Final Performances
    The program closes back at the original meeting place. It is important to have a final event that requires everyone’s attendance. We use the time to give awards for the outstanding performances and have one or two large ensembles perform. If space allows, have multiple groups set up at the same time so there are no set changes.
    The total length of the program is about two hours, but the movement from room to room and the variety of offerings makes it seem much shorter. Regardless of length, it certainly beats walking the plank or being thrown to wolves.

The post Progressive Concerts appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Reflections of Friends
    Along with his talents as a composer he was also a gifted conductor. Immediately personable, he connected with those around him, including his audiences. Equally at home with young students and more advanced players, his teaching skills and attractive personality inspired others to achieve their best. As the attraction of his own music was electric, his fame as composer was recognized world-wide.
    Frederick Fennell said of him, “Fortunately for the world, every now and then we are blessed with the presence of a creative artist of the stature of Vaclav Nelhybel. In his distinguished maturity and with an in-depth experience amidst great music, it is no surprise to find him arriving amongst us to discover the depths of poverty (in) the wind band’s performance literature. And of course, he burst upon us at a time of great need, work after work of his challenging the profession in endless and fascinating ways. We shall all miss his next challenge but it will remain challenge enough to fulfill the responsibility of the remarkable music he gave us.”
    “Vaclav was a genius driven by the music in his mind, heart, and soul,” Frank Bencriscutto reminds us. “He was clearly one of the most important composers for the American concert band/wind ensemble and influenced virtually every composer who has achieved recognition in the past thirty years.”
    Frank Battisti, remembering his introduction to Nelhybel’s music in 1960, with a new work conducted by William Revelli, remarked, “And what a piece it was! Everyone present was very excited by this music and the new sounds Vaclav had created. We knew we were hearing a new and exciting musical voice. As the years passed, Vaclav continued to compose exceptional pieces for the wind band and wind ensemble. His music played a significant role in defining the emerging new American wind band in the latter half of the twentieth century.”
    Jeffrey Curnow, Associate Principal Trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra, offers this delightful remembrance: “It was 1977. I remember having the coveted position of Principal Trumpet in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Orchestra. I was eagerly anticipating working with the great conductor Vaclav Nelhybel and equally as terrified. . . . So I practiced long hours, making certain I was prepared, especially on the solo passages in Nelhybel’s Concerto for Orchestra programmed for that weekend’s performances. . . . When we finally rehearsed the concerto, a work for which he needed no score to conduct, as the moment approached for me to play (the solo), he turned to me with the most amazingly accurate cue I have yet to receive from any conductor, and I missed it. I came in one bar too late. He stopped the rehearsal, stared at me for what seemed like an eternity, and said, ‘Mr. First Trumpet Player, Mr. Principal Trumpet Player, why did you not play when I cued you?’ I looked back at him, straight in the eye, and proudly proclaimed, ‘I made a mistake.’ The orchestra was completely silent. He looked down at his baton and shrugged, ‘Okay, so you made a mistake. Let’s go back and do it again.’ And then he smiled at me – a smile I will never forget. The concert went beautifully, without a hitch. The audience enthusiastically received his the piece. I will never forget the way he conducted. It was straight from the heart. And I will never forget how he inspired me to play straight from my heart. I carry that with me to this day. There is really no other way to be a musician.”
    Harold Easley, for years the concertmaster of the West Point Band, shares his memories of special times with Nelhybel: “My experiences with Vaclav Nelhybel spanned over two decades as I grew from an eager student to a professional clarinetist. I knew him as a conductor, composer, and colleague. On the podium Vaclav was an imposing figure. His ability to communicate his desires to players young and old was extraordinary. His booming voice, Czech accent, and old world elegance were memorable. Privately he was warm and witty and generous with his time and talent.
“I was an immediate fan in my first encounter with him when he conducted the Houston Concerto for Orchestra with the Texas All-State Symphony. While as a student at Lamar University in the early ‘70s, I wrote to him asking if he had written a clarinet piece. To my surprise he responded, saying it was an interesting idea, and generously included two LPs of his band works.
    “In 1980 while I was the principal clarinetist of the West Point Band, I again contacted him to ask about woodwind quintets. He promptly responded with a signed copy of one of his quintets and a few days later he phoned me to ask if I would premiere his Concerto for Clarinet and Winds at the NYSME convention. I was thrilled. In the weeks before the start of rehearsals at West Point, I worked with him at his home in Connecticut, going over details of the score. He gave me many musical insights into the piece and also shared what life had been like in Prague, in the 1950s. He also explained that this clarinet concerto was dedicated to his dear friend, the late Frank Stachow, who helped him start his career in America.
    “Vaclav was a favorite guest conductor of the West Point Band and returned to conduct the clarinet concerto several times over the years. I will always remember him as an exceptional composer and conductor as well as a generous musical advisor and friend.”
    With a typical Nelhybel remark, eyes twinkling, “I know you’re a saxophone player but you read music, don’t you?” Mario Bernardo, classical saxophonist, tells this: “There are people who mark your life as a musician and continue to shape our music experience throughout our lives. . . . My first experience with Vaclav’s music was both terrifying and exhilarating, in that order. I still remember that moment he would stop us in mid-rehearsal. The pregnant pause, the feeling of the world standing still in those few seconds of silence as we awaited his judgment, and then the sudden feeling of relief when his first exclamation was, ‘Horns!’ and not ‘Saxophones!’
    “Along with my friend, composer Hubert Bird, we would often visit Vaclav at his home though as often as not we would meet him in the evening at Vaclav’s favorite late-night Greek diner. There we would have several omelets, the world’s most dubious coffee, and were enveloped in the permeating aroma of Vaclav’s favorite cigar, a ritual repeated often over the years.
    “Through a variety of coincidences and good fortune, I was performing the Glazunov Concerto with an orchestra in the Newtown, Connecticut area. Vaclav attended the performance and somehow we began to discuss the commissioning of a new work for saxophone and strings. Vaclav was interested in creating a significant work for the classical saxophone and in working with me, a relatively unknown saxophonist just out of college, with very limited commissioning resources (except paying for an omelet and a coffee or two). I had just learned, however, that I would be performing in Portugal on a year-long Fulbright scholarship, and this would become the perfect occasion for the 1986 premiere of the new Rhapsody for Saxophone, in a performance with the Radio Difusao Symphony Orchestra of Portugal.
    “Throughout the year before leaving I had the opportunity to visit Vaclav at his home, playing and demonstrating various saxophone techniques while he took notes for later consideration. It was like being in a studio watching a painter as he experimented with various textures, colors,, and brushstrokes, but his palette was me and my saxophone.
    “I do miss watching his creative process, trying to decipher the quickly-jotted-down scribbles as he feverishly put them on paper. I do miss him, his sage advice, his humor, the opportunities he gave me, and maybe most of all our late-night sessions at the diner.”

