SBO December 2008

DECEMBER 2008 $5.00

Colonel

Michael J. Colburn

and The President’s Own To Educate and to Entertain Report: 50 Directors Who Make a Difference Performance: Balancing Your Ensemble

Music In The Parks No Matter Where You Want To Go, We Are There...

Giving You A Choice To Experience More.

UÊÊ{ÎÊ V>Ì ÃÊ/ À Õ} ÕÌÊ / iÊ1-Ê `Ê > >`> Our newest locations.

UÊÊ-«i `Ê/ iÊ >ÞÊ"ÀÊ-Ì>ÞÊ/ iÊ } Ì We give you the choice of one- or two-day festivals.

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«iÌ Ì Ê"ÀÊ,>Ì }Ê" Þ UÊÊ Ê Ì Û>Ì > Ê Ü>À`ÃÊ iÀi Þ UÊÊ ` Õ` V>Ì À½ÃÊ i ÌÃÊ/ Ê ,i v ÀViÊ9 ÕÀÊ/i>V } UÊÊ Ê- ÕÛi ÀÊ* Ê ÀÊ ÛiÀÞÊ-ÌÕ`i Ì UÊÊ9 ÕÊ > Ê Ûi Ê* > Ê9 ÕÀÊ/À «Ê On Your Own, "ÀÊ1ÃiÊ ÞÊ /À>Ûi Ê* > iÀÊ"vÊ9 ÕÀÊ Vi°

/ ÊV iV Ê«iÀv À > ViÊ`>ÌiÃÊ> `Ê«À ViÃ]Ê ÀÊ Ì ÊÀiÃiÀÛiÊë>ViÊv ÀÊÞ ÕÀÊ}À Õ«]ÊÛ Ã ÌÊ ÕÀÊÜiLà Ìi

www.musicintheparks.com

We Make It Easy To Choose, View, Change And Update Your Information Online.

UÊ iV ÊÞ ÕÀÊ>VV Õ ÌÊ> `Ê«>ÞÊ i You can check what performing groups you have registered or see if payment has been received.

You can download…

UÊ*iÀv À > ViÊÃV i`Õ ià UÊ*iÀv À > ViÊÃi iVÌ Êà iiÌà UÊ ÃÌÀÕ i Ì> ÊÃiÌ Õ«ÊV >ÀÌà UÊ* > }ÊV iV ÃÌà UÊ > }iÊÞ ÕÀÊ Õ LiÀÃÊ> `Ê«À ÌÊ ÕÌÊ>Ê iÜÊÃÌ>Ìi i Ì° Performing Groups Performing Group Concert Band Jazz Ensemble Mixed Choir

Participant 72 20 40

Division Concert Band I Jazz Ensemble Mixed Choir I

Competition Yes Yes No

Grade Level High School (9-12) High School (9-12) High School (9-12)

Class AA AA AA

When Things Change, As They Often Do...

You Have A Choice Of Options.

UÊ vÊÞ ÕÀÊÌÀ>Ûi Ê« > ÃÊV > }i]ÊÞ ÕÊV> Ê ÛiÊvÀ Ê iÊ`>ÌiÊÌ Ê> Ì iÀÊ ÀÊ iÊ V>Ì ÊÌ Ê> Ì iÀ* With 43 locations throughout the US and Canada, there is a Music in The Parks festival where you want to go.

UÊ9 ÕÊV> ÊV> Vi ÊÞ ÕÀÊi Ì ÀiÊ}À Õ«Ê> ÞÌ iÊÕ«ÊÕ Ì ÊÎäÊ`>ÞÃÊLiv ÀiÊÌ iÊiÛi ÌÊ> `Ê ÀiVi ÛiÊ>ÊvÕ ÊÀivÕ `° As fellow teachers, we know that things change. Fuel costs go up, tournaments are moved, students drop out. With Music In the Parks you have the flexibility of canceling your entire group up until 30 days before the festival. Just send us a written cancellation and we will refund any festivals and park admission fees. You may cancel individual students up until two weeks before the event with no penalty. *based on space being available at the new location at the time of your change.

Contents 14

18

December 2008

Features 14

FROM THE TRENCHES: DEAR SANTA… Bob Morrison’s annual holiday wish list includes gift suggestions for Barack Obama, John McCain, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the University of Wisconsin Marching Band, among others.

18

PERFORMANCE: BALANCING THE BAND SBO contributor Alec Wilmart gives tips for creating “that sound” in young and developing ensembles.

24

UPCLOSE: COL. MICHAEL J. COLBURN, USMC Colonel Michael J. Colburn, director of the U.S. Marine Band, “the President’s Own,” took some time from his busy White House performance schedule for this recent SBO interview, in which the Colonel provides insight into the challenges of running a world-class band and shares his thoughts on music education.

35

REPORT: 50 DIRECTORS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE This annual SBO report highlights one exemplary educator from each state. These 50 outstanding teachers discuss their keys to success, most memorable teaching moments, and inspiration.

68

TECHNOLOGY: POSTING MUSIC TO THE WEB John Kuzmich details the three necessary steps to taking your ensemble’s music from the auditorium to the World Wide Web.

Columns 4 7 72

Perspective Headlines New Products

76 78 80

Playing Tip Classifieds Ad Index

Photo courtesy of the Public Affairs Office, United States Marine Band, Washington, D.C.

24 2 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

SB&O School Band and Orchestra® (ISSN 1098-3694) is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: one year $24; two years $40. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Single issues $5 each.

February Resource Guide $15. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER/ SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to School Band and Orchestra, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Copyright © 2008 by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

The Best $1600 a Student Will Ever Spend.

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Perspective

Change for… Music Education?

“E

verybody had access to Music, and everybody had access to Art. And the reason is because people understood, even though they hadn’t done the scientific research back then, that children who learn music do better in math. Kids’ whose imaginations are sparked by the Arts are more engaged in school… so these things aren’t extras, but they are part of a well-rounded education. Part of the reason why many schools have been eliminating or diminishing arts programs is because of No Child Left Behind… as school districts felt pressured to teach to the test.” Although these are words that we have heard ourselves saying over and over to each other for the past eight years, the above quote is from our new President-elect, Barack Obama, made during a recent speech made in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. Not only does he believe in the importance of music “It is heartening education, but he also indicated that we need to increase funding for arts and music not only in schools, but outside to know that there of schools as well. Clips of this speech can be seen on Youis someone in the Tube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN2Zy_68RcY).

In a statement delivered after the results of the elecWhite House who tion became official, Robert L. Lynch, the CEO of Ameribelieves strongly cans for the Arts, reflected on the words of President-elect in the benefits of Obama: “His commitment to arts and arts education on music education.” the campaign trail is just a preview of what his administration can accomplish. Obama demonstrates the leadership and vision to advance the arts in America through investing in more arts education in public schools, advocating for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, promoting cultural diplomacy, and supporting artists rights.”

The incoming administration offers a significant change in direction from the Bush years, when the arts suffered for a variety of reasons under the No Child Left Behind plan. One specific postive move Obama has already made was the appointment of Bill Ivey as the head of the transition team for Arts and Culture. Ivey served as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1998 through 2001 and is the director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University. An article on Vanderbilt’s Web site states that, “Ivey is familiar with leading cultural agencies during difficult times. Ivey was appointed to the National Endowment for the Arts at a time when the arts were not allotted much importance by politicians, according to Metro Councilman Ronnie Steine, an advocate of the arts who has served on many Nashville boards.”

In this tumultuous economic climate, it is heartening to know that there is someone in the White House who believes strongly in the benefits of music education and who can help to pressure all levels of government to include music as an integral part of an effective education.

®

December 2008 Volume 11, Number 12

GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial Staff

EDITOR Christian Wissmuller

cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eliahu Sussman esussman@symphonypublishing.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Denyce Neilson dneilson@symphonypublishing.com Art Staff

PRODUCTION MANAGER Laurie Guptill

lguptill@symphonypublishing.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew P. Ross aross@symphonypublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laurie Chesna lchesna@symphonypublishing.com Advertising Staff

ADVERTISING SALES Iris Fox

ifox@symphonypublishing.com

CLASSIFIED SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com Business Staff

CIRCULATION MANAGER Melanie A. Prescott mprescott@symphonypublishing.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Popi Galileos pgalileos@symphonypublishing.com WEBMASTER Sanford Kearns skearns@symphonypublishing.com Symphony Publishing, LLC

CHAIRMAN Xen Zapis PRESIDENT Lee Zapis lzapis@symphonypublishing.com CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Rich Bongorno rbongorno@symphonypublishing.com Corporate Headquarters 26202 Detroit Road, Suite 300 Westlake, Ohio 44145 (440) 871-1300 www.symphonypublishing.com Publishing, Sales, & Editorial Office 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1 Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 FAX (781) 453-9389 1-800-964-5150

www.sbomagazine.com

Member 2008

RPMDA Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com 4 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

W

ritten for high school band, Stephen Melillo's That We Might Live has won 2 Telly® Awards and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music and 5 Grammy® Awards.

And now you can order this and its sequel, Last World Standing, for your band.

STEPHEN MELILLO, COMPOSER

MUSIC FOR BANDS & ORCHESTRAS OF THE 3RD MILLENNIUM™ � � �.S TORM � ORLD .COM 757-356-1928

HeadLines PASIC 2008 Rolls in Austin, Texas

O

ver 6,500 drummers and percussionists from around the world gathered at the Austin Convention Center to attend the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), setting the third highest attendance record for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier drum and percussion event. A truly international event, PASIC artists represented Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America. PASIC attendees experienced over 130 clinics, concerts, master classes, and performances by the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most noted percussion artists. Events covered everything from drumset and orchestral percussion to world percussion and marching.

PASIC programming highlights spanned a variety of topics throughout the weekend. Several presentations and performances focused on the African influence in contemporary percussion music. Evening concerts throughout the weekend featured the percussion ensemble NEXUS with the Meadows Wind Ensemble, a tribute concert to John Bergamo and legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes performed with his band Fountain of Youth. Other highlights included the premiere performance by the Rainmakers, a large steel band from Trinidad and Tobago and a clinic by the 2008 DCI World Championship Percussion Section of the Phantom Regiment.

Attendees on the PASIC 2008 exhibit floor.

Jazz artist and educator Roy Burns and internationally acclaimed solo percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie were inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame at a banquet on Friday evening.

They joined 96 others in the PAS Hall of Fame whose contributions have dramatically impacted the percussion world.

Other PAS members that were honored at the banquet included Dennis DeLucia, Outstanding PAS Service Award; Tim Lautzenheiser, Outstanding PAS Supporter Award; John DeChristopher, PAS Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Industry Award; Larry Lawless, PAS Outstanding Chapter President Award and Vicki P. Jenks and Ed Soph received the Lifetime Achievement in Education Award. University of North Texas received the Fred Sanford Award for having the highest ensemble score in the PASIC Marching Percussion Festival.

PASIC 2009 will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana November 11-14 at the Indiana Convention Center. Visit www.pasic.org for more information.

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YouTube Symphony

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ouTube is launching the YouTube Symphony, which will, according to YouTube, create â&#x20AC;&#x153;the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first collaborative online orchestra.â&#x20AC;? The goal is to piece together a complete symphony from a compilation of user-submitted performances.

The project will also include a live performance at Carnegie Hall in April of 2009 by an orchestra comprised of musicians who will be invited to perform based on their YouTube submissions.

Users can go online to select an instrument, access sheet music, and rehearse with a conductor; upload and submit performances; and browse other entries to â&#x20AC;&#x153;get ideas and check out the competition.â&#x20AC;?

For more information, visit www. youtube.com/symphony.

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 7

HeadLines NAMM, Disney Present High School Musical Grant

T

he NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel have announced that they will again team up to allow middle and high schools across the United States the opportunity to apply for a grant to put on their own school stage production of Disney’s High School Musical or High School Musical 2.

The public affairs initiative utilizes the popularity of the High School Musical movies and the licensed amateur theater adaptations to encourage more kids to get involved in music and the arts.

The grant program will award worthy schools a $5,000 monetary grant and license for High School Musical 1 or 2. The funds are to support music and arts-related educational costs of the production, such as hiring music and dance coaches, and to help schools that do not have sufficient lighting and sound equipment for the production.

Schools interested in applying for a grant should visit the NAMM Foundation Web site to view grant guidelines and submit an application online. All proposals must be received by December 15, 2008 (11:59 p.m., EST). Grant recipients will be notified in May 2009.

As part of the initiative, Disney Channel and Radio Disney will present Public Service Announcements to encourage viewers to learn, engage, explore and participate in music, dance and theater. Messages will also include information on how schools can apply for the grant. Select 2008 grant recipients will also be featured in a Disney 365 presentation that showcases the impact of “The Music in You” program.

For more information, visit www.nammfoundation.com.

Online Survey Results Do you think the 2008 Presidential election results are good for school music programs?

55% No 25% Undecided 20% Yes

Visit www.sbomagazine.com and let your voice be heard in the current online poll – results to be published in the next issue of SBO.

NEW FOR CONCERT BAND FROM OXFORD MUSIC LIBBY LARSEN

Also for Concert Band by LIBBY LARSEN:

STRUT for concert band

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MOON

Strut is a musical interpretation of everything the word implies - to swell, bulge, thrust forth, stick out, contend, strive, quarrel, and bluster as well as “to stand erect at one’s full height.”

According to Libby, one might say that precision is the full height at which a world class concert band stands. She took this to heart and built the music of Strut around the idea of a band’s ability to play precisely within an unerring beat while rarely hearing it articulated. At 9 minutes, this is an attractive concert opener for programs containing longer selections or as a centerpiece for shorter-length programs. It is a terrific work suitable for college-level and professional concert bands. All that remains is for the ensemble to do what it does so well—strut its stuff!

The piece consists of nine fully notated sections which surround eight sections of improvised music. Each of the improvised sections includes the reading of a poem which refers to the moon.

for symphonic winds, tuned water glasses, and amplified voice

picc.2.2.3.b-cl.cb-cl.2.2a-sax.t-sax.2bar-sax—4.3.2.b-tbn.euph.1—4perc—timp–pf—str-bass Full Score Set of parts

9780193868328 9780193868335

1

$39.95 (tentative) $75.00 (tentative)

picc.2.2.3.b-cl.cb-cl.2.5a-sax–4.3.3.euph.1—3perc— timp—str-bass Full score 9780193868960 Set of parts 9780193868977

$29.95 $55.00

And don’t forgetRALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

FIVE VARIANTS OF “DIVES AND LAZARUS” for concert band

picc.2.2(ca).3.b-cl.2.2a-sax.tsax.b-sax—4.3cnt.2.b-tbn.bar.1— perc—timp 10’ Full score 9780193865297 $37.95 Set of parts 9780193865303

$75.00

Oxford music is available from all fine music stores. To see sample pages from any of these three titles’ full scores, please email music.us@oup.com or write to Oxford University Press, Music Dept., 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016.

8 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

HeadLines Sennheiser’s “My Song” Contest

N

ow through March 31, 2009, high school students can enter to win a free ten-piece, professional-grade Sennheiser evolution microphone kit and a spot in an upcoming Sennheiser ad. They will also be featured on the Sennheiser Artist site.

A direct link to the song can be submitted on Sennheiser’s Web site. The five best songs will be chosen by a panel of secret judges.

The grand-prize winner will be selected by one of Sennheiser’s endorsing artists.

The ten-piece evolution microphone kit includes everything you need to mic a full band: two e 835 vocal mics, one e 609 SILVER guitar amp mic, one e 602 II bass drum mic, three e 604 tom/snare mics and two e 614 instrument condenser mics.

In addition to receiving the microphone prize pack, the winner will star in a Sennheiser ad that will run in 2009 in various magazines and will also be featured as the “Unsigned Artist of the Month” on the Sennheiser Artists Web page. Four runner-ups will receive a pair of the industry-standard Sennheiser HD 280 Pro studio headphones.

Sennheiser’s “My Song” contest is open only to legal U.S. residents who are between the years of 13-18, and enrolled in high school at the time of entry. Odds of winning are based on number of entries.

Only one entry per person or group will be accepted. All judges’ decisions are final.

For contest rules, restrictions and other information, visit www.sennheiserusa.com/mysong.

10 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

W. Schreiber’s New Clarinets As of October 2008, clarinets from W. Schreiber are now distributed on the US market exclusively by Gemstone Musical Instruments. With this cooperation the internationally operating company Schreiber & Keilwerth Musical Instruments GmbH would like to further advance the W. Schreiber brand in the US. Both companies expect that the new clarinets from W. Schreiber will be particularly promising for the success of this future cooperation.

