Annual Directory of Summer Camps and Clinics

Flute Summer Programs

(photo courtesy of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp)

Home page photo courtesy of Brevard Music Center Summer Institute & Festival

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    One of the most difficult concepts to teach about playing rhythms is that they are not played as written. J.J. Quantz wrote in 1752 “The notes must not appear to be glued together.” What he meant is that notes are played shorter than written, and the silence created between them is referred to as an articulatory silence. While Quantz was writing about performing Baroque music, his ideas are the foundation of wind playing. One band director often said, “Notes are played shorter than written.”
    While listening to one of the really fine Texas bands, I mentioned to the band director how good it was to hear his students playing in a spaced style and expressed admiration for his ability to get the students to play in this manner. He said, “I spend all of high school cleaning up middle school where the curriculum teaches that notes are held full value. The only time a note is held full value is when it is under a slur.” This is illustrated in this example:


    The following are a few other concepts that will make bands shine in performance. These were gleaned from working with Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music and several other studio teachers.  

One Note is of Longer Value
    In this situation, notes of shorter value should lead to longer notes.  

Syncopated Rhythms
    The articulatory silence or spacing of notes applies to syncopated rhythms too. Syncopated rhythms emphasize the weak beat with a slight decay or diminuendo and are spaced for clarity. If the syncopated notes are the same pitch, there should be a dynamic plan for playing these notes. The rule of the strength of the beat might be a good choice. 

Dots
    Dots above notes signify a staccato. Staccato means detached not just short. This means that the note before the staccato note is shortened with an articulatory silence.  
If there is no slur, then dots after a note implies a rest. Once again this is because the short note leads into the longer note. Many musicians find saying, Day, To-day, to-day to be helpful in creating a good rhythmic ensemble. 

Two-note Slurs  
    Two-note slurs are played loud to soft always. Even if the passage is marked with a crescendo, each two-note slur becomes louder as a unit, but still retains the loud/soft or strong/weak character within the unit. 

Compound Meter
    This is when the beat is divisible by threes such as 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8. Many students have a foggy view of compound meter and often play by ear following along, rather than understanding the math. The two most common rhythms are long/short and short/long. 

Siciliano Rhythm
    The siciliano or “Amsterdam” rhythm can also lead to difficulties. Many a professional orchestra has fallen into the rhythmic trap of the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. 

The Accent
    The accent (>) has two meanings, playing the note with emphasis or playing as a little diminuendo. Unfortunately, most method books teach the emphasis model while most orchestral compositions sound better with the little diminuendo. The shape of the little diminuendo tapers to a softer dynamic level. Practicing four little diminuendo notes to each pitch of a scale is an excellent way to work on this concept. The student takes a sip breath between each note and tries to make each note as vibrant and resonant as possible. Practicing this full range is beneficial to expressive performance.  

The Loop  
    James Caldwell, legendary oboe professor at Oberlin, taught his students to make a loop when playing tied notes. The loop is the name of the way the player envisions his air column traveling through the reed/instrument. The player starts the note strongly, then decays (diminuendo) or slightly slows down the air speed to the tie, and then continues softly while increasing the dynamic slightly. The rule DDT (decay to the dot or tie) is an easy memorable way to teach this.

    Unisonal Scales by William C. White, part 3 (published by Carl Fischer). When I was a young band student, every rehearsal began with focusing on something from each of the three parts of this book. The first part is scales and intervals in various rhythms; part 2 is major and minor scales; and finally part 3 is short etudes. The entire book is played in unison. Year after year, the band director continued with the curriculum of this book, only the tempos became faster and faster, and he became pickier about our execution of rhythmic notation.  
    A few years ago, I was teaching a residency for Bruce Dinkins (1951-2011), former band director of Bowie High School in Austin, Texas (Interview in The Instrumentalist, May 2011). I was surprised to see that he was using the Unisonal Scale book also, especially Part 2, No. 1. This exercise alternates major and relative minor scales played in sixteenths. Besides all the winds and brass players, each marimba and xylophone had two students playing the same music. He turned on the room metronome and off the band went in perfect unison. I was pleasantly surprised at the clarity of the ensemble and especially how well the brass and percussion did with the scales. This exercise was repeated several times. Each time the metronome increased a tick until the tempo was well over quarter note = 104. Eventually someone missed and he said to the group, “Don’t you take this seriously? Somewhere in the US there is a great band practicing this right now.”
    Through the years, when I have had private students who were not privileged to participate in a great program, I have taken them through the Unisonal Scale book. The book is that good. A great player melds technical skills with expressive playing. Teaching these musical concepts while also working on these basic rhythms is a winning situation for the students. Start slowly with a lower setting on the metronome and each week increase the speed by one tick. Before long quarter note = 104 will seem slow.     

