• Something they could have answered themselves if they had thought for 10 more seconds.
• Something I just explained, and they weren’t listening.
• Something they could have found posted on the band announcement board.

     It is important, however, to assess accurately whether a question is really dumb. On days I am in a lass-than-chipper mood, it is easy to misidentify a question as stupid when it may actually be a good question, possibly even the first one that a particular student has ever asked. Also, some students actually communicate through questions. I am sure that some come into my office less because they really have a question and more because they just want to talk and a question is the easiest way for them to strike up a conversation. In those cases, I avoid smirking at them and gently tell them where they can find the answers to all their inquiries.
     To show my kind-heartedness, I will, on occasion, tell classes that they can ask any question for five minutes without fear of ridicule. I promise that I will not so much as sneer as I answer their question calmly and thoughtfully. Invariably someone will ask where babies come from; invariably I answer, “pure carelessness.”
     Many questions inevitably come up before auditions. To help reduce questions at this stressful time, I give students a thorough hand-out describing what they are about to encounter. At the end of the hand-out I give them directions for how to handle questions at the event site:

     1. Think really hard for two minutes and figure out if the answer has already been explained.
     2. Find a friend, discuss the problem, and think hard about it for another five minutes.
     3. Find several friends (at least one with some experience) and think hard for five more minutes.
     4. If you and your friends still don’t have the answer, then it is okay to come ask me.

These are the top five questions I find the most irritating:

     “What time is it?” or “When is class over?” Don’t even get me going on these two.
     “Where is Mrs. Thomas?” Mrs. Thomas is the choir director. For some reason the choir students think that I know where she is at all times. I find this inquiry unnecessary for several reasons. First 99% of the time I have no idea where she is when she leaves. Second, students cannot follow her into the bathroom or wherever she went, so they might as well sit down and wait. I have three standard answers to this question: “Let me get the crystal ball out of my desk drawer and check”; “Let me get my x-ray glasses and look through the walls and see”; “She’s in the bathroom. Go right in.”
    “Would it be a problem if I missed rehearsal today?”
    “Are we going outside today?” I’ve had this asked the day before a marching contest.
    “Are we there yet?” Old, but always annoying.

I hope I’ve made myself clear in the column. Feel free to e-mail me any questions you have. Just make them good ones.

The post Ridiculous Questions appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Step One
     Students clap and count the rhythm aloud. They say 1-2-3-4 for four quarter notes, wu – uhn for a half note, and wu-uh-uh-uhn for a whole note. A half note starting on count three would is three-ee. Students clap their hands together for the longer note values and move their clasped hands up and down in time to physically feel the beat, which helps them to differentiate between the quarter notes and longer rhythmic values.
    For a rest, they say the word rest instead of the count the rest occurs on, which helps them understand that rests are always silent. I insist students open their hands when counting a rest to not confuse rests with notes, and they move their hands up and down in tempo when counting a rest to maintain the feeling of the beat.

Step Two
    Say the note names aloud and in time. For example, “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which is in 4/4 meter, is seven quarter notes followed by a quarter rest. It would be executed as “D, C, B flat, C, D, D, D, rest.”
    It is imperative that students playing instruments of the same pitch carry this step out together: concert pitch instruments (flutes, oboe, bassoon, trombone, baritone B.C., tuba, mallets); B instruments (clarinet, bass clarinet, cornet, trumpet, baritone T.C.); E instruments (alto and baritone saxophones); and F horns.
    If the students did this simultaneously, the ones with weaker reading skills will become confused when they hear others beside them naming different notes.

Step Three
    Sizzle, finger, and tap. I teach three positions to prepare for playing at my school: rest, ready, and play. Students in rest position sit with their backs against the back of the chair, feet flat on the floor, with their instruments in their laps.
    They move to ready position by sliding to the front of the chair, sitting up tall, and resting the instrument on one knee. Finally, they bring their instruments up to playing position, which teaches beginners how to be on task, during rehearsals as well as performances. With step three the students perform sizzle, finger, and tap in playing position. To sizzle students make an s or hissing sound while blowing air, something like the sound of a big leaky truck tire. It gives the feeling of correct breath support and  the air speed necessary to produce a good sound.
    The students sizzle while fingering their instruments, which assists kinesthetic learning. At this point they tap a foot to develop a feel for a steady pulse while playing. I may play a passage on my instrument while the students sizzle, finger, and tap. This is helpful, especially for novice brass players because they can hear correct pitches before actually playing them. It also gives the teacher a chance to model the correct fundamental sound of each instrument. Ideally, the teacher should model a different instrument each day. 

Step Four
    Play. By this time students have heard and processed the excerpt three times, giving them a significantly higher chance of playing it correctly the first time through. By applying these steps throughout the first year of band, my students’ knowledge and musical memories have dramatically increased. I cannot imagine teaching beginning band any other way.
    One other beneficial area is to have beginners write these four steps in their band books. Further, encourage them to follow this process during practice sessions because it reinforces the value of systematic practice. I often give verbal quizzes during class, asking “What is Step One?” “What is Step Two?”
    I also have the four steps posted in my classroom for students to refer too. The key is to consistently apply the process so your students develop a clear understanding of how to practice and eventually take ownership of their musical learning. Good luck.  

The post The Note-Name Game appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Brass Tradition
     High school band programs today represent the evolution of military band and brass band tradition. Both of these traditions historically used the cornet and continue to embrace the instrument in their performances today. Further, the top concert bands of the Armed Forces, such as The President’s Own Marine Band the The Commandant’s Navy Band, use cornets; these ensembles have become models of musical and professional achievement among high school and university band programs.
     The popularity of the cornet flourished with the growth of town bands, the rise of touring ensembles like John Philip Sousa’s, and the virtuosity of  Herbert L. Clarke, a solo cornetist with the Marine Band under the baton of John Philip Sousa. By the mid-19th century town bands even became known as cornet bands. Band literature included mostly marches and arrangements of popular song and folk themes, scored with cornet parts; and traditional masterworks, whether original or transcribed, were intended specifically for cornet alone or a combination of cornet and trumpet.
     Progressive repertoire for band programs today, however, favors the trumpet because commercially geared composers write for the instruments that are in use today. As a result concert band repertoire, unfortunately, is losing a tonal and textural effect because composers no longer write for cornet and by the same extent flugel horn as well.
 
