SEPTEMBER AUGUST 2008 2008 $5.00 $5.00
Ben Brooks
of Reynolds High School
A Lifelong Pursuit of Music Guest Editorial: Syllabus Writing Survey: Economic Impact
Contents 20
September 2008
Features 14
FROM THE TRENCHES: STATE OF WISCONSIN Bob Morrison presents the findings of a recent study on the state of music programs in Wisconsin.
20
COMMENTARY: UNDERSTANDING INSTRUMENTS SBO contributor Tracy Leenman delves into the particulars of musical instruments, relating how tiny details might have a huge impact on your students’ performance abilities.
28
UPCLOSE: BEN BROOKS In a recent SBO interview, Ben Brooks, the acclaimed director of bands at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon, highlights the role of classical music in modern education.
40
SURVEY: ECONOMIC IMPACT SBO readers weigh in on how the current economic downturn will affect their programs for the upcoming year.
46
GUEST EDITORIAL: SYLLABUS WRITING Burke Sorenson walks step-by-step through the oftenoverlooked process of writing an effective syllabus.
54
TECHNOLOGY: MUSIC NOTATION TITANS John Kuzmich highlights the finer points of two music notation programs, Sibelius and Finale.
28
Columns
46
4 6 68 76
Perspective Headlines New Products
77 79 80
Classifieds Calendar Ad Index
Playing Tip
Cover Photo by Fritz Liedtke, Portland, Ore.
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.
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Perspective
Virtual Direction
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or years, video games have been the virtual enemy of many a teacher and parent as they draw students into a virtual world of action figures, war games, mazes, and other surreal environments. The time spent playing these games has taken far too much time away from homework and, of course, practicing their instrument (as well as other human interactions). As game consoles and technology have advanced, however, there have been developments that are on the verge of reversing this trend, particularly in the music world. The first large-scale game on the market that offered some musical relationships to playing an instrument was Guitar Hero, and not far behind was Rock Band, which pulled together a virtual ensemble of players who need to work together in order to win the game. However, this left a void in the area of classical music. In the near future, Nintendo will be releasing (or may have by the time of the publication of this magazine) a game that will, according to the company, “Command an orchestra “Technology has in the conducting game where you’ll wave the Wii Remote helped to improve controller like a conductor’s baton to lead a Wii orchesmany areas of tra through orchestrated music. Make them play quickly, slowly, strongly or gently.” Although early demonstrations musical training and of this game show that it is far from being a simulation performance.” of a realistic conducting experience, its most pragmatic aspect appears to be the requirement that the player maintains an accurate tempo in order to replicate a musical performance. The basic game appears to be simplistic and doesn’t require technical aspects of correct conducting movements. However, a Web site, www.fauxharmonic.com, run by Paul Henry Smith, takes the Nintendo Wii controller to the next level by connecting it to a midi controller and tests of the abilities of the system while conducting Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. You can see his demonstration on YouTube under “Digital Orchestra Test with Wii Baton.” He indicates that “the results are promising, but I can easily see that this approach will have limitations as the music gets more complex. For example, when first violins need to be emphasized and then second violins immediately following them, how will the controller ‘know’ which instrument group to modify? We’ll probably have to pair multiple controllers (perhaps Wii-motes) with multiple musicians and computers.” Technology has helped to improve many areas of musical training and performance, including composition, recording, accompaniment, ear training, tuning, rhythm, and too many others to list here. Although conducting is an area that will take time before the software and human interface are up to the level where it will benefit training, it is not difficult to imagine there will be a time in the near future when this will be part of the standard educational repertoire.
