Lesson #1 ­– Love is really all there is.
    Every other emotion and response is fear that can manifest itself as anger, rage, insecurity, hate, bigotry, war, and pettiness. Every soul has value and every student is loveable. Mallory Thompson of Northwestern once told me, “Your students don’t have to love you, but you must love them.” Even though we encounter some angry and even hostile students, there are loveable human beings inside. This concept continues to be a struggle for me, but I constantly try to look for the good in all students. To share the full gift and beauty of music with them, I need to approach students each day with a sincere intent and an open heart.
    I have also learned that while not every student is good at everything, most are good at something. I have learned to use their strengths to help them improve their weaknesses. Love sometimes means being disliked in the  short term to do what’s best for the student. It sometimes means showing strength and tenacity. Teaching at its core is the giving of one’s self.

Lesson #2 – Follow the bank account model for student relationships.
    Another great teacher, Allan McMurray of the University of Colorado, first introduced me to this way of looking at relationships with students. The bank account approach treats every positive comment or compliment as a deposit and every negative one as a withdrawal. The goal is to keep the account in the black with students.
    I try to save up because inevitably I will make mistakes in front of groups and have to call upon the goodwill banked over time. Everybody loves an honest compliment. A deposit can be as small as a quick nod or smile or an inquiry about another class. The size of the deposit matters less than the frequency and consistency.

Lesson #3 ­– Look inward for answers.
    When a problem occurs in my classes, I need to look inward for the possible cause and solution to the problem. This is true whether the problem is musical or not. I ask myself how I would react to the similar situation and how I might have caused the problem to occur. I also think about how to remedy the situation.
    It is a hard lesson to learn that when a  group behaves and plays well, it is mostly because of you. When things go awry the director is also usually to blame. Certainly administrators, parents, and testing schedules can all add headaches, but only the director stands in front of the group before every rehearsal. Armed with the infinite power of music, you can turn a difficult situation into a powerful lesson for students. Conductor Larry Rachleff once told me, “If you want to teach better students, make the students you have better.”

Lesson #4 – Keep practicing and everything else with take care of itself.
    I learned this from my first college trumpet teacher, Richard Kerber. In the first couple of years in college, I was able to make money playing every night but worried what the future would bring. This comment helped to refocus my efforts on becoming the best musician possible.
    Since that time my goal has never been to win awards, attain recognition, or make a great deal of money. It has been to become a better musician and teacher every day and to make music at the highest level possible with as many people as I can. Everything else has taken care of itself.
    The importance of ongoing growth in life should not be overlooked. Becoming a father had nothing directly to do with my work, but it has made me a better musician. I often watch a video I own of Bruno Walter talking about how difficult it would be to conduct Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony without ever  having seen a meadow or a brook. This sentiment holds a great deal of truth. As teachers, we are always setting expectations to help students improve but sometimes forget that we also have to take risks to become better musicians.
    Occasionally, the journey has obstacles and difficult moments. I remember how lucky I am to do something each day that I love. My mother toiled for years at barely tolerable jobs so her four children could someday have the opportunity to do something better. I never take that sacrifice for granted.

The post Learned By Heart appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

When you make a mistake, glare at your neighbor.

Each brass player should drop a mute during a rehearsal at least once a week.

Drummers should drop at least one snare drum stick per rehearsal, preferably letting it hit the drum on the way down.
At least one item should be left on the marching practice field after each rehearsal.

Never have a mute available when  the music actually calls for one.

Never sit at the front of the bus on trips.
Walk in step with your friends in the hall whether they are in band or not.

When not performing, store your uniform in the back seat floorboard of your car.

Never be the first one to arrive before a practice or performance.

In marching band trumpet players should play the last high note longer than the rest of the band.

Never put your name on your instrument case.
Make a major musical mistake the day before a concert and tell the director you’ve always played it that way.

In marching band trumpet players should play melodic lines an octave higher when possible and even when it’s really not.

Stay in the bandroom for as long as possible after school to prevent the director from going home.

Drummers should play by memory as much as possible; music is optional.

Always knock before entering a practice room. (Someone may actually be practicing.)

Abandon your school locker and keep everything in your instrument storage cubby hole.

Only clean your instrument once every three to five years.

Keep the director updated on every fashion trend he violates.

Don’t pay attention to announcements.

When you think the director is mad at you for something you have done, go to see him and take at least one friend for moral support.

Wind players should strike a percussion instrument whenever possible.

Sustain injuries at the worst possible times.

Ask for a new reed on the day of contest.

When you have a substitute, play someone else’s instrument or play your own in the most offensive way possible.

Never let a band director know you think he is funny. It only encourages more stupid jokes.  

The post The Unwritten Rules appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Prairie Wind Ensemble
Music and Art Concert

    Art Show by Newell H. Long (Presser). For the first movement, “Grand Opening Fan­fare,” we showed photographs of various well-known art museums other than the Louvre, which was featured later in the program. Movement two, “Rectangles of Color,” with Homage to the Square and Star Blue by Josef Albers; Composition in Red, Black and Gray by Piet Mondrian. The third movement, “Noodle Descen­ding a Staircase,” was inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase. For movement four, “Mobile,” we showed a variety of mobiles by Alexander Calder. Movement five, “‘Pop’ Art On An Easel,” featured miscellaneous pop art works by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol; and movement six, “Polacca di Pollock,” was works by Jackson Pollock. The final movement, “Collage,” was accompanied by a rapid-fire display of famous works.
    Scenes from the Louvre by Norman Dello Joio (Hal Leonard). We used the first movement, “Portals,” to show exterior shots of the Louvre. Movement two, “Children’s Gal­lery,” included pictures of children. The original music was meant to depict paintings of the children of King Henry IV in the Grand Gallery. For movements three and four, “Kings of France” and “The Nativity Paint­­ing,” we used paintings of royalty in the Louvre and the birth of Christ, respectively. Movement five, “Finale,” brought the piece to a close with a shots of the museum’s most famous works. A good webite that includes information about the music is .

