Conductors must know the score before stepping on the podium. As part of my dissertation at The Ohio State University, I interviewed college professors, freelance composers, community band conductors, and graduate students who considered themselves composers and conductors. One of the themes of the interviews was that all 16 composer/
conductors stated that composing improved their score study, interpretation, and artistic expression when preparing music by other composers. Below are some of the great perspectives and lessons learned that every conductor might consider when preparing for score study.
    As Gunther Schuller says in his book The Compleat Conductor, “It is a conductor’s job to understand the process by which a thousand and one such ‘inevitable’ choices are made by the composer and, as I say, to retrace those steps of creation, to recreate in his conducting that decisional process, not in some merely mechanical rendering but in a manner that is emotionally, expressively inspired by that process.”
    Timothy Mahr, Director of Bands at St. Olaf College teaches a workshop called Some Thoughts on Score Study from the Composer’s Perspective. Mahr explains, “One of the things that I do is start with a blank staff on a chalkboard or whiteboard. Then I’ll make a circular note head and I tell [the students] ‘Every time I make a mark, listen internally. I want you to hear what I’m writing.’ I’ll go through filling in the note head, adding a stem, putting a dot on the note head, putting an accent over it, tying it to another note, if it’s a sixteenth note, making it a fortepiano, crescendo up to forte, slow release, little markings on it, I write in adagio then I put it in alto clef. You know, because most of them were hearing it in their home clef.
    “By the time I’m all done, it’s usually about 15 to 18 markings that have spots that define one little moment, and because I use alto clef, I joke with it a bit and say, ‘Now imagine that I’ve given each of you a viola and then [asked] each one of you to play that. Each one of you will make a different sound. And that’s just one moment in a piece of music. Imagine if this were a moment within a Mahler symphony or something like that.”
    As a composer, Mahr knows what it is like to make those choices in his music. This perspective allows him to shine a light on an important aspect of score study that can be easily overlooked: when conductors study scores, it is important to look at each detail, not only as a marking on a page, but as an important decision made by the composer – a decision to be treated with care, as it all feeds in to the feeling and intention of the work.
    Andrew Boysen, Director of Bands at the University of New Hampshire is conservative in his interpretation of other composers’ scores. “I’m not a big fan of people changing stuff. I’ve heard people say ‘As a conductor I want to put my stamp on it.’ . . . I have only rarely been upset about what people did to my music, if they changed stuff, or just added stuff in that was clearly not there. . . . It did seem like there was a time when a lot of the military bands [had a philosophy that] if it wasn’t on the page, they weren’t doing it, and what often results from this is a flat performance.
    “If I’m working on Mozart’s Ser­enade with my grad students, and they add a little ritard right before the recap, I’m going to say that’s not there, so let’s not do it. They might respond, ‘It’s the recap; I wanted to draw attention to what is happening in the form.’ I would have no problem with that whatsoever. So, if there is a reason [a performer] thinks the composer might have wanted something, if that is expressing the piece, I think there is room for that, but I don’t think that should be about the performer.”
    Paul Brust, Professor of Com­po­si­tion at The Longy School of Music of Bard College, is more practical in his approach to score interpretation, operating under the assumption that the score was the final version of what the composer wanted.
    During my Master’s studies at the Longy School of Music, Brust once conducted a reading session of one of my pieces for the Pierrot ensemble. At the time, I was purposely ambiguous with my tempo markings to give conductors room for interpretation. Before a rehearsal Brust came to me inquiring exactly how fast I wanted a particular section to go. The score was marked Allegro, but he pointed out that Allegro could really mean anything from 118-140 beats per minute. At the time of the conversation he pointed out that he did not know my music and therefore did not have enough knowledge or information to decide on the tempo.
    Gene Pollart, Director of Bands at the University of Rhode Island uses a more liberal approach. “If you are playing a Bach piece it should say Bach, followed by whoever the conductor is because [conductors are] creating an interpretation.” As an example, Pollart mentioned the well-known 6/4 section from Alfred Reed’s Russian Christmas Music, saying, “I conduct it in two instead of in six because I want it to move along. I’m not sure that Alfred Reed intended it that way, but that’s how I feel, so it works. If it didn’t work, that would be another thing.”
    In contrast to how the interviewees felt about interpreting other composers’ music, they all had a liberal attitude about the interpretative choices other conductors made about of their own music. Jason Taurins, High School Band Director from Rio Rico Arizona commented, “I don’t think you have to be a micromanager as a composer. Some composers tend to micromanage, working every little bit of detail they can into their scores. That makes it easier to interpret their music, because so much of what they want is detailed right on the page. However, I tend to do that last and leave more up to the performer or conductor.”
    Another theme I identified was the value of practicality when making decisions about the music. Lewis J. Buckley, retired Director of the United States Coast Guard Band said, “My first effort is always to believe what the composer wanted. For example, I don’t screw around with tempos right off the bat. My first step will be to try to make it work the way I think the composer wanted it to work based on what I can see. Having said that, if it doesn’t work for me or the group, I do not hesitate at all to change tempos or interpretations. I’ve seen so many composers, including great ones [like] Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky, conducting their music at completely different tempos than what they put in the score.”
    Boysen values having knowledge of the time period, style of the piece, harmonic structure, and more to allow conductors to make interpretive decisions about the piece. “Every version of a piece is going to sound different depending on who conducted it, the size of the ensemble, how they approach the music, and if someone is going to mess with it just to mess with it.”
    Mahr considers it a matter of integrity to study the score and about the composer before making an artistic decision about interpretative ideas. Regardless of how much notation is in the score, if one studies it well and takes the time to learn about the period, composer, and ideas behind the piece, their intuition will help guide the decisions about how to interpret the piece.
    When we compose, we build music bit by bit and then dissect what we’ve done, and revise our work. Thus, we know what to look for and where to look in others’ music. As Boysen put it, “While you are composing you are deep into your piece. If I could get my score study to the point where I felt like I was composing, that would be ideal.” Taurins echoed this, saying, “When I’m studying another person’s score, I try to get into the composer’s mind and think about what they are thinking.”
    Erika Svanoe, Director of Bands at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, feels that being a composer gives her greater confidence about interpretive decisions for others’ works. “I spent a summer digging into Holst’s First Suite, looking at every chord of that Chaconne movement. I feel solid in my interpretation when I feel like have really deep understanding of that music and I feel confident in my musical choices as a conductor because of that.”
    After my interviews, it was clear how much each composer/conductor’s experiences in the creative process has influenced and improved not only how they conduct their works, but also how they conduct others’ works. Whether it is an arrangement, a simple composition for your instrument, or a new work you wrote, delving into how the music comes together will give you a greater understanding and a more intimate perspective when you study scores and step onto the podium.   