®
September 2008 Volume 11, Number 9
GROUP PUBLISHER Sidney L. Davis sdavis@symphonypublishing.com PUBLISHER Richard E. Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com Editorial Staff
EDITOR Christian Wissmuller
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RPMDA Rick Kessel rkessel@symphonypublishing.com 4 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
HeadLines Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy
T
he second annual Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy was held August 4-9, 2008 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. This year’s Academy featured a collection of artist faculty from major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe. Students attending the Academy had the opportunity for intensive personal study with J. Lawrie Bloom (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Pascual Martinez Forteza (New York Philharmonic), Eugene Mondie (National Symphony Orchestra), Victoria Luperi (Fort Worth Orchestra), and Ronald Van Spaendonck (Brussels and Mons Conservatoires, Belgium.) Each faculty member conducted a master class during the Academy, as well as a one-on-one lesson with each Academy student. Students were given the opportunity to perform during the master classes for evaluation and coaching and, each class concentrated on a specific topic. Lawrie Bloom focused on orchestral bass clarinet excerpts, Pascual Martinez Forteza discussed air support and tone production, Eugene Mondie related his experiences as an orchestral E-flat clarinetist, Victoria Luperi discussed orchestral excerpts and auditions, and Ronald Van Spaendonck introduced advanced and extended clarinet techniques. Students were also given the opportunity to study instrument technology with Buffet Crampon’s master woodwind technician François Kloc (director of Sales and Marketing) and woodwind technician Bruce Marking. During the technology sessions, François and Bruce instructed the students on cleaning and disassembling their clarinets, as well as basic maintenance and trouble-shooting. The Academy hosted a number of recitals during the week, including the opening concert featuring the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra clarinet section (Peter Wright, principal; Marci Gurnow, 2nd and bass; Artie Clifton, 3rd; and Bruce Marking). The students were also given an opportunity to showcase what they learned during the Academy with two nights of student concerts at the conclusion of the Academy. Accompanying the students were pianists Rachel Clifton and Scott Watkins. The Academy’s artist faculty was featured in an evening concert, accompanied by New York City-based pianist Gema Nieto Forteza. The recital culminated in the world premiere of a piece commissioned for the 2008 Buffet Crampon USA Summer Clarinet Academy. Written for clarinet quintet by Paul Richards, Associate Professor of Composition at the University of Florida, “One Step at a Time” was composed to feature each artist faculty member at one point during the piece. Next year’s Academy is scheduled for July 27-August 1, 2009 and will be held once again at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. For more information, visit www.buffetcrampon.fr.
Conn-Selmer All American High School The Board of Education in Leitchfield, Kentucky, supported its local school music program at Grayson County High School two years ago by accepting the invitation to become a Conn-Selmer All American High School. This partnership with Conn-Selmer has become the cornerstone of a total commitment to the school for the growth and stability of the fine arts programs. The Conn-Selmer All American High School program recognizes the most outstanding high school instrumental programs in America. With the special relationship established with these schools, the Conn-Selmer program assists the school in owning new, quality instruments in order to improve the quality of their programs. The six-year program helps to establish the school system as a leader in music and music education. The program also includes scholarship and educational opportunities for the band program, as well as an extended warranty for instruments. Visit www.conn-selmer.com for more information.
6 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
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HeadLines Disney Youth University
O
n August 3rd and 4th, 63 travel planners representing 36 youth travel companies came to Disney Youth University at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The two-day conference gave travel planners helpful tips on how to sell Disney Youth Programs at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World. Disney Youth Programs are available for group of 10 or more and include opportunities to perform, learn and celebrate at the Disney Parks. Travel companies in attendance include 3D Travel Company, Adventures America, Bob Rogers Travel, Capitol Music Fest, Country Cruise and Travel, Educational Tours, Inc., Entourage Management, Florida Fundraising Youth Services, Florida Sunshine Festivals, Gregory Travel, Group Travel Consultants, Group Travel Network, KSA Events, Inc., Learning By Travel, Legendary Tours and Travel,Inc., Mary Miller Travel, Mayfair Travel, MEI & Mouse Fan Travel, Memorable Tours, LLC, Musical Destinations, Inc., Noteworthy Tours, Performing Arts Consultants, Receptively Yours, LLC, Sonshine Educational Tours, Spectrum Tours, Straight A Tours, Student Group Tours, Inc., Sunsational Receptive Tours, Super Holiday Tours, Tour-rific of Texas, Travel Planners International, World Class Vacations, WorldPass Travel Group / GET Travel, and WorldStrides.
8 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
The 36 travel companies at Disney Youth University.
To learn more about Disney Youth programs, visit www.disneyyouthgroups.com.
Online Survey Results Did you paticipate in any non-school-related musical events this summer?
50%
Yes
50%
No
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.
