“Among creative artists the composer is almost the only one depending upon a host of intermediaries between him and the public—intermediaries who may be intelligent or stupid, friendly or hostile, diligent or negligent. It is in their power either to carry his work on to brilliant success or to disfigure, debase and even destroy it.
    “Singers are often considered the most dangerous of these intermediaries; I believe that this is not true. In my opinion, the conductor is the one whom the composer has most to fear. A bad singer can spoil only his part, but the incapable or malevolent conductor can ruin everything."

    When a close friend of mine is judging and hears a terrible band attempt one of my pieces, they love to send a copy of the tape to me. When I see them they always ask how I felt when I heard it. They are surprised when I reply that it didn’t bother me. It doesn’t bother me at all, because everyone who heard that band knew something on stage was horribly wrong. What does bother me, I should say tears my heart out, is when a great band with superb pitch, excellent balance, and all the techniques plays a piece of mine and completely misses the interpretation. This is so upsetting because the audience does not know anything is wrong with the band and assumes something is wrong with the composition. When the interpretation is missed with a 19th century work, it just seems dull; but if it is missed with a 20th century piece, it sounds silly and awkward.

    A potentially great film can be destroyed by the cutters. If it is cut well there is a logical and dramatic sense of the occurrence or progression of events. If it is cut poorly the logic of occurrence is confused (e.g. Heaven’s Gate). In a well-cut film the form cannot be changed by the viewer or projectionist because the time element is unchangeable. In music this is the case only with electronic music on tape. When a musical work is "cut" well the form will be good, but the time element is at the discretion of each conductor.
    In discussing the elements of interpretation, tempo would seem to be the simplest to correct or perform right, but it is the one element that if incorrect will destroy a good work immediately. In 19th century music tempo is usually indicated by terms. In the 20th century it is more specifically denoted with actual metronome markings. How, then, can there be any mistake in tempo in a work marked by a metronome indication? Easily.
    First, composers very often put the wrong tempo on their music. This would seem impossible, but the tempo that seems best at the writing desk is very seldom the best on the podium. Most composers are not conductors, and the true tempo for a work can only be felt in a physical performance. Tempo is like water, it seeks its own level and this seeking only occurs in actual performance.
    To avoid this problem I never publish a metronome marking until I have conducted the work at least five times in public performances. I say public performance because this is not always the same feel as at rehearsals.
    Shostakovich marked the opening of his Symphony No. 5 as eighth note = 76—a very specific marking. Dimitri Mitropoulos, who I consider the best interpreter of Shostakovich, took it at 94 and then sped up six to eight counts at rehearsal number 2. This is a major discrepancy of about 20 counts between composer and conductor. Why did Mitropoulos do this? Because he felt it is the best tempo, and I agree it is the most logical and musical.
    Much band music and some orchestral tempi are chosen by the conductor solely from the gymnastics approach. At a concert last year two conductors seemed intent on showing how fast the outstanding band could play. The performance was a musical disaster by a great band solely because of tempo. I judged a tape this year in which the percussion variation in James Barnes’s Paganini Variations was impeccably performed at almost twice the tempo it should have been played. It caused this wonderful variation to sound silly.
    Why are so many band conductors, and soloists, concerned with speed over music? I include soloists because as the conductor of the Arkansas Symphony, I directed many concerts with guest soloists. I can’t remember a soloist wishing to take a tempo too slow, but often too fast. I once was forced to conduct the finale of the last movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (last Tempo Primo to the end) in a fast one at the soloist’s insistence. Why did the performer insist on a tempo that was musically disastrous? He wanted the audience to applaud what Furtwängler referred to as a "gymnasium performance." Furtwängler also said, "When a person recites a poem or gives a lecture, he endeavors in the first instance to enunciate the words in such a manner that their sense is intelligible." Wagner, in his book on conducting, states, “His choice of tempi will show whether he understands the piece or not.”
    How does one determine the correct tempo? A great first step is to sing it! I repeat for emphasis, sing it. Wagner said that it is almost impossible to choose the wrong tempi if you sing it. You have heard the first four notes of the Beethoven Fifth many different ways, some with the first three notes fast, short and clipped, others with the first three notes too long and exaggerated rubato with a huge space before the fourth note. Sing those four notes out loud while conducting, and it is difficult to do them wrong.
    Wagner said, "Our conductors so frequently fail to find the true tempo because they are ignorant of singing. These people look upon music as a singularly abstract sort of thing, an amalgam of gram-mar, arithmetic, and digital gymnastics."
    Involved in tempo is the choice of rubato. William F. Santleman once told me after I had complimented his rubato in Andrea Chenier, "You can’t teach rubato. A conductor can either do it or he can’t." I think I agree that it probably cannot be taught, but musicianship and musicality may be, and it is the guiding factor in rubato.
    Although tempo is the Achilles heel in interpretation, volume variants is the Moriarty, the ever present hidden nemesis. When I speak of volume variants, many think that I am talking only of playing loudly or softly. Volume variants include so many aspects of playing—articulation, the accent is a volume variant; phrasing, the phrase ending is a volume variant; the complete curve of a phrase is a volume variant, the crescendo, the decrescendo, the timpani volume, and just plain louds and softs.
    The composer primarily speaks through volume variants and dissonance with melody and rhythm a distant second. I have sat many times with composers as they listen to their own works. They always mumble throughout the entire performance. The mumbling invariably goes like this:
    "Too fast—louder trombones, louder—too loud trumpets—come on timpani, we can’t hear that—no, no sffzp, band, sffzp—can’t hear the tubas." When it’s one of my works, my wife has to listen to all the mumbling.
    I never hear composers mumble, "Oops, the I flutes are sharp—poor subdivision in the clarinets—brass balance is poor”; they always speak of tempi and volumes. This tells me that composers and most band directors are primarily concerned about two different aspects of the performance: the director with technique and the composer with interpretation. The performance should have both; but no matter how good the band is, poor interpretation destroys the music, poor technique only hurts it.
    Why are volumes so difficult to sense? One seldom hears the Brahms Second performed with different volume concepts, but you surely will with Fanfare and Allegro. I have never heard a composer conduct one of his pieces without pleading for more volume from the timpanist. Most high school timpanists just can’t play at a fortissimo, and it’s so easy. The same is true for horns.
    After I have rehearsed an all-state band for two hours, I invariably hear from a player or band director, "Oh, you want the horns and timpani to play real loud," to which I reply, "No, not at all. I want the same volume at an ff from them that Hanson wants in his music or Ansermet uses in Stravinsky. I want the same timpani volume at ff that the timpanist in the Chicago Symphony uses." It’s not a matter of skill or technique, experience, or age.

