I did avidly pursue intellectual (and musical) activities and worked to earn the highest grades possible. I was very social, albeit in groups others might call nerdy: band, choir, math club, Spanish Honor Society, National Honor So-ciety, and my church youth group. I wasn’t awkward or shy; however, I wasn’t exactly a chick-magnet. I was a decent athlete, which was un-nerdlike. Also, I didn’t dress like a nerd – you’d never catch me with a pocket protector. Regardless of how I look at it, I have to admit there were definitely some nerdy characteristics in the mix.
    When I think of band students today I wonder what to advise them when it comes to their view of nerdiness. Basically, I see two options. First, encourage them to accept it and be proud of it. I have had students over the years who naturally embraced this idea. Ironically, it is often the student who doesn’t fit the classical description of nerdy. One of my proudest nerds was my drum major and a very popular basketball player. She had the self-confidence not to worry about what others said.
    The second option is to deny it and defend ourselves. However, the more I reflect, the more I believe that there is little sense to this. There’s no denying that one has to be at least a little nerdy to be in band. We do, after all, wear uniforms, play music from past centuries, and walk in step with each other down the halls.
    Maybe it’s not a question of whether band students are nerds, but to what degree. Since rubrics are in vogue in educational circles right now, it might be helpful to use one here. I’ve divided band nerds into three different categories with descriptions of each.
     Looking at this rubric I would conjecture that in high school I was a semi-nerd with a leaning toward uber-nerd. As for the present day, if you’re thinking that only an uber-nerd would take the time to make a nerd rubric, you’re probably right.          

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•  The concepts of balance and uniformity of the body from a dancer’s perspective rather than a military one.
•  How to watch and listen to each other.
•  Methods of recovery from error and how to think their way through problems that arise.
•  How to perform simultaneous tasks. This should be learned very early in the year.
•  How to keep visual contact by drill, location, speed, and set points.

    I start by teaching individual marching skills, focusing on how the body should feel. Attention should be a centering of the body. For mark time, determine whether the heel or the toe should hit on the downbeat. Step-offs should be clearly defined. Teach either by elevating the knee (lift and plant) on the first step or locking the knee for a smooth entry into the glide step.  In both cases, students land on the heel and roll the foot forward into the glide step. When doing a glide step, the key is foot and leg control; there should be tension on the back part of the legs from the glutes on down. For marching flanks, the focus should be on weight and balance. These exercises help develop the techniques that define the style of your band. Display of style is an important factor to the success of a marching band.
    When students have the basics of marching down, we move on to interaction, taught best in block band. Interaction on the field with other band members is where spatial awareness becomes necessary, but students need first to learn what it is they have to be aware of. Dress is the straightening of an imaginary line running from the shoulder of one person to the shoulder of the next.

       Curvilinear dress is done by the performers facing a focal point and lining up their shoulders.
   
        

     Interval is another form of interaction and refers to the space between performers from right to left in a straight line or a curvilinear line based on the focal point. Cover simply means pointing your nose in the middle of the center of the person in front of you in a file, and distance is the space between performers from front to back in a file. Slides refer to turning the upper torso, thus directing the sound and visual effect by projecting the audio to the audience and keeping everyone facing forward. The key to getting students thinking while working on these things is to come up with exercises in which students have simultaneous responsibilities. Even if the band is simply marching 8-to-5, students could clap syncopated rhythms or turn their heads right or left on certain counts.
    A good way to teach spatial awareness is through form maintenance. To practice holding a form, have students make a circle, move it 16 steps to the right, turn in 4, move 16 steps forward, turn in 4, 16 steps to the left, turn in 4, and march the last 16 steps back to the starting position.

    Another good exercise is called the traffic test, which teaches the principles of traditional dress, cover, interval, distance, and curvilinear pathways.

    First, create set points with a 4×4 grid of folding chairs set 10 steps apart. You could also use colorguard members instead of chairs for an interactive exercise. Band members step off in a curvilinear path and in eight counts will come into a file or cover position facing forward. In the next eight counts they go between the chairs and come to a dress position in which they can practice judging space by location. Eight counts later students are back in a file position facing the other direction. Every eight counts a new band member steps off, and when someone reaches the end he runs back to the beginning to get in line.
    The best exercises make students think about multiple things all at the same time – environmental difficulties, path, location, dress, cover, interval, distance, and speed. The more simultaneous responsibility placed on students, the more quickly they learn to think about what is happening around them and how to react to it. 

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Changes in Uniforms
    Today, many uniforms still maintain a militaristic look but with the modern twists of more blocks of color and lots of flowing sections. The rigid West Point look is less common today, and the garment is generally form-fitted and lighter weight. The choreography on the field entails more dance and movement than the basic 8 to 5 high marching step. The dance line and color guard add a theatrical touch to shows, and the garments have to be easy to wear on the field. There are fewer buttons, less braid, and sometimes less detail if the style uses large blocks of color. The use of gauntlets and more hand movement is more prevalent than before, and plumes are taller to make students look taller and thinner.

    Fruhauf has survived for a century that saw the passing of major uniform makers as Ostwald, Sol Frank, and Fechheimer. With up to 165 employees, Fruhauf is busiest from March through October, but some­times  receives last-minute requests. The marching band director at Northwestern University called in mid-October 1995 to explain that the university president had just called the dean of the music school and insisted that the band wear new uniforms for its Rose Bowl appearance.
    “I flew to Chicago to measure the band, and the purchase order was signed the following week. I told director Steve Peterson that if he saw me at the Midwest Clinic just before Christmas that it meant the uniforms had shipped. If I was not there it meant I was still in the factory making the uniforms,” Ken Fruhauf explains. He made it and shipped the uniforms in less than seven weeks.
    Fruhauf commends his competitors who helped supply the needed fabric and braid, which manufacturers were unable to supply on such short notice. “We have a wonderful relationship with our competitors: if one of us cannot get supplies in time to fulfill a contract, others will share from their excess inventory. We have had this good working relationship with other uniform makers for 70 or 80 years and this says a great deal about the uniform business.” The Instrumentalist extends the best wishes of the music industry to Fruhauf Uniforms for a century of progress.  

