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    Another good exercise is a register change warmup. If each note plays with ease, I know that everything is correct. Each set of slurred notes is based on the same fingering. The register key moves from the chalumeau to the clarion register, and the removal of the first finger produces the altissimo notes. Each step in the pattern is slurred and should easily speak. I have used this with great success with young students who had never played above high C. Advanced students can try this exercise without changing fingerings. Each note may be tongued, but the fingers should remain fingering the lowest note.

    Embouchure is the building block of  such advanced clarinet skills as rapid articulation and an expanded high register. Students who have this correct will have a much easier time with these and sound much better as wel

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    We’ve got to put a stop to the arm(s) race. Trombonists everywhere flick and jerk the slide faster and faster to avoid the dreaded glissando and thereby obliterate the legato as we (and everyone else) know it. We have to stop apologizing for the fact that we can play smoother than any other instrument. My rule for legato is this: produce as much sound between the notes as possible without a smear. Trombonists around the world have an amazing array of techniques to avoid playing a true legato. They go around it, jump over it, go under it, but rarely go through it. Of course I don’t like a sloppy slide either, but I also don’t advocate abandoning it.
    In my experience 95%+ of people I hear have a legato that is too hard. Less than 5% have a legato that is too smeary. What that tells me is that if 100% of players had a legato that was too hard, the trombone is incapable of anything but a hard legato, but those 5% prove that somewhere between the extremes lurks the most beautiful legato slur in the world. What would that sound like? I try to tailor my legato slur to the sound of male voices singing a Gregorian chant, because to me that is the most beautiful legato sound. I haven’t gotten there yet, but I’m still trying.
    Trombone players face a challenge in legato playing because of the things we have to do to achieve a consistently smooth legato. Every slur requires a different combination of legato tongue and slide movement. The expedient way is to use one quick jerk of the slide and eliminate legato completely. You have then joined the slide-flickers club. This club entitles you to never concern yourself with legato again and to not worry about the supposed curse of every trombone player; the portamento. A lightning fast slide arm will probably be somewhat rigid, so you won’t have to worry about sustaining the big fat resonant sound that comes with a relaxed slide arm and velvet smooth legato. You’ll further reduce the burden of a big sound by eliminating all sound between notes and be in the mainstream of current trombone pedagogy. My question is if you are sure this is what you want.
    Here are my ideas on playing and teaching legato:
I never move the slide without the air moving with (or preferably ahead) of it. The slide moves through the notes rather than from one to the next. Even though the slide stops in each position, imagine that it doesn’t. The air stream is continuous on and between notes. On a slur that crosses a partial, try to get as much sound as possible before that partial so it resembles a long legato slur. Imagine a rubber band (the air) that is pulled along with the slide to another position. The slide should move smoothly and silently so as not to disturb the air stream whatsoever, and not vice-versa. Avoid a slide show performance.
    This begs the question of how fast or slow you should move the slide. The answer is to move it at whatever speed it takes to get the smoothest, most beautiful slur you can imagine. At whatever speed you move, move it smoooothly. Push the legato as far as you need to find out where the line between legato and glissando is. When you have crossed the line between legato and glissando, don’t run in the other direction to where the crowd has retreated. Greatness requires risk taking.
    As I visualize what a great legato looks like, it is something like this: imagine a few bowling balls (the notes), and they are inside a large tube, similar to the vents of a drier. It looks like a slinky coated in plastic to make it smooth. The amount of space between the bowling balls is adjustable to match the type of slur you want, but the bowling balls never touch each other and the tube has the same circumference as the bowling balls. I sometimes think of the slide as a tire on a car, and I try to keep the tire pressure at a steady 32 psi while moving the slide.
    In order to play the same great slur in various registers, think of the solo in Bolero. The end of the solo requires more legato tongue and a faster slide movement than the first half of the solo. The rule is that the closer the partials (in the higher register) the more time I allot (less tongue) between notes. At first you will have to think about every slur and adjust accordingly, but in time you will think musically and match the perfect slur in your head. Before long it will happen automatically. The big challenge is to control your slide arm, which tends to go to the flick mode, as if on auto pilot. Imagine the world’s most beautiful slur and have your brain tell your body, “Do whatever you have to get that slur on every note.”
    Remember, your arm is part of your body and must be as relaxed as the rest of your body. Move the slide as if it was the least important thing in making a sound, because it is. The slide is like a conductor, it can flail away, but without any players (air) it makes no sound and is for nothing. I try to feel that I am blowing the slide from position to position. My arm follows the air stream passively. I rarely get a blank because my air is usually waiting for the slide to arrive instead of the other way around. If I want to slur from middle Bb to Eb above the staff, I start bending my air up even before I move the slide. Then it will feel that I am pulling the slide to 3rd with the air. I won’t get any other notes in between because I went up and over that break with the air rather than from underneath, which would have been the result of the slide getting before the air. A good exercise to try this is to gliss from middle Bb down to Ab and then slur to Bb. Now take that air you used for the gliss and send it up to the Eb. Make sure the slide moves with or behind the air. It should have the same feel that it had to the Ab. This concept will work on every other slur as well. It works great on something like Schumann’s Rhenish excerpt.
    You will know you have a great legato when no one can tell exactly when a note changed because one note flows into another without any break in the continuity of sound. At this point a composer such as Wagner, with his beautiful legato writing for trombone, can rest easy once and for all.       

