Clean. Musical. Tom & Jerry or Ben & Jerry, Eric Lynch

Clean. Musical. Tom & Jerry or Ben & Jerry

Erik Lynch Verona High School elynch@veronaschools.org

Post-concert discussion among my colleagues in the band world tends to follow an eitheror framework. Have you ever heard something

like this?

“Boy, they were super clean, but really boring! It felt more clinical then it did musical.”

“Wow, that slow movement was really, really musical, but the percussion section was sloppy and ruined it for me!”

Visual imagery takes me back to a classic Tom and Jerry cartoon, with each iconic character battling for some form of moral superiority. However, my heart really yearns for Ben and Jerry, in particular "Coffee Heath Bar Crunch," where those luscious ingredients work in decadent harmony.

Have we been conditioned in the band world to think about performances in a somewhat dualistic way? Are technical considerations and those decisions that gravitate more towards the musical end (phrasing, climax points, tempi, etc.) separate or integrated entities?

One would hope that professional musicians/practitioners would lean towards the latter. Additionally, I hope that we see technical precision as a vessel to great music making. But, sadly, this would be a clear case where there is a disconnect between theory and practice.

With that said, the purpose of this article is to attempt to balance these tensions from two vantage points: 1. Why does the band world put such emphasis on technical precision, and what are the implications for our students? 2. How can we refine our conceptual paradigm of this delicate, yet pivotal balance point of technical and musical issues? Furthermore, how will this evolved philosophy translate to our students having heightened musical experiences?

Competition in the band world can often push us towards safe and clean performances that prioritize technical precision over the intrinsic beauty of the art form. This is especially apparent in the marching band world, as the idiom has been intensified with props, electronics, voice overs, etc. This can leave the actual music making as a small portion of the curricula. Furthermore, the remainder of time (often minimal) that goes into music centers around repetition and cleanliness, avoiding so many great parts of the literature: interpretation, theoretical/compositional techniques, and contextual elements, just to name a few.

Many music educators would agree that the competitive nature of the marching band world bleeds over to other parts of our program. Whether it is perfecting three selections for the State Jazz Band Festival, or crafting the ideal program for the Concert Band Festival in hopes of making the Gala Concert, competition can breed a mindset that is not musical. Sadly, we as educators (including myself) often succumb to pedantic and myopic rubrics (aka score sheets) crafted by those people and companies who simply want to make money off of us.

It makes me sad that the hyper-competitive nature of the band world is so close to the pervasive testing culture in academia we often criticize, especially when we consider how liberating and emancipating music making can be. It is time that we, including myself, reflect upon these tensions.

If we agree, or partially agree, that competition can lead us to prioritizing the “clean and together” over the more abstract elements of the art form, then what does that mean for our students? Some salient points: • We often avoid playing great literature, or play a finite amount of music for the sake of competition. • We often cultivate a learning environment that is more hierarchical then it is egalitarian. • We often reduce our discourse on the podium to a set of tricks (the third is always sharp, etc.) as opposed to teaching in more organic and contextual ways.

• We, through over-repetition, breed a student mindset that is more passive then it is active, while suppressing, rather then cultivating, autonomy.

Moving Forward

How do we move towards a more well-rounded mindset that perpetuates the interdependent nature of the concrete and abstract elements of music making? Undergraduate and graduate training programs need to go further to cultivate an ever-evolving philosophy of music education with their students. Some students who come from purely competitive programs will simply replicate that framework in their future programs, unless pushed to challenge traditional paradigms. More emphasis on developing stronger philosophical mindsets in developing teachers would be beneficial in a number of areas.

One of the areas that would flourish exponentially from this mindset would be our discourse on the podium. When we are able to balance technical and abstract thoughts (which can happen in the same thought) from the podium, we are imparting more meaningful musical ideas to our students while asking them to think critically. Let’s take a couple of scenarios where we can try this: • Option 1: Clarinets, that is G# in measure 61- please make sure your left pinky is down. • Option 2: Clarinets, that is G# in measure 61 - please make sure your left pinky is down. I would like you to listen to this chord that uses your G#. Now listen if I play the chord with your G natural. What are you hearing? What colors come to mind when I switch notes? • Option 1: Trumpets, be sure to pull out your tuning slide a bit when you put your straight mute in, as you are going sharp. • Option 2: Trumpets, be sure to pull out your tuning slide a bit when you put your straight mute in, as you are going sharp. Remember what a great color and shade you give to the sound here - imagine that you are adding really great olive oil to your pasta. Do me a favor: take out the mutes and play the passage again. How does the timbre change?

I do understand that some might critique the second options because they lack efficiency. I would contend that teaching music should supersede error detection: are we in the animal training business or striving to teach our students to think critically? The answer is obvious, but the reality is not.

In the end, technical prowess and musical maturity are much more like Ben and Jerry then they are Tom and Jerry. Regardless of the nature of our program (competitive, non-competitive, etc.) we all should strive to make the deepest and most significant connections we can with our students, while leaving indelible marks in their transformative years that are truly artistic.

New Concert Band Music From Carl Fischer

James Bast, Wall Twp. Middle School, Retired Director: Greater Shore Concert Band jbast1@verizon.net

Eight Nights of Light, by Jonathan Leshnoff Grade 3.5

My first thoughts when I saw the description of this piece was: “Do we really need another rehash of the same pieces which have been arranged many times?” After reviewing the score, my answer is “YES.” This version is much different than the older ones which have been around for many years and it keeps the melodies fresh and interesting. The woodwind section is kept very busy with running 16th notes. It is a lively medley of traditional Hanukkah and Jewish tunes playable by middle and high school concert bands. A nice addition to holiday programs, it includes the tunes O Chanukah; Sivivon Sov Sov Sov; Maoz Tzur; Mi Yi’ malel and Vi’ ya’ datem.

Better Angels, by William G. Harbinson Grade 3

In Abraham Lincoln’s first Inauguaral Address (March 4, 1861, he stated: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Harbinson we aves a very interesting composition which starts vivace and eventually slows to a rubato Larghetto during which the solo flute plays in a pseudo free style. There are several tempo changes during the composition and the Vivace at 86 moves quickly through meter changes ( 4/4, 3/4, 5/8, 6/8, 3/8). This is a great piece of music to play and hear, but also present challenges and learning experiences for the students.

Fanfare: Generation Next, by Zachary Cairns Grade 3

Cairns wrote this piece in honor of Dean Zirkle’s retirement who was a long-time director of bands at Camp Hill High School near Harrisburg, PA. Cairns was his marching band arranger/composer for eleven years and you can feel the marching band influence in the accented rhythms contained in this composition. He built the piece on a rendering of the name “DEAN.” D, E and A are all musical notes, but N is not, so he chose to use a “neighbor tone” G# as its replacement. This interesting piece would make a dynamic opener for any concert.

Chasing Mercury, by Travis J. Weller Grade 3

There is some duality to the title of this work. The first is Weller’s impression of what a playful chase of the winged messenger sounds like. The other is the opening motif chasing two themes from Gustav Holsts The Planets: Mercury around the rest of the work. A very playful and interesting composition by Travis J. Weller.

Bay Shore Park, by Joseph Compello Grade 3

Actually written for beginning bands, it is appropriate for more advanced groups as well. Interesting melodies created in a traditional concert march style.

An Arizona Celebration by Andrew Balent Grade 3

This piece was commisioned by and for the "City of Glendale Summer Band" in Glendale, Arizona. It begins with a bold fanfare and moves directly into a polka section based upon the tune, Westward Ho. A calm middle section represents the “Desert Twilight” and a dynamic celebration brings the piece to a resounding climax.