British Influence
     Although band tradition in the United States has direct ties to the United Kingdom, there are differences in the sound and interpretation of the military and brass bands of these two countries. In the United States trumpet teaching and performance style favors orchestral and commercial genres as well as jazz, along with exclusive use of the trumpet. This has affected the sound and style of most band music. British military bands have always used cornets on cornet parts and trumpets (usually there are only two and sometimes none) on trumpet parts.
     Brass players in military bands are usually former brass band players, which gives military bands in the United Kingdom their distinct quality of sound. Woodwinds perform in the light English style, often lighter than military bands in the U.S., and play very short staccatos when indicated.
     Brass play like a small brass band within the military band, using a melodic style with traditional English cornet mouthpieces. The ap­proach is always relaxed and unforced, unlike trumpets that have a large volume of sound and brilliant tone.

Literature
     As a general rule, all English band music, including marches, should be played with cornets on the cornet parts. In addition to English band music, band compositions or ar­rangements that are traditional in nature – composed or arranged during the period when cornets were common in the United States – should also honor the cornet-trumpet distribution.
     From a practical point of view, this means publications up to around 1945, including Percy Grainger’s pieces, which fall into this category as do most traditional marches and many of the older transcriptions. The later marches by Clifton Williams are in­tended for trumpet.

     Many prominent composers and ar­rangers of band wrote for cornet and many times combinations of cornet and trumpet for textural effect. Here is a brief but important list of composers and their pieces that use cornet:

Aaron Copland
El Salon Mexico (tr. Hindsley)
Emblems

Sir Edward Elgar
As Torrents in Summer (tr. Davis)
Enigma Variations (tr. Slocum)
Pomp and Circumstance March IV
   (tr. Reed)
Severn Suite (tr. Reed)
Sussum Corda (tr. Houseknecht)

Vittorio Gianinni
Fantasia for Band
Symphony #3
Variations and Fugue

Percy Grainger
Blithe Bells
Children’s March: “Over the Hills
   and Far Away”
Colonial Song
Gumsucker’s March
Handel in the Strand
The Immovable Do (1940)
Irish Tune from County Derry
Lincolnshire Posy
Mock Morris
Molly on the Shore
Scotch Strathspey and Reel
   (tr. by Leroy Osmon)
Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon

Clare Grundman
A Copland Portrait

Gustav Holst
First Suite in E flat (1909)
Hammersmith: Prelude and
   Scherzo (1930)
Second Suite in F (1911)

Vaclav Nelhýbel
Symphonic Movement
Three Revolutionary Marches
Trittico

Vincent Persichetti
Pageant (1953)
Psalm for Band (1953)
Serenade for Band (1960)
Symphony #6

Alfred Reed
Fifth Suite for Band
A Festival Prelude (1962)
A Festive Overture (1963)
Othello
Russian Christmas Music (1944)

William Schuman
New England Tryptich
   “Be Glad Then America”
   “When Jesus Wept”
   “Chester”
Gunther Schuller
Meditation
Symphony for Brass and Percussion
Song and Dance
Study in Textures
Symphony #3, “In Praise of Winds”

Ralph Vaughn Williams
English Folk Song Suite (1924)
Flourish for Wind Band (1939)
Norfolk Rhapsody
   (tr. Robert O’Brien) (1905)
Overture to The Wasps
   (tr. Frank Hudson) (1909)
Rhosymedre (tr. by Beeler)
Sea Songs (1925)
Toccata marziale (1924)

Current Trends
     The growing interest in early music per­­formance groups, orchestras, and soloists should include early wind ensembles, with everything from early wind chamber music to military bands, brass bands, and town bands. The cornet is part of this performance practice.
     Interest in using traditional cornets in these groups began in the U.S. in the late 1970s and early 80s, but it took 30 or more years for the instrument to gain accep­tance. During this time the rise of brass bands in America and their participation in the North American Brass Band Association and its competitions has been similar to brass band competitions in England.
     NABBA provides a network in which these groups exist, operate, and communicate, with brass band enthusiasts giving new attention to recapturing the traditions and origins of brass band playing and equipment. This has led to more interest in the cornet, especially from instrument manufacturers. This will carry over to concert bands at the high school, middle school, and elementary levels in the form of good music education. Further, the cornet will preserve band history and improve the musical experience of all players, conductors, and audiences in the future.

Cornet vs. Trumpet–A Brief History
     With the creation of the piston valve by Etienne-François Périnet in France (1829-39), the cornet became popular as an instrument suitable for soloistic feats that were previously reserved for fully chromatic instruments. New-found chromaticism, agility, and a pleasing tone made the cornet highly acceptable.
     The idea for a cornet may have come from a German post horn fitted with valves made by Heinrich Stölzel, and Parisian instrument maker Jean Hil­aire Asté (known as Halary), applied valves like that of Stölzel’s to a postal horn used by the mailcoach drivers (Methode théorique & practique de cornet à piston ou cylinders by François Georges Auguste Dauverné). As a result the cornet’s tubing is more conical than a trumpet, which is cylindrical.
     At about the same time in 1815, the natural trumpet, which had cylindrical tubing and no valves, was also fitted with valves with the idea of getting the trumpet as well as the horn and other brass to become fully chromatic. Thus, modern versions of the trumpet and cornet are different branches of the same tree. They were treated as independent instruments in the middle of the 19th century, even though trumpet players played cornet and vise-versa.
     By the mid 1800s instructors taught  students to play both the trumpet and cornet in specialized, separate ways. The best example of this was the introduction of the Cornet à Pistons in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastic (1830), whose score indicated natural trumpet and Cornet à Pistons side by side; the differences in tone quality produced a great and extremely interesting effect in the music.