Along with a model made of ABS material (model 6010), there will also be a clarinet made of grenadilla wood (model 6025). This instrument is made of high-grade grenadilla wood, perfectly seasoned and highly protected due to a state of the art impregnation method. Computer-controlled machinery guarantees a high-precision finish.

This new instrument provides top class intonation throughout all registers and suites both beginners and advanced musicians alike.

To learn more, visit www.schreiberharmony.com or www.gemstonemusical.com.

HeadLines New Home for Midwest Clinic

New Pearl Web Site The new Web site was designed to bring drummers all the information they want about products, artists, events and Pearl history in an easily navigated format with of exclusive content. Some of the new features include a color selector tool that allows the customer to see exactly how a certain finish looks on a drum, as opposed to just looking at a color swatch. The new artist section now features expanded photo and video galleries, as well as artist kit plots to view all of your favorite artists’ set ups.

Another new feature is the timeline of Pearl history. This timeline, powered by Dipity, allows customers to browse the entire history of Pearl Musical Instruments, starting in Japan in 1946 up to present day. Loaded with archived photos, videos and catalogs, this resource gives drummers a unique and in depth look at significant moments in Pearl’s history.

Pearl’s new site can be found at www.pearldrum.com.

For f ifty yea rs our secrets ha ve been locked.

Here’s the ke y.

Introducing S ys tem Blue.

Designed and cra f ted from the ground up by The Blue Devils and Pro-Mark. © Pro-Mark Corporation.

Photo by Jolesch Photography, www.jolesch.com

12 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

promark.com

T

he 2009 Midwest Clinic will move to McCormick Place West, a brand new, state-of-theart facility in Chicago. McCormick Place West features a single exhibit hall that is larger than combined current exhibit spaces. The conference will feature clinics, band, orchestra, and jazz concerts, and hundreds of exhibits designed for music educators.

Thousands of teachers, students, professional musicians, and administrators will be gathered at the new facility.

Visit the Midwest Clinic on the Web at www.midwestclinic.org.

Interlochen Arts Academy Master Class & Performance

O

tis Murphy, Vandoren artist and professor of saxophone at Indiana University, held a recital and master class at the Interlochen Center for Arts on Oct. 23rd, 2008. The event was open to the students of the Interlochen Arts Academy as well as the general public.

Otis performed “Fantaisie” by Denis Bedard, “Italian Concerto, BWV 971” by J.S. Bach, “The Bee by Antonio Pasculli, Prelude, Cadence et Finale” by Alfred Desenclos, “Carmen Fantasy” from the opera by G. Bizet, and “Sabre Dance” by Aram Khachaturian.

After listening to students play several pieces such as the “Glazounov Concerto” and “Ibert Concertino da Camera” Otis commented on musical interpretation, embouchure, tone production, and many other techniques.

He engaged each student that played, as well as addressing those who were listening, playing his own instrument for demonstration.

For more information on Otis Murphy and the Vandoren products he uses, visit the Vandoren Web site at www.vandoren.com.

Vintage...reborn

System 76 2nd EDITION The System 76 is truly a modern version of a vintage horn.

With a big responsive sound and a clear tone, it is often compared to great sounding horns of the past.

(Available in Alto, Tenor and Soprano)

MonteVerde Music

The North American Home of P. Mauriat

866-330-9633

www.monteverdemusic.com www.pmauriatmusic.com

Please visit www.monteverdemusic.com for our 2009 state conference schedule

SBOFrom the Trenches:

Dear Santa...

Holiday Wish List Election Year Edition

BY BOB MORRISON

D

ear Santa, Here we are once again. Another year has come and

gone. There is a chill in the air, all of the leaves have fallen from the trees, and holiday music fills the air. As has been my tradition for the last five years, I would ask you once again forego any gifts for me (sorry, but the Hair Club for Men membership just didn’t pan out!) and instead bring these gifts to the following people, who may be in greater need than I, based on the year that was and the year that will be: For Barack Obama #1 – The wisdom of all the prior Presidents combined! Based on all he will inherit (a couple wars, a world economic crisis, a domestic economic meltdown), he will need all of the strength and wisdom he can channel in order to navigate these treacherous waters. Failure is not an option.

For President Bush – A new tractor. Now that he is on his way out as President, he will have lots of free time for brush clearing down in Crawford, Texas. A new tractor is just the thing to keep him busy.

For John McCain – A way-back machine. It is clear the John McCain of 2008 was different from the John McCain of 2000. The 2000 model year was a better year for the Senator from Arizona. With the campaign now over, his chance 14 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

for the Presidency come and gone, and with the nation in crisis, we could use his leadership to help bring bipartisanship to Washington. One can hope.

For Sarah Palin – A new stage manager. Anyone who allows their boss to do an interview “pardoning” a turkey in front of hundreds of other turkeys who are being slaughtered deserves to be shot – figuratively speaking that is!

For Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, John Edwards, and Mike Huckabee – Lifetime Membership in the Music/Arts Education Hall of Fame. As the first Presidential candidates ever to inject the importance of music and arts education into a national campaign, all have helped elevate the role and importance of these programs in the lives of our children.

Now it will be up to us to keep the pressure and visibility up.

For Mike Huckabee – The thanks of millions of children. It was Mike Huckabee who promised to make music and arts education an issue others would have to address. He kept his promise and others did address it. As Newsweek noted back in January… what is said on the campaign trail often leads to major national initiatives a few years later. If there is a major push for music and arts education in our future, Mike Huckabee will deserve a major share of the credit for making this a national issue. Oh… and the fact that he has a new book, TV show, and radio program he is using to promote our cause doesn’t hurt!

For Malia Obama – A lifetime love affair with music. That shiny new flute the 10-year-old daughter of the President-elect recently rented from Quinlin and Fabish Music in Chicago means there will be a young child making music in the White House!

Could there be any better way for our new President to understand the importance of music than by seeing

them to the year 2009 since they are acting like it is 1959.

For the University of Wisconsin Marching Band – A mulligan. The band was suspended from performing at a home game against Ohio State “because of allegations of hazing and inappropriate behavior.” Just once, I want to go through the fall without reading about

“Failure is not an option.” it through the eyes of his own child?

Me thinks not.

For the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board – A time machine.

These are the folks that proposed only counting four courses toward the GPA for college admission, citing the need to focus on “skills needed to succeed in college.” Somebody needs put these folks into a machine that will bring

something stupid the University of Wisconsin Marching Band does. Hazing, drinking, and inappropriate behavior… who do they think they are, members of Congress? Band director Mike Leckrone earns an “atta boy” for bringing the hammer down with the suspension.

For China, Canada, and Finland - An exchange program. One country is

For Barack Obama #2 – More Bully… less Pulpit. His platform on the Arts, itself a first for any President-elect, speak of using the “bully pulpit” to promote Arts education. If he is serious about improving music and Arts education in this nation, words will not be enough. We have had other presidents (Bill Clinton for one) who have used the “pulpit” to talk about Arts education with little real change.

When you are the President of the United States and you want to make a change for music and arts education… my vote is more bully!

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 15

mandating assessment in Music and Arts for grade promotion, another is giving parents tax credits for Arts instruction, and the third has developed a nationwide system of universal music literacy. I will trade you some of our policy makers for some of yours!

For No Child Left Behind – A new name and new rules. I don’t mean to kick a dog when it is down but has there ever been a more ironically named law in the history of our nation? The comedic variations have been amazing: All Children Left Behind, No Child Left in Band, All Subjects Left Behind, No Child Left Untested… these would all be funny if the law itself hadn’t wrought

so much damage to music and Arts education programs. Time to change the rules… and change the name! How about: “The Elementary and Secondary Education Act”? Please?

is upon us. Work on the original (and current) standards started in 1992… 17 years ago. A lot has changed. Shouldn’t our national standards be updated to be reflective of today’s educational needs?

For School Administrators – A scalpel.

Western Carolina University Marching Band – A Vegas Show! These folks can

With the economic downturn we have already seen the emergence of proposed program cuts in news stories from across the country. Instead of butchering away at the budget with a meat cleaver, here is hoping that a scalpel will be employed to make surgical cuts to non-student centered programs so our children will not suffer.

For Music and Arts Educators – New national standards for Arts education. 2009

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play and entertain! A little Vegas, a little Broadway, some hip-hop, and a full serving of jam makes this band one of the best in the land! Bonus points for staying out of the news headlines (unlike some other college bands we know)!

For Wisconsin’s State Superintendent of Education Libby Burmaster and Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton – Cloning! These two leaders have gone about developing a statewide creativity strategy that should be a model for others to follow. It would be wonderful to be able to clone them and have their ideas planted in other parts of the country. And while we are on the subject of creativity…

For Sir Ken Robinson – More writing time. With a new book, The Element, hitting the shelves January 12th and his growing stature as a leader of the creativity movement around the world, and the central role creativity is taking in the debate of the shape of education and culture globally, the more he writes… the better off we all are!

line of instruments will inspire.

For all our readers – Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a happy and rewarding New Year.

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16 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Bob Morrison is the executive vice president and chairman emeritus of Music for All Inc. He can be reached via e-mail at bob@musicforall.org.

SBOPerformance: Balancing the Band

Achieving “That Sound”

Breaking down the process of teaching kids to produce a unified band sound

BY ALEC WILMART

W

e have all been at a band festival or a local college wind ensemble concert and heard a band that had “that sound” – a sound so warm, where all the parts are clearly heard, but no one part sticks out. Perhaps it is the sound of 12 clarinets sounding like one or a percussion section that compliments instead of dominates. Many directors ask

themselves, “How can I get that sound?” Some wonder if it is even possible. Yet, every band should sound like that, no matter the level at which they play. The following is a breakdown of a process that can help your students to create a unified band sound.

Back to Basics There are so many variables that lead to a great sounding band. Some are complex, and some are very basic.

As in most anything, success comes when you master the basics first.

One of the first things to consider is your instrumentation. As the director, it is your job to balance this. It will be difficult to achieve “that sound” with 10 alto saxes and three clarinets. If this sounds familiar, it is time to switch some kids to other instruments. Experiment with different instrumentation until you find a combination that works for your group.

Once that is in place, experiment with their seating. There are several ways to set up a band that will help improve their sound. Make sure your kids are sitting by section, but beyond that, experiment with different combinations. Move your “low” folks around to different parts of the band and see how it changes the balance. Try seating your horns in front of your alto saxes 18 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

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to help with intonation or maybe try stacking your trumpets in two rows to help with balance and blend.

Also, consider splitting up your strongest players within each section. Having your strong players sit throughout the section helps the entire section achieve a cohesive sound. Rotate parts among these stronger players, and strive to find ways other than chair placement to motivate them.

Consult your score and consider how that should shape your seating as well.

Every piece is different, and that might mean a different set up is needed.

Once they are seated and playing, look, don’t listen. How is your band’s posture? The correct posture is key to creating a consistent sound. I know, everyone knows this, but how many of us demand good posture on a regular basis? It is the key to breathing correctly and in turn, creating a quality sound.

Breathe in, Breathe out Air fuels our sound. First, teach your students how to take a quality breath.

Without their instruments, have the kids set their embouchure with corners firm, while creating an “O” shape with their lips. In this position, have them inhale in one beat, and exhale in one, four, and eight beats progressively. Watch to make sure the students are relaxed and keeping their shoulders down. If they execute this while sitting with good posture, they will be using hot, wet air that is ideal for performing a sustained note of quality.

A director must reinforce the practice of maintaining a consistent stream of air while playing. Often, it is this inconsistency that leads to an inconsistent sound. Listen for the quality of sound to diminish at the ends of phrases. If you hear this, it is time to reinforce sustaining the air and playing notes full value.

Many band and orchestra directors talk about what beats notes start on in rehearsal, but do not challenge students to identify when notes end.

This is an important step to creating a consistent sound. Controlling the air is also important. Students may enter with “explosive” air, causing intona20 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

tion, tone, and balance problems. Discuss how steady air creates a steady, even sound. Have students play the first note of an entrance and challenge them to make the note sound even, as quickly as possible, achieving a steady sound sooner each time.

Balance and Blend There are three important elements of a balanced, blended sound: tone, pitch, and dynamics. A student must be aware of all three at all times if a unified sound is to be achieved. This awareness comes from listening. Good listeners make great musicians.

First, there is the concept of tone.

A unified sound depends on players matching the tone of the other players within their own section, and even the band as a whole. Try choosing the player in each section who has the clearest tone, free from buzz and leaky air. Challenge the kids to listen and match that tone within each section.

Then, it’s a great idea to try and match different instruments. It’s fun for the kids, but more importantly, it teaches them to listen across and through the band, which is important when unifying the sound. This act of listening and adjusting is one of the most important skills for players who wish to blend their sound.

Once they are matching tone, the next element of blend usually becomes obvious… intonation. There is so much to say here, but I will try and keep it simple. Tuning and playing “in

when there is trouble, and that is the wrong message to send. The ability to be aware of a pitch center and make adjustments to embouchure, tone, and dynamics is the key to good intonation while playing.

A great band sound is generated from the bottom up. It is important to make your students aware of your “low” instruments as the leaders of your sound. Tubas, baritone saxes, bass clarinets, third trombone, timpani, and often bassoons are the base of a sound pyramid that supports the rest of the band. That means they make up the largest portion of your sound. Next comes your “middle” range instruments, baritones, F horns, alto and tenor saxes, third and second trumpets, and third and second clarinets. Lastly, you have your “high” instruments, first trumpets and clarinets, oboe, flute, and most percussion.

Try having your low players play a unison F or Bb, encouraging them to blend. Then, one by one, add instruments from low to high until everyone is playing. Instruct the students to “listen down” to the low instruments. The trick is to never diminish the presence of the low group. If a section of instruments enters and dominates the sound, start over until you achieve that balance. Many bands never take the time to just listen for balance. You must have a reference point in rehearsals to refer to if you want your band music to sound like that one note. Once you achieve this, voice a major or minor chord on top of the original note and

“Good listeners make great musicians.” tune” are two completely different activities. It is so important to teach kids the difference, and give them opportunities in rehearsal to practice adjusting for intonation. How many times do we stop, isolate a part, and have the student tune, and then move on? Often, when we return to full rehearsal, the pitch might be better, but it doesn’t last, and the student didn’t learn to adjust so this process will have to be repeated. We are essentially teaching kids to run for the tuning slide

attempt the same balance. You should start to hear elements of that sound you have been craving!

In order to make this a daily regimen, purchase or create chorales that you can use on a regular basis to put these concepts into action. There are several collections available, and these can be versatile tools when teaching many different concepts. With the concept of balance, I like to tell my kids, “A chorale is a tuba solo with band accompaniment.” This reinforces the

concept of listening down. Now you can start to translate these concepts to the performance of band music. Start with sections of the music that feature slower tempi and sustained notes. This gives the students more time to listen and make adjustments.

Melody vs. the World It’s easy to tell a band, “If you have the melody, play out. If you don’t, be quiet.” I think in most cases this is an oversimplification that can lead to a less blended sound. A band’s sound should be transparent. Well-scored literature has taken care of that for you.

Concentrate more on controlling the sound and phrasing to bring out parts and avoid talking in terms of louder and softer. Without this control, a band will get progressively louder and louder. I believe this may be the greatest problem with most bands’ sounds.

Bands generally play too loud! As the director, you are the only one in the position to help them with this issue because you stand in front. As an exercise, periodically have individuals stand in front and listen to the rest of the band, or rehearse seated in a circle so everyone can hear parts differently.

This will provide new perspective to your musicians, and help them discover their role within the context of the music.

of the band. Consistency is the key. Do the sticks match? Are they playing in the same area of the head? Are the drums in tune with each other? Do they have the appropriate mallets to create the desired sound? If you don’t know what you want, experiment or ask a local professional to come in and help, but don’t leave it to chance. A little time spent managing these issues will go a long way towards creating a blended percussion sound.

The Big Picture Just like anything else, students need to be taught how to listen and adjust. They need to me made aware of the big picture. They already possess many of the skills required to create “that sound,” but it is up to the director to make them responsible for what they produce musically. Empower them so they can make musical decisions. Expose them to recordings and live performances so they can experience the sound the way you have.

Once that happens, they will want to make “that sound” everyday!

Percussion’s Role It is important to determine how different percussion parts fit within the context of the entire piece. By doing this, you can help percussionists discover their role, who they are – or are not – playing with, and how prominent that part should be. Because they are behind the band, it is most difficult for them to blend. When playing parts that augment or support, challenge them to “become part of the sound,” making sure that they can hear the flutes and clarinets while they are playing. Stand back there with them and hear what they hear. This will help you understand the challenges they face, ultimately making it easier for you to help them.

