Listening Skills
   The ability to listen to and then follow instructions or respond to correction is maybe the most vital habit for successful rehearsals. Good listening skills are a result of habit just as much as posture and breathing. To promote this in beginners, teachers first should have the attention of the class. It is common for directors to talk over noise in the rehearsal room, and much of what they say is lost. Especially early in the year, take a second or two to let the room quiet before delivering information. Insist from the start that students look at you while you talk. Later in the first semester, it may be appropriate to tell them that they may look at you or the music, depending on what is being discussed.
   In my experience young students, especially boys, treat their instruments like giant Erector sets when they are not playing. Brass players pull tuning slides out and unscrew valve buttons and caps, while woodwind players click keys and unscrew ligatures. This behavior distracts not just the student who is playing around, but also students on either side. Teach them a standard rest position that they are expected to use, with instruments on the knee or across the lap and hands and fingers in playing position. This will go a long way toward eliminating distracting behavior.
   Another way to promote good listening is to occasionally pick a student at random and ask what was just said. A correct response earns praise or a small reward. If the student gives a wrong answer or has no idea what was said go to the next student down in the seating order. If this student responds correctly, have the students switch places. It is a good idea to warn students before employing this practice; the goal is not to punish students, but to encourage everyone to pay attention.

Organization
   Organizational skills should also be emphasized from the first day. Students should keep all hand-outs, music, pencils, and the method book in a binder. This keeps them organized in class and makes it easy to take these materials home each day to practice.
   Periodic checks of binders emphasizes the importance of keeping them organized. If students do not have the binder in class when new materials are passed out, hold music until they bring the binder to class. Write the student’s name at the top of the hand-out or music and keep it in a folder. This does add another administrative duty, but it goes a long way toward showing students how important it is to have everything in rehearsal each day.
   I find that it is more effective to make sure students have a reason to use a pencil than to take points off a grade when they do not have one. For example, to promote pencil use, ask students to make notes when corrections are made in class. If the teacher discusses the importance of holding notes before rests for full value, students should mark arrows above the notes or draw a line to the rest. The more students are required to use pencils in class, the more likely they are to have one available.
   As a side note, I do not advocate  writing in note names with beginning band. This encourages students to read letters rather than identifying notes by their placement on the staff. I also do not allow students to write in fingerings unless they are new or unfamiliar alternate fingerings (such as side C in the saxophone, fork B in the clarinet, or lever B flat in the flute). At first I have trumpets mark when to use the third valve slide on low D, and I ask trombones to mark when to use shorter positions in the fifth harmonic.

Learning to Watch
   Because of the way most beginning bands are taught, there is little conducting during the first year, with the exception of a few performances. As students move into more advanced performing groups though, it can be frustrating to encourage the practice of looking up from the music at the conductor unless this habit has been introduced and encouraged during the first year.
   One exercise is for the teacher to stand at the front of the room while students count or play a line while they read music. As students play, the teacher holds up several fingers, makes a shape with the fingers, or holds up signs with colors, words, or letters. After students have completed the music, ask a student how many fingers were held up or what was on the card. Another option is to ask everyone to close their eyes and hold up the same number or make the shape with their fingers. Later, as conducting is incorporated, the director can show numbers or shapes with the hand that does not hold the baton and then question students as described.

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Will Mozart calm a hyperactive dog?
   Some studies show that classical music soothes and calms dogs, but I have strong doubts that it will it work on Bella, our black cocker spaniel. On any given day, let her back into the house from the yard and she runs around like a wild banshee. When my wife and I got her three years ago, I pictured quiet evenings in front of the television, with her head gently lying across my knee as I petted her. The startling reality: she squirms around so uncontrollably that after just a few minutes I have to put her on the floor. Would Mozart be able to soothe this kinetic canine?
   This experiment involved two phases. First, I decided to play some live Mozart for her on my euphonium. Unfortunately, I had hardly even gotten out an “eine kleine” before she tilted her head curiously and then emitted what would best described as a primal scream. After the failed live performance, I played a recording of the Andante (second) movement of Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The music did seem to calm her some, but after about 30 seconds she began to squirm wildly again, displaying very poor concert etiquette.
Conclusion: Mozart may calm some dogs but not ours, particularly if it’s played on the euphonium. I guess we’ll have to wait till she’s so old she can’t run around.

