In this third of four installments, I examine ten more factors in the mental game dictionary previously presented in the August and December issues.

Justice
    Working with young people on a daily basis can be a tug-of-war between justice and mercy. Justice requires the administration of a deserved punishment. Mercy, on the other hand, is forgiving a debt regardless of merit on the part of the offender. As judge and jury, band directors are often the ones who decide which one is more appropriate for each situation. Some directors lean toward justice guided by a firm consistency regardless of the individual situation, justifying their decisions with the worn “if I do it for you, I’ll have to do it for everyone.” While there is certainly merit in this assertion, it should be examined carefully in each case, as opposed to being applied carte blanche. Treating everyone the same is not necessarily fair, and consistency is not necessarily a virtue. I recommend erring on the side of mercy. It’s hard to influence students and potentially change lives if we cut them off too soon after they make mistakes.

Knowing
    Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has written that “there are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.” As convoluted as that sounds, it actually makes sense. The part of it that I stress with my students is knowing the unknowns – realizing and acknowledging what they do not know and then caring enough to learn more about it. How many children do we have (particularly beginners) who will sit in a rehearsal, obliviously playing something incorrectly despite the fact that almost everyone around them is playing it correctly? How many just memorize fingerings without knowing their note names? Students must know what they do not know to correct things that a director might not catch.
    I have an informal game that I play with beginners called “What were you thinking?” A student will play an exercise. After he is finished, I do a little play-by-play in an announcer voice that goes something like this: “You played measure one through four almost perfectly, but when you got to measure three you played a wrong note on count three. So my question to you is – what were you thinking?” It’s half in jest, but I make the point with students that they should understand their thinking process – what they know and what they don’t know. If they know why they made a mistake, they can fix it.

Losing
    Competition as pertains to music has been a long-time matter of hot debate. Some see it as having absolutely no place in music, and others see it as a catalyst for greater performance. For those of a competitive bent, some reflection may be required if you and your students experience a somber and possibly even angry trip home after a competition where the results were not as good as hoped for. A day of performing and watching others perform, combined with well-spent hours with friends, should always be a special day, regardless of the outcome.

Mistakes
    Trent Dilfer, despite being a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback, has long been widely regarded by football pundits as a game-managing quarterback – one with limited skills who basically plays not to lose. Sadly, this outlook has somewhat dulled what should be the bright legacy of a talented athlete. In the book The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks, Dilfer says that it was the coaching he received at the professional level – playing not to lose – that stunted his career. He believes that if he had been coached differently, his full talent could have come into play.
    I tell students that if they are going to make a musical mistake, make it a good one. Make it a mistake of commission, not omission. As directors, we have to applaud these types of mistakes. If we don’t, our students will play fearfully, never experiencing music fully.

Negativism
    I had an eighth grade English teacher who was so negative about our class that I kept a written record. I remember to this day that he once went 19 straight days without saying anything nice to us. We weren’t a bad a class, but by the time we got to the end of the semester we weren’t angels either; there is only so much negativism a child can take. Students already have a tendency to perceive band directors as negative because we are constantly trying to fix things, so it is important to make a conscious effort to be consistently positive.

Organization
    Organization has a great deal to do with respect. If you respect other people’s time, you organize and prepare. I’m constantly amazed at the poorly organized meetings I have attended. Maybe I’m too uptight, but I have better things to do than just sit around and chew the fat. Leaders should set a tight agenda, follow it, and get everyone out of there. I try to run rehearsals the same way. Kids have such harried lives today that they deserve a rehearsal that is efficient and gets them out on time.

Perspective
    What is the student’s perspective on band? Sometimes all we have to do is ask. Other times we need to reflect on how we felt at their age. Sometimes this may not work, because in all likelihood we have always had a love for band that the average student does not.
    Sports psychologist H.A. Dorfmann runs seminars for coaches and managers. At the beginning of the each seminar, he asks attendees to write down what their needs and concerns were as young professional players. Hours later he asks them to write on the other side of the card the focus of their daily contact and communication with the players for whom the coaches are responsible. In most cases, the sides did not match.
    Areas of concern change as one transitions from a student to a director, but directors, to be effective, must remember what the needs of students are.

Questions
    Despite what you may have been taught by an elementary school teacher or an unbelievably patient and saintly individual, there is such a thing as a dumb question. I outline them for my students as follows:
    •  Something I have just answered or explained to which a student did not listen.
    •  Something a student was completely capable of figuring out but too lazy to think about.
Before attending an audition, students are given these steps in finding answers to their nervous queries:
    1.  Try to figure out the answer for five minutes.
    2.  Ask a friend if they know the answer and think again for five minutes if necessary.
    3.  Ask a veteran in band who usually knows what is going on.
    4.  If you still don’t have the answer, then come ask me.

Quitting
    One of the most painful aspects of being a band director is having a student quit, particularly a talented one. Walking around the school, quitters are living, breathing reminders of our failed attempts to convince them to love band as much as we do. I have found that few parents are tough enough to make their child follow through with a commitment. I have had students over the years who hit a tough patch and quit in the early stages of it when after a day or two the kid would have been fine. If the parents only had enough backbone to say “You’re not quitting. You will be letting the group down,” matters would have ended happily. The lesson that many children miss nowadays is that simply changing their mind does not excuse them of responsibility.

Respect
    If you had to make a choice, would you rather be liked or respected? Even after 29 years of teaching I want to be liked by the students, but I cannot let it affect proper decision-making. Being respected is always the best choice. It is important that our student leaders understand this if they are to be effective leaders in our groups.

The post More Music Psychology appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    I have been making an effort to read more over the last six months. Sometimes I purchase a book on a recommendation from a magazine, and sometimes I browse Amazon.com for a topic to see what comes up. My favorite subjects to read about are astronomy and history, and occasionally this leads to some interesting recommendations from Amazon. One book that caught my eye was Simon Garfield’s Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World. I had no idea that mauve warranted a book (although I have since heard from an artistic friend that it is a fascinating story), but the idea of the history behind colors seemed suddenly interesting, so I ordered a different book of a more general nature: Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay.
    The history of color as it relates to humanity is primarily a history of trying to make colors, and the book is an account of Finlay’s travels to discover the story of both ancient and modern techniques. The chapter on orange is primarily the story of the varnish Antonio Stradivari used on his instruments. Il Cremonese, a 1715 Stradivarius violin on display in Stradivari’s hometown of Cremona is a brilliant example of this orange, with the back of the violin “boldly patterned like a tiger’s coat,” as Finlay puts it. Turning the violin or moving your head can make the pattern in the wood seem to wiggle.
    The formula for this orange is unknown today, with experts not even able to come to a consensus over how many coats he used. One of the few clues we have is a letter written on August 12, 1708 from Stradivari to a patron. It includes the line, “I beg you will forgive the delay with the violins occasioned by the varnishing of the large cracks, that the sun may not re-open them.” Theories include saffron, dragon’s blood, madder, and copal, an expensive resin from the Americas. To complicate the matter, luthier Riccardo Bergonzi, a descendant of Carlo Bergonzi, considered Stradivari’s greatest pupil, hypothesized that Stradivari never made his varnish but rather ordered it based on what he thought would be right for each of his instruments.
    Whatever the case may be, the one certainty is that color-makers can be extremely secretive. Copal was known to be one of the ingredients in a long-lasting amber-colored varnish manufactured in the early 18th century by a Parisian named Monsieur Martin, but the rest of the recipe was a closely guarded secret. The varnish was popular among the wealthiest members of society, and the Society of Arts and Sciences in London offered a prize to an Englishman who could make something similar. The requirements indicated that the varnish had to be “hard, transparent, of a light color, capable of the finest polish, and not liable to crack.” The test to be passed was for the varnish to be exposed to the elements for six months. Upon hearing this, Martin apparently laughed and declared he would retire if anyone invented something that could pass such a test.
    Orange varnish is hardly the only case of an attempt to keep a secret. Carmine red today this is still used as food and lipstick coloring, but in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was in extremely high demand all over Europe as a dye. Originally developed by both Incas and Aztecs, the Spanish Empire managed to keep secret for  more than a century that the color was made from cochineals, insects that live only on the underside of prickly pear cacti. In the late 18th century French botanist Nicolas-Joseph Thiéry de Menonville risked life and limb to sail from Haiti to Central America to learn the truth and break the story to the world.
    Even black is not without controversy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a graphite mine near Seathwaite, England was deemed valuable enough that the miners were strip-searched at the end of every shift to make sure no graphite was smuggled out, although to be fair, graphite’s value was also high because of its value to the war industry.
    Although I understand and agree with the desire to keep a trade secret, I am grateful that such secretiveness is a rarity in music education. The topics vary widely, but each month our authors share what they’ve learned, whether the knowledge comes from years of practice and accumulated experience or simply the consequences of a mistake made.
    This issue includes excellent advice for student teachers as well as extremely useful conducting and concert programming tips, along with ideas for setting some future goals and encouragement to keep working toward the highest standards as the spring semester begins.
    One thing I’ve learned about wisdom is that it often comes in situations that are overlooked, whether this is having enough cash to be able to make change on the (surprisingly good) chance that the first three people to show up at a fundraising event only have a twenty dollar bill or remembering always to check an older instrument’s mouthpiece for spider eggs before putting it in your mouth. (I learned this the hard way.) If you have picked up some interesting, unusual, or helpful tidbits of wisdom over the years, drop us a line and share what you’ve learned. As I often share with authors, we are in the business of sharing ideas, and we would love to share yours, too.
    Finlay’s book is not simply a story of secrets; there is plenty of wisdom to be found within. I will close with a quote from Pablo Picasso that I have been turning over in my mind for the past few weeks and suspect I will continue to ponder for quite a while yet, as I think it can apply to a great number of situations: “There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.”
    Best wishes for 2015.

