CBDA Bulletin Fall 2022

Jeff Detlefsen President

Ryan Dirlam CASMEC Coordinator

Trish Adams Executive Administrator Patrick Dandrea Secretary (Interim)

Danielle Cavazos All-State Host

Katie Gilchrist Ensemble Host

Susan Willmering Vice President

Ashley Shine Treasurer Dan Bryan President Elect

Jeanne Christensen SCSBOA Rep Daniel Greenberg Member at Large music provides convention each February Band

Michael Tackett Exhibit Host Joe Cargill CBDA Logistics Coordinator

Yasmine Brackens Student Host

Dr. Kaitlin Bove DEIA Rep

Jazareth Valencia NCBA Rep

Casson Scowcroft NCBCDA Rep

David Green Director of Communications

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

It was great to see so many groups out performing and touring again last spring and summer. It made me realize how much live music was missed during the shutdown. Watching groups from California travel all over the state, country, and even across the globe, was a wonderful step back to “normalcy.” Although there are still a number of challenges with travel, sickness, and supplies, I hope to continue to see groups getting back to their regularly scheduled trips and performances and continue to make memories for the music students of California. Our 2023 Social Impact Consortium is underway, and it is great to see the excitement continue behind this new topic. Marie Douglass has joined us to write a threemovement, grade 2.5 piece focused on the topic of mental health. The “You Are Enough” consortium is now open for members to join. You can join this movement and have your organization name added to the printed publication which will again include a curriculum on how to speak on such a delicate topic. Join at www.cbda.og for just $150. Physical copies of the music will be available for pick up at CASMEC 2023.

This wonderful new piece of music will be premiered by the inaugural CBDA All-State Small Schools Band. This band will be open to all California Band students that attend a school with enrollment under 1200 and meet one of three criteria that can be found on the CBDA website. Dr. Peter Boonshaft is joining us as the conductor for this amazing group and they will join the CBDA HS Wind Symphony and CODA HS Symphony Orchestra on the Saturday night concert to premiere the consortium piece this year. Information on this band can also be found on the CBDA website. If you teach at a small school, as I do, you don’t want to allow your students to miss out on this amazing opportunity. World class conductor, a world premiere performance, and a wonderful all-state experience for

these students! Spread the word to other small schools to encourage all students to apply!

As CBDA grows, we are continually striving to find ways to better serve the band directors and students of this great state. As we work on new and exciting projects our board will grow and flux with the changes. CBDA maintains wonderful partnerships with our CASMEC partner organizations, CAJ, CCDA, CMEA, and CODA and continues to work together with them to provide the best experiences for our membership.

We are very excited to have four spectacular guest ensembles perform at CASMEC this year. With so many high caliber groups applying, our panel had a tough job in narrowing it down. Please join me in congratulating the following groups: South Point Middle School Wind Ensemble, Amador Valley Wind Ensemble I, San Francisco Brass Band, and CSU Fullerton Wind Symphony. I am looking forward to listening to these groups perform in Fresno at CASMEC in February. I hope many of you are able to attend their performances, you definitely won’t want to miss out.

With exciting new support coming from the governor’s office in the June budget revision, I hope many of you are finding more funds funneling into your districts and programs specifically for music and arts. Advocate for yourself, and music education. What we do is important to a well-rounded education for all. Plan to attend CASMEC 2023 in Fresno. We have some amazing performances and informative clinics we are excited to share!

Jeff Detlefsen

President, California Band Directors Association Director of Bands, Sierra Pacific HS

Prop 28: It’s a Slam-Dunk...right?

by Dan Bryan, CBDA President-Elect

Midterm elections.

Of all of the things that you’ve got going on at this moment – football games, instrument nights, and the massive pile of things that your administration has heaped upon you - I’m sure that the November election is something that you have NOT spent a lot of time thinking about. Furthermore, I’m quite sure the words “midterm elections” may make your eyes glaze over just a bit. With that in mind, let’s try some new words:

Prop 28.

If you haven’t heard, Prop 28 is a statewide initiative that will pump approximately 800 million to 1 BILLION dollars into arts programs in every school district in our state. It will provide money for new staffing, supplies, professional development, and oversight for these programs. Most important: it is ongoing, as it will become part of California’s education budget. For your friends and relatives who are worried that we are continuing a long, proud tradition of raising taxes on Californians, tell them not to worry. This DOES NOT raise taxes, but instead redirects a small portion (approximately one penny on every dollar) of the state’s education budget.

What can you do?

Prior to Election Day, get the word out. Our statewide music organizations (CBDA, CMEA, CAJ, CODA, ACDA) are all working on messaging campaigns that you’ll be able to share with parents, faculty, administrators, and school board members…anyone in the community who votes. I encourage you to develop some talking points based on these resources so that you’re ready to go if asked to speak on it.

And of course…VOTE. Midterm elections typically have some of the lowest voter turnout in our election cycles, but this is one that we simply cannot afford to ignore. We’ve got a lot of options in the state to cast our votes, so encourage everyone to use the most convenient one for them, and vote “yes” on Prop 28.

If you consider the implications this could have on your program and community, we’ve got to get this passed. Advance polling is showing that it will pass, and it is a gamechanger. this for

Proposition 28 will increase funding for arts and music education programs in California public schools

CASMEC

Once again, we are so excited for another California All-State Music Education Conference to listen to stellar music, learn from passionate educators, and socialize with our colleagues. February 2023 is shaping up to be another memorable time in Fresno! As always, California Alliance for Jazz (CAJ), California Band Directors Association (CBDA), California Choral Directors Association (CCDA), California Music Educators Association (CMEA), and California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA), the collaborating organizations of CASMEC, have been working hard to prepare an educational and uplifting conference and All-State experience.

Registration

Registration will be open soon! The cost is $220 for organization members, $30 for collegiate members, $35 for retired members, and $365 for non-member attendees. Be sure to get registered with CAJ, CBDA, CCDA, CMEA, and/or CODA to access the member rate.

Coming to CASMEC 2023

by Ryan Dirlam

This year, we are excited to host some wonderful sessions, including presentations on creating successful habits, rehearsal techniques, literature selection, and improving upper woodwind tone. Our CBDA presenters include Mark Nowak, Dr. Jeff Malecki, Peggi Stoffel, Robert Sheldon, Dr. Kim Meador, Scott Rush, Dr. Gregory Whitmore, Karen Koner, and Richard Martinez. Please be sure to join us immediately following the CBDA General Session

on Saturday for a special session featuring our Guest Composer, Marie Douglas.