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    Help. What to say when your most skilled player wants to drop orchestra senior year so they can have an open block to study for AP classes?
    I have major problems with [students dropping music to take AP classes] at my school, and it’s getting worse. I had long talks with each student who wanted to drop my top orchestra for next year, and none of them are changing their minds no matter how much I reason with them. They acknowledge there is a lot of academic pressure that they are unreasonably putting in themselves, but they choose to bow to it.

    Because of students worried about grade point averages and class ranking, retention is a problem that faces most high schools in the United States. Our efforts to convince families to remain in the music program were perceived as self interest and not relatable. It was not until I was able to pull data from our school and students that was I able to correct the trend.
    When students did not sign up for the following year I first asked if they still loved making music and loved being part of our program. It was rare that the answer wasn’t a firm yes. Invariably students and parents were concerned about falling behind and not being able to market themselves for a high-quality university. I knew my four-year students were getting into great schools, I just needed to document the information.

Let the Data Tell the Story
    To turn the trend in your school, start by getting data from your counseling department, which will have lists of schools your former seniors are attending. Comb through this data for situations that tell a powerful story.
    For example, in 2012, 20 seniors from my school applied to Yale. Only two students were accepted, one of whom was one of my bassoonists. Conversely, the class valedictorian was not accepted. Although a student who stays in music for four years might lose ground in class rankings, colleges understand this and appreciate students who devote themselves to a music program. It shows a willingness to contribute to the community, and colleges need these types of students to be a part of their culture as well.