    Art in the Park by Robert Sheldon (Alfred). Movement one, “Le Cycliste,” was in­spired by cubist painter Gino Severini, while movement two, “The Shadowed Stream,” was inspired by the art of John Singer Sargent, who painted in the aquarelle style. Movement three, “Excavation,” was in­spired by Willem de Kooning’s sgraffito style of painting, and movement four, “Transfiguration,” showed a representation of the great Raphael’s chiaroscuro style.

     Pablo by Richard Meyer (Alfred). Movement one, “Blue Period,” featured Picasso’s Old Guitarist, Le Gour­met, The Tragedy, and La Celestina. For movement two, “Rose Period,” we showed the Harlequin Family, Harle­quin Family with An Ape, La famille de saltimbanques, Boy with a Dog, and Girl with a Goat. Movement three depicted Picasso’s cubist works, such as Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Gurenica, The Guitar Player, Girl with a Mandolin, Portrait of Wilhelm Uhde, and Portrait of Ambrose Vollard.

The post Musical Portraits appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Posture
    Before playing the instrument a beginner should learn to sit with a straight back and toward the front of the chair. Some teachers believe that the feet should be even with each other, while others instruct that one foot should be placed slightly ahead of the other. This is essentially a matter of comfort. All teachers agree that both feet should be flat on the floor with more weight on the balls of the feet than on the seat of the chair.      Students should feel as though they could stand up at any moment. With their weight on the feet, students will play with a straight back and avoid the tendency to slouch or lean back.
    The legs should exert a gentle pressure against the cello, which will naturally lean toward the player’s right knee. Cello teachers disagree about how much endpin to extend, but the best distance is where the student can play comfortably without leaning back or slouching. Even though good posture calls for a player to sit with a straight back on the edge of the seat, this should be a relaxed position in which the student’s arms feel free. Students with unnecessary tension in their playing position commonly hold their shoulders up high and grimace as they play, but good cello posture should be relaxed and not cause discomfort.

The Right Hand
    The basic right-hand technique is best learned without the instrument, using only the bow at first. The thumb should be placed under the stick between the frog and the grip and arched so that the hand forms a backwards letter C. Teachers should check frequently that the thumb is bent properly because this is crucial to a good hand position and is difficult to see as a student plays. The middle finger should be opposite the thumb; if the stick were not there, the tip of the thumb would touch the first joint of the middle finger. The tip of the second finger should extend back to the silver ring on the frog. (Cello fingers are numbered differently than for the piano because the thumb is not numbered. The first finger is the index finger, the second is the middle finger, and so on.) The first finger then rests on the stick right next to the second finger and contacts the wood between the first and second joint.
    If the thumb is bent properly, the opposition between index finger and thumb will grip the bow firmly enough to apply bow pressure on the strings when playing at the tip. The third finger covers the mother-of-pearl or dot, and both the third and fourth fingers rest behind the second finger and should curve over the stick rather than rest on top of it; these fingers help to guide the bow. When learning this position, place the turning screw on top of the right knee so the bow points upward at the ceiling and the hand position can be seen clearly, especially where each finger is placed in relation to the others. Watch for the natural tendency to bunch the fingers too closely together.
    After learning the proper position, students should practice the bowing motion first on the left shoulder so that the danger of the bow dropping from its own weight is eliminated. This fear of dropping the bow often causes students to grab and grip the bow rather than holding it in position. Instead of gripping the bow like a vice, students should think of holding a ripe peach with the thumb applying some pressure but not enough to squeeze juice from the fruit. A gentle, relaxed hold on the bow will produce a bigger and fuller sound than a tight grip.
    The next step is to draw the bow on an imaginary cello. Check that the fingers are curved and that the bowing motion is fairly straight. The stick should be tilted slightly toward the body, which adds slightly more sound and increases flexibility.
    Finally students are ready to bow on open strings while the left hand simply rests on the left knee. Gradually add simple rhythms from any of the basic Suzuki tunes. After a student learns one rhythm, move on to a different pattern on a different string to teach how to change strings in a rocking, teeter-totter motion.
    Good tone on the cello involves several sophisticated concepts that are best developed later; keep things simple at first. The early lessons should focus on bowing midway between the fingerboard and the bridge, even though much later players will learn to play at various points on the strings. Demonstrate at the first lesson the good sound produced by a straightly drawn bow in contrast with the unpleasant sounds that a bow drawn crooked will make; it may help to demonstrate a wretched sound played with a crooked stroke to show what to avoid.
    The bow should always move parallel to the bridge, a concept that becomes complicated because there is a different plane for each string and accordingly, a slightly different motion to keep the bow parallel to the bridge. For example, a player will draw the bow out and away from the body on an A string down-bow, but the bow should be closer to the body on a C string down-bow. It is easiest to teach this by demonstrating how the bow should move on each string.
    A useful game is for a student to examine a teacher’s bow on the string and examine it as it is placed, correctly or incorrectly, and then adjust the teacher’s arm if necessary to make the bow exactly straight on the string. To practice straight bow strokes, students should simply place the bow straight at the frog and then at the tip, and then draw the bow from the frog to the tip to learn the path in a connect-the-dots manner. It helps for beginners to watch the path of the bow in a mirror. The mirror should be placed to the left so the edge of the bridge is clearly visible. It might help to use both hands and finger a note while drawing the bow; otherwise a student could play the exercise well with the left hand at rest but draw the bow poorly when the left hand is added.
    The weight of the arm should transfer from the shoulder down through the arm and to the bow, but students occasionally collapse the wrist so that it sinks below the bow or lower the elbow beneath the bow, especially on an up-bow. The weight of the arm will in-evitably sink to the lowest point, which should be the bow, but a poor position with the wrist or elbow below the bow disrupts the proper transfer of weight. If a student is told to raise the right elbow, the natural tendency is to raise the right shoulder as well; teachers should stress the distinction between moving the elbow and moving the shoulder. Raised shoulders are generally an indication of tension and should be avoided.
    In addition to playing halfway between the bridge and fingerboard, beginners should also initially play with the middle part of the bow instead of drawing full bows. Beginners also tend to press too hard with the bow and draw the bow too slowly, both of which produce a scratchy tone, so tunes with faster rhythms work better than whole notes at the start. Students should work up to playing with full bows.