    Correct interpretation is the re-creation of the composer’s intent. As I said before, in music with text the intent is more obvious. In purely instrumental music the conductor must understand what the composer is trying to accomplish, what problem he is trying to solve. Stravinsky said, "I cannot compose until I have decided what problem I must solve." I would state it differently: I cannot compose until I have decided what effect I wish to achieve.
    The effects that I am trying to achieve are not mysteries known only by the chosen. Ninety percent are written on the page. When I use the term "composer’s intent," I am not speaking of some hidden meaning or an idea that is difficult to comprehend: I mean primarily what is written on the paper. Many times I have said to high school honor bands, always on the first day, that they should consider a career as band clinicians. It is good travel, you meet wonderful people, and you don’t have to know anything. You just show up and tell the musicians what is printed on their parts. This is an oversimplification, but not by much.
    In my work Masque (pronounced Mask, by the way, not Mosque) there are two measures that I have seldom heard done correctly. There are two adjacent measures in which the band has an sffzp crescendo to ff over three beats at a tempo of 156. Most bands will not get down to the p or up to the ff because it happens so fast. When I point this out in clinics, I play a tape of it being done perfectly by a high school band from Kaho, Japan. The extreme quick change of volume is so exciting, and invariably someone will say, "How do we know that is the effect you want?" I reply, "How else can that marking be done? I know of no other way." It’s printed on the paper; a sfmf crescendo to f is wrong. A director would never change a note or chord, but they frequently change the volumes. The volumes are more important than the notes. The problem is that most conductors think they are performing them correctly. There are seldom inconsistencies with orchestral directors, yet I wonder why there are the extreme differences among band directors. Could it be that so many young bands are not mature enough to handle the literature they attempt to play?
    The effect to be achieved is not difficult to understand. The difficulty is in the degree of drama that various conductors choose to achieve it. Musical nuance must be exaggerated. From the composer’s pen to the conductor, through the ensemble to the audience, so much can be lost in the translation. Art is not an experience of reality; it is one of exaggeration.
    If nuance is underplayed, music withers into just acoustical pitches that don’t offend. Exaggerated nuance affects the listener in a myriad of responses, none of which is boredom.
    I do not wish to leave the impression that a given work is supposed to be the same no matter who conducts it. There can be a wide range of personal variations of interpretation by different conductors. This is one of the great enjoyable advantages that orchestrated music, performed by humans, has over electronically produced tape music. There are sections in certain works that I have chosen to perform differently than anyone else. This is my artistic prerogative, but it seldom has to do with tempo and never with volumes or specifically designated markings.
    It is in tempo and specific markings that the interpretation of band music suffers so. Don’t forget why you became a musician. It was because of a love affair with sound. It was not from a love affair with organization, techniques, or competition, no matter how commendable these efforts may be. A musical experience has no substitute; and when it is experienced by the band, the conductor, and the audience, it is desired above all else.

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Rehearsal Time
Ideally, a jazz band should rehearse for 90 minutes twice a week, with each rehearsal broken into multiple activities. As teacher time, student schedules, and room availability will vary, it might be more helpful to consider activities as a percentage of rehearsal time.

First 90-Minute Rehearsal
Warmup: 15 minutes (16% of time)
Literature: 45 minutes (50%)
Jazz Theory: 15 minutes (17%)
Improvisation: 15 minutes (17%)

Second 90-Minute Rehearsal
Warmup: 15 minutes (16% of time)
Literature: 45 minutes (50%)
History Projects: 15 minutes (17%)
Improvisation: 15 minutes (17%)

Warming Up
    Warming up a jazz band has commonalities and differences from a traditional rehearsal. Teachers must make sure to include idioms and vernacular specific to jazz during this time. For example, many directors begin a traditional class with long tone development. Consider using long tone exercises with chord progressions common to jazz. The example below is an orchestrated ii7-V7-I progression in order of the circle of fourths. Students can use such common progressions to learn about voice leading.

    One example of a pre-written warmup is Andy Clark’s Five Minutes a Day. The first selection consists of long tones performed by wind instruments while the rhythm section provides a complementary style and the bassist plays a walking bass line. This warmup can also be transformed into an improvisation activity. While the rest of the sections perform their written parts, one performer can solo over the chord progression. This is a good way to give a student improv experience while keeping everyone participating. Treat your rhythm section players like you would in the context of any piece of literature: delegate comping rotations, work towards achieving a comprehensive style, organize chordal responsibilities, and make sure that every member of the section is contributing tastefully and sensitively.
    Warmups can also provide students experiences to develop an improvisation vocabulary. The example below illustrates an example of a saxophonist playing a dominant progression of chords.

    In the first line, the dominant seventh chord is in root position, with each note articulated. The next line shows the chord in first inversion, on the and of beat one, and with a slur pattern. The third line is in second inversion, on beat two, and with a different slur pattern. This exercise will develop unconscious comfort performing chords in various inversions and on different parts of the beat. This can be the beginning of a vocabulary for improvisation. Each line should be performed using the entire circle of fourths.
    Just as students learn major and minor scales, so jazz students should learn modal scales. At the minimum, students should be familiar with blues, pentatonic, Mixolydian, and Dorian scales. However, diminished and Lydian-dominant scales are also beneficial. Consider making worksheets to fit the needs of your program. Include potential slur and articulation patterns and make sure to warm up on scales found in the literature you are performing that class. Later when students improvise, they will be familiar with scalar options appropriate for the selected piece.
    Jazz contains unique interpretations of articulations that students must learn in order to perform with authentic style. Students will benefit from articulation warmups to reinforce these alterative interpretations. One effective method is to create a series of short vamps (repeated passages) on a set rhythm and pitch. Students focus on performing the exact same note and rhythm with unified articulation. When students understand how to interpret articulations, they can transfer the knowledge to literature and your rehearsal time will be more effective. When addressing articulation phrases with your drumset player, pay close attention to their choices in voicings: short articulations can be voiced on snare drum, closed hi-hat, or a cymbal choke, whereas articulations that require a longer duration may be coupled with sustained cymbal crashes, bass drum hits, or open hi-hat splashes.
    One final warmup idea is a variant on dividing an ensemble into three groups and playing a Bb scale in half notes with staggered entrances. Have the jazz band divide into four groups. This will introduce students to the sound of major, minor, and half-diminished seventh chords.