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Executive Committee

Committees
    The Audio Recording committee records every concert and uses the band’s CD recorders, microphones, and handheld digital recorders, but have the option to use any of their own equipment. Either I or a parent who formerly helped the group will train parents who are unfamiliar with the equipment.
    The Audit committee reviews the treasurer’s activities at the end of each year, and the members are usually parents with an accounting background. Another committee puts on the year-end band banquet for over 400 people. On average, 3.18 people are present at this event for every student in the program. A separate catering sub-committee selects the caterer and orders the menu for the dinner, while yet another decorates the gymnasium.
    Chairs and tables are handled by a set-up committee, and the senior representative helps to design the banquet program, which includes memorable moments of each senior plus information about his future plans and an individual picture. All the committee chairmen coordinate their efforts with the band director for this event.
    Every band student walks across the stage, which makes each individual an important member of the band. We have chosen to honor everyone, not just the seniors or the most outstanding players. Each student receives a participation award, while some receive a letter or other awards.
    The Band Camp committee provides food for up to 200 students during the two-week camp session. This includes snacks and refreshments, including water, snack mixes, cookies, watermelon, and  the Spaghetti Dinner is the largest fund-raising event of the year. It includes subcommittees for auction solicitation (members mail letters to community businesses to procure goods for auction and then follow up with telephone calls and personal visits), and an auction administration group (organizes the pick-up of auction goods and advertises major items; it prepares bid sheets, tracks businesses that have contributed, and organizes auction workers). For dinner the dining committee secures a caterer and organizes subcommittees for desserts, drinks, a salad bar, the serving line, clean-up, sponsor recognition, volunteer sign-in, and decorating. A games group plans and organizes workers for children’s games and activities that take place during the event.
   
   Fundraising parents oversee all projects, including the sale of trash bags (they are big in the region), pizza, car washes, and grocery coupon books. There are public relations and photographic committees plus a myriad of others that are specific to the activities at this school. These include a back-to-school picnic to welcome students, PTSA representatives, and spirit wear to sell an inventory of shirts, hats, and other things. Beyond this we have sunshine (cards, flowers, and gifts), tailgate (cater at football games), ticket production, a Westridge Middle School liaison, and senior and freshman representatives.
    The idea behind these committees and subcommittees is to create groups of parents to handle everything not related to teaching. Most committees have as many parents the number who volunteer.
We want all band parents to find a way to help, so the band staff works hard not to turn anyone away. If someone is not a good fit for a job, I try to find something else for him. Just because a person volunteers for a position does not mean he automatically gets it.
    We use a nominating committee to fill our most important positions. If your school lacks a strong booster organization, I suggest you start by finding one outstanding parent and let him enlist other parents. Next develop a list of committees that fits your program. While a band boosters organization takes an investment of time to get started, once it is underway you will have more free time for your profession – teaching students about music.

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Introduction
    The brief, eight-measure introduction establishes a majestic mood for the following variations with a bold brass fanfare in parallel major chords. The prominent dotted eighth-sixteenth figure gives directors a tool for teaching this common rhythm. In fanfare style, students should replace the dot with a sixteenth-note rest to create a lifted sound, being sure to place the sixteenth note as the last of four equally subdivided units. This will prevent the rhythm from sounding like a triplet figure.
    The brass should dynamically shape their sustained notes so that the horn rips and woodwind figures are audible, perhaps marking the attacks f-mf as a reminder. In the third measure, an upper woodwind and xylophone motive introduces diminution. This device as well as augmentation appear frequently in the work, so directors should explain these terms to their students. As the introduction concludes, the texture becomes very thick, with woodwind polyrhythms and a brass hemiola over an extended pedal Bb. Although the tempo indicates “with vigor” at quarter = 80, a slower tempo will help all of the contrasting ideas to come through clearly.

Theme
    A tongue-in-cheek presentation of the Yankee Doodle theme by solo tuba follows the fortissimo opening. Marked pomposo, all tubas can play here to add strength. The clarinets, flutes, and woodblock should carefully align their upbeat entrances with the tuba’s eighth-note pulse. Beginning in measure 17, lyrical phrases in the solo oboe, trumpet, and baritone, consecutively, stand in contrast to the staccato tuba solo. Each two-measure statement should taper into the next entrance, and the eighth-note accompaniment lines should not obscure the soloists.

Variation I
    The first variation begins at measure 25 with an F minor chord slowly arpeggiated by the low instruments. Students will need to focus on playing with a well-supported and dark tone at pianissimo. The low brass scoring here imitates the sound of a piano’s sustain pedal.

    The melody enters with a call-and-response effect, a compositional technique that appears in three of the four variations. The alto sax soloist should be careful to match the pitch of the written D5, a note that tends to be sharp, with the harmony, and the flutes should support their echo in the low register.
    The descending bass line in measures 29-32 should have a natural dynamic rise and fall. Have the low winds sustain their first note in each measure so students can hear this harmonic progression.

    At measure 33 the woodwinds begin to weave a continuous eighth-note line reminiscent of the second movement of Holst’s Second Suite in F. Players should bring out the natural contour of the ascending and descending lines. The call-and-response effect now appears in the trumpets, answered by horns and baritone, while the bells and triangle add important color every two measures with the upper woodwinds. The variation concludes very softly with an arpeggiated hand-off between piccolo and bells that requires careful coordination and confidence.