Another exciting addition to CASMEC this winter will be the long anticipated All-State Small School Band. We encourage all of our Directors to visit our CBDA website and read about the qualifiers that would make a school eligible to audition. This ensemble will be led by guest conductor Dr. Peter Boonshaft, and will be rehearsing in the Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall. Please reach out to our small school directors, who may not even be members, to encourage them to have some students audition.

Hopefully, most of you attended the premieres of the Social Impact Consortium pieces at the All-State concerts last year. We are so excited to be continuing this new tradition with a new piece of music for Band (Grade 2.5) composed by Marie Douglas. This piece will focus on the real issues of suffering from anxiety, depression and bullying. We are so honored that Marie will be joining us in Fresno to shed some light on her work with the student performers and for the educators that will look to program it in the future. We hope you will join us for the World Premiere performed by our brand new ensemble, the High School All-State Small School Band on Saturday, February 18, 2022.

Housing

Our housing link for conference attendees will also be available on our registration page soon. Rooms will fill up quickly, so please do not wait to book your stay. Discounted rates are locked in for a short time only. A note that this year, there will not be shuttles running from the hotels so as to not dramatically raise prices on the attendees.

See You There!

We know that last year was full of uncertainty and challenges, but we hope that this year is getting closer to what Band has been in the past. Last year was extremely special to have live music again and getting to reconnect with our friends. I hope you will join us Thursday night for our new CASMEC Social and Awards event that will feature all organizations in a night of recognition and fun.

Our CASMEC Team is hopeful that the 2023 Conference, filled with educational sessions and inspirational musical performances, will provide you with a safe space to refresh and sharpen your skill sets as an educator. We are looking forward to seeing you all this February! Have a wonderful and safe Fall semester!

California All-State Audition Tips

This article is an ‘updated’ version of my fall of 2020 article. Especially after the last two years, I feel we all could use a refresher and these tips I had provided back then still stand strong with a few tweaks. One band director friend told me he printed out the original article for his students and handed it out to each of them so that they could benefit from these tips. I thought that was a great idea especially since sometimes the students are left to prepare and record themselves on their own. I hope this gives everyone a little insight and a few good ideas.

Here are some tips coming from the lens of a Judge and Music Teacher:

Start Yesterday!!

by Susan Willmering

The saying “failure to prepare is preparing to fail” holds true. The solo lists have been out since April, so what are you waiting for? Anyone who procrastinates and tries to learn the All-State rep in the last few weeks risks running out of time at truly detailing their music.

Checking In

As teachers, we can help by checking in on students auditioning, even during class. From the start of the fall semester, I randomly listen to different students play parts of their solos or scales and give them quick feedback in class in front of their peers. Of course, I always keep it positive. That way students can all learn from each other, build their confidence in short spurts, and I can check that they are progressing successfully. This also sets a precedent to the rest of the ensemble that we value seeing students strive for the All-State Honor Groups.

Listen

Listen to each recording track once uploaded to the CBDA Digital Audition System. This is an EASY task which allows for one to listen to each track, even on top of each other to save time. This would eliminate many auditions from being disqualified due to simple accidents such as: missing a track, uploading the same scale twice, playing the wrong scale (ex. natural minor instead of melodic), and playing the wrong excerpt in the music. If the audition is incomplete for any of these reasons, it is then marked “disqualified” and taken out of the judging cycle no matter how great the player is.

Microphones

When it comes to microphones, you don’t have to break the bank. Yes, having a decent mic or two to record students is great. But if that is not an option, that should not stop anyone from auditioning for All-State. Smartphones these days have decent mics which do a great job when recording most instruments. I would recommend using a smartphone over a computer mic, unless you have an external mic to plug into it. Also, there are some superb affordable mics that can plug into the phone such as the Shure MOTIV MV88.

The instruments which I think require the most attention when it comes to microphones are usually the tubas and timpani. Clarity on these low instruments is usually an issue. I use a ribbon microphone for both. It has made a world of difference in the clarity of my students’ recordings.

Be mindful of mic placement and distance from the performer. Each instrument has its own needs. Experiment with this to find what sounds most authentic.

Recording

Recording takes patience. Plan that it may take more than once. Students who have never recorded often are too nervous the first time to truly perform at their best. Also, young brass players usually do not last long. Think about breaking it up and maybe record scales on one day and the solo on another.

Percussion has a lot of different instruments to record. I suggest focusing on recording one instrument a week leading up to the deadline. I have found recording percussion in one sitting for JH and even HS is not ideal.

No one said recording for All-State has to be done in one session. But, I suggest notating mic placement and levels to make sure recording on multiple days sounds as if it were done in one session.

Recording Space

Try and find a quiet space that has some resonance to it. If recording from home, try a variety of locations. An open living room might work better than a small bedroom, which might be too dry.

Judging Categories

It isn’t just about correct notes and rhythms… Each scale and excerpt is broken down and judged by four categories: Tone & Intonation, Accuracy, Articulation, and Musicality. Listen to each scale and excerpt with separate ears and address each of these areas. Note that Tone & Intonation is worth more than the other categories. So, showing a level of mastery in technique and tone, having quality equipment and reeds, understanding the intonation issues of the instrument and how to control it (such as third valve slides and alternate fingerings), are important.

Professional Feedback

We are in an era of Zoom lessons and online learning. This is a great opportunity for students to utilize these online resources, such as SmartMusic and MusicFirst, or to reach out to professional musicians across the nation for help. Many professional musicians have all adapted to using Zoom and would definitely love to give masterclasses, lessons or just feedback on a recording.

Scales

• Should be fluent. Need I say, practice with a metronome (slow at first) to help with this. Tempos should be competitive but should not exceed the ability to have clarity and to demonstrate musicality. It is better to be accurate, smooth and musical, than fast.

• Record all scales in a similar tempo. Playing one extremely fast and the next 20 beats slower doesn’t have a flow to it and looks as if there is a technical problem to a listener or judge. Pick a tempo all scales can be played at and stick to it.