Concert Literature
    The best approach to this daunting task is to pass out far more literature than students can perform in a given year. We will give students a binder with around 30 songs of varying difficulty, styles, tempi, rhythmic complexity, and increasing instrumental range. Devote the first few weeks of classes to reading through as much literature as possible. This will help gauge student ability and interest – and something that might be too challenging at the start of school could be a great choice for a final concert.
    A typical jazz band concert includes around six tunes. Styles might include Latin, bossa nova, swing, big band, a ballad, and a pop tune. Ideally, at least three of the pieces should highlight student solos, whether written or improvised. Written solos are helpful for encouraging performance success, especially for younger bands. Use this as a scaffolding technique; have students learn the written solo but eventually wean themselves off by replacing segments with improvised lines and phrases.
    For less experienced groups, leave solos unassigned until closer to the concert. This encourages all students to practice and audition for the opportunity. If you repeat pieces in various performances, you might find that soloists change with increased student motivation. When solos are open to audition, more students are inspired to pursue the challenge and learn something they would not have otherwise.

Literature Rehearsal and Sequencing
    Rehearsing literature in a jazz ensemble requires the same scrutiny as any other performance group. Key elements include taking time to purposefully assign, copy, and distribute parts;  developing a warmup/theory/history lesson that has direct stylistic congruence to your piece; anticipating potential problem areas, tutti sections, form structure, and solo moments; and ensuring that you have reviewed and accounted for the use of mutes, doubles, auxiliary instruments, extended techniques, and rhythm section instrument filters such as guitar distortion, electric organ, and electric or acoustic bass.
    Because of the varying style and articulation found in jazz literature, young ensembles will be best served focusing on one or two pieces per rehearsal. This philosophy helps reinforce and solidify a chart’s style and character. As the concert nears, increase the number of pieces rehearsed to help simulate the reality of performing six tunes back to back. As you navigate a tune for the first time, start with big picture objectives applicable to all ensemble members. Rehearse segments that clearly represent the style and form of the piece. Use these teaching moments to point out articulation choices, call and response roles, and assign students to listen to specific members of the ensemble. In time, narrow the teaching sequences to more detailed, isolated phrases.

Jazz Theory
    Teaching jazz theory is similar to traditional music theory. The biggest difference lies in a few basic assumptions and the use of symbols. In jazz music, chords written with just a letter (i.e. Eb) are assumed to have a dominant 7th attached to them unless otherwise specified, as in Eb(no7). Adding a triangle to a chord means you have added a major 7th. Adding a dash to a chord means you have added a minor seventh. The circle with or without a slash indicates half-diminished and fully diminished chords respectively. The example below includes examples of the above as well as the meaning of combinations of symbols. While interpreting the symbols may be challenging at first, both teacher and student will gain comfort over time.

    Sevenths, ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths should be introduced both as block chords and arpeggios. Certain chords are easier to remember than others once students are able to appropriately label a familiar sound. For example, a minor-major chord (which means a minor base with a major seventh, i.e. C-Eb-G-B) might seem intimidating to learn, but once the term is attached to a sound – students are likely to recognize the chord made famous in many James Bond movies. Teachers can develop their own jazz aural skills alongside students. When students learn to recognize types of chords, they transfer those enhanced listening skills to their ensemble literature and can make increasingly informed musical choices.

History of Jazz
    A project-based approach to teaching jazz history pays dividends. Research and assign every student in your ensemble a famous musician who plays their instrument. Either provide them a CD or playlist of that musician performing or give them an assignment to create a list. If you allow students to create their own playlist, require the inclusion of full ensemble pieces and solo tunes. Give each student a transcription of a solo by that performer (many transcription book resources are available) to learn. On their assigned day to present, the student gives a history of the jazz style and era of their performer as well as a brief biography highlighting specific performances. At the conclusion of their presentation, they should perform the transcribed solo. Typically, two students can present each jazz history day.
    Part of an authentic jazz experience includes learning the importance and value of transcriptions. This is an excellent opportunity to emphasize the value of aural skills development, introduce dictation, and demonstrate the transformative nature of jazz over time. As a primarily aural art, transcriptions are of greater value than students may realize. As your ensemble grows and develops, consider providing transcription activities and slowly progressing to more challenging assignments.

Call and Response
    Call and response is a historical pillar of jazz. This technique of engagement can be traced all the way back to West African musical traditions. Although Western classical musicians might be most familiar with this practice as a performance method or compositional tool, in its original African form, call and response is founded upon social interactions. Teachers play a crucial and interactive role with students during this portion of the rehearsal.
    Learning the style of jazz is often associated with acquiring a new language. Numerous languages around the world are absorbed through listening, mimicking, and eventually reading. These three tenets work well within the jazz ensemble. For example, a teacher can simplify a single rhythmic motif, with specific articulations, to be played on a concert F without notation. The ensemble listens to this motif and echoes it back in unison. The ensemble is listening and imitating without potential distractions such as range, written music, multiple pitches, harmony, and rhythmic counterpoint. Remember, at this point our primary focus is listening and mimicking. As students gain confidence responding, add additional elements to the equation, including varied pitches and rhythms, advanced articulations, written notation, extended phrase durations, and changing tempo and dynamics.
    Although most of the rhythm section has the facility to participate in this exercise, a drummer cannot play melodies on the drumset. Embrace this as a challenge. Have drummers keep steady quarters, eighths, or a swing pattern on the ride cymbal. As the teacher provides the call, the drummer maintains a steady beat on the ride while mimicking the articulations and style with the other hand and the feet. This practice is a fantastic introduction to comping. Further exploration with call and response might include having your rhythm section play a repeating twelve-bar blues progression while the teacher and winds trade figures or having a student lead the interaction. Call and response is about learning the language of jazz and engaging with your students.

   
Curricular Resources
    There are numerous resources for teaching students how to improvise. One good choice is the Aebersold Play-A-Long books. These well-known collections are full of tunes with a head (also called a melody) followed by improvisation sections notated using jazz symbols. They are divided into parts by transposition type and include play-along tracks. These books are great for students familiar with jazz symbols who have developed an improvisation vocabulary of rhythm and tonal patterns. Teachers can have the entire class play the head, then several students perform the solo selection, then everyone play the head again. However, if the students are unfamiliar with the meaning of jazz theory symbols, this book will be a challenge.
    Another worthy book is Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation, which was researched and written by several professors at the Eastman School of Music. This three-volume series contains improvisation units consisting of repertoire, patterns and progressions, improvising melodic phrases, seven sequential skills of improvisation, reading and writing solos, and aurally learning and transcribing solos. These books also include play-along recordings. Educators who prefer a sequential curriculum to teach improvisation may benefit from the series.