Arban’s Influence
     Professors at the Paris Conservatory offered independent courses for both the natural trumpet and cornet; and Jean Baptist Laurent Arban, who was professor of cornet at the Paris Con­servatory, wrote his widely known Grand Methode pour Cornet à Pistons ou Saxhorns as a cornet method. It is widely used today as a trumpet method in America and has been edited several times by leading American trumpeters to the point that the original versions are rarely used. F.G.A. Dau­verné, who was a trumpet professor at the Conservatory, also produced his own Methode pour Trompette. Arban, himself a student of Dauverné, later became a colleague and taught alongside his mentor.
     Because of the agility and beauty of the cornet’s tone, it became popular as a solo instrument; any technical limitations were strictly those of the player. Arban makes it wonderfully clear how virtuosic the cornet could be in each of his 16 Characteristic Studies and 12 Solo Themes and Variations.
     The trumpet, even though fitted with valves, was important to the orchestra because of its brilliant tone and ability to project. In England in the late 19th century and into the middle of the 20th century, it became common for cornetists of that time to play soloistically with vibrato and romantic nuance while the trumpet retained its noble character, reminiscent of grand fanfare-style works with a straight tone.
     As time continued contemporary compositions that had a romantic or sentimental style of cornet playing did not complement the abstract sounds composers were creating, sometimes in rebuttal of the older romantic style. A player might sound old-fashioned playing with vibrato and rubato on modern compositions, even on trumpet.
     The romantic style of playing fell out of fashion and the cornet declined in popularity as part of this shift in style. By the 1950s and 60s the decline was complete as modern sounds increased and the popularity of jazz and big bands accelerated a preference among audiences for the brilliant, big sound of the trumpet.
     Only now with a fresh outlook can band directors realize it is possible to accept and perform all styles of music with the correct instruments and instrumentation, regardless of the era. In fact, people are now rediscovering and enjoying the lost nuance that these instruments are helping to return to the music.

Cornet Equipment
     As the trend toward the trumpet continued, American cornet design became increasingly more like the trumpet. For nearly 30 years, from 1940 to 1970, the cornet’s tubing wrap narrowed vertically, appearing elongated overall, and the bell flare and throat started to resemble the bell of a trumpet. The preference for a brighter sound started as early as the 1920s, influenced by Louis Armstrong whose switch to trumpet no doubt contributed to the decreasing popularity of the cornet. With manufacturers chang­ing the design for a brighter sound using a shallower-cupped mouth­piece on the cornet, many brass players wondered what the point was in making cornets.

     To facilitate the beauty of tone and agility capable of the cornet, band directors should use cornets made with an open wrap of tubing and a shepherd’s crook located at the back bend of tubing before reaching the bell.
     When using cornets the most important issue to address is the mouthpiece, which has a slightly narrower rim with a much deeper cup than a trumpet mouthpiece; the result for the cornet is a mellow tone compared to the brilliant sound of a trumpet. Inadequate mouthpieces are trumpet mouthpieces in disguise made with a trumpet mouth­piece rim width and trumpet cup that is shallow compared to the cornet’s. These mouthpieces may resemble a cornet mouthpiece only because they require a smaller shank to fit the receiver of the cornet.
     If you happen to have a set of trumpetlike cornets without such an open wrap and shepherd’s crook, I suggest you still use correct cornet mouthpieces because they will dramatically change the tone of the instruments. If you plan to purchase mouthpieces that will fit the instrument and play in tune, measure the diameter of the receiver of each instrument and the distance in to the receiver to the lead pipe.

Recommended Cornet
Mouthpieces and Instruments

Mouthpieces
    Denis Wick: 2, 3, 4, 5 (2b, 3b; the b cups are modern alternatives for trumpeters; the tone tends to be half-way between a trumpet and cornet); also the new Heritage Series
    Schilke: 11E, 8E2
    Lewington McCann: Phillip Mc­Cann
    Yamaha: CR 11C4, CR 11E4, CR 13E4, CR14E, CR 16E
    Sparx (GR): Model 2 – Diameter .670" (similar to Denis Wick 2B and Yamaha 16E); Model 3 – Diameter .660" (similar to DW3B); Model 4 – Diameter .650" (similar to DW4B)

Cornets
    Schilke: Models XA1 and XA7
    Yamaha: YCR-2330ll, YCR-8335
    Besson: Model BE928
    Smith-Watkins: Professional, Artiste, and Soloist models
    Getzen: Custom Series, Eterna Series; 700, Capri, and 300/400 Series

Cornets in Beginning Band
     I encourage directors to use the cornet as a starter instrument for beginning students for several practical reasons. The shorter cornet brings the center of gravity closer to the body. Young students’ shorter arms can hold the instrument better and avoid a drooping playing position. A cornet also helps young players develop a good embouchure and play with a better tone than they would on a trumpet.
     On average student model cornets are priced slightly less than trumpets, which is of practical value to the parents of students starting out on the instrument. The small size of the cornet makes it easier to store in the band room and lighter in weight to carry around.

Some Final Thoughts
     Cornets by nature are blending instruments compared to trumpets  that project and cut through sound, so encourage your students to play out. Ultimately, cornets project best when players balance as a section, play in tune, and when they do not have to compete dynamically.
 
     Think of the brass band model within the concert band. Trumpet students who switch to cornet during rehearsals will need time to adjust to the new mouthpiece. Encourage them to warm up first on the cornet and then switch to trumpet, this will expedite the adjustment period.
The beautiful cornet timbre is something to embrace, creating nu­ance and contrast in the texture of a concert band. It’s a quality I hope to continue hearing in many more school ensembles.   

The post Rediscovering the Cornet appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

The Renaissance
    Groups of wind musicians flourished throughout the Renaissance era (1400 – 1600), to the point that by the 16th century instrumental music was re­garded with a new sense of legitimacy that had been unknown during the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, medieval instruments were suddenly replaced with new instruments, often constructed in families of varying sizes. As a result two types of ensembles became popular: those with similar instruments (consorts) and those with different instruments (broken consorts).
    Ensembles of wind instrumentalists often provided court music, and the earliest semblance of a band – the Ecurie – developed in France during the reign of François I. The Ecurie was actually an outdoor stable band of loud instruments of the Renaissance – trumpets, fifes, shawms, and sackbuts.
    An early form of community band also emerged as watchmen from medieval cities became guilded musicians known as Stadtpfifer. In Venice during the waning years of the Ren­aissance, political aspirations, architectural gen­ius, and a family’s musical dynasty converged to produce some of the most magnificent music ever heard. The Gab­rielis composed in­spired wind music for the grand interior of St. Mark’s Cathedral. (In the following repertoire lists, * indicates an original work for band.)