The Left Hand
    A difficult problem for beginning cellists is the wide spacing between the fingers of the left hand in contrast to violin or viola hand positions. The spacing in the left hand causes many young cellists to struggle with intonation. Teachers are divided over whether to use tape to guide finger placement for beginners; some find it helpful while others argue that students should learn to find the proper position without stickers from the beginning. In either case students should learn to adjust their fingers based on what they hear instead of visual guides as soon as possible. If used, tape should mark the positions for the first and fourth fingers.
    Many problems stem from the distance between notes played by the first and fourth fingers; notes played by the fourth finger tend to be flat. Students often place the first finger incorrectly because they take it for     granted, but they should learn to hear the whole step difference between the open string and first finger. It may help to mark the third finger position so the half-step distance between third and fourth fingers is close enough.
    The left-hand fingers should arch slightly. Flat fingers should never be used, and only the fleshy part of the tip should contact the string. The proper finger position enables the arm to add pressure for good contact on the string. Flat fingers, sometimes referred to as collapsed fingers, have less power in contacting the strings, and the tone suffers. Short fingernails are essential because long fingernails interfere with the contact between the fleshy tip of the fingers and the string.

The Left Thumb
    The placement of the thumb greatly affects proper hand position. Whether in standard first position or in an extended position, the thumb should always be placed opposite the second finger. If the neck of the cello were to disappear as a cellist played, the thumb and the second finger would touch. It may help young players to think of the thumb and the second finger as friends who always stay together. The thumb should be arched and contact the back of the neck of the cello, never wrapped around the neck like the thumb of a guitar player because this would disrupt the balance of the hand. Although the thumb remains in the same basic position at all times, it should be mobile and slide easily from one position to another. A rigid thumb causes students to struggle with shifting and tends to clamp the hand to the fingerboard.
    Even if a beginning cellist applies all of these techniques properly, a faulty left-arm position will cause problems. Most beginners allow the left arm to droop down when the hand is on the fingerboard, but this hinders the movement in shifting positions. Beginners should strive to create a gradual slope from their left hand extending out to the elbow. The left arm should not be perpendicular or parallel to the floor; halfway between is best.
    After students learn the basic position they are eager to play a tune. To avoid confusing the techniques used by each hand, they should start with pizzicato. For pizzicato the right thumb should rest against the fingerboard above where a player would bow, and a song such as “Hot Cross Buns” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb” works well to start. With a piano accompaniment the tune will sound great and give the student a sense of accomplishment. Although the techniques involved in cello playing may seem complex and overwhelming to beginners, with careful instruction and a watchful eye toward common pitfalls, teachers can develop talented cellists and preclude later difficulties in playing.  

The post First Lessons on Cello appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

1. Improving that First Sound
    When teaching beginners to get that first sound, use the headjoint only. This allows them to experience success without the awkwardness of holding the entire flute. Many important skills can be developed using the headjoint, such as tonguing and blowing with a strong air stream. Fun activities with the head joint include exploring the variety of sounds that can be produced, like making glissandos and covering the open end with the palm to produce a low pitch. With the headjoint alone, students can also play several scalewise pitches by inserting the right index finger into the open end of the headjoint. This technique makes three-note songs, such as “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” possible.

Lip Plate Placement
    For good tone, the embouchure plate (or lip plate) should be placed just below the flare of the lower lip, covering approximately 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 of the tone hole with the lower lip. Players should be able to feel the edge of the tone hole under their lip. This position enables flexibility of the lower lip, which controls the angle of the air stream. Students with full lips having difficulty with sound production can place the lip plate slightly higher directly on the lower lip. Traditional methods of placement, such as “kissing” the tone hole and then rolling, tend to place the lip plate too high for most players.

Air Speed
    A consistently strong, fast air stream on all notes, both low and high, is necessary for a good sound. I like to use the analogy of using birthday candles – the speed of air must be fast enough to blow out birthday candles.

Forward Tonguing
    Teaching students to tongue as if spitting a grain of rice is an articulation method that helps students blow a strong air stream through a small aperture. This type of tonguing produces tone that is strong and full without the usual airy sound that results from an air stream that is too wide. This method of tonguing is sometimes called spit rice tonguing, Suzuki tonguing, forward tonguing, or French tonguing. Sometimes it’s helpful for students to think about touching the tip of their tongue to the top lip to start each note. When they are successful, a small pop sounds as the air is released.

Students with Braces
    Most students figure out ways to adjust to braces, but those who have difficulties getting a sound might try flute pedagogue Patricia George’s method. She recommends putting layers of masking tape on the part of the lip plate that rests against the chin. This builds up layers of tape to compensate for the changed blowing angle caused by the dental hardware. Two layers of masking tape might help some students, while it may take up to six or more for other students.
    After the number of necessary layers is determined, trim the masking tape neatly to the shape of the lip plate.

2. Second Octave Notes
    Producing notes in the second octave is sometimes difficult for beginners. Because most of the first and second octave notes have the same fingering, the second octave is produced by changing the angle of the air stream with their lower lip. Have students start the high note with the syllable pooh, as in Winnie the Pooh. This may cause some giggles, but that’s part of the fun, and the silliness helps players remember how to start high notes. Pooh pushes the lower lip forward, raising the angle of the air stream, which is then directed across the tone hole rather than down into it. Remind students to use strong “birthday candle” air, which they should already be using on low notes.

3. Right Hand Position
Arched Fingers
    Not all hands are the same shape and size, so it is important to teach a hand position that maintains the natural shape of the hand as much as possible. Right-hand fingers should be arched in a position that is natural to the shape of the hand,  so that the pads of the fingers are on the keys, not the tips. This natural position allow the fingers to move freely as they change from note to note. 

