January 2009 Archives - The Instrumentalist

Thoughts on Conducting Myths

theinstrumenta — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:31:48 +0000

    I agree with a large portion of Erik Janners’s November 2008 article “Conducting Myths” but would like to make a few comments.
    Gestures are important for conveying the director’s interpretation of a piece to an ensemble. Also, conducting with emotion is not showboating, it is involvement in the music and prevents conductors from reducing themselves to time beaters. I wish conductors would work on an arsenal of gestures and not simply use the same few gestures for every style of music.
    It is unhelpful to spend a rehearsal tuning every note. There are conductors who spend so much time trying to impress students with their knowledge of instrument tendencies and how to tune that they actually turn students off. All students want to do is play. I prefer to put responsibility on the students. It is good to tune at certain intervals during rehearsal, but I prefer to teach students to listen and tune to the bass. I stop only to correct recurring problems.
    It is important for students to sometimes play music they dislike, especially those who plan to pursue a professional career. I have played and conducted countless pieces I did not like in my career, but anyone who wants to work regularly will be forced to play pieces they do not enjoy.
    I like competition as long as it is not the focal point of a program. Performers are always in competition for jobs. Competing to get the highest score at a festival should not be the reason for attending a competition, and obsessing over festival scores is unhealthy. Festivals are an excellent opportunity to get outside comments on the band; these can be used in the classroom for further musical development.
    Students who spend the year working on three pieces for a marching show, three or four pieces in December, and three pieces for a spring festival do not see enough music. Reading sessions and an extra concert or two would greatly benefit any program. The more music students play, the better players they will become.

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Firm Resolutions

theinstrumenta — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:19:45 +0000

    The tradition of making resolutions at the onset of each new year is clearly evident at any health club. During the month of January it is impossible to find unused machines and weights. However, by mid-February attendance will dip noticeably, and by the end of March the crowd is back down to December levels. Only the few individuals who were serious about their resolutions to get in shape will persevere, while most of the others will put off the next workout until tomorrow or next week.
    This is my story in recent years. Last January I was determined that 2008 would be the year I lost weight, and for about two weeks it was. Then I got lazy and quickly gained back all I had lost plus more.
    I suspect we quickly discard changes for the better because they usually involve hard work, but so too did learning to play an instrument well. Those of us who have be come proficient at an instrument are keenly aware that improvement only comes through consistent hard work over time. This is the concept that should carry over into other areas of life, including weight loss or whatever your resolutions may be.
    This year I have sworn off New Year’s resolutions and started to make firm commitments as they are needed. Successful musicians don’t avoid or put off music they can’t play; to do so would mean the loss of future gigs. Neither would a good teacher permit an ensemble to continue making the same mistake. The basic purpose of every rehearsal and practice session is to improve a section of music or some details, a technical skill, or even basic sightreading techniques.
    This is the attitude we should bring to any area of life that needs improvement. It does nothing to hope for improvements, only action will make these a reality. In October I signed up for 25 sessions with a trainer and have made substantial progress.
    My experience has taught me again what I have heard others say: if something needs doing, don’t wait to start, but do it now. A lifetime of good intentions adds up to nothing, but hard work and perseverance produce results. Happy New Year.

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An Analysis of The Beethoven Machine

theinstrumenta — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:33:54 +0000

The Beethoven Machine by Michael Colgrass is a work for concert band based on a sonatina Beethoven wrote as a child. Six minutes in length, the music has the easy ranges and rhythms of grade-two music, but some parts have a certain amount of musical independence that is often seen in grade-three pieces. It was commissioned by The Longmeadow (Massachusetts) Public Schools through a grant from the Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation; the music is published by Carl Fischer.

Colgrass divides the concert band into a Children’s Orchestra made up of woodwinds, an Adult Orchestra of primarily brass instruments, and a third group of musicians who make up a funny-sounding little machine that cranks out music in the style of Beethoven. The personalities of the three ensembles are inherent in the writing so that there is never a question as to how mechanical and funny the machine should sound or whether the Children’s Orchestra needs to be different from the Adult Orchestra.

These three groups play different versions of Beethoven’s melody with the Children’s Orchestra and the Adult Orchestra “talking” back and forth throughout the piece. The Children’s Orchestra has light, playful scoring while the Adult Orchestra depicts authority. “As the music develops,” writes Colgrass, “the two orchestras gradually find a common ground and finally play together in one style and finish in harmony – although astute listeners will notice that the Adult Orchestra somehow got maneuvered into playing in the children’s key.”

Rehearsals should include work on the independent entrances scattered throughout the piece, particularly in the Children’s Orchestra. Young students will have to count carefully as well as understand how each part fits into the whole. In addition to regular rehearsals, it may be worthwhile to rehearse the small ensembles separately. The Children’s Orchestra part is the most complex of the three.

A Tinny-Sounding Opening

The Machine opens the piece primarily scored for one player per part, quarter note = 126. Colgrass asks for a tinny sound so conductors should be concerned about distorted tones made by f trills in the woodwinds or the alto saxophone solo labeled honk. Tin cans in the percussion may include large coffee cans placed on cloth and played on their bottoms with drum sticks. The feel at the beginning should be metronomic and certainly not shy.

At measure 6 the Children’s Orchestra, represented by a tutti woodwind choir and glockenspiel, enters playing the first melodic statement in Bb major. The glockenspiel is important because it ties together the melodic fragments played by the woodwinds. The woodwind choir should play with enough volume here to make the decrescendo at measure 13 effective.

The Machine defiantly interrupts the Children’s Orchestra at measure 14 with a brief restatement of the opening two measures, now scored mf. It fades quickly returning to the sonatina played by the woodwinds. Here the saxophone and bassoon accompaniment should not overbalance the melody in the upper woodwinds.

The return of the Children’s Orchestra, again accompanied by an important glockenspiel part, is now twice as long as it was in the opening statement, perhaps showing that the young ensemble is gaining confidence. Even though marked f, the music should feel light and playful. Emphasize to the band the importance of playing clear-sounding eighth notes and sustaining the longer-note values.

Seamless Transitions

During rehearsals directors should focus on making the transitions between the material of the three ensembles seamless and convincing. One of the more enjoyable aspects of this work for audiences is hearing the gradual disappearance of one ensemble while the sound of another group slowly appears. Directors have to decide on the speed and intensity of these scene changes.