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Music Storage
    Music is expensive. Many of the pieces you study in college will be ones that you perform many times in the future. Take care of your music so it stays in good shape. Use a bag to carry the music to practice and lessons and find a good place to store your music when it is not in use. If you have the space, a legal-sized file cabinet is best, but many dorm rooms are small. Consider purchasing a file box from a local moving company. These inexpensive (less than $5) boxes are made for storing files and are stronger than normal packing boxes. The lid is detachable and the whole box easily fits under a bed or into the trunk of an automobile for carrying home at the end of the term.
    Designate one bag for your music studies and another for your academic studies. You should include a metronome, tuner, recording device, music dictionary, and writing equipment as well as any special equipment for your instrument in your bag. If the practice rooms don’t have mirrors or music stands, you should carry these items as well. Because you will use this bag for at least the next four years, make sure that it is sturdy and easy to carry. Consider a bag that has wheels or that you can carry on your back to evenly distribute its weight. Carrying a bag on one shoulder is not good for body alignment.

Respect Your Teacher
    Teachers are busy people, and you should respect their time. Most have a full studio of students plus they may conduct ensembles or teach a weekly masterclass. They may also teach another subject, besides having an active performing career. Arrive early for lessons. A changing work schedule on your part should not affect your lessons in any way. Do not expect a make-up lesson if you forget a lesson. If the teacher must miss a lesson, then a make-up lesson is in order. If you have a valid problem, change lesson times with another student in the studio. Inform your teacher of this change, either by email or a note in his mailbox.
    Dress professionally. During the first week of my freshman year at the Eastman School of Music, Howard Hanson, the American composer and Director of the Eastman School of Music, hosted a banquet for all incoming freshmen. Along with many of his eloquent thoughts, he said: You have chosen music as your life’s passion. Have respect for the art. Bring your best to the subject. This means dress up for your classes and for concerts.

Lesson Manners
    At the beginning of each lesson place all the music on the stand so the teacher can see what you are studying and decide how to structure the lesson.  I have had students place one book on the stand. After working on it, I asked: what else do you have? Then another book was put on the stand, and we worked on it. It never felt that we accomplished as much as we did when students placed everything on the stand to begin with. 
    At the beginning of most lessons and classes, teachers ask if you have any questions about the material being presented. There are no stupid questions. Every teacher wants to know how you learned the material and whether you had any problems. If you have questions, don’t wait until the last five minutes of the lesson to ask them. Most questions take time to answer well. Waiting to catch a teacher between lessons or classes is not being respectful of the teacher’s or a waiting student’s time. If you are having difficulty in a course, go see the teacher. Sooner is always better than later. Teachers have many resources available to help you become a successful student.
    You are paying tuition to learn. Listen to your teacher. Do not argue with him. Keep an open mind, and try new ideas. Recently I reread a 1962 diary entry based on a lesson with William Kincaid. At the time I wrote the entry, I did not understand his idea, but I wrote it down anyway. However, 40 years later, the concept was clear as a bell to me. After your lessons, write assignments in a journal, which you should keep for lessons and practice. Note any questions or successes. Teachers love to hear about successes as well as problems.

Social Graces
    Do not call your teacher at home. Teachers have lives also, and after a long day at work, they deserve uninterrupted time with their families. If you call, do so during office hours. Many teachers put office phones on voice mail while teaching, so leave a concise message with a call back number. Some teachers prefer email or text messaging. This is something to discuss at an early lesson.
    Do not expect a teacher to become part of your social network. Studio parties (where everyone is included) are a great way to bond a studio together. However, private dinners or coffee breaks with a teacher are not part of the norm. If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, then there probably is a reason for alarm. If you find yourself in a difficult situation with a teacher, discuss the problem with your parents or a university advisor.

What Courses To Take?
    Go see your advisor. Sooner is better than later. Listen carefully when the he explains the curriculum. Most advisors have a printed handout that lists the courses you should take semester by semester. Follow the schedule to ensure that you graduate on time. Students often put off taking dreaded difficult courses until their final semesters only to find that the information in these classes would have helped in many other courses.
    Many students are disappointed to learn that they will be unable to student teach because they never passed the piano proficiency exam. In most schools the catalog or bulletin that you use when registering for the first term is the one that you will follow to fulfill graduation requirements. Changes  that are put into place after you have begun study usually will not affect you. Register on time. Pre-register as soon as allowed so that you get the first choice of classes to fulfill your degree requirements. Pay your bills. Clear up any library or parking fines. Be professional in the way that you handle your financial affairs with the university and in your personal life.

Check The Resources
    Most universities have excellent libraries and listening laboratories. Become a regular patron. Check out scores to accompany the CDs and videos. Listening is also part of practicing. Check out the professional performance concert series. Tickets are usually less expensive for students. This is your opportunity to observe some of the great performers of our time. If the performer offers a masterclass, attend. It does not matter if you play the instrument or not. Music is music. I have learned the most about musical pacing from piano and string masterclasses.
    Do attend your fellow students’ concerts and recitals. Not only are you being supportive of their work, but you will learn a broad range of musical repertoire. The more you know, the better you will become. Attend all studio functions. Your teacher has put a lot of time and thought into providing the best array of experiences for you and your development. Pay attention.
    Your college days will be some of the most memorable days of your life. A good plan of action ensures that you make the most of the opportunity and reap the greatest benefits from it.  Remember that only 30% of the population in the United States has a college education. Try your best and aim to become part of the top of that 30%.  

