Classroom Management
    We took the classes and observed great teachers while in college, but there is no substitute for trying classroom management for yourself. It takes hands-on experience and time to develop your voice and approach, as well as to internalize approaches learned from mentors. The following are classroom management procedures I have worked into my teaching. 
    First, be proactive rather than reactive. Set students up for success with clear procedures and instruction. Clear procedures will gradually give students independence, and strong expectations that are communicated frequently will help you as the teacher implement good management. Micro­man­ag­ing students’ free time in the rehearsal hall with entrance/bell activities and limiting their time to set up will establish order early on.
    For each band class, we have a two-minute countdown timer that starts when the tardy bell rings. It is projected onto a screen, and this helps keep students moving to their chairs and getting set up. As soon as students sit down, they are allowed to play at a moderate dynamic level and can play music out of our method book or practice music we are working on for an upcoming concert. This gives them time to work on passages that individually need attention. When the two minute timer is complete, I step up on the podium and raise my hand, which is the ensemble’s cue to stop playing and begin class time. Students are generally very good about getting to their seats on time and starting to play their instrument, which frees up time for me to address instrument problems, missing music, and anything else that might come up before class begins. A consistent daily routine leads to a productive rehearsal environment.
    I have also learned that students generally act out either for attention or out of frustration. Sometimes an honest conversation with a student after class can help figure out which of these it is. Something I learned from my head director is to start and end a conversation with praise or encouragement – let such students know that their contribution to class is welcomed and wanted. 
    Students want structure and expect the teacher to handle classroom management concerns. Some minor misbehavior can be ignored, but if major infractions or chronic problems are not handled, students begin to believe the teacher cannot manage poor behavior, and the ones genuinely interested in learning will quit. Sometimes I felt uncomfortable tackling behavior problems, worrying that it would lead to all students being discouraged, but handling problems actually helps maintain a productive learning environment. The other students will appreciate it.
    Finally, middle school students need to be taught rehearsal technique. I student taught at the high school level, where students have already learned to rehearse, so this caught me by surprise. Take a few moments to explain how rehearsal works, and what rehearsal etiquette consists of. I had to teach my band that students do not talk while other students are playing. To keep everyone involved in the rehearsal, I sometimes have students play a drone for tuning or sizzling the subdivision for pulse.

Content Knowledge
    I liken the first year of teaching to feeling like Swiss cheese – you learn where the holes in your content knowledge are. For example, I had little experience with woodwind repair before I started teaching but learned a great deal on the job about diagnosing woodwind instrument problems and figuring out what I could repair quickly, what could be repaired during prep time, and what had to be sent to the shop. I also learned much about teaching good woodwind sounds. As a new teacher you have to be comfortable telling a student that you do not know the answer to a question, but then you must do your homework, find the answer, and return the next day with the information. Students will appreciate you going to the extra mile to get the information they need to be successful. 
    There is a gold mine of information available, but you have to be willing to pick up the tool to mine it. Talk with mentors and ask private lessons teachers for tips. Take professional development seriously. There is also a sea of books, apps, and podcasts for band directors. One podcast I enjoy is After Sectionals from Stiles Middle School. I particularly like their episodes that are recordings of full beginner class periods, which is akin to observing for field placement, but with the ability to go back and study the teaching method and style in detail. 

Work/Life Balance
    The first year of teaching can be an emotional roller coaster. I let my self-esteem be closely tied to the success or failures of my students and had to learn equanimity and become more even keeled in my responses to student achievements and progress. My head director provided support and perspective by sharing stories of his first year and subsequent career.
    I also had to learn that it is okay to emulate great teachers. Many of the problems first-year teachers experience already have answers out there. Do not reinvent the wheel when you can search for an existing answer. The key is to adapt what you find to fit your situation.
    Creating some clear work/life balance has helped as well. Finding time to exercise, cultivating hobbies outside of the profession, and taking care of yourself goes a long way toward feeling better at school. I found salsa dancing as a hobby and go once a week. I also limit the amount of time I spent on schoolwork during the weekends. Spending time reading, exploring the area with friends, or attending performances are excellent ways to recharge the batteries for the week ahead. However, I do spend time on Sunday sketching out the coming week so I have a framework for my more detailed lesson planning during the week. Spending a little bit of time planning ahead can save a lot of work time during the week. 

Conclusion
    The first year teaching is an incredible adventure, and it is hard to predict what will come of it. At times it can feel overwhelming and frustrating, especially when it comes to classroom management and content knowledge. However, there are many resources available to use and learn from, and finding mentors who are willing to listen and give advice is incredibly helpful. My father perhaps offered the best advice, telling me to “act like you belong in the room and be your honest, enthusiastic self.” Be like a sponge, absorb all the advice and wisdom you can, and enjoy the learning and growing you will do along with your students during your first year.

The post Lessons from a First Year of Teaching appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

The Routine
    Establishing a daily diet of exercises for brass players is helpful, but providing them with a sequence of study is the best approach. This series should cover all aspects of playing: sound, flexibility, articulation, dexterity, and range/strength. Covering each of these aspects daily will lead to consistency and long-term success. 

Make It Small
    Treat the overtone series like a scale. The visual representation of slurs, especially larger intervals, often elicits a negative physical response from the player in the form of tension; be sure to watch students’ hands, arms, and neck while they play. Practice keeping the notes close to one another by playing five-note ascending slur patterns on each valve combination, starting at the bottom of the horn. As the patterns become more connected, start one partial higher and do a five-note pattern based on that note. Tension is the enemy of fluid, efficient brass playing. Once players are convinced the notes are actually closer together, a more fluid result will occur. 

Clip It
    Inserting a slightly opened paper clip into the leadpipe to keep the mouthpiece from completely seating sets up a wonderful mechanism to practice moving across the overtone series but with less resistance. It also raises awareness of how the corners of the embouchure must engage to properly play slurs. Practice passages with a drone reference pitch as the clip makes the horn extremely sharp. There are numerous gadgets that accomplish a similar purpose, but a simple paper clip works just as well. This process works beautifully during the band rehearsal as well to clarify specific passages in regard tone quality, and intonation. 

Tongue Before Slurring, Slur Before Tonguing
    Tongued passages improve dramatically when practiced slurred. This process reminds players that a well-developed, free-flowing airstream is required. When articulation is re-introduced, the tone will be fuller, and the notes more connected. 
    Similarly, slurred passages improve dramatically when practiced with articulation. Larger intervals especially benefit from being articulated first. This process reminds players that the movement from note to note happens at the front of the mouth, and that it requires little movement. When the articulation is taken away, the player can actually feel the note change at the front of the mouth where the lips meet the mouthpiece. 

The Studies – Horizontal vs. Vertical
    At the risk of oversimplification, consider there are two types of flexibility (lip slur) studies. Horizontal studies, which move back and forth within a limited range, are effective for building endurance and working on smooth connections between notes. Vertical studies, which cover a wider range – a fifth, octave, or more – are effective for building range and strength. These studies should encourage players to extend the range gradually while relying on the airstream, staying as relaxed as possible, and playing with a great sound.

The Secret
    The real secret is that the sound must be the guide. No matter the challenge, brass players must strive for a full, resonant sound at all times, under all conditions. Everything played beautifully on a brass instrument is accomplished over a well-established, free-flowing airstream. Whether working on flexibility or another technique associated with brass playing, be sure students understand that speed and range matter very little if it does not sound great.