Renaissance Music Arranged for Concert Band
Grade 2
Fanfare, Ode, and Festival by Bob Margolis (after Claude Gervaise) (Man­hattan Beach)
Ren­aissance Festival & Dances by Bruce Pearson (after Susato and Hol­borne) (Kjos)
Ren­ais­sance Festival by Tielman Susato/James Curnow (Curnow)
The Battle Pa­vane by Tielman Susato/Bob Margolis (Manhattan Beach)
Soldiers Procession and Sword Dance by Tielman Susato/Bob Margolis (Man­hattan Beach)
Fa Una Canzona by Orazio Vecchi/Larry Daehn  (Daehn Publications)

Grade 3
Belle Qui Tien Ma Vie by Thoinot Arbeau/Bob Margolis (Manhattan Beach)
The Bat­tell by William Byrd/Gordon Jacob (Boosey & Hawkes)
Prelude in the Dorian Mode by Antonio de Cabezon/Percy Grainger,  (Hal Leonard)
The Renaissance Fair by Bob Margolis (Manhattan Beach)
Royal Coronation Dances by Bob Margolis (after Claude Gervaise) (Manhat­tan Beach)
Terpsichore Suite by Michael Praetorius/Ross (Lud­wigMasters)
Ren­ais­sance Suite by Tielman Susato/James Curnow (Hal Leonard)

Grade 4
Toc­cata by Girolamo Frescobaldi/Earl Slocum  (Alfred)
Canzona #1 (Canzon Primi Toni a8, from Sacrae Symphoniae) by Giovanni Gabrieli/Bob Margolis (Man­hattan Beach)
Courtly Airs and Dances by Ron Nelson (Lud­wig- Masters)

Grade 5
William Byrd Suite by Gordon Jacob (Boo­sey & Hawkes)

Grade 6
Terp­sichore by Bob Margolis (after Praetorius)  (Man­hattan Beach)

The Baroque
    A paradox in the development of the concert band took place during the Baroque era (1600– 1750). The period included great innovations in the manufacturing of wind instruments, and the first wind band emerged; however, this fledgling prototype band was eclipsed by another new formidable instrumental ensemble: the orchestra. In spite of the orchestra overshadowing the band, wind music took a great step forward during the Baroque period.       Through im­proved undercutting, the shawm evolved into the oboe; the bassoon was invented; and the slide trumpet proved to be a much more versatile instrument than its predecessor, the natural trumpet.
    By the reign of Louis XIV, the court band was a true hautbois band made up of oboes, bassoons, cornetts, and sackbuts. German and English royalty imitated the Louis court oboe bands; and by the end of the Baroque era Handel had composed the great band work The Royal Fireworks Music for 24 oboes, 18 bassoons, 9 horns, 9 trumpets, and 3 sets of timpani and drums.

Baroque Music Arranged for Concert Band
Grade 2
Fugue 22 by J.S. Bach/Francis Caviani (Kendor)
Festival Pre­lude by J.S. Bach/Bob Margolis (Manhattan Beach)
No Shade So Rare by George Frideric Handel/ Leland Fors­blad (Grand Mesa Music)
Cap­pricio by Johann Jacob/Andrew Balent (Bourne)
Set of Early English Airs by John Kinyon (Boosey & Hawkes)
Air and March by Henry Purcell/Philip Gordon (Alfred)
Aria by Georg Telemann/Larry Daehn (Daehn)

Grade 3
Pre­lude and Fugue in B flat Major; Prelude and Fugue in B flat Minor; Prelude and Fugue in D Minor; Prelude and Fugue in F Major; Prelude and Fugue in G Minor by J.S. Bach/Roland Moehlmann (Alfred)
O Mensch Be­­wein Dein Sunde Gross by J.S. Bach/Percy Grainger (Southern)
Cha­conne with 13 Vari­ations by George Frideric Handel/Andrew Ba­lent (Bourne)

Grade 4
Fantasia in G Major by J.S. Bach/Richard F. Goldman and Robert L. Leist (Mercury Music)
Chorale prelude settings such as Come, Sweet Death My Jesus!; O, What Anguish; Sleepers, Awake! by J.S. Bach/Alfred Reed (C.L. Barnhouse)
Who Puts His Trust in God Most Just by J.S. Bach/James Croft (Shawnee Press)

Grade 5
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by J.S. Bach/Erik Leidzen (Carl Fischer)
Ricer­­care a 6 by J.S. Bach/Clark McAlister/Frederick Fen­nell (Ludwig­Masters)

The Classical Era
    Three major trends during the Classical era (1750–1815) contri­buted to the development of band music – Janissary music, Harmonie­musik, and the bands of the French Rev­olution. From these distinct developments came a concert band similar to those of today – a large ensemble with full sections of woodwind, brass, and persuccion instruments.
    The Janissary (or Turkish) fad of the 18th century affected nearly every aspect of social and cultural life in Europe. Fashion trends, literature, music, and the consumption of coffee as a social pastime were influenced by the Turkish phenomenon. For band musicians the inclusion of piccolo, triangle, cymbals, and bass drum reflected the exotic flavor found in Turkish fashion.
    The Harmoniemusik ensemble is made up of pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns, and bassoons; and every major and minor composer of the 18th century wrote both indoor and outdoor music for this versatile group. The repertoire of the Harmoniemusik ensemble included original works (small symphonies for band) as well as lucrative arrangements of opera scores. So popular were these Harmonie-musik bands that letters from Mozart to his father described their existence throughout Europe.
    The French Revolution (1789– 1794) ushered in a rush to reject everything associated with the monarchy in favor of new objects that would reflect the ideals of the new republic: humanism replaced religion; democracy replaced autocracy; and the band replaced the orchestra. During the years immediately following the revolution, large concert bands provided music for massive outdoor spectacles intended to instill patriotic fervor among the citizens of the new republic.
    Prominent composers for the French Republican Guard Band (including Charles-Simon Catel, François-Joseph Gossec, Louis Jadin, and Étienne-Nicolas Méhul) later established a music school that became known as the Paris Conser­vatory of Music, one of the greatest institutional proponents of wind music ever known.
    The Classical era is also noted for the invention of the clarinet, which  contended with the oboe as the predominant melodic woodwind instrument in bands and orchestras.

