Build a Library
    Students should start building a library of books and solos while still in high school. The studio teacher will help decide which solos each trumpet major should study, but consulting state lists for suitable solo literature is an excellent way to start. Method books such as Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method, Clarke’s Technical Studies, Schlossberg’s Daily Drills and Technical Studies, and the Concone Lyrical Studies for Trumpet are almost universally required. The ideas presented below will point the students in the right direction, but these great method books offer lengthy and advanced studies for players of all levels.

Warm Up Correctly
    Few students know how to warm up effectively. A good method is to start with the students standing or sitting with good posture and taking in a deep breath while saying the syllable oh. This inhalation should be done in eight beats. They should then release the air over eight beats saying the syllable poo. This should be done four times at a tempo of q = 80. By adding this exercise to each practice session, students will be more likely to incorporate relaxed breathing into their playing. This helps to establish steady air flow, breath support, and good tone quality.
    Next, students should play the exercises below on the mouthpiece at the same tempo, slurred, and using a poo syllable at the beginning. Students struggling with the pitch can play the first note on the trumpet for reference. It is important to keep the tone steady and full, breathing in and out as noted above, and resting four beats between each segment. They should repeat this on the trumpet using the poo syllable at first, then gradually add the tongue and use a too syllable. Arnold Jacobs taught that it is better to think of this syllable as tOO in order to emphasize the vowel and, hence, the tone. This exercise can continue up and down the scale and can be transposed to other keys.

Master Scales and Arpeggios
    There is no such thing as too much proficiency in scales. Students should be familiar with the all-state band audition requirements for their state and use them as a guide. These auditions include scales and arpeggios and give instructions on how to play them. Students should practice the scales in the way prescribed and not avoid difficult keys. A great goal is to be able to play two octave scales and arpeggios in eighth notes up to C6 at a steady tempo, q = 120. It will enhance technique and flexibility if students can play major and chromatic scales both tongued and slurred and in a variety of articulations.

Learn Multiple Tonguing Styles
    Young players often use extremely harsh articulations. They should practice simple drills and melodies using the poo syllable, which does not employ the tongue, and move gradually to a dAH or dOO syllable to start the note. Using softer syllables in legato playing is crucial to learning correct style. In this style, students should avoid a hard Tee articulation, and avoid stopping the sound with the tongue (TuT).
    Beginning college students start with an advantage if they can double and triple tongue well; these articulations are necessary for performing at fast tempos. Teachers should introduce double tonguing by the time students enter the 8th or 9th grade and triple tonguing by the 11th or 12th. Students should start with single pitch drills, played slowly. They can gradually move to other pitches and increase the tempo to at least q = 120. Once students master this, it is a matter of achieving consistency, speed, and endurance through repetition. It is advisable to practice multiple tonguing up and down the scales and not linger on the single pitch exercise once it is mastered. Students should work on multiple tonguing every day.

Build Flexibility
    The ability to move up and down scales in single, double, triple, and mixed tonguing and slurring patterns is an important part of developing agility and flexibility, but lip slurs are an important part of this as well. The lip slur exercises in methods such as the Arban and Schlossberg should be a part of every trumpeter’s daily routine. The example below shows the open notes that should be slurred; the student should continue lower, through all seven valve combinations. Fast lip slurs help with range, but it is best to learn them slowly at first at about q = 80.

Sightread Daily
    An effective approach is to explore the Fourteen Characteristic Studies in the Arban method. Sightreading a line or phrase from these every day is extremely beneficial. Playing duets with other players and reading trumpet parts from pieces in the band library are also good approaches. Players should not just practice the notes, but also learn the meaning of the musical terms and tempo markings on the page.

Play with Others
    Much can be learned about faulty pitch and rhythmic problems by playing solos with pianists, organists, and other instrumentalists. Playing with other instruments, especially piano, is also a great way to learn how to listen critically. Unless the student has prepared for solo and ensemble contests before, this could be an overlooked area. Performing solos and in small ensembles will also teach students to count rests independently and not depend on help from the section as in larger ensembles.

Use Technology
    There are also software programs that will help to develop rhythmic accuracy. Even if the software is unavailable, just using a metronome that subdivides the beat will make many problems obvious. It is a good idea to use a tuner to learn pitch tendencies, but don’t depend on it as a crutch. Recording practice sessions and listening to one’s playing are the best ways to correct these problems. Singing parts also develops the ear and can be done without the instrument or tiring the chops.

Play with Expression and Character
     Music should tell a story. Kevin Eisenmith of Indiana University of Pennsylvania assigns his students a simple melody such as a Concone study or one of the songs from the Arban method. He requires students to add dynamics, crescendos, and tempos, to make it interesting and expressive. Students might imagine the scene or idea they are trying to convey and exaggerate dynamics and tempo changes. Such creativity will bring images to life for the listener.

Listen to Great Players
    Students should use the various media to learn the work of great artists. Jon Burgess of Texas Christian University sees a need for young students to check out the trumpet greats: Maurice Andrè, Phil Smith, Adolph Herseth, Tom Hooten, Alison Balsom, Chris Martin, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Wynton Marsalis. Knowing about these players and their styles is a part of being musically literate.