• Play the correct articulations that are asked for, no exceptions!

• Watch that slurs are performed without rushing through the notes around them…. This is often an issue for wind players.

• The last note should be held out with a great/ strong tone for two full counts. Brass players, do not release with your tongue, and flutes, keep your chin up when releasing the note. Add vibrato if it is appropriate for that instrument and if the performer has control over their vibrato. When a student doesn’t have a strong tone at the end, it is usually because they have run out of air. With all scale recordings, I make my students take in a 2-4 count breath instead of a 1 count breath. You want to sound strong from beginning to end.

• No accents or staccatos… there are none written. Don’t anchor on to the beats with added accents or staccatos. It should sound smooth overall and flowing.

•

Before starting the scale, place the fingers down on the first note before the breath is taken. This can eliminate a lot of problems for young musicians and their struggle to get a clean attack…. (ex: saxophonists on the chromatic scale, pressing the keys down before the breath will eliminate the sound of the pads smacking on the attack)

• Only record the range asked for. Unfortunately, “extra credit” is not part of the scoring, so playing extra octaves only opens the audition up to having points taken off from one of the four judging categories.

Solos

• Check the Errata list on the CBDA website for updates before recording. We do not take off points if someone does not follow the Errata, but why would one want to perform a piece with wrong notes and such?

• Make sure the performer has taken time to define each word written in the solo. If it says “con sord” and the performer does not use a mute, that doesn’t sit well. Take time to thoroughly define and learn everything about the piece. Part of the fun of learning a piece isn’t just about playing the notes and rhythms, it’s about truly delving into it and knowing it inside and out.

• Play the correct notes and rhythms. This is All-State. It should be assumed that this is the bare minimum to the solos. BUT, if a high note cracks, that is not a deal breaker.

• Listen to professional recordings of the piece to help develop musical concepts and ideas. If it is a transcription, listen to the original version to make sense of the phrasing. If there is text, learn it. This will help with the ideas of articulation and musicality.

• STYLE: Play the All-State solos using the appropriate practices for that style of music. If ornamentation is usually placed on a note, then by all means, add it. (ex. Trills, mordents, etc.) Most Judges used for All-State will know each of these solos because they have in the past performed them and will know the appropriate practices.

• TEMPO: The solo tempos should be as close as possible to what is asked. BUT, if there is a tempo which the performer sounds more clear and musical on, then use your best musical judgment. Clarity and details over rushed sloppiness will get a higher score.

• DYNAMICS: Observe them!!

• PHRASING: Teachers, if a student does not have a private teacher, write this in for them on their music. Write in breath marks for them too.

Percussion

• All parts must be submitted to be considered.

• Chromatic Scales- Consider where you are hitting the keys. Stay away from the nodes (where the string goes through the keys). Also, the Judge should not be able to tell if you are right-handed or

left-handed. Play evenly between hands.

• Snare Roll and Timpani Roll- Don’t worry so much about the length and time of the roll but rather attaining a smoothness and strong dynamic range.

• HS Cym & Tambourine Excerpts- Spend some time learning the technique and tone of these orchestral instruments. There are plenty of Youtube videos on how to play concert crash cymbals and tambourines; watch them.

• Marimba Solo- If dynamics and/or phrasing is lacking, don’t be afraid to add some. This is especially true for the JH marimba solos.

• Snare- Record with a metronome in your ear. As long as the Judges can’t hear it, there is nothing wrong with it.

• Timpani- Listen to yourself. Do your hands SOUND even?? Often the lower drums are not played strong enough to balance evenly to the upper drums that project easier. It isn’t about playing even, it is about sounding even.

Is It Inspiring?

This is the number one thing I ask myself when recording my students. Top chairs at All-State have the “It Factor” and are breathtaking to listen to. If my students’ recordings are not inspiring, we talk about it and come up with ideas to make the music come alive. I have learned that even a twelve-year-old can be inspiring on a solo piece. If they can record an inspirational excerpt, there is a good chance that it will be to the level of All-State.

Final Thought

Earning a spot in one of the California All-State Honor Groups is a prestigious honor and a great experience for our students. This is something which students can have pride in and is a great reward for their strong musical work ethic. It also helps to show their peers that there IS a tangible reward for all those hours of practicing scales and excerpts.

I wish you and your students the best of luck with the All-State audition process and hope my tips are helpful.

Representation of Small and Rural Schools in CASMEC Honor Bands

With the arrival of the Small Schools Honor Band, CBDA has sent a message to every frustrated high school band director that ever had no students get into All-State, year after year. And there are a lot of them.

In the mind of more than a few teachers, CBDA All-State Honor Band ensembles have been undergoing a years-long widening of a gap between students from large, well funded and/or urban music programs, and students from “smaller” programs. The classic “haves” vs. “have nots” routine.

Why might they think this is so? A sampling: Some ten years ago, the representation clause was voted out of All-State. Then, more recently, the limit on the number of students who can apply and be accepted into the All-State groups has been not only expanded, but eliminated. The logical outcome of this is that large programs with more students to pull from, more resources and access to private teachers, will be sending EVEN MORE students to the honor bands (we are currently waiting for pandemic declines to

With your kind permission, I would like to state an unspoken truth.

subside to see if this will prove true).

But regardless of whether that is true or not, band directors who struggle to get their best student in are feeling a bit like the unwelcome guests at the cool kids party. “Oh. Now the schools who could get 20 musicians into All-State can get more kids in? My kids stand even LESS of a chance. Why even try?” This is almost word for word the reaction we heard from many directors.

Imagine, if you will, that you are a teacher in a small, rural or Title 1 school. You are an excellent, dedicated, hard working band director. You have bright, motivated students whom you absolutely wish could get the opportunity to see what it’s like to be an All-State musician, and (most importantly) they meet the minimum standard of quality needed to qualify. You have kids that COULD be in the band. Sadly for you, there are scant opportunities nearby for lessons and even if there were, few to none of your parents can afford them. They simply can’t compete against the kids in powerhouse schools with private instrument-specific instructors. When powerhouses can send as many kids as they have who qualify, smaller-program kids are less likely to be accepted.