Also, approach their equipment the same way you would approach the rest 22 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Alec Wilmart is the band director at Kellogg Middle School in Shoreline, Wash., and is the president of the Sno-King Music Educators Association. Mr. Wilmart holds degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Education from the University of Washington. Currently, Mr. Wilmart is on the instructional staff of the Seattle Youth Symphony and is an arranger for the University of Washington Husky Marching Band. Alec performs regularly in the Seattle area and works as an adjudicator and clinician.

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UpClose: Col. Michael J.

Educate and to to

Entertain Colonel Michael J. Colburn and “The President’s Own”

By Eliahu Sussman

T

he United States Marine Band has been in continuous existence since 1798. Estab-

lished in that year by an Act of

Congress, their primary responsibility is to perform for the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corp and for the President of the United States of America, a distinction that has earned the ensemble the moniker, “The President’s Own.” Today, this unique band performs over 300 times each year at the White House, covering functions both official and private.

In the course of its 210-year existence, there have been 27 directors of the President’s Own. Most famously, John Philip Sousa led the band from 1880-1892.

During his tenure, Sousa transformed the group dramatically, bringing in worldclass musicians and setting the highest musical standards for the ensemble, standards which have been maintained to this day.

24 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Colburn

The current director, Colonel Michael J. Colburn, was appointed to lead this prestigious group in 2004.

He has been performing with the President’s Own since 1987, when he joined as a young euphonium player.

The son of a high school band director, Michael Colburn has been surrounded by music for as long as he can remember.

Musical Beginnings In a recent SBO interview, Michael speaks about his early introduction to music: “I was the sixth of seven children. I had an older brother who played the tuba and I was always really fascinated by that. When it came time to choose what I was going to play, I had my heart set on my brother’s instrument. But my father convinced me that it might be better to start on a baritone horn because it is smaller than the tuba and much more manageable, with the idea that I could then switch over to the larger instrument when I got older. But playing the euphonium became my first love and I never found an instrument that I liked better than that, even though I tried the trombone and the tuba later on.”

For some people, destiny seems to choose them as much as the other way around. In Michael’s case, he simply never seriously considered a life oth-

er than that of a fulltime musician – whether as an educator or performer.

While still in high school, he decided that he would play professionally, so as a senior, he wrote letters to all the

principal euphonium players in the D.C. Military bands soliciting recommendations of the best euphonium teachers. That query produced the name of Daniel Paritelli, who was pro-

The President’s Own Through the Years

• Marine Band Uniform Circa 1798

26 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Marine Band Uniform Circa 1828

fessor of Tuba and Euphonium at Arizona State University. Michael ended up pursuing his education there.

Upon finishing his undergraduate studies, the young musician set his sights squarely on the U.S. Marine Band. “I hoped that I would win a position with the Marine Band because of an experience I had when I was in junior high school,” recalls the Colonel. “I was attending a summer music camp in Vermont and one of the guest musicians was a gentleman by the name of Lucas Spiros, who was the principal euphonium player in the Marine Band for many years.

That was the first time I had had any exposure to a professional euphonium player and I was really impressed.

I thought, ‘If this is what it’s like to play in the Marine Band, then that’s where I wanted to be.’”

Opening Night Jitters Like many members of the U.S. Marine Band, Colonel Colburn jumped straight from playing in a college auditorium to performing for the President of the United States of America.

Playing for such a distinguished audience might be enough for anyone to get a little jittery, but for Colburn, there was another hurdle he had to overcome first.

“The first step,” he says, “was just getting over the feeling of playing with all of these great musicians. It had been a lifelong goal of mine to play in the President’s Own, and the first hurdle was getting over the nervousness and jitters of performing with these worldclass players. Certainly, whenever we play for dignitaries at a high-profile event, every time I walk into the White House, I get butterflies.

band, it isn’t always easy. “The biggest challenge in my current job is to stay one step ahead of these very talented musicians,” admits Colonel Colburn.

“That is also one of the greatest rewards of the job. As much enjoyment we get from playing for these VIPs and dignitaries at the White House, it’s really the opportunity to work with musicians of this caliber – both professionally and personally – that is really

“We know that most of us would not be here in the Marine Band today were it not for the hard work of our music teachers.”

“Anyone who is a student of history, who has any kind of appreciation of American history,” continues the Colonel, “can’t help but be somewhat intimidated by walking through those halls and setting up a stand to offer music in that place, as so many Marine musicians have done before us, for over 200 years. It really is something that I still find to be a very exhilarating experience – one that never gets old.”

While working with world-class musicians brings many obvious joys for a player, for the director of the

the greatest joy of this job. They really keep me on my toes.”

Inside the USMB Directing the United States Marine Band is a job that requires a unique brand of resourcefulness. His primary mission is to provide music for the White House and for the Commandant of the Marine Corp – but exactly what that entails varies greatly from day to day. A performance at the White House might be something as simple as having a pianist or a harpist

Marine Band Uniform Circa 1892

Marine Band Uniform Circa 1863

Marine Band Uniform Circa 1983

Watercolor paintings by Lt. Col. Donna Neary, USMC School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 27

“Our job requires that we be very versatile and flexible.”

playing solo in private quarters, or it might mean having a large-scale band on the south lawn of the White House for the arrival of foreign dignitaries.

They often send a chamber orchestra to the White House to provide music for State dinners or other functions, or it may be a string quartet playing in some corner of the room where there’s a social event.

In addition, the US Marine Band also provides music for the Commandant of the Marine Corp. That music may come in the form of a ceremonial group playing for a funeral at Arlington Cemetery, or a ceremonial band playing on the parade deck of a Friday evening parade. “Our job requires that we be very versatile and flexible,” says Colonel Colburn.

With such a diverse array of performance responsibilities, one would imagine that selecting appropriate repertoire might be no small task.

On the other hand, the ensemble has 28 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

been around for a few centuries, and they’ve compiled a pretty extensive musical library. The director relishes the challenge: “One of my roles as director of the Marine Band is to be music advisor at the White House.

That means that I do choose the music for a variety of events that we play there. If we’re playing a State dinner, as we did recently for the Prime Minister of Italy, we’ll try to find music that really is specific to the country that is being honored.

Now, in a case like Italy, you’ve got a wealth of options because there’s so much great Italian music. I really had fun programming the music for that evening. But it’s also very closely linked to the social secretary for the White House, who is generally my point of contact for these events.

That’s the person we find out these assignments from, and that’s whom I work most closely with in determining what music we play.”

The 27th on the 17th Although the US Marine Band was established in 1798, it didn’t really mature into its current form until John Philip Sousa became the director in 1880. “Sousa was the 17th director of the marine band,” explains the ensemble’s 27th director. “Many people have the misconception that he was the first because he is the first one who was well known, but Sousa really did put the Marine Band on the map. The way that he did that was through raising the musical standards and expectations, and really innovating. He was the director of the band at the same time that American concert bands were really growing up due to the technical innovations of the era. You had brass instruments that were suddenly able to play chromatic scales and other instruments that had the ability to play music that was much more advanced than the music that bands were capable of playing earlier in the 19th

century. Sousa really took the ball and ran with it.

“His innovative style of programming – combining marches and overtures and solos – is a template that we follow to this day. A Marine Band tour concert that you might hear today bears a pretty close resemblance to what he did back in his day. Many people associate Sousa with the marches that he wrote and the classic band transcriptions that he did, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that he was playing the contemporary music of his day. He was playing music from composers like Wagner and SaintSaëns – the music of his time. In that sense, he was rather adventurous in his programming.

“I was looking through some Sousa programs just recently and I noted that one of his favorite transcriptions was Strauss’s ‘Death and Transfiguration,’ which is not a work that many people would associate with John Philip Sousa. Although he was adventurous, he was always masterful at balancing new and unheard of music with music that people loved and were already familiar with. He knew that he had to both entertain and educate your audiences, and he couldn’t sacrifice one goal for the other.”

And how does that concept manifest itself in today’s Marine Band?

“Well,” continues the Colonel, “that’s exactly what we’re trying to do to this very day. When you look at the music that we brought out for this year’s tour, we have a mixture of wonderful transcriptions, including a piece like Lalo’s ‘Le Roi d’Ys’ – an exciting turnof-the-century overture – which we’re playing alongside H. Owen Reed’s ‘La Fiesta Mexicana’ – one of the great original works for the concert band.

That piece actually was written in the 1950s for, and premiered by, the Marine Band. We’re doing a transcription of de Falla’s ‘The Three-Cornered Hat,’ which is an orchestral work that transcribes very well for the concert band, and we’re doing several pieces by John Williams, who is the person that many people feel is the musical equivalent of the modern day John Philip Sousa – music that is both incredibly popular but also very sophisticated; it

works on so many different levels. So I like to think that we’re still really following the path that was charted for us by our 17th director.”

On the Road Every fall, the members of the United States Marine Band hit the road on a performance tour that, in the course of a five-year cycle, takes them crisscrossing around the country. The primary goal of this tour is to share their music with people that rarely get a chance to hear the Marine Band.

“This was part of the original justification that John Philip Sousa used when he pleaded his case with the President to allow the band to leave town and get out and play,” explains Colonel Colburn. “Sousa said, ‘Mr. President, the people of our country deserve to hear this band, not just the people here in Washington D.C.’ He made a very compelling case and this is why we go around the country to this very day.

“But we don’t want to just limit our exposure to those audiences that happen to be in attendance at our concerts – there are only so many people that we can squeeze into those halls, so one of the things that we try to do on our concert tours is educational outreach, where we send our musicians into the schools in all of these towns both big and small that we travel to in our national concert tour. We provide that intimate context with music students so that they get to know our musicians and realize that even though they may look like intimidating Marines today, just a few years ago they were music students just like the kids in the audience.”

Oftentimes, Colonel Colburn sends his musicians out to schools alone or in small groups, depending on what will work best in any given situation.

Perhaps a woodwind quintet might perform for students at a school and then have a Q&A session or a discussion about their job and about making music. Or one or two Marine musicians might go to a school to play solo or in duet – or just to coach some of the student musicians through material the kids might be working on. They might visit a college and help more advanced students with excerpts that

To Catch the Marine Band Live…

For those interested in seeing the Marine Band perform live, the best way might be to travel to Washington D.C., where the group performs a rigorous concert series every year from January through May. That concert series is where Colonel Colburn is most adventurous

with his programming, having his ensemble play the latest and most challenging pieces for concert band. In the summer months, the Marine Band plays outdoor concerts at the Capitol and at the Washington Monument. Those are more like Pops concerts, akin to the Boston Pops-style programming. Of course, you could aslo find out when the band will be somewhere close to your hometown during their national concert tour each fall.

Another option is to catch them at music conventions or gatherings of music educators.

In recent years, the Marine Band has performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and NEMC national conferences. Next June, they can be spotted at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) international concert in Cincinnati.

Visit the Marine Band Web site (www.marineband.usmc.mil) and sign up for their electronic newsletter to find out when and where the Marine Band is playing next.

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 29

The President’s Own At a Glance

Location: Marine Barracks Washington, 8th and I Streets, SE, Washington, D.C. On the Web: www.marineband.usmc.mil Established: 1798 Directors since that time: 27 Current musicians: 130 Current support staff personnel: 22 White House performances each year: 300 Total performances each year: 500 the young musicians have prepared for an audition or other performance. In all, this form of educational outreach is generally a mixture of Marine Band musicians performing for students and the students performing for the professional musicians, along with a healthy dose of conversation and discourse.

The reason the Marine Band visits schools is simple. “For one thing,”

30 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

states the Colonel, “so many of our musicians feel that they owe a huge debt of gratitude to their own music educators. We know that most of us would not be here in the Marine Band today were it not for the hard work of our music teachers. And, of course, my father was a band director, so I have firsthand knowledge of the sacrifices that our music educators make on

our behalf. Our educational outreach program is really an opportunity for us to pay back a little bit on that debt that we owe all those music educators.

Many of our musicians teach privately – they’ve got their own studios and they’re actively involved in teaching on a daily basis, so they are well aware of the benefits and the enjoyment that comes from sharing talent with young students. And we see that so often in these educational outreaches, as well.

The thirst for knowledge that we encounter in music students is something that’s very exciting for us to take part in. It’s always very gratifying to get out there and work with kids.

“If there’s anything I really want to keep our focus on going forward,” continues Colonel Colburn, “it’s on really working closely with the music education community. It has been under so much pressure, in recent years especially, with the economic situation and increasing challenges to the importance of music education. We want to do whatever we can to help support

and make myself more marketable, should I ever need to find another job, especially if it were to be a teaching job. It was in the course of that Masters degree that Col. Foley, who was an assistant director at the time, pulled me aside and asked me if I’d ever thought about conducting with the Marine Band, something that had really never crossed my radar screen. I was so surprised you could’ve knocked me over with a feather because I’d never really thought of myself as a conductor. But he said, ‘We think you’ve got real potential to conduct this ensemble if you’re interested.’

“So I went home and talked to my wife about this possibility, and she basically said, ‘Look, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of this. When will you ever get a chance to conduct musicians of this caliber again?’ So I agreed to accept the invitation and never looked back.

Many times, I’ve thought back on that experience and said to myself, ‘You

www.

John Williams conducting The President’s Own

know, if I hadn’t been open to that option, if I had limited myself to the goals I had set when I was a teenager, I would’ve missed this fantastic opportunity.’ Especially for students who are just getting started and think they know

what they want to do with the rest of their lives, it is so important to not paint yourself into a corner, to leave options open and to make sure you are ready for whatever opportunity that may knock on your door.”

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December 2008 , Dear SBO Reader Disalute to the “50 O’s 11th annual SB r y so an on m r sp fo to e d rit nd favo ising is prou s become a year-e ha e e Hershey ’s Fund Ra ur th at d fe an t is len Th ta liber of e A Difference.” pressed with the ca im e ar rectors Who Mak e w ar ye y ls. ic industry. Ever cated professiona people in the mus ated by these dedi str on m de t en itm m high level of com d orcheststanding band an ou e th of 50 t en above repres en and women go lighted in this issue m gh e hi es s Th or . ct re ica di er e Th hout Am love and in schools throug urage a lifelong co ng hi en ac d te an s s or nt ct de re tra di spire their stu call of duty to in and beyond the usic. appreciation of m the lives e a difference in ors truly can mak ct re di music, ic of us ry m te at the mas recognize th es associated with lu We at Hershey ’s va e es, in th liv ly eir on th t ut rougho They teach no e young people th es th t of their students. fi ne be ill w life skills that but also important or they choose. whatever endeav program, e A Difference” ak M ho W s or ct “50 Dire education be a part of the portance of music im e th s te va ele We are proud to d l talent an the best in musica which singles out es. iti un d in our comm in our schools an extraordiank you for your Th . ar ye is th d s honore dents and to all the director ur talents with stu yo g in ar sh r fo Congratulations k you, too, ake a difference. dedication. Than es. You truly do m liv nary service and eir th in e nc ue d lasting infl being a positive an 09. inued success in 20 We wish you cont Sincerely, ising

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School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 35

SBOReport:

50 Directors

Who Make a Difference

M

usic educators occupy a unique position in our school systems. In addition to being teachers in the traditional sense, they must also be coaches and mentors.

Often under-funded and stationed in secluded and remote rehearsal areas, band and orchestra directors are charged with the perfunctory task of teaching music. In between the cracks of this blunt description are the concepts of: discipline – an element required to achieve the technical sophistication needed to perform music; teamwork – a prerequisite for ensemble playing; and passion – the subtext and soul of music.

There’s no one way to achieve this lofty goal of instilling in children a love and appreciation for music, performance, and dedication. And, likely, there are few identical teaching situations: socioeconomic and other cultural factors weigh heavily into shaping each one of our nation’s classrooms. In that respect, it is fitting that the 50 directors honored in this report represent each facet of the wide spectrum of schools throughout the 50 states. Indeed, these exemplary music educators come from all walks of life and teach in classrooms of all shapes and sizes. However, through it all, they are unified by the positive impact they have on the lives of their students.

Without further ado, SBO is proud to present the 11th annual “50 Directors Who Make a Difference.”