Below are the grade point averages and test scores for the 20 seniors from one class who applied to Yale. The accepted student in gold was in band. The valedictorian (in red) was rejected This list was given to me by our counseling department.

Survey Alumni
    In addition to collecting data from past school years, poll your current seniors about which colleges they have been accepted to. Each year I had seniors (35-50 students) complete a Google form about their college acceptances. This list is typically long and impressive.
    I had two students from one family in which the father stated he was having his children drop music so they could take more AP courses. During his first child’s junior year he took a trip to visit colleges. He shared his conversations. I asked him to write this for me to share with other families.

    “Schools are looking for balanced students – [noting] how successful they are academically while pursuing other time-consuming passions. They look for consistency and depth in a few areas instead of showing a multitude of activities a student tried for a few years as if to fill up a resume.
    “Counselors also told us that top colleges understand how rigorous and demanding it was to participate in a competitive marching band program and that it showed that the student has the discipline and ability to be organized and focused.
    “Ultimately, we are really glad our son stayed with the band program, not only because it gave him an edge in his college applications, but more importantly because high school only happens once, and along with his circle of friends who were like a family for the entire four years, they enjoyed together the hard work, long nights of practice and competitions, the camaraderie, and all those trip and tournament memories that will last a lifetime.”

    Each term, his children would be enrolled in my classes.

Talk to Reluctant Students and Parents
    All of this information was contained in the letters I sent to students who were dropping or not joining band in high school. I also created large posters and brought them to each recruiting event.
    Each year it seemed like there was a student who loved music and asked me to meet with parents who were swayed away from music by tutoring groups or peers. At this meeting I would ask the parents “what school do you want your child to attend?” Our district used Navi­ance, a program that allows you to pull up colleges of choice and view via a scattergram how a student ranks in comparison to all other students of that school in being accepted. Students can log in and compare how they stack up against all students from our school. It was rare that a student was unlikely to be accepted. Other similar tools include Career Cruising, Xello, Parchment, and Niche College Admissions Calculator.

Naviance plots test scores along an x axis and grade point average along a y axis. The large blue circle is where the student checking falls. Green indicates acceptance, purple shows students who were waitlisted, and red is denial of admission.

Survey Current Students
    I had few music majors. Most of my students went on to be engineers or doctors, but there were years when more than half of my students participated in their college ensembles. In 2008 we put together a collage of students making music in college. This simple graphic made a huge impact and started a trend of students continuing to play after high school.   

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Recruiting
    You might have to convince a few talented students that they have the time for jazz band and will provide leadership. My best sales pitch is to ask students to come to a rehearsal and come back if they like it. If after a few rehearsals they do not enjoy it, they need only let me know. Although concert band is mandatory for jazz band students who play horns and percussion, jazz band participation is voluntary.
    We recruit bass players from the orchestra and piano players from the band. If you don’t have an orchestra or a bass guitar player, you can recruit multiple piano players and have them alternate between piano and playing the bass guitar part on keyboard with sound modules that closely resemble an upright bass. I have even taught tuba players to transpose bass parts and teach them the connectivity and note decay of a walking bass line. You can also find pianists and guitar players from outside the music program, but such students might used to playing alone and struggle with ensemble rehearsing and performing.
    Until your jazz band grows, you might have to include non-traditional instruments. Clarinets, euphoniums, and even tuba players supporting the bass part are common substitutions, as players of these instruments can use existing parts. Consider having more than one alto sax player on a part, so the parts will be heard and if someone is absent the part is covered. You can also rotate players if you have the numbers.

Equipment
    A drumset should include a ride, hi-hat, and crash cymbal; a shallow snare drum (some players even use a piccolo snare); a mounted tom; a floor tom; and a bass drum. There should also be a throne with the set; drummers cannot use their feet effectively on a chair. If a drumset is not in the budget, divide the drumset part for multiple students to cover. For added luxury, purchase a rolling drumset cart.
    Ideally, you should have two keyboards – one for the piano part and one for the bass part if you do not have a bass player. We frequently use both a bass player and a bass keyboard for sound reinforcement. A keyboard with sound sampling is ideal for replicating such sounds as upright bass, bass guitar, and Hammond organ.