    Mastery of fundamentals leads to artistry and success. It is the player with superb command of basic skills who wins the audition, not just the one who can play higher, faster, and louder. As students head to college, they might find themselves in a bigger pond of extremely talented people. The student who spends 5-10 minutes each day on fundamentals can discover weaknesses, fix them, and rise above the rest.            

The post Getting Ready for College appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    It is rare that a new oboe reed will work satisfactorily the first time it is played. One reason for this is that the same reed works differently for different students depending on tiny variations in embouchure. It is also necessary to adjust a reed to compensate for changes that occur while breaking in a reed.
    All reeds face repeated soaking and drying. This usually has a profound effect on a new oboe reed. Soaking and drying will cause the fibers in the cane to expand and contract. During the break-in period, these fibers rarely contract to the size they were before they were soaked. The reed becomes slightly thicker and its response is diminished with each repetition of soaking and drying. Because of this it must be adjusted so that response is restored. The ability to make simple reed adjustments is essential. However, learning reed adjustment techniques can pose an insurmountable obstacle for those who are not comfortable using oboe reed making equipment.
    The opening of the tip is the first feature to examine. The tip on a new oboe reed tends to be more open than on that of an older reed. After soaking the reed for four minutes, compare the opening to the tip of the reed in the previous diagram. If the tip is too open, an adjustment must be made to close it. To do this, carefully pinch the very tip of the soaked reed with your thumb and index finger. Gently squeeze it closed for a few seconds. If the opening of the reed is not sufficiently smaller, carefully pinch both the heart and the tip closed, and hold for a few seconds. Be sure that the reed has been soaked for long enough before squeezing the tip closed. A reed that has not been soaked properly is likely to crack when it is squeezed. When the tip of the reed is closed to an acceptable diameter, further modifications are often not required. If the reed response is not sufficiently improved, more adjustments are necessary.
    There are only two basic oboe reed adjustments. The first is to clip the tip. If the reed responds too easily, the pitch is wild, and the tone quality is too bright. Reed makers often use a cutting block and a single-edged razor blade to make this adjustment. The razor blade is anchored on one side of the cutting block to provide stability when clipping. Clip only a miniscule slice off of the tip. After the tip is clipped, play the reed. If it still responds too easily, clip another miniscule slice off of the tip. Repeat the clip and test process until the reed responds as desired.

    It is highly unorthodox, but entirely possible to use a flat area of a solid wooden desk or metal file cabinet as a substitute for the cutting block.

    The second basic oboe reed adjustment is to scrape. This adjustment usually requires the use of a reed knife, but a small square of 400-grit sandpaper wrapped around the end of a short ruler can be an effective substitute.

    This sandpaper knife is used in the same manner as a reed knife to scrape an oboe reed.

    An oboe plaque will also be needed. The plaque provides stability when inserted approximately a quarter inch between the two blades.

    The plaque provides a smooth surface and separates the blades of the reed so that one blade can be scraped without altering the other. The plaque should not be too thick or the contour of the two blades of the oboe reed can be compromised and the reed ruined. There is no substitute for an oboe plaque as there is for a reed knife and cutting block, but oboe plaques are inexpensive and can be purchased online from a double reed supplier.
    When using sandpaper instead of a standard reed knife, it will be nearly impossible to scrape the fragile tip of the oboe reed without tearing it. Any scraping should be done on other parts of the reed. One should also avoid scraping the rails and spine; adjusting these could compromise pitch stability and high note response. Staying away from some areas and scraping others can be difficult due to the incredibly small surface area of the oboe reed. To indicate precisely the areas that need  adjusting, use a pencil and shade the part of the reed to be scraped. If you make a mistake while drawing on the reed, simply rub the pencil mark off with a finger under a faucet of running water and then redraw. Once the pencil shading is drawn correctly for the desired adjustment, rub the pencil shaded areas with the sandpaper knife. When the sandpaper has removed the pencil shading, the adjustment is complete. Be sure to make all adjustments to both blades of the reed. Test the reed and repeat the process as necessary to achieve the desired tone and response.
    The following are the most common oboe reed adjustments requiring the sand paper reed knife.
    1. The reed is quite hard and difficult to blow. Lightly scrape all areas except the very tip and the bark.
    2. The reed is too hard and the response is stuffy. Scrape the sides of the heart and the blend, avoiding the spine or rails.

    3. The reed is flat, especially on notes in the upper register and/or pitch is unstable. If the response is good, clip the tip. If the pitch is still flat, scrape the back, but be sure to avoid the spine and rails.