The post Secret Knowledge appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Hosting a music festival is a rewarding experience for directors, their students, and the school, as well as for parents and the community. A successful festival  requires substantial advance planning and preparation, which must be initiated and coordinated by the director. These efforts have great rewards. Whether it is an exhibition, a competitive marching band festival, or a large ensemble adjudication or contest, the benefits that may flow from hosting such an event tend to be valuable, long-lasting, and worthwhile.

The Initial Planning
    Advance planning and preparation is of paramount importance, and good planning does not happen by accident. The first major step is to obtain permission to host such an event your school district’s administration and school board. This should be done at least a year in advance.
    Here are some steps to keep in mind during the initial planning stage (with notes on suggested timing for each):
    • Once you have permission to host the event, meet with your principal and athletic director to review the dates for the festival (at least one year out).
    • If the event involves multiple groups from other schools, send out invitations (by mail, email, phone) to potential participating groups (at least six months out).
    • If you need judges (marching festival or concert band adjudicators), contact potential candidates (at least six months out).
    • Reserve any needed facilities (internally) with your administration (six to eight months out).
    • Contact a guest conductor for an honor band (one year out, although the earlier you can contact them, the better).

    Each year I meet with the athletic director to review the schedule for all sports and to find the best possible fit for our annual marching band festival. When I have hosted an honor band festival, I have sought permission to host the event as early as three years out. Part of this advanced planning is based on forecasting which students might be involved, making sure there are no conflicts with athletic events, and also balancing the event against our biennial band trips. If the dates for the festival are mandated by a music association to which you belong, it is important for your administration to understand that these dates must be given priority when your school is the host.
    With marching band festivals, bear in mind that some directors begin forming their fall schedule as early as January. If possible, try to send out invitations to potential directors in a timely fashion in order to maximize participation. If your festival becomes an annual event, finding a traditional weekend in the schedule will increase the likelihood that groups return to your festival in future years. If judges are involved – for either a marching band competition or a concert band adjudication – it is important to obtain firm commitments from the judges in advance of any information letters or emails going out to potential participants. If the judges are identified on the invitations, some directors may be more inclined to attend the festival, because they will know they can gain additional or deeper perspective from a judge they hold in high regard.
    If you have received permission to host an honor band festival, the next step is to contract a guest conductor for the event. It is usually a good idea to have more than one choice for an honor band festival so that you are not left in limbo if your first choice declines. You should also be sure to initiate a conversation about travel and lodging plans with the guest conductor after receiving the commitment. You will need to take into account how they are traveling, when they will arrive, and when will they depart from the festival. Some guest conductors may want their travel expenses included as part of their contract, and others might turn in a receipt for reimbursement.

The Budget
    The next level of preparation will  require you to construct a budget for the festival. For honor bands, it is important that the per-student festival fee be sufficient to cover all expenses. That way, if the concert must be canceled due to unforeseen circumstances or safety issues related to weather, the festival will not lose money because you were depending on ticket revenues to supplement the budget.
    A sample budget for students involved in a two-day honor band that includes an evening concert on the second day might look something like this:

Guest Conductor  –  $1000 ($500/day x 2 days)
Music; two per song  –  $800
Student lunches  –  $720 ($3 x 120 students x 2 days)
Banquet prior to concert  –  $1,000
Refreshments/snacks  –  $200
Security, nurse after hours  –  $400
Postage for mailings  –  $100
Printing of programs  –  $400
Total Festival Budget  –  $4,420
Fee per student  –  $38.50 (Fee per student calculated by dividing the festival budget, $4,420, by the number of participants, 120.)

Public Relations
    Hosting a festival will demonstrate your program’s commitment to the greater good because it shows you are bringing a cultural and educational event to your school. A festival can generate positive public relations for a program, and this positive impression may be remembered by community members long after the festival is over. Although some programs rely mostly on the internet and on social media sources to promote events among the students and parents, you should not overlook or underestimate the value of traditional newspaper, radio, and local cable advertising.
    Here are a few suggestions on how to promote your event (with notes on suggested timing for each):
    • Assign student officers in your group to develop a short press release that can be emailed or faxed to the local newspaper and radio stations (at least one month in advance).
    • Advertise with local community groups (such as Rotary, Lions, church groups) about the event to increase local interest (at least one month in advance).
    • Contact local businesses to request donations (financial support or supplies) in exchange for advertising in the festival program (at least two months in advance).
    The last two times I hosted honor band events, I found local businesses that unexpectedly stepped forward and donated financially to the festival after reading about it in the local newspaper. Later on I learned that the managers of these businesses had both been band kids who had fond memories of their high school music experience. These business managers stepped in and helped us to purchase some of the items we needed for the festival.

Internal Communications
    Multiple meetings with your administration are essential for the festival to be successful. Below is a list of important items to identify so that the administration will understand the scope of what you are doing as host of the event:
    • Exact dates and times of the festival (four to six months out, continuing as needed).
    • What areas of the building will be in use (one to two months out).
    • Schedule for festival participants and directors (one to two months out).
    • Scheduling support (for example, rescheduling any athletic events if the gym is in close proximity to the auditorium, coordinating use of the cafeteria to feed participants) (at least three months out).
    • Logistical support (for example, assistance of maintenance to move risers or help deliver borrowed equipment for an honor band, painting and preparation of the football field for a marching festival) (three to four months out).
    • Personnel support (for example, you may request an administrator to give a welcome at the start of the festival, or a school nurse to be available during the day for any students who may have special medical needs or become ill) (two to three months out).
    • Contingency plans for inclement weather. For example, if the day of the marching festival is rainy, will it be moved inside or rescheduled? If a two-hour delay is called, what is the protocol for contacting directors and students participating in the honor band? (2 to 3 months out, updating as needed).

External Communications
    It is extremely helpful to provide guest directors and their students up-to-the-minute information about the festival. The more prepared these guests feel about the non-musical aspects of the festival, the more at ease they will feel about attending and performing at their best. I developed a page on our band’s website that was designed specifically to update participants about the festival the last time I hosted an honor band. In addition, for this page I collected information for the festival program using a Google Drive form, which included requests for home and school email addresses and cell phone numbers for emergency texts. Beyond these items, any of the following can be useful to include as part of your pre-festival correspondence:
    • Detailed schedule of the entire festival (one month out).
    • Map of the school grounds (highlighting what areas will be in use) (two weeks out).
    • Simple directions with the appropriate school address for devices with GPS (two weeks out).
    • Instructions for arrival at the festival, including designated parking areas (one week out).
    • For an honor band event, a biography of the guest conductor is helpful for the students and director (one month out for printing purposes).
    • For an honor band event, music should be in the hands of the students at least one month prior to the start of the festival (check availability and place the order at least three months out).
    • For an honor band event, be sure to collect appropriate emergency contact and medical information for each participant to help your school nurse and cafeteria manager prepare for any specific health concerns or food allergies (one month out).
    • If there is a festival participation fee, be sure to send out invoices to colleagues at least two months before the event so they can submit paperwork for payment, which will help you to pay your bills for the festival in a timely fashion (notify participants of the fee three months out).
    • Provide a map/list of restaurants or hotels in the area (one month out for restaurants, two months out for hotels close to the festival site).