Variation II
    Upper woodwinds, mallet percussion, and triangle provide a shimmering start to the following allegro variation. Players must develop evenness in their fingers to keep this 38-feel ostinato strictly in time. A fanfare figure similar to the one from the introduction is used to propel this extended transition section, which appears as a call and response that alternates between low winds and middle voices.

    Like the introduction, the low winds will need to shape their sustained chords as f-mf or softer to allow the other voices to come through in measures 48, 51, and 54. The sforzando-piano with a two-measure crescendo is scored in the same register for alto sax, horns, and trumpets 2 and 3. Reinforced by suspended cymbal, the color and balance of this grouping should remain consistent through the crescendo. Pace the crescendo so that most of it occurs in the second measure, and the suspended cymbal will provide a final punctuation. In measure 52, have the snare stop the roll on beat one so that it mirrors the trumpet fanfare correctly.

The true character of the second variation emerges in measure 57 with a quaint motor rhythm in the saxes, horns, and tambourine pushed along by the low winds. The two parts must coordinate so that the eighth-note pulse sounds steady.

In rehearsal, have the other players chant the subdivision out loud while this group plays its figure. The middle voices should use the tip of the tongue with fast air to create continuous staccato eighths. However, the tone has to resonate enough for the Bbsus2 chord to be audible; to practice, have students sustain the chord as a long tone so that the tenor sax and second horn learn to bring out the suspension.
     The decrescendo that leads into measure 59 is critical; if it is missed, the unison melody in the oboes and clarinets will be buried. This is the first of several unison lines in the upper woodwinds that will require careful attention to develop good blend by matching articulations and pitch.
    At measure 67 the horns have a bravura moment as they play the fanfare in 78. The range can be challenging, so change the dynamic to forte. If the horns still have trouble, the alto saxes should play their cues. The low brass are scored independently, with each part playing one pitch of the parallel seventh chords, so be sure each player finds the right partial.

    Students tend to rush the triple grouping at the ends of the 78 measures. Have the snare play straight eighth notes while rehearsing, so students learn to play these measures evenly.
    For measures 71-84 Williams simply rescores the material from measures 57-70. Directors may wish to rehearse players with the same function simultaneously. For example, the clarinets and flutes should start at measure 57 and the trumpets at 73. This rehearsal technique ensures a uniformity of style. Two important differences in the second section are the lyrical counterline in the horn and baritone from measure 53 and ensemble hits on the downbeats of measures 77 and 78. Players will likely try to rush the 78 measures leading to the end of this variation.

Variation III
    After an exposed transition featuring solo trumpet, the third variation begins at measure 93. The textures in this section are thin, and students will need to play delicately and expressively. Although it is unmarked, directors should explore the use of rubato throughout this variation to increase interest. The first eight measures feature the soli clarinet section in call and response. To ensure good tone and a smooth slur, increase the dynamic to mf, with the second and third clarinets matching the strength of the firsts.

    The saxophone quartet joins at measure 105 with a beautiful four-measure phrase based on the interval of a sixth, much like Edward Elgar’s heart-wrenching “Nimrod” from the Enigma Variations. The one-measure hand-offs from 109-112 require careful balancing because the accompaniment voices tend to cover the others. Leading into measure 115, the conductor should subdivide the third beat of the molto allargando to assist the upper woodwinds with their placement of the final eighth note.
    The variation ends with a breathtaking statement of the melody by the full ensemble. Directors may wish to explain enharmonic spellings, because concert Fb appears in multiple parts at measure 117. Be sure the third clarinets play their G natural confidently in the fermata at measure 119 so that the sus2 color projects.

Variation IV
    The final variation is a high energy section with a Latin percussion vamp. Much like John Barnes Chance’s Incantation and Dance, Williams begins by layering the Latin percussion every two measures. Each player should be able to play his part independently and accurately.
    When the groove is established, the low winds enter powerfully on a unison fragmentation in F minor. The trumpets respond with an ominous dissonance answered by a further fragmentation in the high winds. All players should listen carefully to the percussion vamp so that they don’t rush any of the eighth-note figures. At measure 136 there is a brilliant parallel key modulation from F minor to F major, along with the augmentation of the Yankee Doodle melody to create a more expansive musical effect. In measure 140, the high winds and xylophone enter with a diminution of the melody. Directors should discuss how Williams uses these compositional techniques simultaneously to create excitement.

Conclusion
    Directors may wish to add a slight ritard leading into the maestoso at measure 152, where a pedal F in the highest and lowest instruments frame the final ten measures. The piece ends with three augmented statements of the Yankee Doodle fanfare in the middle voices. Marked fortissimo, the middle voices should add a slight lift and separation to keep this figure pronounced. Like the opening, the work’s conclusion is based on parallel major chords, and players should learn to keep each chord in tune while avoiding the tendency to overplay the fortissimo dynamic. The timpani repeat dominant to tonic on quarter notes six times to draw out the final few measures. The timpani part is marked fff, so the timpanist should not be timid here.
    The tune “Yankee Doodle” appeared during the American Revolutionary War period; directors can develop a unit of study that incorporates its historical roots. Williams’s Fantasy on Yankee Doodle is a gem for advanced middle school and early high school bands, enjoyable for students and directors alike; the variations include a wide variety of styles that will challenge the musical maturity of all students. The publication is available as a full concert band title in SmartMusic, and additional resource materials are available in the second volume of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. If desired, a mass band performance can include a beginning band from measure 136. Additional parts in four-part harmony are available from the publisher. Mark Williams passed away tragically in January 2008, but his compositions have left an indelible mark on the band repertoire.      

