I expected to have another year before becoming a band parent. When my stepson came home with a flyer announcing a chance for 4th and 5th graders to try instruments, I knew that the future had come early. In the days before the tryout I received various bits of advice.

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    An artist by definition uses a medium to express something – generally an emotion or reaction. This form of communication is unique as practiced by musicians and visual artists, particularly in a world that emphasizes verbal and written communication. As musicians, we call ourselves artists, and indeed we are. Growing up, I was a quiet student who preferred to remain unnoticed and was known as the smart, but silent girl to most of my peers. Looking back, it is no wonder that I gravitated toward music. My clarinet became the medium through which I could communicate with the world around me, allowing me to express myself without using my voice.
    One of the more jarring aspects of becoming an ensemble director is your evolving identity as an artist, particularly if you no longer play your primary instrument as often (if at all). As a conductor, you play the band or orchestra, guiding the whole rather than just one part. However, it can be easy for conductors to lose track of the biggest opportunity we have to practice our artistry as musicians – literature selection. I have been guided by some of the most nurturing and motivating mentors in our field. Although each had different perspectives and strategies, the most important lesson I learned from all of them is that as a music educator, conductor, and scholar, I still have an artistic voice. This voice is put into practice when selecting the program for an ensemble and is one of the most sacred aspects of a music teacher’s job.
    As conductors and music educators, our art lies in our programming. What you choose to have performed; the order you choose to perform it in; the time, date, location in which it is performed; and political and cultural context in which you choose to perform it all have implications for expressive meaning. We have a responsibility not only to select music that will be performed well, but also to select music that will impart knowledge to the performers and audience and (perhaps even more importantly) to select music that reflects our beliefs. Those beliefs could be anything from the universality of folk songs to varieties of pain to American influence.
    Problems arise when you find yourself choosing works in a non-artistic way. When I started teaching, my colleagues and I would often rationalize our literature selection in these ways, thinking:

    This will show off my clarinets.
    The judges will love this.
    I played this in college.
    This composer is the latest trend.
    This composer is a classic.
    We’ll sound better than other bands because this has a bunch of fancy rapid runs.
    This will be easy to teach.

    This is not to say that none of these reasons are valid, but I think many reasons such as these are used without being backed up by a sound artistic philosophy. When repertoire is selected in this manner, we do a tremendous amount of damage. Not only are we selling ourselves short as artists, but we also impart a pseudo-artistry to the performers and audience. The implication is “this is good enough.” We unintentionally cheapen what we do. We, the performers, and the audience are so much more important than that and deserve more.
    To give more, it might be time to reevaluate how you select music. As you listen, research, and study, consider what the piece and composer are expressing and whether it is done well. Is the music something you would listen to for fun and worthy of everyone’s time? If it fits these criteria – and will generate artistic growth for all involved – program it.
    Literature selection is a challenge at every level, but teachers with limited resources probably have it the toughest. It is easy to feel that having an artistic philosophy seems like a luxury only available to wealthy schools or those working in higher education. On top of this, in many places, teachers have to select music from a prescribed list for contests, while worrying about judges, parents, and administrators, not to mention dwindling budgets and limited instrumentation.
    It will take channeling your inner artistry and creativity to put together a beautiful program despite the obstacles. Michael Colgrass, reflected on this concept when he wrote about his experience composing the work Old Churches (written for middle school band), stating, “every composer knows that writing music within strict limitations is stimulating to creativity.” I would add that every music educator that is obligated to program within strict limitations has the opportunity to engage in similar creativity. Such creativity could manifest itself in any number of ways. It could be applied by finding an alternative way to work when construction has obscured you usual route, or finding recipes when you are put on a new diet. It could be applied to writing a grade three concert band piece with genuine artistic merit.
    My teacher Eugene Corporon and I were chatting in the car on our way from a rehearsal in Dallas a few years ago, and I asked about his literature selection process. He often makes sudden changes to his planned program, but he has good reason for being picky and insistent. To paraphrase his response, “I only have a certain number of pieces left in me. The ones I pick need to be worth my time.” This is a worthy sentiment for everyone to adopt. Life is too short to teach and perform bad music. It can be a tall order to find those pieces that will show your students what artistic communication through music is, but that is why it is so important. You are more than just a music teacher going through the motions.  You are helping to maintain the open dialogue of musical expression that we have been having as a human race for thousands of years. Don’t forget to be an artist – we need you.    