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Playing Position and Posture

   
    Clarinet thumb rests, dimes, or finger cups can be easily attached to the levers, allowing for a more comfortable grip.

Breathing
    The focus for beginning and intermediate-level students should be good breathing using general descriptions of the process instead of detailed explanations. Describe a balloon as it fills with air and expands naturally in all directions without being forced. When released it contracts naturally. Describe the sensation of air rushing across the tongue as water flowing over a waterfall. Thinking about round syllables while inhaling, such as hoh or hah, may help the throat and oral cavity remain open. The sensation of a relaxed, full breath is similar to that of yawning with an open mouth.
    Many players, even advanced ones, tense up while breathing. It is crucial to remember that the diaphragm is an involuntary muscle, and that playing with good air support – freely and without tension – does not require a tight or tensed abdomen.

Embouchure
    The embouchure should feel natural and not be the result of contortions to form it. Noted teacher and performer Philip Farkas described a good horn embouchure as a puckered smile, with neither too much lip in the mouthpiece (pucker) nor too little (smile). The embouchure should not have pockets of air behind the upper or lower lips or in the cheeks. Both lips should rest against the upper and lower teeth respectively, with no air behind. I find that asking students to say emm with the chin pointed toward the ground is an effective way to form an embouchure. Feel the lower teeth firmly behind the lower lip but avoid letting the area just below the lower lip bunch. Another approach is for students to free buzz without using a mouthpiece as an aid to form an embouchure. To produce a decent free buzz requires a correct embouchure. A lack of chin control will become obvious when a student attempts to free buzz; the chin and lower lip may bunch. It may help a free buzzing to place the index finger on the lower lip and chin, holding them in position while buzzing. This adds support until the muscles develop, and the need for the index finger will disappear.  To initiate a free buzz, students can imagine spitting a seed or a hair off the end of the tongue.

Mouthpiece Placement
    The age-old prescription of two-thirds upper lip and one-third lower lip really does work, although jaw and lip may affect mouthpiece placement. For students with thin or medium lips, lining up the bottom of the mouthpiece with the lower outside edge of the bottom lip can help in finding a correct embouchure placement. For players with thick lips, the bottom of the mouthpiece may not need to rest on the outside edge of the lower lip, but somewhere above it. It is important for the angle of the mouthpiece to follow the natural contour of the face. Because many people have at least a slight overbite, this results in a descending angle. Players with even bites or under bites should have straight or slightly ascending mouthpiece angles. Moist lips help the mouthpiece to settle into the sweet spot, as well as keeping the embou-chure from sticking during lip slurs or wide leaps. Many young players use an embouchure with too little top lip in the mouthpiece, which makes higher pitches and a characteristic tone difficult to produce.
    To find the proper proportion of upper to lower lip, think of the lower lip as an anchor point for the mouthpiece, while the upper lip acts as a hook for the upper two-thirds or so of the mouthpiece. Consistent practice with a mirror on the stand is important  until the embouchure muscles become accustomed to a regular mouthpiece position. A good test of mouthpiece placement is being able to produce a fairly loud, healthy-sounding buzz. A good buzz on the mouthpiece sounds free and open, rather than tight and constricted.

Right Hand Position
    Many young horn players play with their hands too far into the bell or use an overly covered hand position. The ideal right-hand position has a slight bend at the knuckles but is fairly straight from the knuckles to the finger tips. with the thumb touching the index finger and no spaces between fingers. The palm is slightly cupped, as if swimming freestyle or holding shampoo.

   
    When placing the hand in the instrument, press the right hand against the far right side of the bell and allow it to conform to the shape and size of the bell, which will result in a slightly rounded shape. Line up the knuckle of the thumb with the bell brace, then insert the right hand so the thumb touches the upper part of the bell and the bottom edge of the hand contacts the bell.

    
Avoid curling the fingers inside the bell or splaying them out. Keeping the right elbow well away from the side of the body helps maintain an open hand position that will not muffle or otherwise obstruct the sound.

Braces
    Possible complications from braces include playing discomfort, loss of range and endurance, lack of dynamic contrast, unfocused sound, frustration, and discouragement. Teachers should stress to students that these effects are not permanent, and that with patience and persistence it is still possible to play well while wearing braces. Players with braces should remain focused on producing a characteristic sound in the middle range. It is important to avoid excessive mouthpiece pressure as an aid to producing higher pitches. Instead, work towards a relaxed and open aperture in the middle register. Exercises such as long tones at a comfortable dynamic range; slow, slurred scales in the middle register; and daily mouthpiece buzzing can help rebuild range, endurance, and self confidence. Brace guards can be used to relieve playing discomfort, but wax should be avoided, as it may get blown into the horn. One of the best tools for dealing with braces is a mouthpiece with a wide, flat rim, which will more evenly distribute pressure and allow greater playing comfort.                      

