Best New Artist Who Makes Me Look Cool Because I Downloaded His Music: Charlie Puth (Done for Me and The Way I Am).

    Best Imitation of an NCIS Agent: Clandestinely talking into my new Apple Watch at a football game.

    Best New March I Had Never Heard But Maybe Should Have: Colditz March (the theme for the BBC television series Colditz) by Robert Farnon, arranged by Philip Sparke.

    Best Thing I Never Thought I Would Be Doing During Marching Season on a Saturday: Blowing up little inflatable green aliens for our contest show.

    Best Encounter with Nature: A light infestation of crickets in our new band room. When I tell jokes you can literally hear crickets after the punchlines.

    Best New Teaching Concept: Teach breathing as a three-dimensional concept; picture the lungs as three dimensional.

    Best Insult: A beginning band student told me, “You are an insult to comedy.”

    Best Thing I Learned That I Should Have Known Already: It is better to tune trombones on Bb3 than on F3.

    Best Stroke of Good Fortune: Having a student intern two semesters in row.
   
    Best Career Pick-Me-Up: A new fine arts center at our school.

    Best Micromanaged Moment: I was asked if I had filled out the proper paperwork to take band students a quarter mile away to eat at Burger King during summer practices. (I have never taken a bus without permission in 33 years.)

    Best Self-Introduction of Student to New Assistant Band Director: “Hi. I’m Hailey. I’m last chair.”

    Best Arrangement of a Pop Tune for Jazz Band: Nothing from Nothing arranged by John Wasson.

    Best “Did They Really Do That?” Moment: Five members of our football team purposely parked their cars in the middle of where we practice in the parking lot because one of them was mad that I reported him for speeding through the lot while we were practicing.

    Best Rediscovered Mood Music: Selections from great classic musicals like Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Annie Get Your Gun, and The King and I.

    Best Oldie I Downloaded: Spooky by Atlanta Rhythm Section.

    Best Percussion Moment of the Year: My drumset player had a triangle ready to go when we were about to sightread The Pink Panther. Usually there is scramble in my percussion sections for matching drumsticks, much less a triangle.

    Best Time to Reflect on What Is Wrong with Education: Our required weekly 40-minute professional learning community meeting, which replaces our prep period.

    Best Annoying Tradition Continued: Students too lazy to lift a case three feet to place on the instrument shelf.

    Best Moment of Personal Glory: Knowing how to do something on the computer that my younger, computer-savvy assistant didn’t know.

    Best Fashion Moment: Wearing sandals to school and being told they were “Jesus shoes.”

    Best New-to-Me Phrase: “Fight like you’re the third monkey on the ramp to Noah’s Ark . . . and brother, it’s startin’ to rain.” (Christopher Woods) 

    Best Response to a Blonde Joke: “Why don’t you tell old-men-who-wear-glasses jokes?”

    Best Rediscovered Moldy Oldie That I Will Never Download: Torn Between Two Lovers as sung by Mary MacGregor. (I gagged just typing the title.)

    Best Awkward Moment That Seemed Like an Eternity: A student’s parents silently standing by my desk while I was trying to get ready for an away football game.

    Best Dreaded Moment: Waiting on the morning of a marching contest for my cell phone to ping with some type of bad news.

    Best Parent Rant: “It’s cold and it’s been rainin’ all $%#@^&* day, and I’m not going to let him march! I’m not puttin’ up with this $%#^!” This was from the father of a senior who pulled his son out one hour before we were to perform. The rain had already stopped, and the evening turned out to be slightly chilly, but pleasant. The father was wearing shorts and a tank-top during his rant.)

    Best Humbling Task Done Around 10:00 PM: Crawling around a dark bus looking for a black band shoe.

    Best Text for Improving Band Sight-Reading: The Sight-Reading Book for Band by Jerry West (Books 1 and 2, Winger-Jones).

    Best Show of Hubris: A band in our state who wore “State Marching Band Champions” shirts to contest under their uniforms before they competed.

    Best Reason for Quitting Band (as said to a colleague of mine): “Well, I’m just gonna say it. My daughter is too good-looking to be in band.”

The post The Best of 2018 appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

You Will Have a Band There
    Mr. Reed was called down to the office for a meeting with the Activities Director, who informed him there would be a winter sports pep rally the next week on Tuesday after school.
    Mr. Reed: “Can we do it any day other than Tuesday? We have a band concert that night. I would like the students to be fresh.”
    A.D.: “No. That’s the only day we can do it.”
    Mr. Reed looking at the schedule calendar:: “It looks like the schedule isn’t booked solid except for Friday, so let’s choose another day.”
    A.D.: “I said the pep rally is going to be on Tuesday.”
    Mr. Reed: “Okay. I have an idea. How about if Friday afternoon we have the basketball team run five miles?”
    A.D.: “That would be stupid. They have a game that night.”
    Mr. Reed: “My point exactly with the band and Tuesday afternoon.”
    A.D: “You will have a band there Tuesday afternoon for a winter sports pep rally or I will start insubordination charges.”
    That next Tuesday after school, Mr. Reed took the full 170-member marching band to the gym for the pep rally. They played nothing but drum cadences for the entire rally until the school fight song once through at the very end. While expecting punishment, he never heard a word from the Activities Director, but the Cheer­leading Sponsor didn’t speak to him for weeks. The cheerleaders had dance routines ready for the pep band songs, but did not have any prepared for the drum cadences, so they had little they could do during the pep rally. Mr. Reed considered it a win-win.

Coach Wants More
    The Head Boys Basketball Coach walked into the Activities Director’s office. He said that while he appreciated the band because they played at most home basketball games, he wanted to make it mandatory that they were there for every home game. The A.D. said that the band students had other activities, homework, jobs, and social lives, and he thought what they did for the team was enough. The coach, however, kept pressing. The A.D. finally said, “Mr. Reed and the band had a concert last night. It was really good. Did you go to it? I didn’t see you there.” The coach answered that he did not go and that he never attended band concerts. The A.D. then asked, “How can you expect the band to do more for you when you do absolutely nothing for them?” The coach left the room in silence.

