ISD and greater Austin have played a giant role in helping our band staff provide Four Points Middle School band students with the opportunity to perform at the 2015 Midwest Clinic.

A Brian Balmages Transcription
    Brian Balmages has provided us with a beautiful brand new transcription entitled Lullaby to the Moon, a grade 2 lyrical piece. We originally were hoping to perform Brian’s new piece entitled, Rippling Watercolors. We loved it so much we planned to design our entire concert program around it, but lost it through the music reservation process. We were devastated. In an act of desperation, I messaged him and asked if we could commission a similar work from him. He responded that he was booked two to three years out but then generously offered to transcribe a new work he had written for string orchestra. We are in love with Lullaby to the Moon and cannot wait to perform its world premiere in Chicago.

Sara Payne
Roswell High School
Chamber Orchestra
Roswell, Georgia

Team, Excellence, Family
    The Roswell Orchestra has a strong sense of family within its almost 200 members. Above all as teacher, it is important for me to remember that these young adults we teach need positive, kind, and focused leadership from us as music teachers. I tell my students that I respect them first as a person, and second as a musician. I have seen how ego can get in the way of team building. The music experiences I give to my students are not for me, they are for them. We talk about character quite a bit in class, and I remind students that they don’t walk out of my classroom with their in-strument in their hand, they walk out with their character, and I expect it to reflect the musician and person that they want to be.

Dedicated to a Mentor
    Dorothy Straub was the MENC President when I was in her high school orchestra, in Fairfield, Connecticut. In high school, she inspired our string quartet to perform in the community and school functions. As a veteran teacher, she inspires me every day to push my students with quality music, bring them new opportunities through curriculum, and reach into the community, state, country and internationally through music.
    Last December at Midwest I spent time with Dorothy, and she told me about this piece she was writing about the Triple Crown. When I got in and found out that I can choose one piece to be composed, I asked if I could play her piece as my free choice, and she was delighted. I have a deep love of horses and was excited about this piece. Then, the horse races started this spring, and as soon as I saw American Pharoah I knew this horse was going all the way. The day American Pharoah won the Triple Crown was the day I was in Chicago for the Midwest directors meeting. We will be dedicating the concert program at Midwest to Dorothy, and her piece, American Triple Crown, will be premiered on our program.

Keith Ziolkowski
Avon Middle School
Chamber Orchestra
Avon, Indiana

Experiencing All Music Offers
    The number one way my teachers inspired me was to provide me with opportunities to explore what music could be to them outside of the classroom. All of these inspiring educators taught multiple ensembles: choir, show choir, band, marching band, orchestra, chamber strings, jazz band. It was their ability in their discipline to show students that music could be a fun and enjoyable career. This taught me to search for and to provide programs, musicals, clinics, orchestra festivals, and guest clinicians to show my students, no matter the grade level, what music is and what music does for our society in this technological age.

Why the Details Matter
    One lesson that I have learned from our Midwest preparation is to focus on the tiniest of details from the beginning. When we first started rehearsing our program and deciding on our final selections, it was overwhelming, and still is a bit overwhelming. However, if you can zone in on the tiny aspects of what make your particular ensemble sound great, such as great shifting skills, that will help guide, highlight, and lead you through correcting other mistakes, help you choose proper repertoire, and allows your students to find early and quick success in what they are doing.

Triangles for String Players
    I show students the triangle of bowing, the pyramid of dynamics, and the triangle of placement. At the middle school level tone quality and control are always a challenge. The triangle of bowing has three sides labeled placement, weight, and speed, and in the middle is dynamics. From that triangle, we build a pyramid that has ff on the bottom and pp on the top. We then take this triangle and place it over a diagram of the bridge, strings, and the end of the finger board.

Jason Heath
Vernon Hills High School
Symphony Orchestra
Vernon Hills, Illinois

Double Bass Solo
    I wrote an arrangement of Vittorio Monti’s Czardas for full orchestra and solo double bass that we will perform with Lyric Opera of Chicago bassist Andrew Anderson.