Focus on a Shared Goal
    Opportunities like hosting a festival allow us to challenge our students to take ownership in building beneficial traditions within our program. To do this, students should be involved in running the festival. Many aspects of the festival can be organized or assisted by student-led committees, such as the following:
    • Preparation and set-up of stage equipment and other items (such as chairs, stands, nametags, welcome signs, and welcome packets with schedules, maps, reminders, pencils).
    • Public relations (including the creation of press releases, social media, and advertising).
    • Decoration of the auditorium (for an honor band festival) or football field (for a marching band festival).
    • Greeting committee (to pass out final instructions, to carry luggage or equipment to designated areas, or to offer a tour of the building).
    • Hospitality (students can help with putting out refreshments, ushering students to the cafeteria, and delivering bottled water to participants).
    It is important to make sure students are invested in the program not only musically, but also socially and logistically. Hosting a festival is but one way in which we can engage students to have a healthy respect for these three aspects of the program. A festival can also be a valuable opportunity for booster and parent groups to mobilize all their members.

Elevate Musical Expectations
    Whether it is an honor ensemble event or a marching festival on the football field, festivals should serve to highlight the musical performance of the students and offer the opportunity for an enhanced appreciation of the performing arts. Bringing in the best musicians from other schools will provide your students with the chance to network with other students who have similar interests and abilities. The experience of watching other groups perform will foster an appreciation for music performances. It also will allow your students to compare and contrast the abilities of their group with others, which can be a rewarding and instructive aspect of the performing arts.
    For directors, the opportunity to learn from a guest clinician who can elevate the performance of a young ensemble is invaluable for our development and growth as leaders and educators. Participating directors will benefit and learn just from observing rehearsals, but it can also be effective to bring in an additional guest clinician to speak solely with the directors during the festival. It is likely that area collegiate and university directors would be willing to be a resource in this way, as this would allow them the opportunity to build relations with directors and programs.

After the Festival
    When the festival is complete there is still be some final work to be done to bring it to a conclusion. It is a matter of simple courtesy as a professional to do any of the following:
    • Make sure that any music or equipment that has been borrowed from colleagues is returned in a timely fashion.
    • Send out thank you notes (with pictures if possible!) to those who supported the festival, either internally (administrators, custodians, booster groups) or externally (parents, businesses).
    • Make sure that if there were any financial obligations for the festival (collecting fees, paying vendors), they are taken care of promptly, and a final audit of the festival budget has been completed.
    • Submit a final report or reflection on the festival to your school board and administration in order to provide them a sense of the full scope of the festival, why it was successful, and how it positively affected your program.
    Every school has a unique context that a director must contemplate when planning for a festival. In some cases, committing to hosting a festival that is a few years away will allow the director to speak with other hosts and gain insight from them. This process of reaching out to others may help directors to understand what is necessary to host such an event successfully at their school. Several colleagues of mine have co-hosted honor band festivals and divided up the organizational duties based on their personal administrative strengths (one director handled all the paperwork and coordinated financial aspects, while the other director covered all of the physical aspects, organizing the music and equipment). Hosting an instrumental festival provides directors a valuable opportunity to grow professionally, to reward their program musically, and to generate a renewed appreciation of their program within the school and the community.

The post Hosting a Festival appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    As junior high and high school saxophonists advance, band directors are faced with the prospect of guiding these players to do well in multiple ensembles. For the good of the concert band, it is important to provide proper direction and focus so that the saxophone section develops a mature classic saxophone sound. However, as players move into jazz band or other performance groups, different playing styles or even equipment may be introduced and affect the concert band performance. Here are a few tips on how to balance an appropriate ensemble sound in concert band with encouraging exploration of other musical genres.

Make Notes
    Have students keep a journal of all performances and performance styles in which they play. This will show them, in writing, how their performances differ. In addition, recording a list of clinics, band trips, and names of private teachers will also provide good information for college applications, if they choose to continue performing
 
Learn Classical Solos
    The solo compositions students play are important. Pieces should demonstrate both lyrical and technical playing in the classical style. Each work should be challenging, but not to the point that it becomes disheartening.

Play Etudes
    When playing etudes, students can work on specific techniques, such as musical phrasing, finger movement, and altissimo to enhance solo performances. Etude practice is also a good way to introduce playing without an accompaniment, especially if the etude has a cadenza. Many etudes have specific notes or fingerings to help the passage sound better or make it easier for the performer. The Rousseau edition of Franz Wilhelm Ferling’s 48 Etudes is a great example of this. He provides helpful fingerings to make passages easier. Students should also sightread new materials, ideally for five to ten minutes every day.

Master Scales First
    Because most compositions early in a saxophonist’s development are tonal, students will have a number of opportunities to see how scales fit into the mix. Most students practice scales by learning to play a composition, but it is better to learn scales first. If scales are isolated, students can focus on good tone and clean finger movement.
Students should know all major scales by memory. For reinforcement, practice all scales full range. For example, an F scale should start on F4, go up to the highest note (F6), down to the lowest note (Bb3), and then end on the tonic. Students should also be ready to play a chromatic scale from the lowest note to the highest note. To prevent cross-fingerings, be sure they use the chromatic F# key for F#/Gb and C#/Db major.

A Good Reed
    Finding a good reed can be tricky. There are a number of good reed manufacturers today, but the best results will come from professional-level reeds. If the manufacturer offers different professional reed styles, avoid purchasing reeds cut for jazz if they are to be used in concert band. In concert band the saxophone sound should have a warm, centered tone that is not edgy.
If a reed is thicker on one side than the other, it may need adjusting. If a student has a private teacher, that teacher should guide the student through the process. Once students understand how to adjust a reed, they can make every reed in the box play at some level.
    To make the box of reeds last for the maximum amount of time, it is recommended to rotate playing each reed. A reed case is also an essential part of caring for the reed. The student can mark the reed case with numbers or the reed itself lightly on the back with a pencil to keep them organized.

An Improved Mouthpiece
    The selection of a professional-level mouthpiece is one of the most important investments in equipment a saxophonist can make. Because the right mouthpiece can do so much for the sound, this should be a priority for both student instruments and school-owned saxophones.
    Avoid mouthpieces designed for jazz playing. These are usually too open and can be more difficult to control. Young saxophonists might pick up bad habits if they try to make a jazz mouthpiece work, especially in concert band.

Embouchure and Air Support
    One of the best ways to correct a saxophonist’s tone in concert band is to work with the student playing on the mouthpiece alone. When playing fortissimo on the mouthpiece, the following concert pitches should sound:

    A saxophonist’s embouchure should be formed in the shape of an oval or football with the corners of the mouth in. If this shape is confusing, try forming the letter O. The shape remains constant for each saxophone, with larger saxophones taking a bigger oval shape.
    Sometimes students will have a hard time getting a sound out of just the mouthpiece. If this is the case, work with the mouthpiece on the neck, apart from the rest of the instrument. After students feel comfortable getting a solid tone, you can manipulate how firm the embouchure is.
    It is important that students take in just the right amount of mouthpiece. The eye cannot always determine this; the best way to discern the correct amount is by ear. Another way to find out how much mouthpiece to take in is by putting a small piece of paper in between the reed and mouthpiece. The place where the paper stops, without forcing it, is where the edge of the lower lip should be.
    Make sure the weight of the student’s head rests on top of the mouthpiece. If a student clamps down and rests the weight on the bottom lip, this will produce a pinched, edgy tone.
    Blowing through the instrument should feel similar to fogging up a mirror. This idea should help students overcome a pinched tone. Keep in mind that as instrument size increases, air pressure decreases but the needed air quantity increases.
    Flexibility is an important part of playing the saxophone. A few exercises to help students gain flexibility are closed-tube exercises (harmonics) and bending palm-key notes down a half step without losing the tone. While playing on the mouthpiece, students should try bending the pitch down from the recommended concert pitch back to the original pitch, going as low as they can without losing the sound. The alto saxophone mouthpiece should sound an A5, so have students try this pitch-bending exercise:

Tonguing Tip
    Often saxophone students get in the habit of using a harsh slap tongue. One way to correct this is to have them think of tonguing on the front tip of the tongue to the back tip of the reed. They should think of the tongue flicking the reed, much like a paintbrush. The articulation should be crisp and light, not heavy and harsh. The tongue does not move around the mouth, and the action is very slight. The tongue never produces an accent – all it does is start or stops the reed from vibrating.

