Good, Better, Best –Simple Steps forBuilding a Quality Middle School Band

Debbie Shelton – Clinician

February 6, 2014

Noe Middle School Band

Beth Lyles - Director

Is your room organized?

  1. Lesson plan on power point or on white board
  2. Take time between classes to straighten chairs and stands
  3. Have percussion instruments out and set according to the lesson plan
  4. Have students sign up to have jobs in your band room. Students that pass out papers, someone to answer the phone, someone to set up the room in the morning, etc.
  5. Encourage kids to be proud of their program

Before you play?

  1. Have a defined time to get students with their instruments out and organized
  2. Use folders to hand out new music. It will speed up the process!
  3. Have music playing in the room when they enter and ask them to be silent. Load up your iPod with good music
  4. Every student should have a pencil!
  5. Use bell work at least once a week (or every day). Students have a set amount of time to complete a theory worksheet. I love Alfred’s Essential of Music Theory, Book I.

Let’s Play

  1. How does the band warm-up? Make sure everyone understands that the time before class is for good, proper warm-up and not to show off their latest rendition of Go Big Blue. Long tones, lip slurs and scales or no playing.

Let’s Talk about Posture

  1. Have students sit on the front half of the chair.
  2. Students should feel like they are standing from the waist up
  3. Make sure head is in it’s natural position (put thumb on breast bone and forefinger on chin)

Breathing

  1. Breathe through the mouth. Demonstrate with a mouthpiece.
  2. Make sure there is no shoulder movement
  3. Be relaxed
  4. Breathe silently. If you can hear the inhaling of air, there is an obstruction when inhaling.
  5. Fast air – aim at a target

Straight Line Sound

  1. Students should understand that they make the sound, not the instrument. Their instrument is simply an amplifier
  2. Keep the air steady, smooth and consistent
  3. Imagine the sound is coming out of your eyes. Focus on a designated target and pretend it is a laser beam.
  4. The director can be the target. It also helps with focus.
  5. Students should “hold up” the sound with fast air

Concert F around the Room

  1. The drill can be started one of three ways:
  2. At the bottom of the harmonic series (tuba to flute, followed by a percussion roll or scale)
  3. With a section that demonstrates the style the best and then back to the bottom of the harmonic series i.e. Euphonium, Tuba to Flute, followed by percussion)
  4. The top of the harmonic series
  5. The drill always ends with the full ensemble playing a concert F
  6. Every student should understand how to listen and how to fit in to the sound.
  7. Every section or student needs to feel the air at the end of their note fuels the start of the next note

Tuning

  1. Try to tune daily
  2. Teach students to sing and listen to a centered pitch
  3. Use a tuner (I love apple tv)

Scales

  1. This is the key to the kingdom!
  2. Absolutely make sure your students can play a scale in the same key of the pieces you are performing
  3. Have scale games. The fastest scale.

Warm-ups (Concert Bb Instruments)

Now Let’s Rehearse a concert piece

  1. Model, model, model! Your horn should be sitting by your podium. Also use good students as models as well.
  2. Teach silent playing (sizzling/air-playing).
  3. Try to engage entire group, even when you are isolating a particular part. i.e. trumpets play m5-16 and everyone else air play
  4. Always have percussion play with every section you are rehearsing. It will keep them engaged and out of trouble.
  5. If you are working on a rhythm, everyone must count. Remember there are different types of learners. Write it on the board and verbally count with syllables. Be consistent with your counting system.
  6. Let student hear the piece being performed. JW Pepper is a great resource.
  7. Pencil use should be strongly encouraged!

Favorite Web sites and apps

Apps – Tonal Energy, iStrobesoft, Tempo, MiniPiano

Web Sites – Musictheory.net, Sightreading Factory, msbanddirectorm, Metronomeonline and VicFirth

All of the suggestions in this handout were adapted from the work of Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser (Attitude Concepts for Today) and Dr. Richard Crain, Director of Music for Spring Independent School District. All of the other parts of the session are taken, borrowed or stolen from trading ideas with countless other fabulous educators.