The first of these transitions begins at measure 30 with a difficult six-measure transition to the entrance of the Adult Orchestra at measure 36. The Children’s Orchestra fades out as the Adult Orchestra enters, a few instruments at a time. Ideally there should never be a distinct moment when the Children’s Orchestra stops and the Adult Orchestra begins to play. Instead, the conductor should gradually alter the color of the passage, changing the emphasis from a bright woodwind choir tone to a dark brass timbre.

The ensemble now ritards slightly to accommodate the entrance of the Adult Orchestra at measure 36. The tempo is now quarter note = 116, ten clicks slower than the Children’s Orchestra.

The melody is in a comfortable range for the first trumpets, enabling them to project over the fairly dense chorale accompaniment of the brass and low woodwinds. This section should be played legato and have a sense of maturity. During rehearsals give special attention to those moments (another occurs at measure 76) where the scoring favors the brass choir, because projecting the melody can be difficult, depending on the abilities of the first trumpets.

Second trumpet has three important counter phrases to the melody of the first trumpet in measures 48, 50, and 52. These measures have to sound above the overall texture at those moments.

A Glockenspiel-Triangle Duet

When the Machine reenters at measure 56 at the original tempo, the music should again have a metronomic, mechanical feel. This five-measure interlude fades into a reentrance of the Children’s Orchestra playing the cute eighth-note sonatina. The important glockenspiel part now plays a duet with the triangle, adding a bright sheen to the proceedings as the sonatina melody continues to measure 75. An abrupt halt on a dominant chord suggests that the Adult Orchestra has become impatient with the Children’s Orchestra, quickly hushing them up. After a grand pause the music continues with the next lesson between parent and child at measure 76.

The Adult Orchestra plays another chorale, this time in F minor, the parallel minor of its first statement. Colgrass adds timpani and bassoon to this second statement for more texture. The goal for directors should be to achieve a mature-sounding, flowing line in which the melody projects through the accompaniment. Staggered woodwind entrances begin to appear as the brass choir fades at measure 89. The writing here is a refreshing example of the composer’s belief that music for young bands does not always have to be tutti and accompanied by a percussion time stream. In this composition young students have to count carefully because of the independent parts.

Saxophones and low brass trade two legato statements written with quarter notes in measure 99. The tubas need to project the F major arpeggio at measure 102 because it functions as the dominant triad in the return to Bb major. This section is an eight-measure transition to the climax of the piece at measure 114. Measures 106-123 should be conducted in two, enabling the music to flow and achieve a majestic, broad sound required for the climax as the Children’s Orchestra joins the Adult Orchestra at measure 114.

Quintessential Colgrass

The end of the work, which begins at measure 124, may be the most challenging section. Directors who are familiar with the music of Michael Colgrass might agree that this is quintessential Colgrass with sparse writing, short snippets of previous musical ideas, and a dark, somber tone. The issues for conductors are how to pace and sustain intensity to a thoughtful end of this wonderful work.

At measure 124 a brief poco allargando conducted in four prepares for the last tutti Bb major chord, essentially beginning the coda. Woodwinds in the Children’s Orchestra start the coda playing fragments of the sonatina melody, this time with a more mature sound and depth of tone color. The Bb major chord at measure 124 should quickly decay so the woodwind statements can project. Careful counting and independent playing are important here.

The Adult Orchestra reappears with staggered entrances at measure 128, much like the material in measures 30-36. Again, these entrances should gradually fold into the overall texture and not be distinct. The alto saxophone entrance at measure 131 has to be clearly heard because it begins another chain reaction of sonatina fragments.

All of the entrances are for one player per part in measures 128-141, and each player needs to know his function within the phrase: the accompaniment is at a p dynamic, and the melody is mf. The melodic fragments should respond to each other as if they are playing a musical game of catch.

An overlapping modulation from Bb major to Bb minor anticipates the somber arrival of Bb minor at measure 141. This return of the chorale motif should be straightforward in the brass as the woodwinds create intense swells from p to mf and back. Here the brass should take special care to not upset the balance the woodwinds.

The Machine returns briefly for a five-measure phrase at measure 152. It begins softly and moves to mf, only to quickly fade. This unifying idea, played against a backdrop of sustained chords from the brass and low woodwinds, is one of the many wonderful moments in this work. The music has now come full circle.

Another Bb minor chord signals the beginning of the end. Steady tuba, bass clarinet or baritone saxophone (Colgrass asks that either the bass clarinet or baritone saxophone play, but not both) are crucial here. Five Bbs played by the glockenspiel over sustained low woodwinds and brass chords bring the work to a conclusion.

The wind band world is fortunate to have Michael Colgrass and other fine composers now writing for young bands. Pieces such as The Beethoven Machine are technically easier than these composers’ overall output, without being watered down. Each provides students with areas in which to improve their instrumental abilities as they enjoy a life filled with music.

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An Analysis of Gotta Make Noise

theinstrumenta — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:23:37 +0000

“In eighth grade I was full of energy and itching to escape from the conservative pieces we usually played in band,” says composer Michael Colgrass. “As a percussionist I would have preferred a piece featuring the percussion – one that pulled out all the stops and went for broke. With this in mind, I wrote Gotta Make Noise, a concerto for middle-school band and percussion ensemble.” The Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation commissioned the work for the Longmeadow (Massachusetts) Public Schools; the music is now published by Carl Fischer.

Gotta Make Noise is scored for seven percussionists, who should be in front of the band for each performance with soloists in the middle of the percussion line. Although the piece was written for middle school band, it could be a showcase for high school or college percussionists by increasing the tempo from quarter note = 156 to 168 or higher.

Colgrass suggests assigning experienced players to the snare drum, tom-toms, conga drum, and timpani parts. Nonpercussionists may be used for suspended cymbal, bass drum and cymbals, and cowbell and bells (in that order), if necessary. The work is based on the 12-bar blues form, influenced by Colgrass’s experiences as a jazz drummer, so the eighth-note rhythms should be played with a swing feel.