National Events Spring Festivals and Spring Parades for 2009
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Spring Festivals & Parades for 2009 Include these Exciting Destinations: Chicago / New York City Hawaii / Orlando / Vancouver Los Angeles / San Francisco Bay Area The Apple Blossom Parade & Festival in Winchester, VA The Kentucky Derby Parade & Fesitval in Lexington, VA St. Patrick’s Day Parade — Ireland / Hawaii / New York City
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HeadLines Phantom Regiment: 2008 DCI World Champion
T
he annual Drum Corps International DCI World Championships ended this August with the Phantom Regiment from Rockford, Illinois winning their first outright Drum Corps International Championship after 35 straight appearances in the finals. It was the Regiment’s second title overall. Phantom Regiment and the Blue Devils shared the DCI title in 1996. The High General Effect Award and annual Spirit of Disney Award, which recognizes entertainment, also went to Phantom Regiment. Visit the Phantom Regiment online at www.regiment.org.
Teaching Guitar Workshops Expand for 2009 & 2010 The Board of Directors of the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association agreed to expand the Teaching Guitar Workshop Program to include twelve workshops, up from ten in previous years. The expansion means that 600 school music teachers will receive guitar training through 2009 and 2010. The increase is equivalent to a 20 percent expansion over previous years. The decision to broaden the scope of the workshops was brought about by Guitar Center’s pledge of $100,000 to the program. It is estimated that the additional 100 school music teachers will introduce guitar to 10,000 children in their first year of teaching guitar.
10 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
The twelve site locations for 2009 are still being researched. The Guitar Education Team (GET) is currently investigating the following cities: Gahanna (Ohio), MENC Headquarters in Reston (Va.), Colorado Springs (Colo.), Dallas (Texas), San Diego (Calif.), Atlanta (Ga.), Pittsburgh (Pa.), St. Louis (Mo.), Manchester (N.H.), Indianapolis (Ind.), Nashville (Tenn.), Boise (Idaho) and Toronto, Ontario. To learn more about the Teaching Guitar Workshop program and find out how you can get involved, visit www. discoverguitar.com.
HeadLines ASBDA Awards
T
he American School Band Directors’ Association has awarded the “Outstanding State Chair Award” to Rick Catherman, Director of Bands at Chelsea High School (Mich.), Monte Dunnum, Director of Bands at Westby Area High School (Wis.), and Jeff Phillips, Director of Bands at Hendersonville High School (Tenn.). Mr. Catherman, ASBDA Executive Board Member-atLarge, was the Michigan State Chair when his chapter hosted the 2007 Dearborn, Michigan National L-R: Rick Catherman, Monte Dunnum, Convention. The 2008 and Jeff Phillips. Brookfield, Wisconsin National ASBDA Convention was recently hosted by Wisconsin State Chair, Mr. Dunnum. President-Elect, Jeff Phillips, will be the chair for next year’s 2009 ASBDA National Convention
12 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
to be held in Nashville, Tennessee. The award is meant to recognize those ASBDA State Chairs who perform their leadership duties to the highest level possible. Nominees can gain points by performing the following duties: gaining new state chapter members, retaining state chapter membership, chapter membership attendance at the national convention, successful state activities and projects, submissions of articles for publication in the ASBDA national newsletter; and holding regularly scheduled state chapter meetings. The presentation of this award was made at the 2008 ASBDA National Convention in Brookfield, Wisconsin. American School Band Directors’ Association Immediate Past President, Dr. Edward Cannava, of Centennial, Colorado, presented the award on behalf of the membership of ASBDA. ASBDA is a national organization of elected members, dedicated to promoting quality band education through research, study, promotion, and publication. They have published the ASBDA Curriculum Guide, used by successful school districts and college music education departments across the country. To learn more about the ASBDA, visit www.asbda.com.
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SBOFrom the Trenches
Good News, Bad News, and Exploding Myths BY BOB MORRISON
O
ne of the great aspects of what I do is my role as private investigator – I mean, researcher. For the better part of my career I have
been in a constant search for information that might provide a true picture of what is happening in our public schools. The data I found led me to author our first report, The Sound of Silence: The Unprecedented Decline of Music Education in California Public Schools. The impact of this report – it was the catalyst that lead the state of California to invest more than three-quarters of a billion dollars over the past three years to restore music programs – convinced us that we were on the right track (see SBO August, 2006).