Jamming with Students
    One of the most effective ways of encouraging students to improvise and experiment musically is to jam with them. Students love to perform with their teachers. In one of our classrooms, students became so invested in jamming with the teacher that increasingly large groups of students came during their lunch. Soon the noon hour became daily improv time, with students coming and going as they wished. Even students who had initially hesitated to perform before their colleagues were drawn to free improv sessions. In reflecting with them afterwards, their most frequent reason for coming to lunch jams was that they enjoyed performing with their teacher.

Final Thoughts
    Students experience numerous benefits when performing jazz and can increase and diversify their musical knowledge. In addition, the study of jazz history, its cultural origins, and social influences are perfect windows into interdisciplinary projects and presentations.
Jazz ensembles are also manageable and popular ambassadors for recruiting, community outreach, playing at school board meetings, and performing at other school-related events. Even without expertise in the idiom, approaching the subject as a teacher-learner will contribute to a more communal, equitable learning environment and set a great example for student growth.

The post Starting a Jazz Band from Scratch appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Danielle Trial Lucini has taught at Mount Pleasant High School for the past six years. Mount Pleasant is located in Providence, just outside the heart of city. Lucini describes the student body at Mount Pleasant as, “Many students are new to the country and trying to get a grasp on learning a new language and culture as well as getting acclimated to a new school and learn the content.” Approximately 94% of students receive free or reduced lunch, and weekend food for families is provided from the school pantry. Many families live at or below the poverty line, and a small percentage of students are homeless.
    The band program at Mount Pleasant is typically around 35-40 students. Of those, only three to five students enter freshman year already playing an instrument. Mount Pleasant offers a Beginning Band, Concert (Advanced) Band, and Chorus. Music education students from neighboring Rhode Island College volunteer in the program, giving lessons and small group instructions during class. There are few after-school commitments for the Mount Pleasant band because many students have jobs to support their families, or watch younger siblings while their parents work.
    The first year, Meet in the Middle involved chorus and band collaborating on a holiday concert at Providence College. Hughes and Lucini jointly selected the music for the program. Lucini states, “We generally try to find pieces that will challenge both groups, even though her [Hughes’s] students are more advanced than mine.” Approximately 20 ad­vanced members of the Mount Pleasant program participate in Meet in the Middle. For Lucini, a challenge in selecting literature is making sure that the lower parts, such as second and third clarinet and trumpet parts are accessible to her students. The two schools rehearse independently, and then combine at either school for three two-hour rehearsals. Barrington students also make teaching videos to share with their Mount Pleasant peers. According to Hughes, “When my students make teaching videos they become invested in the project and are responsible for a high level of preparation. It also opens a line of communication between the students.”

    The experience of going to each other’s campus has proven valuable to students at both schools states, “When we travel to Mount Pleasant, my students experience the challenge of the city school environment, and that reinforces an appreciation for what they have, but we also see the similarities between the students. They take pride in their music program and love making music just like we do. We all share the same goal of making music and my students are amazed by the Mount Pleasant students’ enthusiasm and dedication.” Lucini recalls that the first time her Mount Pleasant students rehearsed at Barrington, they thought it was a private school, because of how it compared to their own campus. Her students can easily see the socioeconomic and cultural differences between the two schools. “However,” Lucini states, “the great thing about this program is that, regardless of these differences, the students are able to come together, form friendships, and make beautiful music.”

    The response to Meet in the Middle has been overwhelmingly positive. Lucini recalls that her students were hesitant at first, but warmed up to the idea after the first rehearsal. It is now something Mount Pleasant band students look forward to, so much so that they will ask Lucini the first week of classes when Meet in the Middle will be. Lucini reports that since participating in Meet in the Middle, there are more Mount Pleasant students interested in participating in Solo and Ensemble festivals and auditioning for Rhode Island All-State. The latter is especially noteworthy, as it was the lack of participation in All-State by urban schools that was the original impetus for Meet in the Middle.
    Administrators at both Barrington and Mount Pleasant have been supportive of Meet in the Middle. Hughes reports that her principal was excited to have students from Mount Pleasant share the stage at Barrington’s concert. Lucini has said her principal at Mount Pleasant would like to see Meet in the Middle happen more than once a year. She explains, “Many often think the worst of my school and my students, and this program is one of many that helps to change those opinions and helps get my students out into the public in a positive light.”
Have there been any drawbacks to Meet in the Middle? None that outweigh the positives, according to Hughes and Lucini. Hughes observes, “Any drawbacks are irrelevant in comparison to the positives of collaboration and making music with our urban friends.” Lucini remembers a moment from the final rehearsal of the first year of collaboration that justifies the importance of the experience for both programs. She and Hughes were giving instructions on the plan for lunch on the day of the performance. Barrington students were told to bring bag lunches, while Mount Pleasant students were told their school cafeteria would provide them with theirs. At first, some of the Barrington students did not understand why Mount Pleasant were being provided their own lunches. There followed a discussion on the need for free lunch, which was an eye-opening fact for some Barrington students.
    In April 2019, the Meet in the Middle program took another step forward, when the combined Barrington and Mount Pleasant High School bands performed at the Rhode Island Music Educators Association High School Concert Band Festival. For Lucini, this was the first time her students had ever participated in an adjudicated festival, and they gained much from the experience. With Meet in the Middle now in its fourth year, both Lucini and Hughes have continued goals for the program. Hughes states, “We are looking for long lasting and systemic change perhaps through a consistent mentor/lesson program and with valuable performing experiences.” Hughes would like for Meet in the Middle to perform for a larger audience, and to see more Rhode Island schools become involved. Lucini has said that there will be four choruses combining for adjudication this year, and the two bands will again go to festival.
    For those interested in trying a program such as Meet in the Middle in their community, the following quote from Lucini provides perhaps the greatest justification for undertaking the project:

    “A few years ago, one of my seniors told me that she wished people would start to realize ‘We aren’t bad kids. We’re underprivileged. We want to come to school. We want to learn because most of us don’t want to be at home. We need an outlet and a place to express our creativity. Being underprivileged doesn’t make us bad. It just means that we need more opportunities to express ourselves and succeed.’ ”

    For music students at Mount Pleasant High School, Meet in the Middle has provided that opportunity, while for the students at Barrington High, it has been an opportunity to engage with students from different cultural and socioeconomic statuses. Ensemble music-making fosters the opportunity to create community, be it a high school marching band, a weekend Honor Band festival, or in the case of Meet in the Middle, students from vastly different schools in the same state. Despite the differences between Barrington and Mount Pleasant High Schools, the students in Meet in the Middle are equals in creating their ensemble. As Lucini says, “My students start at a significant disadvantage in so many aspects of their lives. Meet in the Middle helps to level the playing field for a short period of time and allows them to simply experience the joys of making music. I would hope that other schools would follow suit to offer their students those same experiences.”