Personal Reflections
    I vividly remember my first meeting Vaclav Nelhybel. On an extremely windy afternoon in the fall of 1981, in Jorgensen Hall at the University of Connecticut, a performance was being prepared that included a work of mine. Onstage were the university choir, the conductor, the accompanist, and a solo clarinetist. I was seated about halfway back in the auditorium.
    At one point the conductor stopped the rehearsal to adjust something in the music, and asked me to come to the stage to answer a question. As I rose from my seat the door at the back of the auditorium opened; the howling wind outside could be heard clearly. Walking toward the stage, I turned briefly to see if the door had simply blown open on its own, only to discover a man in a rumpled, grey suit (though wearing a tie) standing there, his hair completely in disarray from the wind.
    I went to the stage, thinking someone had wandered in to escape the windy day. After resolving the problem down front I returned to my seat, only to have the man motion for me to come to him. I really didn’t want to, but I did. He had a specific question about the music, which told me that he was listening carefully and had a good ear. The man was Nelhybel. He put out his hand and shook mine, introduced himself, and that was our beginning.
    Over the following years the two of us became very close; he introduced me to numerous people and situations. Many of those opportunities have influenced my professional career, and I am forever indebted to him for his interest, friendship, and mentoring. I learned from him many steps and procedures that only come from experience. The many times we met at the Midwest Clinic, the numerous concerts we attended in various places, and the experiences we shared – all are cherished today as special memories.
    The day he left us I was in Dallas, representing a work of mine at a convention, doing what he taught me well to do. Returning home three days later I learned that, even as I had thought of him while going to the podium in that far-off place, he went away at almost exactly the same time. At this twentieth anniversary of his passing we are only three years away from the century mark of his birth.
    In his final years Nelhybel and his family moved from Connecticut to their new home in Pennsylvania, near Scranton. There, he became the composer-in-residence at the University of Scranton, a Jesuit university. It is significant to note that his early education was under the guidance of the Jesuits. At Scranton, he became the colleague of Cheryl Boga, the university’s Director of Choirs and Bands. Boga is a long-time champion of Nelhybel’s music, and has presented innumerable performances of his works. A close personal friend, she has contributed importantly to the promotion of his legacy.
    To me, he was a guide and mentor of a most special kind. His wisdom and counsel were always accurate and our conversations, so precious now in my memory, revealed an artist of great vision and depth. I cherish every moment we spent together. He was my friend, and I miss him.