ALABAMA Rusty Courson

Director of Bands Smiths Station High School Smiths Station Years at School: 15 Total Years Teaching: 20 Students in Program: 350 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I am a huge believer in selling kids on the fact that they’ll get much more satisfaction out of everything that they participate in if they’ll just do it because it’s the right thing to do. If you have to do something because you were made to do it, you’ll never receive the same level of satisfaction. We’re here to teach music, but students get so many other benefits from participating in a performing ensemble, which they carry over into life after high school.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I’m sure that every director feels this way (or at least most of them), but I wouldn’t trade my students for those at any other school. They’re not perfect, and neither am I, but their attitude, drive, and work ethic are without question the best.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: There have been so many that it’s difficult to single out one thing. I’ve seen my Symphonic Band perform at the Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic at Troy University, as well as at the Alabama Music Educators Association State Conference at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Both of those performances were high points for me, knowing that my students had been selected from many applicants to perform in front of my peers. However, I think the most memorable experience came several years ago at a marching band competition. I have a policy that they should never have to ask how they did with any performance; they should know they put everything they had into their effort and left it on the field or the stage. The band had just completed an outstanding performance.

After they had all crossed the back of the end zone there was a moment of silence, followed by a tremendously

emotional release. I realized then that they knew it didn’t matter if they won or not, because they knew they were winners, regardless of the outcome.

ALASKA

Gabrielle Willis Director of Orchestras Bartlett and West Anchorage High Schools Anchorage Years at School: 6 Total Years Teaching: 6 Students in Program: 160 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Always maintain a curious and investigative mind.

Interestingly enough, good teachers often times act more like scientists than pedagogues. Teachers face the unbelievable challenge of instructing 30 or more different minds within a single classroom setting. Each child possesses a separate learning style, set of life experiences, personality traits, and attitudes. A teacher must constantly ask the following questions: By what means does this student learn best?

What motivates this student to learn?

How can I best connect with this student on a personal level? A good teacher never stops questioning. At a clinic, Robert Gillespie once told me, “Telling is not teaching.” During my first few years as a teacher, I used to talk a lot during rehearsals. My orchestras seemed unfocused, tired, and restless. Initially, I blamed this erratic behavior on the kids. I now realize that my verbose teaching style had caused the majority of the chaos! Steve Martin once said, “Talking about mu-

sic is like dancing about architecture.”

When teaching our students, why are words such an overused pedagogical tool? Why not help students discover the answers by demonstrating for them? Sing, play, draw, and dance the music for your students. This is a language that students understand and love.

“A good teacher never stops questioning.”

– Gabrielle Willis, Anchorage, Alaska WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Nothing inspires me more than being around passionate, motivated people. I try to surround myself with individuals who love making music and being creative.

These sorts of people are colleagues, conductors, students, parents, and friends.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: For the past five years, I have directed the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center Orchestra. This is a string orchestra comprised entirely of female prison inmates. Teaching music at HMCC has been one of the greatest joys of my professional career. In 2006, a dream of mine finally came to fruition – my high school students traveled to the prison and performed a joint concert with the HMCC orchestra. It was an incredibly moving and inspiring experience for everyone involved. Students from both orchestras learned a great lesson that day – our commonalities far outweigh our differences, especially when it comes to making music.

ARIZONA Toby Curtright

Director of Bands Pinnacle High School Phoenix Years at School: 2 Total Years Teaching: 12 Students in Program: 235 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Knowing what interests your students and then meeting them there.

When I introduced a Tower of Power-type horn band and a Latin jazz group to the program, students who rarely picked up their horns outside of school were now practicing. Sure, it is Chicago and James Brown at first, but pretty soon they are practicing marching and concert music, while learning about different styles and cultures.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: To see students succeed and then to watch them go help other students succeed. With guidance from me, students are able to work together as a team to really make the program go. The process of peer education promotes unity and develops leadership skills in the classroom and on the stage and field.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: In the short time this high school has been open (about eight years) there have been a number of director changes for various reasons. Having college teaching experience I was brought in to be a recruiter, but more so, I found out, to mend an unstable program. At our spring awards concert last year, the students and parents really showed their appreciation of my efforts. I knew then that those 14-to-18-hour days were worth every minute.

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 37

50 ARKANSAS Dewayne Dove

Director of Symphonic Band Russellville High School Russellville Years at School: 11 Total Years Teaching: 19 Students in Program: 200 KEYS TO SUCCESS: One of the most important keys to success is to have a school district and administration that is supportive of the music program.

The individual teacher must also have a desire to serve and to teach. They should have the attitude that it is not about them, but about the students.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: The students that I get to work with on a daily basis inspire me. I really like teaching and interacting with them every day.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Probably my eighth-grade bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance at our Region Playing Contest in 1997. This particular class was very talented but lazy. I had decided that I was going to push them to play harder music for the contest. It reached the point that they were either going to learn it or it would get shoved down their throats. After all of the work and preparation, the performance was outstanding and the students came away knowing that they had performed very well. They had also played the hardest program that our eighth grade bands had ever performed. This same band, when they were seniors, requested to play their eighth-grade contest tunes for their final concert because it meant so much to them.

CALIFORNIA Gregory Whitmore

Director of Bands Cathedral City High School Cathedral City Years at School: 8 38 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Total Years Teaching: 9 Students in Program: 120 KEYS TO SUCCESS: The keys to success, as a music educator, must be a belief in and commitment to making great music. I believe that despite the educational level that we may find ourselves in, we must be intent on providing our students with great music at their level.

Furthermore, at the high school level, it is imperative that we model ourselves, as conductors, and our programs after the collegiate wind bands.

As we look to set the music making course for our ensembles, we should ask ourselves how we can emulate the sounds, concert programming, literature selection, et cetera of our collegiate counterparts. I firmly believe that success as a music educator involves a firm commitment to the continuation of the development of self as a musician and conductor. Attend conducting clinics, symposia, concerts of university bands and professional orchestras at every opportunity. Study the great scores of the wind band repertoire. Keep in contact with great conductors, composers, and study all of the arts. I also feel that success as a music educator involves a belief in the potential of young musicians and an unyielding commitment to excellence from them both as musicians and as people.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am continually inspired by the enormous potential of young musicians. It is such an enriching feeling to work with young people who are committed to the disciplined art of music making, especially with all of the modern, instant activities that young people have at their disposal. Hearing students perform a piece in concert that has undergone the rigors of the preparation process or witnessing their performance on the marching field after the sweat and toil of rehearsal is always a fulfilling moment for me as a music educator.

Furthermore, I am energized when I hear from former students who have continued to keep music in their lives either as students of music, enthusiastic patrons, or community ensemble members. The opportunity to create a living, breathing thing called music as a profession is a further inspiration. Having the opportunity to create an experience with students through music performance that will last long beyond their time in the band room, knowing that they are engaged and excited to be in the process with me as their teacher, is amazing. I am further inspired by the greats in our profession. Attending a concert or rehearsal lead by H. Robert Reynolds, or hearing a fine wind ensemble or professional orchestra in concert allows me the time to artistically recharge, broaden my musical perspectives, and grow as a musician.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: On Easter of 2007, the Cathedral City High School Symphonic Band performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In the audience were many family, friends, my conducting teacher (Dr. James Tapia), the mayor of Cathedral City, and an enthusiastic audience of New Yorkers. The studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance was terrific, and the audience was so moved by our music making that we were given a standing ovation. The concert was a true highlight for me as a conductor, a music educator, and a person. For our band program, this was a moment that will live forever in the history of the CCHS Bands, and the concert rallied our community around our program. To see my students eyes as we walked into Carnegie Hall for the first time, and to seem them finally realize where they were, and understand the history that they were a part of was life-changing for them and me.

I will also never forget the preparation that we undertook to get ready for the performance and the sevenday tour itself. We spent a considerable amount of time preparing litera-

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50 ture – and the students – for not only the Carnegie Hall performance, but also for the differences in culture and lifestyle between Southern California and New York City. To date, our entire band program has grown as a result of that performance. Our music making has become more musical, and our students have an even better understanding of their own potential for excellence. As a music educator, I believe even more fervently in the power of music to change the lives of young people and the need to continue to grow personally as a musician and conductor.

COLORADO

Jason Buckingham Director of Bands Northglenn High School Northglenn Years at School: 3 Total Years Teaching: 16 Students in Program: 100 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Passion for making students successful and passion for making great sounds. Attempting every day to communicate my personal passion for music and making music. A huge part of the success of the band program at Northglenn over the last 30 years has been an exceptional booster program. Know how hard the parents work provides constant inspiration to ensure I am doing everything I can to honor their sacrifice and devotion to their children’s success. Maintaining a positive, productive, and enjoyable atmosphere when working with a booster group can be a challenge, but as long as everyone one in the organization always keeps in mind why we are doing what we are doing, all sorts of issues can be overcome. I am also blessed with a great staff that has been in place for years. I was part of the staff before I became the band director, so coming into that position was an easy fit.

40 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Seeing the students’ progress and doing things that they did not think were possible, especially in terms of what they can achieve as performers. Music can be such a powerful influence. It can be a powerful tool for really learning the value of work and the value of the work of others. Being a part of that process and watching a student’s progression over time is what it is all about. Also, teaching students just how much they can influence the world as performers is extremely important to me. Any performance, no matter how big or small, is an opportunity for a life changing experience for a performer and, most importantly, someone in the audience, especially if there are young kids in the audience. You never know what kind of change could happen due to a great performance.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: My favorite experience as a teacher was not a single moment, but an experience I was lucky enough to share with a surprising number of former students. I was a cast member and music instructor with the original London cast of Blast! It was great fun to go through that whole run with people that I remember as young players and seeing how far they had grown as musicians and people. Being able to perform with those folks was an honor and a pleasure I will never forget.

CONNECTICUT Haig Shahverdian

Director of Bands Hall High School West Hartford Years at School: 18 Total Years Teaching: 37 Students in Program: 475 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Passion for what you do and what you believe in and the knowledge that the best work is done collaboratively with students, parents, and teachers.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Seeing and hearing an individual or ensemble discover the power of their music. It is that moment when they find their own voice that inspires me the most.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: This is so hard, but if I had to go for one moment it would be when the Hall Concert Jazz Band was on stage with Wynton Marsalis as the guest artist at IAJE in NYC. He was trading with one of the players in the band on “Perdido,” and the vibe in the band and in the audience was tremendous. I did not want that moment to end.

DELAWARE Domenic Pisano

Director of Bands Concord High School Wilmington Years at School: 5 Total Years Teaching: 11 Students in Program: 125 KEYS TO SUCCESS: There are many, but my top five in no particular order: Never stop going to school. Seek out and learn from great teachers. Know that many (if not all) of the music education strategies out there work; the trick is finding the strategies that reinforce your teaching strengths and supplement your weaknesses.

Have a welcoming environment. In this day and age the students don’t have to take music, and if the environment is threatening, they won’t. It is up to you to make them want to be there. Nothing will substitute for a supportive guidance department, main office administration, and district office. More programs die in the main office than the band room. If you do this job because you love music and performing, stop. Do it because you love teaching children.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am inspired when the students become self-sufficient and no longer need me. It is a great thing to see students running

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50 their own sectionals without being asked, or giving me a list of pieces to buy because they are starting their own quartet. Nothing inspires me more than to see students taking ownership of their own music education.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I hope it hasn’t happened yet.

FLORIDA

Alex Kaminsky Director of Bands Buchholz High School Gainesville Years at School: 2 Total Years Teaching: 20 Students in Program: 150 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Among the many keys to success for any music educator, I have found the following three to be most important: Discipline – students must be focused and attentive in order to learn. It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable the person in front of the student is if that knowledge does not have a chance to be transmitted. Fundamentals –at the core of any ensemble that performs at a high level is a solid foundation and training in fundamentals. This begins with teaching characteristic tone production in all ranges at all volumes – an ongoing process. Persistence – there must always be a commitment from the music educator to teach students how to attain the highest level of excellence in all facets of music making.

The standard of excellence must be high – in fact, higher than the students are capable of achieving at that time in order to keep them striving for their highest.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am inspired by seeing students reach their potential. Most students do not know that their potential is their greatest untapped resource. When they are given the tools necessary to tap deep into that resource, a wonderful metamorphosis begins to take place as they are 42 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

empowered to strive in a way they haven’t before.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I have to say that my most memorable moment was the performance my band gave at the 2005 Midwest Clinic. As I was conducting, I realized that these students were collectively achieving something that they never could have on their own.

I needed them, and they needed me, and we all needed each other to create the music that was coming off of that stage. Any culmination of diligent and heartfelt preparation is memorable.

GEORGIA David Starnes

Director of Bands Kennesaw Mountain High School Marietta Years at School: 8 Total Years Teaching: 21 Students in Program: 250 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe that the greatest key to success as a music educator lies in the ability of a teacher to never stop learning, questioning, experimenting, and thinking outside the box of possibility. I think as teachers, it is very easy to fall into a yearly routine.

As a result, our ensembles’ growth can flat-line, causing expectations of sound, selection of literature, and our own personal growth as a conductor to become an occupation. This is particularly evident in programs that achieve success where maintaining becomes the challenge. Inspiring students is a large part of being a music educator today when kids have so many choices about how they want to spend their time outside of their academic subjects. I always stress to students, as well as new teachers, something that I continue to live by. Your potential is constantly evolving. The better you get, the higher your bar of potential moves.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: It’s all about the kids. I wish there was something more profound I could offer, but that is it. I look at each year as a blank canvas where a complete picture will appear by year’s end. I never really know what the picture will look like, but continue to add to it until I am satisfied with the final painting. The music is the motivation, and I try to approach each day with a mindset that the students are expecting my best and will always be able to tell if they don’t get it. I truly believe inspiration comes from within a great teacher. Without insight, inspiration is accidental. You have to want those moments to occur that inspire you to teach music, and that takes planning and a lot of dreaming. Teachers can create an environment where anything is possible if they don’t teach the final exam. It is a journey that needs to be experienced and reflected upon daily. The inspired teacher will relive moments from each day that will build into the next day’s planning. I believe that every teaching strategy that works, whether in a college textbook or not, should be used, modified and experimented with, until you create a system that not only challenges you as a teacher, but inspires both student and teacher alike.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: When I was offered the job at Kennesaw Mountain High School in 2000. I had been a teacher at the middle school level and assistant at the high school level for 12 years, waiting on my first director of bands position. I am honored to teach in the Cobb County School District, which is loaded with great teachers and where one could wait years to become a head director at the high school level.

I knew that I was going into unchartered territory at Kennesaw Mountain, as it was a new school in the district and the first high school to be opened in 10 years. I wanted to make sure I did everything right. I didn’t, but I tried to the best of my ability. My music supervisor and good friend, Gary Markham, told me it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to open a new high school. All the

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50 traditions and procedures would begin based on my decisions, good or bad.

This moment taught me what responsibility to my job was all about and that nothing rewarding comes without hard work and sacrifice.

HAWAII

Dennis Kaneshiro Director of Marching Band Kalani High School Honolulu Years at School: 16 Total Years Teaching: 16 Students in Program: 210 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe one of the keys to success in music education is sharing the passion for music with your students. You must continuously seek new teaching methods, expand your music repertoire, and know your students’ abilities. Although it may be challenging to deal with parents who question your philosophy, students who show little respect, dwindling funds for the arts, and long hours, it is something you have to endure. In the end, you know you are teaching the students life lessons, which they will be able to build upon for the rest of their lives.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: As a music educator, I have the privilege of teaching the same students for four years. I am able to see the students grow from teenagers into young adults. I work with them and teach them lessons that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives. Responsibility, accountability, teamwork, and leadership are the key skills that I hope to instill.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: My most memorable moment as a teacher happened when I was out of the country one summer for a month.

Due to my absence, I was not able to have marching band rehearsals. The student leadership took it upon themselves to organize rehearsals without my knowledge, and they did a superb job. This event opened my eyes and defined how I now run my program.

Most of the marching band responsibilities are now in the hands of the 44 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

student leaders, who have ultimate ownership of the program.

