The Hue Flute Fantasy, the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, and the Creston Saxophone Sonata, just to name a few, are wonderful pieces that can be played by extremely talented, hard-working high school students. For those still developing their skills, however, these works are out of reach, and many teachers are at a loss when it comes to recommending intermediate literature for their students. Many state lists exist, but they can sometimes be overwhelming in their breadth. It is also the case that some lists may be updated infrequently, meaning many wonderful new pieces have yet to be added.
    Below are lists of suggested grade 3 and 4 solos for woodwinds, although these are not meant to be comprehensive. Each of the woodwinds is represented by collections and a few selections of both grade 3 and grade 4 works, except for the tenor saxophone, for which there are only collections and a few grade 4 pieces, because of a surprising paucity of less challenging literature that some composer would be wise in alleviating. It is also worth noting that much of the standard grade 3 repertoire for oboe and bassoon exists in collections, so lists of these were substituted for individual pieces. Students who primarily play bass clarinet should be directed to standard clarinet pieces, as these can be played just as easily on the larger instrument. Students should also be taught that a bass clarinetist should also be a clarinetist, just as a tenor saxophonist should be comfortable on other sizes of saxophone.

Flute
Collections
    Concert and Contest Collection, edited by Himie Voxman (Rubank). This classic collection contains many popular pieces, including works by Bach and Haydn. Young flutists of many different skill levels can find worthy material in this publication.

    Solo Pieces for the Intermediate Flutist by Mizzy McCaskill and Dona Gilliam (Mel Bay). Included here are many standard pieces for young flutist, with some written by Handel, Haydn, Mozart, and Bizet. A new edition includes an accompanying cd with a recorded piano part to aid students in practicing.

    Flute Music by French Composers, edited by Louis Moyse (Schirmer). This extremely valuable resource for advancing young flutists includes several pieces of literature that will be appropriate for students’ collegiate study. However, a few gems are included that are well within the reaches of grade 4.

Grade 3
    Menuet from “L’Arlésienne, Suite No. 2” by Georges Bizet, arr. Himie Voxman (Rubank). This classic arrangement offers a chance to play a beautiful melody from one of the world’s great lyrical composers. The range and fingering requirements of this work should be readily in the grasp of any technically sound flutist. The musical demands, however, will be difficult, forcing the soloist to play long, delicate lines and to articulate smoothly and evenly.

    Serenade by Georges Hue (Kalmus). This is an excellent, musically deep piece. While the fingering requirements are well within a developing player’s reach, flutists will have to work on focusing their sound across all registers and on playing precise articulations in the instrument’s second octave.

    The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns. This piece, an arrangement from Carnival of the Animals, is without great technical gymnastics but still offers wonderful, appropriate challenges. Long, smooth phrases are absolutely necessary for the piece to come off correctly, and students will have to work on breath control and proper support in all registers, even when playing wide intervals.

    Pastorale by Germaine Tailleferre (Presser). Tailleferre was a member of Les Six, a group of six French composers who worked in Montparnasse. This composition is a beautiful, lush work with long, tuneful lines that will be attractive to most performers. A full, round, pleasing sound is of the utmost importance with this work.

    Sonata in F Major by Georg Philipp Telemann. Without ornaments, this work can prove to be a fine first multi-movement piece for the flutist. Later in students’ development, it will also be a good initial introduction to true Baroque performance practice.

Grade 4
    Sonata in C Major (BWV 1033) by J.S. Bach. Although this is definitely a difficult grade 4, this masterwork provides a wonderful introduction to Bach’s collection of chamber music for the flute. If necessary, a student can certainly pick just one or two movements to perform if the whole work proves too challenging.

    Morceau de Concours by Gabriel Fauré (Bourne). Fauré’s great gift for lyricism shines forth in this sophisticated, late Romantic work that most students should be able to handle. This piece offers limited technical difficulties, but it must be performed with the utmost fluidity. The ability to shape an effective phrase is a skill that this work will definitely help students to develop.

    Madrigal by Philippe Gaubert (International). This lovely piece matches difficult technical passages with fluid melodic lines. A student’s sense of dynamic contrast will be pleasantly pushed by the requirements of this work, as will their finger dexterity.

    Sonata in E Minor (op. 1, no. 1a, HWV 359b) by Handel. An excellent introduction to Baroque style by a master composer, this work is well within the technical limits of many advancing performers. All movements work equally well, and the work gives chances for flutists to refine technical and lyrical playing.

    Sonata in F Major (op. 2, no. 1) by Benedetto Marcello. This work can be a great introduction to Baroque sonatas. Technical challenges are fairly minimal, with the exception of repeated, quick articulations in the second movement. This may be a perfect piece for a flutist who has a tendency to tongue a bit thickly.

Clarinet
Collections
Concert and Contest Collection, edited by Himie Voxman (Rubank). This time-tested publication includes many excellent pieces for clarinet; nearly every diligent young player should be able to find a piece that suits their skill level. Several standard works are included, such as movements from clarinet masterworks by Brahms and Schumann.

Solos for the Clarinet Player, edited by Arthur Christmann (Schirmer). This work includes a wide selection of movements from the standard literature for clarinet, including the Mozart and Carl Stamitz Concertos, the Mozart Quintet, and several works by Carl Baermann. In addition, some Baroque transcriptions are included to aid young students in studying works from diverse time periods.

Grade 3
Entr’acte from Carmen by Georges Bizet, arranged by Quinto Maganini (Edition Musicus). This beautiful melody allows clarinetists to work on phrasing, breath control, intonation, and a great many other skills. Technical difficulties are nonexistent for performers who are able to execute solid and smooth passage from note to note.

Fantasy Pieces by Niels Gade (Schott). While the finger dexterity of some of the movements of this piece may better be classified within grade 4, much of the excellent music in this piece will be playable by younger clarinetists. Beautiful, long operatic melodies reign throughout the work. This is a very pleasant, appealing composition.

Two Arias by Mozart, arranged by A.W. Benoy & A. Bryce (Boosey). This work consists of two direct transcriptions of popular arias, “Voi che sapete” from The Marriage of Figaro and “Ah, Perdona” from The Clemency of Titus. These are highly recommended. Wind players should learn to phrase as singers do, and borrowing vocal music is an excellent way to do this.

    Piece in G Minor by Gabriel Pierne (Southern). This wonderful, light piece requires precise articulations throughout the range. A beautiful, break-crossing melody in the second section is just what many young clarinetists need to develop smooth finger motion.
 
Six Studies in English Folksong by Ralph Vaughn Williams (Boosey). These classic pieces, rearranged for virtually every instrument through the years, are perfect for developing melodic and dynamic expression in developing students. Only the last movement provides a quicker pace, but the rest of the works offer wide melodic leaps and other aspects that should be practiced carefully.

Grade 4
    Four Short Pieces for Clarinet by Howard Ferguson (Boosey). An evocative work, this should be playable by any clarinetist who has a solid sound and scalar technique. Each movement has a different character, and this could make a fine recital or audition piece.

    Five Bagatelles by Gerald Finzi (Boosey). This is an excellent work that allows students to display technical achievement, while offering plenty of opportunities for the development of phrasing, sound, and intonation. This delightful piece is a difficult grade 4, although less developed players still may be able to perform one or two of the movements. This is a piece worthy of consideration for college auditions.

    Sonata No. 1 by Jean-Xavier Lefevre (Schott). This refined, classical piece offers clarinetists a high-quality multi-movement work with considerable stylistic contrast. The range is quite compact because the piece was written for an earlier precursor of the modern instrument. As long as students are comfortable in the clarinet’s range in and just above the staff, they will find success with this work.

    Fantasy in G Minor by Carl Nielsen (Hal Leonard). A student-level work by the great Danish symphonist, this is a meaty, Romantic, theme-and-variations piece. There are some technical considerations here that will push a developing student, but the piece will be well within reach with practice.

Bass Clarinet
    Concert and Contest Collection, edited by Himie Voxman (Rubank). This collection includes both transcriptions and original works. Bass clarinetists should also be encouraged to perform pieces written for Bb clarinet and to become proficient on the higher instrument.

Alto Saxophone
Collections
    Concert and Contest Collection, edited by Himie Voxman (Rubank). This publication includes a handful of transcriptions and original pieces that may be interesting for developing saxophonists. Some of the works are a bit obscure and dated today, but the transcriptions are still quite pleasing.