The post Improving Flexibility appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

The Secret
    The first thing I do is check the placement of the headjoint cork. In the typical flute section there are few corks that are set properly. To set the cork use the cleaning rod. When positioned in the headjoint, the line on the end of the rod should appear in the center of the embouchure hole. Some cleaning rods have three markings to make adjustment easier. There is one line for either side of the embouchure hole and one in the middle of the embouchure hole. 
    There are always a few students who have corks that are too loose and cannot be held in place. You can ask them to take them to the repairmen, but usually this will not happen. In the meantime, remove the crown by twisting it to the left and remove the stem assembly from the tenon end of the headjoint. Once removed, clean off any gunk and then place a strip of tape around the cork. Drop the cork back in from the tenon end and gently move it into place. If it is still loose, then repeat with another strip of tape. A properly sized cork will drop in where the end of the cork assembly (the silver plate) is in the center of the embouchure hole. The cork should be snug but not tight. An overly tight cork will flatten the pitch and dull the tone color. 
    The next step is to assemble the flute properly. The headjoint should be pulled 1⁄4 inch from the body of the flute. Use a ruler to find this placement.
    The headjoint embouchure hole should be level when played, which requires the flutist to develop embouchure flexibility and strength. It is easier to play with the headjoint rolled in, but it will be out of tune.
    Because the keys on the body should be level or facing the ceiling, align the center of the right-hand notes (D, E, F) with the center of the embouchure hole, as shown above.
    Next instruct the flutists that when playing the keys should remain level and pointing to the ceiling. One of the problems for most flutists is that the flute is not balanced well in the hands, so when a player removes his left-hand thumb (for C and C# in all three octaves and G and Ab in the top octave), the flute rolls back towards him. This makes the pitch flat. Reminding the flutists to roll out every time they remove the left-hand thumb will keep the pitch of the entire section closer together. 

Top Octave Fingerings
    These are the fingerings that most flutists learn last. In a public school setting there is never enough time to drill these fingerings as a group, so spending time in flutes-only sectionals will reap huge benefits. In addition to learning the fingerings, the flutist must become familiar with reading leger lines about the staff. 
    There are two ways to teach these fingerings. A combination of both produces the best results. The first is to teach the notes in succession starting with D6. This fingering is taught and then simple melodies are written to go to this note. This is repeated for each pitch. Usually the third book in a band series addresses this information. 
    Another way is think of how the fingering of these notes differs from those in second octave. Starting with D6 compare the difference in fingering with D5. The right-hand fingers are removed and the right pinky is added. It is almost like the flutist is waving to a friend across the room when raising the first three fingers. This chart offers more ideas about teaching these fingers. Alternate jumping back and forth between the second and third octaves. The execution of these notes requires the aperture (hole in lips) to become smaller and the airstream to be increased slightly in speed.

Chair and Stand Placement
    Ideally each flutist should have his own music and music stand. The chair should be positioned 45 degrees to the right so when sitting, the flutist is aligned with the center of the aperture to the center of the embouchure hole, to the crease in the left elbow to the center of the music stand. It is essential that there be ample room between flutists. 

Conclusion
    These simple tricks will improve the intonation immediately and there will be less chaos in the flute section.

The post Fixing the Flute Section appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Survival of the Fittest: The Small School Band Director
Donny Longest
Wednesday, Deccember 20, 10:30 a.m.
    Having spent 29 of my 33 years teaching in a small school, I realize what a daunting task it can be. In a small town in the middle of nowhere America, with no other music person on the teaching staff or maybe not even in the town, you have the opportunity and re­sponsibility to ed­ucate the students about music. However, my years in the small schools were the most rewarding I could ever have. I firmly believe that you will influence the students that go through your bandroom. It is up to you to develop the professional relationships with students, staff, and the community that determine if that effect is positive. That positive influence encourages students to work harder in rehearsals, while helping you garner support from the school staff and community that pushes the program forward.
    Donny Longest recently retired after 33 years of teaching in Oklahoma. He is the Executive Secretary for the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association.

Teaching Improvisation through Etude Writing
Bob Habersat, Paul Levy
Wednesday, December 20, 10:30 a.m.
    Jazz improvisation is often taught in a large group setting with the only instruction being, “play this scale on that chord.” This method doesn’t set students up to succeed, and they often become frustrated or intimidated when it is time to solo. Having students compose their solos ahead of time removes the unnerving element of improvising. 
    The two-step etude writing tool on  allows young players to make a great sounding solo quickly and easily. There is a library of blues licks that have been transcribed from notable jazz musicians and organized into first four, second four, and last four measure phrases. These licks can be mixed and matched together by simply copying and pasting them from our free interactive Noteflight scores into to a blank document. 
    Here is a sample etude that has been created using three licks that have been taken from different artists. 

Wes Montgomery, Au Privave (Cannonball Adderley and the Poll-Winners)

Joe Pass, Relaxin’ at Camarillo (Joy Spring)

Wynton Kelly, Dis Dis (Hank Mobley: Soul Station)

    When your students have written a solo, have them practice the notes and rhythms until it sounds like their own. A steady diet of writing solos and listening to jazz will create improvisers who will want to take solos.
    Paul Levy is the band director at Oak Lawn (Illinois) Community High School.
    Bob Habersat teaches Honors Music Theory 1, Honors Applied Music Theory, Guitar 1, Guitar 2, Guitar Studio, and Music Technology at Oak Lawn Community High School.

Antidotes for Performance Anxiety: Teaching Confidence
Miranda George
Wednesday, December 20, 10:30 a.m.
    To learn how to move through performance anxiety one must understand its origins. I theorize that there are three main causes for musicians’ performance anxiety:

    •  Adrenaline: shaking caused by excitement or benign pressure.
    •  Instability: a removal from habit caused by unforeseen events, setting off the fight-or-flight response.
    •  Shame: the fear of disconnection, a deep sense that one is not “good enough”, setting off the fight-or-flight response.1

    Shame-based performance anxiety is the least discussed of these three. According to renowned shame researcher Brené Brown, shame is the deeply held belief that one is not good enough – the idea that one is unworthy of love and belonging. “Shame lives and thrives in secrecy, silence, and judgment”. Musicians who are not resilient will either over-function or under-function in response to shame.1 Examples of over/under-functioning in response to shame include: negative self-talk or self-imagery, unfair expectations, self-sacrifice or lack of self-care, over-practice, obsession, mistrust, faithlessness, evidence seeking, constant surveillance, scarcity mindset, hustling, comparison, perfectionism, fear of disapproval, social inauthenticity, alienation, procrastination, and apathy.
    For many musicians who experience performance anxiety, their first instinct is to attempt to run away from it. Responding to performance anxiety with panic will only make things worse; performing with worthiness requires authenticity and a realignment of motivation. Breathing in and out slowly and practicing self-compassion helps dissipate uncomfortable symptoms by taking a moment to be mindful, treating oneself like a dear friend would be treated in the same situation. I offer the following prompt, inspired by self-compassion researcher Kristin Neff.2
    Write down or say out loud: “I am struggling with [name symptoms, i.e. tense, shaky, short of breath, unable to focus, etc.] That is because I feel [name emotion, i.e. excited, scared, uncomfortable, doubtful, etc.]. It is okay that I feel this way. I’m not alone. I’m not the only one who experiences this. This feeling is temporary. [Be sure not to over-identify with emotions or symptoms.] I am doing the best I can with what I have.”
    Start a conversation about performance anxiety with your fellow musicians and/or students. “Do you ever feel nervous or tense when you perform? How do you feel when that happens? What do you do to get past it?” Teachers and students will find that the greatest antidote of all is hearing someone else say, “I’m with you.”
    Miranda George has been a freelance trumpet player and teacher in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area for more than 15 years.

Sources
1The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings on Authenticity, Connection, & Courage. by Brené Brown, 2012.
2Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff, 2011.