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Compositional Process
    Larsen’s compositional process is highly cerebral. “This part of my process is not at all about notes or rhythms – which doesn’t occur until much later.” Rather, she works “through the unknown until I settle on the thoughts and feelings that become the foundation of the work. For example, An Introduction to the Moon uses a written score combined with portions of improvised music. My idea was one of collaboration, enabling the musicians to feel the process of creation.
    “In Ursa, my recently completed work for solo tuba and wind ensemble, the yearning of a great soul proved to be the pivotal concept.” It is interesting that Larsen spent the most time on this portion of composing. “Ideally, a composer would spend this time in solitude, but in the reality of my busy life, I often work through this part while gardening or cleaning the house. My brain is freed to work while I tend to other things.
    “Eventually, I move on to choosing colors,  timbres, and the architecture of the work. I begin to understand the important element of energy within the composition. At this point, I still have not begun writing anything on paper, but the elements of the work are coming together in my mind.
    “When I begin to put notes on the page, I first use large sheets of manuscript paper and sketch chords and motivic ideas. An onlooker would think that this barely resembles a musical composition. The page is often filled with arrows and mathematical formulas that aid me in the next step of the process.”
    After this stage, she sits down at the piano and begins to write out the full score and fleshes out the details of the work. “Early in my career, when I wrote the double barline at the end of a work, I considered the compositional process to be 100% complete. After gaining greater experience, when I finish this step, I consider the work to be about 93% complete.” When the piece is rehearsed for the first time, she often adjusts parts for better balance or transitions. “I do not consider the composition to be complete until the work has been presented to an audience.”

An Introduction to the Moon
    I met Libby Larsen during a summer workshop at the University of Minnesota in the mid-1990s, and she had us laughing, crying, wondering, and listening in remarkable ways. As I learned more about her compositions, I persuaded my school district in Apple Valley, Minnesota to engage Larsen as a composer-in-residence in 2002 to work with middle school, high school, and two all-state bands. Most of her previous band compositions, which were few in number, were difficult to play and available only by rental. I wanted to commission her to write a work that was playable by school groups.
    When we talked about how the new piece might contribute to the wind band repertoire, she mentioned the idea of creating a work that would be a collaboration between the composer and performers; the musicians would help create and improvise the music.
    The result was the composition, An Introduction to the Moon, a 12-minute, moderately difficult work that my wind ensemble premiered in May 2005. It has since been performed by numerous high school and college ensembles. The instrumentation is for standard wind ensemble plus water glasses tuned to C and G and a Marine Band C harmonica. It is available through Oxford University Press. An Introduction to the Moon combines music she created with improvised music by the ensemble. Central to the work are eight moments or spaces during which readers recite poetry. While the score provides music leading up to and following each poem, an improvised accompaniment for each poem is left to the conductor and the ensemble.
    The work is based on the poem “Moon” by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. The score includes Larsen’s poetry suggestions for the next seven sections of the work by such poets as Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Kahil Gibran among others. Conductors are welcome to use other poems related to the moon, although the first poem by Billy Collins poem should always be used.
    The temptation with An Intro­duction to the Moon is to create a continuous flow of improvised sound beneath the poetry. While this appears to be an enriching idea, it is more engaging to highlight only particular words or phrases of the poetry, embellishing the text to make it more meaningful. It also helps to remember that while the ensemble becomes familiar with the text during several rehearsals, listeners hear the poetry only once and without aid of printed text. That aspect of creating the improvisations is parallel to the central goal of musical composition – communicating clearly to listeners an idea or thought or feeling on a first hearing.
    Every time I conduct the work, I record the poetry before rehearsals begin. This eliminates the technical and logistical problems inherent with live oration, such as difficulties with the volume of the speaker’s voice, the speed at which the person speaks, clear enunciation, etc.

First Moments of The Music
    In comparison to her earliest work for wind band, Grand Rondo from 1988, the tonal and motivic ideas of An Introduction to the Moon are unmistakably true to Libby Larsen’s compositional style. The nine sections of composer-created material are scored so that they tie together the complete work when the poetry improvisations are included. When paced well, the music moves along in a fashion that is satisfying to listeners.

Interpretive Decisions
    The tempos of the various sections of the work vary between ­quarter = 52 and 88 beats per minute, allowing for some variety while remaining true to the mystical quality established early in the work. Subtle changes of tempo are important in realizing each of the sections of the work and need attention and thought. That being said, it is essential to the integrity of the work that the music proceed seamlessly into and out of each poem.
    Short of a few passages, the rhythmic difficulties of the work are modest. Much greater is the challenge of performing the rhythmic material well at slow tempos in an exceptionally effortless way. Exact articulations from all the wind musicians are a must, as are unimpeded releases, often al niente.
    Typical of Larsen’s style is percussion writing that is meaningful, colorful, and a delight. The contributions from this element of the ensemble are tasteful, subtle, and in a few cases require advanced technical skill (in particular on vibraphones and marimba). Mature percussionists will be pleased with the ways their contributions propel the work forward.
    The work has brief solos for alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, and piccolo. Involving other players as soloists during the poetry adds to the possibilities for creating contrasting textures in the improvised sections.

Additional Thoughts
    A few unusual aspects of the work are worthy of mention. The flute, oboe, and clarinet sections require water glasses tuned to concert G. The trombone, euphonium, and tuba sections require water glasses tuned to concert C. The Marine Band Har­monica in the key of C, included in the instrumentation, is affordable and available from most music stores. Mutes for tuba and euphonium are also needed.
    The ending of the piece will also provide the conductor and ensemble with a collaboration to create an ensemble – al niente – closure to the work. The final four measures of music are performed eight times, with instruments gradually and seamlessly leaving the texture until only the harmonica and water glasses remain.
    Judicious planning and leadership from the podium are critical to the smooth transitions into and out of poetry presentations and improvisations. You will need to provide cues and guidance from the podium based on notations in the score, but because there is little room in the score to write such notes, I suggest you create a supplemental document for them. A second music stand can hold your improvisation scripts with cues. 
    The published edition of the work has a number of errors, both in the score and parts. A thorough errata list is available to download from Libby Larsen’s website (). The site also includes a streaming recording of the entire composition and a nonprintable PDF of the conductor’s score.