    4. The tone is too bright. Clip the tip if the response is good. If the tone quality is still too bright, scrape the sides of the heart
    If nothing is working, check to make sure the reed is symmetrical. As a last resort, on both blades scrape those areas that are thicker than the corresponding area on the other half of the same blade.
    Although the ability to use a reed knife well is the most effective way to adjust an oboe reed, adjustments are possible without it. Sandpaper and single-edged razor blades can be purchased at hardware and home improvement stores, and a ruler can be bought at any store that sells office and school supplies. One of the easiest ways for band directors and oboe students to learn these adjustment techniques is to practice on an old oboe reed. After making a practice adjustment on a retired reed, test the reed. You might have brought it back from the brink.

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Loud metronomes.
   Band directors love loud metro-nomes – and the louder the better. Not content to torture only those under their care, some band directors hook metronomes up to amps, put them on wheels and take them outside so that everyone in the whole county could march to the beat if they so wanted. There is nothing like the rush band directors feel when they have the power to annoy so many people at one time.

A football team with a running game.

   It’s not that band directors are football purists who love the physicality of the proverbial “three yards and a cloud of dust.” They just love to see the clock running. The modern passing game has added many hours to the director’s workweek. Passing forty to fifty times a game is the norm now, and defenses still seem to have no idea how to stop the massive yardage and points that are accumulated by modern offenses. I have a colleague who took his band to an away game that ended with a score of 87-52, and this was without an overtime period. The game did not end until after 11:00 p.m. and the band arrived back at school at two in the morning. Out of respect for the defensive coordinators I will not mention the names of the schools.

Plaques and trophies.
   Of course any director will tell you it’s not about the trophy, it’s simply what it represents. Don’t let them fool you. What else will be left behind in the band room after a career move or retirement? Maybe something rude written on the bathroom wall, but the school will eventually paint over that.

Freebies.
   Conventions are a bonanza for the frugal band director. Free CDs, candy, pizza, pencils, and pens are just a few of the treats directors can collect. On the home front, if a director is lucky, band parents might provide free food at football games – but don’t count on it; those band boosters can be pretty tight. Often the best one can hope for is to get some popcorn right before it is thrown out.

Large tuners.
   Everything electronic seems to be getting smaller. Unfortunately, the smaller a metronome shrinks, the harder it is to find. I love my retro-biggie-sized Korg Auto Chromatic AT-12 Tuner. May it live long and prosper.

Patriotic songs and marches.
   Band directors are one of the last bastions of these endangered musical works. They feel great satisfaction when their students enjoy performing them and understandable pride when members of the audience begin tapping their feet.

A quiet bandroom.

   A bandroom is typically a very noisy place, but there is nothing like being there in the summer. Tasks that have been neglected for months can finally be completed: cleaning out the desk, finishing the inventory, straightening up file drawers, emptying the trash on the computer, painting over the graffiti on music stands, and even getting around to a little instrument practicing.

Public radio.
   One of the best technological innovations of the last few years is the podcast. This enables band directors to listen to NPR programs previously only heard in snippets when driving to and from work. The risk here, of course, is the director becoming an insufferable bore who has a little something to say about everything but can only remember that he heard it on “some NPR podcast.”

Fancy batons and baton cases.

   Most band directors have a trusty baton that has experienced many forms of abuse. It is often left abandoned all over the bandroom, sometimes thrust into a tile ceiling, and frequently banged mercilessly against a music stand, its fiberglass chipping. Then the final insult comes when the director pulls out a special baton for the performance. I have a baton given to me by the seniors several years back. I call it the “baton not touched by human hands.” It’s stored and protected in a hermetically-sealed tube that resides in a small case for extra protection.

Corny jokes.
   Students often wonder if there was a college class where band directors learned their jokes. No, but we all wish there had been. It would have been an easy A.

Music scores and parts with the measures numbered.
   Why more publishers don’t do this I don’t know. With the computer programs available today it is certainly easy enough.

Golf.
   I have only played golf with other band directors one time; it was a best-ball tournament in Memphis, Tennessee. My foursome started out slow, but improved as the day went on, finishing with what we thought was a respectable two above par. Our ignorance gave us short-lived bliss. Out of nineteen teams we placed 18th and were at least 15 strokes behind the winner. I couldn’t help but jealously wonder if there was any correlation between golf and the quality of one’s band directing. Were the winners poor band directors? How did they have time to teach school and become great at golf?

When their own parents still come to concerts.
   The main reason I took a new position four years ago was to be closer to my parents. They had been coming to my concerts for years even though they lived some distance away. I thought that it was mainly to see the grandkids perform, but the kids have flown the coop, and my parents still come. They even converted much of their personal wardrobe to our school colors.

Tuxedos.
   Male directors like tuxedos, particularly if the tux has tails. Directors like the inevitable compliments from their spouse and students on their snazziness. It gives them the feeling that for at least one moment they are a Revelli, a Toscanini, a Reiner, or a Bernstein. As the director conducts his young charges in Pigeon Cove Overture, it will feel like the best performance ever if he is wearing a tux.   