Source
Composers and Children: A Future Creative Force? by Michael Colgrass (Music Educators Journal, vol. 91, no. 1, 2004, pp. 19-23).

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Ranges
    It is essential to pick music with ranges that are suitable for the age and experience of the group. When working with fourth and fifth graders, Ken Phillips, Professor Emeritus at The University of Iowa and an award-winning researcher and teacher in the area of child and adolescent vocal pedagogy, recommends a range in music from D4 to D5, although their tessitura may extend below C4 and up to E5 or F5. Some fourth and fifth graders with considerable singing experience might be able to sing in a healthy and free manner above D5. It is best for students to stay above middle c while in elementary school and even more preferable that they stay in the staff because students tend to use a loud, harsh, and strained sound when music stays in a range at the bottom of the staff.
    Middle school and early high school ranges can be quite challenging due to changing voices. The male voice change makes picking literature particularly difficult due to often limited ranges and tessitura of the singers. The cambiata, which means “changing,” voice has a narrow range of approximately G3-G4 ,and the tessitura is often smaller. This limited range eliminates much literature, as the tenor part in an SATB is often too wide, the baritone part of an SAB piece goes too low, and the alto part of an SSA piece goes too high. Composers and arrangers have written with these students in mind, either three-part mixed SAC (part three is limited to a range for cambiata voices) or SACB. The three-part mixed repertoire meets the needs of the cambiata; however it creates a two-fold problem. To keep the range high enough for the cambiata and part one have a wide enough range for the melody, part two often has a limited range, sometimes as small as a third for the entire song. This limited range is not ideal for developing female voices. Conversely, the range of the changing baritone/bass voice differs from the cambiata, and the range for part three is often too high for these students to sing comfortably.
    Phillips shows the range for a changing baritone as D3-D4 and recommends music be in a tessitura of G3-D4. Although this fits within the part-three range, it does not account for the E3s and F3s often written in the music or that these singers will consistently sing at the top of their range in a part that could cause them to strain. Although most students singing bass in choir will eventually be considered baritones, a few may be true basses. Phillips describes the range for the changing bass as Bb2-F3, then possibly a gap and they can also sing from A4 to C5. He encourages a limited tessitura of C3-E3 for these singers, which is far below the requirements of three-part mixed music and too limited for the wide range of SAB music and most bass parts of SATB literature. Even if the students can sing higher than the E3 Phillips suggested, singing SAB and three-part mixed music proves difficult as it often requires singing around middle C, a note many singers may not have at this point in development. Even if they do, it would be a strain to sing it on a consistent basis.
    Female voices at the middle school and beginning high school level also change. Because their vocal folds are not lengthening as much as the male folds, the changes seem less dramatic. However, there are significant changes in the timbre. A student with a changing voice will often have a breathy sound as their vocal folds are thickening and do not completely come together when vocal production occurs. Finding Ophelia’s Voice by Lynn Gackle, is a wonderful resource on the female changing voice.
    At the middle school level, Phillips recommends a tessitura of D4-D5 for girls, although their range should be around Bb3-F5. However, with coaching, girls might be comfortable singing higher than D5 by eighth grade. With this limited range, Ken Phillips, long-time choral music education professor Judy Bowers, and others recommend not labeling sopranos and altos, but rather having the girls switch between melody and harmony on each song. This allows all girls – and boys with unchanged voices – to explore their range through the high notes in part one and lower notes in part two as well as learn to maintain a harmony part.
    In high school, the ranges become a bit more distinct. According to Phillips, soprano ones have a range of Eb4-Bb5, soprano twos from C4-G5, alto ones from A3-E5, and the rare alto twos from Gb3-Db5. High school tenor ones have a range of D3-A4, the tenor two from Bb2-F4, the baritone G2-D4, and the bass E2-B3. Because ranges are wider, SATB literature works well, and a large amount of SSA/SSAA and TTB/TTBB music can be programmed.

Voicing Selection
    Based on knowledge of the students’ ranges in an ensemble, decisions can be made on the voicing of the literature. For inexperienced choirs, beginning with unison melodies provides opportunities to develop a beautiful tone using the head voice, unification of vowels, phrasing, and many other fundamentals for quality singing.
    Once students have gained skill singing in unison, Judy Bowers’s hierarchy for independent singing provides a great resource for the progression of difficulty in the addition of parts:

    1. Sing a melody (middle school mixed choirs: find phrases that fit each section, adapt treble music, sing as SATB).
    2. Add an ostinato (rhythmic, melodic).
    3. Use partner songs.
    4. Add a descant.
    5. Sing chord roots.
    6. Add vocal chording. For a I-IV-I-V progression, part 1 sings sol-la-sol-sol, part 2 sings mi-fa-mi-re, and part 3 sings do-do-do-ti. 
    7. Sing phrases or sections of a round.
    8. Sing rounds and canons.
    9. Sing transition pieces These will have elements from above, such as ostinato, descant, partner song, canonic entrances, and call and response.
   10. Sing songs with parts for two to four voices.