IDAHO

Gordon P. Smith Director of Instrumental Music Jerome High School & Jerome Middle School Jerome Years at School: 3 Total Years Teaching: 25 Students in Program: 290 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I tell the students the first day that we have two products: great performances and great people. Yes, we want to succeed on the stage, on the field, and in the gym, but, to be frank, the performances would be slightly improved if I were to be the control freak my personality dictates and make every decision for the students. But the more I give the kids in terms of creative freedom and control in planning, show design, rehearsal organization, and simple responsibility, within reason, the more the students gain from the experience and the more their character and real-world skill sets develop. Each field show the marching unit performs is home-grown, developed with student input, and so they invest more of themselves into it. Beyond that, success is what every good teacher in every field knows. We teach children, not subject matter. Treat every student as an individual with unique needs, and realize that as the one teacher they see year after year, more than one period a day, you’re their de facto faculty advisor, and help them through adolescence as best you can.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Both of my parents were teachers, and I learned most of what I know from them, both at home and in their classrooms. In fact, the reason I started teaching was to help my mother in the last year before her death from cancer, when she was too weak to teach a full day. The experience turned me towards a career in

education. I learned so much from my own high school band director, Clyde Quick, whose priorities were never the trophies or even the music as much as the people and the relationships between them. I’ve also had the benefit of the friendship of Idaho teachers like Dave Wells at Boise State, as well as high school directors like Phil DuBose and Steve Floyd, who share similar philosophies. I have a host of superb administrators, colleagues, parents, and students who continue to help me grow as a professional. Of course, everything a family man does is primarily to make his wife and children proud, and I learn from Wendy and my kids every day.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: The easy answer would be watching my students become successful adults, but tangibly the event I’m most pleased to have been a part of was bringing the Dallas Brass to Jerome in January. We not only sold out a 900-seat hall in this small town and cleared $4,000 for new uniforms when few thought we would break even, but we raised the perception of the arts in the community and the schools, as well as the sights of those in our program to higher goals.

And getting to conduct the Brass, with the high school band performing a composition of my own, was a thrill as well. I hope, though, that my proudest accomplishment is yet to come. After all, I’m still young and learning.

ILLINOIS Greg Bimm

Director of Bands Marion Catholic High School Chicago Heights Years at School: 32 Total Years Teaching: 35 Students in Program: 260 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I feel that there are three general things. First, hard work – you must be willing to work longer hours than pretty much any other teacher, and then spend still more time

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ATTICA SENIOR High School Donald Rogers, Director of Bands

BUTLER High School Andrew Yaracs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

MUNDELEIN High School Adam Gore â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

SHAWNEE MISSION SOUTH H.S. Steve Adams â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

BELLBROOK High School Chris Foster â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

DALLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT David Smith â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

NEW MILFORD High School Jonathan Grauer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Director of Instrumental Music

SOUTHWEST IOWA HONOR BAND Byron Tinder â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

BRUNSWICK High School Jay A Wardeska â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

JOHN F. KENNEDY High School Lesley Fleer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

SHAWNEE HEIGHTS High School Neal Purvis â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

THE LEGEND BAND Mr. Leslie McDonald â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Band Director

working to learn scores and how to help your students to perform them.

Second, the students must always remain the primary focus in all you do.

Finally, remain an artist. Never stop pursuing technique, musical and educational, and never stop loving music.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Teachers who have remained in the trenches and have not compromised standards and watching students grow to be great people and lovers of music.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: It is hard to say. It could be playing at the first concert band festival for some of the great band icons, or it could be experiencing my son and daughter as band members and having them share music with me every day. There are also so many memories of the quiet victories in students’ lives.

INDIANA

Thomas Barker Director of Bands Lafayette Jefferson High School Lafayette

Years at School: 21 Total Years Teaching: 31 Students in Program: 250 KEYS TO SUCCESS: We have such a unique and incredible opportunity to work with students – many for more than a year – and help them in so many ways. In my eyes, a successful music educator not only teaches students about music and the incredible power it possesses, but about life and how, through music, they can be a better person. Teaching is hard work. It requires patience, time, persistence, organization, and a willingness to continually be a student yourself. It takes tremendous dedication and a very unselfish attitude.

If you think you are the most important person in your program, trust me, you are not, and the kids will let you know that. Above all, a good sense of humor always helps.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Lots of things inspire me. My Jefferson band family,

the students, parents, and staff, both past and present, have inspired me.

My own family, my colleagues and their programs, great music, and my former teachers have all inspired me.

My administration who gives me the tools and the trust to do what is right, also contributes to my inspiration. I enjoy seeing my students get it, be it a new skill, a new understanding of a concept, or just seeing the successes that they get from their involvement in the band program. I have been truly blessed to have some great students.

They have, over the years, achieved many honors and awards, but the daily classroom progress and achievements that can happen bring me back every day.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: This is a very tough question as I have had so many great moments as a teacher and each of them is significant. They are significant because they involved so many great students in different situations. To single out one moment is very hard. However,

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School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 47

50 one of the most recent memorable moments was after my marching band had finished performing at Pearl Harbor. I found out that while we were performing there was a military funeral being held on board the USS Missouri. The wife of the soldier being laid to rest found my secretary and said that the family could hear the band playing “God Bless America” during the burial service.

She wanted us to know how meaningful that was for her family. When I told my students of this experience, it brought full circle the power of music, and I had the honor of being there with my band family.

IOWA

Terry Hanzlik Director of Bands Abraham Lincoln High School

Council Bluffs Years at School: 10 Total Years Teaching: 33 Students in Program: 86 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Teachers need to understand that it takes years to build a program at a school. You must start with a philosophy that is reflected in a good curriculum and then follow it. It can take years to change a program. Music teachers need to have a passion for what they do, a work ethic that is second to none, and more patience than anyone will ever give you credit for.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Student success. Starting with a very basic skill and developing a final product that everyone is proud of.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I have too many memories to list just one or two. My favorite moments recently have been visiting with my former students and seeing how they have grown as human beings and the thought that a small part of their lives, their attitudes, discipline and beliefs have been influenced by you.

Many of them are now parents, professional musicians, and teachers.

KANSAS

Marion Roberts Director of Bands Blue Valley North High School Overland Park Years at School: 22 Total Years Teaching: 38 Students in Program: 200 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Fascination with and inspiration from people and music.

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48 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

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WHAT INSPIRES YOU: My wife, students, and the music itself inspire me.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Performing with students on Omaha Beach at the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion and watching the reaction of the veterans and the students while the music was being performed.

I should also include the 60th anniversary at Port-en-Beson. When we had just completed a work, a salute was fired far off-shore, and one of my students played “Taps,” followed by the band playing “Irish Tune” from County Derry. Performing a Christmas Concert at Baker University when my oneyear-old son came to the stage, I held him and finished the concert. Music makes all of what we do memorable.

KENTUCKY

sical decisions on their own. When they are equipped with these tools, they can mindfully approach the music. Not only does this make rehearsals more productive, but more enjoyable for students and teachers alike. It is also important, I feel, that as directors, we don’t lose sight of the fact that our job is to educate kids musically and otherwise. It is so easy to get caught up in contests and competitions, but when we focus on teaching students how to

Years at School: 9 years Total Years Teaching: 12 years Students in Program: 230 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I really believe that it is vital that we create a working and learning atmosphere where the students are grounded in the fundamentals of good musicianship and are given the tools to solve problems and make mu-

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Tim Allen

Band Director Adair County High School Columbia Years at School: 28 Total Years Teaching: 28 Students in Program: 250 KEYS TO SUCCESS: A decent level of competency, a good ear, and a preconceived idea about what a good characteristic sound quality is for every instrument. Having high expectations and making sure students understand what those expectations are. Don’t avoid obstacles. Work on the things that give you trouble, not the things that are going well.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: To never be satisfied with mediocrity. There is a standard in my head that inspires me to keep pushing until I reach or come close to reaching that standard.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: To see a trumpet player who could not reach a middle F concert for two years eventually earn a spot in the all-state band.

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School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 51

50 be responsible contributors to their communities, how to work for a something greater than themselves, and how to experience life through art, we impact them now and forever. I find that when you are genuine in this aspect, it is easy to get everyone on board with your vision. Finally, the most important key to becoming successful in this field is making connections with others who know more about the business than you do. I owe much of my success to my mentors and colleagues who have shared their experience with me. It has been because of their willingness to give unselfishly that I am the teacher I am today.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am constantly amazed and inspired by the dedication and perseverance of the students in our program. This year, for example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, we missed nearly three weeks of rehearsal, and were forced to cancel our plans for our marching band’s first competition at the national level. With no other choice, we began a totally new contest show on September 15th. The resiliency of those young musicians, some of whom had lost their homes, to come together to work for a common goal was truly remarkable. I often tell our band parents that no matter how high we raise the bar, somehow our students always manage to jump over it. I am proud to be a part of a community that values hard work and commitment to excellence.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: There have been so many high points in my career, that it is difficult to name just one. The best of times for me have always been when, in rehearsal or performance, everything came together in just the right way, and we were able to experience music making at its finest. Often at our final concert of the year, a student will give a speech about their years in our bands. I am humbled when I hear them tell how their time here has changed their lives for the better. That’s what keeps me going.

52 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

MAINE

Kyle Smith Director of Instrumental Music Westbrook High School Westbrook Years at School: 3 Total Years Teaching: 6 Students in Program: 150 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I have no doubt that the biggest key to success is the management of people, most importantly students. Dealing with everything that we have to deal with in teenagers, if you can work with them, motivate them, and inspire them, you can do great things. If they do not believe in you as a teacher, it doesn’t matter how good your score study skills are, or how advanced your conducting chops are. If the students are invested in the program and they care as much as you do, then you will be highly successful.

I would recommend reading John Wooden’s book, Wooden, to learn about how to work with people. Every music teacher should read it. For me, a close second place is your programming.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Students inspire me. I have so many students with more natural talent then I have ever had, and I can only imagine what they are capable of. My goal is to put the shine in their eyes by inspiring and motivating them to achieve and excel in the performance of quality music.

The more shining eyes I have around me, the more successful I am.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I had three grade-five private trumpet students in a weekly group lesson. They started in September, brand new to the instrument. By May, two of them were doing very well, but one student could not play C and G. After eight months, this really hard worker couldn’t play two notes. Everything he played, any valve combination, came out as low C. I had him try everything – buzzing, singing, whistling, every-

thing, One day in May we were working on an exercise; the light bulb went off, and he raised his hand. “So Mr. Smith, you are saying that as the notes get higher in the staff they sound higher?” He promptly played the C scale without difficulty. I hadn’t said, “As the notes go higher in the staff, they sound higher.” I will remember him forever, because he taught me to never skip anything while teaching basics. I will never forget him as long as I live.

MARYLAND Lauren Heller

Band Director Patuxent High School Lusby Years at School: 3 Total Years Teaching: 3 Students in Program: 75 KEYS TO SUCCESS: As simple as it seems, I have found the key to be remembering what I love about music. I remind myself that I am a music teacher, not a band director or a hall monitor, but a teacher of music. I am helping shape tomorrow’s music consumers, and I want those consumers to be more than consumers. I want them to be music lovers. By no surprise, my students respond best when I am my most vulnerable, when I really show them how I feel about music. The key is not being afraid to show them.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am most inspired by my students’ curiosity. It revitalizes me and reminds me why I became interested in music. They always want to learn more. They always want to tackle a new, more challenging piece. They always want to hear about my experiences making music.

I encourage them to continue making music their whole lives, whether or not they decide to major in music in college. The curiosity and wonder they have about music gives me hope that they will indeed keep music a part of their lives forever.

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MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Almost every day has something memorable within it, but the best are those “aha” moments. When a student works so hard and finally achieves his goal, it is the most satisfying experience to be a part of. The most memorable moment I have had was in a rehearsal. The moment was beautiful, and nobody said a word when the piece ended. It was a moment of true connection. It took all of us out of our chaotic public school world for a moment and transported us to somewhere beautiful. It was moving for everyone in the room.

have. Each year our band is made up of those who are academically gifted and those who are not, those who are athletic and those who are not, and those who are musically gifted and those who are not. We have students with physical challenges and those with other challenges. When it comes time to perform, you cannot tell the senior from the freshman, number one in the class from number 200. The teamwork they learn, the leadership

they foster, and the skills they develop level the playing field. No one sits on the bench. They are an ensemble.

“Successful music educators are bridge builders.”

– Ronald Parsons, Danvers, Mass.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: My most memorable moment as a

MASSACHUSETTS Ronald Parsons

Band Director Danvers High School Danvers Years at School: 22 Total Years Teaching: 24 Students in Program: 150 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Successful music educators are bridge builders. As a band director, I have learned the importance of understanding the dynamics of the community and plugging into it.

Spend time building and developing good working relationships with administrators, colleagues, and members of the school committee. Engage and encourage music booster groups to be involved in the support and advocacy of the program. Excite and empower students to take ownership of their band. Instill in students a strong sense of responsibility for themselves and accountability to each other. Encourage students to always reach beyond themselves. Each day challenge them to strive to be their best. With purpose, passion, and perseverance pursue excellence. Reach beyond the concert hall and the festival. The largest and most diverse community audience we will perform for is during the Memorial Day Parade and our high school graduation, two major communitywide events.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am inspired by the way producing music brings students together, the many life skills they learn, and the experiences they

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School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 55

50 teacher was at a high school graduation. I had a student in the band who had been confined to a wheel chair since age six with muscular dystrophy.

At the time, I was teaching the elementary instrumental program, and he began to learn the trumpet. Circumstances were such that I ended up being his band director all the way through middle school and high school. He performed the field show with us in a motorized wheel chair, played in concert and jazz band, and travelled with us on band trips performing in Disney World and Washington D.C. I never once ever heard him say “I can’t.” He would always say, “Let me try.” When he graduated, with tears in his eyes, he came to me and said, “Thanks for believing in me. You gave me hope.”

MICHIGAN Mark D’Angelo

Director of Instrumental Music Roosevelt High School Wyandotte Years at School: 8 Total Years Teaching: 11 Students in Program: 150 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe the answer to this question differs from situation to situation. What has worked well for my program can’t always be prescribed to another band or orchestra director in a different socio-economic circumstance or environment. However, the consistent approach for all music educators is, in my opinion, to set a standard of excellence, encourage your students often, and have a desire to make a difference in the lives of the students.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am inspired by success stories, hearing about how students and programs have found success. I am inspired by determination and seeing students striving for excellence. I am inspired by passion, putting into practice the things that are most important. I am inspired ev56 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

ery year by witnessing how participation in band and orchestra changes the lives of my students.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I was thrilled to be invited to the 2007 Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids to present a performance of the Roosevelt High School African Drum & Dance Ensemble.

MINNESOTA Jennifer Stelzig

Band Director Bertha-Hewitt High School Bertha Years at School: 1 Total Years Teaching: 19 Students in Music Program: 121 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe that helping the students develop a strong sense of responsibility and leadership is vital. When students are given ownership in their program, they are more likely to work hard to achieve group goals. I like to think that I provide the students with the necessary tools, information, encouragement, and guidance. They make the magic.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: The students, plain and simple. Over the years, I have learned as many important lessons from them as they have, hopefully, learned from me. Their energy, enthusiasm, and honesty are truly amazing. When I see them achieving something musically, I find that I feel the same sense of accomplishment.

When I see them struggling, it motivates me to work harder in an attempt to find a method that will help them.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: For the 10th-anniversary cabaret (a show that featured the jazz band, as well as a variety of other musical acts) we decided to hold an alumni night. It took over a year to organize, but we had former band members from all over the country drive and fly in to attend a morning rehearsal and perform in that evening’s concert. It was amaz-

ing to see that their band experience had meant that much to them. The sold-out show ended up being a fabulous evening of memories, music, and camaraderie. It was unbelievable.

MISSISSIPPI Steve Stringer

Director of Instrumental Music Meridian High School Meridian Years at School: 3 Total Years Teaching: 11 Students in Program: 450 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe that one of the keys to success as a music director is a passion for music and the desire to share it with young people.

However, passion alone is not enough.

I also believe that as a music educator I must constantly be willing to learn from others, whether it is from colleagues, administrators, or students.

Working with a great staff makes success possible for the entire program here at Meridian. Finally, the ability to communicate from different perspectives is also important to achieve success.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: The thing that inspires me most as a music educator is when students have been struggling with a concept and are about to give up, but then something will start to click within the group and then all of a sudden they start to grasp the idea and produce results. Also, inspiration comes from the support of the students when they say thank you for something that we have worked on that has success, and sometimes it may not be music related, but a problem of a personal nature.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: The most memorable moment for me as a teacher was in 2002. The band where I was teaching at the time was on the way to the state marching festival and we were involved in a bus accident. There were a couple of minor injuries and the students were very frightened. We gathered the students together beside the buses, on

the side of the road, and told them we were going to cancel our appearance at the festival, but even though they were freaked out, they would have none of it. They insisted on continuing on and performing. When we finally got to the site we realized word of our unfortunate circumstances had spread. As we entered the stadium the crowd gave us a huge ovation. Finally, at the end of the day, ratings were announced, and we had earned all superior ratings, what a thrill. However, the thrill was not in the ratings, but in the courage of the students to complete a task they had began many months before.