Life as a Full-Time Composer
    Libby Larsen has never held a teaching position at a college or university; she works as a composer, full time. “I have been lucky enough to have the kind of musical life I wanted,” she says, “and so I never felt the need to be attached to an academic institution.”
    In spite of the lack of a formal teaching position, her interactions with students of all ages are warm, gracious, and always engaging. Following a residency with Larsen, one high school student simply remarked, “The way I listen to the world around me will never be the same.” Once you listen to her music, you very well may agree. 

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    What is the potential damage to the woodwind instruments if your marching band gets caught in pouring rain? If your band performs a halftime show in sub-freezing weather, how will the brass instruments be affected? These are a few concerns that marching bands may face if the show must go on, despite bad weather. It is impossible to control the rain, lower the heat, or stop a blizzard, but you can minimize their damage by knowing how such weather may affect instruments and musicians. Test your ability to cope with the weather by answering these true/false questions. Then compare your responses to the answers which follow.

1. T F  As the temperature drops, intonation becomes more and more of a problem.
2. T F  Cold, dry weather does not harm woodwind instruments.
3. T F  After exposure to cold, dry weather, wooden clarinets and oboes should be quickly warmed to room temperature.
4. T F  Clarinet, flute, and saxophone pads are not affected by a rain soaking.
5. T F   In excessive heat, clarinet, flute, and saxophone pads may fall out.
6. T F   Steel rods, pivot screws, and springs on woodwind instruments may rust from a rain soaking.
7. T F  There’s nothing you can do to prevent valves from freezing in below-freezing weather.
8. T F   A metal mouthpiece, if it’s cold enough, can freeze to a brass player’s lips.
9. T F   Brass instruments are not affected by rain.
10. T F   Stainless steel drums with plastic heads are not affected by rain, freezing temperatures, and heat.
11. T F   Extreme weather is as much of a problem for players as it is for their instruments.

Scroll down for answers.

Answers

    1. True. Changing weather can blitzkrieg your best tuning efforts. James Phillips, associate director of bands at the University of Notre Dame, recalls what happened at the 1974 Sugar Bowl: “The temperature during the afternoon dress rehearsal was in the high 70s. By game time in the evening, we were beset with extreme wind and rain. The temperature had dropped 40 degrees to the high 30s.”
    The intonation problem in a situation like this occurs because falling temperatures cause the instrument materials to shrink, enlarging the size of the bore and making it play flatter. Minor intonation problems occur indoors with only slight changes in temperature and humidity. These small changes can cause a one- or two-thousandths of an inch difference in the size of a clarinet bore. Severe weather outdoors can cause changes in bore size of from four- to seven-thousandths of an inch. Temperature changes like this make tuning very difficult.

    2. False. After a few hours of exposure to cold, dry weather, you might hear these complaints from your woodwind players: “My instrument won’t play,” “These keys are stuck,” or “I can’t stop squeaking.” As cold temperatures cause the instrument material to shrink, the keys on woodwinds may bind. These problems are most common in the larger woodwind instruments. The leather pads of saxophones also become brittle in freezing temperatures and may not seat properly when they warm again.

    3. False. All wooden instruments should be brought to room temperature gradually after being exposed to the cold. A cold wooden instrument may crack if it is warmed too quickly, especially if the exposure was long enough for the cold to completely penetrate the wood. It is this tendency toward cracking that makes areas near heat ducts and radiators dangerous for wooden instruments.

    4. False. Rain can affect clarinet, flute, and saxophone pads. The outer covering of a clarinet or flute pad is made from material which is resistant to moisture, but this is only true when the material is intact. If the covering is cracked or has a small hole, rain water can get into the felt core of the pad. The felt swells and may cause the pad to seat improperly on the rim of the tone hole. The thin leather pad of a saxophone also absorbs water easily. When the leather dries, it shrinks and may not seat properly.

    5. True. Most of the glues used to hold clarinet, flute, and saxophone pads in their cups liquify when heated. Soaring temperatures in a locked car, bus, or storage trunk can soften the glue so that it will no longer hold the pad.

    6. True. Steel springs and blued needle-steel springs, usually found on better quality woodwinds, will rust. Rods and pivot screws made of stainless steel won’t rust. Luckily, most student model instruments have stainless steel springs which will not rust or corrode.

    7. False. Freezing valves are a problem in cold weather, but there is something you can do about it. With regular valve oil, the slightest bit of moisture in the valve casing can cause it to freeze. George Cavender, conductor of the University of Michigan Marching Band, says, “We have performed in ten-above-zero weather by replacing our regular valve oil with a mixture of equal parts of alcohol and glycerine. Store it in a clearly-labeled bottle — rubbing alcohol is toxic and flammable. Some of the new valve oils on the market work well in cold weather too. We tested one by applying the new valve oil and putting the instrument on a dormitory window ledge all night. It was cold, but it still worked.”
   
    8. True. Metal mouthpieces can freeze to a brass player’s lips and this is a danger in very cold weather. Paul Droste, Ohio State University March-ing Band Director, made this suggestion: “I believe that plastic mouthpieces are a good idea for very cold weather, although we have never found one that played as well as our metal mouthpieces.”