Bands Are for Blaming
    After the basketball team lost a home game, Mr. Reed was stopped by a parent on the way out of the gym. She told him she was a basketball parent and was disappointed with the band. She believed that the band cost the team the game because the songs they played were not peppy enough and didn’t get the team fired up to win. He tried to go around her, but she stepped in front of him and continued her claims.
    Mr. Reed: “You’re kidding, right?”
    Parent: “No, the band cost the team the game.”
    Mr. Reed: “Then we obviously weren’t watching the same game.”
    Parent: “You lost the game for the team!”
    Mr. Reed: “I’m sorry you feel that way, but if you are going to blame us for the loss, shouldn’t you give the band the credit when the team wins?”
    The parent turned and walked away.

Whose Turn Is It?
    Mr. Reed’s first teaching position was a grades 5-12 band program at a small school. One day one of his middle school students asked if a few of them could come down to the band room during study hall. All they needed was a pass to be excused. Mr. Reed agreed, on the condition that they would be practicing, not just sitting there wasting time. After a few days, several more students asked to come down from the same study hall. Within two weeks, more than 30 students – nearly the entire grades 7-8 band – wanted to come down to the band room.
    Mr. Reed went to see the study hall teacher to make sure everything was fine. In visiting with the other teacher Mr. Reed found out that the way the schedule worked, most of the middle school band students had their classes together. When the band students in her study hall came to the band room, she was left with only two students to look after, and she could have them in her room and get some things done at the same time. She suggested to Mr. Reed that they just go directly to the band room rather than to her. The two of them went to the administration, which approved the request.
    True to their word, the students practiced when in the band room, working on chamber music and individual parts. However, a good portion of the time each day was spent playing through their band music as an ensemble as different students conducted. Sitting in his office, he always smiled when he heard students say, “Okay, whose turn is it to be Mr. Reed?”

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Real Limitations
    Real limitations are problems that need to be addressed in equipment or instrument technique. These are limitations most easily cured by an attentive music teacher, even if you don’t have double reed experience. 
    The reed. If you have read more than one article about the bassoon or oboe you are probably already tired of hearing about the reed. The double reed requires more than getting a new one out of the box or taking the reed off the mouthpiece when the instrument is not in use. It is true that a bad reed will stop most bassoon and oboe players in their tracks. It can cause bassoon players endless troubles: notes that don’t speak, notes that are out of tune, articulation problems, and even endurance problems. If you are at all suspicious, get students a new reed. Handmade reeds are best. 
    The instrument. Many schools own old bassoons in poor working condition. Bassoon are expensive, and music stores don’t want to stock them because no one plays them. You can buy two bass clarinets for the price of one bassoon. I understand, but nothing will cause limitations faster than an instrument that does not work properly.
    Fingerings. The bassoon does have some idiosyncrasies when it comes to fingerings. The instrument is not laid out clearly like other woodwind instruments, especially in the extreme low and high registers. However, an incorrect fingering chart can also cause problems. I find many fingering charts in band method books and little books of fingerings for all instruments are incorrect for the bassoon. Use the fingering chart provided by Fox in the Let’s Play Bassoon book. It is available as a free PDF on their website: .

Imagined Limitations
    Bassoon players dream up some limitations all by themselves. These are all the in player’s head and can be practiced out of. Never accept these excuses. 
    I can’t play high. Check the fingering chart for the correct fingerings. Use an ee focus in the mouth for the higher register. Saying ee raises the tongue and causes the air to spin faster. A tiny bit more reed in the mouth can help. Also, tilting the head slightly to the left can also help. Do cut beginning bassoon players some slack and keep them in the bass clef staff. Asking bassoonists who have only been playing a few months to play above the staff is setting them up for frustration. 
    I can’t play in sharps. Encourage your bassoon students to practice scales with sharps. Be brave and introduce G minor in band music for that F#. Many European bassoon method books begin in sharp keys first, so use some of those for supplementary studies. Try the Weissenborn Method for Bassoon (Cundy-Bettoney or Carl Fischer), Time Pieces for Bassoon Music Through the Ages in Two Volumes (The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), and Bravo! Bassoon by Carol Barratt (many short songs in C major to break the Bb major habit, Boosey & Hawkes).
    I can’t slur all that. Tonguing covers a multitude of sins, from fingering flubs to unresponsive reeds to breath mismanagement. Bassoon players are the biggest offenders of tonguing when they are not supposed to. The fix is complicated and involves air control, a responsive reed, an accurate fingering change from one note to another, and a music teacher with a good ear to quickly draw attention to mistakes.
    Players need a great deal of air and breath control to be confident they can make it to every slurred note. Here is a breathing exercise an oboe player taught me: Have students exhale, and before inhaling again, have them put the reed in the mouth and play a long tone. This proves to students that when the air tank feels empty, there is still a little more. It also demonstrates to the student what core muscles need to be engaged to support the sound. Bassoon players also have a tendency to take unnecessary breaths.
    Further obstacles include a reed that is too hard, too old, or unresponsive, which will cause players to tongue because they don’t trust the performance of the reed. In addition, accurately changing from one note to another without a finger flub comes with practice, especially of scales. Practicing scales with a variety of articulations can also help remove some of the finger flubs. Finally, make sure you can clearly hear a strong articulation from your bassoon students. Use whatever syllable you like, but do not permit a soft articulation to sneak past you. There is a time and place for soft articulation, but not when you want to be sure that your student is articulating as written in the music. If you are not hearing a clear articulation, the bassoon player is either not tonguing at all, or not completely contacting both blades of the reed with the tongue. 

Conclusion
    Nobody is perfect, and everyone has limitations, but the bassoon and your bassoon players can do more than students think. Bassoonists can articulate when they are supposed to, play high, and handle all key signatures. Bas­soonists young and old can practice past these limitations.

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Typically Muffled Instruments
    Percussionists frequently muffle instruments such as timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, and triangle, but with different techniques for each. This section offers a basic overview of how to muffle each of those instruments and a few finer details for shaping the sound of each. 

Timpani
    Timpani are so resonant that percussionists rarely allow their sound to decay by itself. Use the flat, fleshy pads of the final joint of all fingers to gently press into the playing spot of the head to stop the sound. For simple passages that can be played with one hand, use only one mallet to free your muffling hand for optimal mobility. For timpani parts that incorporate two, three, or four drums, players must be able to muffle comfortably with either hand and to move the muffling among the drums just as one moves the mallets among the drums. Practice playing with one hand and muffling with the other while moving across the drums in one direction; then reverse the hands and the process. Finally, practice muffling with the hand that just played while alternating back and forth between drums, as shown below. The mallet simply shifts into the space between the thumb and first finger to free the finger pads to muffle and then shifts back out to play.