Listen with Your Eyes
Josh Byrd
Wednesday, December 20, 12:00 p.m.
    Why do students make bad sounds? Most often it is not an intellectual or musical roadblock that gets in the way. It is a physical concept that needs to be addressed. Consider the following problems and teaching suggestions:

    Airy clarinet tone: “Focus the sound.”
    Abrasive cello tone: “Gentle, like a mountain goat’s feet on the walls of Machu Picchu.”
    Sharp trumpet pitch: “Listen.”
    Violent, angry triangle sounds: “Not so much. It should sound like ting.”

    Such suggestions are not only common, they are frequently the default statements for younger teachers. Instead of just listening with your ears, listen with your eyes to find what might be causing these types of sounds. For the clarinet problem above, have the students show you their setup. Are their reeds too far down, or is one of them chipped so badly it resembles a mountain range? As for the cellist, where are they playing in relation to the bridge? Did the student forget to tighten the bow prior to rehearsal? Are any of the trumpets’ main tuning slides pushed all of the way in, or is the pitch problem one person out of fifteen playing a Bn instead of a Bb? How is your percussionist holding the triangle? The beater? How is his arm moving?
    These types of problems require not only listening and watching, but focused observation. Moving around the ensemble allows you to see and hear what each student is doing, while also holding everyone more accountable. Know that many horns are going to get away with bad hand position if you only shout its importance from the conductor’s stand. Getting up close and personal can be very informative. For instance, it is nearly impossible to identify a clarinet beginner articulating with bursts of air instead of the tongue without watching and listening to students individually.
    It can be frustrating to know that something needs to be changed but not know what that something is. It is often easier to identify what is wrong than to fix the problem and its accompanying concepts. Young teachers so often default to a verbal explanation as to what should change with the sound, but not with the instrument or its approach. Much like when you’ve been pulled over for speeding, talking your way out of it rarely works. There are concepts that surround the craft of playing each instrument in your ensemble. Physical suggestions are not only more pertinent; they can also have a longer lasting effect.
    Josh Byrd is Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at the University of West Georgia.

Composing with My Middle School Band During Rehearsal
Travis J. Weller
Wednesday, December 20, 1:45 p.m.
    Colleagues often ask what they can do to help their students who have an interest in composing. I would simply say that although you might not consider yourself a composer, you spend the bulk of your day as an educator, you are a musician as well, and you are training musicians. Not every musician can be a composer, but a composer can come from anywhere. The ability to perform on one’s instrument and spontaneously compose – essentially improvisation – matters and can provide a unique outlet for germinal ideas to form.
    Once a student develops an idea that he finds unique and appealing, I would encourage him to record it. I frequently use the voice memo feature on my phone to record ideas, and most students would be at ease doing the same. This audio sketchbook can be revisited later for purposes of transcription, or further development. Transcription teaches students a number of basic skills in theory. The reflection upon revisiting the germinal idea might generate further extensions or even suggest contrasting material that offers their composition an appropriate amount of balance. 
    Travis J. Weller is the Director of Music Education and The Symphonic Winds at Messiah College.

Developing Beautiful Tone and Articulation
Winifred Crock, Laurie Scott
Wednesday, Dec 20, 2:30 p.m.
    Helping students produce a beautiful string tone is one of the most important and most fundamental teaching processes. When string students create clear, strong, and beautiful sounds from the first and continue to further build technique, they develop a unique palette of expressive tone colors, articulations, and dynamics. Analysis of weight, speed, contact point, bow tilt, and touch point furthers an understanding of the interrelationship of these factors in sound production. Defining and analyzing sounds with ideas such as strength, clarity, and continuity fosters growth in individual players as well as a unified ensemble sound. The concept that notes have a beginning, middle, and an end is a great way to start.
    Winifred Crock spent 25 years as the Director of Orchestras at Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri and has a private violin studio in suburban St. Louis, Missouri.
    Laurie Scott is Associate Professor of Music and Human Learning at The University of Texas at Austin.

Percussion – Magical, Musical, Marches
Kevin Lepper
Wednesday, December 20, 2:30 p.m.
    In most performances of marches the percussion sounds are approached with the all-parts-are-equal concept. Besides choosing the right instruments – decisions that include snare size and tuning, cymbal size and sound, bass drum tuning and mallet choice, bell range and mallet choice, and timpani drum selection and mal­let choice – you can identify what percussion instrument defines each section. These changes will provide new colors and life to a familiar form. For example, when performing Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor, keep in mind the instruments of a bullfight ensemble (snare drum, crash cymbals, bass drum) as well as typical Spanish instruments (castanets). Here is a possible percussion section definition solution:

    Introduction: – full ensemble 
    Phrase 1: snare drum leads
    Phrase 2 : bass drum leads
    Phrase 3: snare drum 16ths with cymbal crashes
    Lyrical theme : castanets
    Ending Phrases: isolated hits from crash cymbals and bass drum

    Band directors often massage the wind parts to get the sound color that they desire, now it’s time to go the next level and do the same thing for the percussion section.
    Kevin Lepper is Professor Emeritus at VanderCook College of Music and a freelance percussionist and educator in the Chicago area.

Complete Pedagogical Concepts for Low Brass Performance
Daniel Perantoni
Wednesday, December 20, 2:30 p.m.
    Our breath is not used to fill the instrument but is used by the embouchure as energy to make the lips vibrate. The tuba is an amplifier and reacts according to its acoustical properties.
    Successful performance demands the development of good physical habits that will happen naturally, like the simple task of picking up a pencil. Be concerned with the doer; one can only play as well as he or she hears. Listen to master performers on all instruments. Imitation is still the best teacher. It is helpful to develop your ear through singing. This will strengthen a closer awareness of pitch, melodic line and expression. Sing everything in your mind while playing the tuba. Finally, put it all together (air flow, embouchure, tonguing, etc.) into one concentration, which is the making of music.
    Points of discussion for successful performance are posture, inhalation, exhalation, articulation, intonation, range, vibrato, common sound problems, and making music.
    Daniel Perantoni is Tuba-Provost Professor at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Rhythm Reading Routines
Rhonda Rhodes
Wednesday, December 20, 4:00 p.m.
    Large rhythm flashcards can be used in myriad ways in the instrumental classroom. For example, try a classroom version of “Heads Up Charades” by holding a stack of rhythm cards slightly above your head, the rhythms facing out toward the ensemble. Make sure students know you haven’t peeked at the rhythms on the cards. Ask the group to play the rhythm on your count-off. The aim is for them to play the rhythm clearly enough that you can describe it back to them after one hearing.
    For the times when the group does not play it clearly, you have a few choices: simply ask them to play it again, or (a better response) give them an answer along the lines of “It’s either _____ or _____. I couldn’t really tell how long you intended the last note to be. Play it again for me.” Go through a series of three or four cards as part of your warmup. 
    Rhonda Rhodes teaches courses in music education, woodwind study, music theory, and ear training; woodwind ensembles; and private saxophone lessons at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah.

S.M.A.L.L. Band Programs: Strategies for Success
Brandon E. Robinson, David Robinson
Thursday, December 21, 8:30 a.m.
    Some challenges facing small bands include: sound, music, arranging, language, and leadership. There are a variety of approaches to assist band directors in these five specific areas. Custom music arrangements can highlight students with advanced ability and accommodate deficiencies due to a lack of experience, skill, or instrumentation. When hiring an arranger for your band or arranging for them yourself, here are some key points to consider:

•  Know how you want your ensemble balanced.
•  Do not write more than two parts for clarinets, alto saxophones, trumpets, mellophones, or trombones.
•  Instead of splitting into three parts, fill out the chords in other voices.
•  Alto saxophones and mellophones can be used to reinforce woodwind or low brass parts.
•  Range and endurance should be a priority when arranging for your ensemble.

    Brandon Robinsonis Associate Director of Bands at Wake Forest University.
    David Robinson is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas.