Avoid Dropping the Jaw
    Some students tend to drop the jaw when playing in the lower register. One of the few times saxophonists should drop the jaw is to play jazz subtone or similar extended techniques, and this should only be attempted after a student has mastered the basic embouchure and can achieve a proper sound in the low register without dropping the jaw.

Establish a Stable Tone
    Students like to experiment with advanced techniques like vibrato or altissimo, but it is better to avoid these until students can play with a good, stable tone. Bad habits can be difficult to correct. Unlike the high register of the clarinet, saxophone altissimo is not stable and requires consistent practice until it is easily produced. For altissimo to be played correctly, the student should not reset the embouchure before playing a high note.

Practice Performing
    All students should practice performing. The more chances they have to perform in front of people, the more likely it is that they are able to give a consistent performance. This is a crucial step for any performer since it can feel different to play in a pressure situation without stopping. Stage presence should also be addressed, because the audience will form their first impression during the first few seconds of the performance.

The post A Classic Sax Sound appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Colonel Thomas H. Palmatier, Leader and Commander of the United States Army Band since August 2011, relinquished the conductor’s baton of the premier musical organization of the United States Army in December 2014, ending a brilliant 37-year career as a military musician.
    Originally from Ballston Spa, New York, he is the eldest son of Harold and Marjorie Palmatier, who took their then nine-year-old son to a military band concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Upstate New York. After the concert, Marjorie Palmatier recalls a young Tom declaring, “I’d like to do that someday.” He began his musical training in elementary school on the trumpet. Says Palmatier, “I think there was a magic moment when I was in fifth grade band, where Anthony Maiello was my band director. It was his first year teaching. I was so struck by how passionate he was about what he did. It left an incredible impression on me. I didn’t really understand it all at that young age, but I knew I wanted to have that same passion.” In sixth grade, Palmatier switched to tuba.
    “In my high school years it hit me that this was what I wanted to spend my life doing. I was encouraged by great music educators. My advice to high school students today would be to be open to listening to your teachers. I am where I am today because of little tidbits that were dropped by music educators over the years.”
    Following graduation in 1972 from Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, Palmatier attended the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education, magna cum laude, in 1976. Palmatier also earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College at Fort McNair in Washington, DC.
    One of the things that drew Palmatier to military service was living up to his father’s legacy by following in his footsteps. “Like millions of Americans, he served in WWII and I always aspired to serve my nation as he did.” After graduating from Truman State in 1977, Palmatier enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army with the designation to become an Army Bandsman. After completing Basic Combat Training and the Army’s Advanced Individual Training, he reported to the Presidio, San Francisco, California, the home of the Sixth Army Band, for his first assignment as a tuba player.
    Palmatier received some excellent advice in his early 20s. “An old grizzled teacher just said, ‘Do the very best at whatever you’re doing, and other people will take care of you.’ Sometimes I see young people, and they feel like they need to have their whole life mapped out. If they work hard and do their best at whatever they’re doing, doors will open up.” Taking this advice to heart, Palmatier quickly earned leadership positions and was then selected for advanced training at the Armed Forces School of Music near Norfolk, Virginia.
    Palmatier’s tenure as a student at the Armed Forces School of Music was unprecedented. Consecutively, he enrolled in the Group Leader, Enlisted Bandleader, and Warrant Officer Bandmaster courses, and was designated Honor Graduate of all three. This led to an early appointment as a Warrant Officer Bandmaster in 1981, with less than four years of service.
    His long and distinguished career as a leader in Army Music eventually led him to command The United States Army Band, the Army’s flagship musical organization in the nation’s capital. As leader and commander of this elite unit, Col. Palmatier served as musical advisor to the White House, the Department of Defense, and the State Department on all national and international military music affairs. He has participated as either a leader or staff planner for five presidential inaugurations between 1989 and 2013. Under his command, various ensembles that make up the U.S. Army Band have performed at the Norwegian Military Tattoo, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and on a historic goodwill mission to China in 2012.
    One of the great privileges of performing in a military ensemble is participating in many significant events of national importance. For Palmatier, whose career has taken him to 49 different countries, there have many great moments. “The very first concert I conducted with the U.S. Army Band on the steps of the Capitol during my first assignment in Washington in 1988 was an amazing moment. So was leading the U.S. Army Europe Band through the streets of Moscow on the 60th anniversary of V-E Day in 2005, and ceremonies at Normandy, France. There were well over a million Muscovites along the street, and to be able to march through that city behind the American flag was an overwhelming experience.
    “That was the most historic experience, but it is the wonderful private moments musicians get to have when you realize that maybe your music touched somebody, and you were a small part of that. It’s working with a junior high or middle school band on one of the many clinics we do and seeing the light go on in a couple students’ eyes. The really cherished memories are those personal connections with young musicians.”
    On his work in clinics, Palmatier says, “It is so important to never stop trying to get better, no matter what level you’re at. We do a lot of clinics in the army band. School groups come in, and we’ll offer them clinics. Sometimes the school directors act embarrassed, saying ‘I know I’m not good enough.’ The truth is that none of us are good enough. Let’s recognize that we’re all in this together, and ask for help.
    “I still take conducting lessons, watch video tapes, read and study, and try to improve the things I don’t do well. It is a lifelong quest for self improvement. I think young people often don’t realize how empathetic and helpful our peers and potential mentors can be. As a young conductor, I was intimidated to ask for help. Then one day, I was in a car with Francis McBeth for a hour. He needed a ride somewhere and I volunteered. I found out then what an incredible person McBeth was; he was just a music teacher who wanted to teach. Reach out to people who you may think are above your level. They’ll love to talk with you. Harry Begian, one of the giants of the band world, was so encouraging of my efforts to try to improve. He always treated me as a colleague even though he was way up there and I was way down here.”
    Throughout his more than three and a half decades of distinguished service in the U.S. Army, Col. Palmatier has received numerous military honors, including the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, seven awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Services Achievement Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster. He was the first Army Band Officer to earn both the Parachutist and Air Assault Badges and earned the right to wear a combat patch for service in El Salvador and later in Iraq. In 2012, Palmatier was named a Distinguished Member of the Regiment for the Adjutant General’s Corps by the Secretary of the Army.
    Colonel Palmatier is retiring to the Norfolk area and already has all kinds of guest conducting, honor bands, and clinics lined up. “Throughout my military career, I’ve tried to take as many opportunities to work with young people as possible. One thing that can happen to a military band conductor, because our musicians are so wonderful, is that we start to think we’re way better than we are. It can be easy to be lulled into thinking you’re a great conductor because your groups sound so fantastic. When you work with a middle school band, that’s when you find out if you can teach and if you can inspire people to make good music. I have tried for decades to do that as often as possible to ensure that I don’t get lulled into thinking that I’m better than I am. Because of my military duties, I have had to say no to such requests more often than I would like to. I am going to be saying yes much more often.”

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Colonel Palmatier’s Favorites

    We asked Colonel Palmatier what might be on a concert of his favorite compositions. Here are some of his ideas.

    I love great transcriptions and find Mark Hindsley’s transcription of Polovetsian Dances particularly compelling. The new Paul Lavender transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition is absolutely spectacular.
    I am a big fan of the music of Philip Sparke, because I think he writes music that people want to play and people want to hear. I think his Sinfonietta #2 is one of the most beautiful pieces of band music ever written.
    That concert would have to include a couple marches, because I think marches were what bands were created to play. I might choose Liberty Bell and The Gallant Seventh.
    Recently the army band recorded a collection called New American Masters, which consisted of new compositions that we felt were going to be around for a while. We played a piece by Julie Giroux called Riften Wed. The more you play it, the more you just love it.

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    The success or failure of any program is determined before a note is taught. We invest countless hours preparing students for performances, but it is also important to consider how much time and effort to invest in planning those performances. The day after a concert may be the first time some teachers consider what they are doing for the next one. As a young teacher, I fell into this trap too often. The concerts would be successful enough, but there was a sameness and no sense of an end game. If Tune X was successful, then Son of Tune X would be great for the next concert. However, there is a better way than lurching from concert to concert.