    It is often assumed two-part, homophonic music in thirds is easiest to sing. However, based on Bowers’ hierarchy, it is actually the most difficult, as the second part is attempting to sing something that follows the same rhythm and similar contour but is not a melody.
    There are many two-part partner songs (two independent melodies that work well when sung together) that are quite effective for introducing harmony. Several standards in the choral repertoire include Al Shlosha by Allan Naplan, Dodi Li by Nira Chen, arranged by Doreen Rao, and Bashana Haba’ah arranged by John Leavitt. All are all Jewish pieces in Hebrew, but phonetic pronunciations in the octavo make teaching the language less challenging.
    Middle school literature again presents the problem of limited voice ranges, especially in the male voice. Often, teachers will continue to program two-part literature due to its simplicity; although the boys in the ensemble often cannot sing some of the notes in the part. The better choice is a separate part for the boys, whether that be SAB or three-part mixed where the third part has the limited range for the cambiata voice. These present a challenge, as middle school baritones might struggle with the third part of three-part music, and cambiata voices might not have the lower notes written in SAB literature. Bowers suggests revoicing literature to accommodate these limited ranges. It also provides a way to address the balance problems that come with having far more girls than boys in a choir classroom.
    Bowers recommends taking SSA literature and revoicing it with a middle school boy’s voice in mind. The girls will be split evenly between all three parts, and the unchanged male voices will sing one of the three parts with the girls. Cambiatas will be placed on a part that stays around middle C and with a tessitura between G3 and G4, often the alto part at pitch or the melody down an octave. Basses will be placed on a part that stays mostly around C3-E3, which again could be the alto part down an octave or perhaps the soprano two part down an octave. When revoicing the bass part, avoid creating a false bass line. If necessary, rewrite the ending pitch so the bass ends on tonic. 
    Below is an example Bowers recommends using when revoicing three-part treble music, taking into consideration the male unchanged, cambiata, and changing bass voices. The soprano one part, when taken down the octave, revolves around middle C, making it ideal for the cambiata voice. The melody in the soprano two part stays below middle C when dropped the octave, but does not go below a D3, which will be more comfortable for a changing baritone voice.  Finally, the alto two part sits above middle C and may be good for unchanged male voices or the tenors comfortable singing higher in their range.

    High school literature varies depending on the group. An all treble freshman ensemble with little experience might need to start with unison pieces or partner songs to build skills. A freshman mixed ensemble may have boys still in the midst of their voice change, requiring revoiced literature similar to the middle school ensemble. SSA(A) and TTB(B) choirs are common at the high school level and literature selection will be determined by the skill, size, and needs of the ensemble. Women’s choirs may need to sing SSA pieces, or if they are more advanced can work on SSAA. Extreme ranges are common in SSAA literature so be careful when placing singers on the soprano one and alto two parts. Likewise, ensembles with all lower voices will perform literature ranging from TB, TTB, TBB or TTBB. As with SSAA, extremes of ranges are often present in TTBB music so be thoughtful in choosing tenor ones and bass twos.