    Solos for the Alto Saxophone Player edited by Larry Teal (Schirmer). This collection offers many extremely effective transcriptions from a wide range of musical history, from the Baroque to the early twentieth century. A great swath of musical and technical range is present in the pieces, and this collection offers a challenge for students at many different skill levels. The publication includes works by Schumann, Bach, Mozart, and Rachmaninoff, as well as the saxophone solo from Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Grade 3
    Aria by Eugene Bozza (Leduc). This classic piece consists of long, beautiful strands of melody. While there are no real technique concerns, students must be comfortable with changing registers and playing the upper reaches of the normal range with the same beautiful sound as the rest of the tessitura.

    Vacances by Jean-Michel Damase (Billaudot). A recent addition to the saxophone’s literature, this piece is a wonderfully beautiful choice. While fingering troubles will be minimal, if a saxophonist has a tendency to bite or tense up when approaching the notes above the staff, this is an excellent chance to break that habit and play with resonance and a beautiful sound.

    Sicilliene by Pierre Lantier (Leduc). This classic work from the French tradition has a lovely, lilting melody. While technical challenges are few, the piece uses much of the instrument’s non-altissimo range.

    Chanson et Passepied by Jeanine Rueff (Leduc). The Chanson is a pleasant, slow melody that will offer challenges in phrasing and dynamic control. The Passepied, while not incredibly difficult technically, will force students to count carefully and will get fingers moving. This piece is difficult for a grade 3.

    Romance by William Grant Still (International). This all-too-often overlooked piece is another great melody. The work uses most of the conventional range of the instrument, and students must understand that all of this range should be played with a beautiful sound and in tune. True dynamic contrast should also be stressed.

Grade 4
    Suite by Paul Bonneau (Leduc) is a wide-ranging four-movement work that offers many musical and technical challenges in a fairly compact package. If one of the movements proves too difficult, it can be skipped. However, this piece, with some work, is within the grasp of many serious young players.

    Pieces Characteristiques en forme de suite No. 2 “A la Russe,” and No.3 “A la Francaise” by Pierre Max Dubois (Leduc). These two pieces, written as part of a larger suite, stand alone or with each other quite well. “A la Russe” alternates between a slow, pesante melody and some slightly athletic technical passages. “A la Francaise” is a beautiful, smooth melody that requires the performer to play with a beautiful sound across the saxophone’s range.

    Sonata by Henri Eccles, arranged by Sigurd Rascher (Presser). A transcription of a Baroque bass sonata, this work in four movements is on the difficult end of the grade 4 spectrum but is entirely performable with diligent practice. It will help immensely for students to have a steady foundation in scale work. Leaps are abundant, so this is an excellent piece to remind students to keep their fingers on the pearls and to maintain a consistent embouchure.

    Sonata by J.F. Fasch, arranged by Sigurd Rascher (McGinnis & Marx). This piece, originally for bassoon, offers an excellent opportunity to play in Baroque style. The dotted rhythms of the first movement will encourage accurate counting, and the quick movements are great finger builders.

    Sonata No. 3 by G.F. Handel, arranged by Sigurd Rascher (Hal Leonard). An excellent introduction to Rascher’s transcriptions by Eccles and Fasch (above), this work offers wonderful stylistic contrasts while still containing plenty of technical work. Rascher did not include ornaments in the piece, so students may wish to experiment with adding them in the third movement with proper guidance on style.

Tenor Saxophone
Collections
    Concert and Contest Collection, edited by Himie Voxman (Rubank). This work contains several high-quality transcriptions from the Baroque and Romantic periods that will suit developing tenor saxophonists. Highlights include transcriptions of Handel and Bach and the Piece in G Minor by Gabriel Pierne.

    Solos for the Tenor Saxophone Player, edited by Larry Teal (Schirmer). As with the alto edition, this work includes many transcriptions from a wide range of musical eras. Composers represented include Saint-Saëns, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Debussy, and Beethoven. Tenor saxophonists of many different ability levels will find excellent options here.

Grade 4
    Premier Solo by Jules Demersseman (Northeastern). This charming work was originally penned in the 1860s, in the saxophone’s infancy. It can provide saxophonists with an excellent Weber-style musical experience. There are some technical demands, but they largely consist of scalar runs and some thirds-based passages.

    Poem by Walter Hartley (Tenuto). This dark, brooding work may be very appealing to some students. The texture is fairly sparse throughout. The soloist is called upon to perform some slow leaps across the range of the instrument. The lower reaches of the tenor will need to be tamed in this piece.

    Adagio et rondo by Jean-Baptiste Singelee (Lemoine). This is an early work for saxophone, written in the 1860s. The piece has a pleasing slow movement followed by a slightly technical fast section and will be a wonderful learning experience for many players.

    Sonata in G Minor by Vivaldi, arranged by Sigurd Rascher (McGinnis & Marx). This outstanding transcription will be a good test for even advanced tenor players. The technical requirements can be challenging, but this is an appealing work that will be enjoyed by many. If the entire work proves too much, selected movements can be performed.

Oboe
Collections
    Oboe Solos, edited by Jay Arnold (Music Sales). This publication offers a large amount of high-quality literature that is well-suited for oboe players of many different skill levels. Several standard works by Corelli, Handel, Mozart, and Schumann are included.

    Solos for the Oboe Player, edited by Whitney Tustin (Schirmer). This collection includes many good original works and transcriptions for the oboe from the Baroque period through the early 20th century. As with many of the collections in this series, pieces of considerably different skill levels are found here, making this an ideal collection for most developing players.

    Various Oboe Classics for the Beginner (Music Minus One). This publication stands out for its concentration of late-Romantic and early-20th century pieces. The book contains some outstanding older music as well, and it can provide some much-needed stylistic diversity for solo contests and general growth.

    Concert and Contest Collection, edited by Himie Voxman (Rubank). While being just a bit dated, this is still an extremely valuable collection, offering many Baroque selections, as well as a handful each from the Classical and Romantic eras. Some of the other collections may be more advisable to start with, but this adds options for oboe players.

Grade 4
    Concerto in Bb Major by Tomaso Albinoni (various). This standard work offers challenges, but much of the material is based on scalar motion. It will help reinforce basics of technique that students should be learning.

    Sonata in G Minor (BWV 1030b) by J.S. Bach (Peters). This work offers more advanced students a chance to play great art music. While the technical requirements of this piece put it near the top of the grade 4 range, it should not be avoided by students with the necessary chops. This is a true gem.

     The Winter’s Passed by Wayne Barlow (Carl Fischer). This lovely work will aid oboists in developing their sound, vibrato, and breath control. The technical requirements are relatively minimal, but students will have to be careful to execute long, sweeping lines in order for the work to be effective.

     Concerto Grosso No. 8 by Handel (Southern). This work may serve as an excellent introduction to Baroque performance practice. Several of the melodic passages require a great deal of breath control. Additionally, the technical requirements may be a bit difficult without proper knowledge of scales and thirds. Aside from these considerations, however, this is an ideal work for an advancing oboist.

Bassoon
Collections
    Classical and Romantic Pieces for Bassoon, Vol. 1 and 2 by Watson Forbes (Oxford). This work offers a wealth of excellent melodies by famous composers, including Vivaldi, Handel, Beethoven, Schumann, and Dukas. The flexibility in these collections will yield worthwhile material for many bassoonists.

    Master Solos Intermediate Level for the Bassoon, edited by Linda Rutherford (Hal Leonard). The focus is most strongly on late Romantic works, including some by Weissenborn and Beethoven. Several standard solo contest pieces can be found in this collection. A CD with recordings of both the works and the accompaniment alone is included.

    Solos for the Bassoon Player, edited by Saul Schoenbach (Schirmer). Many of the solos in this work are arrangements of standard orchestral excerpts for the bassoon, yielding an exciting and educational opportunity. With this collection, bassoonists will be able to acquaint themselves with many of the most well-known melodies written for their instrument, including those by Dukas, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and even Leonard Bernstein. The variety and depth found within make this choice highly recommended.

Grade 4
    Lyric Suite by Thomas Dunhill (Boosey). This five-movement work requires a fairly large range. Fingerings should not prove too difficult, as long as students have a firm basis in scales, but articulations must be clean and clear in moving lines.

    Four Sketches by Gordon Jacob (Emerson) will certainly require some sophistication of musicianship and technique. However, it may prove just the challenge to spur a bassoonist to continue in his development.

    Allegro Spiritoso by J.B. Senaille, arranged by A. Andraud and V. Pezzi (Southern). While providing some challenges, this piece should be easily executed with firm knowledge of scales and practice. After a slow, lyrical, rhapsodic introduction, the performer is largely called upon to play various articulated scale passages. This may be the very thing to help students work on tonguing.