Unison Drums and Cymbal Crashes

The music gets off to a rousing start with the drums playing unison rhythms complemented by cymbal crashes, which is instrumentation that reoccurs multiple times throughout the work. Percussionists need to listen to the entire section, the ensemble, and themselves at all times. They have to be aware of which instrument is driving the tempo by keeping the quarter-note or eighth-note pulse. It is absolutely crucial that the drums play together or the sound will be a big wash.

Tutti passages should be practiced repeatedly with a metronome to be certain everyone is playing together and in time, but I never rely on the metronome as a crutch. It should be used only as a tool to help students understand tendencies with tempo; it is better to have the percussion section members learn to rely on their inner pulse and listening skills.

The woodwind and brass players yell in the beginning, which is Colgrass’s idea to cheer on the percussion. For the effect to work, you may need to encourage students to yell to the maximum as they would at sporting events. Because Longmeadow is close to Boston and a number of Red Sox fans are in band, I told them to close their eyes and imagine that they were at Fenway Park cheering on their team. To promote some solid yelling I asked a student leader known for her energy and leadership talent to direct the group in the opening shouting measures. The effect was incredible.

Any nonmusical sounds, like the shouting and the rhythmic whispering later in the piece, are just as important as instrumental sounds and have to be taken just as seriously. The shouts and whispering have to be in time and produced with clarity so that audiences understand what is said. Colgrass wants these sounds to recreate the exuberant and playful atmosphere of youth, which makes it important to carefully perform them with energy and conviction.

The woodwinds and brass play their instruments for the first time in measure 9, sounding a G minor tonality at a ff dynamic. As with any other musical work, such concepts as correct tone production, intonation, tempo, and blend have to be addressed and reviewed. Given the nature of the piece, students may think they can be haphazard with tone production or pay less attention to important musical details, but this is not the case.

A Critical Transition

After a short percussion break in measures 13-14, a potential troublesome spot arrives in measure 15. This is a critical transition point that leads to the first major phrase in the work. Each instrumental group enters on successive beats moving from low to high registers. I have found it helpful to have students write in which beat they enter on – one, two, three, or four – and then count quietly to themselves during the two measures of rest before measure 15 to be certain of the beat. They also need to highlight the contrast between the p and ff change in that measure. Clarinets and alto and tenor saxophones have to carefully anticipate measure 16 because they enter stating the theme at a p dynamic.

The main theme begins at measure 16 with the rhythm played exactly as if saying, “Ya Gotta Make Noise.” Clarinets will have to work at comfortably going over the break from A4 to C5, and saxophones need to work at playing E4 at a p dynamic.

At the same time, players on cowbell and suspended cymbal have an ostinato over solo fills by the conga and tom-tom players. The snare drummer needs to push the time with the notated quarter notes, playing in the traditional jazz wire-brush style with the left hand moving back and forth in a half circular motion on the drumhead.

Snare drum, conga, and tom-tom have a quick change from playing with sticks in measure 16 to brushes in measure 17. To exchange sticks quickly, quietly, and in time, each of these players should have a music stand nearby draped in a towel to muffle extraneous sound. It is imperative that everyone come in together on the downbeat of measure 17.

Variations of the Theme

The next two sections, measures 28-35 and 36-46, present the theme and variations of the theme played in unison first by saxophones and brass followed by all the woodwinds. The percussion play fills throughout these two sections, led by the snare drum, conga, and tom-tom. Be careful here because it is crucial to perform with a consistent tempo; woodwind and brass players tend to delay entrances after the multiple rests that are during the percussion fills. Ask the percussion section to push the tempo throughout these two sections.

A contrasting section, measures 46-52, takes place in between two ff sections that give listeners and the ensemble a respite. Here the bell player has the melody. Colgrass suggests using plastic mallets for a fuller sound while the woodwinds play at a delicate p dynamic to contrast with the surrounding sections. Brass mallets are too crass for this delicate section.

A buildup to the shout chorus begins in measure 53 where all instruments have a p dynamic. This may be difficult for the trumpets because they start this phrase in the middle register and gradually get louder as the melodic line climbs toward the high register. The climax of the shout chorus, measures 61-63, has full, accented unison figures immediately followed by big loud shouts to cheer on the busy percussion section. Here, each percussion instrument should sound through, clearly and distinctly, so audiences hear the multiple entries and exits scored in the music. There is a tendency to drag the tempo in this portion of the composition, so players and conductor alike should be ready to push the tempo.

An Improvised Section

Measure 74 contributes to making this composition special because it is improvisational in nature. Colgrass divides the measure into different sections giving each wind section instructions to “blast on different notes,” “squawk on any notes,” and “moan and groan like a wounded animal,” letting students know that distorted sounds are welcome and are not wrong.

Students ad lib simultaneously for 10-12 seconds in the first part of the measure. If you decide not to include the improvisation, the music should continue with little space between measures 74 and 75. At the cut off in measure 74, all sounds cease to make an effective and smooth transition to measure 75.

If you would like to feature some percussionists, measure 74a has an open bar for up to 30 seconds of improvisation. Players may trade twos or fours, going back and forth and building in intensity while the other auxiliary players inject sounds as well. With planning and good execution, this is the place where your percussion section can perform a mini-composition for percussion ensemble.

An optional roll-off cue is included to let the wind players know when to start. Measure 75 returns to regular time. Wind players will have to work on consistent intonation here, while playing a diminuendo from f to p through four beats.

Rhythmic Whispering

Another interesting part of the piece is the rhythmic whispering section at measure 79. Here, the snare drum, timpani, and tom-tom trade twos with the woodwinds as percussionists play on their drum rims for a timbral change.

Next, the winds tongue chick ti-ka syllables in unison and in a whisper. Colgrass says you may change the actual syllables to something easier for your students to articulate as long as they achieve the desired effect. The sounds should be as loud as possible as well as clear and distinct so audiences can discern the syllables.

Few middle school students will have had experience performing this type of articulation with their mouths, so many will need practice. Work should begin with the first four notes in measure 81. The idea is to use a great deal of breath without exerting a huge amount of effort with the tongue. It should be light. This is probably one of the most fun sections of the piece.

Players will have to be alert as measure 93 approaches because the ff downbeat requires the entire band and there is no break between rhythmic whispering and playing. In measures 97-98 have students listen to the balance of the notes in the Eb major-seventh chord with the third in the bass. Next, percussionists play a section similar to measures 17-20 with some slight rhythmic differences. The winds have eighth notes and quarter notes at a p dynamic. The percussionists should strive for rhythmic clarity as well as steady time.