How and What to Plan
    My approach started to change when I studied in the University of Massachusetts band program under Bill Rowell and also took a look at successful marching design projects. I learned that the successful marching programs started with a top-notch arranger, to whom the decision-makers listened intently. The focus was to put the highest quality of music on the field. With the UMass concert band program, everything started with great composers. In all cases, planning started well in advance and with the big projects firmly in sight. Drum Corps International Hall of Fame member Jim Prime did everyone one better. He entered every new project with a three- or four-year plan. The specifics might change a bit, but the big picture didn’t. One aim of his was to eventually get to the Alexander Nevsky Cantata, but to get there he wanted his group to go through Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Where to Go
    Programming is ongoing for me. The process is slightly different for concert band and jazz, but the result is the same. Every official beginning starts with a reread of dance director Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit. This wonderful book offers a grounding in the process and method of programming, including creating threads within a program and methods of jumpstarting creativity.
    For concert band, programming starts in earnest at the Midwest Band Clinic in December, although I search for literature all year long. I will listen to anything once. During the spring I make a big list for both the freshman/sophomore band and the junior/senior band. My list consists of every piece I have always wanted to conduct for these ability levels. The list is culled down to what is practical, and from this comes one piece for each group that will be the culmination of the year’s teaching. It is akin to building a pyramid by starting with the pinnacle; from this final piece I work down to where we will begin.

How to Get There
    For this year, the goal for the ninth and tenth grade ensemble’s final concert is Michael Boo’s Dragon Boat Festival. This was the less-experienced group’s first venture into grade 4, made particularly interesting by the aleatoric percussion, transparent textures, and use of pentatonics. We played pentatonics in warmups all year, so this was a practical application of that scale as well as an opportunity for percussion to really stretch. In this approach to programming, the bridge pieces are crucial. The perfect set-up for the Boo piece was Clare Grundman’s Irish Rhapsody. It is listed as a grade 3, but frequent key, tempo, and style changes make it a perfect bridge to Dragon Boat Festival. To get into the Grundman, we began the year with Pierre LaPlante’s American Sketches, a beautiful three-movement setting of three strong folk tunes. Middle school students rarely play multi-movement works, so this piece is a perfect table-setter for freshmen. The movements are short – approximately two minutes apiece – and the technical demands are modest.
    For the 11th and 12th graders, this year’s end piece was John Barnes Chance’s Variations on a Korean Folk Song because of the technique involved in the first variation and the mature playing required to make all the style changes convincingly. It is listed as a grade 4, but musically the demands are greater than that. This was set up in the first concert by Malcolm Arnold’s Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo. The object was to establish a foundation for lyrical playing, balanced with a bit of technical playing. The Rondo was an early season foundation for the technical parts of the Chance. The piece to get us from the Arnold to the Chance was a commissioned work by Andrew Boysen, The Murderer and the Architect. This piece is based on the wonderful Erik Larson book, The Devil in the White City, which is the true story of H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who operated during the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. The Boysen set up the Chance because it is a one-movement piece with a great deal of independent playing. The chamber playing and what Boysen describes as creepy writing stretched students beyond what we did in the first concert and paved the way for a confident performance of the Chance.

Filling in the Gaps
    I lay out the entire year of concert programming in late spring. Occasionally I write titles on recipe cards and shuffle these around until everything fits well. For a while my kitchen table looks like a patchwork quilt. Then, if necessary, I do a second draft. Replacing one piece frequently changes a whole program.
    The major focus is to make sure that the big pieces are the ones that connect the dots. The march for the first concert isn’t designed to get us to the last concert’s march. The rest of the pieces I pick for concerts simply follow elements of good concert programming. However, it is just as important to plan ahead with these pieces as it is the major ones. It is easy to fall into the trap of programming the entire year only to realize you haven’t done a march or some other style of piece that students should know. This is also the time to make sure everything else fits with the major piece.
    When planning concerts, do not neglect the audience members. One of the problems with concert band programming is that there is sometimes a disconnect between the audience and performers. Students should have the opportunity to play the best possible literature, but it is easy to fall into the trap of playing only extremely contemporary pieces and miss the opportunity to play a march or something with popular appeal. This is always the tightrope we walk between the educational value of what we’re doing and the audience, but it is no new philosophy. It goes back to Frederick Fennell and how he tried to program for the Eastman Wind Ensemble.

Take Advantage of Summer
    When the program is set, I order copies of the scores to have before summer vacation starts. Summer is the time to clear the decks and concentrate solely on the music. Being timely is important; avoid starting the next school year without already having studied scores or developing a firm idea about where you are going. Working this way makes score study more relaxed and thoughtful. Frank Battisti’s approach is great: Read through the scores many times like a book to get the lay of the land. No metronome, no baton, no marking pencil. Then, you are ready to begin the process of serious score study. Another advantage to an early start is that you can write program notes during summer study, making things much less frantic just before concerts.

    Once rehearsals begin, adjustments in programming may be necessary. A group may exceed expectations or a piece may be a poor fit. At these times, heed your gut instinct. Be flexible and acutely aware of whether the concert program feels right. The point is the process. The best way to improve the quality of the music program is to have a strong sense of destination and a path that makes it possible to dream big. To be educationally sound, programming must be a continuum: long-range goals and short-term strategy.

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Working Backward from the Goal

Goal Piece: Final Concert
    Variations on a Korean Folk Song

Highlights
    Takes mature playing, excellent technique, ability to handle style changes.

Second Concert
    The Murderer and the Architect

Highlights
    Long one-movement piece similar to Variations, teaches students to play independently, the writing stretches students musically beyond styles they may be used to.

First Concert
    Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo

Highlights
    Movements in different styles, piece establishes a foundation for lyrical playing. The Rondo movement is extremely technical for the grade level.

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    Whether you are at the start of your college career in music education or about to begin student teaching, there are some key considerations to make before your first day as a student teacher. If you are just beginning your collegiate journey, you should know that your core music classes are all valuable and that, yes, every one of them is a key component to your success.
    Student teaching can be exciting, and it is a time full of anticipation. The drive to master as much content as you can before your student teaching experience begins will benefit not only your own success, but also your future students’ growth. Your knowledge will help your students to achieve success in the long term.

Being on Your Game
    With a beginning or junior high band, it is critical for student teachers to know that they have to be on their game for every minute of the rehearsal. Attention spans at the elementary level are different than they are at the high school level. Students can easily be distracted, and it can take hard work to get the students back on track. Being on top of things is a must, and this requires having efficient, streamlined lessons. Effective preparation will lead to success. You do not want to waste time and end up at the end of your concert cycle wishing for one or two more rehearsals.

The Essential Tools
    As soon as my student teachers have had a chance to get adjusted and learn the names of the students, I begin assessing the student teacher based on knowledge of embouchures, fingerings, finger placements, and posture for each instrument. A student teacher should be able to explain and demonstrate how to produce a good tone on each instrument, including oboe and bassoon. I also require student teachers to show me the basics of proper drum technique, including roll lengths and common rudiments typical of a second level band methods book. Tympani techniques as well as mallet and stick choices should also be discussed. If available, I will have a high school student who does not play that specific instrument to sit in while the student teacher demonstrates how to produce a concert F on the instrument, or I will ask the student teacher to teach a student who does not play percussion how to use the proper percussion techniques. I also work with student teachers on various other subjects such as basic instrument maintenance, restringing horn valves, removing a stuck mouthpiece, and replacing a drum head.

How Do You Finger that Trill?
    I am surprised to discover that many student teachers believe that looking up fingerings is easier than retaining all of them. I think this is a mistake, so I have begun to implement fingering assessments. The student teachers are usually assessed one instrument at a time and are given a page of the most common lowest pitch to the highest pitch likely in a grade 4 selection. It is usually set in chromatic format, and the student teacher is asked to write in each fingering. This allows me to see the strengths and weaknesses of the student teacher, and it also stresses the value of methods classes. From experience, I have found that the limited time that students spend in methods or techniques courses is insufficient for them to grasp all the ins and outs of each instrument. Looking up a fingering in a book could take too much time, and this may allow students to get off task.
    Another important teaching point is to focus on common trills and where those keys are located on the instrument. With scheduling difficulties that are common in many schools you may find that your with the students to work on problems like fingerings is limited. This is one more reason not to lose time on looking up fingerings. It is far better to stay knowledgeable in these areas.

Party Time
    Invite your peers to gather once every two weeks for an evening with snacks or dinner and have a question-and-answer session. Everyone should bring their instrument and questions, and spend an evening just breaking down the tough components of each instrument. This can happen by working one-on-one, talking in a roundtable setting, or just lounging around in a larger setting. Student teachers should figure out their weaknesses and ask questions. This can be a  fun and quick way to sharpen skills in this area and find others who may have the same questions. This will help to develop skills to address the common difficulties of each instrument. You can also change the subject matter to include music history, music theory, oiling valves, restringing a stringed instrument, or general music techniques for each grade level. You could even try testing your transposition skills or finding clever ways to transpose on the fly.