The post Remembering Nelhybel appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Keeping Parents Involved

Practice Games
    Group games reinforce concepts and are a fun way to get students excited about lessons. Some classics that students enjoy are Name That Tune, Music Term Bingo, Music Symbol Go Fish and magnet board work for learning to read. Another student favorite is Music Lines and Spaces Twister. I made a giant staff out of a shower curtain. We have a pile of cards with instructions like “right hand F” or “left foot A.” Students have to put a hand or foot on the line or space we call out. Another activity is to spell words with a small group. For example, three people in a group pick a six-letter word. The first person is responsible for the first two letters, the second person for the middle two letters, and the last person for the last two letters.
    Song phrase mix-up games are great for repetition and sequencing skills. This works with songs that students have already learned or are currently learning. Mary Had a Little Lamb has four phrases, so each phrase is on one card. Teachers put the cards upside down, and a student picks one card and figures out where it goes in the melody. Students stick the phrase in its correct position on a sheet of paper with velcro strips attached to it, and then everyone plays it. Then someone else picks the next phrase and puts it where it belongs. Students then have to play that phrase, unless it connects to a phrase that has already been drawn, in which case they have to play all of the connected phrases. Some tunes I separate by measures. This is a great way to learn review music without always starting at the beginning. Most students can play the beginnings of songs but find starting in the middle much more difficult. Students love this game.

Adding Suzuki to the Program
    The best approach to implementing a program based on the Suzuki method is to start with the young beginners. If students begin string lessons in fourth grade, I start them with letter names and rote teaching until they get their positions set, and then I pop them right over to reading because they are fourth graders and can read. Avoid changing methods on students who are already in orchestra, although you could use the literature, which is sequential and progressive, as review material, especially to firm up posture and position.
    Ultimately, teachers have to know how to use things the way they fit best in their program. No method is meant for everybody. With a carefully thought out curriculum and the willingness to create parent aids, it is possible to create a successful school string program based on the philosophies of Suzuki’s Talent Education.

    Anyone interested in seeing the packet or using the material she uses can contact Carr at jcarr.carrtunes@gmail.com.

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Home Packet Example

A New Song: Hot Cross Buns or 2-1-none
Adding the Fingers – with Freezes

    This song introduces a new skill where the students do not always play each note with one of the bow patterns. Here is the sequence. I have also sent a video clip for you, and your children have a diagram in their binders as well.

Bow on the E string:
    2          1 – Put down 2 fingers (1st finger on red and 2nd finger on white).
                2 – Play that note ONE time. FREEZE.
    1          3 – Pick up 2nd finger leaving down only 1st finger.
                4 – Play that note ONE time. FREEZE.
    none    5 – Pick up the 1st finger.
                6 – Play the E string with no fingers down. FREEZE.

Repeat for a second set of 2-1-none
 
                7 – On the E string play “peanut butter” (4 notes). FREEZE.
                8 – Put down 1st finger.
                9 – Play “peanut butter” with one finger down. FREEZE.