Benefits of Repertoire Research
    Planning repertoire that works for our ensemble, is something we’d want to play for an event like Midwest, and that fits into the requirements for Midwest programming requires a great deal of research and organization. This process has caused me to listen to a wide array of pieces through all difficulty levels, and I have gotten many exciting new repertoire ideas as a result.

Enrique Lasansky
Denver School of the Arts
Advanced String Orchestra
Denver, Colorado

A Conductor’s Most Important Task
    The teacher who inspired me the most was Charles Bruck, the legendary teacher of conductors at the Pierre Monteux School for Advanced Conductors. Bruck taught his students to have the utmost integ-rity in their score study. Knowledge of the score, including the composer’s style, was a conductor’s most important task, not conducting technique. Bruck seemed to know every bar of all of the major orchestral pieces and expected no less from his students.

Thorough Preparation
    The students will be working on Midwest pieces for many months. It is important to make as many connections as possible to other topics apart from working on perfecting the performance. We looked at the composers’ entire output, their place in musical history, contemporary events during the composers’ lives and any parallels we could make to other disciplines.

The post The Midwest Clinic in 2015 appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Each year the Midwest Clinic hosts several of the nation’s top military ensembles. One of the groups performing this year is the Commodores, the Navy’s premier jazz ensemble. Formed in 1969, this 18-member group’s mission includes public concerts, national concert tours, ceremonial support in honoring veterans, jazz education classes and clinics, and protocol performances for high-level military and civilian government officials. Senior Chief Musician William Mulligan, the Commodores’ unit leader and master of ceremonies, shared a few of his thoughts on performing at the Midwest Clinic and playing great jazz.

A Surprise Encounter
This is my fourth trip to the Midwest Clinic with the Com-modores. My favorite memory is from my first trip. We performed with the great James Moody, which was unplanned until we arrived. A surprise meeting and a chance to perform with a jazz legend are things you never forget. Our special guest this year will be trombonist and educator Jim Pugh.

Meaningful Opportunities
    After more than 18 years in the band, it is difficult to pick just one. We have played all over the country and performed at the White House, and I have marched in four inaugural parades with our Ceremonial band. It is always meaningful to perform at full honors funerals at Arlington National Cemetery with our Ceremonial band as well. Our concerts are great opportunities for communities to come together to honor our veterans. We do a Salute to Veterans at the end of every show. Witnessing the audience reaction to that is quite powerful.

Music Education Missions
    The Commodores frequently give jazz education clinics and classes. Most often, we will send a few members of the band to a student ensemble to rehearse them, give them pointers on style and improvisation, and play along with them as well. If you are trying to learn to play jazz, there is no better way than playing along with a professional.

Listening Is Key
    If you want to play jazz, you have to listen to jazz; it is that simple. The most common problem I hear is that jazz players sound like they have learned a foreign language without ever hearing anyone speak it. The students I have had over the years who made the most progress as improvisers did it by transcribing solos by the jazz greats. You can’t beat this for developing your ear, learning the language, and developing a jazz style.

A Military Music Career
    Preparing for a career as a military musician is the same as preparing for any career in music: practice. Being well-versed in many styles is a must, as is being a good reader. Improvisational skills are essential if one is interested in performing in one of the premiere jazz ensembles like the Commodores, as everyone is a soloist. If you are a saxophonist interested in one of the jazz ensembles, you will have to be able to double on flute and clarinet.

Seeing the Military Bands
    The U.S. Navy Band’s national tours cover the continental United States in a five-year cycle, with five different tour regions. In addition to the Commodores jazz ensemble, our Concert Band, Sea Chanters (chorale), Country Current (country and bluegrass), and Cruisers (contemporary music) all go on a national tour once a year. No matter where you are in the continental United States, one of our groups should be passing through in the near future. We perform public concerts in the national capital region throughout the year. All of the information for requesting the band or sponsoring a tour concert is available on our website: .

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