Keeping Up with the Literature
    Literature at all grade levels is always changing, but student teachers should at least be able to identify the classics that are great staples to a student’s musical diet. I think students should experience some of the classics as well as new works by some of the great composers of today.
    I give my student teachers a list of about sixty listening examples at various grade levels, and we discuss about two each week, focusing on why they stand out as classics. We also discuss elements regarding range, instrumentation, technical and musical characteristics, and potential roadblocks that would require close attention. We also touch on all grades of jazz charts for junior and high school levels, as well as pep band charts.

Promoting the Program
    I also want my student teachers to understand that there are organizational components to the job. I ask them to construct concert programs with different selections and grade levels, and I also ask them to explore ways they can create excitement and interest for their students. With social media, there are opportunities to post performances, both current and past. It is important for student teachers to begin thinking of how to promote the program to the community. Often the student teacher will have a strong grasp on technology. Do not be afraid to draw on these skills in working with your mentoring teacher. If you do this, you can try to implement your ideas to see if it is something that will work. It never hurts to ask and work out the bugs before you do it on your own.

Conducting Is Communication
    Conducting technique is sometimes put on the back burner when student teachers get heavily engrossed in their work. Conducting is a way of communicating non-verbally to promote expression and musicianship. Carve out time each day to watch yourself in a mirror to see if you are truly communicating what you want students to demonstrate. Ask permission of the students and the director to videotape yourself in every rehearsal. Explain to the students that the camera will be focused only on you and that it is for learning purposes only. Videotaping not only allows you to see how you conduct, but it also will allow you to listen to your words and the sounds of the ensemble. I believe it was once stated by Francis McBeth that you are the reflection of your band and their sound. If you can understand the importance of communicating with your band students through your conducting technique and expression, then you will like what you see in the mirror.

Detective Work
    Listening is vital to your success. Time spent on sightsinging and on sharpening your listening skills can make a huge difference in your ensemble’s success. During musicianship classes students may wonder why they have to work on sightsinging day in and day out, but those late nights of sightsinging in the piano labs will pay huge dividends when you finally step onto the podium. This skill allows you to be a fine detective who can identify incorrect pitches or fingerings and work on important areas in intonation, balance and blend. Again, the process of recording the ensemble and studying the result will allow you to hear any blend, balance, or intonation problems you may have missed.

Seek Out Summer Experiences
    Student teachers should seek out more hands-on experience during the summer. Directors may need help at marching band camps or throughout the summer with lessons, or they may even need a summer musical pit director. A lack of marching, pep, or jazz band experience can sometimes be a limitation when it comes to hiring, but this experience can be gained. There are also many ways to begin to connect and network with others in your surrounding areas, and I urge you to seek these out. I understand it is difficult for many college students who are trying to find employment to pay the bills or taking extra classes, but if there is a will, there is a way.

Pocket the Important Stuff
    It is a good practice to keep a small notebook in your pocket to take notes when items of importance come up. For example, when I catch up with other directors or attend a concert, I will pull out my small pocket notebook (now my tablet) and write down potential selections I could use with my program, along with a list a few reasons why I favored the selection. I also use this notebook to jot down any phrases or words that I could use in my rehearsals to communicate to my students in the future.

Don’t Be Shy, Ask Away
    As a student teacher it is important to ask questions. You should feel comfortable to ask any and all questions you have regarding the entire program. If you are from a program that did not have a marching or a jazz program, ask questions of those who do have these programs so you can be prepared. Attend music conferences, festivals, local concerts, and recitals as much as possible. By attending these events, you have the opportunity to generate questions or to build your repertoire possibilities for further growth.
    Lastly, discuss with your mentoring teacher some of the key considerations and difficulties of the job, including pressures of the job, balance of family and job, insurance and benefits, being a part of a union, ethics in the classroom, and any outlets if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of teaching.

In Conclusion
    This all can seem overwhelming, but if student teaching is tackled with a plan, desire, and passion to be a fine educator, it will make the journey fulfilling, and your students will benefit. In preparation for student teaching, it is vital to listen to your professors at the university level. Attention to all of the little details about how to teach students of various levels can make the difference in whether they desire to continue in music. Even if your focus is on teaching high school students, you still must know your basics. All of your students are counting on you to know your content area well so that they are able to have the most positive experience possible.
    Your students will remember the experience of learning from you, and this will transfer down to the next generations if you have taught that music is well worth the effort. The work that you put in during your college career will leave a legacy that will affect generations and bands well after you leave. Therefore, I encourage you to focus hard on your content area, listen and press your professors and pull out as much knowledge as you can before you are out on your own. I am sure your professors will feel blessed to have students who are eagerly pursuing their subject matter. You will not regret the extra effort, nor will your future students.

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Developing Three Roll Types
Multiple Bounce Roll
    I generally guide students to develop multiple bounce strokes first because playing them is generally easier than double or triple strokes for beginners. Exploring the physical technique of these strokes also introduces students to the extreme opposite of single strokes; they will play as many bounces as possible per hand versus only one note per hand. Once students have developed the ability to execute an undefined large number of bounces in each hand, it is much easier to strip away some of those bounces and practice playing exactly two or three later on.
    The best way to introduce multiple bounce strokes is simply to model them. I play in alternation with students, on only one hand at first, so that they are focused on the sound I am making and trying to copy it exactly in terms of dynamics, duration, and spacing of the bounces. Using the natural rebound of the stick and guiding it just the right way will produce a gradual buzz sound as the stick moves closer to the head with a single wrist motion. I like to use the analogy of bouncing a tennis ball on the ground with a tennis racket and gradually pushing the bounces into the ground until they come to a stop. As teacher and student alternate buzz strokes, they will naturally fall into a repetitive, even trade in which constant repetition of the model sound gradually produces two equal sounds between the two players. Once a good buzz sound has been established, move to the other hand.
    While developing buzz strokes, students will likely recognize the gap between their strong hand and weak hand, assuming they are not naturally ambidextrous. Students should come to terms as quickly as possible with this physical discrepancy, and take steps to overcome it. I usually pose a series of questions during instruction, asking them when they think they developed a dominant hand, and what they may be doing daily that increases its dominance. They often reply with “writing,” “texting,” “eating with a fork,” “operating the computer mouse,” and “unlocking my front door,” for example. All of these tasks require dexterity with small muscle groups, the very ability needed for consistent buzz strokes on a snare drum. I then encourage students to do all of those tasks with the other hand regularly; many of them will be surprisingly challenging at first, but switching hands will be well worth the time and effort.
    Students can also use the discrepancy between strong and weak hands directly as a learning tool. If the dominant hand is playing a solid buzz sound right away, have them use it as a model for the weak hand. Guide them to play several buzzes with the strong hand, noting the feeling of the fingers on the stick, the contact with the drumhead, the physical control of the rebounds, and the lift when the buzz is finished. They can watch, listen to, and feel the details of each buzz and transfer these to the other hand. The strength of this approach is that all of it is happening within the student’s body and mind, rather than relying on an external model. This strategy can apply to any technical problem involving the two hands.
    When students have developed a good sound on each hand in isolation, they can begin to alternate hands. I remind them to keep the sticks down in the drum as much as possible. Creating a smooth, sustained roll from alternating buzzes requires the sticks to move unequally up and down. In other words, the stick does not move up and down in an equal rhythm, but in a lopsided rhythm favoring the downward motion. I use the metaphor of allowing the sticks to come up only for air, and then go right back into the roll sound. This purposefully imbalanced hand motion can be difficult to develop; to solve it, have students practice isolated buzzes at faster and faster tempos, while maintaining the full length of the buzz. They should notice that their sticks reset to the up position with a quick motion, and dwell on the buzz as long as possible.