    Sonata in F Minor by Telemann (International). This fine piece has many tonal, technical, and articulation demands, but the musical results are well worth the work. This is an excellent composition.

    Capriccio, Op. 14 by Julius Weissenborn (Alfred). Weissenborn’s piece, in the wrong hands, could sound like a technique etude. However, with attention to musical detail, it can be a charming work that challenges young performers. A lovely B-section melody should be treated with great tenderness and care.

The post Intermediate Solo Repertoire for Woodwinds appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    For half a century, Emperata Overture has secured its place among the cornerstones of the concert band repertoire. It remains a concert and contest staple, not only across the United States but also throughout the world, being performed regularly by school, military, professional, and community bands. Highlighted by brilliant brass fanfares, colorful textures as well as his trademark odd meter rhythmic figures, it is one of Claude T. Smith’s most recognized works and preserves his legacy as a major figure in concert band repertoire. Smith’s thoughts on the interpretation of Emperata Overture originally ran in the November 1982 issue of The Instrumentalist.

    What makes for great musical interpretation is often elusive. I always like to work for the correct and most musical interpretation. At times I feel I’m very good at it, and at other times I know I have missed completely.
    When I was teaching in high school, I entered a brass choir in the state music festival/contest. We had prepared a work in great detail and were confident of our performance. The day came for us to be judged, so we gave it our best. We felt sure that we had our I, the “Superior” rating. About an hour later, one of the members of the ensemble came flying down the hall with an incredulous look on his face. He said he had seen our rating, a II. I couldn’t believe it, so I went to the festival headquarters to review the rating sheet. For sure, our rating was a II. In reading down the adjudication sheet, I saw that all areas of the performance were graded I, except interpretation. A comment at the bottom of the sheet read: “Fine brass choir and good choice of music, but I didn’t care for your interpretation.” The fact that the judge didn’t like my interpretation was a real shock, for the selection performed was one of my compositions.
    As a composer, I certainly am thrilled to hear one of my works performed, especially when all avenues of musical expression have been exhausted. I admire conductors who are masters in the art of interpretation, for interpretation is the final and most important ingredient towards the successful rendition of any musical composition.
    There will be those times, and they are rare, when the music speaks the exact concept of the composer. At such moments the precise volume is reached; the technique is flawless; and the fermata is held – neither too long, nor too short – but just right. It’s that time when both the harmony coupled with a beautiful melody cause the hair on the back of one’s neck to stand up, and the rhythm is so pulsating that it stirs one’s body to get up and dance. Truly, music should move us to respond emotionally, intellectually, and physically. These three responses ensue when matters concerning interpretation are given maximum consideration.
    Regardless of the apparent quality of any piece of music on paper, each performance determines its ultimate fate; and our judgment of the work is usually based completely on the interpretation it receives. Each individual musician, the conductor, and the composer all share in its destiny. The composer through certain signs, symbols, and words gives those involved with the creation of sound a clear set of instructions concerning tempo, volume, articulation, style, etc. To what degree these instructions are met is out of the composer’s hands once the work is shaped by the musicians and conductor even though they are obligated to honor the creator’s intent.
    Whereas the solo performer has complete control over the interpretation, in ensemble performance the players and conductor share in sensing the composer’s ideas. Because the conductor is the leader, final judgment regarding interpretation rests there. The conductor will feel free to deal with interpretation when the ensemble has complete control of the music’s technical demands. I have never heard a composition performed musically when the group has had trouble with range, technique, key, or rhythm. These considerations, plus tone and physical maturity, have a great effect on the emotional impact of the music. When these considerations are within the players’ grasp, a musical experience is possible. We must also have a meeting of the hearts and minds between the ensemble and the conductor to insure that the ultimate aesthetic experience is achieved. When sound compels us to smile, to cry, to tap our feet, while it simultaneously stimulates the intellect, then our objective has been met. If at least one of these responses is not apparent, then the presentation will have been as inspiring as the bland and sterile sound of Muzak.

The Overture
    These remarks on my work, Emperata Overture, include my views not only as its composer, but also as a teacher and a conductor. Please enter measure numbers on your score.
    The opening tempo is marked Allegro. I have not specified an exact tempo, as I feel there is reasonable latitude regarding choice of tempo. A speed of quarter note = 132 allows the melody to sing and the rhythm to have an energetic pulsation.
    In measure 9 we find the first of several asymmetric measures. The indication e = e is the key to performing these measures successfully. Proper execution is accomplished in measures 8, 9, and 10 with a constant eighth-note feel. When confronted by asymmetric time signatures, indicate the beat pattern to the performers. In the case of this 78 measure, the pattern is 3 + 2 + 2. My more recent compositions indicate all asymmetric measures with the beat pattern on both the score and parts. When this work was composed, asymmetric patterns were uncommon in band music; and I was often called upon to interpret such rhythms by letter, person-to-person contact, and by telephone. I know my wife had to wonder about my sanity upon hearing me sing and articulate these patterns by phone from coast-to-coast.
    Measure 10 begins the first full statement of one of the two principal themes upon which the work is based. Let the melody “sing.” That may seem like an obvious statement, but much of the band music I hear lacks melodic expression. Perform the melody as an eight measure phrase. Be sure the quarter note triplet is played evenly. As you know, this rhythm is sometimes given a tango treatment by being played eq>       e. At slower tempos the figure is usually rushed.
    An unusual asymmetric pattern is found in measure 17. Certainly the common pattern for 98 time is 3 + 3 + 3, but here it is 2 + 3 + 2 + 2.
The first tutti playing is heard in measure 18. At this point the countermelody in the horns needs to be brought out because it is new material. Use the saxophone cue and other cues throughout the piece, if necessary, to establish proper balance. Also, at this point, observe that the percussion are only accompanying and should not overbalance the rest of the ensemble. The percussionists playing tom-toms, bass drum, and timpani should choose mallets that will complement the ensemble. Avoid mallets that are too soft because these parts need to have a clean, well-defined sound.
    The section beginning at measure 26 presents one of two secondary themes. Be careful to balance the timbre of the clarinet and oboe. A slight crescendo in measure 26 and a diminuendo in measure 27 works nicely. Do the same when the figure repeats. Rhythmic instability often occurs in measure 28 because the players listen to each other rather than subdivide the beat and that causes a time delay between entrances. Precision is sometimes a problem in measures 34-37 as the upper woodwinds tend to rush.
    At measure 45 the third trombone needs to be very strong to bring out the pedal sound. Also let the timpani be forceful coming out of the phrase at measure 45. A crescendo by the horns in measure 48 will allow the chord in the next measure to have strength and resonance. The same is true in measures 52 and 53. Bring out the dissonance between clarinet I and II in measure 55. Following the fermata in the next measure, the chords in the lower voices need to be well spaced as indicated by the breath mark. The conductor must be very distinct with subdivision through the ritard because the timpani player often plays either too few or too many notes going into the fermata. Also, firmly conduct the second clarinet in measure 56, as these notes finalize the harmonic direction of the first part of the overture.
    The Andante introduces the second principal theme. At measure 63, I prefer that the tune be played by the solo flute. A flowing, expressive style is achieved through dynamic change and a sensitive vibrato. Furthermore, I always take a slight ritard in measure 66. In measure 70, a tenuto, or even a brief fermata, is acceptable on beat four. The oboe countermelody should highly complement the melody in measures 67-70. Here is how I would edit this phrase:

    The second subordinate theme is introduced in measure 71. This section is best performed in a rubato style. Measure 72 has a good feel with a tenuto on beat four, and I like a slight ritard on beat three in measure 74. Dictate the eighth notes in measure 76, and don’t allow the crescendo to peak too early. A tenuto in measure 80 on beat four gives the horn player the opportunity to execute a firm pickup into the solo. The conductor should allow the horn soloist to have complete freedom during the ritard in measure 86, and it may be necessary for the second horn player to assist the soloist on the final note of the solo.
    Measures 87 and 88 are among the most difficult in the entire work. A subtle clarinet attack is not easy due to the tessitura of the section. I believe the triplet is best executed when the conductor indicates each note. The next measure demands firm chords and a strong dissonance. The relief should be felt when the dissonance resolves to consonance.
    The most emotional moments of the piece occur in measures 93-104. There are several dramatic dissonances as well as dynamic changes that must be played with the proper tension and release that characterize such romantic devices. In measure 94 the ritard must be greater than the earlier statement of this material; it really is molto ritard. The impact of the bass drum and crash cymbals in measure 95 must be realized. A vital measure, one that is rarely played well, is measure 97. Here the trombone crescendo must be forceful, and the F# against the G must cry for resolution. Relief is further provided in the next measure as the tuba states the melody in its inverted contour, and the muted brass provide a subtle accompaniment. The clarinet draws this section to a close with a free variation of the theme that should be played with a relaxed rubato feel.
    The dynamic power igniting the allegro section that follows must be evident. The timpani player must not be timid with the rhythmic motif. At this point the conductor needs to guide the players through several development devices that climax in the final measures. The modulation that takes place during the sequence of chords in measures 115-119 is often played poorly. Check the accidentals closely. The beat pattern is again 3 + 2 + 2 in the 78 measure.
    The fugato, measures 123-154, is edited so the subject is always the strongest voice. In measures 134 and 142, the indication for the trill to continue for two measures is an error. The trill should cease after the first measure. Don’t let the low voices pull the tempo down during the phrase that begins in measure 147.
    At measure 155 the two secondary themes are sounded together. There is usually a tendency for the cornets to lag behind the band. I find in other selections, as well as my own, that those playing legato usually fall behind those players with staccato material when they play simultaneously. The instruments playing fp will want to crescendo through measures 163 and 164, so hold them back. They may also crescendo too quickly in measure 165 and 166.
    Balance is the primary concern from measures 167 through 180. The horns often get covered up; thus the cue again may be useful. The trombones are a vital part of the scoring, because they provide the rhythmic drive that allows the work to finish with energy and vitality. Be certain that measures 167-173 are at a true forte level of volume. The volume change to fortissimo together with the key change, the playing of the two principal themes together, and the rhythmic accompaniment all should combine to create an exciting finale.
    The interpretation given Emperata Overture or any other composition is the lifeline connecting the written page with the true concept of the music. At no time can we be satisfied with a nondescript, lackluster playing of notes and rhythm. My greatest musical thrills have been when every detail of musical expression has been uncovered. What a great opportunity we have as musicians, for we surely can affect the pulse of the human body, the thought processes, and the soul. This surely is an opportunity to savor.

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What’s in a Name
    For many composers, the task of naming a composition may be as difficult as composing the music. Titles are often a problem for me and selecting one for this work was no exception. Originally it was Overture for Winds and Percussion, but that had already been used. After many considerations, Emperata Overture seemed to be the best choice. The word emperata has no specific meaning but it is an intriguing word.

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Emperata Commemorative Edition
    In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Claude T. Smith’s Emperata Overture, Wingert-Jones Publications released a commemorative edition of the masterpiece. For information visit www.wjpublications.com.

The post Emperata Overture Turns 50 appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    The Midwest Clinic began in 1946 as a small music reading session held in Chicago. Although the scope and influence of the convention has broadened, the performance of new music remains a central part of the Midwest mission. We asked several composers to talk about their works scheduled for performance this December. We wanted to find out how they work, where they find their inspiration, and how they started composing. We received so many thoughtful answers that we have broken up the article into two parts, with a second installment coming in December.

Aaron Perrine   
How did you begin composing?
    While I always had an interest in writing music, I didn’t really begin to compose until the beginning of my sophomore year in college. I entered college as a trumpet major, but at some point during my freshman year, my embouchure changed and I was forced to switch to the trombone. I felt inadequate for a time on both instruments, but my jazz band director asked me to write a chart for our jazz ensemble. Although this piece no longer exists – aside from the lone paper copy I recently removed from my undergraduate institution’s library – I learned so much about composing from this experience and was fortunate to have a director who was so willing to encourage and foster my compositional interests.

What was the best lesson you learned about composing?
    Two things come to mind. First of all, write music you want to hear, rather than music you think others expect you to write. Secondly, because I often tend to agonize over every note, the most helpful thing I’ve learned about composing is to first focus on the big ideas – especially form and pacing – before refining all of the small details. This isn’t to say these small details aren’t important; on the contrary, these details are extremely important in separating one composer from the next. What I am saying, though, is work through the larger musical ideas first, to make sure you really have a piece of music that works.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
     The Buchholz High School Wind Symphony will be performing Pale Blue on Deep at Midwest. This piece was inspired by one of my many visits to Lake Superior. On this particular day, I was specifically drawn to the horizon; it was virtually impossible to tell where the water stopped and the sky began. More than anything, this piece is specifically based upon this idea of colors blurring into one another.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    I wish; I’d probably compose a lot more music! In general, I tend to think quite a bit about a composition before I actually write a note. I almost always have to start at the beginning of a piece, even though I usually already have a pretty good idea of what kind of music is to follow. I like my music to feel organic, and I have a much more difficult time writing music that is meant to lead into something else. I often try to devote large chunks of time to writing, rather than write a little bit each day. It usually takes me a while to immerse myself in a piece, and many days I simply do not have the time.
    I go back and forth between pencil and paper and the computer. I always sketch my ideas out on paper, but relatively quickly in the process, I begin to orchestrate at the computer (shown on previous page). I typically go straight to a full score, as I usually have a pretty good sense of the instrumentation and orchestration as I am sketching my ideas out on paper. I constantly revise my work while also pushing forward, so by the time I reach a double bar line, the music is fairly close to its finished form.

Who are your favorite composers and why?
    This is an incredibly difficult question, and the answer seems to change by day! In general, I think I am most attracted to music that I can simply get lost in. I love to analyze music, but when I’m listening strictly for enjoyment, I want to feel personally connected, and hope to catch a glimpse into the composer’s soul (as cliché as that sounds!). A few composers that come to mind (in no particular order) are Michael Colgrass, John Luther Adams, David Maslanka, Maria Schneider, György Ligeti, Igor Stravinsky, and Johannes Brahms.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    When I’m stuck, the best thing I can do is go for a long walk. Often, the solution is there all along, and it usually presents itself while I’m away. With that said, sometimes you simply have to put in the time. I have many days where I am not happy with much of the music that I write. However, I also understand these days are a necessary part of the compositional process, and without them, I’d never actually finish anything!

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    I grew up playing a lot of rock with my friends, so you’ll always find a steady dose of music from the 80s and 90s in my collection. Additionally, I recently purchased Maria Schneider’s CD, Winter Morning Walks (featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw). It’s unapologetically beautiful music, and I love listening to it, as it always makes me think of home.

    Born in McGregor, Minnesota, Aaron Perrine earned his bachelor’s degree in trombone performance and music education with high distinction from the University of Minnesota, Morris, in 2002. After his time in Morris, Perrine moved to Minneapolis and began working on his master’s degree. While at the University of Minnesota, he studied composition with Judith Zaimont and jazz arranging with Dean Sorenson. He completed his master’s degree in 2006, and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in composition from The University of Iowa, studying with David Gompper and Lawrence Fritts. One of his compositions, April, was a finalist in the first Frank Ticheli Composition Contest. His compositions for band can be found at C. Alan Publications. www.aaronperrine.com

Kari Zamora
How did you get started composing?
    I actually started composing in my sophomore theory class at Hope College. We were working on the ideals of serialism and our assignment was to create a piano piece from a tone row. As serial music is not my favorite, I thought I would make fun of the process and make mine ridiculous. Ironically, it was exactly what my professor was looking for. As I captured the style of the piece, he let me go on to try my hand at impressionism and other styles while my classmates had to try again at the serial composition assignment. This really opened the door for me to see that composing was fun. I was always a good theory student, so understanding how the parts worked helped me understand composing more.

What is the best composing lesson you learned ?
    Don’t force it. Walk away for a while if the ideas and melodies aren’t flowing and come back later in a day or in a few days.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
    I really loved one of the a capella choral arrangments of Give Me Jesus that our Hope College Chapel Choir performed when I was in college. I wanted to capture a similar feeling using strings. Many spirituals have been arranged for strings, but to my knowledge, no one had done Give Me Jesus yet. I love writing theme and variation forms so I used this for my Fantasia on an American Spiritual.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    If I’m writing entirely new material, I usually start by singing my melodic material. If it is a great singable melody, I feel it is better material to work with. If I’m arranging or writing variations, I use both the piano and the violin to generate my variants.

Who are your favorite composers and why?
    I love Vaughan Williams and Rachmaninoff the most. The way their pieces ebb and flow along with the gorgeous harmonic textures is my favorite.