Will Mozart make the cat litter box smell better?
   In our bathroom my wife and I have one of those fancy-schmancy electronic litter boxes for our cat. Although it has the advantage of being self-cleaning, we sadly discovered that when it does its work, the machine emits enough odor to peel wallpaper. We have found that lighting a candle can off-set the smell but it’s getting expensive; the Yankee Candle company made a third-quarter profit just based on sales to us. Could Mozart help us win this olfactory battle?
   To run the experiment I placed a stereo on top of the contraption and once the thing started up, I cranked up Mozart’s Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C major, K299. I left and after 20 minutes I returned to find a fragrance not too unlike a landfill; I was surprised the CD had not melted.
Conclusion: Mozart is no match for the electronic litter box. If there were any microbes in there they were deaf. Yankee candle sales are safe.

Will Mozart make me smarter and help me raise my score on the iPhone game Words with Friends?
   Research seems to indicate that Mozart does not raise IQ, but this one was worth a try. I have one main rival in Words with Friends who shall remain nameless. I suspect he uses an app for unscrambling words; either that or he has memorized the Oxford English dictionary. He is so difficult to beat that I need all the help I can get without resorting to a cheater app. Maybe Mozart is just what I need for an edge. It’s certainly not cheating; I’m just trying to stimulate what’s already up there. The problem with this experiment is that Words with Friends is typically played over a period of several days, and I cannot listen to Mozart 24/7. So what I decided to do was listen to Mozart while playing a shorter portion of a game.
Conclusion: The results here are inconclusive. However, the music did have an almost cleansing effect on mind, leaving it free to concentrate in a more relaxed way. At last check I was ahead by 70 points, having just played the word “jaunty,” a word that could be used to describe many of Mozart’s compositions. Coincidence?

Will Mozart improve my one-mile time when running?
   This component of my research involved two phases. Running a mile with no music and then running a mile to the Canadian Brass version of “Rondo alla Turca” three days later. With no music I ran the mile in 9 minutes, 34 seconds. With the addition of the Rondo all turca my time improved to 9 minutes, 23 seconds.
Conclusion: There’s no denying that I ran better the second time. I think the key was the fast tempo and the psychological distraction. Without music, my main thought process was “How much longer? How much longer? How much longer?” With the music, my thought process was more like “The Canadian Brass has a nice sound.”; “How much longer?”; “What great technique!”; “How much longer?” I admit the thought processes were very similar but just different enough to help me forget how tired I was for part of the time. Still, Mozart did not help me improve my time enough to get me onto the podium at the Senior Olympics; my only chance to get on a podium is still when conducting my band.

Will Mozart make me stronger?
   Using an infomercial item called The Perfect Push-up (developed by a former Navy Seal no less), I tried push-ups with no music and managed 21 push-ups. (Before you laugh, they’re harder to do than regular push-ups; that being said, I am out of shape.) Two days later after proper rest I put on the “Rondo alla Turca” and recorded 25 push-ups.
Conclusion: Without music, my main thought was thinking entirely about the task at hand and how tired I was getting. Like in the running experiment, the faster tempo and distractive properties of the music made for more push-ups.

Will Mozart calm my nerves while watching the Indiana Pacers lose to the Miami Heat?
   I cannot stand the Miami Heat. There is really no rational reason other than the fact that I like rooting for the underdog and they always seem to be the favorite. And there’s something about LeBron James’s “I’m taking my talents to South Beach” quote that really rubbed me the wrong way. Whenever the Heat win a playoff game, particularly a close game, I really get ticked off. So to test the power of Mozart to relieve stress and calm the nerves, I put on my headphones and listen to Mozart’s Serenade No. 13 for Strings in G during a close game between the Heat and Pacers in their first game of a seven-game series.
  The game took on a surreal quality as the players seemed to glide with the music only to have the flow interrupted by a LeBron James sforzando-like dunk. My fist pump after a Heat missed free throw seemed highly inappropriate given the music I was listening to. Sometimes I would get peeved and completely block out the music but it did not take me long to recover and relax again.
Conclusion: The music did seem to take the steam out of the 95-86 Heat victory. However, a real test would be a game seven, all-or-nothing battle.

Will Mozart make food taste better?
   I have always possessed a real aversion to baked beans and sweet potatoes. I cannot even swallow sweet potatoes and the only time I have successfully downed a helping of baked beans was in the third grade when I alternated bites with a glazed donut at a church fellowship to please my grandmother who had boasted that she was famous among church locals for her baked beans.
   I had my wife whip up a candied sweet potato dish and some baked beans. I had a Diet Coke on hand along with a glazed donut looking very much like a life-preserver. After starting up the Allegro from Eine kleine Nachtmusik I began my assault on the baked beans. The baked beans were as sickly-sweetly distasteful as ever but I did manage to eat three bites without the donut; however, I drank about a two liters of Diet Coke to wash down each bite. As for the sweet potato, I stared at it for all of the second movement before I could muster enough courage to take a bite at the beginning of the Menuetto. I still could not swallow even one bite. I will spare you the gory details.
Conclusion: While Mozart’s music may add some valuable ambience to a candlelight dinner, it doesn’t seem to have the power to overcome a life-long aversion to baked beans and sweet potatoes.