Classical Era Music for Concert Band
Grade 1
Allegro and Dance by W.A. Mozart/John Cacavas  (Theodore Presser)
Minuet and Country Dance by W.A. Mozart/Philip Gordon (Theodore Presser)*

Grade 2
Ecos­saise, WoO22 by Ludwig van Beethoven (ed. William Revelli) (G. Schirmer)
From an 18th Century Album by Theldon Meyers (TRN)
Ave Verum Corpus by W.A. Mozart/Barbara Buehlman (LudwigMasters)

Grade 3
Sym­phonie for Band by Louis Jadin (ed. Schaeffer) (Shawnee Press)*
St. An­thony Divertimento by Joseph Haydn/Joshua Wilcox (G. Schirmer)*
“Alle­luia” from the motet Exultate Jub­ilate by W.A. Mozart/James Curnow (Curnow)
Trauer­musik by W.A. Mozart/Eric Osterling (Ludwig-Masters)

Grade 4
Overture in C by Charles-Simon Catel (ed. Richard F. Goldman and Larry Alan Smith) (Merion Music)*
Symphonie Militaire by Charles-Simon Catel (ed. Townsend) (E.C. Kerby)*
Classic Overture by François Joseph Gossec (ed. Richard F. Goldman and Larry Alan Smith) (Mercury Music)*
Symphony in F by François Joseph Gossec (ed. Richard F. Goldman and Robert L. Leist)  (Mercury Music)*
Overture in F by Hyacinthe Jadin (ed. Townsend) (Franco Colombo)*

Grade 5
Military March by Ludwig van Beethoven (Masters Music)*
Military March in D by Ludwig van Beethoven (ed. John R. Bourgeois) (Wingert-Jones)*
Overture in F by Étienne-Henri Méhul (Southern Music)*

The Romantic Period
    Tremendous improvements were made in instrument manufacturing during the Romantic period (1815 – 1930), including the invention of innovative new wind instruments, such as the saxophone and tuba, and a practical valve for brass instruments. Yet for all of these great advances in wind instrument design and construction, Ro­mantic-era bands were once again overshadowed by composers’ preference for the orchestra.
In spite of this, incredible compositions for concert band were penned by both major and lesser-known composers of the 19th century; in fact, the greatest of the Romantic composers wrote for band, including, Richard Wagner, Camille Saint-Saëns, Felix Mendel­ssohn, Hector Berlioz, and Ottorino Respighi.

Romantic Period Music for Band
Grade 2
As Torrents in Summer by Edward Elgar/ Albert Oliver Davis (Ludwig­Masters)
Rustic Dance by Bedrich Smetana/ Philip Gordon (Theodore Presser)

Grade 3
Blessed Are They by Johannes Brahms/ Barbara Buehlman (LudwigMasters)
Three Little Pieces by Anton Bruckner/ Bishop (Oxford University Press)
Two Lyric Pieces by Edvard Grieg/John Constantine (Theodore Presser)
Tchai­kovsky Album by Peter Tchaikovsky/Bob Margolis (Manhattan Beach Music)

Grade 4
Three Chorale Preludes, Op. 122 by Johannes Brahms/Boyd/Frederick Fen­nell (LudwigMasters)
Two Chorale Preludes by Johannes Brahms/Guenther (LudwigMasters)
Sur­sum Corda, Op. 11 by Edward Elgar/ Bruce Houseknecht (Carl Fischer)
Fugue in C by Charles Ives/Sinclair (Peer/Southern Music)
Old Home Days by Charles Ives/Jon-athan Elkus (Peer/Southern Music)
Trauer Marsch, Op. 103 by Felix Mendelssohn/Erik Leidzen (Associ-ated Music)*
Marche Hér­oïque, Op. 34 by Camille Saint-Saëns/Winterbottom (Boosey & Hawkes)
Marche Militaire Française by Camille Saint-Saëns/M.L. Lake (Carl Fischer)
Pas Redoublé, Op. 86 by Camille Saint-Saëns/Frackenpohl (Shawnee Press)*
Allerseelen by Richard Strauss/Albert Oliver Davis (LudwigMasters)
Elsa’s Pro­cession to the Cathedral by Richard Wagner/Lucien Cailliet (Alfred)

Grade 5
Grande Symphonie Fun­èbre et Triomphale, Op. 15 by Hector Berlioz (Kalmus; ed. Whitwell: Ruh Music)*
Varia­tions on “America” by Charles Ives/Schuman/Rhoads (Theodore Presser)
Country Band March by Charles Ives/Sinclair (Theodore Presser)
Overture for Band, Op. 24 by Felix Mendelssohn (ed. Boyd: Ludwig­Masters; ed. Garofalo: Grand Mesa Music)*
The Universal Judgment by Camille de Nardis (Carl Fischer)*
Orient et Oc­cident, Op. 25 by Camille Saint-Saëns (Kalmus; ed. Schissel: LudwigMasters)*
Dance of the Jesters by Peter Tchaikov-sky/Ray Cramer (Curnow Music)
Trauersinfonie or Trauermusik by Richard Wagner (ed. Erik Leidzen: As­sociated; ed. Votta: Ludwig­Masters)*

Grade 6
Huntingtower, Op. 173 by Ottorino Respighi (Alfred)*

    Band directors can easily integrate historical lessons into band rehearsals. To begin, I suggest captivating your students’ imaginations by occasionally offering two-minute presentations of biographical, historical, and cultural facts during rehearsals. You can download photographs and illustrations from the internet as well as have students listen to a recording of the original version of a composition when you are preparing a transcription.
    Old music will come alive when you share authentic historical performance practices with your bands. Refreshing your knowledge of these practices is important; some useful books include Valery Lloyd-Watts and Carole L. Bigler’s Orna­mentation: A Question & Answer Manual (Alfred) and Edward Cone’s Musical Form and Musical Performance (Norton & Co.)
    Throughout these four major music eras, bands of wind and percussion musicians performed a rich body of ever-changing and evolving music. By studying the performance practices of this music as well as the cultural influences of each era, our music students will gain a wealth of knowledge about music history as they rehearse and perform.

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Which aspects of teaching have most affected how you compose?
    Attention to detail is often lacking in ensembles. As a composer, I am adamant about how a particular note should sound – how loud it is, how long it is, how accented it is – so I take a lot of care in writing dynamics and articulations for this very purpose. These are the details that produce the results the composer intended and turn printed notes into real music. However, it surprises me to hear a performance missing many of these critical areas, almost as if the ensemble focused only on notes and rhythms.
    I was amazed at how the teachers in my daughter’s Suzuki program paid attention to detail, even with three-year-olds. It wasn’t performance-based education; students progressed at their own rate, but teachers paid attention to detail and made students discriminate about which sound they liked better and why. It was not just overall, but for specific phrases and notes, asking “is this staccato too short?” Students can easily learn to make such judgments.
Most bands are extremely performance-oriented. Everything is pushed toward for performance, even with beginners who have to get ready right away for Christmas concerts. Directors quickly push through the literature, and as a result students never learn to think beyond notes and rhythms. For example, if articulations are marked, work for consistency. Students may play staccato passages short, but some will play shorter than others; the key in this case is to work on matching note lengths. These concepts should be taught at an earlier age so students know to always think about their sound.
    I have conducted a lot of music with too many musical details left out. I’ve even seen pieces that do not even have a dynamic marking, tempo indication, or style marking at the beginning. This leaves too much room for interpretation by the musicians and makes it harder for a conductor to work for consistency without having to edit the parts. If I hear a performance of my work and find several areas that are different than I intended, I usually question what things I should have notated to better communicate my musical intentions.
    I’m a stickler for such detail when I teach composition. Students’ projects are immediately returned if they don’t have a title, a starting dynamic (at least – hopefully they’ll have others as well), tempo and style markings, and their name as composer or arranger on it. If students turn in a paper without one of these things, they will get it right back.
   