Part Assignments
    Know what music works for each age, considering more than just ability level. Determining which singers will go in specific parts also influences the music programmed. It is crucial to listen to each singer to decide which part would best suit their voice. It is possible to listen to multiple singers together, but groups of four or less are recommended.
    In middle school, knowing ranges and tessituras for the unchanged, cambiata, baritone, and bass voices will help place students in the correct parts. Girls at the middle school level and all elementary school students should alternate between treble parts. It is good to evaluate where they may be in the voice change. However, do not to determine whether they are a soprano or alto at this young age.
    It is more difficult to assign parts with high school groups. Because a majority of singers will be sopranos or baritones, filling a balanced choir can be a struggle, and often, students are placed on a part that is ill-suited for their voice because they have the range required for a given part, with little thought given to tessitura. This is particularly true for alto two and bass two, as many singers lack the volume or presence required for the lowest notes in the song, and these voice types are rare.
    As voices develop in high school, to listen to range and color to determine the part best suited for the voice. Women with a lighter, bell-like quality will often be placed on the soprano one part, while those with a richer, somewhat heavier quality may be placed in the alto section. Men with a light, lyric tone and higher range will often sing tenor one, while the bass voice at the high school level is often missing the depth of low notes until much later in their 20s. There may be a heavy and dark quality to those who will sing baritone and bass, but their low notes may not be as present and the range may not extend as far as the music requires, especially in TTBB literature.
    Often, teachers listen to the extremes of a singer’s range to determine voice part. While this is one factor in determining voice part, it should not be the only consideration. Teachers should consider the passagio, literally “the passage,” where the voice transitions between head and chest voice or into falsetto.
    One common problem is that inexperienced singers may not have a healthy production of sound, manipulate a sound to be darker, or switch to falsetto before needed. Students who typically sing bass might begin to shift through the passagio around B3 or Bb3, while tenors begin around E4or Eb4. Altos will likely shift an octave higher than basses, and sopranos can be expected to shift an octave higher than tenors.
    These are estimates, as each singer is different and the passagio may occur at a different point. It can be difficult to determine where this occurs in a singer, particularly one who has been singing throughout school. There might not be a noticeable change around the passagio, and the teacher may need to rely more on range and color or have an expert come in to ascertain the part best suited for the student.
    Once you have listened to all the students in the choir, have their ranges listed and preferred parts, then decisions can be made to create a more balanced ensemble. Although a balanced ensemble is desirable for concerts and festivals, do not sacrifice students’ vocal health to create balanced sections.

Literature Selection
    When choosing music for the ensemble, it is important to look at the vocal demands of the work, language and source of the text, standards that can be taught, time needed to teach the piece, additional instrumentation needed, and the site of the performance.
    When reviewing vocal technique requirements, compare the amount of stepwise singing to the leaps, and note which intervals appear often. Check whether any accidentals are common to the ear, such as the raised seventh in harmonic minor or a Picardy third. Compare the harmony parts with the melody and look for clashes as well as any voice crossing that makes the piece more challenging. See if the accompaniment supports the students’ parts or if the students will be singing something completely different than the accompaniment. Consider how the work will help or hinder their growth vocally. For example, if you are teaching elementary chorus and the piece often dips below the treble clef or sits around E4 or F4, this can present a challenge in developing the head voice that connects naturally to the chest voice and may encourage singing in a shouty, chesty manner. A better selection might be a song with a tessitura that spends more time around A4 to C5. Consider how the selection you pick can promote vocal growth. If you are working with a more advanced choir of eighth graders you have taught for three years, you may want to pick a piece that works to expand their range by a second to help them navigate a wider range in a healthy manner.
    Few instrumental musicians take college diction classes and will steer clear of programming pieces in languages other than English – and perhaps Latin. Although it may appear easier to sing in the native tongue, it is often less complicated to sing in a language other than the one spoken, as diction used for singing can be quite different than the vowels used for speaking. Also, publishers continue to make language easier to learn and teach with either phonetic or International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) pronunciations in the octavo, providing a high-quality recording of the work on their website, and sometimes offering resources pronouncing difficult languages by a native speaker. Often works from  Africa can be quite easy to pronounce, and the text can be rather repetitive. Additionally, there are many works from Latin America, and with most schools offering Spanish, cross-curricular collaboration can be a benefit of programming music from other cultures.
    There are other factors to consider when looking at text. When evaluating excellence, look at who wrote the text, what its meaning is, and if it is from a famous author or poet, which will allow for collaboration with the literature teachers at the school. Decide if the text is appropriate for the age group. Research to see if there are other meanings to the text (this is a concern at times in madrigals) and if it would present a problem if students discovered information on the internet, even if your intention was only to discuss the literal translation. Also, with a large amount of the choral music canon being sacred, consider how it would be approached from a historical and academic perspective. Finally, consider how the text will connect to students’ lives. Many composers are writing music that addresses contemporary concernss and provides ways to empower and cope.