Set-Up
    The bass and drumset should be in line with the trombone row, and the piano/keyboard and guitar player should be in line with the saxophone row.
    Pianists usually play with their backs to the audience so the piano lid can be opened an projecting the sound toward the band. Electronic keyboards do not have lids that need to be opened, so keyboard players should face the sax row.
    Amplifiers for bass (and keyboard if applicable) should face diagonally across the band so both the band and the audience can hear it. For clarity, bass levels should have the treble turned up all the way and the bass turned down all the way. Too much bass level makes the bass line sound muffled.
    The lead trumpet, trombone, and alto sax players should sit as close to the center of the horns as possible. Typically the first tenor, second trombone, and second trumpet are the closest to the rhythm section, with the three lead players next. In addition, the lead players should be louder that the other parts in their section; this is especially true for alto sax. The other horn players should follow the lead players for both balance and style.

Literature
    You will garner more interest in the jazz band by programming mostly rock-based songs at first. Students will understand rock long before they will be able to grasp bebop. Get students playing aggressively and confidently on a concert of mostly rock tunes with a few swing tunes, then gradually introduce Latin, bossa nova, and ballads. By seventh grade our jazz band only plays one rock chart per concert, with the rest of the program consisting of more traditional jazz styles.
    I always find a few easy arrangements of something contemporary. Our sixth grade jazz band, which runs from March-May, only learns two songs. For seventh and eighth graders, choose quantity and variety over learning a few difficult pieces. I want the students to experience swing, rock, Latin, ballads, funk, fusion, and anything else I can find. For each piece I pass out, I ask the students to search the internet and find several performances of that piece that they can share with everyone at the next rehearsal. Nothing is more important in a young jazz player’s musical progression than listening, and this is a great way to get them started on it.
    The collections below are good sources of starting jazz literature, with the last two being more advanced. Most of them have already written parts for flute/vibraphone, clarinet, horn, treble clef euphonium, and tuba.

    • First Year Charts Collection for Jazz Ensemble (Belwin).
    • Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method (Kjos).
    • The Best of Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble (Hal Leonard).
    • Discovery Jazz Collection (Hal Leonard).
    • Easy Jazz Classics (Hal Leonard).
    • Easy Jazz Favorites (Hal Leonard).

    I recommend against using all of the wind parts included in a jazz tune at first, especially for brass sections. Inexperienced players can struggle with rich jazz harmonies, and you might lose rehearsal time figuring out which trombone part of four is missing a partial. In beginning jazz band we only use two parts each for trumpet and trombone, leaving the other parts uncovered. For seventh- and eighth-grade jazz bands, I suggest using no more than three of the provided parts for trumpet and trombone so these sections do not lose power. In many charts, the fourth part is written with tricky jumps and harmonies doubled elsewhere. Most of the literature suggestions above sound fine with parts left out.

Jazz Styles
    Rock. Students, especially drummers, already know this style and will be the most comfortable with this type of music. The horns get to play loud with a bass and drumset going underneath. Students will feel like they are playing in a band that they would hear on television.
    Latin. Most of the heavy lifting in this style happens in the rhythm section. For the horns, a Latin chart is all about the strength of articulation, especially at the fronts of notes.
    Jazz ballad. This style is closest to the traditional band playing, (called “playing straight”) but the harmonies are usually thick, and ninth chords are common.
    Swing. This style is also called shuffle. To teach swung eighth notes, I first refer to the Scooby-Doo cartoon, because the dog’s name is a good introduction. Scooby-Doo eventually transitions to doo-be doo, which is a gateway to more traditional scat singing. My favorite album for listening to swing style is The Complete Atomic Basie, and when students enter the band hall for jazz rehearsal, either this album or anything by Tower of Power will be playing.