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Student Leaders’ Responsibilities
    The first place to look for student leaders is among the section leaders and first-chair players. Each student leader has a specific job, whether it is on the marching field or in the rehearsal hall. I suggest writing a list of the respective responsibilities and review it periodically as you consider various students. Here are the areas of leadership that I use for band and the responsibilities of each position.
    Librarian. This student is responsible for knowing which parts are needed for each piece as well as copying drill and hole punching individual sheets for the students’ binders. This person needs to know the correct number of parts and when the director wants to rehearse each work. The librarian’s job is ongoing, and all band members should go to this person for music, drill, or other paper items. A good candidate for this responsibility is the student who wants to help you in your office or organizes things around the band room without being asked.
    Equipment Captain: These are one or two student leaders who are responsible for knowing what to load on the trucks for each event. Suggest that they create a checklist using information from the pit, drum line, section leaders, guard captains, etc. Before the first event, the equipment captains should know how to load each piece of equipment into the truck and determine the best place for it. Each captain directs a group of students known as quartermasters who bring the items for loading on the truck.
    The number of items to load determines the number of quartermasters. These students, along with the pit players, are the first off the bus; they unload the equipment and arrange it before the rest of the group touches anything. For the first few events, you should verify every piece of equipment, but ultimately this work is the responsibility of the equipment captains, their checklists, and the quartermasters.
    Captains. These are the marching specialists for the band, with one person from the woodwind, brass, percussion, and guard sections of the ensemble. They are responsible for teaching basic marching technique to everyone in their section, and their technique should provide a stellar example of the best marching in the band.
    Whether you select or elect these students, they should have good posture and playing technique and show themselves to be dependable. You will be spending extra time with these students to define every aspect of marching technique; in turn, they   will be working with small groups of players, defining marching technique to them, and they will be your extra eyes on the field. They work with posture, foot placement, marching in time and step, and instrument carriage.
    Section Leaders. These students have the best instrumental technique in the band. They are responsible for making sure everyone in their section plays all of the notes, knows every fingering, and understands the rhythms in each part. You will spend time explaining tempos, articulations, and style to them. These players become your workhorses for the band, checking the notes of every student in the section and reporting the names of  those who need help to you. 
Section leaders can also tutor students, which will improve their own understanding of the music.  There should be a section leader for each type of instrument (low brass, high brass, flutes, clarinets, etc.). Guard section leaders are responsible for working small groups on flag skills to polish technique and check hand positions.
    Drum Majors. These are the top student leaders in the band. They should understand the music and drill; and you should confer with them to be sure they understand your tempos, musical interpretations, and marching goals. They should be prepared to teach marching and music. Further, the drum majors lead officer meetings along with you, and they are the first liaison to the band members for any minor problems.
    Directors work closely with their drum majors, giving them parts and copies of drill as soon as possible, making sure they understand how to read a score and conduct with clear gestures. Drum majors should be able to rehearse the music instead of just waving their arms in a set pattern. These leaders are usually upperclassmen who are highly respected by the other students in the band. You should select them through an audition as well as an application and interview.

Identifying Student Leaders
    While it is important to encourage students who stand out to apply for leadership positions, keep in mind the positions that need filling from the beginning of the school year. During the winter concert season, your goal should be to pick out students who seem to have an eye for setting up and arranging staging for concerts. These are future equipment captains. A quiet, studious student who has a meticulous music folder and makes sure everyone has the correct part is a potential future librarian.
    Section leaders seem to identify themselves because they will naturally help younger or weaker players learn concert music or invite everyone over to practice. Directors who are honest about the strengths of their players should be able to identify prospective student leaders by early in the spring so there is time to work with them through to the end of the school year and in the summer in preparation for the following fall marching season.
    Once you identify these band members, be sure they have the respect of their peers in the band program. Section leaders and captains should be able to communicate effectively and have the musical knowledge to explain the same concept  several ways. Observe how the possible candidates interact with the other players in their sections.  Popularity is not a criterion for choosing a leader, but the ability to communicate and motivate others is important. 
    The goal should be to select band officers carefully, identifying a group of people who are respected within the band and who are able to, under your guidance, teach small groups. This will give your student leaders greater pride in the band program, and in turn they will become more concerned with scheduling practice sessions with other players and helping weaker students to catch up with the others. Some students even take more interest in the general upkeep of the band room. Instead of simply playing in the school band, they become a vital part of an organization that they have helped to design and govern. 

The Process of Selecting Leaders
    In my school I use a three-part process for selecting the students in most positions. First, students fill out a formal application for leadership, including a resumé, and submit teacher recommendations. Next they interview with me and with the band, and students ask questions of the candidates to determine their qualifications to lead. The final part is an audition.
    The audition for section leaders requires applicants to teach a new piece of music to a group of students in a rehearsal, which the director observes. I have found excellent students who surprised me as competent teachers when they lead a rehearsal for the first time. Your best performers, I learned, are not necessarily the best teachers. Further, this process gives each student a fair chance at showing his abilities.
    A similar process can help identify captains but using prescribed marching techniques while teaching a group. The most important part of selecting leaders and having them respected is to have a fair and transparent selection process. Assume that each selection is going to be challenged and have a rating scale and selection rubric ready to explain to administrators and parents. If the process is clear and fair, your leadership will have a head start in gaining the cooperation of the group and the support of the administration and parents.