Literature Sources
    Finding high-quality repertoire can be challenging when you begin to teach choral music without collegiate choral methods and literature classes. Large publishing houses can provide a wealth of music through their search engines and can be sorted based on season, level, and ensemble voicing. Although large stores have music from multiple publishers, it is often helpful to go directly to publisher websites to see the full scope of music available from the company. Some publishers will have a full score, sometimes missing several measures for copyright purposes, that can be perused while listening to a full-length recording. The Music Publishers Association (MPA) has a full list of publishers available on their website at 
all-publishers. The number of composers who are self-publishing continues to grow, so checking individual composers’ websites is also a helpful source for finding good literature.
    State, regional, and national conferences are also good sources for finding literature. Concert performances, interest sessions, and reading sessions will all have music that can then be researched after the conference. Reading sessions can be offered by a repertoire chairperson for the organization, a publisher, or a speaker at the conference, and each can provide music for different purposes. Often a publisher reading session will have all the new music being released and perhaps some of their best-selling pieces. Repertoire chairpeople may be provided new releases from a variety of publishers and are likely to collect a variety of styles, publishers, and languages.
    There are other free online resources as well. The Choral Public Domain Library () contains free downloads of pieces that are no longer under copyright restrictions. Examine the piece carefully prior to programming. With limited budgets often being a concern, CPDL can provide a free alternative to purchasing octavos while providing students access to high-quality literature.

Conclusion
    Although teaching a choral class might not have been a major part of your college coursework, through research and consulting others in the field, it is possible to feel comfortable picking music that is well-suited for the developmental level of your students. The rich variety of texts, cultures, and time periods in choral repertoire make programming for ensembles a creative endeavor of endless possibilities.  

References
Finding Ophelia’s Voice, Opening Ophelia’s Heart by Lynne Gackle (Heritage Music Press, 2011).
The School Choral Program: Philosophy, Planning, Organizing, and Teaching by Michele Holt and James Jordan (GIA Publications, 2008).
Teaching Kids to Sing by Kenneth H. Phillips (Schirmer Books, 1996)

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    Recognized as one of his most stirring and unique compositions, The Footlifter March, appropriately titled by the Cincinnati-born composer, inspires audience members to tap their feet enthusiastically and grin from ear to ear whenever it is performed. It was composed in just four days at the start of the Great Depression, at the request of an unknown Cincinnati business owner, probably of an insurance company, for advertising on the city’s WLW radio. The 1999 Carl Fischer edition (copyrighted in 2003) by Robert E. Foster, complete with a full score, is a favorite of bands and audiences whenever it is programmed.

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Make Expectations Clear
    Students do not arrive in band or orchestra understanding what is acceptable and what is not. The director has to demonstrate expectations in a manner that is consistent and persistent. Outlining expectations does not necessarily have to take the form of a list of rules lectured on the first day of school, complete with PowerPoint slides and multiple references to guidelines posted on the wall and in the organization handbook. It is often more effective to tell student members exactly what they need to know to get started – how to enter the room, where they are expected to be at the tardy bell, what they should have with them, how to ask a question in class, and what happens at the end of rehearsal.
    Additional expectations can be covered as needed. For example, instructions on how to change from one piece of music to another can wait until the first time you come to that point in a rehearsal. If students do not meet expectations, they are given additional opportunities to practice, all while the director reminds them that procedures such as this one benefit of the entire group.
    Students cannot feel accountable for things they do not know. Do not assume that young players know what to do just because it is common sense to you.

Keep Words to a Minimum
    When setting expectations, keep things short and simple. Non-verbal demonstration can cut down on students’ impressions that they are being lectured or that freedom is being stifled. A band member who is sitting improperly in the chair or holding an instrument incorrectly may respond better to a non-verbal reminder such as the director standing taller or motioning to hold the instrument up. Because no words were exchanged, the student is less likely to feel singled out or picked on.

Praise Is Powerful
    To seal the deal on the previous example, the director could smile, nod, or offer a quick thumbs up to the student, eliminating any trace of negativity. By meeting a simple expectation, the student has received praise and attention from the director, making the student more likely to buy in and hold himself accountable.
    Verbal praise should be specific. A general “good job” every time something positive happens can become like background noise – always there and easily tuned out. Approval that targets specific behaviors is more likely to yield desired results for the long term: “I liked how you performed that passage with such a light articulation,” or “Band, the reason the intonation was so much better that time is because we focused on tuning and used the same skills we cover in our daily drill every day.”