    Consider different types of muffling, depending on the musical passage. Sometimes a strong, firm muffle works fine. In softer, more subtle circumstances, players may need to taper the sound gradually and imperceptibly. Try rolling the pads of the fingers naturally from pinkie to thumb to dismiss the sound lightly. For very loud notes, especially those followed by total silence across the ensemble, players can muffle the same drum with both hands, to increase skin-to-drum contact and distribute it more evenly and efficiently across the vibrating head.

Bass Drum
    The bass drum is quite resonant as well, and it requires similar finger pad muffling. Given the size of the head and the fact that many rhythmic passages on bass drum require only one mallet, some players wear a soft mitt or hold a small towel in the muffling hand to extinguish the sound quickly and fully. Unique to the bass drum is that both heads vibrate rather fully, so generally the back head will need to be muffled as well, especially on final notes. To accomplish this, have the player elevate the knee on the playing side of the drum with a commercially available foot rest or some other small stand or instrument case. Muffle the playing head with the knee and the back head with the free hand. If using two mallets for a fast passage or roll, the muffling hand will hold the mallet as described for timpani playing with two mallets.

Cymbals
    Cymbals require different muffling techniques depending on whether they are paired or suspended, as well as on the musical context. Paired crash cymbals are usually pulled into the lower chest. After a large isolated crash that descends into a subsequent phrase, players might extinguish the sustain gradually, while a series of sharp offbeat eighth notes might require an immediate inward motion toward the player initiated within the crash itself. Players should practice muffling crash cymbal notes in one continuous motion to be prepared for fast passages. In situations where a player moves directly from a cymbal crash to another instrument, the cymbals can be muffled simply by placing them directly on a soft, covered trap table. This option should only be used when absolutely necessary; otherwise, muffle them with the chest and then place them carefully and quietly on the table.
    Suspended cymbals are generally muffled with the hands. Players should practice muffling with either hand after various lengths of unmeasured rolls and isolated notes to develop dexterity in muffling with the mallets still in their hands. As with paired cymbals, suspended cymbals may be muffled sharply and definitively or gradually and subtly, depending on what follows in the music.

Tam-Tam
    Perhaps the most important factor in muffling the tam-tam effectively is positioning the body to be able to muffle both the front and back of the disc simultaneously. Tam-tams are large instruments and produce strong vibration patterns. Muffling with both hands, one on each side of the instrument, helps by increasing skin contact with the instrument and prevents the disc from swinging or shifting. For precise cutoffs, players must muffle the tam-tam slightly ahead of the desired silence as the sound will put up a bit of a fight before disappearing completely.

Triangle
    Body position is important for successful muffling on triangle as well. Hold the instrument with a grip that allows the fingers to curl comfortably around it and to be ready to muffle subtly but fully. Use a triangle clip with the string loop adjusted so that the instrument can vibrate freely without moving back and forth or side to side excessively. The fingers should be poised to close around the instrument quickly, but not before the triangle sound has flowered on a given note. A common pitfall is to create a dead metallic sound by partially muffling the instrument already while playing it. Timing and precision will produce both a satisfying musical attack and a satisfying musical release.

Muffling Mallet Instruments
    The xylophone and marimba generally require no hand muffling; in fact, it should be discouraged on these instruments because natural oil from human hands should be kept away from their expensive wooden bars. The glockenspiel (orchestra bells) and crotales require hand muffling quite frequently. Players should use their fingertips to muffle individual notes or small clusters simultaneously and can use their shirt sleeves horizontally to muffle a large number of notes together. In an ascending line requiring only one hand, the right hand should play and the left hand should trail it, muffling each note just as the next one sounds. The opposite technique works for descending lines. Players can experiment with varying levels of staccato and legato by altering the timing of their muffling in relation to the onset of the next note. 
    Players should also practice muffling back and forth between hands, similar to timpani. Playing simple melodies from a method book can provide opportunities to practice releases and coordinate muffling into the hand rhythm required to play such passages not only correctly, but also musically. Directors would be wise to treat keyboard muffling with the same intensity as they approach other instruments’ articulations.
    Muffling on chimes and vibraphone is typically accomplished with the pedal, but hand muffling (on the chimes) and mallet muffling (on the vibraphone) can be helpful for eliminating certain notes while sustaining others with the pedal. On the chimes, the hand simply closes around the playing spot of the tube, and on the vibraphone the mallet presses gently into the bar to eliminate the sound. In the example below, the player can pedal the entire passage, on either instrument, and simply muffle the G# with the hand (chimes) or mallet (vibraphone) to eliminate the dissonance if desired.

Muffling Other Instruments for a More Precise Sound
    Many percussion instruments have a relatively quick natural decay, and percussionists typically do not muffle them. However, some of these instruments, such as snare drum, concert toms, hand drums, and various accessories, can be muffled to great effect, especially for better phrase shaping and for final notes in passages or pieces.

Snare Drum
    Many players use some sort of mute (e.g., a small gel square, a wallet, or an ID card) to dry up the sound of the snare drum overall. Although this is convenient, it may change the sound of the drum and reduce its projection. Muffling with the hand can be helpful for shortening specific notes while letting the rest of the passage sound fully. Two situations in which this is useful are just after a sustained roll and during repeated staccato notes, especially offbeats. Muffling just after the final note of a snare drum roll creates a strong contrast between the full sustained sound and no sound at all, rather than a slight taper effect produced by letting the vibrations dissipate naturally. This can be especially effective when a tutti silence follows the roll.
    When playing offbeats (or any repetitive staccato notes), muffling helps to shape the notes exactly, creating a rhythmic feel that encompasses both precise attacks and releases. In many cases, muffling will make room for other instruments that may be playing the onbeats. These recommendations may seem unnecessary given the natural quick decay of the snare drum, but bringing a snare drum to your performance space to test these sounds will help you be sure you have the sound exactly as you want it.