    I have also seen and played a lot of boring and lifeless passages that repeat one or two notes for a while. As I compose, to avoid this problem, I find myself cross-voicing parts, especially in instruments that divide,  to make the music more interesting. It works the best with a texture containing syncopated figures. It doesn’t work as well on an instrument playing straight eighth notes. Having players switch voices when a note is accented makes the music more playable, because no one sits on one note. It also strengthens the accent more. The one thing that convinced me to continue doing this was a film music class I took taught by Buddy Baker, a Disney film composer for many years. With cross voicing he always said, “If it plays better it sounds better, and that’s what it’s all about.” That’s what makes cross voicing great – it’s not just to ease your conscience by giving players a slightly better part, but there really is a musical effect from it. However, I did get myself in trouble cross voicing with an orchestra. The second violins were much weaker than the first violins, and when the notes switched it sounded like an intentional change rather than the even sound I was going for.

What do you wish more directors would know about commissioning a composer?
    You don’t have to have the best band to be able to commission. Many bands can use it to their advantage, especially younger bands that are building. Any group with the interest and the means should commission. One good reason to commission a work is to get something written specifically for an ensemble’s instrumentation.
    One trick I use when I write for a young band is to write just above their playing level. I do this because a commissioned work is generally going to receive more rehearsal time, more work, and more energy than any other piece they have on the program. I won’t write a grade 4 piece for someone who commissions a grade 3, but I might push the trumpets up in range a bit or take a chance somewhere. If it’s just a straight grade 3, students won’t grow as much.
    Also, directors should look at the overall experience rather than just getting a piece for their group. There is more to gain from it. I like to have students look at my handwritten scores to see smudge marks where I’ve erased things and crossed-out bars I didn’t like or squeezed-in measures because I wanted to expand something. When I am commissioned by someone in the area, after I get the piece sketched out I will go sit in the school library or a practice room and score the piece so students can watch.
    For some commissions I’ve gone to the school without a single musical idea but just talked to the students and developed something from those conversations. This gives students the ability to see the process from the very beginning. At this point I might have a couple ideas to toy around with but am otherwise a blank slate. Students see these beginnings, then I tell them that in a month they’ll have a piece; a month later they’ll be working on it, and a month after that they’ll perform it. It is powerful for students to see that the commissioning process is a journey.
    Usually if a commissioning ensemble is a long distance from my home, I’ll come in for the premiere and the last couple rehearsals to talk about the piece and show students sketches. I’ve done that with festivals I’ve directed as well. When we’re rehearsing one of my pieces, it’s amazing how many students come look at my sketches during a break.
    I will usually tell an ensemble that I have composed the piece for them, but it is not music until they play it. They are the other half of the music-making process. It is their responsibility to take my thoughts that are encoded into notation and turn them into music. Essentially, the success of the premiere performance is a huge responsibility that they have to shoulder; I’ve done my part by creating the music, now they have to recreate it. To further emphasize my point, I have every member of the premiering ensemble sign my score.

What do you wish was different about most bands?
    Many bands are extremely top-heavy. I have been forced to use bass clarinet and baritone sax to double the bass line as much as possible, when these instruments might be better suited for something else. I remember my first middle school band; the lowest instrument was a tenor saxophone. We were able to purchase a bass clarinet and a baritone saxophone and found two students were eager to switch; we also recruited a student to switch to tuba. The difference in sound was amazing. Everyone’s eyes raised and one student even said, “Wow, we actually sound good now!”
    I have presented clinics on the idea that the bottom of the band has shifted up. As part of the clinic, I play recordings of a piece everybody knows. One recording is by an extremely top-heavy band, and it just doesn’t sound good. If you think about the music that bands or orchestras play, the balance point between lows and highs is typically around middle C. If you watch the sound on an equalizer, it should balance around there. If you think about a band and the number of instruments that play mostly above that balance point compared to the number of instruments that play below it, you understand the problem.
    Orchestras, string quartets, and brass and woodwind quintets are balanced well with highs and lows. Brass bands commonly have around 28 players, four of which are playing tubas. When you think about how beautiful these groups sound, you have to realize that 1⁄7 of the ensemble is made up of tubas. If you translate that to a concert band with 60 players, you need about eight tubas to get the same depth of sound.
    My advice is to do anything you possibly can to get bottom in your band. A 40-piece band with only one tuba, no matter how good the player, is not going to be balanced. A 65-piece band with only one bass clarinet or even two tubas is not going to be balanced. Use a contrabass clarinet if you have one; use a string bass if you have one. It is possible to prepare thoroughly for concerts or contests and still not sound as good as another band that may be less refined but has sufficient low instruments.

As a composer, what have you gained by majoring in music education?
    The one thing in particular that helped me was all the instrumental methods classes I took for my music education degree. Having your hands on an instrument and actually playing it is a lot different than studying about it. If I had the time I would study one instrument per year. It would be nice to study harp, trombone, oboe. Playing an instrument is completely different from studying it in a text book.
    Young composers always have problems with using instruments in their most musically useful and idiomatic ways. They tend to know the ranges of each instrument, their tone color in various ranges of the instrument, and many of the special effects, but a lot of the knowledge of the instrument is never realized because they haven’t actually played it.
    This is especially true for percussion. I tell my students is that learning to understand and write for percussion is like buying a big toolbox with all kinds of tools. When you work on your car, you don’t use everything in your toolbox; you only use the tools that are appropriate for the job. When I write for an ensemble, I know what percussion is available and how to use their multifaceted colors and effects, but only use what is appropriate for the overall musical results for that piece. The worst thing to do is adding percussion simply because it seems like there should be something thrown in. I also see composers not write enough percussion, and I have listened to pieces and caught myself making up percussion parts in my mind as it’s being played.
    When I’m working on melodies in a composition, I pick up my saxophone or trumpet and play through the line. I frequently make small changes to what I have written after seeing how it feels to play through the line.
People use technology to a disadvantage. I have many students who use music writing software, but the playback does not represent how the music will really sound. Computer playback does not have to breathe or cross the break, does not miss accidentals, and can hit high notes with ease. I think people use the software as a crutch and then say, “That’s not the way it sounded on the computer,” when they hear a real performance of their piece. Try to get actual performances of the work rather than base it on computer playback. I want to do a clinic where I play a piece through music-writing software and then play a recording of a group performing the same thing and ask people to tell me what they heard.
    I only use a computer notation program to generate the individual instrumental parts and to use the playback feature to listen for any wrong notes that may have crept in. I still score by hand primarily because I want to be able to notate sounds I want quickly: a loud, accented, but short quarter note in the first trumpet can be hand-written much quicker that inputting the note, then adding the appropriate dynamic and articulation markings, which in some cases can be several steps.