What is a work of someone else’s that you think is underplayed and why?
    Liadov’s Eight Russian Folk Songs. This is a great collection of pieces with so many moods and characters. It is on our prescribed music list, but most people I talk to have never heard of it. I loved playing it and loved conducting it last year with our full orchestra at Faubion Middle School.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    Techno/electronica music – it’s just silly fun.

    Kari Zamora is currently the head orchestra director at Faubion Middle School in McKinney, Texas. Zamora received a Bachelor of Music Education from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and received a Master of Music in Music Theory from the University of Florida. Zamora composes for middle school string orchestras. She has a passion for teaching strings as well as teaching practical theory skills.

Timothy Mahr
How did you get started composing?
    During high school I was involved in arranging popular tunes of the day for our jazz and marching bands. It was fun (and illegal, I’m sure – what’s the statute of limitations on this kind of thing?), and I grew to enjoy hearing the scoring decisions I had made come alive. It was a natural leap to start coming up with my own material. I also wrote a lot of solo piano works at the time, hoping they might impress certain girls. I wish I could say I was successful with that venture.

What is the best composing lesson you learned?
    It took years for me to listen to my inner voice and start composing what I was truly hearing versus writing what I thought others expected me to create.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
    When Michael Boitz approached me to create a work for the Saratoga High School Orchestra, we noted the large number of students in his program who were within a generation of an immigration experience. I thought about this for quite some time, reading about the Asian immigrant experience in California, looking for a specific spark for the work. It became evident that the work should speak about the issue with a broader stroke. Prayers in a New Land contains a variety of musical pleas, perhaps observational in tone, that are born of the immigrant experience, and which ask for salvation. Lives are changed during immigration and the consequences ripple forward in time through generations. This shared experience should unite us, not divide us.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    Not particularly. I stay open to the initial concepts and triggers for musical ideas, and do quite a bit of improvisation at the piano, searching for those materials that seem right for the concept and hold promise for development. I work early in the morning and late at night; my day job as a professor and conductor at St. Olaf College naturally takes up the majority of my time.

Who are your favorite composers and why?
    I’m influenced by many, especially those who were masterful orchestrators – Richard Strauss and Maurice Ravel come to mind instantly. Joseph Schwantner’s take on what a wind ensemble could do got to me at a very influential time in my life. I also greatly appreciate Ralph Vaughan Williams – I grew up in Wisconsin, so I’m not adverse to “staring at a cow for forty-five minutes,” which is how Stravinsky described an RVW symphony.

What is a work of someone else’s that you think is underplayed and why?
    I’d say the Sinfonia in B Flat Minor by Amilcare Ponchielli. There is a modern edition out for this 19th century work, quite faithful to the original score, and it is just a gem. This is an original work for band by a master composer that is a fun challenge to perform and the audiences appreciate the work with enthusiasm. Most conductors don’t seem to know about it yet.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    Going for a walk, or a run if my knees will allow it. Driving alone in a car on a highway. Viewing art. Thinking about the problems right before falling asleep so that my dream state might be triggered to wrestle with the concerns. Things that help me tip over to the right side of the brain.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    Some would say it would be the quantity of performances of my own works – it would seem rather narcissistic. I learn so much from listening to the efforts of others interpreting my music.

What is your most memorable premiere?
    This will be my first premiere at the Midwest Clinic, but I’ve enjoyed numerous other performances of my works over the years. The most memorable was the United States Air Force Band presenting Into the Air! twice in one evening. Unforgettable.

    Timothy Mahr is a professor of music at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he is the conductor of the St. Olaf Band and teaches courses in composition, conducting and music education. Previous to his 1994 appointment at St. Olaf College, Mahr was director of bands at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, for ten years and taught instrumental music at Milaca High School (Minnesota) for three years. Mahr is well known as a composer and has over 50 works to his credit, many of which are published for band.

Brian Balmages
How did you get started composing?
    My main path into composing stemmed from my career as a trumpet player. Growing up, I always enjoyed playing piano and would compose freely while playing, but I never wrote anything down. It was not until college that I started to notate my ideas on paper and began writing for performing groups of which I was a member. I really enjoyed the combination of composing and performing. I wound up writing for the college ensembles I played in as well as the Miami Symphony Orchestra (I played second trumpet in the orchestra for several years) and the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra in Los Angeles. Ironically, that was a situation where the orchestra held auditions for anyone to be featured as a soloist in concert. They decided they liked the entire trumpet section and wanted to feature all five of us, but they could not find any music to perform. So I wrote a piece featuring the section and we had a chance to record it. Experiences like this pushed me into the world of composing more and more.

What is the best composing lesson you learned?
    Get a performance or recording of everything you write. I can say that I have never written something that was not performed, sightread, or recorded. I have learned so much from hearing my music played by real people. I still recall writing for a trumpet ensemble I was playing in – there were moments where I absolutely despised what I wrote – the orchestration didn’t work, the voicing was all wrong – it just was not what I was hearing in my head. But other moments wound up sounding even better than what I heard in my head. I began to catalog all of these ideas – the bad ideas went into my “do not use” bag while the other ideas went immediately into my composer bag of tricks. That bag has gotten fuller over the years, and now I feel comfortable pushing boundaries even further.

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest?
    At the time of this article, I am not yet fully aware of which pieces are being performed, so I will focus on a piece that will be premiered at the clinic. The piece is called Postcard from Miami and was commissioned by the Luis Piccinelli and the Coral Springs Middle School Jazz Band (yes, you read that correctly – jazz band!). I initially was reluctant to take the commission, but then found out it was intended to feature two dear friends of mine on flute – Erica Peel and Shivhan Dohse of In Sterio. Combine that with the fact that Luis also wanted to have Shelly Berg (Dean of the Miami Frost School of Music) on piano and Bryan Carter (drums) and the piece became tough to turn down. It is a first for me – combining my background as a classical trumpet player with my experiences writing for and playing in big bands. I am really excited about it, especially because it really pushed my boundaries as a composer and I grew a lot during the composing process.

Do you have a set routine as you compose?
    I used to have the exact same routine regardless of the piece. Then I started to realize that each piece I write is different, and sometimes that necessitates that the compositional process is different as well. As a result, I now vary my approach depending on the piece. Sometimes I sketch the entire piece by hand. Other times I go straight to the computer. And yet others, I will just sit down at the piano for an hour or two and let ideas come and go until something starts to evolve.

Who are your favorite composers and why?
    There are so many. I grew up listening to John Williams and greatly admire him. While his film scores are brilliant, I also have great respect for his ability to travel equally between the film score and classical music worlds. I am also a big fan of John Adams, Mahler, Stravinksy, and Ravel (to name just a few of many). These composers are all able to elicit an emotional reaction in me when I hear their music. They all show mastery of orchestration, harmony, melodic development, and more. I also admire how they never were content to be status quo. They all pushed musical boundaries, and Adams continues to do so.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    I find that a long walk outside can often help clear my mind. In other instances, I just need to get away from something for several days, which helps me approach the music from a fresh perspective when I come back. In both instances, I need to create space (physical and mental) between me and the music. Ideas often begin to evolve subconsciously, and I often have a renewed energy and enthusiasm for a piece when I come back to it after some time away. In other cases, I actually force myself through. I may not be proud of the music I write during that time, but it keeps me moving forward. Eventually, I find my way back on track (and sometimes even get to the end of a piece). At that point, I can revisit the section I am not happy with – often, it is easier to rework those passages when you know where the music is going.

What is the most embarrassing music that you love on your iPod?
    Tough one. I have the entire Monster Ballads album on there. It brings back great memories of high school. Every time I hear “I’ll Never Let You Go” (Steelheart), I think about driving around in a Triumph Spitfire convertible on the way to hang out with friends, before I had any real responsibilities in life.

If you have had compositions premiered at the Midwest before, what is your most memorable premiere?
    Ice Sculptures was premiered at the 2008 Clinic by the Bridle Path/Montgomery Elementary Select String Ensemble with Ralph Jackson conducting. It was my first Midwest premiere and was an extremely musical experience. It also marked the first time that I wrote for strings and piano where the piano took on an equal role. Everyone in the audience was stunned that a group of 5th and 6th graders could play so well. You could hear a pin drop in that room. It was magical.