    Repeat steps 1-6 for the last 2-1-none

    This sequence is in their binders; we have put a tab on the page to help you find it.
    Each time the student plays it they may color in or check off a square on their 100 chart.

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Two Exemplars
    Two of the best crash cymbal players I ever heard were a percussionist in a major symphony orchestra with which I played several times and a seventh grader I had in concert band as a student teacher. What they had in common was an entirely natural approach to their work. If you could see only their faces as they played, you wouldn’t guess they were doing anything at all. The professional had spent plenty of time polishing his craft and eliminating bad habits and extraneous effort; the student, from what I could gather, was unaware that such problems existed.

Basics
    The most basic principles of good crashes are also the main points to check when troubleshooting poor ones. A good crash sound depends on a great deal of vibration from both plates. Cymbal vibrations are easy to see and can be explored by playing a suspended cymbal on its edge with the shoulder of a drumstick. You can make it vibrate quite superficially, producing a thin, high-pitched sound, or quite thoroughly, producing a deeper wash of sound. The latter is generally the desired type of vibration from both cymbals on a loud crash.
    This vibration is essentially impossible if the cymbals are held parallel to each other. Guide students to play some crashes with the plates mirroring each other exactly, to illustrate the shallow feeling of contact, insufficient mutual rebound, and entrapment of air inside the pocket. Students should then offset the cymbals slightly vertically and hold them at different angles to avoid these problems. They can gradually change both factors, from mirroring images to asymmetrical positions, while playing successive crashes to see how it works.
    No matter the particular technique chosen, problems with cymbal crashes usually result from failure to set up the cymbals in a position conducive to asymmetrical contact, a change of position in mid-motion that undermines the setup, or forcing the instruments to crash instead of letting them do the work.
    All of these can be diagnosed by the teacher as the student crashes, or by students themselves if they play in front of a mirror. A brief pause when the student is set for the crash will reveal the precise misalignment and angle planned. Careful attention during the motion and collision of the crash will reveal whether the setup was compromised once initiated. Monitor the upper body, especially from the shoulders down through the fingertips, for any excess tension that may be counteracting a natural, beautiful meeting of the instruments. I like to describe the moment of impact as both cymbals playing each other, rather than one playing the other. Images like this can help students free their technique such that they end up being simply a catalyst, helping the plates deliver their natural response.
    When playing soft crashes, the difference in the angle of the cymbals should be less, but the instruments still should not be parallel. The same three considerations apply. The second, maintaining the setup while in motion, becomes especially important when playing repeated crashes as can be found in marches. Setting up and making contact between two cymbals in a purposefully asymmetrical way is jarring at first; repeating it successfully requires focused attention and practice.

Instruments
    Our two exemplars also both had great cymbals. The symphonic percussionist’s instruments were much more expensive and somewhat higher in quality than the student’s, but both pairs had a good sound and had been played quite a bit. It is difficult to describe a good cymbal sound, so I advise teachers to listen to many recordings and performances and develop a vivid aural image of how a great crash sounds based on what they hear. Professional symphonic players commonly fall into a particular bread-and-butter position within the percussion section. If you hear the same people playing cymbals in their ensembles regularly, chances are that is their specialty; pay attention.
    When purchasing cymbals for your school, visit a store where you can try numerous pairs. If possible, take a percussionist colleague with you. Five pairs of the exact same cymbals will sound five different ways, and only your trained ear will help you choose the ones you want for your students. I have heard pairs of cymbals that neither of our examplars, nor anyone else, could ever sound good playing; I’ve also heard players getting poor sounds no matter how good the cymbals they have, because they have yet to discover how to make the plates work for them. Helping students to explore and refine their most natural technique and putting high-quality instruments in their hands will greatly improve the sound of cymbal crashes in your ensembles. 