A Closer Look at Drum Majors
    In my school I expect the drum majors to have the same duties as the captains and section leaders. While they will better at their instrument, they will also have some knowledge of the other instruments and know if a passage is high for the trumpets or low for the clarinets. Their marching technique should be as good as or better than the captains’ so that they can also observe the overall group.
    Students usually are eager to be drum major and willingly learn what is necessary for the audition. For example, players who are trying out for drum major may talk to me about certain areas of score reading and marching and look on YouTube to review marching techniques.
    The drum major audition includes vocal commands (I want to be sure they will be heard) in addition to conducting a piece from the previous year. They also conduct “The Star Spangled Banner” from memory so I am sure they conduct clearly and musically and know where they are in the score. Being a drum major includes having rudimentary conducting skills that I can build on. The last part of the audition is an interview in which I make it clear that I am looking for a candidate who will serve the band in whatever way he can, even if he is not an officer.
    Drum major auditions are held first, before the auditions for the other officers, so those who don’t make drum major can still tryout for the other positions. Many of the students who do not make drum major are well prepared for their auditions and make excellent section leaders or captains.
    It has always been interesting to see that a low percentage of seniors fill the new leadership positions. About 50% of the leaders are seniors and the remaining are juniors and occasionally sophomores. This year both drum majors at my school are seniors, which is unusual because I usually have one senior and one student who is younger.
    When juniors are drum majors, the question always comes up as to whether they should reaudition for the position. This year one drum major was a junior last year; she was outstanding so there was no need to for another audition. If a drum major was weak, I would have another audition.
    When the band members interview leadership candidates, some will ask questions like, “What is your concept of discipline?” “How should the band sound?” “What qualifies you to teach?” and “How are you going to improve on the work of last year’s drum major or section leader?” Sometimes students who know each other will address more personal areas: “I know you have a problem with anger in other classes. Will that be a problem in band?” I never see the students outside of band, so I’m grateful when they bring up questions I would not have thought to ask.
    By asking leadership candidates for a resumé, I give them the experience of applying for a job. As part of the resumé students include various church activities, previous officer positions, and whether they play in local community ensembles or take private lessons. Their contact information and music education are also important. Because the music program at my school is large and I am the only director, I don’t always know the students as well as I would like, so it is helpful to learn about their other musical activities. If someone is applying for a librarian position, I may not know that he also volunteers at the public library.
    One of the drum majors this year was a quiet flute player who was near the top of the section as a freshman and sophomore; she was very respectful but never said much. When she applied for the drum major position, I wasn’t sure how it would go, but she was fantastic. Because she was so meticulous as a concert musician and in her other school work, she ended up a fantastic leader.
    This year the drum majors are outstanding, so I can tell them the intervals at the rehearsal yesterday were poor and let them decide what to do in basics block at the start of rehearsal. If the leadership is weak or the drum majors are out and the captains direct a rehearsal, I give them a specific list of the areas to review.

Leadership Training Begins
    If possible, student leaders should attend a leadership camp, but another option is to run your own camp each summer before band camp begins. I begin leadership training camp telling the students my concept of leadership. For some band directors this means students follow specific instructions while other directors point students in a certain direction and let them go until they need to be reined in. In my experience, student leaders get frustrated if they don’t have clear directions. If they think they are doing the right thing, but you jump all over them because they go too far or not far enough, that is the fault of the band director. So state clearly what you expect student leaders to be able to do, which they should know from before the audition.
    One important rule to impart during leadership training is that the director’s wishes are final. I say that because about 10 years ago I had the interesting experience of working with a drum major who was of the opinion that she ran the band. One day I told her from the stands, “This is the next thing I want to do.” She turned around and said, “Well I don’t want to bust your bubble, but we can’t do that.” I stood there thinking, did that 16-year-old just say she didn’t want to bust my bubble?
    It was a memorable reminder that every student needs to follow whatever you say. While it is important to give drum majors and student leaders latitude based on what they have learned, they still have to understand your word is final.
    For the next portion of training, students identify the characteristics of good and bad leaders. They also set their own rules, such as treat everyone in the band as equally as possible and with the same respect. Once they understand basic rules of decorum, we begin working on marching technique, such as how high to raise the toes, how high the heel should come up for back marching, the angle of the arms at attention, and the level of the horn. While the students practice these skills in small groups and teach each other, I make sure everyone is using the exact same wording.
    Finally, students learn what they should be doing to teach a sectional. During summer camp this is usually as simple as making sure everyone uses the right fingering and that there is a balance of parts. Everyone wants to play first part, so section leaders occasionally make sure the students are playing their assigned parts.
    Next I talk about dynamic contrast and identify how to hear pitch, find where sections begin and end, and balance parts. In most cases section leaders take private lessons so I know their performance is good, but sometimes the best players are not the best teachers. All the section leaders learn how to break down a skill to its individual parts and explain it, step-by-step.
    I always give section leaders and captains specific directions. Drum majors know how to start rehearsals if I have to answer a telephone call from the band boosters, meet with the principal, or call a parent; section leaders and captains, however, have a more specified jobs. I may tell them to “run the opener from letter A-B making sure everyone is on the right fingerings in the run.” From there they practice teach and review. The student leaders also help me with plans for band camp, making specific plans for each day so everyone understands  basic commands like attention and the first step for forward march.