Will Mozart help me sleep better?
   I have no problem going to sleep at night. However, I consistently wake up at 4:45 a.m. and cannot go back to sleep. To see if Mozart would help with this problem, I got my iPhone cued-up and when I woke up on cue at 4:45 I tapped the Pandora app and relaxed as James Galway performed Mozart’s Flute Concerto in C.
Conclusion: Mozart did not help me go to sleep. It actually filled my head with thoughts like “I forgot how much I liked this piece.”; “I wonder if one of my flute players could play this.” Also, I guess I felt guilty trying to sleep while someone was performing. Ironically, this never seems to be a problem when I am at someone’s recital.

Will Mozart help me come up with a conclusion for this column?
   Writer’s block can strike at any time. I’ve found that the most critical parts of an article are the beginning and the end; once I compose those two components the rest is usually easy. However, sometimes I can have everything done but the conclusion and struggle with it for days or even weeks. This column is no exception. Hoping to put the finishing touches on this column, I cued up Mozart’s “Tuba Mirum” from Requiem, K. 626, A fitting piece since a requiem is a way of wrapping things up.
Conclusion: It didn’t help me at all.

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Computer Equipment
   As is the case with many computer projects, the performance is enhanced when there are ample amounts of memory and a fast processor. When deciding what computer to use, laptops offer greater flexibility and mobility, but desktop computers have more storage space for a fraction of the cost of a laptop and may be a better choice.
   The choice of video or still images to accompany the music is a matter of preference, but if video is used for a portion or the entire concert, purchase a large external hard drive to avoid overtaxing the internal hard drive on the computer. This would also provide an opportunity for the director to save the multimedia show file on the computer’s hard drive and the external drive. Having a back-up copy of the show is a significant insurance policy.

Computer Software
   Depending on your computer’s platform (Windows versus Mac), the software necessary to produce a multimedia concert is easy to find and use. Microsoft PowerPoint, which is available for both Windows and Mac platforms, works well for this. Mac also offers an equally powerful program called  Keynote that is a part of the iWorks software bundle. Both PowerPoint and  Keynote offer similar options for producing a multimedia show and are simple to use.
   I used both still images and video captured from the internet. There is a wide variety of free media available, and the possibilities are enormous. Depending on your system’s setup, most still images can be captured by simply right-clicking on the image and saving it to your computer or external hard drive. When downloading still images from the internet or importing them from a camera, a rule of thumb is that a larger file size will have better quality when it is projected onto a screen. Many websites will decrease the quality of an image so it loads quickly when called up. I avoid any image file smaller than 100 kilobytes.
   Capturing video from the internet is not as simple as downloading an image. I found free software online that allowed me to download video in multiple formats and with a choice of qualities. While there are many software possibilities, I found Download Helper () to be an effective and simple program. It makes it possible to save captured video in a number of formats that are recognized by most video editing software.
   When using video in a multimedia presentation, it may be necessary to edit the video for timing. While there are many video editing software tools available, the program that comes standard with Mac computers, iMovie, is a useful and simple-to-use program that can edit captured video, add title screens and trailers, combine several video clips with a multitude of transitions, and remove audio. As with any software, the time invested in learning a movie editing program increases familiarity and makes new ideas easier to implement.

Show Planning
   There are many ways to promote a multimedia concert and depending on the angle and your marketing strategy, it may assist in the public’s curiosity. Recently, I developed a themed concert titled “Questions of Humanity.” The program included several titles such as Gustav Holst’s Mars, Stephen Melillo’s The Speech of Angels, and a new composition by Michael Schelle titled The End of the World.

Using Holst’s Mars, I analyzed the score and decided on several themes:

• The power and vastness of the universe.
• Are we alone in the universe?
• Who influenced our technology, specifically aircraft and
military hardware?