Maximizing Gestural Expression
Dustin Barr, Jerald Schwiebert
Thursday, December 21, 11:30 a.m.
    Why do the world’s great conductors seemingly move so differently? Each appears to have a style and manner of movement that is uniquely theirs and that sometimes seems only tangentially related to the practices and recommendations laid out in most traditional conducting textbooks. To fully understand this, it is perhaps a more manageable task to look at how the world’s great conductors move similarly.
    The simple answer is that they move with a sense of sincerity and authenticity. Their bodies flow with a coordinated grace that resonates throughout their whole being. It includes movement – often subtle, sometimes considerable – in their torso, shoulders, neck, pelvis, legs, and throughout their entire body. No excess energy is wasted on holding parts of their body still. Their entire body may not always move much, but they always retain a sense of fluidity that allows for unencumbered movement when necessary.
    The kinesthetic authenticity de­monstrated by leading conductors, however, is a direct result of their mental energy. Communicating their musical intent is not a byproduct of their conducting technique – their conducting technique is the vehicle by which they communicate their intent. While this sounds like a mere variation in semantics, the difference can be profound. Placing emphasis on the act of communicating expands the focus of the conductor and allows the body to resonate naturally. Emphasizing technique above all else encourages the mind to retreat inward, focusing on the self, and consequently, inhibiting movement in parts of the body.
    Jerald Schwiebert is one of the country’s foremost authorities on the study and application of the capacity for human physical expression and spent 20 years on the faculty of the School of Music, Theater and Dance at the University of Michigan.
    Dustin Barr is Director of Wind Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at California State University, Fullerton.

Herding the Cats: Reflecting Your Priorities as You Teach Jazz Improvisation
Antonio García
Thursday, December 21, 11:30 a.m.
    Many factors can challenge how you grade an improvisation course – or even how you allocate time and energy within it. There is so much to learn from digesting the different, effective means by which any number of successful jazz educators address the art of teaching – and grading – jazz improvisation courses. By focusing on the potential dichotomy and intersection between the teachable and unteachable elements of improvisation, plus the concrete and the abstract, as well as the technical and the creative, we will be better equipped to ad­dress and reconcile these factors in our teaching and grading.
    As just one example, dual competency levels can be extremely effective in a class with a wide range of student improv experience. It is fair when articulated in the syllabus, is easy to track, and takes the pressure off both you and students to otherwise have the less-experienced students in the room achieve the same outcomes as the ones who walked in able to solo well. I am grateful to the late Donald Funes, then Chairman of Music at Northern Illinois University, for showing me how to accomplish that at the beginning of my teaching career so that my assigned grades would indeed be defendable in light of any later grade challenges by students who might perceive a double standard in the class. However, within surveys I conducted, only 11% of the respondents teaching improv courses used dual competency levels as a means to grade their students fairly.
    Trombonist, vocalist, composer, and educator Antonio García is director of jazz studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and an executive board member of The Midwest Clinic.

Mindset for Music
Thomas Hooten
Thursday, December 21, 3:00 p.m.
    In my clinic, I will discuss the psychological, practical, and emotional aspects of being a performer. I believe that in our development as instrumentalists, we need to have coordination between the mind and the body. For example, one simple exercise would be to learn how to time your breath with the music that you are about to play. Practicing this in a warmup while working on fundamentals is a great place to start. I will discuss other tips on how to create this coordination, along with practical advice regarding audition and performance preparation.
    Thomas Hooten is Principal Trumpet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

How to Teach Alternate Fingerings for Woodwinds In Your Ensemble
Nicholas Thomas, Emmanuel Rodriguez
Thursday, December 21, 3:30 p.m.
    We will discuss brief techniques and pedagogy that will show novice teachers quick teaching points to improve their woodwind sections. Emphasis will be on common alternate fingerings to facilitate dexterity of playing and common pitch problems. Also, discussed will be woodwind sliding concerns, common key sounds, and bumping.
    Nicholas Thomas is Coordinator for Music Teacher Education and Assistant Director of University Bands at Florida A&M University.
    Emmanuel Rodriguez is Director of Bands at Miramar (Florida) High School.

Changing the Culture from the Inside Out
Stan Mauldin
Thursday, December 21, 4:30 p.m.
    Shortly after I was named the new Director of Bands at Seguin ISD, the Seguin Band was contacted by a tour company: “Another band has had a change of directors and decided give up its performing time in Carnegie Hall. Would the Se­guin Band have an interest in taking the spot?” The impossible task at hand was to raise approximately $260,000 and perfect a Carnegie Hall Concert Performance that included Rhapsody in Blue in 90 days. How did the Seguin Band do the impossible? 
    The goal must be large enough to engender community support and, therefore, allow the band to raise large sums of money. KWED, the Seguin radio station, sponsored seven days of giving where the community came together to support the band’s trip to New York. In a week the band raised over $28,000 from individual small donations. We formed small ensembles and performed at every Christmas party, Rotary Club event, and Lions Club and Chamber event. The band raised over $15,000 performing at these small events. Additionally, the members individually raised thousands of dollars when the community came together and hired them for small jobs like babysitting, painting, lawn care, and trash pick-up. Many band members sold enough pie and cupcakes to pay their way. 
    Also, the concert must be large enough to encourage the band members to change their rehearsal attitudes, show up to rehearsal, attend extra rehearsals, and sectionals, and practics their parts. The Carnegie Hall performance changed the Seguin High School band in many profound ways. The response used to be, “That’s impossible,” but now the response is “Okay, let’s figure it out.” The Carnegie performance has changed not only the band program, but the community. 
    Stan Mauldin has been teaching since 1979 and is in his first year at Seguin High School.

Practical Score Study for the Busy Band Director
Lawrence Stoffel
Friday, December 22, 12:00 p.m.
    Mark your scores in color to find quickly the information you need and make the most of rehearsal productivity. There are different and useful color code systems, and each has its particular merits and purpose. This color code system highlights information printed in the score. By highlighting discrete information found in the score, the conductor’s eye is trained to target on a particular color to see dynamics, tempo, beat patterns, and other specific information. (You’ll want to use erasable color pencils.) Tempo markings are highlighted in green. Meter and beat patterns are marked in orange. Loud dynamics are highlighted in red and soft dynamics in blue. Any additional information found in the printed score can be highlighted in yellow.
    Here’s a bonus to this score study clinic: Come to this session to learn what makes The Star Spangled Banner so difficult to sing. The answer is found in its form and function. (Hint: It really doesn’t have much to do with the range of the melody.)
    Lawrence Stoffel, Professor of Music, is Director of Bands at California State University, Northridge (Los Angeles).

Teaching the Rhythm Section the Nuances of the Groove
Chuck Webb
Friday, December 22, 2:45 p.m.
    It seems logical that when playing faster tempos we should concentrate harder, dig in, increase our rate of breathing, and grind it out. After all, if you are running a sprint you have to work harder that if you are taking a leisurely stroll, right? This makes perfect sense, but when trying to make music groove at fast tempos it is the exact opposite of what we should do.
    To make fast tempos feel good we have to play a trick on ourselves and do the opposite of what seems natural. It is important to slow down our breathing, relax our muscles (our chops), and think in larger time groupings as opposed to being aware of small subdivisions. For bass players this may mean not digging in as hard and thinking of only the first beat of each measure in a fast walking line, even though you are playing four notes per measure. For drummers it may mean using more rebound so that one stroke generates two or more notes. For chordal instruments it may mean letting more space go by and playing more sparse comping figures. Playing fast tempos is challenging, but by practicing these tips you will soon learn to make the quick tunes sound comfortable and relaxed. 
    Chuck Webb is a first call electric and acoustic bassist who has toured the world many times, performing with such notable artists as Aretha Franklin, Ramsey Lewis, David Sanborn, Al DiMeola, Grover Washington Jr., and Freddie Hubbard.