Using the Right Thumb
    The right thumb does not need to be under the flute tube. Yes, you read that correctly: The right thumb does not help hold up the flute. It serves as an anchor for the fingers and a point for balancing the flute. Flutist and Oberlin flute professor Michel Debost describes this hand position as pulling a book off the shelf with the book laying sideways.
Many students tend to play with the right thumb too far forward, which  cramps their fingers and hinders their technical facility on fast notes.
    To find the optimum hand position for each individual, ask students to stand with their right arm relaxed and  hanging down at their sides. Without changing the shape of their hand, have them lift and rotate the right forearm until it is parallel to the ground with the back of the hand facing the ceiling. Place the ring, middle, and index fingers on the last three keys of the flute’s center joint, and bring the thumb up to the flute while maintaining the arch of the fingers. In most cases, the thumb will fit into the side of the tube rather than under it. This is good and should be encouraged (see #4 below), because the right thumb does not help hold up the flute.

Lateral Position of Right Thumb
    Laterally, the right thumb goes on the back of the tube under the index or middle finger or somewhere in between, depending on the shape of the student’s hand.
    To determine lateral placement, have students pick up a soda can with their right hand, as if they were going to take a drink, and check the position of the thumb relative to the index and middle fingers. The lateral position of the thumb on a soda can is the most ergonomically correct for the shape of the hand on the flute. 
    Encourage players to keep the thumb as straight as possible (not bent at the joint) and discourage hitchhiker’s thumb, where the thumb is stretched to the left of the fingers along the tube.

4. Balancing the Flute
     Rather than teaching students how to hold the flute, Patricia George advocates teaching them how to balance the flute. The most important support and balance point is the left-hand index finger, which holds the flute up and pushes toward the flutist’s chin. The right thumb helps balance and stabilize the flute by pushing it gently away from the player and counterbalancing the left index finger (when positioned on the back side of the tube rather than under it). This counterbalance stabilizes the flute so that it doesn’t roll toward the player when lifting the thumb key for notes such as C. 
     Band method books often introduce C5 and D5 as two of the first notes that students learn. However, those fingerings require switching from using just two fingers (C) to using almost all the rest of the fingers (D) – a very awkward motion for beginners. When the flute is well balanced, the tendency for it to roll in when switching from D to C will be avoided.

5. Music Stands
     Because the flute playing position is asymmetrical, reading music on a music stand requires a different setup position than that for clarinets or trumpets. When possible, each flutist should have a music stand, as well as ample lateral space between chairs. Players should face the stand and then turn their body and/or their chair 45° (1⁄4 turn) to the right. Their body should remain properly aligned with shoulders above hips rather than twisting at the waist. If they were to lift their left elbow, it would be pointing directly at the music stand.

6. Teaching Correct Fingerings
     There are several fingerings that are frequently fingered incorrectly. Most common is second-octave D and E flat – the left index finger should be lifted. According to George, it helps to think of the left index finger as an octave key. These notes have a muffled sound when the finger is not lifted.
     Fingerings for third-octave notes can also be a problem because students soon discover that they can overblow the lower-octave fingerings to produce a third-octave note. The overblown version of the note suffers in tone quality and intonation and should be corrected.
     Correct fingerings for the high octave are produced by venting at least one tone hole from the second octave fingering. Learning the similarities and differences between the two fingerings helps students remember the fingerings more easily. Band directors should periodically check on the following third-octave fingerings:

D – right hand fingers are off, and the right pinky is down
E flat – all fingers are down
E – left-hand 3rd finger is lifted
F – left-hand 2nd finger is lifted

Students should also learn correct trill fingerings, some of which are intuitive, but many that are not. Easy-to-read trill charts are available free on the internet:  and . 

7. Playing Dynamics
     When flutists try to play softer by blowing less, the pitch becomes flat.  To change dynamics without affecting intonation, players must change the air stream angle while maintaining a consistently strong and fast air. For soft dynamics, the lower lip moves forward, even with the upper lip, so that the air stream is blown across the tone hole.  Less of the air goes into the tone hole, resulting in the softer sound. Because the air stream speed is the same as for other dynamics, the pitch is not affected. To start a note softly, use the syllable pooh with a strong air stream. Conversely, for loud dynamics, the lower lip moves back, so that more air is directed down into the tone hole.
     For crescendos, the student starts with a pooh attack with lower lip forward and gradually pulls the lower lip farther back to lower the angle of air while maintaining the same speed air stream. For diminuendos, the lower lip starts back so that the air is directed more of downward angle and gradually is pushed forward to raise the air stream angle.

8. Tuning Effectively
Tuning Notes
     Before adjusting the headjoint position, try several different tuning notes.  Because low notes tend to be flat and high notes sharp on many flutes, students should tune notes in various octaves for an accurate reading of the overall intonation. I suggest using a tuner with D5 as well as A4 and A5. Because more keys are closed on D than on B flat, D is a more stable note. The pitch of B flat is too easy for students to alter with slight changes in blowing angle.
     When students play with a strong and consistent airstream, the overall intonation of most flutes is best with the head joint pulled out 1⁄4". Many students fail to pull their headjoints out far enough, which results in an extremely sharp high register.
     After tuning the flute, mark it with a fine point permanent marker to help students position the headjoint consistently. Matching marks can also be made on the headjoint and receiver for proper alignment of the center of the embouchure hole with the center of the first key. 
     For the best intonation, stress the importance of pulling out and aligning the headjoint consistently, even when practicing or playing alone.