Triple Stroke Roll
    As students increase the speed and dynamic level of the buzz roll, they will reach a point where the buzzes start to sound choked and separated. At this point, the buzzes are occurring so fast and loud that the bounces are being squeezed into a space that cannot contain them comfortably. This situation calls for development of the triple stroke roll, which creates more space between each bounce by playing only three bounces on each hand.
    Students can again start with isolated hands, developing the sound of triple strokes consistently. The rhythm of these strokes should be a precise, even triplet. Start with the buzz strokes they have mastered, and guide students to gradually shift into strokes that contain only three bounces, spread out evenly across the duration of the stroke. As soon as they are able, they can begin to alternate hands to create the sound of constant triplets. Pay close attention to the spacing of the three notes on each hand, so that the triplets run precisely into one another in alternation, creating a completely consistent stream of notes. Each triplet should consist of rebounds, not individual strokes; in other words, the wrist moves only once for every triplet.
    Because the triple stroke roll is used primarily for fast, loud passages, be sure to encourage students to practice them that way. The muscular stamina required to do this may be somewhat surprising at first; students may need guidance in maintaining their muscular health, including frequent breaks and knowing when to stop for the day. Just as with building a brass embouchure, pushing a player a bit past their current muscular development is necessary for productive practice, but pushing too far can have damaging results. A warm feeling in the forearm muscles is fine, but a sharp persistent pain is not.
    When students have developed a controlled, sustained triple stroke roll at a loud dynamic, they should begin to experiment with when to switch from a buzz roll to a triple stroke roll. A crucial consideration in this decision is that, generally speaking, the louder the roll the faster the alternating hands. For example, at an extremely soft dynamic one can play very slow sustained buzz strokes, drawing out the maximum number of bounces in each hand. As the dynamic level increases, these maximum-length strokes will start to sound separated because of the increased stick height needed to create the dynamic. The hands need to be sped up gradually, and the buzz strokes gradually shortened, to maintain the appropriate sustained roll sound.
    The decision to switch into a triple stroke roll is simply a final extension of this gradual adjustment. As the roll becomes louder, and therefore faster, a point is reached at which the hands are moving fast enough to require only three strokes per hand. Experimenting with this transition will help students discover appropriate relationships between hand speed, stroke type, stroke length, and stroke volume. Mastery of these relationships allows students to create and maintain a sustained sound within a single passage or across a changing one (e.g., crescendo or accelerando).

Double Stroke Roll
    Eliminating one more rebound from each hand creates a double stroke roll, which produces additional space between bounces and a more open sound. The double stroke roll is most often used in marching band, military music, and military-inspired concert pieces. The open nature of the rebounds creates the effect of a barrage of fast notes compared to the smoother sustain of a buzz roll. The technical challenges are mostly the same: creating consistent sound between the two notes on each hand, and creating consistent sound and rhythm across the two hands as they alternate doubles.
    Isolating the hands again is helpful, and students should experiment right away with the difference between buzz, triple, and double strokes in succession on a single hand. Teacher and student can again model and copy, with the student focused on matching every detail of the three stroke types. Strive to make the difference between the three precise and consistent, while changing as little as possible in your technique for each switch. The main determining factors are the pressure placed on the stick from the middle finger of each hand, and the timing of the lift after the stick has struck the drum or pad. In the double stroke roll, the hands are moving in an even up-and-down relationship; they do not stay down for a majority of the time as with the buzz roll.
    Precise timing is extremely important for developing a clean double stroke roll. Students must coordinate two intersecting tempos to accomplish this: the speed of each double (i.e., the space between the two notes) and the alternating speed of the hands. The examples below provide an illustration of doubles that are too fast (or hands that are too slow) and doubles that are just the right tempo to match the hand speed.

    Matching these two tempos again requires experimentation. Perhaps the best way to find the right intersection is to begin deliberately with very slowly alternating hands, and gradually speed them up until the notes of the doubles become a constant stream. The key to success in this approach is not allowing the double spacing to change as the hands move faster.

Musical Decisions
    Once students have developed the three roll types described above, they must learn to make wise decisions about how to incorporate them in musical situations. Four factors can contribute to these decisions: the sound of the roll desired, the length of the roll indicated, the tempo of the passage, and the dynamics of the passage. Teachers can make these decisions at first, but should ultimately help students develop the listening skills to make the decisions themselves.

Sound
    Students must determine what kind of sound is desired from a given roll. Is it meant to be a dominating wall of sound or a skittering flourish of strokes? Smooth and full, or grainy and abrasive? Deep or superficial? Light or dark? Subtle or brilliant? These questions help to define the particular timbre of the roll without concern for additional musical parameters yet. Again, experimentation with all roll types will help to define which sounds align with which rolls.
    Generally, a buzz roll will provide a more full, smooth, and deep sound, while a double stroke roll will provide a more grainy, articulate, and bright sound. Within each of these types, roll speed is very important. For example, a buzz roll will sound fuller as the hand speed increases, but will reach a point where the hand speed is so fast it sounds frantic. Conversely, gradually slowing down the buzz roll eventually leads to a sound of separation between the hands. Experimentation with this range of roll speed is crucial in developing decision-making for appropriate roll timbre.
    Concert band and orchestra music tends to call for buzz rolls – and triple stroke rolls at louder dynamics – while marching band music usually employs double stroke rolls. Exceptions to this guideline occur when a piece of music in one ensemble setting is heavily influenced by the style of the other, such as a militaristic movement in an orchestral suite or an adaptation of a symphonic theme for marching band.
    Finally, stick choice and striking area are important considerations in achieving appropriate roll sound. A thin pair of drumset sticks will produce a much different sound than a large pair of concert or marching snare drum sticks. One choice might be perfect for a jazz tune but not for a Sousa march. A soft, slow buzz roll may sound great near the rim of the drum but terrible in the center. Finding the right intersection of roll type, stick type, and striking area is a challenging but rewarding learning process.

Length
    Rolls can be broadly categorized as either unmeasured or measured. Unmeasured rolls have indeterminate length, for example, at a fermata or the seemingly endless roll during The Star-Spangled Banner. Measured rolls have a specific duration in a given meter and tempo, for example, a half note of sustained sound in a fast allegro.
    Unmeasured rolls generally require consistent sustain for extended periods of time. Students will need to develop physical stamina for these situations with appropriate attention to muscular health, as described earlier. They will also need to be able to mask the sound of the individual roll strokes by not allowing any particular pattern of hand motions to emerge conspicuously from the texture.
    The most common example of this problem is a right- or left-hand dominated sound. In addition to improving their weak hand through daily tasks as described earlier, students can counteract this lopsided tendency during practice by starting the roll with the weak hand, accenting odd groupings of hand motions (e.g., three or five) deliberately while maintaining a long roll, and imagining odd groupings of hand motions (e.g., three or five) as they play the long roll evenly. The odd groupings help take both the mind and hands off of one-sided domination within the roll.
    Measured rolls are short segments of roll fitted to a particular note length, tempo, and meter. When practicing these rolls, students should determine the roll base, that is, the underlying rhythm of the roll desired. Below is an example of a typical roll base that could be used to execute the notated quarter note rolls.

    Students then simply layer one buzz, triple, or double onto each of the four notes of the roll base to produce the roll. Practicing roll and roll base in alternation can help students develop confidence and consistency in the rhythm of their hands when later playing the roll in context.

Tempo
    With a firm grasp of the basic concept of roll base, students can begin to explore changing the roll base according to tempo. For example, the same quarter note roll in the example above played at MM=176 instead of MM=120 would likely require a different roll base, only three notes instead of four. Likewise, if that roll occurred at MM=92 it might require five or six notes in the roll base to maintain a full sound. Students need to be able to play various roll speeds within a given note to account for the tempo. They can practice this range of roll speeds in two ways: setting a constant pulse on a metronome and playing two, three, four, five, and six buzzes per beat incrementally; or practicing a set number of roll strokes at incrementally increasing tempos. In both cases, they are learning to find and to fit the appropriate number of roll strokes to a given note length and tempo. As students develop fluency with their range of roll speeds, they should also practice these exercises without the metronome, relying on their inner sense of pulse to maintain the beat as they shift with their hands.

Dynamics
    Louder rolls typically require higher and faster roll strokes. Similar to tempo shifts, dynamic shifts require players to adjust their roll speed appropriately. Dynamics also require careful consideration of where to play on the head. In general, play soft rolls out towards the rim of the drum, making sure not to go so far that the sound of the snares becomes inconsistent or absent altogether. Play louder rolls close to the center of the drum but not right in the center. Playing an unmeasured roll constantly from loud to soft to loud will help players determine where to draw these boundaries on a particular drum. In addition, it will prepare them for crescendos and decrescendos in their music.
    A crescendo roll requires gradual increase in hand speed and movement toward the middle of the drum, and a decrescendo roll requires the opposite. To help students develop the flexibility to change roll speed and playing area smoothly, practice giving them various conducting gestures for changes in dynamics and tempo. Their development in this skill will be very helpful to the sound of the ensemble.

In Conclusion
    As instrumental directors, we spend lots of time helping our wind and string players develop full, characteristic tone with appropriate sustain, vibrato, and dynamic shading. In many situations, percussionists face different challenges, spending their practice time instead on rhythmic accuracy, coordination, and steady tempo. However, when it comes to the snare drum roll, the aim should be the same as for wind and string players. Investing the time and effort to help students develop the rolls described here, and choose when and how to incorporate them wisely, will improve their musicianship greatly.

