Sponsored by Separk Music
with the support of:
ASBDA
Conn-Selmer – schedule a visit to the Conn-Selmer plant in Monroe
Hal Leonard Corporation
NAMM
Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
One Person Can Make a Difference; What Kind of person does it take?
- We teach for the joy of teaching – not for the $, performances, or trophies
- Students are connected to the band director more than any other teacher
- Ask yourself, ” What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”
- Hand clap exercise – clap normally, then switch which hand is on top. Listen and compare.
- Raise hand exercise – “raise as high as you can; now reach higher”. It is not comfortable but possible.
- We let students get by with bad posture until it becomes comfortable.
- Students want to play the horn and make music.
Creating a positive environment of maximum learning
Book recommendation: Music with the Brain in Mind, Jensen
- “How bad do you wanna be good?”
- Music and the brain – what we learn in music is transferable
- Create an environment that is safe, challenging, and encouraging
- Fear motivation makes students push back
- “Postives come and go; negatives stay forever”
- #1 fear of students is being embarassed in front of their friends
- Follow the hand exercise – with a partner try to mirror how he/she moves hand but focus only on your own hand. You feel totally inept. Try again but focus on the other person’s hand. Lesson – We cannot focus on ourselves. We must focus on others.
- How do we use our time? There is no time for sarcasm and cynicism
- Being positive yet honest keeps us moving forward
Colonel Lowell Graham
What a good band sound is . . . and how it is achieved
- Playing music is physical work
- Tuning – tune by ear. Tuners are well-tempered. Bands play using pythagorean tuning. Listening, Singing, Playing. Unison, octave, perfect 5th.
- the absence or presence of overtones is what creates timbre
- Clarity and Congestion – 85% of band instruments play mostly beween E3 to E5 (+/- a 3rd), the “muddy middle”. Pyramid balance doesn’t work. Thin out the midrange.
- Numbers do not equate with volume. They change the timbre.
- Colonel Graham’s clarinet section – 15 firsts, 5 seconds, 4 thirds
- Use colorful adjectives when describng the sound you want
- “Play the band” like it is an instrument. Don’t conduct.
- It is our responsibility to say something through the music
Mr. Jon Metzger
Beginning Mallet Technique for Middle School Percussionists
Book recommendation: Mallet Percussion for young beginners, a peripheral vision primer – Randall Eyles
- Develop peripheral vision – Place music low, next to keyboard, NOT high and in line with conductor.
- learn by muscle memory
- Stroke is 2 parts – down/up. No “pick-up” motion. “Up is preparation for the next down.”
Learn the Keyboard Exercise
- RH lead – Four 16th notes on tonic accenting downbeat.
- Then each down beat goes up the scale with last three 16ths staying on the tonic (Cccc Dccc Eccc Fccc, etc.)
- LH lead the same but start at top of scale
- Can also do arpeggios
- Take out one hand (hit on leg) to look at ups of the other hand
Chimes stand placement
- Player faces conductor and looks through chimes.
- Stand goes where player’s eyes can see where striking the chimes.
Vibes
- Vibe Mallets should have rattan shafts for flexibility
- Pedal needs to go about halfway down to dampen sound
- Clarity – don’t let notes bleed into each other. Practice pedaling one note at a time on scales. Sing along with scale to listen for note bleed-over
- Dead stroke grace note (jazz) – precursor to stick dampening. Strike with one stick, dampen with other.
- Bend notes on vibes – press hard xylo mallet on a key, strike with yarn mallet, move xylo mallet
- Stick Dampening Exercise – play a scale with pedal down, then stick damp one note at a time
- Beginning students can play middle and ends of bars
Intermediate Mallet Technique for High School Percussionists
- Marimba mallets – 1″ longer than vibe mallets; need birch handles – stronger so they will not warp
- During lessons – plan when and where you will look (sheet music vs. keyboard)
- Students should own their own sticks and mallets. Try adding 1 pair per year.
4 mallet grips
- Crossed grips – matched grip plus extra stick with pointer finger between (Stout)
- Independent grips – french timpani grip with extra stick between middle and ring finger, no tension (Stephens)
- Floor exercises – sit on floor and practice Stephens technique. Lee Stephens book.
Jazz Vibes
- Often voices in 4ths and 5th. LH plays guide tones. RH plays extensions.
- Big band – vibes/xylo double lead trumpet, sax soli, guitar/piano part, vocal part/melody
- Make sure plates for motor are wide open when playing
- Check resonators to make sure trash has not fallen in
- Try duct tape and dental floss for frame noise
Dr. Paula Crider
In Praise of Teachers
- Students are hungry for attention
- The band director may be the only teacher all day who can make a student feel special
- Become an effective advocate for all arts
- Honor a teacher each month – involve them, invite to rehearsal and relate something you do to what s/he does
- Create an environment where sarcasm and cynicism do not exist
- Fun = doing your best and experiencing excellence
- Create games to work on tone
- Fun with scales – play a background beat, stand and play cool rhythm patterns and move
- Have kids do one good deed each grading period – creates an atmosphere where kids take risks, are creative, and express themselves
Develop Listening Skills – the T.I.E. approach
Constantly ask kids questions to make them think
the more fun and challenging we can make it, the farther we will get
T – Technical (tone, intonation, rhythm, articulation, dynamics, etc.)