The post Using Band to Create Community: Rhode Island’s Meet in the Middle Program appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

photo by Kirby Fong

Basic Acoustic Principles
    The terms harmonic series and overtone series refer (interchangeably, if imprecisely, in brass players’ parlance) to the principle in acoustics in which musical sounds (or any sounds really) are understood to be complex tones consisting of vibrations not only at a certain fundamental pitch level but also constituent vibrations at certain mathematically expressed levels above that pitch. The mathematical formulas undergirding all of this are fascinating, but thoroughly understanding them is not necessary for successfully applying the concept to brass playing and teaching.
    For our purposes we need first of all to understand that each brass instrument is built with its open bugle the precise length needed to produce a certain fundamental pitch. For example, the Bb trumpet’s main tubing is a little over 4.5 feet in length, yielding a fundamental pitch of concert Bb2 (116.54Hz), while that of the F horn (and the F tuba, incidentally) is around 12 feet, yielding a fundamental pitch of concert F1 (43.65Hz). By the way, brass instruments are named according to their open fundamental tones (in concert pitch), not necessarily according to the usual transposition (or lack thereof) of their sheet music. Thus, for example, a BBb tuba is so called because its open fundamental pitch is BBb (or Bb0) despite its music normally being written in concert pitch. Depressing valves or extending the trombone’s handslide lengthens the instrument, thereby progressively lowering its fundamental pitch.
    If the fundamental pitches of each tubing length were the only ones available, brass players would be limited to a small range of notes, indeed. Additional notes above the fundamental are produced by overblowing to the higher partials of the harmonic series for each valve combination or slide position. The acoustic properties of brass instruments are such that the instrument will produce a resonant sound as long as the pitch buzzed by the player is a part of the harmonic series for the slide position or valve combination then in use.
    This means that instead of having only one note per fingering or slide position, players can produce many notes in that fingering’s harmonic series, limited only by the qualities of their embouchures, airflow, and audiation. The most advanced players can often learn to play to the 20th partial or higher. Good high school players will be able to reach at least the eighth (usually higher for horn); beginners can be expected to reach the fifth or sixth by the end of the first year, although few will be able to produce the fundamental at that point.

Finding Fingerings
    The foregoing discussion is oversimplified but provides a sufficient, basic introduction to the topic. More important is understanding how the harmonic series is of practical benefit to music teachers in the field. The primary benefits are the ability to quickly and easily find fingering possibilities on every brass instrument and the ability to anticipate the likely tuning tendencies of a given note in a given fingering combination.
    Concerning fingerings (or slide positions), consider this abbreviated harmonic series chart, containing the first eight partials in the seven main slide positions on the trombone.

    Some of the notes on this chart occur multiple times in various slide positions. That will become relevant later, but consider first only the notes in first position. The first partial or fundamental is Bb1, which is commonly called pedal Bb. The next note is Bb2, one octave higher, then F3, Bb3, D4, F4, Ab4, and Bb4. Thus, moving up the harmonic series from the fundamental or pedal we have an octave, a perfect fifth, a perfect fourth, a major third, a minor third, another minor third, and then a major second.
    For the succeeding slide positions, the whole thing moves down chromatically, one half-step for each slide position. In practice, after memorizing the first eight partials in first position, it is possible to extrapolate from that and figure out the available notes in every other position.
    This approach to finding fingerings works on every brass instrument. The same sequence of intervals applies, starting with the fundamental. If you were to memorize only the open fundamental pitch of every brass instrument, you could find from there the open or first position harmonic series, then in turn those for the other fingerings. Memorize just the open harmonic series and the number of steps needed for finding fingerings is even smaller. With time, memorizing a large portion of each instrument’s harmonic series chart is simple.
    Most notes have two or more possible fingerings, and the number of possibilities increases as you move higher in the range. Although there are exceptions, as a general rule, the preferred fingering for a given note is usually the one furthest to the left on the chart – in other words, the one that is closest to open or first position.

Finding Tuning Tendencies
    Understanding the harmonic series makes it possible to anticipate and compensate for possible tuning issues. Consider again just the first position harmonic series from the chart we just examined, particularly the intonation indications just to the left of each staff. (Figure 2) You will notice that the fundamental and its octaves are normally true to pitch, while the third and sixth partials (also an octave apart) tend to be somewhat sharp. The fifth partial is normally flat, while the seventh is so flat that it is normally unusable on valved brass instruments and can only be used on trombone beginning in second position – and then only with a substantial correction. The eleventh partial is similarly unusable, as are a number of even higher partials, but the seventh is the one most likely to be a problem for secondary school-aged students.

    Not only is the sequence of intervals in the harmonic series the same for every brass instrument, but the tuning tendencies of each partial are the same on every instrument. More­over, octaves within the harmonic series have the same tendencies, so the first, second, fourth, and eighth partials tend to be true to pitch, while the third, sixth, and twelfth will be sharp, and the fifth and tenth will be flat. If you memorize the harmonic series and the tuning tendencies of the different partials you will not only be able to find fingerings for your students, but also be able also to solve intonation problems by selecting alternate fingerings that will raise or lower the pitch as needed.   

    Harmonic series charts might seem imposing and mysterious at first, especially for non-brass players. However, the system is logical, and these acoustic and functional principles are the key to understanding how brass instruments work. By memorizing a relatively small amount of material and understanding how to apply these patterns on every brass instrument, you will readily find fingerings, anticipate tuning tendencies, and suggest alternatives to correct difficulties with both pitch and technique.

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    Procure a loudspeaker, bullhorn, or PA system like those made by MegaVox or Long Ranger; this is a must for every rehearsal. Not only will it save your voice, your band will not think you are yelling at them all the time.