How much do you work with directors working on your pieces?
    I receive a large number of e-mails from directors asking specific questions about a piece of mine that they are working on. The internet makes it relatively easy to get contact information on most living composers. Before the internet, when I was doing a commission, the group involved would mail me a tape, and I would dub in some comments and send it back to them.
     Now people just e-mail me, or directors will occasionally set up a telephone conference with me on speakerphone so all the students can hear me. It works well because the directors always prepare the students to talk to me and set things up as if I were going to be there in person. Although telephone conversations are most common, I use Skype and iChat and have done video conferencing in which the ensemble members can see me as I speak and address their questions. Distance is no longer a problem. The interaction between the composer and musicians is a great and educational use of technology.
    I believe electronic delivery of music is right around the corner. There’s not going to be a printed page, people will have a screen with the music on it, and means that you could theoretically have colorized music – dynamics could be in one color and articulation markings in another. I tell people that 20 years from now there won’t be a printed page of music around. Band directors will be able to purchase and download new pieces from their offices, e-mail the parts to everyone’s stand, and rehearse it the same day. There will no longer be lost parts the day before a concert; the only worry will be power outages.

What are the biggest advances for bands today?
    There is a great wealth of good literature available for concert band primarily because there many composers writing for this idiom. Even on the professional level, there are many more composers being commissioned for band works than composers being commissioned for orchestral works. It sometimes seems that the only new music being written for orchestra is film music. Professional orchestras are not really advancing the art the way bands do.
    Another major influence is the number of recordings of band works. Digital recording has made it very economical for ensembles, especially at the university level, to release good recordings of band works, including recently composed pieces. When I began directing a high school band in the 80s, there simply were no recordings and you never got a chance to hear a new piece other than the publisher’s promotional re-cords, which in many cases were marginal at best. Now you can obtain and listen to several recordings of a band work, a real asset to band directors. I’ve even used YouTube to check out a few pieces. The sound quality might not be the best, but you do get to see the conductor direct the piece.
    When people go to Midwest, they take notes in their programs. When they get home and review everything, they might say, “This will be good for my group” or “I don’t have the clarinets this year, but I should keep it in mind.” Any concert will be a good opportunity to find new works; this is especially true at state or national music conferences with many scheduled performances.
    Word of mouth is always good. I have a lot of respect for Jim Cochran at Shattinger’s. He will always suggest good-quality music when you ask him. If you have a dilemma with a weak or strong section or a wonderful soloist, he can think of a piece that would be perfect. He can even recommend pieces he doesn’t have; the man’s knack for recalling good-quality literature is amazing.
    It used to be that way in all the publishing houses, such as Carl Fischer in downtown Chicago. When you walked into these places, there were a number of people who could do that. I remember one trip to Carl Fischer 20 years ago, when I needed a score for Scythian Suite by Prokofiev; without looking anything up, the clerk asked what edition I wanted and he named about three. With computers and the internet, those days are gone.  

The post A Composer’s Story, An Interview with Roger Cichy appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Be Accountable
    With your responsibilities stretched across several schools, it may be difficult for people to keep track of you. Be sure that each school administrator, secretary, and other building music teachers have an up-to-date schedule of where you are and when. If a parent or colleague calls one school in search of you, it’s always better if a colleague can answer with a specific location and estimated return time rather than an ill-informed and confused-sounding comment. Mertz suggests, “If possible, establish a base school. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the one you’re at the most. The logical choice may the one that is most central to the other schools, but preferably it’s the one that has some office space for you.” Try to get a telephone extension and voicemail at your base school so you coworkers and parents can leave messages even when you are not there.

Plan Ahead
   

    Abide by the calendar when planning out the year. If scheduled days off mean missing Monday classes two weeks in a row, be prepared in advance to make adjustments. Last-minute schedule changes to accommodate missed teaching days can make a poor impression on your coworkers. Similarly, be sure to double check each school’s calendar before scheduling performances. Rescheduling big events because of conflicts with school functions becomes extra tricky when there are obligations at other schools to consider.
    As long as scheduling changes are presented as propositions and not demands and you give enough warning, teachers are likely to be agreeable. For example, at the last rehearsal before a concert, I learned that the 5th graders were going on a field trip. I proposed coming in the day before the concert to rehearse one more time, and the teachers seemed open to it. I’ve had great luck with that, but I have learned to be polite in making the request.

Pack Only Essentials
    Traveling band directors have a great deal of instructional material to lug around. The more you consolidate, the more organized you will be, and the chance you will leave something somewhere gets much smaller. Find out what you can permanently and safely keep at each school so that you can lighten your daily load – especially when it comes to instruments. Consider breaking up your materials into day-by-day totes that you pack the day or night before. For example, if on Tuesdays you only teach woodwinds, it is unnecessary to bring brass books. If possible, keep records in just one grade book instead of many. Carry what you need to make your students’ music experience is as enriching as possible, but also keep in mind what is relevant. If you’re still struggling to lug everything you need, try recruiting student helpers with the permission of your school, of course. “Students love getting the responsibility of helping out the teacher,” says Sturgeon. “Do whatever you can to avoid burning yourself out by taking three trips to your car every morning.”
    Items to bring every day include extra reeds and a mouthpiece puller because inevitably someone will get a mouthpiece stuck. I always like to have supplemental materials in case some students work through everything I assigned and are eager for more. I also like to keep fingering charts on hand if students aren’t keeping up. I sometimes bring recordings of the music we are working on so students can listen to the sound we are aiming for. I typically use my laptop to play music for students.