Benefits for Directors
    One benefit of training student leaders is that you suddenly have more ears listening to the music; more ears to catch the problems that are easy to miss during rehearsals and performances. Additionally, by having your drum majors develop the competence to conduct the show music, and by having the section leaders trained to conduct music during their sectionals, you can listen and observe like a judge. This gives your the perspective of a judge, so you now have the ability to make constructive comments and fix problems that you missed while conducting.
    After identifying problem areas, either in sections or in full band, you can have student leaders make corrections or take over the rehearsal to correct what you hear. It is best to have the drum majors do the bulk of the conducting because they are the ones your band is watching on the podium on Friday nights. It is ideal for the director to make corrections, then have the drum majors drill the newly corrected section.
    Another result of this system is that a director can more easily maintain his professional de­meanor, meaning he doesn’t have to yell to be heard across the marching field. If a trained student staff carries out his directions, then he should be able to speak to the group using a megaphone in a calm manner and not raise his voice.

Marching Band Rehearsals
    The drum majors, using their captains, should be able to run basics for the marching band with the basic block techniques that you give them. As the drum majors lead the students, you can be sure everyone is in place, and you can observe students closely to see where corrections need to be made in technique while they are marching. You should bring these corrections to the appropriate captain to work on with the struggling students. To make this work, you have to define each marching technique so the various block exercises have meaning, whether it is raising of the heel when back marching or rolling the foot down to move forward.  Again, block gives you the opportunity to make sure everyone in the band has a unified marching technique.
    Following basics block, the director leads the rehearsal by telling the band which portions of the show they will rehearse, then the drum majors  become the field conductors. During rehearsal captains simply march in their spots. If I see something I don’t like I will ask captains to step out and check it; they get their drill books out and check everyone. If the captains are not needed they just march; when they are needed they step out and observe or fix. Because the students are used to listening and following commands from student leaders, drum majors and captains should be able to help correct students with poor marching technique, spacing problems, and drill reading from the field. This gives the director the ability to see the corrections as they are being made.
    At the end of rehearsal, after the director’s final announcements, the officers should have a moment for any final comments that apply to the common good. The officers should be responsible for making sure that the practice field and room are in good order before leaving. 

The Balance of Power
    The amount of power to give to student leaders is important. First, check with the school district’s student handbook. In many cases, it will state that only the teacher should handle discipline and no student may assign a disciplinary action. In other schools you may have latitude to have certain officers assign discipline as required to keep order.
    Whether the director retains all of this himself or allows only the drum majors to assign some of the discipline, remember that the director is solely responsible for any discipline assigned and he will be the one to explain any problems to the principal or parents, so be very careful to monitor disciplinary actions to eliminate abuse of power by student leaders. That having been said, if student leaders are following the director’s process and he gives them specific goals for each rehearsal or sectional, there will be a tremendous decrease in the need for reactive disciplinary actions.
Student leadership and peer guidance work well to discourage misbehavior because students want to be accepted by other students, which eliminates  adversarial student-to-teacher problems.
    At my school I assume responsibility for all discipline. I don’t want to risk having a 15-year-old student tell a band member to run laps and then have the disciplined player pass out. Within sectionals, if section leaders think the group needs to do more work on basics to polish a marching technique or rehearse a section of music longer, I give them that latitude. After my authority, the drum major’s authority is next. If drum majors understand what you want and the process by which you want to achieve your goals, captains and section leaders can go to the drum majors with most of their questions.

Creating Student Leaders
    It will take time to identify and train student leaders, but the extra eyes and ears on the field are worth the investment. This is not a quick fix, as it may be necessary to introduce responsibilities gradually, but by allowing students to rise up to meet the challenge of leading their peers, directors can make the best use of their own skills and time.              

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How do you begin rehearsals?
    Instead of calling the start of rehearsals a warmup, we refer to that time as an opportunity to work on fundamentals. I don’t think using the term warmup is necessarily negative, but it can have a physical connotation more than a musical one. Fundamentals are the musical building blocks from which musical literacy grows. Winds work on breathing with and without the instruments, and percussionists work on technique and quality of stroke the first time they play the instruments each day.
    Following this, we may focus on sustained sounds in the middle range of the instrument, and move from there to articulation, volume, or technique in a context of transposition or extended ranges. As ensembles progress over the course of the year, things get more complex, but always with the same focus. A good sound is a good sound, and if you simply expect that regardless of the technical demand, then students will always value a good sound. The individual sound quality, along with ensemble balance, becomes the signature of a group’s ensemble sound. These are the first things I hear when the baton goes down.
    We construct specific exercises for our students with music-writing software or simply by rote explanation. I will take something well known like Remington and write it out in a specific manner for the ensemble so that there’s a unified perception of note length and release points. For outdoor rehearsals we’ll put spaces between the exercises so we can recover visually and get set up with a good breathing plan for the next entrance. There’s nothing groundbreaking about the exercises we’re pursuing, we simply unify our efforts in a way that might offer additional benefits in an outdoor setting. The goal is for every student, from the mallet percussionist to the oboist to the trumpet player, to know what to do if we say Remington.