14 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
We followed the Sound of Silence with legislative work in Arkansas to help mandate music and art for every child (see SBO March, 2005). This was followed by last year’s groundbreaking report for the state of New Jersey, Within Our Power: The Progress, Plight and Promise of Arts Education for Every Child. This was the first ever look at the status of arts education for every child measured in every school in the state. One of the actions taken as a result of this report included New Jersey becoming the first state in the nation to include the arts in district level accountability measure compliance with state policies. The first state ever (see SBO October, 2007). Which brings me to our latest work, Arts Education in Wisconsin Public Schools: A Preliminary Review, which was commissioned by Arts Wisconsin, the state’s arts service, advocacy, and development organization, and the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, the statewide organization dedicated to arts education. The report was analyzed and prepared by Music for All (with yours truly as the lead author). It provides the first detailed research conducted on the state of arts education in Wisconsin and was released a few weeks ago at a special statewide meeting. The research of this latest study shows that while music and art are nearly universally available in most Wisconsin school districts serving grades 6-12, there has been a 5 percent decline in overall student participation during the past four years, creating cause for concern. The report also noted that most students are afforded no opportunities to learn dance or theater. In what I term a “surprising finding,” the report also notes – now pay attention to this – the more rural a community, the higher the levels of student involvement in music and art. That’s right. Rural communities had a higher percentage of students enrolled in music and art than more urban schools. The more rural a community, the higher these numbers went. At the same time, the more rural a community was, the more favorable the ratio of students to arts teachers (a low student/arts teacher ratio is preferable) was, as well. In addition, the affluence of a community appeared to have little or no influence on the percentage of student enroll-
ment in arts education. If anything, on some measures there was a more favorable trend for less affluent communities than in the more affluent communities. That’s right, community wealth has no impact on the status of arts programs!
What Does it All Mean? Well, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that music and art, at least from a district perspective, are widely available to students. The bad news is that the recent decline in student participation in all music and art deserves greater scrutiny and are cause for concern. More importantly some key myths (and some excuses administrators use to justify the reduction or elimination of programs) have been burst, including: 1.The wealth of a community has no impact on the existence or status of arts programs. This showed up in New Jersey. It showed up in Wisconsin and it is showing up in other states where we are currently working. 2. The more rural a community the more students are involved in the arts programs. This may be something that is limited to the Midwest. However it has shown up enough for us to say administrators in rural communities cannot hide behind “being rural” as a justification for limited or no programs. As saying goes, sacred cows make the best hamburgers! These are two sacred cows often used to defend cutting programs that we are happy to throw on the barbeque. So with the above as an abbreviated summary, following are the key findings.
Grades 6-8 Overview
Music courses are offered by 97.4 percent of all school districts, representing 99 percent of statewide student enrollment. Of all students with access to programs, 89 percent participate in music. Concert Band, General Music and Chorus are the main courses with student participation. However, the percentage of student enrollment in Music declines significantly between the 6th and 9th grades. Dance and Theater, except in rare instances, are not available in District Grades 6-8. Where Dance is available, student participation at the middle school level is higher than in Theater.
Grades 9-12 Overview
Art education in District Grades 912 shows both a depth of program and diversity of offerings available to most students. All school districts serving grades 9-12 report offering courses in art. There are 139,227 students enrolled in art courses at this level representing 47.66 percent of students. General Art/Design, Two Dimensional Art and Three Dimensional Art have the most student participation. Access to music courses in District Grades 9-12 is nearly universal. However, student participation levels continue to decline. In this grade range, 98.8 percent of all students have access to music programs, yet, only 34 percent of all students (100,417) are enrolled. The decline in the percentage of student participation between the 9th and 12th grades is 23 percent. The programs with the highest percentage
“The more we know about what is really happening in our schools, the better decisions our policy makers will make.”