Checking Head Cork Position
     At the beginning of the school year and on a periodic basis, it is a good idea to show students how to check the cork position in the closed end of the headjoint. This is done by inserting the flat end of the tuning/cleaning rod into the open of the head. There is a line inscribed on the tuning rod approximately 17mm from the open end; this line should be in the exact center of the embouchure hole. The scale of the flute is affected when the line is not in the correct position, causing some of the notes to be out of tune. 
     When the line is higher than the center, show students how to lower the cork by unscrewing the crown one or two turns and pushing on it until the cork moves and crown snaps back into place. When the line is lower than the center, students can push the cork to a slightly higher position with the flat end of the tuning rod. Check the new position of the line on the rod and repeat as necessary.
     Sometimes corks refuse to move and may have been sealed in place with wax. In that case, consult a flute repair technician. The same is true when a cork moves too easily; it may have shrunk due to age and will need to be replaced.

9. Intonation on Individual Notes
     After carefully tuning a flute, as in #8 above, students should learn that there are other methods of adjusting pitch besides pulling out or pushing in the headjoint.

Airstream Speed
     Slower air speeds lower the pitch, and faster air speeds raise it. Students should learn to play with a strong, consistent air speed and avoid the natural tendency to blow harder or less. Blowing softer for low notes makes them flat and listless, and blowing harder for high notes makes them sharp and shrill. Teaching students to blow at a more consistent speed helps them play better in tune throughout the range of the flute.

Embouchure Hole Coverage
     For a good tone, the lower lip should cover 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 of the embouchure hole. Covering too much lowers the pitch, while covering too little raises it. Students with flat muffled tones tend to cover too much of the tone hole, while students playing with sharp, bright, unfocused tone tend to cover too little.  The keys of the flute should be parallel to the floor in order to develop consistency in the set up of the embouchure and tone hole coverage. 

Airstream Angle
     Lowering the angle of the airstream lowers the pitch, and a higher air-stream angle raises it. Flute students should understand that the angle of the air stream affects intonation, as well as the octave. As in octave placement, the lower lip controls the angle of the airstream: when the lower lip pushes forward, the angle of the airstream raises, as does the pitch.
     To flatten the pitch players can also lower the chin slightly, and conversely, raise the chin a bit to raise the pitch. These two methods are preferable to rolling the flute in or out, which affects the tone quality.

Posture
     Good posture is an essential component of good intonation. Bending or twisting at the waist disrupts the airflow, causing pitch to go flat. Also, the chin should remain level with the eyes looking directly forward. Encourage students to adjust the height of their music stands for good posture and to  sit near the front of the chair; this eliminates the temptation to drape the right arm over the chair back.

10. 3rd Octave Alternate Fingerings
     There are several useful alternate fingerings for high register notes that help bring the pitch down. They are easy to remember because they are so similar to the primary fingering.

High E: omit the right pinky
High F: add right ring finger
High F#: use middle right finger, instead of ring finger
High A flat: add right middle and ring fingers, which also reduces the note’s resistance. It is also the primary fingering on piccolo. 
tudents in both tactile and optic models. The appliqué is easy to install and helps students to find the correct touch points for notes on a 4/4 violin or 14” viola. For more information go to www.daddario.com.

The post 10 Flute Tips for Band Directors appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Capturing Video Material
Into A Computer
     After recording the video, you have to move it from the camcorder into your computer, a process called importing or capturing video. Capturing video into a computer is similar to dubbing videotape into a VCR. It is a four-step process: connect the camcorder to a computer; prepare the computer to capture the video; hit the play button in the camera; and wait for the material to pass through the cable into the computer. All of the different capturing programs show you the material as it is being captured to the computer. The capturing process takes as long as the length of the video material you want to capture. For example, if the movie is 15 minutes long, it will take 15 minutes for the video to go from the camera into your computer.
     Importing video from miniDV or DVD cameras with iMovie involves the following steps.
     1. Connect the camcorder to the computer with a FireWire or USB cable. A FireWire cable is the preferred way to import video into computers because it produces the best results. If the camcorder has a FireWire port and the computer does not, you may want to consider buying a $20 FireWire PCI card for the PC. Mac computers generally include a FireWire connector.
In some cases you may also have to buy a FireWire cable to connect the camcorder to the computer if the cable did not come with the camera. If you buy one, be sure to bring the camcorder to the shop and show it to the store clerk so that you get the right connector size.
     2. Open iMovie in your computer.
     3. Go to File>Import from Camera. A new Import window will open.
     4. Find the spot at which you want to start to import video. Switch to Manual mode on the screen. This will show the camera control buttons on the screen, i.e. Play, Stop, Rewind, and Fast Forward. You can then control the camera with those buttons.

    

    If you click the Play button in iMovie, the camera will start playing the inserted videotape and the computer will show the images on the screen monitor of the iMovie window. Rewind or fast forward the recording until you find the beginning of the video.

     5. Click Import. Once you find the beginning of the material you want to capture, press the Import button that appears on the screen monitor and choose an appropriate name for the event, such as the name of the student, that you will import.
You will see the captured material as it is being imported. A new event will appear in the Event Library after you click the Stop button.

Working With Clips
     Set aside some quiet time to begin the process of capturing the material into your computer. It is useful to create separate events of each work or piece in the recorded material. Later you can rearrange the order of the music, trim unwanted material from each clip, and insert titles and transitions.
     iMovie lets you create separate events by clicking the Import and Stop buttons on the iMovie Import screen at the beginning of each clip. You can also capture an entire recording as one large event and later split it into smaller clips. The Help section of the program will guide you through the process.
     In the examples to the right, two events of a student piano recital appear in the Event Library in the lower half of the computer screen. If you drag your mouse over the clips in any of these two events, you will see and hear a playback of that clip in the iMovie monitor screen.

Trimming Clips
     The process of getting rid of unwanted portions of material is an important step in editing. In the example of the piano recital, the teacher may want to get rid of false starts, the applause of the audience, or the time it takes a student to start a piece after he sits down on the piano bench.
     There are a few different ways to get rid of unwanted material in the original clips. The easiest way is to select the portion you want in the Event Library by clicking the beginning of the desired portion and dragging the mouse to the end of the desired portion. The selected region is highlighted in yellow in the example on the the previous page. You can then move that portion to the Project area to start building your movie.