MISSOURI Ky Hascall

Director of Bands Park Hill High School Kansas City Years at School: 7 Total Years Teaching: 16 Students in Program: 280 KEYS TO SUCCESS: For me, the keys to success as a music educator are three-fold.

I believe that vision is critical; we need to know where we want to go so that we can plan for success.

We also need introspection to look honestly at ourselves and our students to evaluate their progress and see if they are learning what we are trying to teach, to see if what we are trying to teach is the best plan for the success of the students. Finally, resource management is the key that is bigger than most realize. This broad area includes using resources such as people, (parent groups, administration, and school support staff), places, (facilities, location of school compared to private instructors, and colleges and high level performance venues) and things (instrument inventory, budgets, program history, and traditions) to make your program the best it can be.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I get inspiration from students who are hungry to learn and those who push me to help them go as far as they want to go. Also those students who struggle to learn

but keep trying; I keep trying to find a different way to make a connection so they can continue to learn. I have also found a lot of inspiration from older band directors who have given years to a career in music and have made a difference in the lives of so many students, giving them the gift of music for the rest of their lives.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: What comes to mind for me is a loud, obnoxious sixth grader I had.

He didn’t play well, and his behavior was worse. He seemed to want to play but couldn’t focus. I asked the counselor if there was a story, and there was. He had lost his father the year before and was the only child. As the anniversary of his father’s death drew near he got worse. Finally, one day I asked if he would like some extra help after school, and he agreed.

Needless to say, we talked more than played but things got better in class.

Fast forward six years, he was still in band, still a bit loud, but a loyal band kid. He was excited to be graduating and (here’s the memorable thing for me) that he would be marching in a division one university band the next fall. He wasn’t a music major, but that doesn’t matter; he was a whole person, someone who belonged and contributes to society. That is why I keep teaching music.

MONTANA Karen Ulmer

Band Director Columbia Falls High School Columbia Falls Years at School: 9 Total Years Teaching: 24 Students in Program: 157 KEYS TO SUCCESS: The key to success for any educator is establishing positive relationships with students.

It is important for students to know that you see them as individuals and that they matter to you both inside and outside of the classroom. When they know you believe in them, they are much more receptive to what you have to say .

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am inspired by the a-ha’s, those musical moments when things come together just right, and the students’ faces light up. I always enjoy their joy in the music.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Graduation Day, 2002. One of my trombone players came to find me after the ceremony to tell me that band had kept him in school and was the reason he stayed and graduated. He was the first person in his family to graduate from high school.

NEBRASKA Terry Rush

Director of Instrumental Music

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 57

50 Lincoln High School Lincoln Years at School: 25 Total Years Teaching: 30 Students in Music Program: 300 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Never stop learning.

There are so many directors out there that are willing to share their successes with you. If you’re new at this, ask a vet. There’s no point in your career where you know everything. If you think you do, you will fail – thus, your kids fail.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Watching kids grow, whether it be their first step in marching band, or starting one of the classic band, or orchestral pieces.

Taking them from the bare roots of a selection to its performance, whether it be at a contest or concert. I too have to admit, having Dr. Tim as a friend and mentor has jump started my battery all too many times. He’s always willing to listen and be there.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: As a music educator and parent, having my two sons and daughter choose to go to my school to be a part of my program, even though they were in another school’s district, certainly makes me proud. I can also include our three trips to London, England and the experiences and sites my students have seen, many of which will be a oncein-a-life time experience and without a doubt the pride my students have in their accomplishments on the marching field and on the stage.

NEVADA

Mark McArthur Director of Bands Basic High School Henderson Years at School: 6 Total Years Teaching: 8 Students in Program: 100 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Always be prepared. Being a band educator means running a program with many moving 58 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

parts, and you never know when those moving parts break down. Actually, Murphy’s Law seems to take effect more often than not. Anticipating the unexpected, in both the rehearsal setting and behind the scenes work, has helped to reduce my stress level a considerable amount.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: The other band, choir, and orchestra directors in the Clark County School District have been great friends and colleagues.

We work well together to produce so many events for our students, and they have always been there to provide an extra hand when I needed them. I feel honored to work with such an amazing group of music educators.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Every year, the Basic High School Wind Ensemble performs their annual pops concert at the end of May, during the final week of school. Two years ago, I decided to challenge them with a new piece of music by David Maslanka “Give Us This Day”, and the students responded with their most memorable performance to date. I could not have asked for a more committed and sincere performance from my students.

Even though it’s not a piece you would generally find at a pops concert, the audience responded by claiming David Maslanka’s piece was the highlight of the evening. This type of music is usually a tough sell in my neck of the desert.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Bob Couturier

Band Director New Searles Elementary School Nashua Years at School: 10 Total Years Teaching: 13 Students in Program: 50 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Keeping the students best interest in mind at all times.

Having a willingness to sacrifice your personal time for your program. Having a likable personality and positive approach to teaching that kids respond to. Being creative with your teaching

and be willing to try out new or different approaches. Finally, I believe that it is important to have a high level of musicianship for yourself and to keep improving in this area for the rest of your teaching career. The higher the level of musicianship that you have for yourself, the more you will be able to offer to your students.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: When students give you 100 percent of their best effort and show progress at what they are doing.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I am fortunate to have a few, but the biggest one that comes to mind is when I wrote a blues piece for my school band called the “New Searles Blues,” and we played it for the day concert for a school assembly. When the piece was finished the kids in the audience went nuts. That was the loudest and most sincere appreciation of a performance that I have ever been a part of as a teacher or a professional musician.

My students felt like rock stars after that and were very inspired.

NEW JERSEY Ed Webber

Band Director Immaculata High School Somerville Years at School: 7 Total Years Teaching: 7 Students in Program: 356 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I think that it is important to remember to start every day as new.

Every kid comes with a story, and if you treat them with respect they usually return that. I also think it is important to have a routine. Kids thrive with structure. When they know what to expect, it is much easier to hold them accountable when they don’t follow through with your expectations.

Finally, I believe that it is important to have your program built around developing the whole person. If it is just about the music and never about the

kids, then all that hard work ends with the school year.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am constantly inspired by the students. They make me laugh. They bring a new twist to every single class. That is part of the fun in teaching high school.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I have had many moments that have made all of this work worth it. However, if I had to single one out, it would have to be a student that stopped by after graduation. I write to the senior band members after graduation, wishing them luck. Usually I get a few emails after that saying thank you and occasionally even a handwritten card.

But one student made it a point to stop by one of our marching band rehearsals in the summer to say thank you. He was someone that struggled through the program. I thought on more than one occasion about throwing him out. I’m not sure why I didn’t. I guess because he hadn’t done anything all that bad besides driving me crazy. But he came and thanked me for making him work hard and teaching him that the only way to success is through work. And he talked to me about how band was the one thing in his life that remained constant. It was something that was always there. He was always welcomed in the band room, even after he had been a pain in rehearsal. He talked about how that stability was so important because it wasn’t coming from home.

day one to the last day of the year. I enjoy seeing the look of gratification in their eyes when they have a great performance.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: My most memorable moment as a teacher came last year. A little background: we have academic ineligibility in New Mexico. Students are not allowed to perform in any activity if their G.P.A. is below a 2.0 or if they have more than one F. Our biggest marching contest

fell two days after report cards were distributed. The band directors took a hands-on approach with the students’ academic progress, during the course of the nine weeks, by counseling each one. In the past, we averaged 10 –20 students that were ineligible. Last year, we had only two students, out of 180, who were academically ineligible. The band achieved Grand Champion and the highest score ever given to a New Mexico band.

NEW MEXICO Bill Allred

Director of Bands Clovis High School Clovis Years at School: 13 Total Years Teaching: 13 Students in Program: 180 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I consider the keys to success to be, willing to work hard, learn from your mistakes, ask questions, and learn from the best. I also believe you have to have a burning desire to help the kids be successful.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: What inspires me is watching the kids grow musically, emotionally, and academically, School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 59

50 NEW YORK James Dumas

Band Director Liverpool High School Liverpool Years at School: 6 Total Years Teaching: 13 Students in Program: 180 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe any music educator must truly enjoy sharing their love of music with their students. For me, being a successful music educator is more than just a job; it’s a lifestyle that demands commitment, discipline, and a tremendous amount of patience with and understanding of today’s youth.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: The look in a student’s eyes when they realize they have achieved a level of personal excellence that they had not experienced before. I am also constantly inspired by my own mentors and colleagues who do great things with students each and every day. I have been extremely fortunate to have had tremendous teachers as part of my own musical education.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: There have been many moments that have stood out in my mind as special, but perhaps the most memorable to date was having my students perform “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at a fellow band member’s funeral. I was completely blown away by just how focused they were during the performance despite their own grief over the loss of a great friend. It was truly amazing.

NORTH CAROLINA Patricia Quigley

Director of Bands Cedar Ridge High School Hillsborough Years at School: 7 Total Years Teaching: 15 Students in Program: 140 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I feel that developing strong organization and communication skills are essential to success as a music edu60 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

cator. Without these assets, one’s ability to teach music is lost in the whirlwind of the public education environment.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am inspired by great music and the opportunity afforded me to expose young musicians to that music. The performance of wonderful music is my roadmap for classroom instruction and the motivational tool I need for my students.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Every time one of my students makes an honor band or wins a music award outside of our school, I get very excited. The experience of the first ever student that I taught who made the N.C. All-state Band always stays fresh in my mind. He didn’t study privately; the only help he received in preparing for the audition was from me. He made first chair tuba in the middle school band and was so proud, as was I. This young man still keeps in touch with me today. He’s now 26; he didn’t go into music, but he counts that experience as one of his personal favorites, which is really rewarding for me.

NORTH DAKOTA Jon Baumann

Director of Bands Bismarck High School Bismarck Years at School: 8 Total Years Teaching: 13 Students in Program: 140 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe the most important key to success is a love for teaching music. If you don’t love what you do, you can never expect the students you work with to appreciate the art form we love. I also believe you must be organized, punctual, and have the ability to listen, and not just in the musical sense. Students will always work harder for someone who they know cares about them.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Nothing inspires me more than seeing someone doing a great job; it doesn’t matter if it

is music, math, or social studies. It really motivates me to work even harder for my students.

“There is nothing more rewarding than having students achieve beyond what they thought was possible.”

– Jon Baumann, Bismark, N.D. MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: The most memorable moments for me continue to be when a student who is working very hard to master a concept, finally gets it. There is nothing more rewarding than having students achieve beyond what they thought was possible.

OHIO

Ryan Smith Associate Director of Bands Lakota West High School West Chester Years at School: 1 Total Years Teaching: 7 Students in Program: 400 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I think putting your students in a position to be successful is one of the best attributes of a good music teacher. We teach and review basic fundamental playing skills each and every day, before we even get to the music. No amount of great literature can replace good tone, rhythmic, and technical ability. Finally, being successful also hinges on the willingness to adapt and learn new things each day, week, and year.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU Great performances by our groups, either in rehearsal or on stage in front of an audience, is why we do what we do.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: The most memorable event of my career is having my very first band, on the way to my very first football game, seek refuge on the floor of a bar, in uniform, as a tornado touched down less than one mile from our bus. What a way to start a career.

OKLAHOMA Kirby Swinney

Director of Bands Shawnee High School Shawnee Years at High School: 11 Years Teaching: 24 Students in Program: 120 KEYS TO SUCCESS: The master key to success is the pure enjoyment one gets by working with kids. There seems to be too many directors who believe that the highest level of musical performance takes precedence over everything else.

While it is important to challenge my students and push them to achieve at a high level, my job first and foremost is to make sure that the time I spend with my students will result in positive experiences that will make them want to continue to be involved in music for their entire life.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: The moment when a struggling beginner finally gets the light to come on. When a student with no parental support finds a way to succeed.

When a student takes the time to do some small thing for me without me asking him to. When a kid simply says thank you.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I really couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put my finger on one thing.

There are so many, but I would say that the things I remember most fondly are little things that I remember about former students and my experiences with them in the past. All of the awards won at contests have been great, but nothing compares to the day to day experiences just interacting with the kids. It keeps me feeling young and alive.

a professional level, I attend conferences, workshops, and am active in Oregon Music Educators and the Oregon Band Directors Association. I do not hesitate to share ideas or ask questions of other band directors. I also communicate on a regular basis with both school and district administration regarding what is happening within my music program. But the biggest key to my programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success is that my students know I care about them as individuals, both in and outside the class-

room. I make a point to show support of their other extracurricular activities by attending athletic events that they participate in, as well as other music events such as choir concerts, Portland Youth Philharmonic, and recitals.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Seeing my students with a sense of pride of being in the band. When I come to school every morning and see that students enjoy coming to my classes, it makes me want to give them every bit of energy that I have.

OREGON Dave Matthys

Band Director Lake Oswego High School Lake Oswego Years at School: 6 Total Years Teaching: 30 Students in Program: 148 KEYS TO SUCCESS: The keys to my success as a music educator are communication and involvement with my peers, administration, and students. On School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 61

50 MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Last year after all the band contests were over, I took the seniors on a trip to the beach. Watching them as they had such a great time together showed me how good of friends they had become. Their friendships, and all the memories that they have shared with each other since starting beginning band together, will last a lifetime. Knowing that I had a part in creating this is one of many things that I have found gratifying in teaching music.

PENNSYLVANIA Michael Mackey

Band Director South Fayette High School McDonald Years at School: 6 Total Years Teaching: 6 Students in Program: 337 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe the key to success as a music educator is rooted in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal growth and maturation as a musician, from childhood through professional training and performance. It is critical that music educators consider their own experiences in music, the best and the worst, when developing teaching strategies.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: As a music educator, I am inspired by travels with my wife and the exciting opportunity to experience the people, food, and cultures of the world and the wonderful music behind them all.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: My most memorable moments as a teacher come each time I see the joy and excitement on the faces of my students following a great performance, knowing that they will remember that experience for the rest of their lives.

RHODE ISLAND Mark Colozzi

Co-Director of Bands Cranston High School East Cranston Years at School: 23 62 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Total Years Teaching: 29 Students in Program: 350 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Respect is number one.

Students respond positively when this virtue is addressed on a regular basis. It must be demonstrated in all aspects of the program, instructor to instructor, instructor to student, and student to student. This is not an easy task, especially in this day and age. Additionally, time commitment is integral, as students will return the dedication that the instructor displays. Lastly, a positive attitude, even under the most adverse of conditions, our economy is certainly testing in us in this realm.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I feed off of the energy and enthusiasm of the great kids who I have the honor to teach. They certainly keep us older folk hip. It is especially inspiring when students show resilience in striving for excellence under any and all circumstances. I like that fact that they will not settle for less than what they are capable of. This truly amazes me.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: It is actually a moment that occurs from time to time, when a student who struggles with learning issues achieves a high musical standard through total perseverance and love for the art form. There is nothing more gratifying as a music educator than to witness such growth and determination. How fortunate are we who are given the opportunity to teach something that truly opens the door for success for all students.

SOUTH CAROLINA Dr. Jerry Gatch

Director of Bands Lexington High School Lexington Years at School: 15 Total Years Teaching: 23 Students in Program: 180 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I have found that building strong relationships with my students enables me to motivate them to strive for higher levels of

musical excellence. That strong relationship also gives students a boosted self-esteem, engendering the courage that it takes to study privately, try out for region/all-state bands, and play a solo at Solo & Ensemble Festival. Additionally, I think students will follow suit if they can tell that their teacher loves making music.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Like the golfer that has one or two great shots per round that keep him coming back, I think I have had enough great instances as a band director to keep me passionate about teaching music. Seeing the proud look in studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eyes as they master a technical passage once thought to be impossible, noting chill bumps on them as they beautifully shape a lyrical phrase, and having the eyes of everyone in an ensemble fill with tears out of sheer emotion from a musical performance are some pretty great shots. Fore!

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Luckily, memorable moments have been abundant in my teaching career.

Certainly among the list would be having the wind ensemble featured at conferences like NBA/CBDNA, MENC, SCMEA, and festivals like the BOA National Concert Band Festival, The Disney Honors, and NAI, and having the marching band distinguish itself at our state championships, BOA Regionals, and the Tournament of Roses Parade. I think most poignant is the moment which, thankfully, is a recurring moment: when I get a phone call from a new band director who is a former student of mine. There is a bond and a level of appreciation from both ends of the line that is rewarding beyond expression. The former student gets some advice, which may or may not work, and I get the affirmation that I have passed along my passion for making music and helped others to do the same.