And when you know that they aren’t going to be accepted, you probably aren’t going to encourage your students to apply - to pay the audition fee - to face the eventual disappointment, etc... You probably won’t even renew your CBDA membership, let alone attend CASMEC. I know that teacher. I’ve been that teacher.

under 1,200 total population. 2.) Less than 5% of the school band members take private lessons. 3.) The school meets Title 1 status. 4.) The school only has one band ensemble. This concept has been discussed and lobbied for many years, and its fruition is truly monumental. With it, CBDA is making a statement. It says to the people in our membership who don’t feel like they have All-State-worthy band programs, “We see you. We understand your concern, and we want you to be a part of this.” It comes at a wonderful time. COVID has shaken up the system and brought about the idea that major changes can and should be made in our institutions. Well, this is a pretty big change in CASMEC ensembles, and it has been embraced by the membership and is being given every shot at succeeding. The inaugural concert for this group will take place on Saturday evening at the Saroyan Theater... the time and place of honor!

You may well say, “So what? Aren’t honor bands for the BEST students, no matter where they come from?” That certainly makes sense. But please remember that the 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, etc... students from a school that make it into All-State are coming from programs that are All-Statelevel experiences every day! They play the top quality literature EVERY day. They are surrounded by excellent musicians EVERY day.

And you might also say, “Don’t we want our honor bands to sound as GOOD as possible? That means taking the BEST students available.” Again, a very valid point. But let us remember, friends, that CASMEC is an event for EDUCATORS. ALL-STATE ensembles are EDUCATIONAL. Education is about giving our students an amazing musical and life experience. Shouldn’t we make every effort to include students who will never get to experience such a thing because of where they live?

Which brings us to the Small Schools Honor Band (SSHB). All of the above is why the beginning of the AllState SSHB is SO exciting. If you have not heard, 2023 will mark the premiere of the CBDA High School Small Schools Honor Band, conducted by Dr. Peter Boonshaft. In order to be considered for this ensemble, a student must come from a school that meets one of four criteria. 1.) The school size is

This is what is happening. And it’s happening at a time when CASMEC is seeking to drastically increase their conference attendance.

Thank you very much to the CBDA board’s exploratory committee, headed by Ryan Dirlam, for making this happen. It really does make a difference for many of us and we all anticipate that it will be an overwhelming success. Bravo!

Striking A Balance: Encouraging Engagement in Both Concert and Marching Percussion

by Phil Vallejo, D.M.A. Associate Director of Bands State University

It is strange to say out loud, but the reality of our school year finds us nearly at the halfway point of our marching band season, and while most have yet to attend a competition, we are well on our way to the home stretch. For many programs, this also means winter percussion is now well into the design stages for the upcoming season.

For some programs, this can also mean that your percussion section might go off and do their own thing, “separate” from the band program, with the exception of their roles as concert percussionists in your wind bands. This “separate” idea is something that I have struggled with, both as a student percussionist, and as a band director.

Too often, I hear about programs where the percussion students are out of touch with the overall program, or that they do not care as much about the wind band programs. Again, I’ve been on both sides of this conversation, and I hope that this article will provide you some insight into the minds of your students, while also allowing us as band directors to shift our strategies.

I started my career as a drum instructor at Clovis East High School, in Clovis, California. My responsibilities included creating a competitive marching percussion ensemble, while also teaching the percussion students about the overarching world of percussion. I spent all my time with the percussion students and developed great relationships with those students. They knew I had their best interests at heart.

In my role as Director of Percussion, it was easy to create buy in from percussionists. I was able to help them understand both the importance of the concert and the marching percussion worlds. I was there with them every step of the way. During wind ensemble, I helped them learn music, create the perfect timbre, and balance to a wind band. Simultaneously, I was also working with them on the

field where they learned how to play in a section, marching technique, pushing their bodies to new limits, etc.

After a few years in my role with percussion, I took on a new role as Director of Bands, again at Clovis East High School. I was excited to take on this new role and expand into the wind band world as a conductor. For the first couple of years, the percussion section continued to be receptive to wind band concert percussion, but after a while, not having a dedicated person in the classroom that worked with the percussion students each day, slowly decreased interest in concert percussion. Furthermore, I was rather inexperienced at that time with my repertoire choices. I was so focused on standard literature, or what I thought I was supposed to be playing, that I did not focus quite as much on what would be best for ALL students, percussion included. How quickly, even as a percussionist myself, I lost touch with my percussion students. I lacked the empathy needed to put myself in their shoes.

I eventually changed jobs, moving to Modesto, California, where I would teach at James C. Enochs High School. The division that existed at Clovis East continued at James C. Enochs. I knew that the problem existed, but at that time did not know how to resolve the issue.

It took some time to settle on a solution that would work, but I eventually found a balance that would support students in their love for marching percussion, while also having a great concert percussion studio that would strive to be great members of the wind bands. What changed? What worked?

Shifting Your Culture

I worked to make sure that my students knew that I loved winter percussion. This was not hard for me, considering I am still quite the drum geek, even if I do not spend much time around the activity. However, I needed my students to know that I was more than just the band director. I needed them to know that I was one of their biggest fans. I worked to make sure they knew that I noticed their commitment to their craft.

One way to show your students you care can be as easy as attending as many competitions as possible. I was shocked when I would attend winter percussion competitions, expecting to see some of my band director friends, only to find out that they were not in attendance. Let me be clear, that approach might work for some but it was certainly something that I needed in order to build trust with my students. I wanted to be able to converse with them about their improvements. They loved winter percussion and I needed to be able to appreciate what they loved. I learned that if you invest in your students, they will invest in you.

Programming

There are many ways to lose connection with your students. Imagine teaching a math class and ignoring a group of students in your class for large portions of the period. Whereas it is difficult to rationalize why this approach would be acceptable in any academic class, we often do this with our percussion students. Obviously, there is going to be repertoire that requires minimal percussion, but in order to achieve balance, the other repertoire

selections need to keep the interest of the percussion students. Furthermore, the music needs to allow for growth.

As an adjudicator, I have seen many bands that perform a festival set consisting of three selections:

1. An opening piece where five percussionists are used sparingly, but two students tacet.

2. A lyrical work with limited percussion.

3. A march with one snare, one bass drum, and one crash cymbal part.

When considering a rehearsal schedule of 50 minutes per day, how many of those minutes are spent engaging the percussion section? I’d challenge you to go through your music and make a chart of the percentage of time, each one of your percussion students are engaged by the music. Compare that to the rest of your band. Should it be one to one, not necessarily, but it is an interesting and eye-opening challenge.