    The Event Library (bottom half of screen) has two events. Event “Vikki” is currently selected. You can watch Vikki Chen’s performance in the monitor screen by dragging the mouse over the clip in event “Vikki.”

    A protion of the clip has been selected (it is highlighted in the yellow frame) and is ready to be moved to the Project area in the top half of the screen.

    The name of the performer and the piece have been added over the clip in the Project area.

Building A Movie
     Once you capture and trim the clips, you can start building the movie. This is an easy process with iMovie. Simply drag the clips from the Events Library and drop them into the Project Library area in the order you want them to appear in your movie.
     To watch the new movie in portions or in its entirety as you build it, simply move the mouse over it and click the Space bar.

Adding Titles and Transitions
     Editing programs let you add titles and transitions between clips. In the example of the student recital, a teacher could add titles to identify the name of each performer and the piece he played. Transitions help to avoid any sudden shifts between one clip and the next. Typical transitions used for movies are the cross-dissolve, the fade in, and the fade out.
     iMovie includes many types of still and animated titles in different fonts and colors, and several fun transitions add variety and excitement to movies. These tools and others are available by clicking the Titles and Transitions buttons located under the monitor screen in the iMovie window.
     Titles can be added at any point inside the clip and later easily edited in length or appearance. You can also control the timing, size, color, and other parameters of the titles. The Help window of iMovie offers detailed information about how to use these features. As with trimming, everything you add to a movie can be changed or returned to its original, unedited state.

Saving The Movie
     iMovie automatically saves all your clips and events. The saved files are viewable only in iMovie; additional steps will need to be taken to format the movie for the web. 

The post Creating and Editing Your Movies appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

1. Attend every single faculty meeting. During the first week of my first teaching job, the school principal offered to excuse me from after-school teachers’ meetings if I had scheduled a band rehearsal. He also excused the coaching staff from meetings.
    At first I was delighted to avoid sitting through these sessions about curriculum, school dances, and discipline problems. My attitude was that I was the band director, and what I did was entirely different than what everyone else did.
    Two months later I realized there were teachers in the hallway whose names I did not know, and I felt like a stranger in the teachers’ work room and lounge. I changed my rehearsal schedule to accommodate the meetings and immediately felt more engaged as a school faculty member. Getting to know my colleagues and learning more about the difficulties they faced gave me an entirely different perspective on the culture of public school education.

2. Eat lunch with fellow teachers, not alone in the band office. Walking to the school cafeteria and having lunch with other faculty is a great way to get to know your colleagues, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to educate them as to exactly what you do as a band director. If possible, occasionally stop by the teachers’ work room or teachers’ lounge to meet faculty who you don’t see at lunch. The objective is to get to know every faculty member by name, the classes each teaches, their hobbies, or favorite sports teams. You want to be able to have a meaningful conversation with each colleague.

3.  Get to know administrators. I made a point of speaking to both the principal and assistant principal at my school every single day, and I kept them apprised as to every aspect of the band program. At meetings I shared contest and festival comment sheets and recordings with them. I wanted them to understand that these adjudicated performances were valuable educational opportunities for the band members and also improved my teaching. I wanted it to be clear that these activities were educational and not about winning trophies.

4.  Volunteer to monitor a study hall or cafeteria, or accept hall duty to increase your visibility. We all know directors who find ways to get out of these responsibilities, even though volunteering is a good way to demonstrate to your colleagues that you pull your share of the load. Most schools require teachers to do these types of activities, so there is no reason why a director should not. I viewed these assignments as opportunities to recruit. In some years I recruited nearly the entire flag line for marching season from students who were in a study hall I monitored or met while I was on cafeteria duty.

5.  Devise creative ways to collaborate with other faculty. One obvious way to include other faculty in band activities is to occasionally program music that parallels material being studied in a class. If the school’s history classes are studying life in early America, have the band perform a concert featuring early American folk music. Prior to the program, attend the classes and talk about the composers and arrangers, and share some background information about the pieces being performed; be sure to invite the class members to attend.

6.  Talk to history teachers and offer to give an occasional music history lecture to their classes related to material they are studying. Music can bring history lessons to life. Providing your knowledge as a guest lecturer will give other faculty members and students a chance to see you in a different way – as a scholar in addition to being a conductor and performer.
    Collaborations with English teachers can be exceptionally interesting. If a class is studying poetry, offer to present a songwriting workshop. There are several ways to do this, even if you are not an accomplished songwriter. Pick an existing piece of music and ask the class to write original lyrics, or create song-writing teams of musicians and nonmusicians. You can expand the idea even further by teaming up with an English teacher to write an original song. Students and teachers will enjoy any of these experiences, especially because most people are fascinated with the art of songwriting.

7.  Build good relationships with the athletic de­partment and individual coaches. Far too many schools foster a band versus sports mentality, fueled by the attitudes and egos of band directors and athletic coaches. Each group is often overly concerned with protecting its turf. It takes work to build relationships where well-established divisions exist, but it is possible.
    Some obvious ways to foster good relationships are to volunteer to work at sporting events, perhaps as a ticket taker or scorekeeper, and invite coaches to distribute programs at band concerts. A small ensemble from the music department might perform at athletic events, such as for important games against school rivals where bands are usually not present.
    In return a coach could bring his team to a band concert or competition. I fondly remember an im­portant marching competition where one of my bands earned top honors. Cheering the band on were students and coaches from nearly every fall sports team, including members of the football team who attended wearing their jerseys.