    Brian Balmages is a composer, conductor, producer, and performer. He received a bachelor’s degree in music from James Madison University and a master’s degree from the University of Miami in Florida. Balmages’ compositions have been performed worldwide. He has also served as an adjunct professor of instrumental conducting and acting symphonic band director at Towson University in Maryland. Currently, he is Director of Instrumental Publications for The FJH Music Company Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Bob Buckley
How did you get started composing?
    I’ve always loved music of all kinds. I wrote my first piece when I was eight, and when I was fourteen our upstairs neighbor (a composer) heard me bashing on the piano and offered to guide me. He lent me orchestral scores and recordings – it was the first time I’d heard Stravinsky or Bartok or Ravel – and I was hooked! I learned to compose from studying those scores and associating what I was seeing with what I was hearing. I started writing for the school concert band and jazz band, and I’ve never stopped.

What is the best lesson you learned about composing?
    Each composition must have an overall vision – a music mode, a set of rhythms or a form – for instance. One piece that I wrote, Free Running, is made up entirely of staccato eighth notes. I try to stay away from formulas and not repeat myself – I try!

What was the inspiration and development of the piece of yours being performed at Midwest this year?
    Postcard From England was inspired by a trek across the English countryside. There are public footpaths all over the country (some of them over private land). You come across rolling hills, pretty rivers, thatched cottages, stately homes, castles, and cathedrals. Everywhere I looked I heard music, and I started jotting down ideas. At first I had a chord progression – then came the melody.

Do you have a set composing routine?
    I compose almost every day. I don’t compose at an instrument – I try to hear it all in my head and then I jot it down on score paper. Then I go to the piano to refine the idea, if necessary.

Who are your favorite composers?
    There are way too many! The two that stand out to me are Stravinsky (The Firebird; The Rite of Spring) and Bartók (Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste; The Second Violin Concerto) – probably because they were my first awakening to orchestral music and they had such a huge influence on all the music that followed. I also love the music of John Williams, who never ceases to amaze me with the incredible variety and quality if his music.

What is your approach to writer’s block?
    Answer 1: I like going for a walk, being in nature, going to an art gallery, being quiet – anyplace that I can find inspiration. I have to be willing not to think that every idea that I come up with is precious. Sometimes a great idea is on the heels of not such a good one.
    Answer 2: A deadline!

    Bob Buckley is a composer, arranger, performer, producer, recording artist, and conductor. In the pop world, he has created several albums and hit songs with labels such as CBS and A&M. The number one single “Letting Go” earned him a gold record. He was composer-in-residence at the 37th annual Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic at Troy University, Alabama where his composition Continuum was premiered. His concert music is published by Hal Leonard, Alfred Music Publishing, and C.L. Barnhouse Company.

The post The Art of Composing, A Look at Composers Featured at the 2014 Midwest Clinic appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Thomas Muehlenbeck-Pfotenhauer
University of Minnesota-Duluth
    The most common playing deficiencies in freshman trumpet students boil down to two basic things: first, poor rhythm reading skills, and second, lack of proper air flow (and this leads to all kinds of problems – playing with too much tension, funky embouchures, tight range, poor tone, etc.).
    In addressing these problems, building rhythm reading skills is easy and usually does not require major amounts of time. As a band director, I think it is important to invest in developing this skill in your students. Work on rhythm drills, such as counting and clapping, at every single rehearsal. This is especially important with middle school musicians. When I was in junior high, we did clapping and counting drills out of 101 Rhythmic Rest Patterns before playing at every rehearsal. I am forever grateful to my director (Linda Becker at Merrill Junior High in Merrill, Wisconsin) for doing this. It makes such a fantastic difference. There are many other resources for these types of exercises, like SmartMusic, but you can also develop your own based on troublesome passages in the pieces you are working on. Just a few minutes per rehearsal goes a long way.
    Emphasizing proper use of air should also be a straightforward endeavor. One quick trick I use with my students is to have them exhale before taking in the initial breath. It is a lot easier to inhale in a relaxed way if you create the space in your lungs to do so. Then, as students play in rehearsal, they should look for opportunities (such as multi-measure rests) to release the horn from the face, exhale any built up air, and take a few beats or so to inhale in preparation for the next entrance.
    I recognize the importance of teaching students to inhale in tempo when starting a piece, but I find that this often promotes breathing that is too fast, too tense, and too shallow. Students need to know what a good, relaxed, and open inhalation feels like. To get that experience, they should learn to inhale over the space of an entire measure or longer, depending on the tempo, and then work toward taking a quick breath while retaining the same feel as the longer one. This takes practice and perhaps not all students will buy into it, but the dividends are huge. There are many breathing exercises out there – the Breathing Gym series is excellent, for example – and doing one or two exercises per rehearsal is worth the time. The air drives every thing we do on the trumpet, and young players need to know that. Along these lines, I would suggest teaching your trumpet students the importance of warming up properly. A good warmup is not time consuming and will promote the use of proper air flow. It may be a challenge to convince all of your trumpet students to take the time to do a good warmup, but try to promote the idea as consistently as you can and seek out sample warmups to show them. If private trumpet instruction is unavailable for your students, then supplying them with a solid warmup that encourages great breathing habits is a must.

Michael Anderson
Oklahoma City University
    The most common problems are poor time and an uncharacteristic tone quality. Students need individual work to improve their time. They must develop an internal sense of pulse, and most students never learn to provide their own time. Instead, they rely on a conductor, a metronome, or a drummer. To avoid this, students should practice recording themselves to check their time until they develop natural time and are able to subdivide internally by themselves. To attain a characteristic tone quality, lessons with a good-quality trumpet player or teacher will help. Students also must have good ears to succeed.

Todd Kelly
Bradley University
    Two common deficiencies that I find in freshman trumpet students, particularly those who have not studied privately, are a lack of a developed sound concept, and a misunderstanding of breathing as it applies to the trumpet.
    Listening to fine musicians is an often overlooked aspect of a young musician’s musical development. A clear sound concept gives students a goal when they are practicing and performing. This is akin to putting a dartboard on the wall for them. I require all of my trumpet student to do a minimum of fifteen minutes of prescribed listening each day before they practice. It is important for students to listen to great players in all styles, including jazz, classical, and commercial. An added benefit is that students will find players they love, which will motivate them to work more diligently.
    With breathing, I find that when I ask new students to explain breathing to me, they often are unable to talk in detail about the process. I explain the following to them: First, breathing on the trumpet is an extension of the way that we normally breathe, but in a more purposeful, extended manner. The diaphragm is an involuntary muscle that controls our breathing. When it contracts (shortens), it creates a vacuum that pulls the air into the lungs. When it returns to its resting position, it pushes the air out. With this in mind, it should be recognized that exhalation is actually an act of relaxation, not work.
    I also advise students to keep thinking simple thoughts about breathing, such as the following:
    • Inhale: Let the air fall into the lungs.
    • Exhale: Release the air through the trumpet.
    • Air volume vs. air speed. It is important that students understand the relationship between volume and air speed. First, lower notes use more air, while higher notes use less air. Second, lower notes use slower air, while higher notes use faster air.
    Most incoming students have the misconception that they need to use more air and blow the air harder to play higher notes, when what they really need to do is move a small amount of fast air. Once we clear up that misconception, the student’s range develops quickly.
    To band directors who want to address these problems with sound concept and breathing, I would recommend the following: Create listening assignments for your students that are designed to expose them to the great players of the instrument (this applies not just to trumpet). Bring in as many guest artists and clinicians as possible to work with and perform with your students. Try to teach sound as you would teach a language – immerse your students in great sounds. I also would advise all band directors to take a few trumpet lessons from a nearby expert in order to better understand the mechanics of sound production on the trumpet, particularly as it relates to breathing.

Steve Leisring
University of Kansas
    By far, the greatest weakness among young trumpet players is the ability to hear what is on the page and have a strong concept of what they should sound like in recreating the sounds on the page. Students tend to be connected to what fingerings they must put down for any given notes, but there is one major step often missing: clearly hearing the desired pitch with the correct fingering.
    Technique can be learned, but all kinds of problems arise when students cannot hear the pitches on the page. The inability to hear the pitch leads to a lot of extra effort and tension in getting the notes out. Once the brain has the product correct inside, efficient use of all of mechanics, such as breathing and embouchure, come much more quickly.
    It is no surprise to me that the playing level of my incoming students is directly related to the level of their ability to hear away from the horn, and that ability seems to be increasingly rare with the average younger players. The good news is that if young players work on these skills away from the horn, their ultimate ability to improve can be exponential. Relaxation can occur.
    If I could do one thing to help my young students, it would be to feed them information about what a great player sounds like. Band directors have an incredibly tough job, trying to be specialists on every instrument and to demonstrate everything from oboe to euphonium. The problem is that being good enough to be the best possible influence on all instruments is basically impossible. When a child wants to be a great basketball player, he watches and pretends to be LeBron or Kevin Durant, not the 13th guy on the bench, even though that guy is a pro too. The greatest influence is the absolute best example that can be found. In that sense, we live in a very exciting time. Never before in history has so much information been available to so many. Young trumpet players almost anywhere can look up players like Alison Balsom, Doc Severinsen, Bud Herseth, Maurice André, or anyone else on YouTube. The best of the best is available online, and we can find examples to be given in every style and every type of sound. There is enough out there to keep the interested kid mesmerized with the possibilities of their instrument and the not-so-interested kid at least exposed to the greatness that is and has been. Of course, it would be ideal if the online material would lead students to seek out live performances, but that is not always possible. So my best advice is find exciting material and feed your students examples of excellence. It is out there.