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General Listening Concepts
    Using guided listening techniques in rehearsal transfers responsibility to students, forcing them to become more independent and self-sufficient. Alhough it may be tempting, conductors should avoid telling players to watch. Instead, tell them to listen and more specifically, who to listen to. It is not only acceptable but recommended to do repetitions where the director does not conduct at all. It can be surprising to observe how well students function on their own. In his book, The Compleat Conductor, Gunther Schuller highlighted seven areas of musical hearing: pitch/intonation, harmony, rhythm/articulation, balance/orchestration, color, dynamics, and line/continuity. Try to incorporate all seven in every rehearsal. These areas also influence conducting.

How Great Ensembles Play Together
    When a world-class orchestra like the Berlin Philharmonic performs, several habits become apparent. Players breathe together, often moving together as well. They watch each other just as much or more than they watch the conductor. Think of ways to recreate these situations in rehearsals. One such idea is to have the ensemble members close their eyes, and using a pre-determined pitch, ask them to take an audible breath and sing the note together. It may sound ragged on the first try, but soon more assertive members of the group will lead, and the note is together, often within three or four repetitions. This process can then be applied – with the conductor’s guidance – to specific rehearsal situations.

Conductor’s Role in This Process
    To facilitate guided listening, directors should ask players more questions instead of giving them easy answers. The goal is for students to demonstrate their knowledge. Let them show that they understand. In too many rehearsals, the conductor is the only musical authority, and players have no autonomy in the process. The result may end up being excellent, but students are treated as pawns on a chessboard instead of collaborators with informed musical ideas. The following guided listening strategies utilize the seven areas of musical hearing.

Harmony
    Even at the earliest levels of ensemble musicianship, directors can discuss how a triad is constructed and how harmony determines musical form. Without using the term cadence, ask students, “does this sound like the music could end here, or does it need to go on?” When learning triads, have the ensemble sing their pitches while explaining what the root, third, and fifth are. Alternatively, the director can sing the root without saying the note name and have all of the students who have that note play it back. This engages their listening development in a different way. Point out consonances and dissonances and use these to discuss musical inflection. It is helpful to relate it to speech and how people emphasize certain words. Be creative with relatable examples.

Dynamics
    Dynamics are always relative to the specific piece, the composer, and the texture. Enforce this idea by asking “Does it sound like many people are playing here? What do you need to do to your volume?” Devise etudes to reinforce dynamics. Another exercise is to have students play a crescendo and diminuendo on a single pitch or chord, and then try it again, asking certain individuals or sections to lead the dynamic shape. Dynamics and balance are often intertwined, so this prepares them for assigned roles in the ensemble’s balance.

Balance/Orchestration
    A great deal of music-making is knowing who has the melody and making sure they can be heard easily. To that end, ask students, “Who thinks they have melody here? Okay, go ahead and play it.” Then guide them through the music, evaluating their opinions instead of doing the work for them. Another possibility is to say, “here is what the trumpets have” in lieu of “listen to the trumpets here”. Balance is always about context. This can relate to speech again – is this an intimate conversation, a small group of friends, or a soapbox moment for an audience?