Failed Attempts Are More Valuable Than Successful Ones
    This does not mean that subpar efforts are acceptable, but rather that every failed attempt is a priceless opportunity to teach not just the student, but other members of the group.
    Perhaps more than ever, young people (and adults) are afraid to lose face in front of their peers. Social media can give the illusion that everyone is living their best lives because many post only those aspects of our lives for public consumption.
    Any attempt by students should be praised, no matter how close or far away from successful that particular attempt comes. This teaches students that it is okay to fail as long as  failure is not accepted as the end result.
    Attempts that are followed with encouragement and suggestions for improvement are much more likely to lead to the desired end result than criticism. If students learn that even an attempt that falls short will lead to praise and help, they are more likely to make the attempt in the first place.
    The fastest way to discourage student effort is to tear them down when they fall short. Every failed attempt, even those resulting from a lack of preparation, is best treated as a learning experience. In such instances, teachers accomplish more being positive instead of punitive.
    When a student successfully performs a given excerpt or task, praise increases student desire to continue. For the good of the group, if time allows, have the student share with the rest of the class how he mastered the task. This is especially valuable if other players are struggling with that same passage or skill.

Offer Solutions, Not Just Criticism
    When a student plays something poorly or gives the wrong answer to a question, offer help in solving the problem or solicit help from other students. Saying “That was bad. Do it better,” only works when a student already knows what to do. A more effective approach would be to say “That time didn’t quite make it. This is the way I would practice it . . .”

Encourage a Desire to Go Above and Beyond
    Every attempt is valuable, but the ultimate goal is for students to reach their potential. Creating tiers for expectations can encourage students to reach for more than just the minimum. If the task is to learn an excerpt, then the expectations might be defined as:

    Level 1: Play the excerpt at 100-120 beats per minute with mostly correct notes and articulations for a maximum of 85 points out of 100.
    Level 2: Play the excerpt at 100-120 beats per minute with all correct notes and articulations for a maximum of 100 points out of 100.
    Level 3: Play the excerpt at 100-120 beats per minute with all correct notes and rhythms and a recognizable degree of musical nuance for up to 110 points.

    High-achieving ensemble members will invariably go for Level 3. The key is to make the difference between the minimal expectation (Level 1) and the first extension (Level 2) achievable by the majority of students. This encourages students to go for Level 2, when they are actually meeting the director’s minimum expectation that the excerpt is performed correctly.
    As students get used to the idea of going for a higher level because they perceive it as manageable, they are more likely to continue to do so. As the year goes on, the director can gradually increase the expectation for Levels 2 and 3 because most students have now made it their own expectation that they will go beyond Level 1.
    By encouraging this expectation to go beyond, the director is instilling the belief that meeting the minimum is not good enough, which is accomplished through student experience, not a teacher professing from on high.

Don’t Take On Responsibilities That Students Should Handle
    Teachers will often do anything to see students experience success. As an example, many ensembles struggle to maintain time, even when the group is sufficiently far along in the preparation of the music that members are no longer struggling with notes, rhythms, articulation, and musicality. A director’s natural reaction would be to take on more of the load by insisting that student members watch better or turning on a metronome.
    However, maintaining time or pulse is not the conductor’s responsibility. The conductor establishes the tempo, controls changes in time when called for, provides visual reminders such as indications of style and cues, and shows the ensemble when to stop. Ensemble members are responsible for keeping the time, and accountability for this responsibility only comes when students understand this.
    An effective method to wake up ensemble members’ sense of pulse or time is to play without a conductor. The director should start the ensemble and then step off the podium. The ensemble is told to keep playing until they finish or the director stops them because they have lost the tempo.
    In my experience, the ensemble does a significantly better job of maintaining the time when the responsibility for holding the tempo is put on group members. Once students become more aware of their own internal sense of pulse and how much easier it makes everything, directors can hold students accountable for the tempo.

Avoid the Word You When Talking About the Group
    If students are to feel accountable for the success of the group, then the idea of the ensemble as a group must be emphasized. Frequent use of you by the director, especially when addressing the ensemble as a whole, takes away from the sense of community, and, more significantly, sets the teacher apart from the ensemble. “Band, you are not playing that well. You can’t stick out like that, trumpets,” is better expressed as, “We need to do that again, and this time let’s pay close attention to how we sound in relation to our neighbors.” Small choices and adjustments in addressing the group have an incremental effect on student buy-in.
    When it becomes necessary to address an individual’s performance or behavior, try to find ways to tie it back to the group. “We need you to work on that to help us reach our goal” can be much more effective than “You need to practice that.”

Conclusion
    Ensemble members are more likely to hold themselves accountable for preparation and meeting expectations when they are taught in a supportive atmosphere that rewards risk and offers solutions along with constructive criticism. In many cases, the director will teach a student over a period of years, and can have a long-lasting influence on a student’s approach to making music. 

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