SOUTH DAKOTA Shane Macklin

Band Director Roosevelt High School Sioux Falls Years at School: 8 Total Years Teaching: 18 Students in Program: 170 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Caring about the success of students. Pushing students to succeed, not allowing excuses, and showing students that they all have the potential to succeed no matter what the circumstances.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Students developing as young adults in our program and achieving great things. Great musicians, great performances, and great music.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: My most memorable moment was at a marching show when we had performed very well in prelims. Finals were cancelled at the last minute be-

cause a light rain had started. The students were very disappointed, so much so that we performed the show in the parking lot, and as I looked around I saw tears running down their faces.

They were performing for the true love of the show, the music, and what it meant to them. It was at that moment that I realized how important my job was and how much music can affect the lives of students and their parents.

TENNESSEE Jim Smith

Director of Bands Houston High School Germantown Years at School: 18 Total Years Teaching: 27 Students in Music Program: 285 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Successful band directors need to not only like kids, they need to be actively interested in their lives away from band. What we

do for our students is no more or less important to most of them than are their academic, athletic, or community responsibilities. In band, we either blow spit into it, hit it, or wave it on the end of a stick. Keeping this in perspective is important.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Students react differently to band. They join for a variety of reasons both musical and social. In every group, there are a few special kids with a strong passion for what we are trying to accomplish. I find much motivation in trying to meet their expectations and make the day special for them.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: After 27 years as a band director, the marching trophy moments and strong festival performances tend to run together. My very first beginner band consisted of 16 kids at a small private school. We performed “Sneaky Pete” during a concert late in the fall. I did not know then that I would still be doing this all these years later. I wasn’t even sure we would get through the

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 63

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tune. I’m not certain I can hum festival tunes from two years ago, but I remember every note of “Sneaky Pete.”

Texas

Gary L. Faust Band Director W. Charles Akins High School Austin Years at School: 5 Total Years Teaching: 27 Students in Program: 160 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe that this career is not for me, meaning I am not a trophy chaser. I am in this career for the kids. I am not concerned about my image or ego. I simply believe that this career of music education is a vehicle to help kids get to a better place in life.

It is a vehicle to help kids develop the characteristics necessary for a productive and successful adult life. It is the reason many of my kids come to school, and it is what they dream of every night. The kids will not remember the plastic trophies, but will cherish the journey to achieve them and the musical and artistic experience associated with the performance that earns these awards.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I was fortunate enough, in high school, to have one of the best music educators in our career decide to invest in my life: Ms. Paula Crider, formerly of the University of Texas and of Austin’s Crockett High School. I can’t imagine what my adult life would be like if I had not been of a part of her band and had she not chosen to make something of me.

Because of this fortunate interaction and influence by her, I chose to give back to my world by doing the same thing for the kids who I would be fortunate to teach. The other piece of inspiration is that most people in our career believe that the only programs that have potential are those from affluent and Anglo communities. Successful music education programs are expensive, but there are ways around that issue. However, I believe and practice the idea that God did not discriminate when he disseminated talent and intellect. I was told that the kids at

Akins High School could not be successful on the highest level, and now I enjoy proving to the world they are completely wrong in thinking such a thing.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: When I got a call and learned that one of my greatest students, a very poor, underprivileged African-American student, was now the principal trumpet for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Also, when my marching band made it to the top-10 finals at the Texas UIL State Marching Contest.

I was told by numerous colleagues it could never happen.

UTAH

Michael Huestis Percussion Specialist American Fork High School American Fork Years at School: 8 Total Years Teaching: 11 Students in Program: 400 KEYS TO SUCCESS: An inspired love of discipline and self-motivation are the most important keys to fostering student achievement. Students who are shown what great things can be achieved through their enthusiasm for their work will be successful in music education and in life. Words like “work,” “quality,” and “professional” need to be used in the same breath as “fun,” “joy,” and “success.” When young people take these ideas to heart, great things happen. I believe it is my most important duty to teach students the satisfaction of enthusiastic work.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I am constantly inspired by today’s music students who overcome the trappings of our modern society. We live in a time of instant gratification, but music simply doesn’t allow for this to happen.

Music is a long-term commitment and there is simply no shortcut to achievement in our business. There is nothing more exciting for a music teacher than seeing a student finally succeed after having struggled with an instrument, a particular solo, or a difficult passage in their repertoire. The success of a student after a long term relationship with their instrument is most inspiring.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: One of the best moments for me

was American Fork’s series of performances at the Bands of America National Festival. The students knew that it would be a great honor to perform with the most accomplished schools in the country, and their efforts in preparation of the program for the festival were superior. The performances, the world class clinicians, and the esprit de corps that was presented by all of the participants, made it one of the best festivals that I have had the privilege to be a part of. The highlight of the festival was the inspirational clinic presented by Anthony Maiello to our students. His passion for music and efforts for young musicians had both the performers and their parents in tears. The entire event provided one of the highlights of my career as an educator.

VERMONT Rich Davidian

Band Director Montpelier High School Montpelier Years at School: 36 Total Years Teaching: 38 Students in Program: 235 KEYS TO SUCCESS: They are the same as the keys to success as a person – respect, perspective, balance, common sense, commitment, consistency, humor, inspiration, focus, and great music. Did I mention humor?

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Other fine educators, inspirational performances, music students who have made great progress through their own hard work, teaching material with which I feel confident, students who say thank you as they leave class, my two sons who are professional musicians.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: There are many; I’ve been teaching 38 years. Conducting an honors group. Jamming with a special needs student. Music education reflections over lunch with Lester Bowie. Learning about jazz masters from musicians who knew them or played with them. Students exceeding their own expectations.

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 65

50 VIRGINIA Tom Hopson

Director of Bands Virginia High School Bristol Years at School: 9 Total Years Teaching: 10 Students in Program: 120 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I believe there are many keys to success.

As music educators, we must be able to communicate our needs effectively to whomever we address. Students, parents, and administrators have to understand the needs of our programs.

Marketing ensembles through local public performances allows people to be familiar with our programs by providing an avenue for fostering support through awareness. I also feel that constantly evaluating my teaching, forces me to find new ways to be successful. I frequently request the opinions of my peers regarding the best way to handle classroom instruction and any situations that arise. Most times, they have encountered similar issues and can share insight about how to resolve almost any situation. I believe this is necessary, because our programs are in constant change from year to year with new students and new situations. Preparation allows us to be successful in all that we challenge ourselves and our students to accomplish.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I look in many places for inspiration. Sometimes it can come from observing successful programs, and sometimes it comes from personal accomplishments. My inspiration comes from the satisfaction I get from seeing my students succeed. Their success inspires me to find new ways to help them be successful in and outside of their music courses. When students come back years later and say how 66 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

much they enjoyed their experiences in my program and how those experiences helped them to be better at what they do in their lives, I am filled with inspiration to do the same for my current students. I also gain inspiration from fellow directors, specifically my high school director. He had a great influence on my development as a professional by having me strive for the best execution of whatever task we undertook. By setting achievable goals, he taught me that we always strive for more, to go further, when we are able to see ourselves successful. Understanding that I have other people to rely on for advice enables me to focus on bettering my program. Rehearsal is also a great source of inspiration. We all feel success from working through passages of music that had once seemed beyond our reach. This feeling of success is very inspirational. It helps me get through those days when nothing seems to go my way.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Everything that happens is memorable in my teaching life. So many things come to mind, but I guess I have to say that my most memorable part of school is the beginning of each year.

Transition is such an exciting time, new faces coming into the program, new musical voices becoming part of the creative process of designing and making music. It is always very exciting to see all the potential in the new students walking through the door of my classroom.

WASHINGTON Eric Parker

Director of Bands Central Valley High School Veradale Years at School: 6 Total Years Teaching: 7 Students in Program: 140 KEYS TO SUCCESS: A passion to instill a thirst for lifelong music mak-

ing skills and an honest approach in praise and critique of your own groups. I also think it’s important to delegate. I’m not always great at sharing responsibilities, but putting faith in student and parent leadership creates an ownership in all that we do. Building strong music programs is a community effort, and that community starts with your own students and their parents.

Teachers manage the steps and the goals from year to year, but the students and parents can create the blocks to build upon.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: My inspiration comes from the students’ faith in our music program and their willingness to work so hard to achieve our team goals. I love how music and band can give kids a place to belong.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: The final concert of my second year, I had senior students conduct the entire wind ensemble set. The kids sounded great; the student conductors were so serious and focused, and I was given the privilege to just be an audience member. The ownership everyone had in that concert was great to see.

WEST VIRGINIA Sam Leffingwell, Jr.

Band Director Hurricane High School Hurricane Years at School: 6 Total Years Teaching: 12 Students in Program: 57 KEYS TO SUCCESS: To be an effective teacher, one must find a balance between the professional, marital, and family parts of their lives. Learn to not micromanage by trusting others with delegated duties. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask veteran band directors for advice and guidance.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: I enjoying observing the developmental process of students making life, beauty, and art out of something as lifeless as sheet of paper containing scratches and scrawls of ink. Witnessing the “Oh, I finally get it” look from a student who has been struggling with an idea or concept makes me eager to come to work.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: During my third year at my first teaching position, I took great pride in watching my students receive a superior rating at the state festival for the first time in nearly twenty years.

WISCONSIN Craig Mason

Music Department Chairperson Stoughton High School Band Stoughton Years at School: 15 Total Years Teaching: 21 Students in Program: 350 KEYS TO SUCCESS: Regardless of your career choice, you need to have passion for, and believe in, what you are doing, particularly if you work with people. Organization as a band director is crucial, as well as communication, creativity, flexibility, and the ability to see the big picture outside of your classroom.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Almost every person I have had contact with inspires me in some way. This could be a musical person, or not. For instance, one of my high school social studies teachers was very passionate regarding the mistreatment of Native Americans when Europeans began settling in America. Even as an adult, 20 years later, he inspired me to do research and perform a piece of music dedicated to the battle at Wounded Knee. He and I composed a narration to go with the piece, between movements, and he actually read this at the performance. It was one of the most moving experiences for my students, me, and the audience, that I have ever been a part of.

Not only was the performance very

emotional, but the process of learning the music, having guest artists, specialists in Native American music, and lecturers working with the students over a period of time made the experience even more special. Many students were inspired to write poetry, papers, and do projects in their other courses related to this topic.

None of this would have been possible without the inspiration that Tom Lawrence gave me when I was a 16year-old high school student.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: There are so many that it is difficult to center in on one. Perhaps seeing my high school brass quintet work with and perform with the world famous Canadian Brass. The quintet was selected as the only group to do this.

It was wonderful watching them sit mixed and perform pieces together, as well as share information and have some very special conversations 16 years later.

WYOMING

If you blame others for your failures, do you credit them with your successes?

WHAT INSPIRES YOU: Turning skeptics into believers.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: I took a band in the middle of summer made up of students from six different schools and six different communities to perform in Washington D.C., New York, and Boston. We took three busses of students, six directors, and six bus drivers on a two week trip that involved a three-day, two-night, non-stop travel schedule to the eastern United States. Wow! What a trip! By the third day, the buses smelled awful; everyone was grouchy, muscles were sore. We all needed showers in a terrible way. I don’t think the awful smell ever was completely removed out of those busses, and we had the return trip to look forward to! Lots of fantastic life long friendships emerged from that trip. Students still call me up to reminisce about that incredible journey

Richard Garcia

Director of Bands Evanston High School Evanston Years at School: 4 Total Years Teaching: 26 Students in Program: 140 KEYS TO SUCCESS: I have this list hung up in my office. It serves as a great reminder of success.

You can’t do everything, but you can do something. To lead a band, one must sometimes turn his back on the crowd. Ships don’t come in; they are brought in. There are no limits to the amount of good you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.

Oversleeping will never make dreams come true. There aren’t any roles for success that work unless you do. One reason that big apples are always on the top of the basket is that there are always a lot of little ones holding them up there. Keep your mind open; something good might enter.

Failure is the line of least persistence.

One of the best things a man can have up his sleeve is his funny bone.

§ Surve

y

If you are interested in participating in upcoming

SBO

music education surveys, please contact Editor Eliahu Sussman at

esussman@symphonypublishing.com

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 67

SBOTechnology: Posting Music on the Web

Three Easy Steps to Posting Your Music on the Web

W

hen our ensembles are able to hear their own

BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.

performances, they take notice. Taking your recording technology to the next level and posting your ensemble’s music to a Web site will pique

the interest of parents and students alike.

Dr. John Kuzmich Jr. is a veteran music educator, jazz educator and music technologist with more than 41 years of public school teaching experience. He is a TI:ME-certified training instructor and has a Ph.D. in comprehensive musicianship. As a freelance author, Dr. Kuzmich has more than 400 articles and five textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America.

For more information, visit www.kuzmich.com.

Let’s take a closer look at this technology and walk through the process of digital recording, converting audio files to MP3s, and posting music to the Web. This can result in true CD-quality (44.1 KHz) audio streaming and give you and your students an accurate tool with which you can make quality assessments. This technology is becoming easier for both teachers and students to use and, better yet, it is very economical.

Step one: find yourself a quality digital audio recorder.

There are number of exciting portable and hand-held options. Sony ICD-UX70 Some of these are digital, and some can burn directly to CD, but both kinds have ultra high quality capabilities that go far beyond that of traditional tape recorders.

Step two: edit and/or convert the recording to MP3 file format.

Step three: post the MP3 file to the Web and program it for audio streaming. (“Streaming” simply means that users can listen to the audio file without having to wait for the entire file to download.)

The right software applications make it incredibly easy to post sound files to the Web. Every school music program would benefit from such creative exposure.

Some sample recordings can be found on my Web site (www.kuzmich.com/iaje/iaje_digital.html).

Step One: Selecting Hardware It’s possible to make digital audio recordings with a computer, but the process can be complicated. A dedicated portable digital recorder is usually the way to go, especially at the current reasonable prices. There are two sizes of these devices to

68 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

choose from: handheld (Sony, Zoom, Yamaha, Edirol, M-Audio, Marantz, Tascam, et cetera); and the larger, desktop size (Roland, Marantz, Tascam, Fostex, and Superscope, among others). Many of these larger recorders can be transported in a carrying case not much bigger than a notebook.

These are usually powered by A/C current, although some can run on batteries. Many models in this recorder size have the capability of remote operation, means they can be controlled right from the podium during a performance or rehearsal.

Some desktop, or tabletop, recorders write directly to CD, while others record to a hard drive or memory card, which can then be burned to disc. For instance, the Superscope PSD300P records to CD-DA (Compact Disc – Digital Audio); it has no hard drive or memory cards. The Marantz CDR310 records to a hard drive in CD-DA, WAV, AIFF, or MP3 formats. When burning to a CD, the CD-R format is decided by the recording format. CDDA is compact disc digital audio and the other three formats are data discs.

The Roland CD-2E records to memory cards in WAV format, which can be burned directly to a CD, or removed and loaded onto a computer for editing and storing. The user can record directly to CD-R or CD-RW to make an audio CD, too.

The Superscope PSD300 is essentially a mini recording studio in a box the size of a small briefcase. Current models start somewhere in the neighborhood of $799. It’s as easy to use as a portable tape recorder, and is designed for live recording directly to blank CD-R or CD-RW discs. It also boasts a second CD player drive with real-time CD playback controls, including looping, tempo and pitch control. Just plug a pair of microphones directly into the unit to record CD-quality digital stereo. Automatic level control pro-

vides “worry free” recording. Best of all, this system is portable enough to take anywhere inside and outside your school. Record daily practice sessions in your music room. Record concerts, musicals, competitions, and other “live” events. Make and duplicate CDs almost instantly for students to take home. Because these recorders also have a built in microphone, speaker, and amplifier, they are great for placing on a table to record meetings and lectures. And the unit can connect to external speakers for playback in a large rehearsal room.

The other option is handheld digital recorders, which are revolutionizing the concept of on-the-go recording.

Not only are they extremely small, but many models have built-in microphones that greatly simplify operation. You can often plug the outputs of a mixer into a portable recorder to create an instant audio carbon copy.

Popular handheld recorders can record a live performance, capture audio for a podcast, record rehearsals or lectures, and document musical ideas wherever you are. While many of these small devices can only hold a few hours of audio, there is considerable variance in memory size (the Sony ICD-UX80, for example, can hold 36 hours of high-quality stereo MP3 audio).

The Sony ICD-UX80 is compatible with Windows and Macintosh computers. It has pitch control and special A-B looping playback features, making it easy to transcribe recordings on the go. This small recorder has a small backlit monochrome display, microphone, and headphone jacks. It uses only one AAA battery, weighs 1.7

ounces, and fits into a shirt pocket.