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Simple Melodies
   I begin by teaching what I call ear tunes, simple melodies taught by rote, to my students. My students are also required to learn to play five ear tunes of their choice on their instrument. To reap the most benefit for my band or orchestra program, I choose to teach melodies by ear from the music we are studying, but these can be also be folk songs or anything else easy and familiar.
   I start by playing or singing the melody for the students three to four times and asking them to listen for different aspects of the song each time you perform the song. Examples of things to listen for include tempo, different rhythms, and the shape of the line. After doing this, break the melody down into phrases and echo them with the students until they are able to sing the various parts of the song. Combine the phrases gradually until students can sing the entire song without your assistance.
   After this students should begin working through the phrases on their instruments. Begin by explaining the difference between the starting pitch and the tonic for the key of the song. Then have them find both pitches on their instrument. If students know enough solfege, they should have an easy time understanding the difference between the tonic and starting note. In band, it may be necessary to cover the transpositions and their relationship to concert pitch.
   Have students play the scale of that key and then work on each phrase to get used to playing by ear. Use the same process for learning to play the melody as you did to have them learn to sing in step one. Some students will struggle with this, particularly if it has not been part of their training. Repeat this with different tunes until the students have learned 10-12 songs. This will give enough of a base to begin learning improvisation.

Learning Patterns
   The next step is learning functional patterns, short rhythms or groups of notes that can be used as part of a harmonic progression. These patterns should be presented both rhythmically and tonally, isolating rhythm from notes at first. The aim is to reduce difficulties as much as possible; students may have an aptitude for rhythm that is different from their aptitude for pitch.
   What I learned my first year of teaching is that students would just improvise by following the blues scale up and down. Playing a blues scale up and down while changing rhythms is not improvising. What I tried to get students to do is hear the changes in harmony, so they improvise. They more pieces you add, the more complicated it gets, so by limiting it, students have a chance to grasp it without it being overwhelming.
   I prefer to begin with rhythm. Students usually have an easier time being creative with rhythm. Take a series of rhythm patterns from rehearsal music, or make up your own, and change the articulation to legato, staccato, or marcato, depending on the pieces you are working on. The end goal is improving the music by students choosing the right articulation when performing the pieces rather than the director having to remind students every day. It is best to develop rhythm patterns from the repertoire being studied, and to include both duple- and triple-meter patterns.

   Begin by teaching these patterns by ear with the same type of call-and-response method used earlier for the melodies. When students are secure in the patterns you have chosen, chant a rhythm and then have them respond with one of their own. However, they should only use the rhythmic devices found in your example. For instance, if you chant a pattern of quarter, two eighths, quarter, two eighths, students should respond only using quarter and eighth notes.
   The first several times I have the entire band respond simultaneously, with each student choosing a pattern. This almost always produces what sounds like steady eighth notes and will help students be comfortable improvising rhythm because everyone is doing it at the same time. After this, begin calling on individuals to perform a pattern after you demonstrate one.
   This is also an excellent way to drill complex rhythms, such as those from the third movement of Holst’s Second Suite. They are typically difficult for many groups to negotiate and teaching them by ear first would be a benefit in and of itself. Asking students to improvise using these as a starting point can later be used to identify correct and incorrect music reading when performing the third movement of Holst’s Second Suite in F.


   Once the students become more comfortable with the rhythmic aspect of improvisation, introduce tonal improvisation. This should be done beginning with tonic and dominant harmonies. Many students struggle to hear the difference between tonic and dominant, so this is an important skill to develop. Using two- and three-note patterns in tonic and dominant chord functions, and having the students both sing and play them will help to develop a sense of harmonic flow. Without this ability they will not be able to improvise effectively and have difficulty in reproducing composed music. Once tonic and dominant functions are learned, add sub-dominant chord patterns to the mix. From there, the possibilities are infinite.
   I recommend starting tonal patterns with the circle of fourths. This is an easy introduction to the tonal aspects of improvisation. When I first started doing this type of activity with my students, I began with the tonal patterns and found that students struggled a great deal. By adding the circle of fourths, students become less uncertain of which note to play and are better able to grasp the tonal patterns once presented. Few students have experience using their ears without their eyes; the circle of fourths allows students to begin with something visual and is easy to commit to memory so the focus can shift quickly toward listening. If we do not move students away from the visual world, their comfort with improvisation becomes limited by what the eyes can take in and interpret. To begin teaching using the circle of fourths post the notes on the board. I have found the following format to be most beneficial for my students:

C – F – Bb – Eb – Ab – Db/C# – Gb/F# – Cb/B – E – A – D – G – C

   Have students play each note the circle of fourths choosing the note in the easiest octave. Each note should be a whole note so students have time to think about the next pitch. Students should play their relative pitch corresponding with the concert pitch and play the notes in the circle of fourths in order. It is preferable that this be unconducted so students practice keeping track of the beat.
   The next step is for students echo you singing tonic and dominant three-note patterns; I usually sing the in solfege. Give students the key and the starting pitch and have them learn the patterns for these simple chords. I recommend that the starting pitch be same as the tonic to reduce confusion. Tonal patterns also work well for warming up the embouchure; they are triadic in nature and use a limited range that is expandable.