   I thought that these themes were prevalent enough that many in the audience could relate. I then  searched the internet using keywords to support these themes. To figure out the appropriate number of pictures, I sat with my score and listened to the selection many times to get a clear perception on how the music flowed. I simply took a pencil and placed an X in the score every time I believed a new image should appear. Every now and then I used a short title to either introduce a new section or guide listeners in a specific direction.
   After collecting photos, I opened a new file in PowerPoint. Each slide contained one still image. After all images were imported, I added transitions between each slide to give the show a more professional look. After finishing the slideshow for Mars, I listened to the recording while playing the slide show. In both PowerPoint and Keynote you can change the slide by pressing the space bar or the right arrow key. The slideshow should depict an accurate representation of the music, and adjustments may be needed after going through the presentation with the recording.
   When using video, the process is similar to using still images; each slide in PowerPoint or Keynote can hold one video. To prepare the show, the score analysis should include the time of each section to determine the amount of video needed. The change from one video slide to the next should be slower so the videos have time to develop the story. I would avoid using any video clip shorter than 20 seconds.
   I used Michale Schelle’s The End of the World to display video, and searched for apocalyptic scenarios including:

• A comet/meteor impact with the Earth.
• Drastic weather events.
• Volcanic eruptions.
• Earthquakes and tsunamis.

   A search provided plenty of videos following these themes. When editing video, be sure to separate and delete any audio content from the original video so there are no conflicting sounds during the concert. Using iMovie, this is a simple procedure called Detach Audio.
   When timing a section of music to determine the appropriate length of a video clip, I recommend adding 5-10% more time than needed to avoid running out of video before having to switch to the next slide. Using a fade out and fade in technique between two slides will make video presentations seem to be timed precisely with the music and prevent any awkward moments with no image displayed during a musical climax.

The Video Engineer
   It is imperative to have a confident volunteer run the media show. The best choice is a student who is able to read music. I copy my entire set of scores prior to making any rehearsal markings so the copy is clean and will then place a recognizable marker on the score each time I want the volunteer to change the slide. Every third or fourth slide I include a brief description of what the audience should see as a safety marker. This is especially important for images that go along with a climatic episode.

Stage Setup
   The video engineer should be on stage in front of the conductor so he has a clear view of the conductor. The first row of students in my wind ensemble is in an arc, so I simply made the arc a bit deeper and placed the video engineer in the area between the first row and me. The projector was near the video engineer in the event of a malfunction.
   The screen should be in the back of the band, low enough that the audience can view it comfortably but not so low that it is obstructed by musicians. Adjustments to lighting might also be necessary. If the images are projected on a screen at the back of the ensemble, then the stage lights in the back of the performance area may need to be dimmed considerably to avoid any washing out of the video. If this is the case, I suggest that stand lights be used.
   I believe it is important to realize that the music is the primary reason for a concertgoer’s attendance, but we should explore new trends to attract a larger audience. A multimedia concert can create excitement and might be beneficial in developing a stronger base of support from new audience members.   

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Weeks 1-4
   At the first rehearsal, make a rule that every student in the jazz band has to solo during every rehearsal. It is unrealistic to have every student solo during a concert, but it should be expected during rehearsals. The first couple weeks will be the most difficult. The soloing will start off slowly with many questions and some confusion, and some students may refuse to solo out of sheer terror at first. One of the most common problems students have when soloing is that they have so much time to fill that they become paralyzed by the options available. By using the melody as a starting point students will feel more comfortable playing a solo.
   Start with a simple swing or blues song with an easy-to-remember melody. Make sure every student has the chord changes marked in the music. When this is done, explain what the letters mean and how many beats to give each of the chords in the solo. I then have the entire band play the chord changes with the rhythm section. Students should hold each chord for as long as it lasts; if it lasts the entire measure they should play a whole note, for half a measure they should play a half note. On the first time through the song I would do this three times, stopping after each time to correct any misunderstandings.
   Students will then need some ideas on how to improvise based on the melody. There are many ways to create a melody, but students only need to learn two at first. I give students anoption of using the melody of the piece and changing the rhythms, notes, and entrances of the melody; the other option is to use the blues scale and the chords and create a solo from nothing. This will be enough to help them shape the musical ideas in their minds and recreate them with their instruments.
   The third is getting students to understand how to use silence effectively in a solo. Using the melody helps teach students about using rests. I compare playing a solo to telling a story, then show how strange it soulds to talk in run-on sentences. I then demonstrate this on an instrument, playing a four bar phrase without rests and then with rests.
   Early attempts at improvising should be simple. I have each student take two passes through a solo section, once playing the melody as written and then a second time changing just a few notes and rhythms from the melody. If rehearsal time is limited and there are 20-30 students in the ensemble, shorten the improvisation exercise to be just one time through and have each student play the melody as written for the first four bars and change the melody for the next four. If using 12-bar blues, have students play melody for the first six bars and improvise for the last six.
   It is important to designate the order in which students will solo so there is no stopping. To keep students attentive and interested, they are to play the chords quietly when not the soloist. One reason many teachers neglect improvisation in ensemble rehearsals is because of the down time it creates. Having students play chords helps them to learn, hear, and understand the chord changes on the song.