Does your concept of ensemble sound differ between concert and marching band?
    No, students should play with the same sound outdoors that they would use seated on stage at Carnegie Hall. This doesn’t always please judges or audience members who have an impression that a high school marching band should sound like a drum and bugle corps. Nevertheless, our primary goal is for students to play with a good sound.
    Music educators should be aware of their perceptions and directives when outdoors. I think it is easy to tell students what the result should be – “Come on, I can’t hear you up here in the box! Let’s blow the audience away!” – instead of teaching them how to get there. Sometimes that kind of message ends up having pretty serious pedagogical consequences, so we just don’t say anything to the students outdoors that we wouldn’t say indoors. When asking students to project sound for volume’s sake in a football stadium, it is necessary to consider the students’ ability level, the size and location of the ensemble, students’ physical ability to produce the volume that you may have in mind, and how that might affect the group’s mindset.
    If you were in a concert hall and heard a student make the sound that you’re asking them to make outdoors, would you consider that to be of merit? If that answer is no, then it is probably unwise to ask students to make that sound anywhere. It can be a delicate balance of trying to cater to the impression people have of how a marching band should sound while maintaining the educational focus.
    We also assess the wind students’ embouchures and breathing the same way we would indoors and make sure that the outdoor posture and carriage of the instrument is not detrimental to the embouchure. Sometimes you may have to make the choice between whether you want an instrument angle to look really expressive from the box or you want the ensemble to sound good. I think the choice is simple.

What are the greatest benefits of marching band?
    Marching band promotes a sense of community. It is one of very few high school experiences in which freshmen and seniors get to interact and work together. Students really enjoy that aspect of the marching season; hanging out with people who play the same instrument encourages camaraderie and the spirit of sharing musical experiences across the program. Upperclassmen get to set an example when they march with freshmen, and freshmen feel like they belong when they work with older students.
    Marching band is also a good way to learn physical self-discipline. Students are on their own in math class or in English class, but they become accountable to everyone in marching and concert band. The music department frequently gets notes or emails from teachers saying, “Thank you so much for helping this student who used to fidget a great deal or have trouble focusing in my class. Over the fall he has done a much better job of sitting still and participating in class discussions.”

How do you get students to meet your expectations?
    Students have to feel that there’s a sense of respect, expectation, and trust towards them. They tend to rise to the occasion, so if you project to them a sense of low expectation or lack of trust, they will fill that order easily. When they first get into high school we have to recognize that it’s going to take some time before they become model Marcus High School band members. They’ll get a lot from the upperclassmen simply from watching and learning, and we always speak to them in a calm tone of voice. We try to project the expectation before we demand it. The role of a teacher is to define expectations and only then demand them. The only times we get into trouble with students is when we forget to define first.
    When students come into band in their 6th grade year they learn how to sit properly, how to make eye contact with the conductor, and how to respond verbally; in marching band we simply expand on that. We transfer the concepts they learn as beginning band students to the outdoor arena. If an instructor raises his hand, they all raise their hand and look toward the instructor. I’d say almost the entire first week of band camp we’re working as much on communicating with the students and self-discipline as we are on musical and visual skills because it’s so important. We want to be able to trust them to respond to instructions.
    We also have to think creatively about how to engage students. Whether it’s the internet or video games, there’s always been some kind of distraction. When I was growing up it was television, and 20 years from now it will be something else, but interpersonal relationships don’t change and neither should the kind of personal skills that are required for students to participate in team sports or music. I believe that student interest in and access to the internet has helped to foster interest in music. Someone with access to Google can search for his instrument and instantly hear recordings of the best players in the world. I’m amazed at the depth of musical interest in my students and the variety of music in which they’re interested because of iTunes. If we regard the internet as an unnecessary distraction, then we don’t see the possibilities there. It’s a networking mechanism. They can see that there are thousands of other high school trombone players across the country, or there might be other programs with a summer band camp. They might see they’re not the only ones practicing outside in August. It’s a wonderful thing for them.
    It’s important for directors to keep their ears open for new repertoire, because this is how to best determine a curriculum for students. For musical selections for the marching band, we keep a running list of things we hear at concerts, in movies, or on CDs or iTunes. The marching music that goes in front of students for four months should be of the highest musical merit and something that they can take with them the rest of their lives. We also have a terrific set of marching band arrangers who are a big part of what we do. When we are selecting literature for the concert band, we consider our strengths, which studios may need to improve in certain areas, soloists, and the age and experience level of the group.

How are the band programs structured at Marcus High School?
     The concert bands rehearse during the fall marching season. Students meet as four separate concert band classes per day, and color guard and percussion meet during the last period of the day. Marching band is considered extracurricular, and after school we have two-hour marching band rehearsals four days a week.
Participation in both concert and marching band is open to anyone; but within the concert band program we hold auditions for ensemble placement, and in the marching band not all students are in every performance. All students march in our halftime entrance with the drill team, which we work on throughout the fall.     When we shift over to the marching competition show, those students will play their instruments and march an alternative drill for the first two- thirds of the season and in the last third may have a support role with visual elements or help the group move equipment. All eligible students participate in some way regardless of ability level.
    The students who march during halftime but not during competitions work on developing their visual and musical skills during competition show rehearsals. The goal in that year of non-varsity training is to teach them how to march and play at the same time. The training effort is non-stop, we just modify the visual expectations so we can focus on fundamentals.