    9. False. Rain is not a great danger for brass instruments, but repeated or prolonged wetness may eventually affect the lacquer on the instrument. To avoid this, have your players wipe their instruments dry with a soft cloth after playing in the rain.

    10. True.  Stainless steel drums with plastic heads can withstand most of Mother Nature’s abuses. Only if temperatures near 200° (perhaps in storage or in transit) will plastic drum heads stretch slightly.

    11. True. Musicians get as much wear and tear from the weather as their instruments. Robert Fleming, assistant director of bands at Arizona State University, knows this well. “At one game,” he said, “it was 102° at 7:30 p.m. and the temperature on the field was even higher. The band came off the field with sweat literally pouring out of their hats when they took them off.
    “In hot country like this,” says Fleming, “you have to build up students’ resistance and prepare them for performing in this weather. We rehearse from a physical fitness standpoint. The beginning of each rehearsal consists of exercises that the football team physician and trainer have recommended.”
    “Our rehearsal philosophy,” says Michigan’s George Cavender, “is, ‘It might be that way Saturday.’ So we rehearse in all kinds of bad weather. In early November one season, we had a storm that dumped three inches of ice and then eight inches of snow on the field. For the rest of November we couldn’t see the drill field. We got some coal dust and made black lines on the white field.”
    What was it like marching on three inches of ice topped with eight inches of snow? “We didn’t march,” says Cavender. “We just shuffled.”

Score Yourself
    The true score of your bad weather performance test comes at the end of the marching season – when you measure the morale of your band members against the condition of their instruments. One experienced band director whose band performed a halftime show in a torrent of thunder, lightning, and rain, said, “During the week after the soaking, I replaced 35 pads on clarinets alone, and we only march 10 clarinets. Despite the damage, our drenching was the talk of the season. As a result, morale couldn’t have been higher for the rest of the year.”     

The post The Band Director’s Bad Weather Aptitude Test appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

 

    Harry Begian grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, and when he first heard a band in school, he was so enthralled with the sound that he took up the cornet. He earned a B.A. from Wayne State in 1943 and briefly taught at McKenzie High School in Detroit. He was soon drafted and played in the 180th AGS Band of the U.S. Army.
    After military service ended, he pursued a master’s degree at Wayne State and then became the band director at Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He developed an outstanding program and was invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic in 1954 and 1961. Along the way he earned a doctorate from the University of Michigan and became director of bands at Wayne State University. The director of bands position at Michigan State University opened in 1967 when Leonard Falcone retired, and Harry Begian took over.
    He stayed there for three years and then took a similar position at the University of Illinois in 1970 where he stayed until his retirement in 1984. He briefly came out of retirement to conduct the Purdue University symphonic band from 1985-87.
For many years he was on the faculty of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, a director of the Midwest Clinic, and an active conductor and clinician. He was a Contributing Editor of The Instrumentalist for many years and his articles frequently reflected his enduring love of the sound of a full concert band. He could vehemently voice his ideas without giving offense to the other side, a rare ability and a reflection of a warm person, one we will miss.

The following are excerpts from some of his articles that appeared in The Instrumentalist.  Click on the link at the end of each excerpt to read the full articles.

December 2002
Nothing Can Match The Wonderful Sound Of a Full Concert Band
By Harry Begian

    In the late 1930s, I attended a concert by the University of Michigan Band conducted by William Revelli and came away taken by the sound of this large ensemble. I believed that this was what a band could and should sound like. Here was a beautiful, sonorous, and well-balanced sound coming from a large group of woodwinds, brasses, and percussion – a sound that was pleasing to the ear. It was refined and capable of subtleties and expressivity I had thought possible only from an orchestra. The personnel list in the printed program was roughly as large as for a full symphony orchestra.
    The ratio of woodwinds to brass and percussion was roughly in the same proportion as strings to the winds and percussion in a symphony orchestra, approximately 60/40. The sound of the Michigan Band was naturally denser or heavier than the orchestral sound and depended at its core on a large clarinet section consisting of a full choir from sopranino (Eb) to the Eb contralto. This 60/40 woodwind/brass ratio and the full choir of clarinets enabled the band to cover the same dynamic range as a symphony orchestra, from a full, brilliant, and inoffensive fortissimo of brasses down to the softest and most delicate dynamics possible by the woodwinds. The most important quality of the sound was the wonderful balance and blend with the textural clarity. This refined, lush sound was so pliable and adaptable that the band could adjust to perform all types of music….
    With the advent of the wind ensemble 50 years ago, Frederick Fennell introduced to the band world the musical potentials of small band performances under a fine conductor leading a select group of instrumentalists. The early recordings of the Eastman Wind Ensemble display cohesive performances of very high quality. These performances were technically accurate, rhythmically precise, and had fine intonation. The wind ensemble concept was well received by a younger generation of band conductors, and by the 1970s this form of band became a part of the offerings at many colleges and universities.
    The high levels of musical performances attained by many wind ensembles were and are a credit to the calibre of the players and conductors. In my opinion, there are more well trained and knowledgeable band conductors now than ever before. Instrumental playing abilities have advanced so dramatically that the best bands and wind ensembles are able to competently play anything written for bands. With this in mind it is a harsh reality that audiences do not attend wind ensemble concerts in significant numbers. My assessment of why so few people attend current wind concerts and some leave early is that the basic sound and programming of even the finest wind ensembles in this country are unappealing.
    To my ears, most smaller bands and wind ensembles have a bright, brass-oriented sound that reminds me most of the army regimental and division bands with 28 to 56 players respectively. These brass-laden timbres are fine for the parade ground but lack the sonority and variety of tone colors for the concert hall. The simple fact is that two flutes, two oboes, and two clarinets do not effectively counterbalance the sound of two trumpets, two horns, and two trombones. 