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Direct Recruiting
    The most common type of recruiting is direct recruiting, and I use several direct recruiting methods to avoid missing any students with potential to be part of my program. First, although I am the middle school director, I do whatever I can to get students into the elementary band program. If the elementary program is not strong, chances are mine will not be either. To help keep the elementary program supplied with students, I host an instrument tryout night at the end of the school year for all third- through fifth-grade students. I have high school students and my eighth graders help out as the elementary students visit various rooms that each have a different instrument available to try. The older students help by encouraging students who seem to be naturally suited to a specific instrument so that the elementary students can enter their first band program ready to succeed. The local music store provides instruments and sets up a booth to make preliminary parent contacts about instrument rentals.
    Once students are in the elementary program, I try to visit a rehearsal at least twice a quarter. My goal is to know as many names as possible before they get to me. I am not particularly good at learning their names, but at least the students know who I am. I show students a recruiting video that features past students discussing the benefits of the program and how middle school band differs from the elementary program.
    When possible, I assist behind the scenes at their concerts and talk to parents as much as possible. One of our concerts during the year is a joint concert between the elementary and middle school, so the elementary students and parents can hear the middle school program. Students gravitate toward what is familiar, so the more exposure, the better. Middle school band should seem like a logical next step.
    When registration time comes around, I work closely with elementary colleagues and guidance counselors to compare the elementary band rosters with who signed up for middle school band. Our counseling staff permits me to view these rosters as soon as they are available. If you are not on good terms with your guidance department, remedy that as soon as possible; they have the power to make or break your program. Once I have rosters, I call every single parent of a student who did not sign up for band. I spend time describing the program and often will catch the interest of another five to ten students. Some thought they had signed up for band and were unaware they had something else on their form. When I talk to parents who are not interested in having their child continue studying music, I ask why. Sometimes the student is interested in another elective, but sometimes the student had a bad experience in elementary school. It is important for directors to remember that no is a valid answer, and these parents provide valuable information that helps fine tune the music feeder pattern for the future.

Indirect Recruiting
    Once students are in the program, there is a 95% chance they will stay in as long as I keep my focus on the right things. One aspect of indirect recruiting is getting students to take ownership of the program. This can be as simple as allowing the band to select one of their songs for the concert. Providing choice whenever possible is a great way to keep students involved.
    Another way to build strong morale in the classroom is to reward good behavior and compliment successes as much as possible. As ensemble directors, we are trained to pick things apart and point out mistakes. Too much of that can be draining on young students. It is unnecessary to fix every mistake you hear in one rehearsal. In addition, the director need not be the only one critiquing. Get students involved in running the rehearsal and setting goals. Step off the podium and let the students have shot at improving the tune. Students are more likely to continue a program in which they are fully invested.
    Recently I realized that I am not the best recruiting agent for my program; students are much better at it. When I give current students the responsibility of recruiting new members and former students the responsibility of recruiting to the high school, my retention rate stays high. Three years ago I began a mentor program for which high school students come to the middle school twice a month to run group lessons. Former students teach my current students everything they wish they had known in middle school to give middle schoolers a leg up when they go to high school. Most importantly, they talk up the high school program and build relationships, giving middle school students familiar faces to look forward to when they join the high school program.
    I remember one student who told me she was going to quit band. I asked her if she would come to at least one mentor program session before she made up her mind. She agreed, and I strategically paired her with a high school student I knew she would get along with. They worked on clarinet technique, my student improved, and at the end of the year, she expressed her desire to continue band and is already excited about going into the high school program next year.
    Directors cannot and should not attempt everything on their own. There is plenty of work to go around and students jump at the chance to have a stake in the ongoing success of the program. My middle school students assist me by writing letters to the elementary band students encouraging them to continue their musical journey. This put me in the role of messenger rather than salesman and makes my job much easier.
    Perhaps the most important strategy is to build good relationships with every student that walks into the door. I am an introvert, so being socially outgoing is not my thing, but students who walk into my room know that I like them, care about them, and expect great things from them. I try my best to know what else they are involved with outside of my ensemble and ask them how games went, if they watched the latest episode of a show, or how their family is doing.
    Many middle school students feel lost and lonely as they shift into adulthood. My goal is to make sure they know they are wanted and valued in my room. Students who feel wanted and valued will not quickly abandon such a positive and safe environment. The nature of the ensemble also shows students that they have a specific part to play that contributes to the success of a group. If a student leaves my room feeling isolated or neglected, then I have failed that day and need to try harder the next. Ensembles are not about music; they are about people. Go out of your way to let students and their parents know how much you enjoy working with them and that you appreciate their efforts.