Concert Toms
    Muffling on concert toms brings similar advantages to muffling on snare drum, with the added factor of multiple surfaces and pitches. Players can create rhythmic and melodic phrasing not only through starting the notes in beautiful and logical ways but also by stopping them precisely. Consider the passage at the top of the next column:

    Percussionists could play this part exactly as written and allow the drums’ sounds to decay naturally. However, by muffling the eighth note, they create a meaningful contrast between long and short notes, and help to propel the passage forward with more rhythmic interest. Muffling on a passage like this might also help align the part with other sections of the ensemble. Just as directors would likely spend substantial time helping clarinets or cellos release those notes precisely and musically, they should require percussionists to do the same through muffling. Tom-tom muffling, used in a passage like the one above, might be thought of as a cross between timpani muffling (i.e., around multiple drums) and snare drum muffling (i.e., subtle muffling of select notes as desired for contrast).

Hand Drums
    To create lively and precise sounds on hand drums, allow the hands to contact the drumheads loosely to muffle and shape the length of individual notes, especially on the lower, more resonant drums. I recently had the opportunity to play a pattern like this on two low hand drums:

    If I had played it as written with no muffling, the lower drum, especially, would have sustained quite a bit. By treating the resonance of that drum like that of timpani, I was able to create a much more effective groove, which was especially important because this was a solo passage in a musical scene change. My hand subtly and naturally descended on the low drum to stifle its sound just as the higher drum entered. The sound of the low drum did not disappear completely, but simply faded into the background dramatically enough to make room for the higher note to speak clearly. This technique created a much more lively sound, which the conductor complimented as “awfully danceable.”

Accessory Instruments
    In comparison to the triangle, most other accessory instruments naturally sustain much less. Temple blocks, cowbell, brake drum, and anvil are examples of such instruments that are rarely muffled in standard performance practice. Again here, a final note of a passage after which silence ensues might be the most common situation in which to muffle them. Specific models of each of these instruments differ widely, so players must decide if and when muffling is necessary or desirable. Experiment with various degrees of muffling and compare the sound to uninhibited sustain on the instrument. Players can quickly determine whether muffling should be used and when. For example, the clang of a brake drum highlighting an abrupt, dissonant chord can lessen its sonority if the brake drum sound lingers. Some players’ first solution might be to move the brake drum from a snare drum stand to a carpeted table to create a much shorter sound. As described in relation to the triangle, however, this can negatively affect the sound itself. To achieve both the full sonority and the sharp release, hand muffling may be the best approach on these and other accessory instruments. 

Conclusion
    Directors spend ample rehearsal time perfecting the releases of wind, brass, and string players within various articulations and dynamics, and the same attention should be paid to percussionists’ muffling techniques, especially given that many of our instruments naturally sustain longer than desired for a given musical situation. Even for those instruments considered rather staccato by nature, muffling can be used effectively to match the ensemble precisely and create better musical phrasing. Percussionists need to practice both effective attacks and releases to create their best music.

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Learn the Intervals
    The first piece of advice for many students should be to learn precisely how a perfect fifth (or fourth, for string bass) sounds. Playing many of these intervals on fixed-pitch instruments like the piano is a good place to start. Students should also practicing singing them, both a capella and while playing them.

The Bow’s Importance
    It is easy for students to underestimate the importance of the bow during tuning. If students are pressing too hard, moving too slowly, not applying the weight equally on the two strings, or changing direction too frequently, it can be much more difficult to determine what to do to get the strings in tune. Students should regularly practice playing open-string double stops with good tone and with equal volume on both strings. This is good for the bow hand apart from its value in tuning the instrument.

Adjust Pitch While Playing
    Students should be able to adjust the pitch while bowing the strings. This can often be a challenge for cellists and bassists, but it is much more difficult to become good at tuning when there is a delay between hearing the pitch and making any adjustments. Cellists with pegs that cannot easily be moved with one hand can hold the instrument side saddle and reach over it with the left hand to get to the fine tuners. Bassists can often get their harmonics to ring for long enough to hear their pitch change as the tuners are adjusted. Otherwise, they can tune by playing open strings like the other string instruments instead of using harmonics. 

Ear Training
    Learning to hear the beats between mistuned consonances is another essential skill for players of variable-pitch instruments. Consider having them start with unisons. Find a pitch on one string that is the same as the next higher open string, such as D on the G string (or A string on the bass) played against the open D string. Then, while playing both strings, the student should practice moving the finger slightly above and below the pitch of the open string, carefully listening to the sound of the pitch discrepancy, and then the sound of the beats disappearing again as the finger is moved again to match that of the open string. Next, repeat this activity with an octave between the stopped pitch and the open string. 
    Apply this idea to fifths (or fourths).  Starting with in-tune strings, alternate between sharpening the lower pitch and the upper pitch, in both cases by placing first finger just above the nut on that string. As the finger again gets removed, the student should carefully listen to how it sounds as the beats go away and the strings return to being in tune.

When It’s Too Close to Tell
    When two pitches are only barely out of tune, it can be difficult to tell whether a string should be lowered or raised. When students cannot figure it out, they should pick a direction, and see if that makes it better or worse. Professional string players will move the pitch noticeably further away and then try again to get the strings perfect.

Learn to Tune Quickly
    As important as it is to tune well, it is also essential that the process not take an excessive amount of time. Time is always valuable, and should never be wasted, plus music is a temporal art, so it is essential that tuning (whether of stopped or open pitches) takes place rapidly. In addition, neither audiences nor peers enjoy hearing extended tuning sessions.
    Once speeding up of the tuning process is made a priority, it generally starts to occur. There are various ways to make a game out of it. The main thing to note is that such attempts will not tend to be successful until proficiency has been achieved in the previous exercises, in which time is not a factor.

Additional Considerations
    Sometimes the adjustment of one string affects the bridge enough that it slightly alters the pitch of other strings. As a rule of thumb, recheck all other strings if any one string was changed by more than about 20 cents.
    Different string brands sometimes have different enough timbres to give the impression that they are not quite right, even when they are perfectly in tune. If students are armed with this knowledge, they may stop fidgeting with the tuning of a pair of different strings.
    Encourage students to recheck their strings frequently. They should also be encouraged to make quick adjustments unless the instrument is out of tune to the point the student cannot get it back in tune readily.

Conclusion
    As with any skill, the more students do something, the better they tend to be at it. However, there has to be a fundamental willingness to change, or else any improvement will occur much more slowly. The suggestions above will help to get students tuning their instruments more accurately and quickly.