Weeks 5-8
   As wind players become accustomed to the routine, I start to pull students out of playing the chords during improvisation practice. This gets students used to counting and playing. For variety I also create background patterns for the students to play behind the soloist.
   Take some time to work with the rhythm section. The drummer should start to play turn-arounds, small fills that mark a new phrase, and change the beat pattern slightly. The easiest way to do this is to use the ride cymbal for one soloist and the hi-hat for the next. The drummer should switch back and forth each time to produce some rhythmic variation. The bassist should keep steady time even if the soloists make mistakes. Students at this age can lose their place in the music easily; this is especially true if the soloist messes up the time or plays something erratic or unusual. The guitar and piano players should alternate with each other. Some overlap between the two is acceptable, but if they always play at the same time than the rhythm section will sound heavy, and it will be difficult for the soloist to hear the time and the chords.
   The students who seem to be doing the best at improvisation should no longer play the original melody during their solos. They should improvise based off the melody for the entire length of the solo. Those in the middle who can comfortably improvise over four bars should start to improvise for six bars and play only two bars of the melody. Struggling students should continue to work on the structure used during the first four weeks of rehearsals. As alternatives, I might solo with the student, have them write out a solo to play each week, or have them trade four bars with a better-performing student. With improvisation it is impossible to know when the lightbulb will come on, so continue with the basics and be supportive of whatever students play.

Weeks 9-12
   As the concert approaches, pick soloists for the songs and start to rehearse the music as it will be performed. Continue to work on improvisation in rehearsals. This will keep the students not improvising during the concert practicing. It is also a good opportunity for students to work on new material rather than get burned out on the concert music. Over the next four weeks students can use easy jazz melodies and chord changes from a fake book. This also is a great opportunity to teach drummers how to read a lead sheet and bass, guitar, and piano players to read and comp over chord changes rather than written out parts.
   When planning your improvisation lessons at this level, smaller steps will lead to greater results and a better understanding from your students. This approach should give students a firm foundation in improvisation. Continue improvisation lessons and have students work on jazz standards and study listening examples. Avoid ending rehearsals with improvisation practice; attention will wane as students tire. End class by rehearsing music and give more talented students the opportunity to solo again.          

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Standing vs. Sitting
   I am not a big advocate of sitting on stools while playing; I prefer standing. However, conductors should provide rehearsal stools for players during rehearsals that are longer than 45 minutes. Bassists rarely really sit, they just perch on the edge of a stool. Stools make it easier for bassists to remain connected with the rest of the orchestra and at eye level with the conductor and music. Band directors have similar battles with percussionists. Bassists should have a stool so they will properly pay attention.
   Bass students who have chairs available are likely to sit during rests or while the conductor works with another section. This is a really bad habit because when bass players sit on regular chairs, the high music stands form a wall over which they cannot see. Sitting bass players cannot see the music or conductor, and bassists who do this often miss out on a large portion of the instruction that the conductor is giving the group.

Instrument Care
   It makes me shudder to see bassists putting the bow in the f-hole as they carry the instrument. All it takes is for someone to bump the bow, and the whole top of the bass can be broken. The f-holes on other string instruments are too small to fit the bows, so this is solely a bass problem.
   Many students unpack their basses improperly. Before rehearsal starts watch for bassists taking  their instruments out the way a violinist does by laying the instrument down flat on its back. A bass should never be laid down; all packing or unpacking should be done with the instrument standing up on the endpin, which should be all the way in.
   I have puzzled for years about why someone would put a bass on its back before unzipping the case. I finally realized that teachers who are not bassists are teaching students to unpack the bass the way they would a violin or viola. When basses are laid on their backs, the two points of contact are the delicate back and the scroll. There never should be weight on the scroll; the neck and especially the neck block, where the neck joins to the body, are very delicate on the bass. If that neck block comes loose, it is a difficult repair.
   Another terrible habit is for the player to take the case off the instrument before removing the bow. It is easy to snap a bow in half; the bow should come out of the case first and go in last at the end of rehearsal. (This is true for cellists as well.)
   Teach students to unpack in the proper order. First stand the bass up in the case and take the bow out. Hold the bow carefully under the arm rather than putting it on a chair or stand where it can be knocked to the floor. Then take the case off the instrument.