In measures 103-111, the coda of the piece, winds make the shh sound for four beats that gradually become quiet. The sound should be forceful at the onset but diminuendo dramatically. A percussionist interjects a small rhythmic figure after each shh answered by the flutes and clarinets playing the “Ya Gotta Make Noise” motif. After one last shh there is a grand pause and complete silence. An explosive “Ya Gotta Make Noise” brings the wild ride to an end.

Middle school percussionists who are used to playing traditional parts will enjoy the contemporary techniques and challenging rhythms of Gotta Make Noise. It also highlights the percussion section, front and center. The work will give your band a chance to learn about the jazz idiom as student soloists have their first experiences with improvisation. Most of all, everyone will enjoy making music created by a talented composer.

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From the Message Boards

theinstrumenta — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:45:38 +0000

120 Band Uniforms for sale. Purple jacket, pink pants, and drum major style hat (large Q-tip style). Picture of a marching aardvark on back of the jacket. Free. Will deliver. If interested, write arnie@mothballs.net.

I am looking for a marching band arrangement of Stand By Your Man, my superintendent’s favorite song. E-mail command_performance@or-else.net.

Does anyone have three scores for Respighi’s Pines of Rome? I need them for contest. If so, e-mail treyreely@ in_my_dreams.net.

Director looking for a position where band director is paid as much as head football coach, receives approval for all budget requests, and can rehearse marching band in an indoor practice facility. If such a position exists, contact J.P. at dream_on@delusional.net.

Official Nigerian Minster of Music wants to deposit a million dollars into your school bank akkount. Send $1000 tranzaction fee to: The Most Distinkwished Musikal Profezzer Nigel Kos-wabbe, 1 Tikumbe Alley, Lagos, Nigeria.

Slightly used trumpet for sale. Only been played at school. Price negotiable. Child negotiable. Contact Myrtle at lazy_bum@juniorhigh.net.

Marching Contest. Every band gets a trophy. Every child gets a trophy. Mail a trophy to your friends. For more information contact us at universalsuccess@trophyhunter.com.

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Used trombone for sale – slide slightly damaged, goes to third position and then makes a sharp right turn. Best offer; brokenbone@sackbut.net.

Tryouts for the University of Northern Arkansas Cloggerette line will be Saturday, April 26 at 1:00 p.m. on the campus of U.N.A. at Rose Bud.

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Used reeds of all types and brands for sale. See our products at American-recyclingproject.com.

House sitter needed for 100-year-old retired band director on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Well-behaved. Mainly rocks in rocking chair mumbling “that’s B-natural second finger, not B-flat first finger.”

Fifth Annual Going-Out-of-Business Sale. All items must go! Contact sham_music@temporarilyterminal.com.

You are invited to a faculty recital of Harry Strangelove, professor of glass harmonica at Cogburn College. It will begin at 2:00 on Sunday, April 27. He will be performing his composition Poor Richard: A Setting of Ben Franklin’s Almanac.

Thirty-member marching accordion group needs performing venues next fall. Will march at halftimes and in exhibition at marching contests. Contact Lawrence at polka_stud@ welk.com.

Scholarships are available for membership in the Pokanoket University Marching Pilgrims. Contact turnaboutizfairplay@irony.net for more information.

Contrabass clarinet stolen. Please be on the lookout for a very tall man in a trenchcoat selling stolen instruments. If found, call police, then e-mail joe@ unusual-thefts.net.

Make money at home puting instruments together. Contact retire_in_ a_month@toogoodtobetrue.net.

School district looking for director to teach 6th grade beginners, 7th grade intermediate, 8th grade advanced band, senior high band, junior choir, senior choir, and two fine arts classes and sponsor the chess team. If interested, please contact youmustbecrazy@small school.net.

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Headjoint and Body

theinstrumenta — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:38:55 +0000

Editor’s note: This is a continuation of “A Flute Masterclass,” which ran in the December 2008 issue.

Assessing what the students know (point A) and what you want to achieve (point B) is the first step in creating a masterclass curriculum. How to progress from A to B depends on the level of the class, the students’ learning styles, and ages. A prominent teacher once remarked that you can teach anyone anything if you break the information down into small enough units.

Review Class 1

A good second masterclass curriculum begins with a general review of the previous session. The goal is to build a foundation of flute playing and musicianship. Masterclass #1, to simplify the instruction, used the headjoint alone.
To present the review, you could ask students to:

Play some slurred half-note octaves. Hold the headjoint with your thumbs and index fingers. Remember that the embouchure hole should face the ceiling and that your head is at the bottom of a small nod. Separate the vocal folds by panting.

After a series of several octave patterns with the class, ask students to close the open end of the headjoint with the right palm and play half-notes on all three possible notes (low, medium, and high). Then repeat these instructions with the tonguing (thi, thi, thi, rest) and vibrato (hah, hah, hah, rest both staccato and slurred) exercises.

Add the Flute Body
The second masterclass uses the headjoint and the flute body but no footjoint. At the beginning of the class, check the cork placement again, particularly if several weeks have passed since the last class. Changes in weather and the bumping and jiggling of a headjoint in a case can alter cork placement.
Students should grasp the barrel (where the name plate is) from above with their right hand. The left arm should just hang down to the side. Holding the instrument in this position helps students stabilize the flute firmly against the chin. It also helps them discover that the flute should angle down slightly rather than being horizontal with their shoulders. This position is necessary because of the asymmetrical cut of the embouchure hole.

    Later when the left hand is added, the left thumb should be straight and point up toward the ceiling. The size of each student’s hand determines where the thumb touches the thumb key. Generally, touching the key close to the first knuckle is best.
    Interestingly, the distance between the elbow and the wrist is approximately the same length as the foot, so knowing a student’s shoe size will help determine whether the left wrist should be slightly bent or not. When the shoe size is larger than a women’s size 7, the wrist will need to bend to align the nose, aperture, embouchure hole, and crease in the left elbow with the center of the music stand.