    Be realistic about the ability level of your students and always take inventory to see which sections are strong or weak – or possibly nonexistent. A good time to do this is right after the previous spring concert, but in some cases you can see it coming months sooner. You may need to start teaching someone a secondary instrument even before the spring concert. Next year’s band, on the whole, may be much younger than the group you have now. Keep this in mind when you program your show.

    When considering music for the field, think at least one grade level lower than what you play during concert season.

    If you are writing your own drill, ask yourself these questions: Is my drillwriting keeping this band from being the best it can be? Is there someone else available who can do it much better than I can? Be honest with yourself or ask a respected colleague who has seen your drillwriting efforts what they think.

    When considering show design, carefully consider how often you are marching and playing at the same time. Don’t sacrifice musical quality with too much movement. Snappy drill formations are great, but means nothing if the tune that goes with it can’t be understood. When you are standing still, make sure it is in places where the music can stand alone very effectively.

    Make your situation work. What matters is what you do with what you have. Don’t complain about the instruments you don’t have and be resigned to the problem. Work with the instrumentation you do have; that may mean rewriting a line to feature flutes and saxes instead of low brass. It can be just as effective and maybe even more interesting.

    Don’t be afraid to look in your school’s gym classes to find potential auxiliary members. Some schools do a mini-unit on flag right in the gym classes.

    Don’t hide the woodwinds. It is often impossible to hear them because they are found in a pretty arc 12 steps behind the back hash mark with a wall of brass shaped like a bullet in front of them. The woodwinds are placed in front during concert season, so let them spend some time there on the football field. There is no difference between being on a football field or in the band room.

    Both asymmetrical and symmetrical forms are effective. Asymmetrical forms are often easier to clean and march because they are not a recognizable or definite shape. A triangle may take you 30 seconds to design, but three months to clean. Be cautious of drill designers who write too many obvious shapes for you. It is difficult for students to hold those perfectly straight lines of a triangle on a 32-count rotation.

    Bands with fewer than 50 players should be careful placing wind instruments behind mid-field. Also, try to limit spread formations that go past the 35-yard lines. Company fronts built with eight or more steps between band members will not work.

    Remember that once school starts, you will rarely if ever have such large stretches of rehearsal time with fewer diversions, so take advantage of the summer, particularly for the teaching of music and marching fundamentals. Questions to consider for summer marching camp: How much time do you need to accomplish your goals? What practice times work the best for your students? (Consider distance of travel from home, work schedules, athletic practices, teacher in-service, and the weather.) How much time should be devoted to the music, teaching drill, and instructing color guard?

    Define your style. Make sure everyone has a firm grasp of how you want the marching basics performed. Break things down; demonstrate and demonstrate again. Teach only the techniques needed for your show.

    Start rehearsals on time. You must enforce this from day one. Have a routine in place and make sure students know where they are supposed to be when rehearsal begins, whether it is the band room, sectionals, or on the field. Because there are numerous things that can delay a director at the beginning of a marching rehearsal, the drum majors should be well-versed in leading the group in stretches, marching fundamentals, and other daily routines.

    If you or the drum major calls the band to attention, explain that attention means students stand with proper posture and horn positions with no talking or moving. Address what you want from day one, enforce it, and stick to it. Discipline on the small things sets the tone for your band before it even plays one note. Most people can tell if a group is disciplined by how they get off of the buses, how the uniform is worn, and how they walk to the field. It’s also a pretty good indication of how they are going to play.

photo by Trudy Weatherly

    Downtime kills rehearsals. When having to address problems involving smaller numbers of students, have something for everyone else to do.

    Don’t burn students out during rehearsal. Shorter, more frequent breaks work better than infrequent, longer breaks.

    Make sure that everyone has a copy of the drill at every practice.

    Prioritize your rehearsals. Pick a section of the show and work on that section thoroughly.

    Don’t practice mistakes. Fix it before you move it. When cleaning drill from set to set, take a few seconds to stop and adjust each set. Fix the current set before you move on to the next set. Problems in earlier sets are sometimes compounded as the show progresses if they are not fixed immediately. If your practices consist of nothing more than doing run-throughs of your show, then you are simply reinforcing mistakes.

    Use marching fundamentals that pertain to your show. Eight-to-five marching and box drills are great, but do not neglect practicing curvilinear forms if they are part of the show. Devise exercises that address these drill forms. This may take some time to develop at first. Use cones and yard markers to set the area of your circle or arc, and make sure each student marches around the cone so the form doesn’t condense. In time, your students will find that curved forms and arcs are easier to perform than company fronts. Once the students begin marching in relationship to each other, things will get easier.

    Budget time in every rehearsal for marching basics in block formation, even if it is for only five or ten minutes. It also makes checking attendance easier. Don’t get down on your band for marching poorly if you don’t devote time to reinforcing the fundamentals.

    Marching is nothing more than synchronized walking with some adaptations for instruments and style. Don’t break things down too far, or you’ll have your students questioning something they have been doing their whole lives—walking. Stress the following:

    Plant the heel. Lock the knee of the extended leg. (The back leg should be bent slightly.) Get the toe as high as possible.
    Have the ankle bones pass on the and of the count.
    For proper upper body posture, align the hips, lift from the rib cage, relax the shoulders and roll them up and back, with the chin parallel to the ground. Marchers should feel buoyant as they march.
    To get the best possible instrument carriage, students should pretend they are wading through a sewer and having to keep their arms out of the muck. Constantly remind them to “get your arms out of the sewer.”
    When learning lateral slides, marchers should pull forward from the hips so that they avoid as much tension in the upper body as possible.
    When marching laterally, percussion members “crab step.” Both hips will remain parallel to the front sideline, and the marchers will stay on their toes, as in a backward march, making sure the heels don’t touch the ground. Allow the toes of the foot in motion to cross under the heel of the foot in place. The feet should act as shock absorbers and keep the heels from touching the ground until he halt.

    Use drill downs and drill ups to improve marching skills, concentration, and reaction time. For drill downs, put the students in block formation and have the drum major call out all the fundamental skills that have been taught. Begin slowly and then increase the speed of the commands. When you or the drum major sees a mistake, the offending marcher goes to the sideline and stands at parade rest. Increase speed until only one student is left. Students should do their best not to get caught. Much of the importance of this activity is learning how to make quick recoveries and hide mistakes.

    For drill ups, recognize and remove students who are marching exceptionally well. They can then relax and watch the others, or leave if it is at the end of rehearsal. Do not try to embarrass the last remaining students, but talk to them individually about things they can do to improve.