Extra Equipment
   Some basses have a low C extension; this is an extended piece of fingerboard under the E string that extends the range of the instrument down to a C. With a fingered extension the player reaches back and presses the string with the fingers. Other basses use more complicated mechanisms with levers or buttons that the player pushes to produce a pitch. If the option is available, always choose to install a fingered extension; the ones with levers cause a buzzing sound in the string and break so frequently that the bassist will need to have a screwdriver available at all times. On fingered extensions use emory cloth to check for sharp places on the tuning gears that could cut the hand and then carefully sand them down.
   Bridge adjusters are important because bass strings are often not the proper height off the fingerboard. They are either too low and buzz and rattle, or they are too high, and young students cannot push the strings down enough to produce pitches. Bridge adjusters fix both of these problems quickly and easily. Teachers should check and make adjustments with changes of season and atmospheric conditions. Aluminum bridge adjusters are the best choice. They are lighter and transmit vibrations better than ebony or brass, which are dense and hamper the vibrations of the strings.
   Another bass-specific topic is the tuning gears. Other string players have difficulties with pegs that slip, but bassists do not have to worry about that. Instead tuning gears sometimes develop too much play. It might be necessary to turn them quite a bit before there is any adjustment to the pitch, but then there may be a sudden drastic change. This only occurs when trying to lower the pitch of a string. The tuning machine shaft the string connects to may stick for a bit before coming loose to catch up to the gear. This can drop the pitch of a string as much as a minor third.
   The proper set-up and equipment will help students play this versatile and rewarding instrument successfully. The bass provides a wonderful opportunity for students to play in orchestra, concert band, and jazz ensembles, and many particularly enjoy the physicality of playing this large, vibrant instrument. There is a special richness and resonance to the double bass. I knew Samuel Applebaum, who wrote the String Builder series of books that was introduced in the 1960s and is still in use today. He was a violinist but once mentioned that he kept a bass in his bedroom. Before going to sleep each night, he would stroke the strings for a while because nothing would ensure him a blissful night’s sleep like the deep, soothing, satisfying tones of the double bass.            

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Interacting with students
   It is an enormous adjustment for young teachers to flip from the role of student to that of teacher. New teachers are younger than most of the faculty and in high schools there is very little difference in age between them and the older students. They should first clearly establish a division between them and their students. Many young teachers talk to students casually with such terms as “you guys” or “y’all.” It will help them appear more professional to use the term students, as in “Students, we will start at letter A.” Another option is the even more formal ladies and gentlemen.
   It doesn’t hurt for a young teacher to show interest in other student activities, however. If they invite you to a soccer match, go to it. They wouldn’t ask if it was not important to them.

Provide Examples
   Teachers should provide many opportunities for students to hear what music sounds like. As students come into class, play a recording of the work that will be rehearsed that day. Many young teachers do not perform examples for students on their primary instrument, but this is an important way to explain how to play the music. If the flutes have a difficult part but the director is a trumpet player, just play it on the trumpet to model it for them. Novice directors should also pay attention to see whether the way they conduct looks like the way they want the music to sound.
   I also did a tremendous amount of recording. I used Garage Band on an iPad and often recorded and played back music. The device is small so students did not realize when it was recording. At a subsequent rehearsal, I might say, “did you hear letter J yesterday? How can we fix this?” They listened to the recording and then went back to play it correctly and record it again.

Competition and Motivation
   It is so important to have goals and personal standards. Let students feel success even if it is just making four measures sound great. Motivation comes from the podium. Students will not care about what they are doing until they know that the director cares about them and how they play. When I express how great they played, that feeling transfers to students. Students have to experience how it felt to sound so good. Then they will want to work to achieve that level again.
   I also promoted competition in my middle school band so students tried to be the best in each section. I never gave bribes; the reward was being the best. In beginning band students sat in the order that they passed certain music, regardless of the instrument section. They might sit in a different order almost every class based on how far they had advanced in the book. Students who were less advanced sat in the front where they could receive more help, and the overachievers sat in the back. It became a status symbol for the beginners. At concerts we used traditional seating and sat in order of achievement. Those who had passed the most exercises in the book sat first chair.
   Competition also provides motivation to practice. Students want instant gratification in almost everything they do and learning to play a musical instrument does not happen instantly. I have found that everybody cheats on practice records, even parents. I still believe in practice records, but students have to want to improve and master something. I have always demanded that to pass off a portion of the book, it has to be flawless. Students play exercises with a metronome or an accompaniment CD. It must be the correct tempo and in tune, or they do not pass.