Headjoint Tenon
    After a few months of study, many young flutists discover that the end of their headjoint is no longer round. This is due to improper and hasty assembly of the flute. Prevent this damage with a little instruction. Explain that a good seal between the headjoint and the body of the flute is necessary and requires the end of the headjoint to be round. When students assemble the flute, they should insert the headjoint into the body slowly and carefully. Demonstrate how to align the headjoint and the body, and then ask students to imitate.
    To align the flute and headjoint, look down the body to the headjoint from the D-key end of the body and draw an imaginary line through the center of the right-hand keys and the center of the embouchure hole. The headjoint should be pulled 1/4" for proper tuning. On your handout page, make a top border of lines 1/4" apart with a ruler so students can see what an accurate 1/4" looks like.
    Once the flute is aligned and the headjoint is pulled out, mark a line on the backside of the headjoint and flute body with fingernail polish so the student can accurately align the flute at home. Now the class is ready for a series of exercises and activities to do as a group. Be sure to explain the goal of each one.

Follow the Leader
    The left hand notes of the flute spell the word bag or gab. Call out each letter or note name as the students finger the note called. Start slowly, B A G and G A B; then call the letters in random order. Most students must repeat the process about eight times before remembering it, so be patient. Remind students to relax their fingers, yet close the keys with a rhythmic motion. The fingers should be close to the keys. After the students can finger the notes easily, add C, which only requires students to remove their left thumb. This is also a good time to teach that, as the fingers are removed from the flute, the pitches go higher and vice versa.
    Once the class can play the step fingers motions of C, B, A, and G descending and ascending, they are ready for skip fingerings, such as B, G, B, G or C, A, C, A. Check to be sure that the students can execute this first while watching their fingers and then without looking at their fingers.

Finger Drill
    Sometimes when doing the previous exercise, students have trouble making their fingers move correctly. If this is the case, have the entire class place their flutes in their laps. Number the fingers on both hands from index finger through pinkie as 1 to 4, and then call out numbers while students touch the appropriate finger with their thumbs. At first students can look at their fingers, but after a few times through they should drop their hands to their sides and repeat the exercise without looking. Call out the numbers in an even rhythm, first slowly and then more rapidly. I find that today’s students are much less body aware and dexterous than students were just 5 to 10 years ago.

Into Action
Repeat the finger drill, but this time ask students to play the note that you call out instead of touching their fingers. Do a sequence in the lower octave and another in the second octave. Remind students to start each note with the tongue. The tongue releases the air. I prefer thi for tonguing because the syllable comes through the teeth and is off the top lip. Encourage articulate, rhythmic fingers that are relaxed and close the keys quietly and gently.

Soloist Exercise
    Ask for a volunteer. This allows the rest of the class to evaluate what the volunteer is doing. I have found when a student has a problem, another student can quickly tell him what he needs to do to fix it. Sometimes the student’s language will speak much more clearly than a teacher’s words do. Be sure to encourage the class to praise as well as criticize.

Left-Handed G Major Scale
    With the right hand on the barrel, have the class play G, A, B, C in the second octave with quarter notes and quarter rests between the pitches. Repeat several times, reminding the students to keep their fingers close to the keys. When the class has mastered this, repeat the fingering sequence again followed by the same fingerings sounding at the third harmonic partial – D3, A as an E3, B as an F#3, and C.

    Continue to work this drill with each note as a quarter value followed by a quarter rest.

Add in Skills
With this left-handed scale, play three eighth notes followed by an eighth rest on each pitch using the following syllables: thi, cka, hah, rest. Then try t, k, t, rest. The right hand is still holding the flute by the barrel.
To teach vibrato very naturally and easily without too much explanation, repeat these notes (G, A, B, C, and overblown G, A, B, C) with the hah, hah, hah, rest several times. Then have the students slur the hah, hah, hah, rest as in vibrato bumps.

The G Exercise
    Now slur the G scale with the right hand still on the barrel. The first time up, place four slurred vibrato bumps on each pitch (hah, hah, hah, hah), then three bumps and finally two. Then ask the class to play the ascending scale as fast as possible.
    Add the descending scale slurred. For a fun exercise, ask each student to play the ascending and descending G scale while twirling in a circle going toward the left (counterclockwise). Once the student can play with the twirl, they better understand lifting into the third octave, independence of the air and fingers, and playing with a long musical line.

Low, Low, High, Rest
    To develop embouchure fluency students start on low G and tongue low, low, high, rest as shown in the example below. If the students are advanced and familiar with flute fingerings, use chromatic notes G, Ab, A, B flat (thumb fingering), B, C, and C#. This careful laying out of flute fingerings often produces some aha moments from the class.

Repeat the exercise with vibrato and use three vibrato cycles and a rest on low G, another three vibrato cycles and a rest on middle G, and eight vibrato cycles on the high G.

Chromatics
    This exercise teaches the motion the left-hand thumb must learn in order to switch from B to thumb B flat. It also helps stabilize the flute against the chin and keeps the left hand relaxed. Remember that the left thumb should point up to the ceiling.
On the chromatic sequence G, Ab, A, B flat, B, C and C#, play the scale articulated and slurred in the first and then second octaves. Be sure the right hand is still on the barrel.

Songs
Some students learn musical notation quickly, while others struggle to remember note names. Here are some melodies that can be played just with the left hand. Let the student choose the octave. These melodies also work well with counted vibrato. Teach the counted vibrato aurally.

Round of Trills
To exercise each finger, practice a cluster of trills on each note. This is a subtle way to teach students to keep fingers close to the keys and separate the finger movements from the air stream. Start with a G-A trilled dotted-half note followed by a quarter rest. Do about eight clusters. Then repeat with A-B and B-C. If the class is quick, you can add tremolos such as G-B, A-C or C -A and B-G.

Extra Time
If there is still time remaining, I suggest some rhythmic drills on a middle B with the right hand on the barrel. If students are seated in chairs, ask them to extend their legs in front of them off the floor and tap their toes (both feet) to the quarter note. Start by playing a rhythm in 4/4 and ask the class to imitate what you play. Use whole, half, and quarter note values to fill the 44 measure.

Review
Every good curriculum provides a review at the end. Concepts that have been taught during this lesson are shown in the box on the left. List these topics on your one-page handout.