The world of percussion has grown quickly and with that, composers are expanding the percussion voice within the wind band. I am not suggesting that you eliminate all of the standard repertoire, but I am suggesting that you actively program with the intent of engaging all of your students. Teaching percussion students that their voice matters will create a stakeholder approach. Once that shift in thinking begins, the percussion students will take greater pride in their role as members of the wind band.

Teaching Time

As this article narrows in on the balance between winter percussion and wind band percussion, I’m making a general assumption that if you are reading this, you have a winter percussion ensemble, and more specifically, you have a winter percussion staff. To that end, your students are spending many hours with your percussion staff and building strong relationships. Having your staff actively encourage the percussion students to think globally about all aspects of percussion (marching/concert/world/drumset) will encourage students to have an open mind to all of the responsibilities they have been given as percussion students. Having your staff attend occasional wind band rehearsals, or run wind band percussion sectionals, also displays that the staff appreciates other aspects of percussion. Be mindful that this may go above and beyond the initial contract, and you may need to pay them a little more, but at the end of the day, it will be worth the added cost.

Running your own percussion sectionals can also be highly effective. This gives you the opportunity to express the importance of the maraca part that is being glossed over. Students want to know that you see them and that they matter. It is safe to say that we likely all want to be seen.

In Conclusion

I have no doubt that many programs have a great balance between their marching percussion ensembles and their wind band percussion ensembles, but for those that may be struggling to build relationships, I hope that this article will help you find your way to a solution that will help your program “Strike A Balance.”

Going Beyond The Commentary: Understanding Score Sheets

by Jazareth Valencia, NCBA Representative

It’s that time of year in which marching bands are preparing for the fall competitive season. Hours are spent learning new musical selections and visual elements that will tell a complete story on the field, street or stage. Meanwhile, judges in the state are being trained on rubrics, criteria, and how to give effective feedback to bands.

With the evolution of technology across most circuits, recorded audio commentary is made available to band directors almost immediately following a performance. Band directors and their staff take the time to listen to important comments from the judges in order to make adjustments before the next competition.

Paperwork handed over in the yellow manila folder at times can be disregarded, yet it provides some of the most crucial feedback. Perhaps it can be an intimidating factor for young band directors or someone who is new to a circuit. All associations have spent countless hours creating and refining their adjudication sheets to be a tool for improvement for bands all over California.

First, it is imperative to understand each box and how it applies to every caption, whether your focus is parade or field show. Most circuits will have five different boxes that judges use in scoring your band. The lowest box (circuits will start on either 1 or 5) use terms such as minimal skill, and the highest will use superior or consistent. If your band receives a rating within boxes 2-4, this will be where you want to pay close attention because these scores will provide many opportunities for improvement.

Once you understand the breakdown of each box, it’s time to apply the judge’s observations to each caption such as music, general effect, percussion, and color guard. Each circuit has their score sheets posted on their respective website with the vocabulary that the judges use in their commentary. Knowing these terms and how each affects your overall score will be helpful right from the start. An example is, when evaluating an ensemble music score, maybe you notice your balance/timing score is lower than other categories such as intonation. You will perhaps just focus on that detail for the upcoming competition. Video recording is also a valuable tool in tandem with score sheets and audio comments. Staff and students are able to see what the adjudicators are seeing and hearing in real time, leading to self-evaluation for each student.

Score sheets combined with judge’s audio comments give staff and students necessary information for success throughout the entire fall season. Adding students to this process is very valuable as you establish culture in your program and look to the future. If you ever want clarity on a specific circuit, do not hesitate reaching out to the circuit’s judges coordinator or attending a judge’s training.

On behalf of NCBA, have a great fall season!

Begin with the End in Mind

by Jeanne Christensen

Year 32 of teaching has officially begun for me. I am excited about this upcoming year. I had a good band camp at the end of August and now we are in September and I have finally started school. (Yes, we do start late in San Diego Unified.) The students seem happier this year. They are more relaxed and have great attitudes. The main thing I changed right from the start was my mindset. I wanted to make sure I was in a positive place. I’m in charge of the atmosphere students feel, so I knew if I was happy, organized, and relaxed, my stress wouldn’t pass on to them. I think we are off to a great start.

Planning has helped me feel confident as I approach each school day. I keep a simple checklist on my desk. It starts and ends my daily routine. I plan for the next day based on what the schedule was for the day and what actually took place. I thought I would share a sample of what I do. If it helps you, great! Feel free to run through the topics below and see if any of this works for you.

Lists

I make a list of what I need to accomplish or teach for the next school day before I go home. When I arrive to school, I know what I am doing for each class. No worrying about what to plan at the last minute. I teach 4 periods of Band and 1 section of AP Music Theory.

On the list are also some simple reminders for me:

1. Take attendance

2. Use your gradebook

3. Plan with the end in mind

4. Check school email throughout the day

5. Check personal email and SCSBOA email

6. Sunday, write email newsletter

Communication

I send out a weekly newsletter each Monday morning to let the families and students know what the week’s schedule is and what is coming up on the calendar. I copy and paste the newsletter onto the Band’s website in case someone didn’t receive their email. Other forms of communication I use are a dedicated Band Facebook page and Instagram account. Most of the posts are photos, but some posts are also informational.

How I Begin Each Ensemble Class

Warm-Ups:

1. I tell the ensemble what I am going to do with them, so there is no guessing.

2. We stretch our fingers, arms, and rotate our wrists. I do this with them and they mirror me. It’s crazy, but a group of 200 will stay silent when we do this exercise.

3. Long tones – Starting on concert Bb and moving up the first 5 notes and back down again. Then move to the arpeggio. Have students focus on tone, entrances being together, and releasing together. Moving cleanly between notes is key. No scooping up to a note or sliding down to a note.

4. Rhythms – Warm up with a few of the rhythmic patterns they have in their music. We learn patterns by either clapping, tapping, or playing on a single pitch. We count from there and I will split the group in half. One side keeps a steady pulse and the other has the rhythm. Once they are confident, we reverse sides so everyone has the opportunity to learn the rhythm.