Most students in district grades 6-8 have access to art courses and participation is high. 96 percent of all students in district grades 6-8 have access to art courses. 75 percent of all students in this grade range across the state are enrolled in art programs. That said, the course offerings actually provided are limited. Music in district grades 6-8 shows a similar level of access and participation.
of student enrollment are Concert Band, Choir, and Chorus. Theater, while more present than in district grades 6-8, involves less School Band and Orchestra, September 2008 15
than 5 percent of all students in district grades 9-12 across the state. Only 19.2 percent of all students have access to Dance – mostly in more urban districts – and only 1 percent of students participate.
Percentage of Student Enrollment
A key indicator of quality arts programs is the percentage of student enrollment (the number of students enrolled in an arts course as a percentage of the total student popula-
tion of the measured grades). This preliminary review found that the percentage of student enrollment in arts courses (Music and Art) is lower in urban areas (as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau) and higher in the more rural parts of the state. A higher percentage of student enrollment is preferable.
Student/Teacher Ratios
A similar finding was discovered when exploring the student/arts teacher ratio (the number of students in a dis-
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trict divided by the number of teacher assignments in the arts). Once again urban communities had a higher student/ arts teacher ratio (more students per teacher) and the more rural communities had a lower student/arts teacher ratio. A lower ratio is preferable.
Community Wealth Index Community affluence appears to have little or no influence on the percentage of student enrollment in arts education. The one surprising finding is that less affluent communities show higher participation in Art. Likewise surprising is a correlation between student/arts teacher ratio and the affluence of a community. Districts with a lower Wealth Index have a more favorable (lower) ratio than the more affluent communities. Side note: why this correlation exists requires additional research. Since this report is using District-level data it does not make any judgments about individual schools. Disparities between schools may be masked when data is aggregated at the District level (something we learned from our work in New Jersey). This is particularly important when looking at data from larger school districts. A more thorough review based on actual school-level information is required to provide insight into individual school performance.
Will Anything Change? The most important news is that this report will be used to create change. The information will be useful to educators, arts leaders, elected officials and civic leaders in the development of policies and programs that enhance 21st-century education for all Wisconsin students. The research was presented to and will be used by the Wisconsin Task Force on Arts and Creativity in Education, chaired by Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and state superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster as they shape a new vision for creativity in the state.
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16 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
The Lesson The lesson here is this: the more we know about what is really hap-
pening in our schools, the better decisions our policy makers will make. This has, without exception, led to increased access to music and arts education. Maybe it is time for you to demand the same kind of information be developed in your state and community. You will be glad you did! To download the full report online, go to: www.musicforall.org/resources/ advocacy/wisconsin/.
For more information about what’s happening in Wisconsin, contact Anne Katz, Executive Director, Arts Wisconsin, (608) 255-8316, or by email at akatz@artswisconsin.org.
About the Data The data used in the preparation of the report is from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin’s Information Network for
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Successful Schools (WINNS) database. Since this report is using District-level data. it does not make any judgments about individual schools. Disparities between schools may be masked when data is aggregated at the District level. This is particularly important when looking at data from larger school districts. A more thorough review based on actual schoollevel information is required to provide insight into individual school performance.
About the Funders These reports do not just happen by themselves. Enlightened funders and like-minded officials make this possible. Funding for the research was provided by the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation, Milwaukee; the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Alliance for Arts Education, Washington, D.C.; Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC); and Ward-Brodt Music, Madison. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the Wisconsin Arts Board, and WEAC also participated in the research process. A special thank you goes to Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and state superintendent of Public Instruction Elizabeth Burmaster for their support of this project.
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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.
SBOCommentary:
Selecting Instruments
Understanding Your Musical Instruments BY TRACY LEENMAN
B
ore sizes, bell sizes, all those terms and numbers ‌ why are they so important, anyway? Do they really matter all that much? Think back to your undergraduate methods classes. If your experience was
similar to mine, you were taught what brands and models to buy; but were not necessarily taught why those brands or models were superior to others, or what to do if and when those brands and models were no longer available.