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A Musical Family Sharing Wisdom Across Generations

theinstrumenta — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:29:04 +0000

Music is likely to be the topic of conversation whenever the Fuchs family gets together because brothers Gerald and Jim, as well as Gerald’s sons Jeff and Craig, are all band directors. “Our wives just hate family visits during the winter holidays because we spend so much time talking about repertoire,” says Craig. “After many years of directing bands, my father worked in the retail music business, so he always asked about various new pieces.” During one kitchen conversation about marching, the men moved the dinner table out of the way for a debate about turning corners and when to use the right or left foot.

Gerald Fuchs
Gerald Fuchs and his younger brother Jim grew up on a dairy farm in Concordia, Missouri and attended the tiny local high school with just 120 students. He recalls that an influential choir instructor was so inspiring that all but a few students joined choir. This teacher went on to Berlin for 16 years to sing in an opera company there while Gerald and Jim moved on to what is now called the University of Central Missouri. Fuchs admits that although his parents hoped the boys would stay on the farm, the hours of dairy farming did not suit him.

Gerald attended school on a vocal scholarship and took both vocal and instrumental music. “I went through the band classes and played alto clarinet for a year but was basically a vocalist. For my first two teaching jobs I was hired for my vocal expertise but fell in love with bands. I went back to graduate school for work on instrumental technique and literature and then took a job at Belton High School in Missouri.”
    During the years in Belton from 1962 to 1969, Gerald frequently brought his young sons, Craig and Jeff, and a daughter, Shelly, back to school in the evenings for solo and ensemble rehearsals. The children would sit in a chair and watch everything that went on in the bandroom, which influenced their decisions to become directors.
    After nearly 20 years Gerald left teaching in 1976 to take a position with Wingert-Jones, a large music retailer in Kansas City. The company wanted an instrumentalist who knew band literature, and the offer came at the perfect time for Fuchs. He was running a growing program of 250 students in Savannah, Missouri without any assistance and felt burned out from the work.
    He spent 25 years working in the retail side of Wingert-Jones, advising directors on new music. “This was the time when Claude T. Smith was writing a number of pieces for the company. The success of Emperata Overture was the main reason that the company started its publications division.”
Gerald enjoyed his work in music retailing because it gave him an opportunity to continue in music and stay in touch with fellow musicians who had been friends for years. After 25 years on the retail side and rising to general manager, Fuchs retired in 2001 to return in 2004 as the director of publications of Wingert-Jones/J.W.Pepper. He retired again in 2007.

Jim Fuchs
Beginning in fifth grade, Jim Fuchs received his first clarinet and took private lessons from the local band director. He participated in band, men’s glee club, and choir while in high school; and when his brother Gerald decided to become a music teacher, he followed the same path. Jim was particularly interested by watching his brother take over a small music program and helping it grow.
Jim relied on various mentors in the early years of his career, including the wisdom of his brother. “Mentors are very important and lacking in many schools. During my years of teaching in Paola, I met a business teacher who influenced me through her traditional approach to instructing students.”
Although Jim enjoyed teaching over 21 years, he decided in 1984 to pursue a different career in part because of frustration with school bureaucracy. “At times I felt like a counselor to students. I didn’t want to be a counselor; I wanted to be a band director.” Jim, like his brother, went into the business side of music. He is very proud of his nephews, Craig and Jeff, and their college music programs. “We sure do have great conversations when everyone is together. My only regret is that I did not teach at the same time as they did. I would have loved to use them as guest conductors.”

Jeff Fuchs
Jeff Fuchs recalls a series of events that contributed to his career in music. He was particularly impressed by the strong relationships that developed in his father’s ensembles. “In the early 1970s,” he remembers, “a trumpet player in one of Dad’s bands was killed in a car wreck. I was in middle school at the time and recall how many band students came over to the house to grieve together with him.” There were also lighter moments for young Jeff, who fondly recalls spending snow days at school with his father and brother. “It was great because we had an empty school gym and trampoline all to ourselves. We’d go to school and hang out with Dad.”
    Jeff says he never felt pressure to pursue music, only encouragement. He has wondered for years if the instrumentation in his father’s band contributed to his decision to play tuba. “I always joke that my father needed a tuba player and could control my musical development better than others.” Playing under his father’s baton, Jeff says he never received special favors. “I remember being treated so much like everybody else that it wasn’t like having my father in class.”
    One inspirational teacher for Jeff was Bill Mack. “Bill Mack was just a master teacher and motivator. He accomplished things that probably shouldn’t have been possible. He used his musicianship and motivational skill to push the band further.”
Jeff says Mack reminded students about the value of developing technique beyond what was required by the music. This was a particularly valuable lesson for a high school tubist facing less difficult band parts. “I was able to play all the way through those Rubank books and the Arban trumpet book as a result of playing in Bill’s summer band program. His encouragment back then helps me even today.”
    Jeff went to college at Truman State University in Missouri, with the idea of pursuing the business side of music, until it became clear that the close relationships between director and students would not be part of the business world. At one job early in his career Jeff taught band and vocal classes at a school of 250 students in Huntsville, Missouri. Jeff and a colleague taught every music class for the district except junior high choir.
    Jeff says that working in a small school allowed him to take chances in his teaching and occasionally make mistakes. One year he decided to program a piece in German with his high school choir. “The piece did not go well, and the judges at contest taught me how much I didn’t know about German. I feel bad for what I did to those students.” Although Jeff has moved on to the college ranks and is director of band activities at the University of North Carolina, he still has fond memories of a childhood spent in music.

