MS Band Director
For music educators - By music educators
Vocal teacher now teaching Band ...
Hi everyone!
I am just finishing my 17th year as a vocal music teacher. Due to the District eliminating a music position, I will be teaching vocal music for grades 6-12 as well as 1 non-auditioned Band for students in grades 9-12. This is the only Instrumental program at the High School, with an anticipated enrollment of about 40 students. The Band program begins in the 5th grade. The Middle School Band Director has informed me that:
1. He doesn't bother with scales
2. The students do NOT practice outside of school
3. At the end of 8th grade, most of the students have played through most of Book 1 of Essential Elements 2000
Today (6/25) was the last day of school, and I am anxious to spend my summer preparing for a GREAT experience in the Fall, both for the students and for myself. Is there an online resource or book(s) that you could recommend that would put me in a good place?
Mostly, I am at a loss for repertoire ... my enrollment looks like:
Flute: 10
Clarinet: 8
Bass Clarinet: 4
Alto Sax: 3
Trumpet: 5
Fr. Horn: 3
Trombone: 1
Baritone: 1
Tuba: 1
Percussion: 6
I just don't know what to look for/avoid when looking at pieces for instrumentation. This year the Middle School Select Band performed:
Monmouth Overture Mike Sweeney
In the Mood (Sax Feature) arr. Paul Murtha
Canto W. Francis McBeth
Medley from Shrek arr. Paul Murtha
John Williams Movie Adventures arr. Mike Sweeney
Jubilance Swearingen
Psalm 42
Oye Como Va arr. Brown
Excelcia Clark
Hang On Sloopy arr. Edmundson
The High School Band performed:
Images Of Ireland Brian Balmages
Ye Banks and Braes O’Bonnie Doon
Percy Grainger
Irish Suite Elliot Del Borgo
Under an Irish Sky Larry Neeck
Arabian Dances Brian Balmages
In This Quiet Place Robert Sheldon
Last Ride of the Pony Express David Schaffer
Cleveland Rocks Arr. Jay Bocook
Any advice you could give for resources would be greatly appreciated!
randy cornell
Views: 9
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Russ Weaver on -
Randy,
MS is a great place to begin. I would use the videos and the accompanying worksheets for all of your sections if you are not familiar with those beginning techniques. I would avoid youtube as the information on their is highly suspect unless you really do your homework. All of the information on this site has been uploaded by band directors and is solid information to get your program up and running.
I would strongly consider using smartmusic for all of your students. It shows them how to play, what fingerings to use, how the piece "goes" and is an amazing teaching tool. Subscriptions are around $35 per year for each child and is not a replacement for private lessons, but really does make a huge difference in how prepared your students will come to class. Then pick only literature that can be taught from Smartmusic so that your students will be able to access great recordings of these pieces to perform with. This is how to build a program if you do not have an instrumental music background. The rest will reflect your artistry as a conductor/director as you balance the group and give interpretation to the non-Irish literature for this year. This is how I might begin.
hope this helps,
Russ WEaver
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Permalink Reply by Donald L Hofmeister on -
Since you are a vocal teacher you probably are very familiar with solfege. Two books, one for Elementary and one for Intermediate level students have as their core solfege exercises which are adapted for wind bands. The material is supplementary and suitable to be used with any basic method. For more of an overview you may go to hofmeistermusic.net.
The material is excellent for warming up and building technique either in a group or individually. The Intermediate Book has 55 exercises written in twelve keys in a range playable by young learners. This is a moveable Do system. The series allows for creativity of the teacher. Initially the material can be played quite easily. However it allows for teacher creativity in that you can make it as difficult as the situation warrants. Don H
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Permalink Reply by Randy Cornell on -
Thanks so much Don! I use solfege so much with my Choirs and will be interested to check out your resources!
randy
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Permalink Reply by Donald L Hofmeister on
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Randy,
Looking at the background of the students you inherited to start the school with, I probably ought to have said a little about the Elementary Technique Book for Band.
The first section of the book is laid out to be sure the students know all twelve sounds and their enharmonics. With those sounds under control they would be able to play all major,minor,seventh and diminished chords. Next the book helps establish four tonalities in a range playable by beginners. The final section of the book presents 36 exercises in four keys to develope technique. These exercises are solfge adapted to band.
If the twelve sounds are known then it woud be possible to use the Intermediate Book.
I can not imagine inheriting a group of students who were not encouraged to learn scales, and practice them outside of school!
Sincerely
Don H
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