Performance Practices
    Staccato. I teach the syllable dit as an example of how staccato should sound in jazz. Stop with the tongue, not the throat. Latin charts especially require the crispness of a tongue stop. Students should be taught such articulations early but must be monitored to make sure they do not use them in concert band. If I catch students using tongue stops in concert band, they are not allowed back in jazz band until they can demonstrate that they understand when to use them. The only song that has ever caused students to fall into the habit of using tongue stops in concert band was Tequila, which I have never again used in beginning jazz band.
    Legato/tenuto. This is no different in jazz than it would be in concert band, although students might not realize that each legato note should connect to the next, even if there is no slur. In swing style, every note is considered legato unless it is marked otherwise or unless it is the last note in a string of swung eighth notes, in which case it should be treated as if it was marked staccato and performed with a tongue stop.
    Accents and fortepianos. The > accent is the same as in concert band, with the strength at the beginning of the accented note. However, a marcato accent (^) is different. Rather than the note being accented and staccato, it should be played fat with a tongue stop. I use the syllable daught to teach this accent. In swing style, there should also be a slight emphasis on the offbeat, especially if this note is a higher pitch. Students new to jazz often overdo this. Also in swing style, if an eighth note at the end of a measure is tied to a long note in the next measure, this should be performed as a fortepiano with a crescendo.
    Vibrato. Unlike classical vibrato, which starts immediately upon playing a note, a jazz vibrato does not start until after the note has been established for a beat or two. Trombonists should use jazz slide vibrato when playing jazz ballads.
    One of my favorite resources for learning and practicing common jazz rhythms, articulations, and style is Essential Rhythms for Jazz Ensemble by Doug Beach & George Shutack (Kendor). It is perfect for second-year jazz students, although it will likely be too much for first-year players. It has four different sections: Swing, Latin, Bossa Nova, and Rock and has 23 short common jazz riffs grouped in four-measure phrases. The swing etude is useful for an onstage warmup – perfect for checking the balance between the rhythm section and horns.

Improvisation
    Teaching improvisation is the most likely cause of hesitancy to start a jazz band in directors without jazz experience. As a tuba player, the only time I ever improvised was when the wind blew my music off the stand, but jazz is a language that can be learned.
    In February of each year, my beginning concert band students spent two to three days learning to improvise from the Bb blues scale. I tell beginners that improvisation is similar to your math teacher handing out a test and saying, “As long as you try to answer the problems rather than give up, you will pass.” The activity got students out of their comfort zone and gave them early experience improvising, which is especially beneficial for the students who thrive on structure. Perfectionists seem to struggle more with improvisation, and many times my best improvisers were in the second jazz band, because they were more at ease thinking out of the box.
    When we teach improvising we start with call-and-response exercises, in which students mimic the rhythm and style of the director. We use the Blues in the Key of Bb Concert audio track from Jamey Aebersold’s How to Play Jazz and Improvise (Volume 1) (Jamey Aebersold Jazz). Although we are in Bb, I have students start on concert F, which is in a more comfortable part of everyone’s range. Call and response works best with a quarter rest on the last beat of each measure. I start with three quarter notes, varying between long (doo) and short (dit). The next step is to add one pair of swung eighth notes on beat two (such as doo doo-be doo; doo doo-be dit; or doo doo-dit doo), followed by eighth notes on beats one and two (such as doo-be doo-be doo; dit doo-be dit; or doo-be doo-dit doo).
    After students are comfortable imitating you, move to two-measure calls, with students answering you on a different rhythm than what you played. I require students to stay on concert F until they can make up rhythms while staying on the beat, and the only other rule is to play loudly and confidently in time with the pulse without stopping. Many students will initially make it through one measure of improv and then stop, creating an uncomfortable four-beat pause. Keep encouraging them to fill up the full two measures. I like to go down the row without stopping; every two measures either you play or a student does. After every student plays their two measures – or any time they improvise – no matter how they did, have the other students applaud.
    After students feel confident on concert F, have them use the first two notes of the Bb blues scale (Bb and Db). Moving from one note to three or more might cause a decline in confidence and rhythmic accuracy previously established on concert F. Use the same down-the-row exercise as above, where the teacher plays two bars, then a student plays something different for two bars. This can be expanded to playing for four measures at a time and adding Eb to the list of allowed notes, but this is as far as I go with beginning jazz players for months. Young improvisers tend to focus more on the fingers than on making a solo rhythmically interesting, so giving them limited tools is the most effective approach. The aim at this stage is building confidence.
    I treated all solo sections in jazz charts as open solo sections. Some jazz pieces include a written solo for students who are unable to improvise from chord changes. I would choose a younger student to play first and give that student the written solo. Although the person with the written solo was not required to adhere strictly to what was written, it was available to use as long as they played loudly, in time, and without stopping.
    The second time through the chorus I would give the written solo to an older student, who was allowed to use the pitches of the written solo but not in the same sequence or rhythm so it sounds different. One bit of advice that helps students is “If you play a note that sounds funny, move to a different note.”
    I use written solos only for the first concert or two. After that, do not permit students to play the written solos. Have them come up with their own creative ideas. If a written solo is the only viable option, have the students memorize it.