Conclusion
    Based on my experience, a healthy dose of both direct and indirect recruiting has taken my band program from 75 students in grades 6-8 to over 130 this year with a 90% retention rate between grade levels. Directors who add such methods to their own ideas have the best chance for maintaining a thriving ensemble. Our job is not to build empires, but to build students up and teach them how music can affect their futures. If we do this, numbers will take care of themselves.

The post Building the Right Way appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

What rehearsal atmosphere are you trying to create?
    In the summer, we bring in seniors for about 45 minutes before each marching rehearsal begins. We talk about what we want the band to be like and how to teach various concepts. Over time, they develop a motto. We ask if everything we do lives up to that motto. The meeting with seniors sets the rehearsal atmosphere. We do not have any officers in the band because we don’t believe that leaders need titles. We have one drum major who is the focal point in rehearsals, but we want all seniors to be involved in the rehearsal. I challenge students to make rehearsals theirs, not the staff’s.

How do you balance concert band and marching in your program?
    We integrate them as much as possible. Marching band at North Hills is voluntary, but our goal is to have one band program. We have the same rehearsal expectations wherever we are. We want to play in tune with a great tone in every ensemble. For marching band we talk about producing a concert sound on the field so there is no re-teaching when we come inside. It’s all band; there is no shifting gears. The marching band has grown from 120 five years ago to 210. This is the largest ensemble in the history of the school.
    Marching band allows younger students to stand next to upperclassmen and learn how to play like them. It is the heart of our program. Our concert bands are better because of the time our marching band spends at band camp away in the woods, learning how to work together. We sing solfege outside and inside, play chords, and work together the same way. Both groups play a lot of music. We perform several halftime shows each year and the concert bands have at least three or four concerts a year.

How do you get students to practice?
    That goes back to the vision of the band. Much of the work of making music is not very pleasant, like marching on asphalt in the hot sun. If I tell you that I want to create something special with the group that no one has ever done before, it sounds more exciting. The same is true with practicing. Some students love to do it. If you can explain how and why practicing is important, that we are trying to create something great together, students are much more willing to practice. It is less about the act than working together.

What advice would you give to people who are preparing for a career in instrumental music?
    Take classes seriously; it is not something just to get through. Be professional in all that you do, because that is what is expected of you as an educator. Find ways to practice your craft through summer camps or local marching bands that need help. It is really important to put what you are learning into context. This fall we had a brand new music teacher who was a long-term substitute. She called me after getting the substitute job and asked to work with the marching band. I said that we did not have any positions open. She said, “I don’t want a position, I just want to help out and learn.” That really impressed me. She was at every rehearsal and made a great contribution. With such a strong attitude, she is going to do great things in the profession.

What advice do you have for working with parent groups?
    Working with boosters is as important as anything we do as directors. Many directors feel like they have to put on their battle armor when working with parents, but they are a great part of the job. If you are new to a program or working to establish a booster organization, you need to start building a team. Parents can teach you a great deal about what the community values. Even if you find priorities that are out of balance, you learn where the group is and why. Then you can work with parents to plan the future course. The North Hills Instrumental Parents Association represents all groups from grades 4-12. It is not a fundraising group for the high school band. Its role is to aid and support. There are three main areas to help the program: logistics (fundraising and purchases), advocacy, and communication. I do not ask parents to do anything that I would not do myself. I attend every booster meeting. We remind ourselves often that we serve our kids by making the whole program great.   

* * *

A Gift from the Class of 1982

    The seniors of 1982 wrote ten principles to improve their band at the time. Each successive senior class has decided to keep them alive and has shared them with their band. The class of 1982 never intended them to endure, but they are still in use 35 years later. One of the things that makes them so valuable is that they came from students of generations past who have walked in their shoes. They are meant to be a baseline – the minimum students can expect from each other. They clear away the distractions and focus us on how we should be using our energy.

As a North Hills Band, we will . . .

1. be on time
2. warm up properly
3. tune carefully
4. be prepared
5. make positive contributions at all times
6. maintain the traditions of the band
7. have respect
8. be disciplined
9. be involved
10. be responsible

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