Color/Timbre
    In a situation where melody is shared by two different instruments such as flute and clarinet, try the following exercise. Have the students play with equal partnership, then with the flute leading, and then with the clarinet leading. Ask them to comment on the difference. This is color. Try to avoid using abstract terms like dark and bright to describe sound. Discuss sound in terms of resonance and overtones and demonstrate examples for the students.
    If appropriate for the instrument, students should understand the concept of vibrato. This includes how fast it should be, where it applies, and how it relates to singing. If a non-vibrato instrument plays with one that traditionally uses it, weigh the musical context before deciding. In rehearsal, using singing and speech as aural aids helps students understand color. Finally, use verbal imagery and other relatable analogies to create links between concepts students already understand and what you want them to be able to hear.

Rhythm/Articulation
    Precision comes from matching rhythms and articulations. Sizzling rhythms is a great method for students to get real-time feedback by simply using their ears. The conductor should ask guiding questions rather than telling students what to do. It sometimes helps to create an external source of pulse from within the ensemble – students counting the pulse or a snare drummer playing eighth notes. This forces them to listen to a constant – but still living – pulse rather than a metronome. Emphasize the players who are doing it right by having groups play and asking questions in rehearsal. Instead of constantly giving an ensemble a diagnosis, directors should occasionally give them a chance to participate in their own recovery. Similarly, draw attention to the lines that generate the pulse. Better ensemble rhythm and tempo come from disciplined listening and awareness in rehearsal.

Pitch/Intonation
    Tune from within the ensemble whenever possible – such as tuba foundation, oboe or clarinet. Building from this foundation, Richard Floyd reminds musicians to tune their trio by listening to players on either side of them. This creates links around the entire ensemble and begins the process of listening more globally. When encountering intonation issues, have students listen for waves and ask questions about pitch. Sing often and have students sing without you in rehearsal. If students can sing in tune, they can play in tune. Putting complacency and ego to the side are essential. Musicians should assume they are wrong and make adjustments. Educators have a responsibility to inspire this process of adjustment in students.

Line/Continuity
    Emphasize playing through the notes. Many young players (and teachers) only worry about note beginnings and endings. Notes need body to sustain musical energy. I think of music as a living, breathing entity so I sometimes talk about connections between musical moments being like tendons, arteries, and ligaments. Think about lines in terms of vocal inflection and ask students which notes need more weight. This weight provides a destination, and the line is either the journey away from or towards each destination. Have students listen for contour (something even beginners can do) and discuss shape from there. Finally, try to relate the individual line to the architectural whole. This creates cohesion and promotes an organic flow to the music rather than a performance full of manufactured moments. Each line becomes a tributary of the river of the musical whole.

Seating/Setup
    In addition to the methods discussed above, directors can help students listen in diverse ways by experimenting with different setups. Some possibilities include letting everyone pick a random spot in the ensemble setup, using concentric circles of brass and woodwinds facing inwards, putting percussion in the center or front of the group, and facing the brass and woodwinds towards each other with conductor in the center.
    Also, consider a specific setup for each piece on the program. There may be lines or passages in the piece where a change in setup will put the musicians in a better position to succeed. While routine is important and you do not want to create chaos by doing something like this every week, experimenting with layout and rehearsal techniques keeps students engaged and listening.
    Ultimately, the goal of music educators is to create self-sufficient musicians. Transferring responsibility to students and giving them an active role in rehearsal helps them to be creative, engage their listening skills, and collaborate with each other. This newfound autonomy fosters confidence, independence, and trust. Without mutual trust and an atmosphere where mistakes are looked at as a way to learn, teachers cannot expect students to take risks. The best and most fulfilling music-making happens when everyone can take chances freely and has a stake in the outcome.

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David Werden has a variety of recommendations for educational materials, music, and all things euphonium. For even more information visit:

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The Problem
    My beginning woodwind class this year has been one of the hardest groups of beginners I have taught on many levels. Much of a teacher’s job is reminding students how to do things: teaching and reteaching. This group of students however, perceived it almost like a parent nagging them to do something. I would say, “remember to” or “let’s focus on,” and with the next repetition there would be no change. We were at a stalemate. It was not because of their interest level. They were very interested, but they just did not process instruction in the same way previous students had. New times call for new ways, and frankly I needed backup.