F Instruments: F Ab Bb (B) C Eb F

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1. Would You Rather
    Many people know the icebreaker game Would You Rather, a great way to get to know students and create humorous shared experiences. In the game, someone asks a question and one person has to choose an option. For example: would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or would you rather be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease? I always do this at the beginning of the year to help students develop into a group in which they can support and trust each other.
    One year a group worked hard on one of our Christmas concert pieces but still had a long way to go. I wanted them to enjoy the necessary detail work without it becoming mundane. I had recently changed jobs and hoped to work on continuing to build relationships with students so I decided to marry the detail work with Would You Rather. It was a hit.
    As class began I told students that we were going to play a game. For every section of music for which they meet the goal, I would ask one student a Would You Rather question. The more the students accomplish, the more questions I can ask. Goals could include better dynamic contrasts by the ensemble or improved clarinet intonation. Develop your goals before class and consider how much time it could take to achieve each objective. I recommend alternating easier and harder tasks to keep students engaged longer. Do not let students see the entire list so you can control what is appropriate for that group on that day and avoid frustration.

2. You vs. Me
    I learned this game during my student teaching days. It is usually played for an entire class period. The teacher gives an instruction and if the students follow it successfully, they receive a point. If the students accomplish a performance goal, they receive a point. If the teacher gives an instruction and the students do not follow, the teacher receives a point. This also includes starting and stopping in the correct place. If students continue further than specified, the teacher receives a point. If the students win at the end of class, they received a small reward.
    This game is great for groups that have trouble following directions or stopping. It allows directors to correct behavior in an enjoyable manner. One option for increasing the pace, especially towards the middle and end of class, is to award double points. This sustains momentum during longer class periods. With more experienced groups I add a variation and award points for successful completion of a task and take away points for a missed rule like talking without raising a hand. This emphasizes following directions for groups that need it. I know that when students follow directions better, they play at a higher level and can accomplish more each day. 

3. The Bucket Challenge
    For this game, I put slips of paper with various performance tasks on them into a bucket and pull them out for students to complete. If they finish all of the tasks within a class period, they receive a small reward. Think carefully about how many cards to include for your group. I have used several approaches for the task cards. For some groups I have set goals for the entire ensemble as they progress through various sections of a piece. Specific goals and feedback contribute to greater student success. With other groups I include only the most difficult spots for each instrument on the cards. If you choose this approach, your group needs to be disciplined. If they are not, you can add in full-group tasks to balance out the isolation of each instrument.

4. All Request Tuesday
    All request (insert whatever day it happens to be) lets students pick the spots to address. It is a great way for students to shape the direction of class. Student requests should reflect places in the music that need the most work. It might help for some groups of students to write down their top five requests before class so they are ready in case another student requests their top choice.
    Students should be specific for the section of music that they ask to practice and what they want to improve. Some classes will take more coaching than others, but I will never let my group practice a section of music without a clear goal. When I feel the goal has been reached, I ask the students if they agree with me using a thumbs up or a thumbs down. You may wish to bypass the vote and move on to the next goal.

5. Five Golden Rings Challenge
    This activity focuses on building consistency. I have a jar with five rings for this exercise. For every successful attempt at a goal, a ring goes into the jar. If the students make a mistake, the rings get dumped out and the count starts over at zero. Some groups work better with only three rings. I have also found for classes that are easily frustrated, it helps to eliminate dumping out the rings and focus on five successful completions

6. Wheel of Fate
    My students love this activity, if for nothing else, because they get to spin a wheel. I use a wheel with thirteen different colored dry erase spots on it. On each spot I write a section of the music that needs work. I call students up one at a time to spin. After the wheel lands on a spot, I give the group a goal and once the group meets the goal, another student can spin. I usually continue until every student has a turn or until all spots have been handled.
    If thirteen spots do not fit your group’s needs, put sections on the wheel multiple times, allowing a narrower focus during class. One helpful variation is to include the top two spots on the wheel three times each, your next two spots twice each and three other spots only once. Another variation that engages students is having them come up with sections to put on the wheel. If you need more than thirteen spots I recommend developing multiple rounds.