I – Intellectual (analytical, creative, musical opinion, think for self)
E – Emotional
What to listen for:
- What is the funcation of your part? (Teach with a march) – Melody or germinal idea, harmony to the melody, countermelody, obligato, harmonic rhythm, sustaining harmony, bass line, ostinato, impact notes
- Listen beyond your part. Use an incentive to motivate them to listen.
- Who has the most important line?
- How does your part function?
- Is it in tune? In tone? In Rhythm? In Balance?
- Is the ensemble rhythmically secure?
- Is the blend with your section good?
- Is the tempo stable?
- Where are the moments of tension? repose?
- Do you hear anyone who is an expressive leader?
- How do you feel the phrase should be shaped?
Play with feeling:
- Have everyone play the melody (write it out). Take turns making interpretations.
- Find moments of tension and release. (Virtual rubber band exercise). Music occurs between the notes.
- Put it in your body – conduct the music with no beats – just the dynamics, phrasing etc. (Musical Dyn-o-meter)
- Make the piece of music come alive by finding out its history
- Tabuteau system of dynamics (#1-8). Have students answer your question at the correct volume.
Tuning
- Exercise – 2 trumpets (well greased tuning slide). One pull all the way out and then slowly pull in as they play together. Class closes eyes, raises a hand, moves hand in air to show speed of the beats. Put hand down when no more beats.
- Play scales in a round with eyes closed. Have students tell what they heard (out of tune, precision, tone, etc.)
- Tune from dissonance – F – Bb – B/A – Bb
Posture
- Posture is a visual example of one’s desire to excel
- Close eyes and listen to sound difference with good vs. poor posture
Phrasing
- Play a phrase – everyone on melody. Have individuals play and find the best phrasing, tone, etc.
- Ask kids – how can we make it sound more authentic, exciting, calm, etc.
Breath Control
- All play a repeated pattern until you run out of breath. Last person playing wins.
Kayden Jenkins
Instrument Repair: what to, and not to try yourself
Recommended for information – Jeff Smith http://www.jlsmithco.com/About-Us
Keep in your repair kit
- canvas hammer for valve caps
- 1″ rawhide hammer – stuck slides
- toothless plyers
- squishy plyers
- blue painters tape
- zip ties
- twist ties – sax key guards
- paper clips (plastic coated)
- round tooth picks (clarinet pivot screws)
- hairbands (Clarinet octave key, ligature)
- teflon tape (corks)
- Fingernail polish remover (acetone)
- Clear fingernail polish for flute B key rod screw
- Powder paper (do not use dollar bill on flute pads)
Flutes
- keys with springs – 2 trills, G#, D#
- adjust end cork turn clockwise, should have resistance
Clarinets
- check pads, screws, rods, springs, reed, bridge key
- shake to see if anything flops around
- low register – check height of high A-flat key
Saxes
- Pick-up a sax by the bell!
- Do not keep books in cases
- Do not leave stuffits inside the horn, in the case
- Make sure there is an end plug – protects octave key mechanism while in yhe case
- Clean the sax neck
- It is okay to bend the octave key
- Check top 5 pads.
- RH check D#
Trumpet
- Use lanolin based slide grease
- Do not keep books in cases
- 2nd valve not moving – gently push slide towards the bell
Trombone
- stuck slide – look and feel for slide dent
- can push the inner slide in/out to make wider/narrower or forward/backward
- get a long trombone rod, cheese cloth, and alcohol for cleaning
Horns
- rotors not moving – turn screw 1/60 and tap with 3/4″ hammer
- use exact screw driver size
Tips
- Horn/Trombone valve linkages – order extra parts to keep on hand
- Brass instrument cleaning – towel on bottom of tub, warm water, Dawn dishwashing liquid
- In class, while woodwinds put instruments together, have brass push and pull slides to keep them moving
Mary Luehrsen
Effective Advocacy Tools: a wellness program and/or an emergency room
www.supportmusic.com www.namfoundation.org
You must tactically and regularly report what is going on in your program
- Each week add to your lesson plans – music advocay out to parents, students, teachers and up to administration
- Invite adult community players to play with you
- Have sections of band go to teachers and administrators to tell what you are doing, or to bring to rehearsal
- Celebratory messages on the school website
- All music teachers must come together to advocate
- Average SAT math and verbal scores are higher for each year in a performing arts class ( 1/2 year to 4 years studied)
Write or visit your congressman:
- Keep music as a core subject in ESA/No child left behind
- Make federal funding flexible so that it can fund music teachers and programs
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