Craig Fuchs
    Craig Fuchs remembers spending countless hours in band rooms watching his father teach. “I’ve moved so many chairs and stands it’s not even funny. I learned from him the importance of excellence in the band room and at home. My dad doesn’t do anything that is not absolutely first rate. He doesn’t accept mediocrity.”
    Having a father who was known by everyone in Missouri band circles occasionally had surprising benefits. Craig remembers one instance when he and Jeff got into some mischief at summer camp. “We were putting toothpaste on people’s doorknobs, and once the counselors discovered who was behind the pranks, we had to wash windows. The head of the camp came by and asked why the Fuchs boys were washing windows. We didn’t have to wash any more after that.”
    Even with a well-known father and an uncle in the music field, Craig never felt pressured to become a band director. “Dad just let us be kids, and we became all-state players through our own motivation. I knew before the end of high school that I wanted to be a band director.”
In the early years of his teaching career, Craig remembers being tempted to use the same stern discipline of his father’s generation. “It was an old-school approach, and I was a pretty intense teacher in my first few years. As the times changed I chose to alter my approach to running a classroom.”
    Craig says that even though he is now a veteran teacher, he still seeks advice from his musical family. “It is nice to have that support system. When my uncle left teaching to become a road man for Hume Music, he visited me every Monday. In addition to helping me with equipment we would talk shop all the time. Sometimes in teaching you feel like you are out on an island with no one nearby to help with problems. My mentors were family members so I could always get advice when I needed it.”
    Craig also sought out the help of mentors when he took a job at Shawnee Mission West High School in Kansas. “I had never taught in Kansas and decided to seek out the director of the most successful music program in the state. I met with the director to find out what made him successful and how he developed a model program. I tell younger directors today that you have go out to find assistance. You can’t wait for someone to call you.”
    Although having four band directors in the same family might seem unusual, Craig says, “We don’t think of our situation as special. It is just the way we grew up. We have always been a close-knit family with music at the center. Even my sister, who is an English teacher, participated in band by playing flute.” The musical tradition in the Fuchs family appears to be moving into a third generation as Craig’s son has completed an undergraduate degree in vocal performance and is now working on a master’s degree, and Shelly’s son, who plays tuba, is entering the University of Central Missouri in the fall of 2009 as a music major. If this new generation ever needs some advice there are four people ready to offer there opinions and experiences.

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The Journey of Arnald D. Gabriel

theinstrumenta — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:11:24 +0000

Today the world knows him as Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel, Conductor Emeritus of the United States Air Force Band and the Singing Sergeants. During WWII, however, he was a machine gunner in the U.S. Army.
    Private Gabriel was assigned to a three-man machine gun crew and took part in the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Johnny Arrowsmith from Connecticut and Harry Aschoff from New Jersey joined his machine gun squad in September 1944 as replacements in Germany. On January 9, 1945 an enemy mortar shell tragically ended the lives of Aschoff and Arrowsmith.
     Gabriel fought on to victory and later attended the Ithaca College School of Music. In May 1951 he drove to Washington, D.C. with a college buddy and auditioned for bandleader positions with the U.S. Air Force Band. Both were accepted.
    From 1951-1964 Gabriel led the bands at several air bases in the U.S. and Germany and directed the Air Force Academy band in Colorado. In 1964 Air Force Chief of Staff General Curtis E. LeMay interviewed Captain Gabriel to become the third conductor of the U.S.A.F. Band. LeMay chose him over other Air Force band officers of higher rank. For the interview Gabriel wore his Class A uniform with all of his ribbons, which included two Bronze stars, the French Croix de Guerre, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
    After accepting the position, Gabriel turned to leave as LeMay commented, “You know Captain, the Air Force discourages wearing Army insignias.” Gabriel replied, “Yes sir, I know that.” The paths of these two officers crossed many times in later years, but that was the only time LeMay ever mentioned this, and Gabriel never removed his badge of honor. Even today when Gabriel wears his formal Air Force uniform, the Combat Infantryman’s badge is in the place of honor above his medals.
In a ceremony on January 9, 2008, the Air Force named its rehearsal and recording studio the Arnald D. Gabriel Hall, exactly 63 years after that mortar killed his comrades. Six months later Gabriel received this e-mail from Nancy Aschoff-Pardo.

"I am the granddaughter of Harry E. Aschoff, Sr. who served in WWII with the 175th. He was a machine gunner, and I believe you may have served alongside him. For years my sister and I have been desperately trying to help our dad find any information about his father and came across your name. Because our father was only two years old when our grandfather was killed, he has no memories of his father. If you could give me any information or have any pictures of Harry Aschoff, I would love to hear from you. " – Nancy Aschoff-Pardo

Sixty-three years after the grandfather they never knew died in combat, his granddaughters found Arnald D. Gabriel, who immediately replied.

Dear Nancy,
How wonderful to hear from you! I indeed knew your grandfather. I was in the same machine gun section in I Company of the 175th Regiment as your grandfather. He and Johnny Arrowsmith were killed on January 9, 1945 near Bourheim, Germany. Your grandfather is buried in Margraten Cemetery, Holland. I am enclosing a photo of his grave, on which I have laid flowers.

Nancy responded:
    You have brought tears to my eyes. I can’t believe we have found you after all these years of searching for someone who fought with him during the war.
In the ensuing months Gabriel met the son and granddaughters of his fallen comrade and learned that his widow had remarried. Her new husband had tried to destroy all memory of Harry Sr. by tearing up photos and military records; he even threw away his medals. Harry Jr. had no memory of his father.
    Gabriel invited Harry Aschoff, Jr. and his wife to come to Washington, D.C. for a two-day visit. After Gabriel gave them a tour of the WWII Memorial, Harry Jr. stopped a National Park Service employee to ask if there was any reason for the order of the placement of the state pillars. Harry and Gabriel stopped and stared at the New Jersey and Connecticut pillars sitting side by side. (Harry Aschoff, Sr. was from New Jersey, Johnny Arrowsmith from Connecticut.)
    Gabriel describes other events from the visit:

    My son Mike and his wife, Trish, attended the Tuesday concert with Harry and his wife at the Jefferson Memorial. We went to dinner following the concert. Mike and his wife are pilots with American Airlines and have just been upgraded to the 767s. Harry’s wife is a pilot with Spirit Airlines, and Harry is a mechanic at Newark and works on 767s. Mike used to fly into Newark. Needless to say, there was no lull in the dinner conversation.
    At the Wednesday night concert at the Air Force Memorial, Col. Layendecker attended and told the entire story to the audience after “No Finer Calling” and “America the Beautiful,” which he dedicated to Harry. These pieces were programmed before I knew Harry was coming to Washington. At the end of the visit, as Harry was about to leave he gave me a hug and asked, “Will you be my Dad?” My answer was obviously a tacit “yes.”
    Amidst tears and hugs I became Harry Jr.’s new father. In correspondence with both him and Nancy, I am referred to as Colonel Dad.

Arnald Gabriel believes “The Band of Brothers is a reality with Infantry-men. We never forget.” To this day whenever Gabriel is in Europe, he always visits the graves of his two fallen comrades in arms at the American Military Cemetery in Margraten, The Netherlands.