The post Tuning String Instruments appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Exercising
    Physical exercise is known to decrease stress levels, stabilize moods, lower high blood pressure (for musicians this can help calm nerves), provide energy boosts, and help with sleep, as well as give someone a hobby outside of music. Students can get bogged down with homework and practice, but exercise can give them an outlet to clear their minds, rejuvenate their bodies, and give them a clean slate mentally and physically for when they start their study and practice routines again. 

Networking
    Practicing is almost always a solo event. It can be lonely, but it does not have to be. Remind students to be social with those around them. Knocking on the practice room door next to them and meeting someone new or saying hi to a friend can be a refreshing and pleasing break, and it also builds networks of musical friends to call upon for playing duets or a quick listen and critique.

Breathing
    Breathing exercises are a great way to develop breath power and control. The air does all the work for wind instruments. Being able to control this air in many different ways gives a trumpet player a huge advantage over those who cannot. For example, being able to control crescendos and decrescendos, velocity of air, and air pressure for high and low notes all contribute to the correct amount of lip vibration needed to create the perfect characteristic of a desired note. Many different breathing exercises are available from many different sources. My favorite recommended books about breathing and contains different exercises would be The Breathing Book for Trumpet by David Vining (Mountain Peak Music, 2009) and The Breathing Gym Daily Workouts by Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan (Focus on Music, 2002).

Singing
    Singing is one of the most difficult concepts for instrumentalists to remember to practice. Players often use their instruments as a note-finding crutch. If they cannot sing the pitch of a note that follows one they just played, they are relying on the instrument to get the first pitch and are most likely guessing at the following second pitch. Today’s instruments are built well and come from the factory mostly in tune, but few students move past the mindset that as long as the fingering is correct, the right note will sound.
    This cannot be further from the truth. Students and professionals alike must use their ear training skills to adjust the instrument’s pitch to exactly where it should be, and to develop the ear to this point takes serious patience  and a good amount of time each day practicing singing pitches and solfege. Have students sing anything and everything. The better the student can sing and hear their notes, the more accurate and confident they will be in their performance execution.

Embouchure Building
    Isometric exercises for your em­bouchure and facial muscles are a great way to stay in shape and build endurance while away from the instrument. These exercises are fantastic be­cause they strengthen the muscles with­out the mouthpiece on the em­bouchure causing excess pressure or stress. 
    The pencil exercise requires an unsharpened wood pencil. Form the embouchure and place the pencil into its aperture. Maintain the lips around the pencil and then let go of the pencil so it is only held parallel to the ground by the muscles of the embouchure. As the muscles start to fatigue, a burning sensation will set in. At this point, continue until total muscle breakdown. This technique should be used no longer than five minutes a day, every other day, as it fatigues the embouchure.
    Say mm, and then hold the embouchure in this position. This is the lip position used when first learning to play the trumpet. 
    Put the lips into a pucker position and then draw the corners of the mouth back into a smile position. Repeat this pattern.

Conclusion
    Often a great amount of progress can be made away from the trumpet, and there comes a point in each persons’ practice life that time away from the instrument is healthy in one or more aspects. Use this time to be smart and creative and to build musical strength away from the instrument. When the instrument is later added back in, this added musical agility gained away from the instrument will launch a stronger, smarter, more well-rounded musician.

The post Trumpet Practice without the Trumpet appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Levels of Musicality
Brian Balmages
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
    As a composer and conductor, I am hyper-aware of the emotional disconnect that occurs during an uninspired performance. Many performances that people believe are in­spired suffer from the same set of issues. Victor Woot­en summarizes the problem beautifully: “It’s rare that I ever meet a musician who doesn’t agree that music is a language. But it’s very rare to meet a musician that really treats it like one.” We spend so much important time analyzing scores, but when was the last time you created an emotional analysis of a work? Where are its brightest and darkest moments. Where does the melody feel hopeful (perhaps resulting in the peak of a phrase), or desolate (perhaps clarifying the need for a soft ritardando)? These emotional connections with the terms in the music and conveying them to the ensemble go a long way toward understanding how to make these critical connections between notation and musicality. The goal is not choreographed musicality, but engaged musicality.

Percussion 101 Refresher
Jim Catalano
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
    Directors who are not percussionists are often mystified by teaching students how to play percussion accessories like cymbals, tambourine, wood block, and triangle. The best tip is to teach your students about tone quality, just as with other band and orchestral instruments. My clinic will show simple ways to teach your percussionists the techniques that can produce good tone quality and articulation on these overlooked percussion accessories. Remember, it’s not all about playing the instrument; it’s about controlling the instrument for musical expressions.

Effective Use of Social Media
Sean Smith
Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.
    Music programs have increasingly used social media to reach new audiences and build followers. However, musicians are gen­erally bad at marketing. We market like we want to be marketed to, which is not your average follower. To be successful, think a­bout what parents want to see on Facebook and Twitter and what your students’ friends want to see on Snapchat.  Posting full-length concert videos will not gain followers. Be fun and inventive. Build audiences by telling stories using as few words as possible and including pictures and video in every post. Engaging social media efforts can lead to increased audiences, more donations, and easier recruiting and retention.

Jazz Guitar Tips
Michael Christiansen
Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.
    With little background in playing guitar, many directors struggle to help their jazz band guitarist. A good place to start is helping the guitarist get a good sound. Often the jazz band guitarist arrives with an instrument set up more for playing rock and pop than jazz. To help those guitarists get an acceptable sound, it is unnecessary to buy a new guitar and amp. Most often, an electric guitar can be modified by changing the strings to get a jazz tone. Knowing what pick to use and how to adjust the settings on the guitar and the amp can also help achieve a jazz quality in the sound of the guitar. For example, many young electric guitarists have a solid body electric guitar with light gauge strings on it. Changing those strings to a heavier gauge will go a long way in helping to achieve a jazz tone. Rock, pop, and blues guitarists often use strings that begin with a .09 to .010 first string (this is the thickness of the string). To produce a jazz tone, the string set should begin with an .011 or .012 first string. The heavier string gives a richer tone and stays in tune. Some jazz guitarists use a flat wound set of strings. These strings feel smooth and are mellow compared to round wound strings. However, they lack the brilliance and ring of a round wound string. Even if your jazz guitarist has a solid body electric guitar, heavier strings will give it a better jazz tone.