   The following patterns incorporate an expanded range for practice:

   After the students are comfortable with the patterns and can perform them with relative ease, they should start improvising patterns. The easiest way to do this is to provide a pattern and have students respond using the same chord. When students are comfortable with this, have them respond with a different function. For example if you provide a dominant pattern, they would respond with a tonic pattern.
   After these beginning steps, students should be able to try echoing back entire harmonic progressions. For example, I will play a measure of tonic and one of dominant, and students will then improvise their own patterns. This can easily be expanded to include subdominant chords, and eventually lead to ii6-V7-I progressions. Each new chord should be introduced first on neutral syllables, then solfege, both singing and playing, before adding them into improvisation exercises. This activity can be done in any key or mode and can be used for all types of music.
   Before moving on from this, I recommend revisiting the circle of fourths to combine tonal and rhythmic functions in an easier setting. At this point have students play the circle of fourths in whole notes, then add varying rhythms and styles.

Improvisation Using Melodies
   Students now have a basis for improvisation using one of the melodies from the music being studied. Improvisation should use the harmonic progression of the song, various rhythms found within the piece and the style of the piece; these parameters help direct students’ creativity. When students stumble, help them recover by reminding them of these three things and, if necessary, review the activities that have led to this point.
   Some advanced activities might include having the band play the progression using harmonic progressions already learned and rotating several individuals who improvise while the band accompanies them. This can be stretched into players interacting with each other improvising together in a call-and-response format. It is also possible to alternate the melody and accompaniment through different sections, while soloists improvise, setting up a Concerto Grosso style. This opens up possibilities of teaching various forms, including how to be creative within each form through improvisation.
   Many composers impose restrictions upon themselves before beginning a composition to help limit the possibilities. This allows them to focus their efforts in a specific direction and promotes creativity. By placing limitations on improvising students, we are giving students a starting point for creativity, and once students are set on a path to creativity, their performance level will improve.    

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From L-R: tenor, bass (obscured by tenor player), contrabass, soprano, baritone, soprillo, alto. (Photo courtesy of the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain)

Equipment
   All too often, improper equipment results in unnecessary difficulties for saxophonists switching to another member of the family. While any good-quality instrument will serve a young musician well, great care should be taken with the mouthpiece and reed combination. Many saxophonists will produce their best sound with a mouthpiece of medium tip opening, facing, and chamber, and with a medium-strength reed; a 3 works for almost all middle and high schoolers with nearly any saxophone. Sometimes adjustments must be made, but this guideline works most of the time. Avoid using jazz mouthpieces in concert band, saxophone quartets, or solo classical playing.
   One other important piece of equipment is the neckstrap. Some of them will not work for every size of saxophone. Students should be able to adjust the neckstrap so that the mouthpiece enters the mouth directly, without unnatural contortions of posture, and so that the student will not be supporting the weight of the saxophone with the hands.

Tone Production
   Most problems that will arise from switching will be in producing a good sound. Any needed adjustments to the embouchure can be found quickly and by playing on the mouthpiece alone. This is an easy way for a student to learn what the best embouchure and air speed combination will be for the new instrument. They should match the mouthpiece to a reference pitch. A soprano saxophone mouthpiece, played correctly, should sound a concert D#6, alto a B5, tenor an Ab5, and baritone a D5. It should be noted that the student’s embouchure for the new instrument should not be that far removed from the one used for their previous saxophone. If students are doing something drastically different to achieve the desired results, guidance may be in order.

Soprano
   The soprano, used often in saxophone quartets but rarely in concert band and jazz ensemble works, is usually the least familiar to both young saxophonists and directors. When it is called for, however, it usually has an extremely important part, and soprano players definitely need to play with a good sound.
   The most common mistake when switching to soprano is taking in far too much mouthpiece. This will result in a harsh, strident, and uncontrolled tone. On soprano, a player new to the instrument should take in less than feels necessary and then add a bit more if needed. It will be nearly impossible to play the correct pitch on the mouthpiece if it is too far in the mouth.
   Always use a neckstrap with the soprano; this will alleviate a bit of the strain on the right hand and wrist. Avoid playing the instrument at the same angle as the clarinet; the soprano sax mouthpiece should enter the mouth at approximately the same angle as the alto or tenor mouthpiece. Students should avoid wrapping the right thumb around the back of the instrument.

Tenor
   Surprisingly, students have quite a few problems switching to tenor from alto. This frequently is caused by the slightly larger size of the instrument. Recently, a colleague asked me for help with a student who had recently switched to tenor. Despite all appearances of a correct embouchure, the student was unable to produce a proper sound. I found that the young saxophonist was unknowingly bumping the left-hand side-keys open, most likely because he was unfamiliar with the size of the tenor. Once this was called to the student’s attention, the problem vanished.
   Students switching from alto will need to take in a bit more mouthpiece than they expect. If they start squeaking or have a harsher sound, they have gone too far and should back off a bit.