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The Secret of Success

theinstrumenta — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:31:05 +0000

Over the past 46 years as a band director I have directed bands from the elementary school to the university level. Occasionally I was asked if I looked forward to moving up, but this always seemed to be a silly question. Each of these positions was equally difficult. In my view some directors worry too much about being at the top of the profession.
    At first I thought I knew everything, but working with a veteran director, Wayne Becker, it became obvious how much I had to learn. Together we covered four elementary schools in a district with a boatload of students.
    One of my strongest memories from these early years is the necessity of trying anything that might help students. We often experimented with new approaches and materials and even made a big chart that compared the characteristics of different method books. The chart noted when clarinets played over the break or when each book introduced eighth notes. When another publisher released a new method that might be better, we tried it with one of the elementary bands as a trial run and sometimes used it at all schools in the district.
    In the 1960s there were some clarinet mouthpieces that cost only $4 and worked almost as well as the expensive models made in France. Wayne and I measured all of the available mouthpieces and recommended to students the best of the inexpensive ones, which were nearly identical to the pricier models.
    We also spent time helping each other learn the fine points of different instruments. Wayne was stronger with brass instruments and I played clarinet, saxophone, and flute professionally, so we worked on our weaker instruments. During our first year together he worked on flute after school and I practiced tuba. The next year he moved on to clarinet while I learned the trombone. Some of my dedication to hard work resulted from early hurdles when I was a young player. I clearly recall that as a 4th grader I felt really discouraged after playing a solo, and I vowed never to play that badly again. That realization and commitment to music changed my life.
    I learned from experience that students blossom at different speeds, and there is no benefit to rushing through a lesson book. It is more important to learn basic concepts and move forward slowly than to cover a large amount of material quickly.
    We also had a problem with tubas and school buses; the bus drivers would not allow tubas. We decided to buy every used, small tuba we could find and have one at each student’s home. It was a costly plan, but we got the word out to the musicians’ union and every music store and school. We managed to get one for $100 from a union member and four more from a local music store owner.
    During the seven years Wayne and I worked together he received two unsolicited invitations to take his 7th and 8th grade band to the Midwest Clinic. He declined both and said, “I don’t think it is the right thing to do with these students because I would have to keep them on the same literature for way too long. I don’t think that’s good music education.”
    We tried creative ways to measure pitch retention, rhythm retention, and the ability to match rhythms and pitches in new students. We gave these tests to all 4th graders, and the results helped in guiding instrument choices. Another help was a local dentist, who made recommendations about common dental problems related to certain instruments.
    In 1968 I moved on to Kettle Moraine High School and discovered that the previous director had left behind a blizzard of forms and rules. I threw all of the forms into the trash and simply told students that they would get as much out of the horn as they put into it. As Louis Armstrong once said, “The horn doesn’t lie.” I used what I learned from working with Wayne and gave lessons to all 40 students, and gradually they realized that I would be fair with them. Before long the band grew to 80 and had a good instrumentation. I believe this is the way to take over a program as a new director: evaluate what has been done, keep it simple, and get to work.
    Initially, only a few students in the band could play with any skill. When I arrived the superintendent told me that my first job was to get the band to play the Star Spangled Banner without stopping because the parents had been complaining. I agreed and asked what support I could expect from him. He pulled his checkbook out, put it on the table, and declared, “I want the best high school band in the state.” I got to work, and he kept his word. As the numbers grew, so did the staff. The band program at the high school grew to two directors and three bands with an enrollment of 250 students out of a school population of 900. The middle school program grew to a band every hour of the day, and one director was added to teach the fifth grades in four elementary schools.
     The solo and ensemble contest became an important method for building enthusiam. I explained that I wanted every student to participate and wouldn’t care if they earned a 5 or a 1. So long as they finished the project, everyone was a winner. Whenever a student or ensemble qualified for the state contest, I put an 8×10 glossy picture of them on the wall. Because everyone wanted to be featured on that wall, it became a motivator for hard work. Some athletes even quit sports to be in the band, and the football coach commented that my trumpet section was bigger than his offensive line. I smiled and replied, “I have a better product.” I had the entire state champion cross country team and two state champion wrestlers in the band.
    We supported the athletic teams by playing in the stands for games and performing on the field for homecoming. I put together the first marching band in the history of Kettle Moraine High School but tried to keep our performances memorable by limiting the number of appearances we made. At times the superintendent asked us to take the field for more games, but I gently refused. The band always sounded good and became so popular that people went to get refreshments during the game in order to be there when the band played. I believe that if the band took the field every week it would have diluted our appeal.
    Through my 15 years at Kettle Moraine High School I continued to discover new ideas to improve my teaching. Once we worked on an arrangement of the William Tell Overture that gave the violin part to the clarinets, and I showed the part to the principal clarinetist of the Milwaukee Symphony. He agreed that the part was too difficult for high school players. I examined another arrangement of this work and discovered that it gave this tricky part to the flutes. I decided to simplify the clarinet part and gave the harder line to the flutes, which made a big difference because the flutes could double tongue the part.
    Over the years my interest in composing and arranging sparked students to explore this field. In my last two years at Kettle Moraine there were 15 students who wanted to study composition, so we organized an independent study class that met daily. We talked about scales, theory, and conducting, and the final project was to write an original piece using three chords and fully orchestrated for the band.
    Students had the opportunity to present their works at the final concert of the year, called “Composer’s Symposium.” The concert began with the front row of clarinets playing Mozart’s clarinet concerto in unison.
    The effect was impressive. I explained to the audience that when Mozart first gave the premiere of the piece, he could not have imagined that the music would become a standard throughout the world. I then noted that the evening’s concert would also include original pieces. I then invited each of the students to discuss their pieces, take the baton, and conduct the world premiere. The pride these students demonstrated as they took the podium to conduct gave me goosebumps as I watched from the front row.
    In 1983 I accepted the position of director of bands and music programs at Marquette University, but I never thought of that or any other career change as a move up or down. Each change was a lateral move. I have learned that the secret of success is to teach every level of students with as much creativity and dedication as I can. The greatest teachers succeed solely because of the players they teach and develop. No one can succeed with a room full of empty chairs, and I firmly believe that directors have to spark the enthusiasm of students as well as develop their conducting technique.

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