7. Percentage Challenge
    This task focuses on consistency. I have three clear glass jars – one filled with black marbles, one with pink marbles, and an empty one. Any two marble colors will work as long as these are visible from the back of the room. Select a section to work on with a clear, measurable goal. Students will play the spot four times in a row. Each time they play they receive a marble in the empty jar – a black one if they meet it and a pink one if they did not. You do not want to choose a section that they can perform perfectly. Discuss the results with students at the end. Keeping the initial performance number at four allows students to calculate percentages faster. I use a dollar bill and four quarter analogy to help.
    As a group we discuss what reasons hold us back from a higher number. Depending on the initial percentage correct, it is sometimes appropriate to focus more on growth than reaching perfection. If your group can reach 100%, go for it, but avoid setting them up for something that they might never accomplish. Once we have discussed any obstacles to success, we identify a new goal and work on that section using various rehearsal techniques. After making clear progress, the group will perform that section four more times with the marbles. We then compare results. If improvement occurs, I might do another section with the group or add six more repetitions to see how the percentage changes. We make six additional attempts so the total number is ten when you add it to the second set of four. Students can talk about the percentages based on ten with greater ease.
    This eye-opening activity combats the common student perception that if they can play it right one time, then they will get it right every time. It is also wonderful for promoting group conversations about their success rate and growth over time. As directors, we frequently think about where we want them to go, but it is valuable for students to participate in that conversation.

8. Mr. Potato Head vs. The Band
    This fun game increases playing consistency. You will need a Mr. Potato Head and all of its accessories: eyes, two arms, nose, mouth, shoes, mustache, hat, and two ears. There are two ways to begin. You can start with the potato head fully dressed and remove a piece every time students play a section correctly. Another way is to start with the just potato and every time they play it correctly, they get to choose the accessory to add. I let students vote on how to start.
    Before starting, decide how to divide the class. I prefer dividing students by the needs of the music instead of staying with like instruments. You also should determine which musical selections to use with each group. I choose at least three spots with a mixture of difficulty levels ready for each group. I type them up on a sheet and have them ready to pass out so that the students can practice silently during the game when their group is not performing. At the beginning of class I announce the groups, have students move to their spots, and pass out the musical selection paper. I write the sections on the board to keep score and also establish an order.
    Once everything is set up, I review ground rules. We will play in rounds so every section plays once before a new round starts. At the end of class we tally the points and the section with the most wins for the day. Students cannot distract or disrupt the other team, be negative during the game, or play out of turn or their team loses a point. They can practice silently to prepare for their turn.
    When there are no more questions from students, we begin. I pick the section that the students must perform. For each correct attempt in a row they get a point. Once they make a mistake they will stop, and a new section gets a turn. If they complete ten in a row they get two extra points.
    Sometimes I start with five instead of ten times in a row. For younger students ten in a row might be overwhelming. If you pick a smaller number of tries, you will want to have five or seven predetermined selections. If the game happens close to the concert. I select the top five spots for the group, often including transitional passages

9. Lucky Dice
    This challenge also focuses on consistency and requires a pair of dice. I use giant foam dice so that everyone can see the numbers. Before the game I select spots for each instrument group that need improving. I usually pick five to seven areas depending on how my class is divided up that year, how many students are in the room, and how long I want the game to take. I type up the list to fit on one sheet of paper and pass it out to the students.
    At the beginning of class I discuss the rules, divide the class up into groups, and write the order of the groups on the board. I give students a couple minutes for individual practice of the spots indicated on the sheets.
    I begin by picking a section randomly. One person from that section comes to the podium and rolls the dice. The number on the dice shows the number of times the section must play it in a row to get the point. That section can pass that number to the next section or keep it for themselves. If the section with the number succeeds they receive the point; if they mess up, the number goes to the next section for the steal. When a section is stealing, they start on the last number of the correct counter to see if they can finish it for the point. If they finish out the number they receive a point and roll the dice next. The process repeats until the end of class, when points are tallied and a winner is declared.   