Dale Engstrom
Fresno City College
    The deficiencies I see in my freshman trumpet students usually relate to a lack of understanding of the basics of correct playing that many of us older players take for granted. Students often worry about the wrong things, like playing fast and high. Instead, they need to concentrate on using air and focus on the quality of sound. Many of my students do not own or know about the basic method books and solo literature.
    My main piece of advice to freshman trumpet players is this: Use more air. Listen to great players to develop a correct concept of a quality sound. Listen to what’s coming out the end of that horn! Record yourself. Playing in small groups (duets, trios, and quartets) can be helpful. In such settings students can more easily gain an awareness of nuances such as matching pitch, sound quality, articulation, and phrasing. This forces students to really listen.
    I also encourage students to develop a schedule for each practice session. I provide my students a template of things that should be covered each time they practice, including lip slurs, long tones, tonguing, flexibility, and range. I always make sure to include method books, solos, and something that is really fun to end the practice session. The specifics are filled in according to each student’s deficiencies.

Robert Feller
Biola Conservatory of Music
    Probably the most glaring deficiency is the lack of knowledge of a good trumpet sound. Problems with a good sound could stem from an inefficient embouchure or just plain ignorance. If the students have never heard a good trumpet sound, how would they know how the instrument should sound?
    Listening to great soloists (there are many out there) can especially help. Adding orchestral and jazz players certainly can help too, but having someone demonstrate what a good sound sounds like right there in their presence will provide something concrete.
    In lieu of an accomplished private lesson teacher, I would tell trumpet players to listen to Sergei Nakariakov’s CD No Limit (or check out any of his performances on YouTube or Spotify) and get prepared to have their minds blown. He has conquered the trumpet repertoire, and now he is out conquering the string repertoire as well. Not only does he possess the technical wherewithal that far surpasses the needed abilities to perform those impossible violin and cello pieces on trumpet (or flugelhorn), but his sound is absolutely gorgeous throughout – no matter how difficult the music is. His approach is so darned beautiful and musical, but he makes it sound so easy. Nakariakov’s beautiful sound and command of the trumpet is something to which even seasoned professionals can aspire.

Jonathan Swygert
Mercer University
    The biggest and most common deficiencies include poorly developed and placed embouchures, lack of individual practice, and lack of sensitivity to soft or lyrical playing. To fix problems with em-bouchure, the director (who may not be a trumpet player) should make sure that the mouthpiece is above the red part of the upper lip early on. The upper lip is the catalyst for vibration, and without its presence, elements like sound, range, and flexibility are much tougher, if not impossible, to get right.
    To address the lack of individual practice, directors should help students to understand that individual practice is a required matter of routine and maintenance. Students should understand that band playing is not practice. The Concone Lyrical Studies are great for developing lyrical playing, which can counter the rough playing of marching band.

David Hickman
Arizona State University
    The biggest deficiencies I see are with transpositions and ear training. The vast majority of music major applicants cannot transpose at all, and this is a skill that should be required of all trumpet and horn players. Also, when given a basic ear training exam where single notes are played on the piano (student facing away from the keyboard), most freshman applicants cannot play back the notes correctly on their instrument. Students typically are learning prepared audition materials only, but they tend to lack basic skills needed to sightread and play by ear.
    If private lessons are unavailable, students could learn to transpose by learning to play melodic sections of their band parts in different keys. Students could be asked to play these sections in different keys individually, or as a group in unison.
    For ear training practice, the band director might devote one minute of each rehearsal’s warm-up to having the entire band play back random pitches played on the piano (or another instrument), starting with easy intervals in a given key. As the band progresses with the exercise, the pitches could be more atonal. For advanced training, two or three notes could be played on the piano at the same time, and the band may be asked to play either the top, middle, or bottom one.

Dale Orris
Bucknell University
    Generally I find that students are coming in with serious technique problems. This also tends to cause problems with sightreading skills.
    Good solutions would be to have trumpet students working from Clarke Technical Studies, Arban (technique section) for basic skills, scales, and other aspects of technique. Many high school students work on solos for district events, but they do not know their scales or other matters of basic technique.

Frank Gabriel Campos
Ithaca College
    One of the most common problems I encounter is the habit of stopping the air support between notes. Young players who see four quarter notes typically play Ta>, Ta>, Ta>, Ta>, with spaces between the notes where they are stopping or stalling the air flow slightly. In other words, they are not blowing through. Even in relatively fast passages, players tend to stop
the air slightly right before each attack. It is like tapping on the brakes between tongued notes. This bad habit is a primary cause of accuracy problems and poor sound, and it adversely affects high range, endurance, and all other aspects of trumpet performance.
    On the other hand, if a student approaches a scale more like a singer and plays Da_ Da_ Da_ Da_, it immediately sounds much better. We need to blow though and keep the air moving. A D attack is usually used for legato or smooth articulation, so we must develop a more percussive D for staccato and marcato situations. This is easily done by adding a quick attack like a bell tone. In essence, the beginning of the note should be louder than the rest of the note, just like all accented notes are. I call this approach “bells on a long tone” because in this articulation we are blowing through like a long tone and articulating using a bellish D. This is not a new articulation style, just another way to describe what the great players are doing. It is possible to use a D articulation and have it sound like staccato or marcato. Listen closely to the world’s great brass players, and you will hear them articulating this way.
    In order to play staccato with a D articulation, the important thing is that the attack must sound like a staccato attack. To produce a staccato effect, the attack is more important than the space between the notes. At fast tempos, for example, there is no space between running staccato notes, so it is the attack that makes the notes sound staccato. Staccato notes should also be open ended, not closed off with the tongue (tut) or by stopping the air between notes. To know how an open ended staccato should sound, listen to a classical singer perform. Classical singers do not completely close off between short notes, but rather suspend the air and stay well-supported.
    If there is one thing I would ask of music teachers and band directors, it is to instruct trumpet students to blow completely through articulated passages and experiment with more of a firm D rather than a T attack. Have the students play a scale as if it is a long tone, instead of a T attack, and ask the students to imagine they are denting the tone with a bell tone D attack. It will require some practice to learn how to produce a hard, firm, popping attack with the D articulation, but it is worth it.
    If students are truly blowing through and not stopping the air even slightly between notes when articulating, then everyone can hear the difference immediately. They will play more consistently, with fewer chips and clams, and they will have better overall sound, endurance, and strength because they are using their bodies more efficiently. Put the “bells on a long tone” approach to the test – you will hear the difference.

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    Diane Koutsulis is director of bands and arts department chairperson at Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nevada. She has taught at the school since 1991, the year it opened, and also taught at Las Vegas High School from 1982-1991. Her groups have performed at the Midwest Clinic, Carnegie Hall, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and two Presidential Inaugural Parades. Koutsulis was named 1999 Nevada State Teacher of the Year. She began her teaching career in Illinois and earned a B.A. from Western Illinois University and an MMEd from Louisiana State University. She was inducted into the Nevada Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2003 and became a member of the American Bandmasters Association this past year.