5. Tuning – I like to mix up how we tune. We will go by grade level, birthday month, instrument family, favorite ice cream flavor, or boba drink, etc. In the end, it’s about starting with a small number of students who can hear themselves play and then we add in the others. Go back to the first 5 notes of the Bb concert scale. Have one group hold concert Bb and the other group go through the first five pitches of the scale. They will hear the intervals in the room and can adjust their instruments.

Marching Band Checklist

Get organized with your marching days and music days. I have 55-minute classes, so each day there is a different focus. All of us like to know what to anticipate. Create a box of 5 days on the board in your classroom. List in each box what the classes will be working on. Here’s an example of my schedule for Marching Band:

1. Monday – Ensemble Day. Announcements are given for the week, the activity and rehearsal

schedule is discussed, and what the objectives are for the next five days. We set up in the room or outside, and work on fundamentals of music and playing. In October and November, it will be going over comments from our evaluation if we went to a tournament or band review.

2. Tuesday – Music in the room. Full ensemble in rehearsal. Color Guard has field time.

3. Wednesday – Field time for Band. Color Guard has dance inside the room.

4. Thursday – Ensemble on field (learning drill). Evening rehearsal on field.

5. Friday – Ensemble Flex Day. Do we need to be on field? Do we need to stay in the room and work on music?

Begin this school year with the end in mind. June (or May) will soon be here. Plan your school year out, so you can be ready for events, concerts, or field trips. Your students will benefit from you being organized and you being happy.

Best wishes for a great set of months ahead!

Guidelines for a Successful

Middle School Concert

The process of preparing for a concert is perhaps the most rewarding journey on which any ensemble conductor will embark. After watching your students grow as musicians, you get to stand back and celebrate the fruits of your hard work. Conductors get so consumed in the preparation of the music that it is easy to forget about the logistics of the concert day itself. The excitement of the day can exacerbate some of the natural feelings our students have when they know the day has arrived. Based on my personal experience, I have developed some guidelines to help directors prepare for that culminating performance experience.

Start on time

by Devan Moore, Ph.D. Assistant Director of Bands Oklahoma State University

As they say, life happens, but make it a point to start the concert at the advertised time. The start could be some opening remarks or giving the actual first downbeat, but do start right on time. Showing your students and your audience (parents and family members) that you value their time will go a long way toward developing rapport. They have made it a priority to get their children to the performance venue on time for you; the least you can do is ensure that it was for a good reason. Also, being an ensemble director who keeps their word helps to reinforce your own credibility.

Plan for efficiency

In a program where there are multiple ensembles and you want all of them to perform on the same concert,

you may want to consider expanding your view of what the stage looks like. By setting the stage for the largest ensemble and having every other ensemble fit into that setup, you eliminate having to move chairs when switching ensembles. Consider having one ensemble exit in one direction while bringing the next ensemble in from the opposite direction. Another way to be efficient is by highlighting small ensembles away from the stage to eliminate lag time between large ensembles. If you have a small ensemble that could perform during the transitions, this is the perfect time to feature them. If you are fortunate enough to have a jazz band, this could be their time to shine. Give the small ensemble/jazz band their own setup away from the main performing stage to take the attention away from the chaos that usually occurs when moving beginner ensembles to their seats and getting the more advanced groups on stage.

Printed programs are another way to be efficient with your concert time. Having a printed copy of the program allows you to avoid introducing every selection being performed. It also allows you to recognize every student that performed with a physical document. Parents enjoy seeing their student’s name on a program and it provides the students with a keepsake showing they were a part of an organization. Printed programs are also physical documentation of the work you and your students do every day. When it comes to advocating for your program, these documents can be useful in making your case.

Appropriate Concert Length

Make sure the amount of literature allows for the concert to end within a reasonable time. My philosophy is that a middle school concert should not last longer than a class period would normally last, no matter how many ensembles are performing. My goal is to be in and out in an hour or less. There are a few reasons for this goal. Most middle school class blocks are 50 minutes. That is how long your students have been trained to focus and stay on task. That is not to say that they cannot perform and then be audience members for longer, but they are still learning and growing. Many of the audience members are not musicians and have not spent extensive time learning to be good audience members. We want to educate them on how to do that and give them the opportunity to be successful at it. Exceeding an appropriate concert length for the level of literature being performed can lead to restless students and audience members. If you are keen on lengthening the program, consider adding student soloists to break up the monotony of the ensembles.

Parental Involvement

Doing the necessary legwork to get parents involved on concert day will increase your productivity as you put the final touches on preparing for the concert. This will also significantly decrease the probability that you will be left to wait on a parent after the concert is over. The time between the end of the school day and the time of the concert can be crucial in finishing last-minute details to ensure a successful concert. Often, I had students who could not go home after school and needed to stay under my care until the concert

started. Having to supervise anxious students while finishing the preparation for the concert is always a challenge. This is where you get parents involved. Asking for parental help with monitoring students after school saved me on many occasions. Coming to the realization that parents were willing and ready to help when asked allowed me to use the time before the concert more efficiently.

In your preparation for the concert, be sure to send home notices that require a parent signature acknowledging they are aware of pertinent concert details, such as the stated date, required performance attire, and any other items that students will need for the day of performance. In my experience, setting up a listserv at the beginning of the year helps to diminish always having to depend on the students to get a piece of paper home to their parents. Parents appreciate being in the loop, and sending out an email to remind them that a concert is coming soon will increase the odds that they will attend and that their student will be prepared for the day. As you get closer to the concert, make phone calls to parents of students who haven’t responded. Doing your due diligence in making sure that parents are aware will make your life much easier in the long run.

Students Taking Ownership

Students should take ownership of the music they are performing at concerts; they must also understand that putting things back in order is another important way of taking ownership in the program. Prior to the concert, have students assist with moving equipment and setting up the performance space. After the concert, have everyone take something back to the rehearsal space. Making sure all of the equipment is back in its correct place to resume music making the next day is arguably one of the most important aspects of the concert.

Talk to Your Audience

As much as I personally dislike talking at my concerts, this is the one time where I have everyone’s attention. Taking the time to welcome the audience and thank them for being there is a nice gesture that does not have to take much time from the music making. Giving a short description of the next piece to be performed adds to the listener experience in allowing them to make a connection to the music. This also offers you an opportunity to mention any important information parents should know. I would frequently take this time to mention upcoming fundraisers or things parents should be hearing their students practice at home. Building in time to talk to your audience also gives you an opportunity to invite your administrators to speak to them as well.