10. Sorting Hat Challenge
    This challenge promotes individual accountability and student encouragement. This game needs a sorting hat (as from the Harry Potter books) and strips of paper. As alternatives I have used a witch hat at Hal­lo­ween and a Santa hat close to Christ­mas. The day before we play, I pass out a strip of paper to each student. Students put their names on the paper and write one spot that challenges them the most. I will collect them and go through them after class. I like to do it this way because it lets me see what my students think is difficult.
    At the beginning of the next class I will divide students into teams by grouping sections together as evenly as possible. I have also had luck with random groups. I dump the strips of paper in the sorting hat and call up a student to pull one out. The student reads the paper out loud so everyone knows who is challenged and what is to be played. The student will has three tries to get it correct and earn a point for their team. Students who play the excerpt correctly on the first attempt receive two points. Time savers for this game include filling out the strips yourself and giving the game a set time limit. The group with the highest score when the timer goes off wins.

11. CCFP PlayStation Challenge
    This challenge is the Count, Clap, Finger, and Play challenge. Students might have to count and clap, clap and say the note names, finger and sing, play, count and finger, or clap and sing their parts. The goal is to get them excited about using these practice techniques. The first part of the game consists of a long start-to-finish game board (similar to Candy Land) for students to see while we play the game. Each square has the musical selections and directions for performing it written on post it notes. For example: “Count and clap measure ten to twenty or finger and sing measures five to ten.”

    I also have a poster size picture of a PlayStation controller. Students have the !, #, @, and æ buttons as their choices. Each button comes with a bucket of directions to draw, such as “If you meet the challenge, go forward two spaces, if you did not meet the challenge, go backward two spaces” or “Trade game pieces with another group.”
    To play the game, students are divided into playing sections. This game works best with two to four teams. A student from a group will roll one die to see which spot they land on. That spot determines their musical selection. Then they must chose a  !, #, @, or æ button. Whichever button they choose, they will draw a piece of paper indicating what additional steps to take if they get it correct or incorrect. The group has three chances to get it correct, and everyone in the group must get it correct. Whichever group reaches the end of the board first wins.

12. Sound Board
    This exercise focuses on ensemble balance and blend. It is not so much a game as a chance to make musical choices. Make a huge poster resembling an audio mixing sound board with moveable linear knobs and labels for each section. Select at least five sections in the music that you would like students to conquer. I would choose sections that students can play musically and emphasize that there is more than one right answer.
    To start, choose one student to come up and stand beside you while the ensemble plays the first section. That student will describe what they heard using words and making decisions on the sound board. The ensemble will play again using that student’s ideas. The student determines if what the ensemble played reflects the sound board and if they liked that choice for the music. If they do, another student will come up to work on a section.
    It helps to limit the number of students who get to come up to the front. One year I had a particularly enthusiastic group that really got into this. Every student wanted a turn, and they were great throughout the entire activity, which spanned two class periods. When I have done this activity over two class periods, I have expanded the conversation to include how musical decisions might change from day to day.

13. Task Master Skully
    Skully is a three-foot skeleton that hangs behind me during class. Initially, he was a fun way to show body posture while playing, but he quickly became a mascot for the class. This activity combines the student request game and the bucket challenge. To begin each student gets one strip of paper and (anonymously) has to put down a performance goal for the class. All of the papers are then collected and taped to Skully. Every student gets to come up and choose a task, and every student gets a chance to work on the part that they need help. It is also a great way to build in teamwork and emphasize that everyone in the group matters.

Conclusion
    Research demonstrates that when neural connections are stimulated re­peatedly and contain an emotional response, they will be significantly strengthened. We can improve these connections and avoid the pitfalls of boredom and mindless repetition by shifting teaching strategies. Using these strategies wisely, the repetitive nature of our craft can provide meaningful, refreshed, and powerful learning for our students and us.

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