8.  Think of creative ways to include administrators and faculty members in the band’s performances. Art teachers might welcome the idea of displaying their students’ work at concerts, and English teachers might appreciate an offer to include original poetry or short-story readings between music selections at your next concert. Your principal or superintendent might be interested in taking conducting lessons from you, followed by a spot on the next concert to conduct a march or the school fight song. 
    The most enjoyable concerts that drew the biggest crowds for me, were those that included faculty performing in the band. Once I realized that many teachers had some level of band experience and would enjoy sitting in with the band on a selection, the rest was easy.
    A few weeks prior to the performance, I issued an open invitation to all teachers to perform a selection with the band. It was safest to program a fairly easy piece to get certain important faculty members to participate. I can still recall the smile on the football coach’s face as he made his concert debut playing the triangle. No doubt, every person in the standing-room-only auditorium that night still remembers it, too.
    When forging relationships, never forget the non-teaching school staff. Get to know the school office staff because these people are of great value in preparing concert programs, helping in various public relations efforts, and making contacts with community leaders and various businesses. It has been my experience that long-time school secretaries literally know everyone in the school and community.
    Always remember, however, that any working relationship is a two-way street and that secretaries often need help. If you see that the school secretaries are overwhelmed with phone calls or student requests at a certain time of the day, offer to help by answering the phone or checking in late students.
    Develop a solid relationship with school guidance counselors and meet with them to learn about graduation requirements and college admission standards. Most directors know the frustration of learning that a valued student musician does not have time in his schedule for band because of another class he has to take. It is important to work with your students to plan their class schedules so they stay in band throughout high school. You might even consider inviting a guidance counselor to address the band each year to discuss scheduling strategies.
    Get to know the school custodians. My students and I took pride in the appearance of the band room and appreciated the custodians’ extra efforts to keep the area in great shape. Students had to reorganize the band room every day after rehearsal – every instrument and every music stand had to be in its place. It was small gesture that the custodians appreciated because they did not have to pick up after students or move band equipment. We also communicated with the custodial staff in anticipation of parent meetings or special guests in the room. Ultimately, they took as much pride as we did in having the space polished and presentable.
    Some of the most valuable people in a school district are the bus drivers. I always tried to find drivers who were genuinely interested in the band and routinely bought them admission tickets to every event we traveled to. I also impressed on students the importance of cleaning up the buses at the end of a trip as well as always thanking the drivers for their time.
    Many students developed friendships with the drivers and even began to ask certain ones if they were going to drive to upcoming performances. Over time, many drivers stopped requesting payment for their services, and some accepted payment and then donated it back to the band. Regular drivers truly became part of our band family.
    On one occasion when the high school marching band played on the field as part of opening day ceremonies at a local minor league baseball stadium, the band was allowed to select someone from school to throw out the first pitch. The choice for this honor was an easy one: a veteran bus driver who had driven the school’s sports teams and bands around the state for almost 40 years. Nearly every bus driver in the school district was in attendance that day to see this gentleman throw that pitch.
    One of the most memorable – and meaningful – performances of my life was a command performance at the request of a high school principal. It took place several years ago when I had the good fortune to work with a dedicated group of young people who had just won the school’s first major marching band championship. The principal, who attended that day, asked if the band would perform the competition show the following week for the entire student body. 
    The performance was an unforgettable experience for everyone. As the band marched into the stadium, I saw the packed stands and realized the band program was truly an integral part of the life at this school. Everyone was there – the entire student body, administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, office workers, coaches, custodians, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers – to see the band. The school building was basically empty. All of these people were in that stadium because of the pride they felt in the band. Everyone shared in the thrill of the band’s achievement.
    Band directors whose top priorities include creating programs that are visible beyond the music department and building strong relationships with school colleagues can have a similar outcome. Understand though, it does not happen overnight. The command performance I described was years in the making.
    One of the most important ingredients in this effort is sincerity. There has to be a genuine, heartfelt interest in building strong, positive relationships with other school colleagues, which is difficult considering the day-to-day challenges that consume most directors. After the work that goes into creating the high-quality performances that earn first-place awards and superior ratings, it is important to remember that years from now, memories of personal relationships and the music that was the basis for them will be just as important – perhaps more important – than those trophies and ratings.
    In many ways the true measure of a strong music program can be defined by the strength of the relationships that were forged during the program’s journey to success.     

The post The Universe Beyond the Rehearsal Room appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

How long does it take to develop a championship show?

When does the corps start learning the show on the field?
    At the end of May everyone moves in for our spring training or pre-tour period – a very intense three to four weeks. Although some students will leave for a few days to attend high school graduation or other conflicts, the pre-tour period lasts into mid-June. We rehearse up to 12 hours a day in three blocks of time each day at that point, putting together the show and determining what works in the music and effects.
     Most of the show is designed well before we see it on the field, but some aspects develop later. We build the show in layers, beginning with the music and drill. Then we think about other movements or sounds that will enhance the effect. We might think about a movement or a color that would work particularly well.
    When the middle of June arrives, we head out on the road and a bus seat becomes home until the end of DCI in Indianapolis. During the summer there are 25 to 30 performances in a 55-day period. The Vanguard performs every other night in a different town, 250 to 500 miles away from where you were the day before.
    The days on the road pass quickly. The most difficult stretch is the period after move-in when players learn the show. By the last week before the first show, everybody wants to get on the road.
On show days we might roll into a town at 4 a.m. with everyone sleeping on the bus. Everybody will sleep for a few additional hours in a local gym before starting a three-hour morning block. There is also an afternoon block and then the performance in the evening.

How much is the show adjusted during the summer?
Tweaking goes on all through the summer. You might even have a rewrite of music or the drill. It is difficult to make changes on a show day, so most of these occur on the long rehearsal days. It helps to schedule a few days with no performances about a third of the way through the summer and again at the half-way point. These breaks allow us to assess how the show is progressing. By July and August the work involves cleaning and adjusting rather than redesigning.

How difficult it is to earn a spot in a drum corps?
    The general perception is that it is really difficult. Many students see a drum corps show and doubt they could ever make it. Thankfully, we have 150 players in our organization who didn’t believe that. There are many variables that go into the audition selection process. Talent is one of them.
    Most of our players are first- or second-year college students, but about 20 percent are high school students who have had better training than the average high school student. Many have taken intense private lessons and are not intimidated by the number of students auditioning.
    Many players want to be in a drum corps but lack confidence or don’t know how much work is involved. This year we had three applicants for every spot. There are many high school students who check out our auditions and see what they need to improve in the next year or two. To anyone thinking about joining a drum corps I would say, you don’t have to be a superstar, but you have to work hard.