Baritone
   The largest problem in switching to the baritone saxophone is the sheer size of the instrument. Smaller students may wish to try a harness instead of a neckstrap. Directors should make sure that students are not resting the saxophone on the floor or their feet while playing. All of the warnings about bumping keys apply to the baritone sax as well.
   Although I have seen some students take in too much baritone mouthpiece, it is a rare sight; students usually take in far too little mouthpiece. As with the tenor, students should take in more than they feel is correct, and if squeaks or a harsh sound occur, they will know that they have gone too far.
   A second concern with the baritone is the amount of air required to produce a large, beautiful sound. Students tend to tense up when playing this instrument. To prevent this, have students perform long tones, beginning on a written G4, crescendoing for four beats then decrescendoing for four beats, all with a large, beautiful sound. Have them do this, descending by half-steps, until they reach the lowest note on the instrument.

Alto
   Although the alto is the most common saxophone among students, some students start on tenor and have never played another size. As with alto players switching to soprano, the most common problem has to do with embouchure formation and the amount of mouthpiece taken. Students should work toward producing a B5 on the mouthpiece.
The full saxophone family, from sopranino through contrabass, spans nearly the range of a piano. One saxophonist, with the proper guidance and a few concentrated techniques, can gain fluidity and comfort on any of them in a very brief amount of time.

The post The Easy Move from Alto Sax appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

What led you to teaching band?
   My father was career army, 33 years, and I went to five different high schools. With every move and transfer, band allowed me to fit in instantly. Everywhere I went band directors made me feel welcome. Music is the same in Mississippi and Arizona. We were even in Iran in 1978-79 where I went to the Tehran American High School, a private school with 3,000 students, many of whom were children of defense contractor employees. We had two or three football teams that played each other because there were no other schools to play. The band played the school fight song for every touchdown. It was an interesting time in the world and made you appreciate the United States. We came home when President Carter sent C-130 planes that took us off to Germany.
   At first I thought I was going to follow a military career and go into the army band, but that didn’t work out. I went to Arizona State, and band was my thing. It was a natural progression after college to teach high school band.

What is your approach to warm-ups?
   I really emphasize tuning. At the start of the year I spend quite a bit of time on how to tune because students often do not know what to do. I focus on the difference between being in tune and out of balance. Especially in marching season students have a tendency to overblow and end up very sharp or flat. At Arizona State, Richard Strange once gave us (wind ensemble) a 50-minute lecture on the importance of intonation (the result of a complaining trumpet player). Of course his reasoning and justification were inarguable, and from then on I knew I would never tune an ensemble to just concert Bb; I also tune F, G, and A. That way we address the tuning tendencies of all the instruments and have a better chance to find a good tonal center.
   We also look at what it means to play in tune at the loudest part, and how loud they can play before it crosses the line and becomes out of balance. Sometimes when we start working on a piece after the initial warm-up, they overblow and do not play the same way they did while tuning. I usually spend 15 or 20 minutes on tuning at each rehearsal for the first couple of weeks of the school year.
   Students should learn what to do when they are not in tune and not just rely on the director. I always ask, “if you don’t know, what are you going to do if I am not there?” When I first started teaching I relied too much on the tuner, and students ended up tuning more by what they saw on the tuner than by what they were hearing with their ears. Now, I emphasize having the band in tune with itself by focusing on understanding what is happening harmonically versus finding an absolute 440. By the end of the year I will ask a student who has an advanced tone to provide a reference pitch, but initially we use a mechanical pitch to practice listening instead of lining up the tuner’s needle or stopping the strobe from spinning.

What books do you use for warm-ups?
   I particularly like the Leonard B. Smith Treasury of Scales and Bach chorales. Our AP theory class arranges one of the chorales into a band key. Sometimes I will use the student arrangements in band rehearsals. Bill Humbert has also written eight warm-up chorales that I have adapted.

What techniques lead to effective rehearsals?
   Students know that I am predictable. If someone is caught chewing gum, I have a standard lecture that that no one wants to hear again. Students soon start disciplining themselves to avoid the inevitable consequences. It is the same with warm-up exercises. Students know we will do some type of tuning at the beginning of the period every day. When they walk through the door, there is no time to talk about Saturday night. They get the instruments out and are ready for the pitch after morning announcements. Establishing routines and procedures at the start gets rehearsals moving quickly and puts to bed some of the silliness and wasted time that sometimes creep in as a bad habit.
   I try to be an open book and tell students what I am doing in class and why. Because we do not have a long rehearsal period, only 55 minutes, and spend a lot of time on tuning, I stay on problems until they are fixed. As a young director, I would write a lesson plan, and my goal was to address each bullet point no matter what. I focused on starting at the top of the page and going all the way to the end, or I would start at the beginning when I knew I really should work on letter B. Now, I start where the problems are. I wasted a lot of time running straight through pieces, and it promotes bad habits.
   My lessons plans today are more about good score preparation so that I can recognize when I should stop and fix something. That was a hard thing to learn. I am a good judge of the attitude of the room and know when I should stop and when to keep plowing through. I like a fast-paced rehearsal and will always have questions in my mind and know what sections I want to work on.