The post Midwest 2017: Clinicians Preview appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    A few of the teachers bringing an ensemble to the Midwest Clinic took a short break from their preparations to chat with us. Enjoy these stories about some of the many performing groups headed to Chicago later this month.

Arbor Creek Middle School Honors Band
Carrollton, Texas (pop. 133,168)
Rylon Guidry, Director
    Director Rylon Guidry received his invitation to perform at Midwest the night before a UIL performance, but kept the secret from his students until after their performance and after lunch. There are 83 students traveling to Midwest, and on rehearsing a group of that size, Guidry says, “I like to layer lines when re­hearsing chunks of pieces. We have a large band, and the best way to check for understanding and teach balance for me is to isolate each line, and add others on in order of importance.”

Carmel Middle School Chamber Orchestra
Carmel, Indiana (pop. 91,065)
Joel Powell, Director
    This 31-member ensemble was established in 2015 and has already accrued many awards and wide recognition. Says founder and director Joel Powell, “Pre­par­ing for the Mid­west Clinic has been an incredibly trying but unbelievably re­warding experience. In one re­hearsal, a section was struggling with a particularly difficult rhythmic passage. While working with the section alone, the rest of the orchestra gradually broke out into an improvised rhythmic ostinato in an effort to help their colleagues. This was a great moment of fun and creativity during an intense rehearsal.”

Clovis North Educational Center Wind Ensemble
Fresno, California (pop. 522,053)
David Lesser, Director
    The first piece the Clovis North band ever played in public was We Will Rock You, performed for the superintendent. Eleven years later, 54 Clovis North students are heading to Chicago, and roughly half of them were not in the band last year. Twenty-one students from the auditioning group graduated in spring. Says director David Lesser, “Before Thanks­giving we focus on marching band with some concert band sprinkled in. Having to emphasize our wind ensemble while still producing a competitive marching band has allowed our younger students and beginning concert band to grow faster. Because of this, we may alter our approach in the future.”

T.A. Howard Middle School Honor Band
Arlington, Texas (pop. 392,772)
Nathaniel Neugent, Director
    Although this 67-member band usually performs only three works on its fall concert, this year they played six of their eight Midwest pieces back to back, to give students practice for Midwest. Says director Nathaniel Neugent, “As we neared our last piece, I could hear endurance started to wane a bit, especially the brass, but they pushed through and finished strong. There were some exhilarated faces when we finished, and the following Mondaystudents went to work at a level I hadn’t seen before in rehearsal.”

Iolani School Orchestra
Honolulu, Hawaii (pop. 390,738)
Katharine Hafner, Director
    The 60 students coming to Midwest include string players, percussionists, and dancers. Says director Katharine Hafner, “As representatives of the state of Hawaii, we felt it was important to share hula, the central cultural art form of Hawaii, with our wider audiences, in addition to the rest of our program.” The program also includes a complete reimagining of Bartók’s Rumanian Folk Dances by composer Clarice Assad.

Kell High School Wind Ensemble
Marietta, Georgia (pop. 60,941)
David Roth, Director
    A handful of the 52 students traveling to Chicago this month have older siblings who attended in 2010, when the program last performed at Midwest. At the end of the last school year, the Kell Wind En­semble spent two weeks reading works for their program. Says di­rector David Roth, “As we pieced the program together, the students had spirited debates over which pieces should be on the concert. The process was exciting and inclusive as the students got to have input.”

Lamar Middle School & Fine Arts Academy Symphonic Winds
Austin, Texas (pop. 947,890)
James Hairston, Director
    During summer rehearsals, director James Hairston and the 53 students attending Midwest never knew ahead of time whether they would have air conditioning. Students would show up in summer clothes to find the air on full blast, then come dressed in long pants and sweaters the next week only for the air conditioning to be off. Hairston favors planning rehearsals to the minute, saying, “Forcing myself to stay on time keeps the rehearsal flowing, and it also challenges students to perform at their highest levels.”

Martin High School Symphony Orchestra
Arlington, Texas (pop. 392,772)
Jamie Ovalle, Director
    During the second week of rehearsals, director Jamie Ovalle and the 83 students discussed the third movement of Scheherazade. “Students imagined an introduction to an innocent and exciting love story, and I told them to portray the story through their instruments. We began to play through the intro again. As the opening theme came to a close, I cut them off and we sat in silence for a few seconds. Something special occurred as each student truly felt why they were playing Scheherazade. We all had goosebumps.”

Plano Senior High School Chamber Orchestra
Plano, Texas (pop. 286,057)
Brian Coatney, Director
    A two-year senior high with only juniors and seniors enrolled, Plano Senior High School is combining two classes into a 68-member ensemble for the Mid­west Clinic. Says director Brian Coatney, “We were struggling to fit all of the parts together on Fan­tasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams, but we had a moment in an October rehearsal when everything fit together perfectly. It was the first time the whole group felt really excited about the piece, and we’re now craving more moments like this one on all of our pieces.”

Plano Senior High School Chamber Orchestra

Riverwatch Middle School Symphonic Band
Suwanee, Georgia (pop. 19,421)
Matt Koperniak, Director
    The first ensemble from Georgia’s Forsyth County School System to perform at Midwest, the 79 students traveling to Chi­cago make up only a small percentage of the Riverwatch band program, which includes more than 650 students in grades 6-8. Riverwatch’s concert will open with a world premiere of Joseph Spaniola’s World of Wonder, a three-section work depicting the core Riverwatch beliefs of a Happy, Healthy, and Hardy school community. Says director Matt Koperniak, “It was amazing to see the students’ faces light up when they saw these markings on their printed music.”

Riverwatch Middle School Symphonic Band

Vandegrift High School Percussion Ensemble
Austin, Texas (pop. 947,890)
Joe Hobbs, Director
    In 2013, Vandegrift director of percussion Joe Hobbs and composer Jim Casella spent time hiking in the Himalayas during monsoon season. When the invitation came for Vandegrift’s Percussion En­semble to perform at Midwest, Hobbs commissioned Casella to write a piece based on the experience, using instruments the two had purchased in Nepal. Titled Beyond the Clouds, the work is one of two commissions to be performed by the 24-member group at Midwest.

Wylie High School Wind Symphony
Wylie, Texas (pop. 47,701)
Todd Dixon, Director
    Wylie High School lead a consortium of schools that commissioned a new piece for wind ensemble by Dan Welcher. The piece is dedicated to director Todd Dixon’s grandparents, Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon, who were great contributors to the arts in Fort Worth. Dixon notes, “My daughter is a member of the 63-member Wind Symphony and will be performing this beautiful and colorful piece dedicated to her great grandparents at The Midwest Clinic.”

The post Midwest 2017: Performer Profiles appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

What strategies do you use in the important first minutes of a rehearsal?
    All rehearsals at Lassiter operated essentially the same way. I wanted classes to start with quiet and calm. With a 250-piece marching band, the students sat for a brief band meeting, and I described the last rehearsal and our short-term goals moving forward. In concert band, I wrote the music for the day and described our goals. The rehearsal room was clear of extra chairs or stands. A tidy and well-organized classroom allows students to enter quietly and move directly to get their materials. When a room was in disarray, students saw that rehearsal as less important. If students were absent, extra chairs were quickly removed. 
    I eliminated anything chaotic in the room. For example, drummers were not allowed to play on their instruments unless conducted. They could play on pads or on keyboard instruments using soft mallets. The intent was to get their arms loosened up. A loud percussion sound can create a chaotic atmosphere and start the period with a lack of order. Once students were trained to do that, there were no problems.
    Once wind players had their instruments assembled, they chose from 15 to 20 ordered warmups, typically with moderate volumes and tessitura. These included long tones and scalar passages that were not too offensive to the embouchure. In the beginning of the year, we worked through each one. This routine produced a relaxed and focused rehearsal.