When you started Green Valley’s music program, what was your vision?
    When Green Valley High School was scheduled to open, they interviewed for department heads the October before the school’s first year. The principal had already been named, and he came from a school with strong athletics and academics, but a weaker music program. When I met him, I was blunt.
    I said, “I have never seen you at any event or any district music event or band performance. I see you at all the football games. I want to build this department with outstanding teachers in every area, but need to know that it is important to you to have that.” Of course, we wanted financial support, but honestly, I wanted the music teachers to know that the administration believed the program was important. We opened the school, and the principal attended everything. For the 24 years we have been around, we have only had four principals, and they’ve all been supportive.
    We have an amazing fine arts week each year in December that gives all 3,000 students the chance to see our groups play in concert. Every day at lunch that week, small ensembles and singing groups perform. It is a huge celebration of our programs. The campus is decorated to showcase music, dance, and theatre. Our art teachers throw pots during lunch. On Friday we have a huge concert.
    Our school sees the marching band all the time, but they may not see our top concert band and our symphony orchestra so those groups perform. When they first asked me to hold this event I was a little reticent because I thought the student body would not want to hear our music, but they are awesome. People from the community and school board members flock to this concert. Administra-tors from other schools come to see how we do it.
    I live in another school zone from where I teach. I went to my neighborhood grocery store the other day, and there were football players outside selling tickets. I told them that I teach at Green Valley and already bought the tickets from our football players. They asked, “What do you teach?” I said, “I’m the band director.” They replied, “Well, your band is really good, so we will let you go.” We are all extremely proud of that reputation.

Before you came to Green Valley, what had you seen at other schools that you wanted to emulate or avoid when developing your program?
    When I first came to Las Vegas, I taught at Las Vegas High School for nine years. As the name suggests, it was the original high school in the city. It had become the dinosaur school in the city, but still had a lot of pride because many governors and mayors graduated from there. Coming in from Illinois, I discovered so many existing traditions and procedures. It was almost stifling for me. One pleasure of opening a new school is having the chance to develop new traditions.
    Las Vegas has close to two million people now, but the population was 345,000 when I arrived. It still feels like a small town; everybody knows everybody. I grew up in Chicago, so I could go my whole life and not see the mayor or the governor. That is not the case here.

What traditions did you start at Green Valley?
    Our school motto is “Commitment to Excellence,” and we stress that whether in pep band or a formal concert, we always want to be outstanding. That doesn’t mean you have to play the hardest music or the latest, greatest piece. It could be a pop tune that you are playing in the stands at a football game. You always want to sound great. Our kids came from lots of different schools when we first opened, and we had no upperclassmen initially. The students were young and showed a willingness to adopt a new mindset. Some students came in with some bad habits, like walking around with half a marching uniform on, and we changed that.
    During an away football game last night we had a snafu where the lights went out in the fourth quarter for 20 minutes while the band was sitting in the stands. We talked about our reaction to that. It took a minute for students to focus. We talked about how you are always performing even if you are not playing. Professionalism is important even for a pep band in the stands.

How does your music department recruit junior high students to continue playing in high school?
    We have an event in February for all of the eighth graders and their families. Our school presents information about all of the academics and activities at Green Valley. The music students perform the Carmen Dragon version of America the Beautiful, which is very moving with 120 voices. It is a nice recruiting tool. I also go down to the junior highs regularly and feel that the most important band recruiting takes place while I am there. If someone isn’t playing by eighth grade I can’t really recruit them, but for choir the February event is important.

What are the most common questions you get from eighth graders?
    Some have a fear of marching band. At Green Valley we do not require the freshmen to march. It is their choice. There is no audition, and anyone can come out to march. This year about 30 freshmen are not marching, which is typical. Knowing that they can play in band without marching and not be penalized is important. By the time they are sophomores, they will be ready to do that.
    Some of the marching music these days is harder than anything they have played in junior high. It is a lot to ask some freshmen to memorize their music and march from point A to point B in 16 counts. I want students to feel more comfortable than that, so they are only required to march from sophomore year on. Marching band is an athletic activity too, and sometimes their bodies just aren’t ready.

What is your daily teaching schedule?
    My day starts with marching band at 7:00 a.m., and at 8:00 a.m. I rehearse with our symphonic band, the top group out of three. At 9:00 I work with the third concert group, the freshman concert band. All of the freshmen start in that band, and eventually some move into the second group and a few move into the top group. That freshman band works hard on the basics. I tell them that even though it is the third band, they have many performances and festivals and need to take it seriously. The only difference is less difficult music. Students in the third band know that I give them my full attention.
    At 10:00 I teach AP music theory. After that we have two separate lunch periods so I work with students during that time. Then my teaching day is completed. After school I have time for sectionals, and on Tuesday night we have marching band from 6-9 p.m.

How do you approach a typical band rehearsal?
    We typically start with chorales. With the top group I start in a way that solves many things quickly. We want to play in tune with each other with a nice sound. Long tones help students listen carefully and try to fit their sounds in with everybody else. Many people are taught to play using the pyramid of sound, but I think it is flawed. The pyramid of sound works great with tutti band, but if just the flute and oboes are playing, how does the pyramid of sound work? Do we really want the oboes to be louder than the flutes? Honestly, we don’t, especially in high school.
    I prefer to think of the sound as a circle. We all fit into that circle. Maybe that circle has a different color. If it is just the flutes and oboes, maybe that color is a mix of orange and yellow. Chorales and slower music help to develop a good balance and blend. Sometimes when something sounds wrong as we are playing, I make a circle using my hands and everybody knows to get back in the circle.
    Typically we will then move on to a section of a new work before going back to review at the end of the rehearsal. The biggest problem for students entering high school is that they have learned fingerings and notes but do not know how to listen closely and determine their role in the music. I will sometimes ask students: “How do you know if something is a wrong note?” They will answer, “Because it sounds wrong.” That is the right answer. Students have the ability to fix problems without my help, and at a certain level they need to take responsibility for playing the right notes in tune. I try to help them learn to do that.

What other techniques do you use to help take responsibility for fixing problems?
    With the younger group, if we are playing a tutti passage in a band work, I will ask them to play a section again and determine who is sticking out in the ensemble. When we play it again, everybody listens so hard to hear who is sticking out that no one does stick out. When they really listen, the sound improves considerably. The problem corrects itself. This technique can help with any aspect of the music that needs improvement.

What is the key to a strong concert band?
    Regardless of instrumentation or money, there is no excuse for bad sound. A band may have only 25 students in it, but it should sound like 25 students playing really well together and playing the right literature to make them sound like a fine ensemble. It won’t sound like an 80-piece ensemble, but it should sound good.
    Secondly, there is so much great literature now for our genre, compared to when I was going up. I still play transcriptions and think they are important, but we have so much music that has been written in the last 30 years that it is essential to pick great literature that will cause students to grow as musicians.

What is the greatest difficulty your program has faced this year?
    One of our struggles has been instrumentation even with 240 students in the program. From the beginning of the year we have not had enough tubas. Students quickly volunteered, which led to a tuba class with eight students that meets once a week after school.
    The tuba class is led by a young man who is a DMA student at UNLV, and he helps us with our marching band. On Friday afternoons, he comes to work with students who play other instruments and want to change to tuba. He is having a blast, and students are excited about playing tuba.

What is your best advice for new teachers?
    It is really important to continue to grow as a musician. Over the summer it is important to go to workshops. There are so many great sessions in the summer to get conducting help and classroom management tips. When I go to the Midwest Clinic, I never miss a concert because I think it is important to hear this music performed live, not just on a demo recording.
    When you graduate from college, that is when you know everything. You are ready to conquer the world. Then you start teaching and you realize, “I know nothing.” I think it can be great when people wait on graduate work until they have taught for a few years, because then they really know what they need to learn. My advice is just to keep on learning all the time. Once you start teaching, that is when you really figure out what you need to learn.

What makes teaching fun for you?
    I am married to another educator, and he taught history for many years and is an administrator now. I always felt bad for him. He taught U.S. History and loves it, but every year he would teach the same material. It is not likely that early U.S. History is going to change. In the same way, the basics of teaching music are all the same, but every year I get to play whatever music I want. I do not have to repeat anything. Every year is fresh and new, and that is what keeps it really interesting and fun.
    At an early October football game, some teachers from the other school came to see me. They were my former students. I looked at them and said, “I am just too young to have taught you.” I think something about working with young people keeps you young and active, as long as you love what you are teaching.

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A Raffle Changes a Life
    My parents are immigrants from Greece, and there are Greek churches all throughout Chicago. They have these food festivals all summer long. Some raffle off cars. When I was 21⁄2 years old I won a Lincoln. My dad had put my name on the ticket. My parents sold the car right away. They were middle class and had just bought a Ford Fairlane. When I was six they bought me a Baldwin Grand Piano. It is amazing that they thought it was important to have in my life. My mother felt it was going to elevate our social status. I often think about that car and how it changed my whole life. We have a Greek church here that recently offered a Mercedes. I didn’t win, but I still keep buying tickets. I owe so much to my parents. They are not musical in any way, but they saw the value of music in our society.

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