Make Every Minute Count
    Some schools may offer a reserved teaching space and others will not. Without a dedicated teaching space, Mertz suggests, “If at all possible, get to the school in time to set up the room before students come. It makes you seem like a more permanent fixture if you are not frantically setting up chairs and stands as they enter the room. This also makes it easy to handle students’ questions and problems before class. If a school offers you a permanent teaching space,” Missal says, “have an idea on the board after class is over for the next band day.” Ultimately, do whatever you can to create an atmosphere of continuity and consistency within your classroom.
    Although I don’t have a dedicated teaching space at some of my schools, it is easy to find a quiet space before or after class to work on grading papers. I’ve also found the general music teachers at each school are often willing to share their space because they realize that your work adds to their music program as well.
    At one of my current schools I can arrive 45 minutes early and take my time setting up. At another, a class ends at 1:40, and band starts in that room immediately afterward. It is a 5th grade classroom, and we have to move all the desks out of the way to accommodate 40 students. It’s hectic. Students help out a lot, and classroom teachers encourage this. Students understand the sense or urgency in setting up a classroom in five minutes. There is no time to waste.

Get to Know the Other Teachers
    The smile you send a colleague in the hallway one morning might be the only time he sees you all week. Because of this, it is especially important to make good choices with everyday projects and problems. Choose your battles wisely, and do your best to create a lasting impression at each school. Everyone should feel that you are a positive, effective music educator who is an active and considerate member of the school community.
    Whenever possible, have lunch with other teachers. Although it’s tempting to use free time to sit in solitude, sharing lunchtime with the teachers in the building can make you feel more a part of the faculty. Eating with your coworkers provides opportunities to discover more about your students through conversations with their classroom teachers, and it can help keep you up-to-speed on information that you might have missed. “Getting to know the other teachers has been key for me, especially because I have to take students out of classes for lessons,” says Sturgeon. “The teachers are happy to let their students go to band because they know and like me.” Befriending your students’ classroom teachers can also be crucial to finding out such information as testing schedules, field trip dates, assemblies, and other events that might conflict with your teaching schedule.
    Hopping from school to school can sometimes feel a little lonely, but there are innumerable opportunities to meet people beyond your normal teaching responsibilities. Although it is important to avoid overcommitting to extracurricular activities, coworkers and students will remember seeing you outside the band room. Attending an ice cream social or a parent-teacher conference shows others you are committed to your students outside of the music classroom and helps you feel more a part of each school. Tipton suggests, “Volunteer for bus duty. You have to travel between schools, but that does not make you the exception to the school community. If the other teachers see you as part of the school, they promote your program, they watch out for you, and they are more likely to be flexible with their schedules to help you out when you need it.”

Follow Up on Missed Meetings
   

    If your schedule makes it impossible to attend faculty meetings, be sure to follow up on the topics that were discussed, because they could be important to the band program. Although your administration should understand that responsibilities at other schools may keep you from these meetings, they are unlikely to be understanding if you miss a memo regarding something important. For example, I was unable to go to the faculty meetings at one school I started teaching at this year, and no one told me when grades were due until one week before the due date. Find a way to get copies of the minutes or get notes from somebody. You don’t want to be the last person to know about field trips or new policies, especially if a school is making changes that affect the music program.

Be Flexible
    Each school and each student is different. “Forge a rapport with the students at each school,” encourages Missal. “Don’t be afraid to try different methods at different schools. Also, avoid comparing students from different schools. Try to keep students of the same grade level around the same point in the curriculum, but let each class bloom at its own pace.”
    Students at different schools are likely to progress at different rates. If the weekly rehearsal schedule was shortened because of a holiday or field trip, I might borrow a day from a faster-moving school and schedule an extra a full band rehearsal. I feel comfortable borrowing time from other schools, especially if we are working toward common goals or even common concerts.
    If the goal for all schools is to be on page 15 of the method book by the time of the concert, advanced students can simply work on additional materials. If two groups at different levels are sharing a concert, I might have three standard pieces that students from both schools are going to play and a piece from each school that is more suited to their level. Students sound good when the music is chosen carefully, and the audience never notices any difference in skill level.

Set the Rules
    “Be consistent with discipline across schools,” says Missal. It is also important to know the fine pints of each school’s rules and policies. Don’t send a student with a discipline problem to the principal if the dean is supposed to handle it. Not only will that frustrate your administration, it will make you look uninformed.
    I keep my rules consistent in all schools as much as possible. In one of my schools students call their teachers by their first name, but I require them to call me Miss Martin. Some students get frustrated that I do not permit hats in band although they are allowed to wear hats in school.  I keep my standards the same in order to preserve my integrity and expectations as a teacher. I thrive on consistency, and it is hard for me to change gears and expectations when I am going from one school to another frequently. This also saves headaches when students from more than one school are together – such as at a dress rehearsal for a joint concert.

Joint Concerts
    Combining concerts can be an efficient way to have concerts. It is important to plan ahead, even on such details as knowing that you can get into the school on the day of the concert. Frequently teachers who travel between schools are overlooked when it is time to give out keys. I had this happen when it did not occur to me that the school would be locked at 7 p.m.; it got a little tricky. Another detail to consider is location. Parents appreciate it when you combine schools in a geographically friendly way, but if a winter concert is at one school, consider holding the spring concert at the other.
    Combining a concert is also beneficial for students to hear what others are doing. Depending on how big the groups are at each school, it can enhance the whole band experience. A beginning band might be lacking in numbers but have the opportunity to fill out the section by playing with students from another school. All my students love full band more than small groups and sectionals.
    At the beginning of the year when students sign their behavior contracts and music contracts, I make sure that I get parent telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. Sometimes part-time employees of a particular school have to work to get that information, so I find it easiest to collect it on my own. I have had good luck sharing information and updates by e-mail. I do send notices home but these often end up in the wad at the bottom of somebody’s backpack. If concert dates are set by the beginning of the year and the calendar is part of the behavior contract, then parents have the information in plenty of time.
    Band directors have a seemingly overwhelming amount of responsibility, and these responsibilities become compounded when teaching at multiple schools. Learning to efficiently navigate the ins and outs of school dynamics makes it easiest for teachers to spend the bulk of their energy in the place it counts the most – the classroom.

Amy Mertz, currently at Syracuse University, taught beginning band in three elementary schools in Massachusetts during her first job.

Matthew Tipton, currently teaching at Washington Middle School in Missoula, Montana, taught band at three schools while working at his first job in Quincy, Illinois.

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