Excellence and the Inclusive Ensemble
Rachel Maxwell
Thursday, 3:00 p.m.
    Start with the End in Mind. When creating rules, policies, and calendars, envision your goal for every student. If you want students to be long-term members, with independent musical growth, then keep that the focus. Do not get tied up in chasing trophies, creating burdensome schedules, or setting unrealistic practice goals. The program will never be more important to anyone than it is to you. Furthermore, your priorities will not be shared by every family. Decide on reasonable expectations to meet your goals and live with the consequences.
    Communication. Make it easy for students, parents, and administrators to find information. Update websites and social media often so your band community has a reason to check in with these sites. Frustration in finding information often causes families to give up on a program. It is critical when communicating with families that you work toward solutions to issues or conflicts. Ultimatums end relationships. Keep in mind that reasonable flexibility helps students know that they are important to you and the program.
    Consistency. Consistency in daily rehearsals, assessment procedures, routines, and expectations will build a foundation of trust. That trust leads to strong relationships with students and families. Be sure to set a consistent calendar of rehearsals and performances. The earlier this is set and the less it changes, the easier it will be for families to keep their children in your program.

Woodwind Repair Emergencies
Miles DeCastro
Friday, 1:30 p.m.
    Bent keys are a fact of life in the band room, but not every bent key requires a trip to the repair shop. There is a good chance that you have the proper tools to repair certain bent keys in your band room right now. One of the more common bent keys I see in the repair shop is the Eb/Bb key on a clarinet (the bottom side key on the upper joint). In a perfect world, I recommend straightening this key (and most bent keys) using a precision pair of parallel, smooth-jaw pliers, such as the 7" Knipex Plier Wrench. If you don’t have an extra $65 for a nice pair of pliers, I bet that you do have a tool in that could straighten a bent Eb/Bb key. The shank of a trumpet mouthpiece fits perfectly around most Eb/Bb keys. Simply place the shank around the key’s touchpiece and flex it back into position. If the touchpiece is too large, use a trombone mouthpiece. Your key will be back in position without adding scratches or plier marks to the finish of the instrument. There is no need to stop at clarinets and trumpet mouthpieces. Try a tuba mouthpiece on saxophone side keys or a trombone mouthpiece on a flute G# key. There are many possibilities.

Communicating with Your Double Basses
Jason Heath
Wednesday, 3:00 p.m.
    Double basses can be a head-scratcher for many directors. Tech­niques that work for getting other instruments to play with good sound, pitch, and timing can often be lost on the bass section. This clinic demystifies the bass section and provide tactics for section placement, pitch and timing issues, and better tone and articulation.
    One of the best ways to get bass sound quickly is to make sure that there’s fresh rosin for bassists. Get your bassists in the habit of putting two or three good swipes of sticky bass rosin on their bows before each re­hearsal, and make sure that they put the rosin back in its case when done rosining. Bass rosin dries out incredibly quickly if left out of the container. The results on tone and articulation will be immediate and remarkable. Because bass rosin dries out so quickly, order fresh rosin every three to four months. It is best to order individual fresh cakes of rosin throughout the year rather than several at the beginning of the year. This ensures that the students will be using fresh rosin for maximum grab on the string.

Bassoon Fundamentals with the Bocalphone
Doug Spaniol
Friday, 3:00 p.m.
    This clinic will include techniques for teaching, learning, and practicing fundamentals of tone production using only the reed and bocal. One of the best to start with is having students play the bocalphone without using the embouchure at all. Insert the reed far enough into the mouth that the lips are on the wrapping of the reed and the blades are entirely inside the mouth with nothing touching them. (Be careful. The ends of the wires on the reed can be sharp. File them smooth or rotate the reed 90 degrees so the blades are vertical to avoid poking lips with the wires.) With the reed in this position have the student play a long tone on the bocalphone. They are now supporting the tone with the air only and with zero chance of pinching the blades shut with the lips. With good air support (and a good reed and bocal) the pitch should be right around C4. Most young students will be flat or may not be able to sustain a tone at all because they are used to playing the bassoon with too little air support and pinching the reed shut to compensate. If they can play the bocalphone in tune with air only and no embouchure, you can feel confident that the air support is sufficient. Once that is established, play the bocalphone with that same air support but adding their regular embouchure. If that pitch is significantly sharper, it is likely that the student is pinching the blades shut with the embouchure. Keep working until the bocalphone plays right around middle C with and without the embouchure. When they can do that, you know the air support is sufficient and the embouchure is not pinching the blades shut.

How to Succeed in Your Next Job
Col. Thomas Palmatier
Thursday, 8:30 a.m.
    Whether a new or veteran music educator, your most valuable possession is your reputation. My high school band director once said, “Big people talk about ideas, medium people talk about things, and small people talk about people.” If you can start each day vowing to be a big person, you will earn the respect from colleagues, parents, and students. By the way, my band director said it only once 48 years ago and it stuck with me for all of these years. Don’t underestimate the impact that your words and actions have on students.

Make Your Program Indispensable
Milt Allen
Friday, 12:00 p.m.
As educators, we are constantly proving the importance and value of what we do. While everyone agrees that music is important, the real key is staying relevant. The ability of music to create connections helps make our programs indispensable. Connections come in many ways: learning new material in the rehearsal room, building a larger and wider demographic for concerts, and show­ing students a bigger connected musical world. Humans are hard­wired to connect. We con­nect in four basic ways: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. This clinic will explore ways to move beyond tried and true approaches and build deeper connections with your students, community, and the wider world.

Unlocking Student Musicianship
Jonathan Caldwell, Patricia Cornett
Thursday, 8:30 a.m.
    Our session explores the musical conversation between the teacher and the student. This can be an excellent pedagogical model for a mu­sic classroom: an environment where students are actively en­gaged and able to make musical de­cisions independent of the teacher, rather than passively responding to instructions.
    One strategy for allowing students make active musical decisions is to help them better un­derstand their role within the ensemble at any given time. U­sing technology, it is easier than ever to show students the score quickly and frequently.
    Take a piece we all know and love: Holst’s Second Suite in F. If you are the first horn player and look at rehearsal E in the first movement, you see quarter notes and quarter rests marked at piano. What does that tell you about your role within the ensemble? It’s difficult to know just from looking at the part. Sometimes students only understand a fraction of the music because they are only seeing a fraction of the information. If we show them the score using an iPad or another technological tool, they can easily see that the solo euphonium has the melody. The role of the horn section as accompanists quickly comes into focus, and many potential balance problems resolve themselves.