How do you know when to stop the band?
   That is tough because you have to decide whether the problem is something that can be fixed now, or whether students should mark that spot for personal practice to be checked the next day. I always stop for blatant rhythmic or pitch problems, but I might not if it is a question of nuance or style. Last year we played a Scott Joplin transcription for band. During rehearsals it was either too rhythmic and straight or too honky-tonk and did not convey a true ragtime piano style. I challenged the band to find recordings that demonstrated the correct style. They found three or four good videos, and we listened to one during rehearsal. That cleaned up the style problem right away.

What other techniques do you use?
   I do not stay fixed at the podium. Many young directors seem glued in place. It is not unusual for me to walk to the back of the room to hear how it sounds. When I run a rehearsal, students know that I am listening to everybody. Anyone is liable to get asked a question. I usually ask a question of the whole group only when I am confident about the answer I will get and can use it to move the rehearsal forward. I try not to humiliate or embarrass students but instead want to set them up for success. I also always praise in public and discipline in private.
   I make sure that I know students’ names. In marching band there are 156 students, and it is easy for some to sit in the back of the room and hide. If a director knows student names, there is a one-on-one connection. Because I take the time to get to know them, we can have a conversation outside of school at the mall or grocery store. They are comfortable with me and willing to share what is important to them or invite me to a Boy Scout award dinner.
   Early in my career, I was a bit scared of my students. I had a barrier and did not want them to know me or my personal life. Now that I have taught for a while, I am more confident. This is experience that perhaps just has to come with age. There is often only a four-year age difference between players and beginning directors, and they have to know where the line is. One thing that helps is good communication with parents.
   I tell students that I will not be their friend on Facebook, but they have my cell phone number and can text me if they need help. A text I can ignore, if necessary. I tell students that on Star Trek, the crew could always get in touch with the captain by tapping on a communicator. I ask them whether they think the crew did that all the time or only when necessary. The message is that I am available if they need me, but don’t waste my time.

What is your approach to programming?
   I used to have a core repertoire that I repeated, but there are so many good band composers that I frequently listen to CDs of new music and ask other directors what they are playing. I like the music of Richard Saucedo, David Holsinger, and Samuel Hazo, and if Robert Smith’s name is on a work, I will do it. I don’t play the same things every year, other than Sousa. I love marches and always put two marches and one patriotic piece on a program. We are a military town after all.
   When the new CDs come out, I let students listen and pick one song they want to play. Invariably, they will choose a pop piece from a Broadway show like Wicked or a medley from the current trending teen idol. It does not mean that I will program it on a concert, but we can have some fun working through them, and sometimes I am surprised. For the other works, I pick grade 3 or 4 music that I know they can handle and two pieces that will stretch them like Robert Smith’s Inchon.
 
Do you ever have to overcome initial reluctance from students about a piece?
   Sometimes they do not understand how the work will come together at the performance. I remember working on Eric Whitacre’s Sleep, which is based on a beautiful poem. It is supposed to be a lullaby, but the band was playing it more like a funeral dirge. The band supports the vocal part, and at times, it was like pulling teeth to get them to work on it. They hated that piece initially. A community choir was to sing it on a program, and I frequently reminded them that their relatives were in that choir and they wanted to do well for them. In the end they loved the piece when it was put together with the choir.
   Another time Betsy Bright Morgan, trumpet in the Tucson Symphony, played Carnival of Venice with us. Upon first read through with no soloist, the students felt the band parts were unexciting, and they did not understand what they would be supporting. However, after Betsy came to a rehearsal, they quickly rose to the occasion. Their interest and intensity increased dramatically.
   When students understand and believe in the goals of the program, they become enthusiastic and work towards making it a success. For the last 10 or 12 years I have sent the student officers and section leaders to a leadership camp held by Bill Humbert. He is a great motivational speaker and teaches students how to support the director. They come back from camp with great ideas. Once they invest in the program, you have them.

How do you avoid discipline problems?
   Discipline problems go away when students have goals to work towards. One year we made a goal for making the local newspaper at least every two weeks, and they did. It was anything from advertising a fundraiser to highlighting an alum who had done something impressive or announcing students who were selected for honor bands. It not only inspired the students but was a good way to promote a positive image for the Buena bands. We have a good relationship with our community which is essential when we have to ask for money during fundraising efforts.
   Students also help determine what the band room looks like. Classroom management books say that students work best in a welcome and receptive environment. I let students take charge of the calendar and the bulletin board. We have posters and sayings on the wall. One says, “If everybody in the band was like me, how good would the band be?” They have taken it upon themselves to promote the image of the band. That goes back to maintaining a legacy for the band. Since I played in this program when I was in high school, it is very important to me that we maintain the standards over time. I marched the same field that they do.
   I have also found that peer pressure can be positive and negative, and encourage the older students to serve as good role models. A senior might see a younger student about to leave something valuable unattended, like a box of fundraising candy or an instrument. He will say, “I don’t want to sit through the fifty dollar bill lecture again.” (The lecture is about if you leave a $50 bill on a chair and walked away from it, would you expect it to still be there at the end of the day – even if your name was on it?) The first day of marching season is for new members only. It is an orientation session to go over rules and policies for the younger students. This year we are incorporating a year-long mentoring program called Bigs and Littles.
   For sectional rehearsals students bring me a lesson plan on what measures they think we should work on. I may tweak their ideas because often they try to bite off too much and want to work on an entire song. Sometimes I have to help with particular rhythms and fingerings but largely they have taken that upon themselves. I tell them that they are a reflection of me, and I of them. If they make me look good, we all look good.