These guidelines were extremely helpful in making sure my concerts went smoothly and ensuring that the students and their guests got the most out of the experience. Taking these few suggestions into consideration as you prepare for your next in-person concert will hopefully set you on the path towards a stress-free and successful experience for all parties involved.

Every Body is a Good Body:

Performing Disability Pedagogy in the Band Classroom

by Christian Folk, Ph.D. Student, Music Education, University of Maryland

On a rainy morning in December, facing the typical band director stress of an impending winter concert, I slipped and fell down the wet stairs of my apartment building and heard a loud pop in my leg. The emergency room doctors told me I had a tibial plateau fracture, a hairline crack through the small piece of bone that bears over 60% of weight placed on the knee. I had also torn my meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); essentially, all the connections that stabilized my leg and knee for walking and running were destroyed in one fell swoop. Sitting in the ER bed, my knee roughly the size of a bowling ball, I called my school administrator to inform them of the incident. Their first question was not “are you okay?” or anything remotely concerned about my health and wellbeing. They simply said, “what time will you be in today?” When I replied, somewhat exasperated, “I will not be in for at least a week,” they sighed and begrudgingly muttered, “well, it is your responsibility to find a sub to cover your classes.”

Although I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at three years old following the death of my father, this incident was the first time I considered myself as being disabled. Thankfully, the accident occurred a week before winter break, so I was able to stand on crutches and conduct the winter concert and then take the holiday to recover as much as possible. After returning for classes in the spring semester, even though I was still immobile and had to teach sitting down at the front of the classroom, I was incredibly excited to return to my students and continue my first year of teaching. Two weeks after the beginning of the semester, I had my first formal teaching observation conducted by the same administrator. I received high marks in almost every category, including “engaging students,” “challenging and well-planned lesson,” and “welcoming and

respectful classroom environment.” The sole criteria where I was marked as “needs improvement” was “uses proximity and moves around the classroom while teaching.” Even though I still had to use crutches, wear a brace, and was unable to take pain medicine until after school, my evaluator still expected me to push my body past its ability, despite the mangled mess of tendons, ligaments, and bone residing in my knee.

I share this story of my evolving experience with disability as a prelude to my work involving disability pedagogy in the music classroom. Disability pedagogy goes beyond methods or best practices of teaching students with disabilities. When a classroom is framed using disability pedagogy, the lived experiences and inherent knowledge of disabled individuals and the disability community is centered in all forms of instruction. Although music education research has made incredible progress regarding teaching music to students with various disabilities, little focus has been given to the experience of being a music teacher with disabilities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly four million educators, specifically teachers, working in preschool to secondary settings were employed in the United States in 2014. In addition, there were close to 1.3 million professionals who taught in post-secondary settings, ranging from four-year colleges and universities to technology and culinary schools in that same year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016).

Many teachers still struggle to get reasonable accommodations for their disabled students, and this process is no less frustrating for disabled teachers seeking accommodations. As band directors, our jobs involve almost constant motion, performing on multiple instruments, and constant exposure to sustained loud sounds. For band directors with disabilities, the thought of seeking

accommodations can be intimidating and may come with thoughts of inferiority or shame, especially when your program is compared to others at marching competitions and concert performance adjudication events.

In this article, I outline and argue for the incorporation of disability pedagogy into the band classroom. For disabled music educators especially, this framework for centering disability can serve as a form of self-advocacy that pushes against the inherent ableism of our field. For non-disabled directors, the use of disability pedagogy provides crucial representation for disabled students and normalizes disability in a way that values the vast knowledge and experiences of the disabled community. Throughout this article, I will provide several core tenets of disability pedagogy, developed by a wide range of disability scholars and educators, and how those foundational ideas could be presented in a band classroom. These concepts have the potential to create radical change and acceptance in your band program and can be modified to fit your teaching situation while still centering disability in various forms of instruction. Do not think you need to incorporate all these strategies at one time or that you need to completely rework your curriculum. Disability pedagogy emphasizes incremental and small changes that will make a large difference in your classroom over time. This is work that will require vulnerability and openness, but it is essential in creating classrooms and instruction embracing instead of marginalizing disability.

brainstorm small but impactful actions you can take to make your band room a liberatory space for students, focusing especially on how your students with marginalized identities can feel more represented and included in the materials and concepts you teach.

There is a common phrase among LGBTQIA+ ally teachers that their classrooms are a “safe space.” As wellintentioned as this notion is, safe spaces are determined by the student needing the space and not the teacher providing the space. Classrooms should be a safe and inclusive environment for all students, especially gender and racially-minoritized students, LGBTQIA+ students, and/ or disabled students who face unique challenges in school. Think about the ways that you are making your band classroom a safe, accessible, and liberatory environment for your students. Are you requiring students to play alone in front of their peers for a grade? Do you program music by composers that are representative of your students and not just pieces written by cisgender, heterosexual, nondisabled White men? Are your disabled students given the same performance opportunities as non-disabled students? Further, envision the core philosophy of your band program. Does it center performances, or the “product” of learning music? Is there anyone who could be involved in your program that currently is not? This foundational concept of safe and liberatory classrooms is one of the more philosophical ideas of disability pedagogy, but one of the most crucial in introducing radical change and creating classroom environments that are safe for all students. Try to

As band directors, we consider ourselves specialists in our field. We went to school for four or more years, we can play many different brass and woodwind instruments, we can read and conduct complex scores, and we can teach students to make beautiful sounds out of inanimate objects. With all that expertise, how can we learn from our students? Why should we relinquish control of our classrooms? Disability pedagogy stresses the breakdown of student-teacher hierarchies and acknowledges the unique knowledge and lived experiences of all individuals in an educational space, not just the teacher.

This concept was my first (unknowingly, at the time) incorporation of disability pedagogy. When I returned to school after breaking my leg, it was too painful to stand and conduct for a whole class period and conducting while sitting proved ineffective. To combat this difficulty, I always had a student come to the podium and direct the band during rehearsals. This seemingly simple activity had an enormous impact on breaking down the student-teacher hierarchy in my classroom. Students were not just learning basic conducting skills, but also ear training, communication skills, and musical skills like learning to read a score.