    Perform playing exercises during marching basics. As soon as a marching technique is taught, add a playing exercise to it. Scales and rhythmic figures work nicely. If your band has problems with step-offs, marching in-step, marching in-phase, or any other issue, perform the show music while marching in block band.

    Consistently practice music fundamentals that improve rhythmic accuracy, extend ranges, clean articulations, and improve listening skills.

    On each move, marchers should take every count to get to their drill set. They should not arrive to sets early or late.

    Use subsets to clean drill. In a 32-count move, stop at 16, check the form, then go. In a 16-count move, check the form after 8 counts.

    A good teaching tip when going from set to set is to add the next step. Upon arriving at the end of any one set, marchers should take one more step in the direction of the next move. It helps with body facings, weight transfers, and overall directional change. It also helps students learn the flow from set to set.

    Teach the path. For example, when teaching drill, go from set one to set two several times, then turn the band around and march them back from set two to set one. This way you are teaching your students the path from set one to set two, not just the starting and ending points.

    The drill is the movement, not the pictures. A drill set lasts for a split second. Focus more on the movement between sets, including step size, step style, horn angles, and body facings. Hitting the drill set is important, but how the band looks moving from one set to the next is much more important than just the arrival at set one or set two.

The integrity of the drill set comes first. All marchers must adjust step sizes to make the picture work. Try not to require any larger than a 6-to-5 step size for a student to make it to their set.

    Students should march in relationship to each other, not the field. Hash marks and yard lines are reference points for teaching purposes; they’re not gospel. After a while, your students should be able to march the show on an empty parking lot with a great deal of success. Students should learn to march in relationship to each other and adjust for each other’s mistakes.

    Use drill with a three-step interval most of the time.

    Students should think ahead. If the next drill set move is eight counts, then a student should know where they are going next by count five. This concept of four counts ahead helps students anticipate and remember where their next drill set is. Their marching style tends to be less uncertain because they are thinking ahead and know where to go next.

    Don’t forget to consider color guard equipment changes when writing the drill.

    Let the design of the color guard equipment interpret visually what you are doing musically.

photo by Trudy Weatherly

    Pulse is key. Use various devices, such as a metronome and P.A. system, wood block, counting out loud, or snare drummer playing on the beat, to set and maintain tempo while learning and cleaning drill.

    Players in the back of the band should ignore what they hear and follow only the cues of the drum major. Those in the front of the group should listen back to hear what’s behind them, even if it seems out-of-phase with the conductor. Players should always know the source of the tempo, when to listen, who to watch, and what to ignore. Drum majors and band members should always stay with the section that has the pulse (usually the percussion section).

    Because of sound delays, a silent count is a more effective way to start a song. If drum majors choose to count off aloud, they should at least conduct beats three and four silently to minimize sound delays.

    If students can play in tempo, they can march in tempo. Drill pulse into the students’ heads from day one. Use a metronome for inside rehearsals as well as out. Spend a lot of your rehearsals inside marking time while playing. Don’t take it easy on the color guard when it comes to timing. Demand that their footwork be as precise as the wind and percussion players.

    Make a habit of telling the band before each section you repeat or at least before an end-of-rehearsal run-through to improve at least one thing; this can be a marching or musical improvement. Ask them to think about what it is they are going to improve before you count them off again. Make a deal like this with your band: If you made five errors in marching and playing during the last run-through, then make four mistakes during this run-through. Depending on the size of your group, you could fix hundreds of mistakes at one time.

    Make it work. Don’t get too bogged down by trying to stick exactly to what is on the drill sheet. The band roster may fluctuate many times throughout the season, and it is likely that drill will have to be adjusted. Some of the best jobs of drill adjustment are done at rehearsals on the fly. Also, don’t feel you have to have all drill changes down on paper. Major ones should be recorded, but for interval adjustments and small form reshapes this is unnecessary.
    It is best to clean drill from a higher vantage point, so have a tower, ladder, press box, or scissor lift available if possible. Try to have some staff members on the field with the band to assist with cleaning. A high vantage point may not be possible at every rehearsal. Talk to the athletic director and coaches who use the football field. See if it is possible to wedge the band into the schedule once in a while. If practice on the main field is rare, then make sure all staff and band members are present to take advantage of the opportunity.

    Take advantage of performance opportunities to get runs of your show. Soccer was in-season at my school in the fall, so I would have the band perform at soccer games held on the main field. Soccer games were sometimes held on the same night as my usual practice, and we could simulate game day conditions and the routine of getting ready to perform. It built respect between the band and the athletic program. The soccer fans loved us. It also made their sport feel appreciated. My band got to perform recently taught or changed material in front of an audience, and we accomplished all of this without ever leaving the school grounds.

    Match up a veteran band member with one or two new members before the first practice. Allow time at the beginning and end of rehearsals for Band Buddies to meet and make sure the new members are taking care of business.

    Be sure and clean up loose ends. Make everything as uniform and standard as possible, from how the hats are worn to how the instruments are held at attention. This takes up very little time, and shows discipline and attention to detail.

    Finally, you cannot do it all. Look for qualified, mature people to work with your band. Make sure all of the band staff understands exactly what you want, then let them do their job.

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Planning Strategies
    Be an artist. The love of music is why many of us became teachers in the first place, and the creativity of programming and designing a marching band show should still excite us as we plan for the season. For the marching band, the art is not only in the music-making, but in the design of the show. As a marching band leader, being an artist means collaborating with experts on the different aspects of marching performance, including composing or arranging, drill design, dance and body movement, prop design, and marching fundamentals. Marching band is among the most collaborative art forms, but the band director should be involved in the creative process from start to finish.
    Be studious. Studying scores isn’t just for concert band, and marching band directors must know not only the music but the visual program as well. Learn how each transition functions, who has the most challenging step size, which sections will have difficulty seeing or hearing across the field, and above all, how the music fits with the drill. Look for errors or problem spots, even if you wrote the drill or arranged the music. Fewer errors in the finished product mean less rehearsal time spent correcting them. In addition, a thorough knowledge of the scores and drill will help eliminate unnecessary pauses or errors in teaching and down time between repetitions, which leads to fewer opportunities for students to lose focus. A thorough knowledge of every aspect of the artwork makes it possible to share it with others.