Hidden Gems for Chamber Winds
Lt. Kelly L. Cartwright, Lcdr. Robert J. Coats
Wednesday, 12:00
    The primary takeaways from this clinic are twofold: regardless of instrumentation or program size, the countless benefits of chamber music are accessible to student musicians, and many lesser-known works offer op­por­tunities to ex­plore diverse topics. For instance, you may not have any double reeds, but with some intuitive instrumentation swaps, students can experience Haydn’s Harmoniemusik. The requirements of Lincolnshire Posy may exceed your instrumentation, but Grainger’s The Merry King can introduce his rich treatment of English folksong on a much smaller scale. Chamber music can also expose students to myriad composers be­yond standard band repertoire, such as Arthur Bird and Alec Wilder. A small school can idio­matically replicate the march music of Alton Adams while exploring the works of African-American composers. The possibilities and benefits are infinite.

Meaningful Score Study
Matt Temple, Josh Chodoroff
Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.
    In this hands-on session, directors will analyze a score together using the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) model. Created in 1977, CMP is a framework for teaching music in a way that intentionally deepens student understanding within the context of performance-based ensembles. There are five points to the CMP model, including music selection, analysis, outcomes, teaching strategies, and assessment. While a traditional approach to score study certainly reveals much needed information for the conductor, a CMP analysis fo­cuses more spe­cifically on speculation. For example, in what unique ways did composers exercise their craft? How did this compositional decision affect the overall piece? By thoroughly examining the background information of the piece and then analyzing the seven elements of music, the director can develop a teaching plan that connects with students on a deeper level. This approach to analysis yields a far greater understanding of a given score and the composer’s in­tent. Most im­portantly, the director will be able to teach transferable concepts and musical knowledge to students that goes beyond simply playing the piece well.

Creative Rehearsal Techniques from Around the Country
Gary Stith
Friday, 8:30 a.m.
    Have you ever watched your students listening to their own music? With ear buds in or music cranked up in their cars, they tend to move and almost dance to it. However, when they come into rehearsals, they usually pick up their instruments and sit like statues. Scott Boerma, Director of Bands at Western Michigan Uni­ver­sity, believes that if we can get our students to move to the music around them in rehearsal, two benefits will result: Their rhythm will become more accurate and their internal pulse will become steadier. Boerma suggests the following: When faced with a passage that lacks rhythmic clarity, in part due to a lack of steady pulse, try this. Ask a percussionist to play steady eighth notes in the given tempo while all those without the problem passage clap on beats two and four, establishing somewhat of a 1960s pop/rock groove. Then, further encourage those students to move and groove to the newly created beat. You should do this, too.
    Next, have students with the problem passage play it again, this time over the top of the ongoing rock beat. Almost magically, students will begin to line up their rhythms with the beat around them resulting instantly in improved rhythmic precision. Finally, ask students with the passage to play it one last time without the rock beat accompaniment, but while still moving to the music. The improvement will be astonishing. This and many more video-recorded rehearsal techniques will be shared in this practical session.

Moving from Band to Orchestra
Bobbi Mauldin
Friday, 12:00 p.m.
    Making the move from band to orchestra, whether voluntary or not, can be a satisfying change with an adjustment to your think­ing. This hands-on clinic presents the ba­sic skills needed to teach beginning or­ches­tra students or to be a beginner yourself. You will learn how to size the instruments, set up students with the correct instrument and bow hold, shoulder rest fitting and placement, and end pin length for cello and bass. We will also talk about what to do if you are a new high school orchestra director and how to get students off on the right foot.

Small School Strategies
Cindy Swan-Eagan, Mike Eagan
Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
    Small schools are often located in communities where music teachers are much more visible to the general population than in larger schools. Your reputation will depend on more than just musicianship. It also comes from your presence in the community, especially in the early years. Getting involved in local projects, being a courteous neighbor, and shopping in local businesses are appreciated by residents. Of course, your en­sembles need to sound good. That is where your teaching skills need to be constantly refined and practiced.
    Develop a natural progression of skills, literature, and traditions to serve each level of your program and keep looking to the future. Re­mem­ber, in their first year, students take band or orchestra; after that, they are taking you. Out of the classroom, ask questions of colleagues and clinicians throughout your career. Successful small school directors also take the time to re-score music to fit their group’s instrumentation. A good-sounding ensemble in a small community, directed by a teacher with strong reputation, becomes a point of pride for your new hometown. It helps immunize your program from philosophical or financial cuts, and you will be fondly remembered in that area for many decades after you retire.

Retaining the Tech-Savvy Generation
John Mlynczak
Thursday, 10:00 a.m.
    Our students are growing up in a much different world than we did; they are consumed by technology and constantly connected with social media. Students also consume music much differently than we did. A few taps on a phone now creates a playlist that used to take hours. When teaching this tech-savvy generation, remember that our lens is not their lens, and students need to prepare for success in a future that may be considerably different from today.
    Technology can be used in music classes to engage students to learn and create music in the world in which they consume music. Whether recording or composing on a device, the products produced using technology can easily be shared with peers, parents, or principals. Having students use their technology to create and share music engages them by colliding their world with ours, and it empowers them to promote the music they are making. Lessons and performance exams should include a component of using technology to share a composition or recording.

Successful Assessment
Patrick Erwin
Thursday, 3:00 p.m.
    On the subject of auditions, I would recommend assessing the whole musician once a semester. This can easily be done through scales and etudes. A suggestion on your etudes: pick one etude you like, and write it out for all instruments. I usually choose oboe or trumpet etudes, because these have ranges that work for all the instruments. That way, I can rehearse them in class when necessary, and the kids can get in small groups of heterogeneous instruments and work together. We make things so difficult on ourselves trying to find etudes that are specific to each instrument. I highly recommend the Goldman Articulation Exercises for Trumpet for technical etudes. For lyrical phrasing etudes, the Barret Oboe Method and the Blazhevich Studies for Trumpet work well. How­ever, any etude that works is worth sharing with students.