Keep Everyone Involved
   At the end of every school year I gave students an anonymous survey about what they enjoyed and did not like about band. When asked how they would like the class to be run differently, they always asked if they could start music at the beginning and play straight through until the end. Students don’t like to stop and wait while the director works out a problem with one section. To keep students engaged, work on chunks of the music with everybody playing. If there is a section where the trombones struggle with a specific phrase, write that phrase out for everybody in the band. The trombones learn and fix the phrase, and everybody else participates and learns it too.
   Before introducing my sixth and seventh grade bands to a piece like Joy by Frank Ticheli, I would write a lead sheet with tricky main themes or maybe a key counter melody. I numbered the key passages and passed the sheet out, so they first mastered the parts on the lead sheet before getting the full music.
   Sometimes I made a lead sheet that was exactly the same number of measures as the piece. I would put matching melodies or key themes at rehearsal numbers. If we reached letter D and the trombones were struggling, I would tell everybody in the band to go to letter D on the lead sheet. That way the percussion or saxophone sections had something to play too and were not bored or misbehaving while I taught the trombones. Everyone worked together. It is a little more work, but how cool is it for the tubas to learn a flute obbligato section? This also allows students from different sections to practice together. I often might hear a tuba player practicing a part with a flute-playing friend after school. This also lends flexibility for concerts. For example, if the trombones have yet to master a part, you can have the saxophones play the melody from the lead sheet.
   I think young teachers have a good knowledge of music and know fingerings and rhythms. However, they do not know how to set a routine to move through a lesson and keep the pace. If students get bored, they drop out. Keep them engaged.

Classroom Management
   Directors should have a plan to manage classes. My students had set procedures for entering the room. There was a door for entering and a door for exiting. As mentioned previously, I often had music playing as they entered, frequently a piece they were going to play that day. As part of lesson preparation, I would make a CD of everything we were currently playing. Students were taught to take their seats immediately and finger their part while looking at the music. We sometimes did not play a work straight through until just before the concert. This practice gave students a sense of the flow of the piece as they listened to it from beginning to end.
   Another option as students enter the class is solfege practice. Beginning teachers often do not do this and are uncomfortable singing in front of a goup. I did not figure out how valuable it is until I had been teaching for a long time. Find a groove CD with a rhythm and a pitch, and as students enter practice with call and response. The director sings, and students sing it back. Once everybody is in their seats, the teacher plays a line, and students play it back. The director could also sing, and they respond on their instruments. From the moment students come into the room, they are involved, sit down, and are settled.
   On other days, I put up a PowerPoint of the lesson plan. Young students are always a bit chatty, but I emphasized from the beginning that “we all play together or we don’t play at all.” This meant that they did not come in and play their own warmup. Older students know how to warm up, but middle school students just play non-musical sounds, which should be avoided. Once they were seated and had a moment to read the plan, I stepped up on the podium and signaled everybody to stand. I did not say a word but waited until everyone was standing and silent. This provided a visible sign that class was ready to begin. When everyone was focused, I told them to sit and began rehearsal.
   This is a civilized way to start. Convey to students from the beginning that music is a cultured, sophisticated, and dignified activity. Do not yell and scream for attention. This approach has worked even with younger students.
   When speaking to the group, use a voice with strong volume. Often young teachers try to talk over student conversations. I just stop and look at them until they get the hint and become silent. I never yell but they have to stop talking.
   To keep students organized, I used three-ring binders that held everything they received, including music. With young students most music is one page. Have students place music on the right side and the lead sheet on the left, so they can easily go back and forth. The binder works far better than a music folder. Even notes to parents should go into the binder so they make it home instead of ending up on the floor.

Difficult Students
   I have had the best success with problem students when I deal with them on a one-on-one basis. One or two students can disrupt the class for everyone, and directors cannot ignore them. Try to figure out the best way to handle them. One approach is to call on them in class and ask them to play something, but that may just embarrass them and cause more trouble. I never wanted to embarrass a student in front of his friends because it usually leads to retaliation. I think every teacher has a student who is a pain in the neck. Each one is a problem for different reason. There may be a terrible situation at home that you know nothing about. I sometimes sent a student to my office, and we talked privately after class. Take the time to speak with them personally, but be sure to act like an adult and do not stoop to the student’s level.
   Every school has a discipline plan, and new ones seem to roll out yearly to cure all problems. These plans usually have little relationship to problems in music classes. I made my own versions: little note pads that had carbon copies and check boxes that identified the problem. Student who misbehaved would get a marked sheet to take home, and I would keep a carbon copy for reference. A parent signed the form, and if it came back signed the next day, that was the end of the discipline. If it didn’t come back in a couple of days, I would take the problem further up the discipline chain. The carbon copies helped me notice patterns of behavior. The rest of the class has to see that someone is being punished. If they see someone slip by without consequences, class discipline suffers.