The post Mastering Snare Drum Rolls appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Directors across the country often are wrestling with the same kinds of questions. Is this battle worth fighting? Is it really so important that students sit up straight, with their feet flat on the floor, and with the correct hand position? Does it really matter if the band skips work on long tones today? Who is going to notice if the woodwinds and mallets skip our technical exercises today? How necessary is it for me to talk again about the importance of bringing a pencil to class? Is it a big deal if class starts two minutes late?
    At some point in your career you have probably heard someone ask these questions aloud, or perhaps you have said them yourself. I think these are important questions that are worth considering, and I would encourage directors to reflect on their teaching practices to determine which battles in the classroom are truly worth fighting.
    For me, the process of determining which battles to fight was fairly simple. I was fortunate enough to learn from middle and high school directors who built band programs centered on the basic fundamentals of playing and high expectations. These directors and my college professors placed a high value on the fundamentals, and they taught me not to take short-cuts. My colleagues and mentors also modeled the importance of being consistent from day to day. In learning from all of these people, I was so immersed in the thought process of deciding what is important that it was second nature for me to do this once I became a teacher.
    It is not always easy to make the right decisions. Brass players do not always like playing long tones and lip slurs, and woodwinds and mallets do not always like playing technical patterns. However, as the professional in the room, I have to make decisions for my students that I think are in their best interest. I know these decisions are not always popular, as they are sometimes received with moans and groans, but they are the decisions that will give the students the best chance to succeed. Remember, no student wants to be a part of something that is not successful.
    For some teachers, the pathway to teaching might not have been as clearly defined as it was for me. Some teachers perhaps had such inconsistent experiences as students that they continue to search for the best way to set up their own students for success. Others may have had experiences so tumultuous that they still find themselves questioning whether or not they are in the right profession. For that reason, I offer my views on the battles that I think are most worth fighting. Although each teaching situation is different and must be evaluated distinctly, the basic principles noted below should apply to every music classroom.

Posture and Hand Position
    I always find it interesting when I hear directors say, “I know you will sit correctly and hold your horn the right way when it’s time for the dress rehearsal and the concert!” This sort of statement is usually uttered just a few weeks before the next scheduled performance. Why should it be acceptable for students to wait to have correct posture until concert day? Why would it be okay to accept less than full effort most days, and then switch before the concert? This approach has the effect of teaching students that it is appropriate to sit with poor posture because it is not important unless people are watching. That approach is clearly wrong, because proper posture is one of the critical variables that determines whether a student is able to produce a characteristic tone on the instrument.
    I emphasize to students that they should practice in the same manner that they wish to perform. Students need repetition to solidify the learning process, especially in the beginning stages. Often students need to be reminded about posture and hand position, perhaps multiple times each day. This can be exhausting for a teacher, and we can begin to sound like a broken record. We may even begin to question if we will ever get through to the students. However, after enough repetition, the idea of playing with correct posture while remaining relaxed should become second nature. We should instill in our bands a sense of pride for doing things the proper way. Insisting on proper posture at all times should be non-negotiable, and it is definitely a battle worth fighting.

Discipline, Expectations, and Time Management
    Ensembles that exhibit discipline are easy to spot. Ensembles that lack discipline are much easier to spot. Generally speaking, students will meet the expectations set forth in your classroom. If you expect superior rehearsals and superior performances, and nothing less, then the students will usually rise to the occasion. Likewise, if you expect mediocre rehearsals and mediocre performances, your students will exhibit the qualities associated with a classroom culture of mediocrity.
The teacher creates the classroom climate. Make it a priority to set the classroom expectations high, and enjoy the process of watching your students meet and exceed their goals. In the end, everyone is more productive. Each band will have different goals. Try to make sure your goals are reasonable, but attainable through hard work. It is illogical to think that all bands are created equal. All bands do have the ability to give their best effort each day.
    How many times have you caught yourself answering an email while the students were coming into the classroom and suddenly realized that class started a few minutes ago? Make it a priority to start class at the correct time. If you allow students three minutes to unpack their instruments and get settled, then be ready to start rehearsal as soon as those three minutes have passed. It is important to start class on time because it demonstrates that you value class time and the learning environment. Students, whether they admit it or not, thrive under consistency and routine. I do not know of a director does not want more rehearsal time, especially before a performance. Three minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but added up over a few months, this adds up to hours wasted. One simple way to encourage your students to get their horns out and set up quickly is to meet them at the door once they arrive. Greet them with a smile, a simple hello, and then remind them to quickly get ready for class to start. With this beginning procedure you have both encouraged the students to hustle, and you have also made it a point to talk to each of your students. The email can wait, and the value you place in starting on time demonstrates to students that they are the most important factor at the moment. These seemingly small points about how to start rehearsal can make a big difference in setting expectations in the classroom.
    You may find that some students feel the need to flood your office and ask you multiple questions as soon as they step into class. A question or two at the beginning of class may not seem to be a big deal until you realize it is eating up your class time. Create a system that gives both the students and you the flexibility to take care of basic housekeeping items. It is unreasonable to think you can be a director, while ignoring all of the more mundane details involved with a program. Take care of these items as you need to, but make sure you are efficient in doing so. For example, a colleague of mine has an LED board that scrolls through announcements during class. This takes care of any necessary announcements, and the students are able to read these each day. Starting class on time is a battle worth fighting, and it shows students that you value the time you spend together.

Pencils
    A pencil is invaluable. Think about the amount of time spent during rehearsals fixing problems that we hear. Now think about how many times a week we fix the same problems. In most cases we are just repeating ourselves, not using our rehearsal time efficiently, because students did not mark their music according to the instructions given when the problem first arose. Although it may seem trivial to some, I feel strongly that each student should be required to have a pencil in rehearsal at all times; this should not be optional. Students are simply unable to remember all the information we give them on a daily basis, but the pencil can alleviate this. For example, a quick mark in the music when a student misses the F# eliminates the need to stop and correct the same mistake multiple times. I have become notorious for telling my students, “make a different mistake this time.” While we usually laugh about this, there is a lot of truth to it too. One of a director’s job requirements is to listen to what is being played, diagnose what is being done incorrectly, and then work to correct the problem so that we do not repeat it. We should not waste precious minutes repeating the same instructions multiple times because a student lacks a pencil. Requiring a pencil in rehearsal should be as common as requiring a clarinet player to have a satisfactory reed.

Why Do Lapses Happen?
    It is no secret that music teachers often have to take on many duties that do not include teaching music. We may have bus, hall monitor, or cafeteria duty, and we are constantly buried under mounds of paperwork, trying to get caught up. After all of this, we are still supposed to teach our classes and make sure we are energetic, entertaining, and informative. Some teachers experience immense pressure because they are under constant scrutiny from administra-tors who seem to believe quantity is more important than quality. The additional duties that directors increasingly are assigned may create such a burden on us as music teachers that we can lose focus on the important classroom battles. At first we may loosen the reins on just one or two rules, and then a couple more, and then, before we know it, we have become more and more apathetic toward our daily routine. Stay the course! It is imperative that you trust in your teaching and trust that your students will see the value in what you are trying to achieve together.

Keep in Mind
    In conclusion, I want to offer some advice that I hope will put my comments in perspective. None of these preceding points on how to lead rehearsals – asking students to sit with correct posture at all times, insisting that they are producing characteristic tones, making sure class starts on time, requiring them to bring a pencil to class – amounts to ruling with an iron fist. Rather, these are seemingly small things. However, when done consistently, these steps will help your students to understand the importance of following directions, teach them to understand the value of trusting and following a leader, and allow them to develop discipline that will carry over into every other facet of their lives. Most importantly, these steps may help students learn how to be successful inside and outside of the classroom.
    Also, never forget that making music should be fun. It is entirely possible to achieve success while having a good time. Laughter is important, and we often desperately need it in order to keep ourselves sane in this crazy profession. Remember also that teaching our students is more of a marathon than it is a sprint. Mistakes are going to happen. Students are going to mess up. It happens. The learning process is often messy, and that is okay. Exercise patience, which at times can be extremely difficult, and reflect often on the reasons why you became a teacher. Through it all, remind yourself that your job as a teacher is to have a positive effect on the lives of the students you teach. Students will appreciate the lessons learned in music class that can carry over into the other facets of their lives. The battles that are worth fighting will help your students immensely, and they will also help to make your job much more manageable and enjoyable in the end.

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