How are your students graded for band?
   Currently band grades are calculated on a total point system based on attendance, preparation, performance, and participation. The two-hour marching band receives a full credit in the fall semester. I am working on a proposal to include an honors component because I have students who want to be in band but even an A will lower their GPA because they take many AP classes. I have some parents who want to have their children audit band. Philosophically, I would not mind, but unless I have a grade to hold over them, it hurts accountability. There might be a few who would benefit from this, but the district is not willing to do it. I have sufficient enrollment numbers that I do not need students to audit.

How do you make students practice?
   I try to identify measures to practice without putting an amount of time on it. To check their work, I might call on students to play measures in the middle of class. My best students in wind ensemble practice, or we would not be able to play the music. I tell students that if you want to play “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star” don’t practice. The advanced group knows that if they want to make all-state or play challenging music, they have to work at it.

What common problems do you observe in younger directors?
   They often overprogram and try to play the 1812 Overture with a ten-piece band. Young directors should become familiar with the repertoire and pick music appropriate for their groups. The pieces they played in college will not help with this task. When I was in college we had to listen to recordings and put together sample programs that were realistic for school ensembles. They also should learn what sound they should aim for on instruments other than their own. Know the major performers on those instruments and listen to them to understand what they should sound like.
   In addition to the musical side, they will have to learn to prepare a budget and deal with parents. When I first started teaching, we had a strong parent association for the music department, and I was too young to tell them when they went off topic. The solution was for the vice principal to come to all of the meetings to keep them focused on music concerns. I feel fortunate that I had some very good mentors along the way who gave me sound advice that I was smart enough to follow.

How has the role of the parents’ association changed over the course of your career?
   It is a business these days. Our parents’ association is a 501c3, and I never thought I would know so much about tax law. There could be a whole class on this for future directors. When I first started teaching, the organization was just a nice group of parents who were there to help. Later, I learned that there are really two parents groups – the formal group with a president and a vice president and the group that meets in the parking lot after football games. It is sometimes difficult to find consensus between the two groups, but with experience I have learned which parents will be there in a heartbeat if I need help. The formal organization is sometimes the only way to get grants because schools are not considered non-profits in some cases. We sometimes send parents to a grant writing class at a community college. Many civic groups, like the Kiwanis, require elaborate budget and tax information. In the end you need both – a formal organization that provides structure, stability, and support for the vital short and long term goals of the band; and the informal help of people who may not be able to make every meeting but will be there when the call is put out.

What is the best experience you have had with your band?
   Many young directors are afraid to take groups on trips, but it can be so rewarding. I have had many memorable moments with my bands, including when my drum majors along with an active duty band dad had the honor of laying wreaths at Arlington Cemetery and Pearl Harbor and a band performance on the Great Wall of China. I taught English in China for the five summers before the 2008 Olympics. At the time China was providing incentives for Westerners to come and teach hotel and entertainment workers the idioms and practices of the West.
   I brought a jazz band to China with a total group of 40 people. With sponsorship the cost per person was just $1,600. We played concerts at several schools in China, but the highlight of the trip was performing on the Great Wall. There were thousands of people from all over the world standing around, and when we started playing “What a Wonderful World,” everybody just stopped and started swaying. I will never forget it. The students knew that they were ambassadors not only for the school but for our country.    
   

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   Buena High School is located in Sierra Vista, Arizona, about 90 miles southeast of Tucson. The town includes Fort Huachuca military base. Buena is the only high school in the city with an enrollment of 2,200 and 200 students in the band program. In the fall marching band meets for a two-hour block in the morning from 6:35 to 8:30. There is also a freshman pep band although advanced freshmen may play in the varsity band. This year they will have an AP music theory class and a stage band. An assistant director teaches two hours a day in the elementary schools.
   There are six elementary schools and one middle school that feed into the high school. Because Arizona has open enrollment, students from the surrounding communities can choose to attend Buena H.S. Those that do are usually interested in the fine arts, choir, band, or drama. because other area high schools have much smaller music programs.
   Duane Chun has taught at Buena High School for 20 years. He had previously taught in Montville Township, New Jersey for seven years. Chun was a graduate of Buena in 1981 and took over the program from his own high school director. He comments, “We are still colleagues. He is the community schools manager and I am his assistant. We serve as liaisons for our community’s after hours use of district school facilities. After 40 years he is still integral to our fine arts program and continues to run our top jazz band.”

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