Specific Instruction
   One of my rules is that when you stop a group, there should be a specific reason. To deal with a problem, give precise instruction that teaches students how to resolve the difficulty themselves. For example, if middle school saxophones are flat, I use the phrase “you need to hide in each other’s sound.” This encouarages them to listen carefully and bury themselves into a pitch that is in tune. To teach this, I tune the first chair saxophone with a tuner. Now, the first saxophone is in tune, and the second player tries to match the lead player’s sound and then the next and so on. They have to figure it out on their own.
   I like to use a motto or phrase when teaching young students because I have found it helps them remember. If you tell young students they are flat or sharp, they may not know what that means. I relate it to a pencil sharpener. If a pencil is sharp, pull it out of the sharpener. If the pencil is flat, push it into the sharpener. I also say that if the note is below the pitch, it is lower like a flat tire.
   Whenever students will not play softly enough, I tell them any band can play loudly, but only the best bands can truly play piano. I also explain that if 70 students have a section marked piano, but only a few truly play that way, it will not sound soft. Unlike other disciplines, 100% of the participants have to follow the rules in order for it to be effective. On soft phrases, you have to hear others more than yourself.
   Legato is another difficult concept to convey. Young students tend to play notes in a very separated way, so each note is its own entity. I use silly analogies to fix the problem.  I will say “we are going to play a piece that calls for a very connected sound. Play this piece as if you are holding a kitten and petting it in a smooth way.” I also do a lot of singing. Students who learn to solfege through their music tend to play more musically because they learn to connect the notes. For sections that are legato but not completely slurred, I tell students that each note should touch each other. In a marcato section tell students that none of the notes can touch.

Warmups
   I always use a warmup with everyone from beginners to college students. I often begin with concert F; in the key of Bb that is my so. I usually start with my first chair clarinet, or another student who knows how to play in tune. I use a tuner as a reference to get one person beautifully in tune. The clarinetist plays the concert F and everybody sings. Then the brass buzz while everyone else sings. Next the woodwinds play it as a whole note, and the brass buzz. Drop down to concert Bb, and ask the woodwinds to play and brass to buzz. This goes back and forth and is followed by an exercise with the brass playing instead of buzzing.
   Another warm-up option is to play a pitch, sustain it, and then point at one section to continue sustaining the note while everyone else drops out. They listen to the note, and then when the director bring the hands up, it indicates that it is time for everybody else to come in. Continue the warmup and isolate different sections in the band.
   A warmup should center on what is planned for that day. If the piece is in Eb major, then use an Eb concert scale in the warmup. If there will be work on a difficult articulated pattern, include those rhythms in a call-and-response. For example, the director might play a pattern on the trumpet and have the band play it back. If there is a rhythm that is particularly difficult, give students a rhythm card and have them all play it. I try to mix up the warmups to keep students on the edge of their seats. I never want to get things in a rut.
   I visit a lot of band rooms to evaluate student teachers. Some walk in and mindlessly have students play a warmup Bb scale. There is no attempt to assess intonation or tone quality. Nothing is addressed. There has to be a reason for the warmup that you use on a particular day. It is fun to throw things out at students before they realize that it is part of the music for that day’s rehearsal.  Then they are excited when the light goes on, and they understand the reason for that day’s warmup.
   In general, talk less and play more. Have a plan for each lesson and make sure that each element of the rehearsal has a purpose. I feel extremely fortunate to have come full circle. During my long career as a middle school band director I nurtured and guided many student teachers and music education college students through their practicum experiences. Now I am heavily involved in teacher preparation from the very beginning of the music education process. I am committed to providing the highest-quality education for my students as they prepare to step into the rewarding and challenging career of music education.      

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Other Mistakes
•    Start on time. When the bell rings, some new teachers are still in the office. Stand at the door when students enter the room and greet them. Start the class on time. If there is a tardy bell, use that as the time to start class.
•    Stay focused on specific tasks. When I step on the podium, I am here to work. Stay on task and do not ask about their weekend. Have a plan and be ready to go.
•    Speak assertively. This doesn’t mean to scare students but be very clear with directions.
•    No false starts. Don’t bring your hands up to conduct and then start talking again. When you bring your hands up, play. At a performance, do no count the band off. Position, breathe, and go.
•    Start teaching. Many beginning teachers begin classes with announcements. This leads to questions and wasted time. Save announcements until a brief break in the middle of rehearsal.
•    Stay organized. Keep all equipment for teaching at the podium. I had a workstation made from containers with little drawers that were designed to hold nails and tools. I attached several to the wall behind my podium to keep reeds and mouthpieces. Student names were on each drawer. Because many school-owned instruments were played by different students throughout the day, mouthpieces were kept in the drawers. I called it my mouthpiece motel.
•    Keep the room uncluttered. Do not let students bring all their worldly possessions into the bandroom. Keep it clear with instrument cases and backpacks kept in the instrument locker area.     

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