Choral Techniques in Band Rehearsals
Rickey Badua, Alyssa Cossey
Wednesday, 10:30
    Most band directors understand the value of singing in rehearsals. They find that singing helps the band in man­y ways, most no­tably by im­pro­ving intonation. While this technique can be useful, as a choral conductor I argue that simply sing­ing is not enough. Directors also must model and teach good vocal technique to ensure the desired result.
    Many teachers – both choral and instrumental – dedicate a good portion of their rehearsal time to developing basic technique in their ensembles. This often includes breathing exercises. One quick tip that anyone can use to improve the quality and strength of their players’ breath is simply to begin with an exhale. Before students can take a good breath or breathe deeply, they must fully empty their body of air. Once empty, instruct players to open their mouths and let the air drop in. As their body naturally expands and fills with air, players experience the sensation of a full, tension-free breath and can then replicate that expansion – down and out – in their playing. This is a simple but often overlooked step that will not only improve the quality of the breath but also will improve intonation and ensure a more unified onset.
    Another essential step in developing good vocal technique, especially with non-singers, is to incorporate phonation – producing vocal sounds through vibration – as an intermediate step between breathing exercises and vocalization. This can be done in a variety of ways. Students can mimic sounds you make, or you can provide them with descriptors such as, “bark like a chihuahua,” “laugh like Santa,” or “hum like I have warm chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven.” These simple phonation exercises allow players to explore different vocal colors and ranges, and they can serve as bridge between speaking and singing.
    Once players are comfortable phonating, you can elongate sounds and eventually tie them to specific pitches. Humming or sustaining the word hello is a good option for this. For the most novice singers, start by asking them to say hello. Then, have them speak the word slowly and more drawn out: heeelllloooo. Finally, sing the stretched-out word on a single pitch near the bottom of you range, and ask the students to match the pitch. These simple steps will ensure that even the most timid players have the foundation for good vocal technique.

Big Ideas for Small Schools
Samuel Minge, Laura Nichols
Thursday, 1:00 p.m.
     Recruiting and retention are critical in a small school. Success depends on creating a band culture where students want to be and feel invested in what is happening. The other part of that equation is less obvious: creating a culture of excellence without pandering to the students. Set high standards of excellence and do not shortchange students just because a school is small, rural, or not as financially well-off as your favorite band from B.O.A. finals.
     When I started at ECHS I had 25 students, and it was a challenge to find meaningful grade 2 music that they could tackle, but the time and energy combing through catalogs and scores and finding new ways to raise their skill level was worth it. This past school year our Wind Ensemble performed Chorale Prelude: Be Thou My Vision by Jack Stamp. It was an incredibly rewarding experience that challenged them every rehearsal. We went from essentially easy middle school music and using fingering charts for a  Bb scale to dissecting chord structure and timing in two 58 bars over multiple rehearsals because we have the time to do that now.

Engaging Online Concerts
Tiffany Galus
Friday, 12:00 p.m.
     Your concert audience is no longer limited to only those sitting in the hall. Using the tools in the palm of your hand, you can reach new viewers around the world. To increase the awareness of your event, you can use social media algorithms to push out your content to as many people as possible.
Set up a sharing schedule with your students: if your concert takes place on Wednesday, create a Facebook Event no later than two weeks before the event. Then, stagger groups of students to share and post about the concert. For example, have the woodwind section share the event on the Wednesday prior to the event at 12:00 p.m., brass at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, and percussion at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Research has proven that these are the most effective times to post information and this staggered release will trigger Facebook to push it out to more timelines.
     Feel free to expand this to the week of the event and include your booster organizations and faculty colleagues. More timelines lead to more people. To take it further, go live on Facebook during the week the concert and show your ensemble in action. This will notify all those people who have engaged with your Facebook event thus far.

From Fundamentals to Fun
Steve Giovanoni
Friday, 12:00 p.m.
     Know your why. We all know why we teach the concrete things like lines and spaces, notes, and rhythms, but we need to understand our intrinsic motivation and how it affects our teaching. Why I chose music and how I perceive music in my life and career are important to what I do every day. I love music. I think music is important and want people to have a great musical experience whether I am performing or teaching. Creating a high level of music is my why. When I teach I try to rehearse with that purpose. I want to find the music and get students to experience the music. When I perform I’m playing to create a musical experience that I conceive. We create an experience for ourselves first, then we share it with others. The audience experiences the musicians giving birth to the music.
     What are the keys to this experience? The fundamentals are the keys to any performance: notes, rhythms, tone, tuning, articulations, and dynamics. I want students addicted to fundamentals and to see them as the life of music. Bringing music to life makes the music fun and exciting. Make them crave these things. Students also need words like creepy, sad, longing, and patiently, not just faster or slower. Our ensembles are the first audience. Then they become the musicians for another audience. If the students are lacking a musical experience, how can they share music with the audience? They can only share what they have. If they lack the skills to perform musically, their performance will lack any musical content.
     Without musicality, band is just an activity that can be thrown aside. Musical expression is the value that makes music a necessary subject to be treated with importance. If we just learn notes, then it’s just fine motor calisthenics.
     We make fundamentals fun when kids experience making music with them. That’s why I do this.

Teaching Globally: International Opportunities in Music Education
Joseph Scheivert
Friday, 2:00 p.m.
     Walk through the door. When I describe my experiences as a band director at international schools in Thailand and Japan, colleagues in the U.S. typically exhibit equal parts wonder and skepticism. “That sounds really great, but . . .” “I never even knew that was an option, but . . .” “I would love to do that, but . . .” There are indeed many perfectly valid concerns that can get in the way of your international teaching ambition.
     My best advice from the other side is to walk through the door. Walk through the conference center door at an ISS-Schrole or Search Associates job fair to learn what opportunities await. Walk through the consulate door to obtain your visa and make your trip official. Walk through the airplane door to take off on a new and exciting adventure. Walk through the door of your new home and relax after a day of exploring the local culture and environs. Walk through the door of your classroom and greet the children who are excited to learn a new instrument, start a jazz ensemble, rehearse for a concert tour, or audition for an international honor band.
     Administrators and colleagues who are already overseas would be more than happy to help you become comfortable with the idea of running a music program in another country, and my session at The Midwest Clinic will help answer some pressing questions. All you have to do is walk through the door.

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