How would you describe your rehearsal style?
    Our rehearsals have a Socratic overtone. Students are encouraged to think and respond and discuss what they hear. The best way to draw students into the room and into the page is to get them thinking about what they’re doing. If teachers always fill in the blanks and tell them what to watch for, we’re simply forging a path that’s too narrow to include students’ thoughts and contributions.

How would you describe your approach to sightreading?
    Sightreading is simply a word for “demonstrating musical understanding.” I don’t often pass out new music just to sightread, but do integrate elements of sightreading pursuit into daily discussions. I want students to think about what they need to do when they have a new piece of music handed out to them. If I can teach students about intervals, ear training, or elements of style they will learn something about sight reading. Students should know enough to be able to tackle a piece with a sense of self-confidence, self-awareness, and ensemble relating to balance and rhythm. Regardless of what we’re working on, students should be able to perform music without fear or needing six weeks of instruction before they can feel worthy of presenting an organized musical effort.

How did your double reed studio get built?
    We have a thriving double reed studio and are fortunate to have a community that supports this. Our middle school directors deserve a great deal of credit for our double reed studio. They consider it an imperative part of the instrumentation at the middle school level, and they foster students’ development by simply giving them attention. So many times bassoons and oboes will be grouped in with saxophones, or they’ll have sectional time with the clarinets and bass clarinets, and I think our middle school directors are terrific about tailoring instruction for them. Our double reed classes meet by themselves at the middle school so students can develop the interest in the instruments, and they are treated as specialized instruments from the get go.
    While we recruitthese players as beginners, we express to their parents how important it is that the ideal double reed student is an independent thinker and how important it is that these students understand that their instrument is unique. It’s a real selling point with those students who envision themselves as trailblazers. If students hear that the bassoon is a very special instrument and a list of all the reasons why, it becomes an easy sell.
    When recruiting for the high school we tell double reed players that they have more options during marching season than anybody else in the band. Rather than focus on the fact that there are no marching versions of double reed instruments, we relay to them that the world is their oyster in terms of deciding how they would like to participate. Everyone else is only limited to one option. Some double reed players play other instruments, some of them are in our color guard, and some of them have keyboard skills and join the percussion section. I think both they and their parents see that as exciting. It keeps them interested and staves off the disappointment of not seeing oboes and bassoons marching out on the field. A terrific bassoonist is our color guard captain this year, and we have oboists and bassoonists who double; this year they can be found marching bass clarinet, saxophone, flute, and even tuba. We like to give advanced double reed students opportunities to be soloists in the marching band musical production. Last year there were oboe, English horn, bassoon, and contrabassoon soloists who played from the pit.

How do you stave off burnout?
    After our performance at the Midwest Clinic in 2007, I remember having such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment with the students and being overjoyed at having put that trip together and raised the money to get up there. I will never forget coming home for Christmas and checking my e-mail the day after we returned. I was excitedly expecting positive comments from the trip and performance. To my utter dismay, what I actually had was a couple hundred e-mails from colleagues and parents who had been waiting until we finished with Mid-west to ask me something important about other upcoming events. Instead of relaxing, I felt like I had to move forward very quickly, but then it occurred to me that I had the option to close the laptop and enjoy memories of the trip for a while before getting back in the swing of things.
    It is difficult to find the balance between teaching and our personal lives, and I think many teachers often feel like one aspect of life will suffer when focusing on the other. When I begin to feel like the band hall walls are closing in, I take a break before things progress to the point that I feel resentment or despair. The opposite is also true; if I’ve been away from a specific aspect of the job for too long, I’ll get my nose to the grindstone for the period of time that I believe it requires to be properly addressed.
    Sometimes the administrative aspects of the job can seem all-encompassing or even discouraging. At those times of the year when the administrative aspects of the program are at the forefront of our daily endeavors we just have to try to find as much time as possible to focus on instruction and music because that’s why we teach. Nobody pursues a music education degree to make a career of filling out purchase orders. It’s all about attitude and outlook. If you keep in mind that these efforts are ultimately for the program, it can help keep you from feeling either jaded or burned out.
Being reactive to what my body and emotions are telling me is helpful, as are healthy relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. I consider myself fortunate to be with people on a daily basis whom I respect and appreciate. It’s extremely helpful to know I can walk down the hall and plop down in the choir director’s office and talk about a rough parent conference and ask if he is having similar problems.

What advice would you give to new teachers?
    I would tell new teachers that in most cases the parents are on our side. They want their children to love music and be involved in something worthwhile. They want them to be contributing members of society. We should see parents as our allies, and if we include them in the process and communicate frequently with them, whether by phone or e-mail, it keeps things open and positive. Most young teachers regard parent contact as something negative or frightening, but if we consider them our allies and share concerns with them, they can be of great help.
    It can affect your state of mind to feel that a parent or administrator is out to get you or disapproves of you to the extent that they communicate poorly with you. This can be a real source of stress. When former students who are in the business talk about the stress of their careers and their personal lives, it usually goes back to communication. The greatest lesson I’ve learned over 15 years of teaching is that talking about an issue directly with the source almost always has a good outcome.          

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