Finding a Solution
    To solve my problem, I went to Target and found a skeleton. Crazy, I know, but hear me out. This year our school has focused on co-teaching, which is great for teachers and students who need the additional support or an extra set of hands. However, there was no one who could assist me. I needed a co-pilot to lighten the load. The idea was born in the month leading up to Halloween when there were skeletons everywhere. I had the thought that since I was never going to get a co-pilot, I would make my own. I purchased the skeleton and a pilot cap to match and brought him into the classroom.
    At first there were pauses and blank stares, but that did not last long. The first question was, “Can we name it?” Once I heard that I knew that I was on to something and agreed. After some creative discussions, they settled on Norbertt with two t’s because it is more distinguished that way. Now that he had an identity, a name that could be referenced, he took on a new life. It was a cute adoption of sorts. I gave him an introduction and stated he was here to help us and show us the way. Norbertt heard, Norbertt thinks that you should, or Norbertt wants you to became  a different voice in the classroom. I was no longer the lone wolf.
    Now I should mention that a skeleton is not for everyone’s teaching style or personality. Everything that you present to your students, you must embrace with enthusiasm and joy for them to buy into it. This is just an idea. Teachers take an idea, mold it, and meld it into something that will fit us, our students, and the situation. There are many ways to reach people, but never try to fit a round peg in a square hole. You will create a much more authentic experience for your students by being true to who you are and who they are.

Additional Techniques
    Why was this even needed? A good portion of students of today use computers for assignments. They are used to reading numbered instructions, in the simplest and most straightforward language, instead of processing verbal instructions and filling in the gaps with more abstract thoughts. This is especially true after several years of remote lessons and interrupted school years.
    To help counter this and create a new way of training, I developed slides that accompanied Norbertt, complete with steps that I wanted my students to focus on. The slides are divided up into three categories: before you play, while you play, and after you play. On each slide there are about three things to focus on for that part of the process. The content on the slide changes, develops and evolves over time depending on what students need or do not need to focus on anymore.
    Students can only direct their attention to so much at a time, so I try to create lists that are no longer than three items. However, when the group is ready, I will add only one or two more points if more differentiation is required. On some days, students can only focus on one or two ideas, and that is okay. You have to teach them where they are. If they are not ready, they are not ready. The process is all about the journey. If you and the students are not enjoying the process, then the journey will not happen.

Assessments
    During assessment preparation, Norbertt’s role changes slightly and takes a new direction. The focus shifts from emphasizing the process of what we are doing to Norbertt being an adjudicator. This serves two purposes. First, I am focusing on the terminology used on the sheets and shaping their conceptual understanding while creating a non-threatening experience with an adjudicator. I am also shifting the students’ focus to evaluation of what they are hearing both individually and as a group. While I have done both of these things from the beginning, students need to be reminded regularly because they all learn differently and at different times. You never know when the lightbulb is going to click.

Keep It Fun
    Do not forget it is supposed to be fun. Having enjoyment with Norbertt is just as important as what Norbertt is saying. It creates a bond between presentation and material that makes it more memorable. The goal is for students to remember and demonstrate the content. After using him in class for a while, I like to create enjoyable activities and different interactions with him for my students. Costumes and accessories are key. It might be seasonal clothing or the addition of a fun hat when he is off duty.
    Another option is to let students bring in items for him as a reward. It has been very motivating. Items brought in have included a wig for a new hairstyle, a pet (in the form of a stuffed animal), and even a friend (with additional skeletons making an appearance). The possibilities are endless.
    Another fun activity students like is to “sit beside Norbertt for a day.” You can use it to reward students for behavioral or instructional achievements. Since Norbertt lives in the front of the room, I let students decide whether they want to sit beside him or if they want him to sit beside them. It has become quite interesting to see the students embrace him in their sections and make him part of the group. It is an additional way to keep things light and create smiles every day. Making at least one moment when students laugh every day in the classroom goes such a long way towards relationship building and retention in my groups.
    This idea has really helped me engage my students’ interest and get them out of their shells. It will also help shape their future experiences. Presenting topics by focusing on the process, teaching students how to think for themselves, and engaging with the material in new ways is critical for success. I hope that some part of this idea will help with your classroom so that when you come in for a landing, everyone can say it was an enjoyable ride.

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