January 1991
Standards of Excellence For Band Repertoire
By Harry Begian

    Student musicians and general concert audiences can distinguish between good and bad music; they also can tell whether that music is played well or poorly. Last May (1990) at the Smoky Mountain Band Festival, the Joliet Township High School Band directed by Theodore Lega performed Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Filled to capacity with student musicians and their parents, the auditorium remained quiet as the audience listened intently. At the completion of Elgar’s work, the audience gave the band and conductor a thunderous and prolonged ovation. It was clear that the audience of students and parents realized they had just heard an exceptionally fine performance of great music by a well-trained band. That high level of playing was brought about by the skilled training and teaching of the conductor. The old cliche came to mind once again: a band is no better than its conductor and is a reflection of what he is and thinks musically….
    If music is not worthwhile, then don’t buy or perform it; instead study good band music, such as that listed below or some of the many other fine works that are available for grade levels 3, 4, and 5. The panel I assembled does not claim that these listings are complete, but they feel the pieces are worthy of the time spent in performance and rehearsal. The panel chose works as worthy of being played by school bands. The panel concentrated on grade levels 3 through 5 because groups of this degree of ability can develop the musicality of a work, and directors of grade 6 bands generally know all of the available literature. 

April 1990
The Conductor’s Responsibilities
By Harry Begian

    Audience attendance at symphony orchestra, opera, and university band performances reached an all-time high into the 1960s…. From the 60s until the present, symphony and opera attendance have held their own while attendance at university band concerts has dropped.
    Decline in the size of band audiences is a major concern for many band conductors and has been the topic of panel discussions and seminars throughout the country. While many reasons are advanced for the causes, one never hears or reads that perhaps the main reason for the decline is poor programming. Far too many band conductors have forgotten, or consciously dismissed, a proper balance of musical responsibilities to both audiences and players….
    In the late 1960s and into the 70s, one began to hear from a small group of university band conductors that they did not care to program traditional music from the band’s limited band repertoire; they would devote their musical energies to the performance and propagation of new music, original band works in the contemporary idiom.
    This approach to band programming had a direct influence on the younger generation of band conductors being trained by our universities. When this younger generation entered the conducting profession they adopted the programming philosophies of their mentors. Many of them became so intent on personal expression that they showed little or no responsibility for exposing players and concert audiences to a variety of styles and periods of music.
    It is my opinion, shared by a great number of band conductors, that programming of a preponderance of one kind of music is shortsighted and cheats our players. Through lopsided programming that stresses only new, original, or contemporary band works, an aura of musical monotony is created, seriously affecting the performers’ en­thusiasm and curtailing audience attendance at concerts….
    To conductors who regard all transcriptions as anathemas, I say that transcriptions have been considered a legitimate practice throughout the history of Western music. Bach, Mozart, and Liszt are but a few of the great composers who transcribed music of their own as well as that of other composers. Unfortunately, there are far too many bad transcriptions for band: transcriptions unsuited to band performance or executed so poorly they discredit the original composition. Unacceptable transcriptions are those in which the transcriber has freely changed harmonies, textures, and rhythmic figures or made deletions.
    However, having listed these objectionable transcription practices I would also venture to say that many bands today perform in concert as many bad original works as bad transcriptions….
    When teaching graduate music students, [I find it] distressing to observe how little they know about music literature and music history. This leads me to believe that very few band students ever play or hear music of the masters in their high school or college bands. It may also indicate that many of them do not attend symphony orchestra concerts and operas. In pondering this matter I have come to the conclusion that their playing experiences are confined to the new educational music published for bands and a type of “non-music music” (it looks like music, reads like music, but sounds terrible).  

          
On Conducting

April 1993
Conducting with Eloquence
An Interview with Harry Begian
By Barbara Favorito

    Don’t give speeches. In those first minutes try to exhibit a clean stick and give clear cues. After the first few cues, the musicians’ eyes will emerge from the music. With any ensemble don’t drop the stick before you have their complete attention. If the players are still talking and fiddling, just wait. Give them the eye and a little smile, and they’ll get the message after a while. Be in command from that first moment.
    Don’t ever doubt yourself; take charge without being ostentatious. Show that you are prepared and look the musicians in the eye when you cue. Don’t stop unless things get out of hand and remember that good players don’t like lectures. If they’re pros or players in a community orchestra, they’ve probably played under twenty different conductors. Now the twenty-first tells them to play differently. If they don’t catch the idea from the stick, you may have to stop and explain it. I don’t agree with advocates of conducting without any words; listen to the Toscanini tapes. Some people think that conducting isn’t teaching, but that is precisely what conducting is. Speaking is appropriate when you can’t represent an idea through facial expression, gestures, or the baton.
    After identifying why you stopped, give a clear solution to the problem. Most conductors neglect to give the cure. Adding “please” at the end of the request works well.

Which of the differences between bands and orchestras are the most striking?
    Less experienced conductors who alternate between the two kinds of ensembles may find the differences striking. When conducting wind players, I discuss two attacks: soft and hard. I describe a D versus a T sound. String players can draw the bow to get a sharper edge on the attack or just glide into the note. Wind players can’t glide the way a string player can; they have to give an attack but can modify it by using a D tonguing instead of a T. That sounds simplistic, but it makes a big difference as far as activating the sound.
    Another difference in articulation is that bands are far more precise than orchestras; the nature of string response encourages imprecision. If twenty strings attack inaccurately, it is not terribly obvious; with twenty clarinets, it is glaringly obvious to the most inexperienced listener. Intonation also poses a bigger problem for bands. Intonation problems in the orchestra are largely covered up by vibrato. In a band, poor intonation cannot be hidden. 