What ensemble warmups and strategies did you use?
    I left nothing to chance and made sure that the class was positive, enthusiastic, and as free of stress as possible. The music sometimes creates stressful moments, and the ensemble did not need me to add to it. For most of my career I had four or five concert bands. I did not ask the advanced band to play the same exercises as the fifth band, but the approach to music making was the same.
    I called this part of rehearsal warming up for many years, until some brainiac students noted that it does not take that long to warm up a flute. We changed the expression to developmental exercises. I compared our work to a golfer taking practice swings or basketball players practicing layups. I asked them to think about the meaning behind what they were doing. As Gen. Colin Powell writes, “It worked for me!”

What did a successful rehearsal look like for you?
    I taught 55-minute classes for most of my career with regular after school rehearsals for marching, jazz, concert band, or chamber ensembles. I used 40%-50% of each class period to emphasize fundamentals. The literature was just a matter of transferring learning. Almost all classes began with breathing exercises to wake up the lungs. Students generally use a small amount of lung capacity when asleep or sitting in chairs in other academic classes. When students come to band, the lungs are half asleep. We did a series of inhalations and exhalations to expand and condense the lungs to allow air to move freely through the body without tension.
    Humming. When we tried singing earlier in the school year, the bashful ones were too reserved to sing out loud. Humming on a fixed pitch works just as well for waking up the ears. We sang various intervals without a metronome. 
    Long Tones. We continued with long tones using the Emory Remington studies. We centered them on concert F, going down the seven chromatic positions and back up in half notes at a tempo of 86. In all of our exercises, I maintained a controlled environment with a tempo ranging from 86 to 100. After the exercise on F, we played one on low Bb to create a nice rich low-register sound. Then we switched to the octave above while attempting to maintain the same rich and resonant sound. These exercises were at mezzo forte and were in slurred half notes or whole notes – never too quick or tongued.
    Slurring. We slurred exercises to make it easier to produce a smoother airflow rather than using the tongue to change sounds. It is my opinion that we use the tongue too much in our teaching. It is not a valve for precision – understanding is. Toe- tapping was encouraged, but toes only. Not the entire foot. We think of the tongue as a weak muscle, but it is actually one of the strongest. I avoided using the word attack in favor of initiate to describe starting the sound. I talked about initiation, duration, and closure (instead of release or stop). I use non-violent terms even on half notes. We typically played an assortment of scales for one octave to allow them to focus on the beauty of the sound and pitch at the same time. 
    Scales. On alternating days, instead of the Remington, I did unison major scales, going through the circle of fourths. Then we played the F concert scale in two octaves, using whole notes earlier in the year and half notes most of the year. Longer note values tend to allow students to hear the smoothness of the sound from the beginning, middle, through to the end of a tone.
    Tendency Tones. We taught students the five worst notes on their instruments (tendency tones) realizing that most instruments have more than five. We played with a “center of pitch” concept with adjustments to the tendency tones. I figured if students could remember the worst five notes on an instrument, they would be way ahead of the curve. As we played scales, I asked students to focus on their tendency tones.
    Add-a-Tone Drill. Students slurred a Bb concert scale in quarter notes at m.m. = 86. They played up the major scale and held the eighth scale degree for a two counts to hear the pitch and timbre of the sound, and then come back down the scale holding the last tonic note for three counts. Next, the scale was played up to the ninth degree and holding it for a few counts before going back down. We did this exercise up to the twelfth degree with a goal of keeping the timbre of the sound the same even as notes were added. We called those consistent sounds purple. If the tone thinned out or became pinched, we called those tones pink. We tried to avoid pink sounds. 
    Rhythm Builders. I loved using 40 Rhythmical Studies by Grover Yaus because it was the best book to teach interpretation of rhythms. Julian E. White, Assistant Director at my alma mater was a retired and successful high school band director in Florida. He taught our band methods courses and insisted that we learn the values of classroom methods. We lived in the music library. Most of the exercises were six-line exercises in simple keys that allowed for students to focus on rhythms first and notes heads second. When most youngsters read music, they read the note heads first because that is where the song is located. As a result, they tend to struggle with the rhythms for many years to come. With rhythm exercises, we focus on the noteheads second and the stems and flags first. After the first day, the mature students are working on musical style or dynamics. With my advanced bands, if the key was a simple one such as Eb major, they read straight through it, and I asked them transpose it up to E major, forcing them to think through the sharps and the flats. 
    Technique Builders. Each band used a separate technique builder that was designed not for speed but for teaching finger patterns. We typically played scales in thirds, fourths, and fifths in several keys; the intervals were consistent throughout the exercise. These exercises took the brass from the bottom of the range to the top, while woodwind players often worked on alternate fingerings and their upper register. I didn’t use these techniques as fast as one would think. My signature book for my advanced classes for 30+ years was Unisonal Scales and Chords by William White. This was another Julian E. White suggestion. It worked. Younger bands used less difficult books but focused on the same principles.
    Tuning. Tuning was an active practice at Lassiter as long as sounds were being made and not simply a one-time event during rehearsals. We focused on humming, singing, and matching sounds all the time. Students were taught to play with a good characteristic sound first and adjust it second. High-quality sound came before blend. Listening generally involved two processes: Tuning horizontally to match sounds in or near your octave, and tuning vertically to listen to sounds above and below you – but mostly below. With chords, we used adjusted intonation. Finally, we went through the process of getting instrument lengths set for the rehearsal, what we call tuning. This was often a left-brain activity dealing with mostly the science of music, although listening (right brain) was also strongly used to match pitch. Because we played so much in unison we are pretty close in the matching process.We typically tuned (in unisons and not octaves) and to a fixed pitch. After tuning we played harmony, typically chorales or anything that was homophonic. I liked working with chorales in Claude T. Smith’s Symphonic Warm-Ups for Band, Bach chorales, and James Curnow’s Tone Studies for Band, Parts 1 or 2.

What is your approach to repertoire selection?
    It is important to give students a musical vocabulary. The Japanese music pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki suggested that we learn spoken language by hearing it first. I agree, so I gave students a broad musical vocabulary. We spend a dozen years in English classes on words, how they work together, and how to construct sentences. We are less thorough in music. In many cases, we play three or four tunes a semester, and just play the technique without any understanding of the vocabulary. 
    In college, I would attend a recital or hear a piece in a practice room played by another trumpeter, and I would find that music, take it to the practice room, and do what I call a scavenger hunt. I’d play it through to see how it felt and how it was put together. I transferred that approach to teaching an entire band. We played nearly 100 pieces a year with the advanced band and almost 75 with the second band. The third band would play about 60, fourth band about 40, and the fifth band about 20 pieces. That may or may not include the pieces for a concert. The concerts were less important to me than the process of developing a vocabulary. If you’re rehearsing something and a baroque dance comes up and students have never heard one, they will struggle. The same is true with a fugue. In the first semester, During the first semester, I usually selected music one grade level less advanced than the performers. I wanted to teach the importance of melody, line, counterpoint, form, structure, harmony, beauty, stretto, fragmentation, and other compositional tools instead of just having them struggle through the Hindemith Symphony. That comes later.
    During second semester we focused more on concert literature but played something new every day. Reading so much music with our groups allowed us to teach musical style and all the nuances that students might miss if they were struggling with parts. 