Rehearsal Techniques
    Be a recording engineer. Investing in a pair of high-quality microphones can pay dividends for any school band. Frequent recordings of music rehearsals, made accessible to students, can assist with daily rehearsal preparation. Recordings allow directors to address concerns during subsequent rehearsals, and recordings can help students learn to listen critically to their own performances. For less formal recordings, a tablet or phone will work well for students to get a good sense of the overall sound of their ensemble.
    In The Ohio State University Marching Band, we make new recordings almost every day. Students use these recordings to assist with music memorization and rehearsal preparation, and they can listen outside of class and discuss what they hear with their peers at any time. Finally, by marching to a recording, students can learn to combine the visual and musical elements of a show more quickly and confidently.
    Be a film producer. Because marching band involves musical and visual components, it is important that the drill, like the music, be recorded. These recordings can be done by borrowing a school camera or using a personal device to film the day’s run-throughs. Our section leaders use their phones and tablets to take low-level video of their sections during fundamentals practice, thereby helping to improve individual marching skills. A staff member with a camera on the band tower can take mid-range video, and we are fortunate to have a high-view camera that provides an overhead view of the field.
    In addition, some schools have begun using drones to take rehearsal video. Directors should investigate the available resources and find creative ways to adapt them for use with a marching band. Some of the video is shown and discussed during rehearsal, but most is made available for students to study on their own.
    Be steady. Using a metronome is a time-honored tradition of the marching band, but it is sometimes helpful to rethink how it gets used in daily rehearsals. We use a metronome as part of nearly every rehearsal. It is used to begin and end repetitions, both indoors and outdoors, so that students become accustomed to efficient starts and stops. Starting each repetition with four or eight beats from the metronome can reduce the amount of time between repetitions, and our students have learned to get ready quickly so that they don’t miss the count-off. The metronome is also used to isolate individual sections on the field. The brass section, for example, can work in isolation without the percussion, and the percussion use it when marching and playing without the winds.
    Be tech-savvy. Directors should embrace technology that handles the tedious daily routines that distract from the musical and visual learning at the heart of a rehearsal. In our band, daily announcements and assignments, music to be memorized, and the rehearsal schedule are communicated to students via social media, video screens around the rehearsal hall, and other electronic communications. Our students and band parents can download itineraries, calendars, and other important information online. Music is also downloadable, and drill can be accessed via a QR code that students scan with their phone or tablet. Students have apps from Pyware on their iPads. The app can allow students to see entire forms, full animations, and coordinates for their own dots as well as other members of their sections. The video features on their phones and tablets are frequently used to evaluate individual students on their execution of marching fundamentals, both in training camps before the season and during the season.
    In addition, there are numerous products that can help directors with musical assessments, memorization checks, and other evaluative measures. Here again, it is important for band directors to explore the available resources and find creative ways to use them. For those who are not as tech savvy as they would like, don’t be afraid to ask for help, even from the students, who can sometimes be the best resources for technological assistance.

Personal Skills
    Be consistent. It is imperative that marching band rehearsals follow a productive routine. This routine may include familiar warm-up exercises for both indoor and outdoor rehearsals. It may include a series of established rehearsal techniques including those described above. However, the routine must always be productive, and directors should not be afraid to remove elements of a routine that detract from the effectiveness of the rehearsal.
    Our early-season rehearsals are structured similarly to late-season rehearsals, although the content can be different. The consistency is important so that students know what to expect on a given day or in a given week. If we have to learn a show in a week, for example, the week-long plan has us sightreading music and blocking drill on Monday, running sectionals and blocking the remaining drill on Tuesday, marching and playing the first half of the show on Wednesday, setting props and marching the full show on Thursday, and conducting music checks and finishing dress rehearsals on Friday.
    If we have more time on a show, this basic plan is expanded to include more detailed cleaning of the music and drill. The daily two-hour rehearsal schedule usually begins with separate wind and percussion warm-ups for 10-15 minutes, a possible video review session (5-10 minutes), a music rehearsal during which we also make rehearsal recordings (20-30 minutes), 15 minutes to travel to the practice field, blocking or cleaning individual segments of the show (30-40 minutes), run-throughs of the drill to a recording or with the drum line and metronome only (10-20 minutes), and finally, a full run-through of the material we learned that day (10 minutes). With my high school band, I would have exchanged time in the first portion of the marching rehearsal for 10-15 minutes of marching fundamentals along with the metronome.
    Be trusting. Band directors like to have a hand in every aspect of their programs, and while knowledge of the details is important, we must also have faith in our student leaders to accomplish the goals we set for them. A thorough selection process and rigorous leadership training program can help student leaders understand the rules of efficient rehearsing. Student leaders can handle a certain degree of freedom, and they appreciate it, but they must also be held accountable for the responsibilities assigned to them. They must understand the daily rehearsal plans and expectations, and they must believe in the importance of following established guidelines. Although effective leadership models may not always be efficient in the short term (it can take time for students to learn them), they maximize efficiency in the long term. Directors need to trust that students who have a vested interest in the program will want to make the right decisions and work to achieve the expected results.
    Be transparent. Communication is crucial, but many of us don’t think about the ways in which communication can affect our daily rehearsals. Every member of the leadership team, as well as every student, should know the schedule for the day so that everyone works toward the same goals. Parents and administrators may prefer to know the long term plan, and weekly communication can be comforting to them while building their confidence in the band staff. Our regular communications consist of daily emails to the band staff that include the schedule and announcements; weekly emails to the students describing assignments, schedules, and upcoming performances; daily postings of the rehearsal schedule on screens around our rehearsal facility; regular memos to the administration about the band’s activities; and frequent updates to social media and the website.
    Be flexible. An established routine will contribute to efficient rehearsals, but directors must also use their creativity and ability to improvise to solve unforeseen problems, add new or creative elements to a show, or just lighten the mood when needed. While these skills come naturally for some, many of us can get flustered when plans go awry. We must learn to step back and let our creativity and passion for our art influence our rehearsals and challenge our routines. Students must see that passion every day, because they will emulate the attitude of the teacher. No matter how experienced we are, we must be willing to adapt and grow, especially if we expect our students to do the same.

Conclusion
    These ideas may seem commonplace or even obvious, but I find myself thinking about them every day. It is easy to forget that the simplest ideas can have a big effect on how our programs run. Reflect on daily rehearsals and be open to ways to improve them, no matter how efficient and productive you might believe they are. Perhaps a borrowed idea can save a few seconds, or a moment of creative thought can save a few minutes. That time adds up over the course of the season, and in the end, all of those details that we wish we had time to address – if only we had another hour or another day – can be given their due attention.

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