April 1997
Rehearsals Improve with Effort And Planning
By Harry Begian

    Although many conductors use chorales as part of the warm-up, most fail to take advantage of the full musical potential of these works. By approaching warm-up chorales as demanding concert pieces, a director can sharpen the response to his conducting gestures and set an attentive mood for the rehearsal. Through visual contact and clear gestures during the chorale, a conductor can clean up the attacks, correct balance, indicate dynamic or tempo changes, add a tenuto, or improve releases.
    After the warm-up I often like to sight-read a short piece with enough technical demands to be a challenge. Marches are well-suited for this purpose because they are technically and rhythmically challenging and span a wide dynamic range. The contrasting styles, tempos, and technical demands of a chorale and march during the warm-up are an excellent beginning for any rehearsal. The remainder of a rehearsal should proceed from the easiest to the most difficult pieces.
    Rehearse selected passages that need attention, but don’t feel obligated to play the entire work. It is always best to end a rehearsal with a piece the band likes and plays well so players leave feeling good about how the ensemble sounds, even if it was a difficult session.
    Try to make rehearsals fast-paced, serious, and focused entirely on making music. Corrections to the music should be made on the spot instead of leaving these for a player or section to correct later. After diagnosing a problem and offering a solution, students should play the passage again. If a problem persists after several attempts, leave it for a subsequent rehearsal. Conductors who spend an inordinate amount of time on one rhythmic, intonation, or technical problem simply waste time and raise the stress and tension levels often without correcting the passage. Any problem that continues for several rehearsals should be dealt with in sectionals or private sessions.

August 2004
Conducting Wisdom
From Harry Begian
By Barry Ellis

    I learned a great deal by observing professional conductors, who worked in an entirely different manner from what I saw in school. Instead of talking to the orchestra, these conductors came in and all they said was “good morning gentlemen, the Beethoven please” – and wham, the stick came down. The conductor never stopped unless he had to. Only if there was something he couldn’t convey with gestures or by talking over the music as they played would he stop. Whenever this was necessary, the conductor always explained why he stopped and gave specific instructions about how he thought the passage should be played.
    This efficiency of professional conductors in using rehearsal time im-pressed me the most. As I watched several conductors over the years, I was also impressed that no two of them conducted in the same manner. Each stood before the orchestra differently, used distinctive beat patterns, and no two of them used the left hand in the same way. I had read in books about the taboos of conducting, including that the left hand should never be used except to cue someone, but these symphony conductors used the left hand all the time, and they used it gracefully.
    I also began to notice that no two of them conducted the same piece of music at the same tempo or with the same inflections. I heard Fritz Reiner and José Iturbi conduct Roman Carnival Overture a few months apart and they took entirely different tempos on the same work. This convinced me that professional conductors don’t copy one another but conduct each piece as they see it in the score. The result is that the music reflects the conductor’s perception of the score, which I guess is what some people refer to as recreating the music from the score. 

December 1997
Experiments in Band Seating
By Harry Begian

    I experimented with instrumentation and seating plans at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School to produce good balance, blend, and intonation. For good balance the woodwind section should be the dominant sound of the band, with the clarinets as the lead instruments, similar to violins in an orchestra. To add to the resonance and sonority of the clarinet section, I included alto, bass, and contralto clarinets along with the Eb sopranino. Although the alto clarinets were later omitted, I have continued to use the Eb sopranino because it carries the clarinet sound into the upper ranges without relying completely on the flutes.
    I also learned that multiple bass clarinets and contralto clarinets help to create a full-bodied and rich sounding woodwind section. The saxophonists in my Cass Tech band were excellent students taught by Larry Teal, so I used only four players with soprano or bass added when necessary. Because the saxophones blend well I seated them in the center of the band between the woodwinds and the brass.
    For better balance and a predominantly woodwind sound I toned down the brass section and tried to draw a distinction between cornets and trumpets. This proved impossible simply because all of the players owned trumpets and could not afford both a trumpet and a cornet. The rest of the brass included a full complement of horns, trombones, baritones (euphoniums), and tubas. I consistently used a percussion section of six except on a few pieces that called for more players.
Early in these experiments I learned how greatly a seating plan affects the sound and balance of an ensemble. This first became clear to me at concerts of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra when guest conductors changed the  seating  of the orchestra. The sound, balance, and blend was different with each seating change and with each conductor’s concept of sound. I later read a music review on the exchange conductorship between Fritz Reiner and Eugene Ormandy that explained how Reiner made the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra sound like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra while Ormandy made the Chicago orchestra sound like the Philadelphia orchestra.
    After considerable experimentation I settled upon the following instrumentation for a symphonic band: 1 piccolo, 8 flutes, 3 oboes (1 English horn), 3 bassoons (1 contrabassoon), 1 Eb clarinet, 16-20 Bb clarinets, 4 bass clarinets, 2 contralto clarinets, 4 saxophones, 7 cornets, 3 trumpets, 6-8 horns, 6 trombones, 4 euphoniums, 4 tubas, and 6 percussion. I have rarely felt it necessary to deviate from this instrumentation of roughly 80 to 85 players.          

Additional Articles
Conducting Marches with Flair and Accuracy, By Harry Begian, September 1994 
Harry Begian Speaks From Experience, By James Hile, June 1990  

The post The Writings of Harry Begian (1921-2010) appeared first on The Instrumentalist.