What aspects of drum corps surprise new members the most?
    Although our organizations are large, navigating the entire season requires considerable self-reliance. Drum corps gives students an opportunity to test their limits and see how good they can be at something. We provide organization and structure to each day, but success with 150 members requires tremendous concentration. Our players have to show a sustained willingness to work hard and improve.

What common difficulties do students encounter during the summer?
    Players arrive with experiences from all types of backgrounds and for many, social skills might be the greatest initial weakness. The intensity of the work and the weeks away from home can be surprising at first. Students learn quickly that they do not have the unlimited freedom that exists at home. They cannot take out their cell phones on the football field or talk to their friends all day. There may be days when they don’t talk to anybody outside of the drum corps because there simply isn’t time.
    Students play and receive instruction every day, not just on the music for the show but also a number of pocket tunes and patriotic numbers. We like to throw music in front of them that they may never perform to keep their skills up. Even though we memorize the music, it is always in their backpacks in case they have to document a phrase change or other adjustments.
    Over the course of the season, students develop physical and mental endurance as they learn how to make friends and work with some really good players. They develop into stronger individuals. Occasionally we have players who have never even been in a marching band, so it takes some time to catch up. There are also so many variations in marching techniques around the country that you can never assume new members know the right way to execute certain moves with the corps’s specific method, style, or technique. With detailed instruction everyone catches on quickly.

What are your duties as CEO of the Santa Clara Vanguard?
    I oversee the entire organization, which includes two drum corps, the world class Vanguard and the open-class Vanguard Cadets. These two corps have 150 and 100 members respectively. We have have a world champion winter colorguard with 21 members and six dance programs for children as young as age four through teenagers. We are considering a winter drum line in the future.
    We act as a supplement to school music programs in Santa Clara County. In California there are many school budget cuts going on here and that holding true in the current difficult economy. There are some high schools in California that have no instrumental music program at all. If students cannot participate in music at a school, we provide an opportunity for them to perform.

How has the economy affected the current season?
    We are very careful in scheduling our events for the summer. Our members pay a fee to participate in the Vanguard, and it is important that the cost is reasonable while still covering our activities. Many of our students travel to camps by plane or car, so careful thought goes into scheduling camps to minimize costs. Because the corps travels all summer, we are affected by changes in fuel prices.

What are the most important administrative aspects to building a strong program?
    Students in any organization, whether a drum corps or a high school band, are your customers and you want them to have a good experience. You make sure that they have the best facilities and eat well. A summer with a drum corps means players will work harder than they ever have in their lives. It is incumbent upon administrators to design experiences that help students learn about themselves and how to deal with other people.
    It is a big team of 150 students plus the staff, so these young adults have to learn how to coexist and learn to rely on themselves. In some ways drum corps resembles an Outward Bound experience with instruments. They are out there working, hard rain or baking heat. Surviving these obstacles shows how hard you can work. Administrators have the dual task of making the current year memorable but also thinking about where the program should go in the future.

How important is marketing and community relations to a drum corps or school program?
    From a marketing perspective you have to be open to helping other organizations and teams. I assisted at Prospect High School in the Chicago area for almost 25 years and was always impressed by the strong relationships between directors and the football coach, drama teacher, and others. I also learned that if you get an opportunity to play in a parade or to tour local junior high schools, it is a cool way to give students extra chances to perform. I realized that you are always recruiting students and fans for your program.

What is the most important lesson that high school directors can learn from drum corps?
    The most important lesson is to develop a strong work ethic. You have to walk in with high expectations and frequently think of creative ways to help every student learn. Younger instructors sometimes have to become more varied in their teaching ap-proaches because students will learn concepts in different ways.
    Many students in the Vanguard and the Cavaliers are going to be band directors, and I advise them to maintain the same standards of excellence that they learned on the field with the corps. Certainly a drum corps might have a higher skill level and much more time to practice, but the pursuit of excellence is the same.

How has drum corps changed since you first joined the Cavaliers in 1973?
    The front ensemble has been a spectacular addition for making drum corps more musical and attracting more outstanding percussionists. We did have marching xylophones in the 1970s, but there was inconsistency between organizations about whether these instruments could be used. There were even marching timpani for a while in an effort to bring that sound to the field. The front ensemble offers another dimension to the music and that is still developing. Surprisingly, the change has raised the level of musicianship, not only with the battery but also with the brass.
    The addition of B-flat brass was also more significant than anyone realized at the time and opened the door to more students. Previously players had G instruments that were unfamiliar to many. When the corps went to B-flat instruments in 2000-01, an entire level of intimidation went away and more students wanted to join a corps. I actually opposed the change at first, but the benefits became obvious almost immediately through improved musicianship and more applications.
    The quality of percussion instruments has also improved over the years with benefits for all types of ensembles. During the season drum corps provide a lot of research and development for percussion companies. The wear and tear on our instruments has helped companies to improve drum heads and change the shape of some instruments.
    We are headed into another new area this summer with the addition of electronic instruments. Three years ago amplification was allowed for the first time and now synthesizers and other electronic instruments will be part of the mix for the first time. We are all walking a careful line to see how to add these new sounds to enhance the presentation. I expect quite a bit of trial and error.
    From my perspective, it is essential that any new instruments complement the music. This year, we are performing the Ballet for Martha, the Copland piece that inspired Appalachian Spring. We are trying to add piano and synthesizer in an appropriate way that improves the program but does not dominate.
    In some ways this change is as important as the addition of the front ensemble, and it might take some time to determine if the experiment is working. The drum corps folks are very mindful of their fans but also of the need to keep moving forward. In drum corps, status quo is moving backwards.                

The post Tradition with Innovation, An Interview with Jeff Fiedler appeared first on The Instrumentalist.