How do you use a metronome in rehearsals?
    I use those sparingly in concert band. I want my baton to show where the pulse is. I use the metronome much more often with a marching band, which helped keep rehearsals organized. With a band of 280, it can take a while for freshmen to figure out the pulse. Some directors use the metronome the same way with concert band rehearsals. The greatest issue I have with playing the metronome as loudly as the band is playing is that the teacher and students can only hear rhythm. This simply keeps the band on pulse and generally does not develop strong rhythmic skills and only helps with the music at hand making it difficult to transfer learning to hear critical element. The metronome is a tool most used by individuals to correct minute rhythmic issues as they arise, not a band trainer. You cannot hear the beginning and end of notes, and neither can students. They can’t hear internal harmony and balances. More importantly, they play at the volume of the metronome. I played my metronome underneath the sound of the band, if needed. The metronome is the most poorly used tool in our arsenal.

How do you approach the first experience with a new piece?
    Musical rehearsals must be fun. When I was a young director, John Paynter told me that students come to us with different perceptions of fun. He said some students enjoy reading War and Peace, and some enjoy a walk in the park. He said it was our job as conductors to help students perceive fun the way we perceive it. 
    The music must be interesting to the conductor and students, almost like the discovery of a new jewel. If it was something we were going to play at an event, a large-scale work like Symphonic Metamorphosis or the Persichetti Symphony, I let them hear the piece first. The reason for that, especially with younger groups, is that students will tell their classmates at the end of first rehearsal whether the liked the piece or not. If the low brass had a boring part, they would say, “I don’t like that piece.” If they were to hear a seven- or eight-minute recording before playing, they hear parts where their section is featured that will come up in later rehearsals and love the work. Sold!
    Before we read through a work, I would always include a short bio of the composer’s biography, establish a musical setting, country of origin, style, and musical period it comes from. It is critical that we develop personal relationships with composers to better understand the compositional process. If it were a programmatic piece, I’d tell them the story. I’d address some parts of the form, but more importantly, I’d describe the mood and the musical personality. If students have the skills, we play the music all the way through. I’d put ritards, accelerandos, changes of articulation, and volume shifts on the baton from the beginning. I would never play it with the metronome. The students needed to hear the song. 
    Programmatic works are always easier to teach. I taught absolute compositions through the musical ideas, explaining about such elements as melody and motifs. With much of my teaching, I tried to do what Leonard Bernstein did with his Young People’s Concerts. He taught broad concepts in the simplest, most understandable manner. He made absolute music easy to understand. 
    I am troubled by some conductors who manage to make complex music more complex when rehearsing with an honor band. These conductors are trying to show that they are good musicians, but students do not really care about that. They care whether you care about them, whether you want the music to be enjoyable, and whether the rehearsal that day will be our version of fun. It is important to talk to students as collaborators and as developing musicians, not as pawns to play the technique of a piece for us. It is difficult sometimes for a 60-year-old to collaborate with a 14-year-old, but that is our job. 

What are some common mistakes you see in younger directors?
    Teaching comprehensive musicianship is the key; not just teaching a song. Developing musical excellence is certainly the most essential component of the job but it is the approach that can problematic. I think we place too much emphasis on competition. That might sound strange to some since I led what appeared to be a highly competitive marching band. We never competed more than four times a fall. It is critical that students, directors, and families have time away from the music program. It draws too much attention to championships and the things that belong to the teacher. Some think that competition serves the students, but I don’t think that it does. Handled inappropriately, it serves our own egos.
    Our marching band only rehearsed eight hours a week, and that started 25 or 30 years ago, before eight-hour rules came to some parts of the country. Generally, we rehearsed only one Saturday in August and one in September even on years when we competed at Grand Nationals. I asked the community to let October be our month for competitions. We did three competitions in October, and I used one Saturday to polish things up. There were essentially six or seven Saturdays from the beginning of school that students were involved in marching band after band camp. 
    My staff and I never discussed winning with our students. Never. We never discussed losing either. I just discussed the highest level of achievement that you can get. This focus on individual excellence would transfer to all other types of playing of ensembles ranging from jazz band to the first clarinet part in the third concert band. 
    I did not allow for challenges in the band. I did in the first several years of my career, and realized that it caused conflict in sections as students began to get rubbed the wrong way. If I corrected intonation in a section, the student who won a challenge assumed that the other student was responsible for the pitch problem. It also led to frayed emotions, which actually hurt the ensemble in many ways. We did re-audition for chairs around four times in a year.
    Some less experienced directors show a lack of understanding of pedagogy. I think it is critical that all teachers learn all the instruments, all the fingerings, and more importantly, how the embouchures are formed for every instrument and the characteristic sound in every register. This includes preferred e­quip­­ment, reeds and mouthpieces. 
    Our best re­sour­ces for that are the brass, woodwind, percussion and string method books that we used in methods classes in college. There are other excellent ones on the market. Our professors re­main a resource even after graduation. Most college students think of graduation as the end of a study period. Commencement means the beginning of a specific study rather than the end of the process. College courses are research classes on myriad subjects, but the true study occurs when you have completed formal education. Continued learning will keep you fresh, vibrant, and creative.
    Young directors also think they can talk their way to a good band. If you talk to students as your college professors spoke to you to create the music, there is a good chance that you will fail. A college professor works with students who are studying in applied studios. Our college classes are mostly done in lecture style. Over half of our students are visual learners. 
    Many young teachers also have problems with classroom management. We often do not know what it means to manage a class. I encourage young directors to go out and watch successful teachers in the area who manage their classes in polite, kind, and thoughtful ways so that management of the class aids the music making. 
    We are taught to find mentor teachers in the area and imitate methods in their teaching.  Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. That is good in some aspects like classroom management and efficiency in rehearsals. From the standpoint of pedagogy and literature, I say no. I’m 63 years old. If a student mimics me, my practices are based on who I was mentored by 40 years ago. I tell teachers to find the best in the industry and siphon information off of them, and ask them to be a mentor. Most of all just be inquisitive, and they will share. 
    My mentors included four or five middle school band directors in the Atlanta public school system who were good husbands, fathers, and bandmasters. They taught in deprived communities but with a high level of musicianship, and their ensembles were very good. I learned that poor kids can learn with good instruction. These mentors taught me to be a future husband and father. My college directors, William P. Foster, Director of Bands at FAMU, Julian E. White, Classroom Methods Instructor at FAMU, and my classical trumpet professor, Lenard Bowie, were extremely excellent mentors for me. All were well-trained African-American classical musicians who developed a community of musical excellence for us. The small college program was based as much on character development as it was good musicianship. I owe them everything. 
    I also sought out Harry Begian, William Revelli, John Paynter, Fred Fennell, and Arnald Gabriel. They were my five mentors outside of Georgia. I called them every month or two and became very good friends with all of them. They heard my groups over the years and offered advice on how to build a program and select literature. All of these directors conducted in my rehearsal room at Lassiter at some point. None of these men ever gave me any formal education, but they were the best in the world at what I was doing, and they shared information with me forever. Harry Begian would come to Lassiter and always stayed at the house with my family. This allowed us to talk shop late night. 
    It is critical to invite outside veteran conductors into your rehearsal room early in the process. When the music is almost ready for performance, it is too late. This could in­volve sending a re­hear­sal tape to a mentor and asking for notes.

What approaches did you use to keep students from quit­ting your en­sembles?
    It is important that the director believes every student is important. With a cooperative spirit, every student can learn and contribute to the program. In many cases we teach to the top of the class and assume that students near the bottom are not interested. All students who can match pitch can learn music, albeit at different rates of learning. They may have varying reasons for struggling initially. Sometimes we use students as pawns in our personal successes. If teachers can figure that out, so can students. It was my job to create joy, enthusiasm, and excitement, and esprit de corps to the 10,000 students I taught in my career.    