Students frequently discovered ways to improve the ensemble when on the podium, ranging from “trumpets, you are playing too loud at measure 49” to “alto saxophones, could you add a forte-piano then immediate crescendo beginning in measure 57?” When given the responsibility of being the eyes and ears of the ensemble, students discovered their own inherent musicality through the process of teaching others. Through this activity, the students became the knowledge-bearers, leading to an energized, safe, and respectful classroom environment where different forms of knowledge were embraced. This is only one example of a breakdown of traditional student and teacher roles in a band classroom. Try to think of other ways that students can also become holders and transmitters of knowledge. Could students know more about a certain genre of music or musical period, especially a genre that falls under popular music? Could they teach the class about that genre instead of the director? How would having an opportunity to share their musical knowledge be important to their own and other students’ music education? Again, I invite you to brainstorm small but impactful ways that you could allow all students to share their unique lived experiences with music.

Core Concept #1: Disability pedagogy is against all forms of oppression, domination, and repression and is for the development of educational spaces that are safe, inclusive, and liberatory (hooks, 1994)

Core Concept #2: Disability pedagogy is against authoritarian teaching frameworks in which teachers do not believe they can learn from students, and it is for one in which teachers and students teach and learn from one another (Freire, 1997)

Every single student that passes through our band classrooms has different strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and struggles. How do we branch outside of the inherent binaries present in an ableist society, especially in music education? Think back to your music education methods courses. Were you taught that students with “abnormal” physical characteristics should not play certain instruments? Did you learn that only students with a certain GPA should play horn, bassoon, or oboe? That students with attention span issues should not be placed in percussion? These stereotypes have a long history in our profession, passed down through generations of band directors and music education professors. If you teach beginning band, reflect on your instrument selection procedures. For band directors past the beginning level, think about how you choose students to switch instruments. This exercise of examining the most fundamental classroom procedures is a great way to acknowledge and challenge your biases.

Another way to break down the binaries of ability and disability is by changing how we talk about disability and other marginalized identities. When first teaching students about Beethoven, one of the first pieces of information we give students is that Beethoven was deaf. Usually, we explain this in a way that emphasizes Beethoven overcoming the challenge of deafness to compose great music, i.e., “Beethoven composed this music despite being deaf.” What if instead we say, “Beethoven was deaf, and his music is a direct reflection of his experience with deafness.” This simple change shifts the notion of individuals overcoming their disabilities to recognizing the unique experiences and contributions of disabled people. For disabled students, emphasizing different means of knowledge production instead of encouraging those students to simply overcome their disabilities can generate new and exciting musical expressions that are not bound by concepts of normal and abnormal.

Moving Forward

These foundational concepts of disability pedagogy and the related anecdotes may seem somewhat out of context with the title of this article. As mentioned previously, however, disability pedagogy is not just about methods for teaching disabled students but in challenging and problematizing hierarchies in our classrooms and creating classroom spaces that are safe and liberatory for all students. Again, seemingly minuscule changes in the most basic of classroom procedures can make a huge difference, especially for marginalized students.

Moving forward, I would like to challenge you in a few ways. First, speak with your students. Allow them a space to be as open and vulnerable as they are comfortable with to share ideas, needs, and wants that can help them be

successful in your class. Second, I implore you to read, read, and read some more. If this article interested you and made you think, look up some readings on disability pedagogy in music and/or arts education. If you have no interest in disability pedagogy, I still deeply encourage you to read about ideas and concepts you are intrigued by as it relates to music education and teaching band. Finally, attempt to look at your favorite places in the world with a critical eye. At your favorite museum or movie theater or hiking trail, think about who is welcome in those spaces and who is excluded. Then, turn that critical thinking towards your own classroom. Who is welcome in your classroom? Is there space for every student in your band program, and if not, how can you create space for those students?

Incorporating even small facets of disability pedagogy into your band programs requires openness, vulnerability, and a space for making mistakes, both for teachers and students. The end result, though, is an inclusive, equitable, and radical band room where students are able to express their unique life experiences through music performance.

References

Freire, P. (1997). Pedagogy of the heart. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Fulcher, G. (1999). Disabling policies?: A comparative approach to education policy and disability. Routledge. hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress. Routledge.

About the Author

Christian Folk is a music educator and conductor currently based in College Park, Maryland. Christian taught for several years in North Carolina and South Carolina private and public schools before beginning their graduate studies in music education. A fierce advocate for diversity in wind band programming, he created databases of pieces for wind band written by gender and/or racially minoritized composers which were featured in presentations at The Midwest Clinic and The College Band Directors National Association conference. His research interests include music education and disability, music and LGBQTIA+ studies, wind band programming, arts education in prisons and other carceral institutions, and minimalist music, specifically the works of Philip Glass. They have presented at conferences of The National Association for Music Education, the South Carolina Music Educators Association, DC Area Educators for Social Justice, and the Society for Minimalist Music. His primary conducting and music education mentors include Dr. Lorrie Crochet, Dr. Amanda Schlegel, Dr. Scott Weiss, and Dr. Cormac Cannon. Christian has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Winthrop University, a master’s in music education from The University of South Carolina, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in music education from The University of Maryland.

Core Concept #3: Disability pedagogy

understands that everyone is different and has different abilities. It is for this reason that it is against the socially constructed binary categories of abled and disabled and normal and abnormal (Fulcher, 1999)

All-State Auditions

California currently offers the opportunity to audition and participate in 16 All-State ensembles.

Collaboratively, CBDA, CODA, and CAJ offer a junior high (Grades 7-8) All-State Honor String Orchestra, two junior high (Grades 7-8) All-State Honor Bands, a junior high (Grades 7-8) All-State Jazz Band, four high school (Grades 9-12) All-State Honor Bands, a high school (Grades 9-12) All-State Jazz Band, a high school (grades 9-12) All-State Honor String Orchestra, and a high school (Grades 9-12) All-State Honor Full Orchestra. CAJ also offers a high school (Grades 9-12) All-State Jazz Choir. CCDA offers four All-State Choirs. All of these ensembles will rehearse and perform at the California All-State Music Education Conference in February 2023.

EVEN TEACHERS NEED TEACHERS

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