It even has playback effects capable of stressing middle ranges ideal for vocals, high and low ranges for rock, high ranges for a lively jazz sound, and a setting for bass emphasis. An easy search mode quickly finds different tracks.

A colleague of mine recently tested the Sony recorder in a concert hall. He was on the third balcony, about 200 feet from the group on the stage, and the device was placed on his legs without an external microphone. The re-

Superscope PSD340

sulting recording was fabulous. With a very small external stereo microphone, the Sony ECM-DS70P electret stereo microphone, this miniscule recorder has capabilities that rival most desktop recorders. And recording levels can be manually adjusted.

The Sony ICD-UX80 is very sensitive, so I recommend that you press the record button and place it on the desk or any stable surface before the music starts and just let it record. If you are holding it, it may pick up any movement as “hand noise,” which is common in handheld recorders. To avoid hand noise, try placing it on a mouse pad. The ECM-DS70P microphone can be positioned so that it does not reflect sound from other surfaces, such as that of a desk. It is hard to believe that such a small recorder can compete with a desktop recorder in both sound and product features – and for less than half the price.

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 69

Step Two: Working with Audio Files Most older digital recorders only record in WAV file format. To post these files to the Web, they will need to be converted to MP3 format. MP3 is an audio compression technology that provides high-quality digital audio

files in a fraction of the size of WAV or audio CD (CDA) format, making them ideal for portability, transferring, and downloading music.

There are other file alternatives, such as Microsoft’s WMA (Windows Media Audio), which about half the size of WAV files. WMAs are not as small as MP3s, which can be up to 16 times smaller than a WAV file. WAV files are the Windows standard default for digital audio files (AIFF is the Mac equivalent). WAV files do offer the highest quality digital sound, but they are too large for practical Web applications. One advantage they have over their smaller counterparts is that WAVs can be edited with feature effects, while the MP3 can’t be edited as easily in a compressed mode.

Fortunately, most of the current handheld digital recorders use both WAV and MP3 recording formats. In 70 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Step Three: Web-casting With Audio/Video

the case of the Marantz PMD620, you can record using the MP3 compression format. Of course, if you record using the WAV format, it is best to later convert the file to MP3 for Web use.

Streaming Web sites should be the Desktop recorders vary in their norm by now for school music proformatting capabilities. The Marantz grams promoting themselves to parCDR310 records to a hard drive in ents, administrators, community, and CD-DA, WAV, AIFF, or MP3 formats. the world. In order to post and play The Roland CD-2E records onto audio and video over the Internet, you memory cards in WAV format, need two key technologies: data comwhich can then be used to burn pression and streaming or Web-casting. a CD or uploaded to a computer Web-casters either stream MP3s or use for editing or storage. media players such as QuickTime, ReAudio editing software is analAudio, or Windows Media. In order other way to convert files. Most to receive a Web-cast, each “audience of these programs will have an member” must have a media player in“Import” or “Record” format stalled on his or her computer and that setting along with options for seplayer must be compatible with format lecting the Sample Rate and Reof the Web-cast. cord File Type for a given projStreaming provides instant gratiect. There are several acceptable fication. Rather than downloading file formats that may be importa complete file, the user receives the ed into a given program. When audio or video as a bitstream. The these files are imported, they are bits are played in the order they are decoded and placed into the forreceived, and then they are discarded. mat of the given project. Once Streaming puts the content in front of edited, the audio can often be the user much faster than downloadexported as compressed (MP3) ing, and it doesn’t consume a lot of or uncompressed (WAV) files. disk space on the user’s computer. But My favorite music software be aware that audio and video files can utility program is Audio Creator be huge. One minute of CD-quality

by Cakewalk, which has a wealth stereo audio uses about 10 MB of disk of robust and easy-to-use functionspace and videos are many times largality. Six modules offer just about er. To distribute such large files over everything needed to manage a digital the Internet, data compression is used music collection. This includes recordin the streaming. Unlike the compresing, editing, tagging and organizing, file sion used to reduce the dynamic range conversion, online sharing, ripping, and of an audio signal, data compression burning. Audio Creator lets users acreduces the size of a file so that it can complish just about any pre-production be transmitted over the Internet more need, including moving music around to efficiently. the Web and to a portable MP3 music There are two stages to data complayer. Another option is iTunes from pression: encoding and decoding.

Apple, which can be downloaded for The encoding stage requires software free. iTunes converts files to MP3, and called an encoder. The encoding algocan do this with other not-so- “Audio and video streaming are popular audio ingredients for formats, such MP2. You will school music Web sites.” appreciate its editing capabilities by being able to add effects, clean rithm analyzes the original file, deterclicks, pops, and noise, and apply FX mines which portions can be omitted plug-ins (VST & DX), apply volume or represented with fewer bits, and and pan envelopes, and automatically then creates a new, smaller version of cross-fade audio clips. the file. Unlike CD audio or WAV files,

essential

top-notch

Closing Comments

Cakewalk’s Audio Creator

encoded audio and video files cannot be played back in their raw form. They must be decoded using a media player. I like to use RealNetwork’s RealOne Player and its proprietary RealAudio format, which has the distinction of being the first participant in the streaming media medium and allows you to reduce the audio file size substantially. The sound quality associated with RealAudio is very dependable. RealOne Player (free) and RealOne Player Plus are available for both Mac and PC and can be downloaded on the Web (www.realone.com). Other media players capable of being a conduit for your music include QuickTime and Windows Media.

There is no doubt about it: audio and video streaming are essential ingredients for top-notch school music Web sites. I can record a concert and post recording of the entire show in less than an hour, and that includes the time needed for Web site construction. Featuring our students’ work on the Web can be a public relations tool that will catch the attention of students, friends, parents, relatives, and school administrators. One of the best examples of good public relations comes from New Trier High school band program of Winnetka, Illinois. View examples of how streaming can enhance a music program: (www.ntjazz.com). The jazz program at New Trier High School regularly broadcasts their concerts live over the Internet, and concerts are available via streaming 24 hours a day and seven days a week on their Web site.

Have any tech ideas or experiences to share? Visit www.sbomagazine.com/techfeedback to take part in our readers’ survey. This simple online form is your opportunity to voice music tech needs and make thoughts and success stories known. Your responses will help shape upcoming music tech columns!

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 71

NewProducts Zoom H2

The Zoom H2 Handy Recorder is a professional quality portable recorder that captures audio in clarity. The H2 has the ability to capture sound in 360 degrees with support for a four-gigabyte SD card. The H2 has the ability to record studio-quality audio using a cell-phone sized recording device.

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The Young Musicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Survival Guide: Tips from Teens & Pros

Tone Gear String Cleaner

The String Cleaner by Tone Gear is said to extend the life and preserve the tone of guitar strings by removing harmful substances like sweat and oils and keeps strings strong. The revolutionary design allows for 360 degrees of cleaning power. String Cleaner requires no solution, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no possibility of it damaging frets. Featuring cleanable microfiber pads, it saves money on new strings by prolonging the life and the tone of the string. It retails for $12.99.

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72 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

This second edition book by author Amy Nathan can help young people with some of the hassles involved in learning an instrument. It is filled with practical tips from older teens and from professional musicians, including Wynton Marsalis, Paula Robinson, James Galway, Andre Watts, Joshua Bell, and Evelyn Glennie, who tell how they handled learning-an-instrument problems as kids, and how they deal with some of those same issues today.

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NewProducts Grover Pro’s New Hybrid

The T2/HS Hybrid model features a solid hardwood shell, dual-width jingle slots, double mounted white skin head, staggered-jingle slot configuration, captive pin system and hand-hammered jingles. The Hybrid model is distinguished by the introduction of both resonant German silver jingles with a row of Grover’s new heat treated silver jingles. The result is resonant, dry, sonorous, and articulate.

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Introduction to the Conga Drum Pro-Mark’s New System Blue Sticks

The TXDC51W is made of American hickory. It is 16 ¾” long and .680” (17.3mm) in diameter with a modified barrel-shaped wood tip. The unique tip produces exceptional articulation throughout a wide volume range.

The DC51 is slightly smaller overall than its ‘big brother’, the TXDC50W, and incorporates a “Comfort Flare” into the shaft design. The “Comfort Flare” provides maximum control but with a smaller stick.

The TXDC52W is also made of American hickory.

It is 16 ½” long and .630” (16mm) in diameter with a ball-shaped wood tip. The DC52 was designed specifically for smaller hands, yet strikes the perfect balance between manageability, maximum volume and articulation.

www.promark.com

Michael Spiro’s new instructional DVD, Introduction to the Conga Drum is for beginners, or anyone needing a solid foundation in good conga drum technique.

Spiro demonstrates how to execute the six fundamental strokes on the conga drum, in a clear, step-by-step manner, and gives the student dozens of exercises to combine these basic sounds into usable patterns. In Part III, Spiro also shows how the fundamentals are actually used in some of the most important Afro-Cuban rhythms. The DVD retails for $25.

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Percussion methods class a bit foggy?

Clear things up at www.pas.org

Join Now! Student and Professional Memberships Available www.pas.org 317.974.4488 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 73

NewProducts Alfred’s New Christmas Songbooks

The Best Easy Book of Christmas Guitar offers over 100 songs including more than 80 songs in lead-sheet style with guitar chords for sing-alongs and for performing with other musicians, plus a special section of solo guitar recital arrangements. This comprehensive collection is suitable for holiday parties, churches, Christmas recitals, and shows, or

to use to entertain family and friends. The Best Easy Book of Christmas Guitar is now available for $19.95.

Alfred also introduces Christmas Hits Sheet Music Playlist.

This collection includes Christmas standards as well as new surprises like Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Wizards in Winter,” along with classics like “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” “Auld Lang Syne,” and selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” all arranged for piano, vocal, and chords. Christmas Hits Sheet Music Playlist is now available for $19.95.

Finally, The World’s Most-Beloved Christmas Songs offers 272 pages of, comprehensive Christmas sheet music with over 70 of the most popular holiday favorites, all arranged for piano, vocal, and chords. The World’s Most-Beloved Christmas Songs is now available for $24.95.

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Leonard Slatkin Youth Orchestra Series

Music print publisher Hal Leonard Corporation has collaborated with renowned conductor Leonard Slatkin to create his namesake series of educational publications. Holidays for Piano and Strings is the first collection off press in the Leonard Slatkin Youth Orchestra Series.

Maestro Slatkin is currently the music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and also principal guest conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, he spent 12 seasons directing the National Symphony Orchestra, and from 1979 until 1996, he directed the Saint Louis Symphony, which has named him Conductor Laureate.

Slatkin has made regular appearances with virtually every major international orchestra.

Holidays for Piano and Strings features his clever, intermediate-level arrangements of 10 beloved carols, designed to showcase a student piano soloist accompanied by a youth string ensemble with optional bass and percussion parts. Slatkin provides insightful performance notes for each piece and demonstration recordings of all the songs. Holidays for Piano and Strings is now available, and many more titles are scheduled to follow in the Leonard Slatkin Youth Orchestra Series.

www.halleonard.com

CD430: Christmas with Chicago Chamber Brass & Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus. 25 traditional Christmas favorites, including Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, First Noel, We Three Kings, etc.

CD420: The Tubadours, Disneyland’s favorite tuba quartet. Classical favorites & Christmas traditionals: Nutcracker, Mouret Rondo, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, First Noel, God Rest Ye, O Tannenbaum, etc.

CD875: Captured! The Bassoon Brothers. “Just plain hilarious” Seattle Times.

Fanfare for the Common Bassoonist, Hey Jude, Yankee Doodle, Roll Out the Barrel, Godfather Suite, Carmen, Pizzicato Polka, etc.

CD432: The Make Believe Brass. 18 Wild, Wacky, & Winsome Works for Brass Quintet. Willy Tell Overture, 1812 Opener, Comedian’s Galop, Sabre Dance, Over the Waves, Surprise Symphony, Granada, Stars & Stripes, etc.

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28818 NE Hancock, Camas, WA 98607 phone 360-834-7022, fax 360-834-9680; order@crystalrecords.com 74 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

Finale NotePad2009

MakeMusic, Inc. announced the release of Finale NotePad2009 and the introduction of the Finale Reader. Finale NotePad represents the industry’s most affordable introduction to music notation software, while the free Finale Reader lets anyone open, view, print and play any Finale file. Finale NotePad users can enter notes with their mouse or via step-time entry using any MIDI keyboard. NotePad can also open MIDI files as well as any Finale file. Its Setup Wizard makes it easy to create orchestrations of up to eight staves and create more specialized notation like guitar or bass tablature. Music plays back with the nuance of Human Playback and can be heard via the more-than-128 included sounds or through an external MIDI device. Features new to 2009 include a new Expression Tool and the ability to import/export MusicXML files.

The Finale Reader is a free download that lets anyone open, view, print and play any Finale file. In addition, it will be able to open MusicXML files, as well. Both Finale NotePad 2009 and Finale Reader are available for download.

www.finalemusic.com

NewProducts Atlas Sound Horns

Atlas Sound introduces a new line of constant directivity re-entrant horns consisting of three new models in 90° x 40°, 60° x 40°, and 40° x 20° configurations. The new horns offer improved uniform sound coverage over conical designs, as well as predictable and tight pattern control.

Atlas Sound has added a re-entrant design, giving the three new models increased air column length. Additional output and greater pattern control result when compared to traditional designs.

Ideally suited for paging, announcements, warning, signaling systems, and even music, the new Atlas constant directivity re-entrant horns are made from a polyester resin and fiberglass laminate. An integrally-molded diecast zinc throat section is included in each design to accommodate Atlas Sound PD Series drives, as is a heavyduty steel mounting bracket.

Yamaha’s Tyros3 Arranger Workstation

Tyros3 Arranger Workstation keyboard is equipped with the most advanced instrument voices that Yamaha has ever created. It lets players simulate subtle sonic nuances and performance techniques associated with wind instruments, like legato, staccato and vibrato. Special Articulation Control buttons add pitch bend and glissando to note-on and note-off events. Other voices are culled from Yamaha’s flagship Motif synthesizer and a new algorithm voices guitar parts like a real guitar player.

Almost every aspect of the computer-compatible Tyros3 has been redesigned and upgraded, from the sounds to the layout of the controls to the addition of faders and a high-resolution TFT 7.5-inch VGA color screen that is visible from every playing angle.

The new deep, detailed three-layer piano voice, drawn from a CFIIIs Concert Grand Piano, derives from the CVP Series of Clavinova digital pianos.

Tyros3 can even recreate the sound of an acoustic piano with the top open or closed.

Other features include a touch sensitive keyboard that gives expressiveness to performances, enabling players to control dynamics and expression. Tyros3 is packed with studio-quality DSP effects like reverb, distortion, and chorus along with the ability to perform one-touch recording onto the hard-disk recorder.

A USB port facilitates easy computer connectivity for transferring song data from the Tyros3’s 3.2 MB internal flash storage. The LAN port connects to Yamaha’s online music portals, Internet Direct Connection, Yamaha MusicSoft, and Digital Music Notebook. Users can download different song styles, instrument voices, and upgrades to the Tyros3, along with sheet music, songbooks and software.

www.yamaha.com

www.atlassound.com

School Band and Orchestra, December 2008 75

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David C. Allison Director of Bands Summit Parkway M.S., Spring Valley H.S. Columbia S.C. Submit your PLAYING TIP online at www.sbomagazine.com or e-mail it to editor Eliahu Sussman: esussman@symphonypublishing.com.

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Order today: Email mprescott@symphonypublishing.com or Call Melanie Prescott at 800-964-5150 ext. 24 to reserve your copy 76 School Band and Orchestra, December 2008

11th Edition

2009 Annual

Director’s Resource Guide YEAR LONG RESPONSE FOR YOUR AD 20,000 school band and orchestra directors will receive this exciting 11th edition, comprehensive DIRECTOR’S RESOURCE GUIDE, which will list hundreds of manufacturers, festivals, colleges, camps, state associations, military bands, uniform and footwear companies, fundraising, travel planning and much more. Plus, thousands of additional copies will be distributed at major educator conventions nationwide for maximum exposure.

THE ANNUAL DIRECTOR’S RESOURCE GUIDE WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL REFERENCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. GIVE YOUR COMPANY COMPLETE MARKET EXPOSURE, AND RESERVE YOUR ADVERTISING SPACE

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Advertising Close Date: JANUARY 15, 2009

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Advertiser __________________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State __________ Zip _____________________________________ Web-site ____________________________ E-mail__________________________________________________ Authorized by _______________________________________________________________________________ Return to: School Band and Orchestra 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310 FAX: (781) 453-9389 e-mail: rkessel@symphonypublishing.com

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80

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