* * *

    Alfred L. Watkins is an alumnus of Florida A&M University. In his three decades at Lassiter High School, the Trojan Band was named Sweepstakes Winners in 106 of 112 competitions entered, including twice being named the Bands of America Grand National Champions. Watkins is also Cofounder, Musical Director, and Conductor of the Cobb Wind Symphony, an award-winning adult community band based in Marietta. He is also Cofounder and President of the Minority Band Directors National Association. Among his many honors, Watkins is a member of the American Bandmasters Association, the FAMU Gallery of Distinguished Alumni, the Bands of America Hall of Fame, and the Phi Beta Mu Georgia Bandmasters Hall of Fame. The $1.5 million Alfred L. Watkins Band Building at Lassiter bears his name.

The post An Interview with Alfred Watkins appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    One year ago, the students of the Coppell High School band underwent the most significant transition in the past quarter of a century of the program: switching head director from Scott Mason to Gerry Miller. Mr. Mason fought his battle against cancer and retired after 25 years at Coppell in the spring of 2016, so Mr. Miller came into our lives through difficult circumstances. At the end of my freshman year, Mr. Mason stood before us and thanked us for being a part of the band program he worked so hard to create. In this speech, one of the last times we saw our revered director, he passed the program on to his successor, and we entered the era of transition.
    I vividly remember a common sense of fear in the weeks preceding band camp the summer our new director took over. No one knew what to expect. No one could fathom how any new director could ever match the collective love we had for Mr. Mason. There was trash talk, research on our new director’s last band, and predictions about what would happen to our program. Even I, a relatively optimistic person, felt less than confident in our new instructor. As the year went on, our uneasiness dissipated and confidence began to grow. Specific actions taken by our new director guided us through the transition with as much ease as was possible, considering the unhappy conditions leading to the change. They helped our staff, students, and parents receive the changes with less apprehension.

Student Culture
    Even before the official date of transition, Mr. Miller observed the student culture of the CHS band. The spring before he took over, he visited the band hall daily. He conversed with students, introducing himself and watching us interact with one another. Within a few months, he knew the names of almost all 400+ high school band students, as well as a large portion of the middle school band students in the district. While implementing his philosophy into the program, he remained respectful of existing customs, changing the ones that needed amendments, allowing to continue those that did not clash with his vision for our future.
    Once he began his work in August, Mr. Miller was present before and after rehearsals and school, and made himself available to students at all times. During one conversation with the entire band, he declared that if there was ever something important that we needed to speak to him about immediately, all we had to say was that “we need to talk,” and he would understand and provide his attention, direction, and assistance. He gave us examples of how previous students had used this key phrase over the years, as well as the tribulations that he had helped them to navigate. He made clear that he would be willing to help whether the problem was band related or not. He always made himself available to talk, and we quickly came to trust that he was as much our advocate as our director.
    Mr. Miller introduced and highlighted the philosophy of a servant leader. He implemented a leadership camp for the student leaders, and within a few days led our group to create a mission statement, review the tenets of the servant leader, and take votes on some of the proposed changes to the program. He shifted the student culture from one of hierarchy to one fueled by connections and mutual respect. He taught us that some band members are in the program because they want to major in music, some are in the program because of the friendships they value, and some are in the program because they seek stability and connection. As he once noted, “in seeking connections with students, the directors built a small community inside of a larger band program that placed equal value on the All-State performers as on the clarinetist in the bottom band.” Each individual is a respected member of the organization, and the mission of the organization is to meet each individual in their place of need.
    He encourages us to extend these connections outside our band. During the summer, we brought food for the football team one early morning and breakfast for the soccer team another day. The choir was included in last year’s marching show, and the drill team was included in this year’s marching show. Close to the end of our marching season last year, the choir wrote notes and posters to hang up in the band hall, wishing us well at the state marching contest, and the drill team did the same for us this year. Mr. Miller encourages us to make connections with band students even outside of our district. While in the past we had been taught to appear intimidating to other schools we would come across during competitions, he encouraged us to be “the nicest band they’d ever met.” We learned to trust in our strength and to be generous to others.

Parents and Community Involvement
    A major success of the transition was Mr. Miller’s relationship with the band parents. Just like the students, the Band Boosters underwent a large change. Mr. Miller made himself available for the parents to ask questions. At parent meetings, he explained his reasoning behind all the changes. At the introductory parent meeting each season, he described why band benefits each student, regardless of whether their future career includes the study of music. He eloquently explains program activities in ways that both the veteran and inexperienced parents can understand. Mr. Miller made clear to the band parents that he was interested in assisting with issues that may come up for any student. Just as he gained the trust of the students, he gained the trust of the parents by reassuring them that the need of the individual would not be superseded by the need of the program. He also extended his communications electronically, introducing a weekly email outlining the events of the week and maintaining an up-to-date website. His communication with the parents and community made the transition easier.
    Expanding outward from the parents and students of the high school band program, Mr. Miller created a presence in the three feeder middle schools of the district. He visited with the middle school directors on site at least once a week and offered younger students much more information about high school band than I received as a middle schooler. He encouraged high schoolers to visit the middle schools, and created interaction between us that ultimately brought in more members into the program. Attrition by new members decreased because they knew what to expect from his high school program. During marching season last year, an eighth-grade night was introduced. All eighth-grade band members from the middle schools were assigned a specific high school band member as their mentor while we played in the stands together during a football game. In May, when the middle schoolers were choosing classes they would take in ninth grade, a hype day was hosted for the incoming freshmen to experience a day in the life of a high school band member and to encourage more interaction with their future bandmates. He shed light on the mystery that was high school band, and in response, many more eighth graders joined the program than in any of the previous years.

My Perspective
    When I entered the high school band program as a freshman, I was ready to undergo the Mason experience about which I had heard so many rumors. I expected to work hard and learn what it meant to be a part of the high school band. Mr. Mason was highly revered, and I was enthralled to be under his teaching. In February of that year, Mr. Mason retired due to a health crisis, leaving us wondering what would happen next. I, like the rest of my peers, was loyal to our director and suspicious of any change.
    As a sophomore, I was chosen to be a section leader, which meant I led the charge in embracing the new system. I was wary of switching directors, but I found myself more optimistic than the 11th and 12th graders, who had been under Mr. Mason’s direction for the majority of their high school life. With the communication and the personal connection I made with Mr. Miller, I adapted quicker than many of my bandmates. Even a year later, many are not sure about the program now compared with how things were done before, although those students are outnumbered by those who have embraced the change.
    One of the most memorable moments for me was when we learned that Mr. Mason had lost his battle against cancer in September of 2016. It was an enormously difficult time for our band. As hundreds of his past students sat at his memorial, I couldn’t help but notice that many of his favorite hymns that we were singing were a part of our marching show for that year, including David Holsinger’s On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss and John Newton’s Amazing Grace. We gained a new sense of trust and respect in Mr. Miller that day, as we recognized his tribute to Mr. Mason in our marching show.
    The transition of our band program from Mr. Mason to Mr. Miller was among the most challenging changes the band has ever seen. Many students felt that a piece of our identity had been stripped from us. Now into our second year of the transition, the CHS band program is decidedly different than what it was before. The Mr. Mason era gave way to the Mr. Miller era, and our band keeps moving forward and accelerating to new heights.
    For any director or teacher coming into a new program, one of the most important things any student could humbly advise is to understand that trust takes time. The younger students will likely be the ones to accept the transition quicker than the older students, as was the case for us. The respect our new administration had for their predecessor was what encouraged our trust in them.
    I would like to give my thanks to Scott Mason for the 25 years of exemplary leadership he gave to the Coppell High School Band. His memory will live on in our hearts and in the band hall, and our love for him is transmitted in every note we play.

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