20 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
The truth is, those recommendations may have been based more on the personal preferences of the teachers (who may not have taught in a public school classroom for some time) than they were based on facts and FABs (a marketing term that denotes “features, advantages, benefits�). So, now that we are faced with innumerable company mergers, manufacturing changes, factories relocating, and manufacturing being re-sourced because of the waning dollar and other financial pressures, how do we ensure that the instruments we are purchasing will truly
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clarinet models: “17 keys, six rings…” This is somewhat akin to noting that a car has four tires (Bb and A clarinets will almost always have 17 keys and six rings, unless you are looking at a professional clarinet with a left-hand Eb key). On the other hand, when I tried to find out the bore size of a (different) major manufacturer’s popular student clarinet model, this feature was not on the Web site, nor listed in their product catalogs or price guides. I had
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are
you
to ask four company executives before one finally was able to give me a factual answer (in other words, in inches). Of course, each manufacturer will feature the specs and details they want you to pay most attention to – the things they feel they do better than their competitors – often without explaining the relevance of that information. Specs will often give you vital information about an instrument’s sound, durability, and suitability for whatever you intend it to be used for. Some examples: • To a non-trumpet player, the difference between a .459” bore and a .462” bore may not seem like much. But over a two-hour rehearsal, that 3/1000 of an inch may significantly affect a player’s endurance and ability to play with a focused tone.
in?
• Similarly, the difference between a .576” and .578” bore on a clarinet might seem insignificant, but the .576” bore is what produces the “classic” symphonic clarinet tone preferred by most players. Some beginning clarinets have bores as large as .587”, which make a much larger sound, but may make it difficult for young players to control their tone and intonation. • To the eye of a non-player, the difference between a 37 bell and a 43 bell on a trumpet may be barely discernible; but each different bell flare produces a distinct timbre, that may or may not work equally well in an orchestral, concert band, marching band or jazz band setting. Unless you are familiar with the processes involved in brass bell-making, you may not be aware of the difference between one-piece and two-piece bell construction, or of the significance of dovetailing in the manufacturing process, but an accomplished player will definitely feel and hear the difference in tone quality and projection.
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Ideally, as you study specs and features, each should be connected to a benefit to the player. For example, the reason a polycylindrical bore is essential on a clarinet is that a clarinet is built on twelfths, not octaves.
24 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
Hitting the register key raises a note not by an octave (as on a saxophone or oboe), but skips to the second partial, a 5th above that octave, (the 12th). And that 2nd partial is naturally slightly sharp, meaning that
the chalumeau (lowest) and clarion (middle) registers of a clarinet are often not in tune with each other. Then, the instrument skips another partial when going to the altissimo register, which is actually the 4th partial (a 6th higher than the clarion register), which is usually flat (hence the need to add the right-hand pinky key to the fingering to stabilize the pitch). To compound this problem, the clarinet, with its smaller reed and mouthpiece facing, does not give the player the flexibility of pitch adjustment that a flute or oboe or saxophone does. A polycylindrical bore is tapered through both the upper and lower joints to produce better intonation and sameness of tone between registers. It also improves focus and eliminates sharpness in the throat tones. In contrast, cylindrical bores are those that run straight through the instrument from upper to lower joint, lacking the tapering that is vital to keeping the instrument playing in tune. Thus, a polycylindrical bore
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is what is found on nearly every professional clarinet, and what is usually preferred on student clarinets. Another place where a careful study of specs and features can be important is in your marching horn line. Imagine the sound of a fine barbershop quartet – the “ring,” the clarity, the blend. This happens when four voices with distinctly different timbres combine (with accurate intonation); the result is a unified, characteristic sound that projects well at all dynamic levels. Compare that to a chord played on the lowest notes of the piano, and consider how difficult it is to discern the quality of that chord (major vs. minor) because the pitches are so low and close together, and the timbre of all the notes is the same. The louder the chord is played, the harder it is to discern its quality. There are acoustical principles operating here that apply to band instruments as well. When choosing marching horns, remember that the bore and bell size, and the shape of the bell flare largely determine the timbre and projection of the instrument. For example, a marching mellophone has a brighter sound than a marching French horn or baritone because it has a smaller bore, and bigger bell with a wider bell flare that give it that characteristic “mellophone” sound. Its unique timbre fits well between the much-brighter trumpet and the lower baritone, without creating “muddiness” in the sound - a true “alto voice” in your “low brass quartet.” A mellophone that has the same (larger) bore size as a concert French horn, for example, may not project as well and may have a timbre too similar to the marching French horns and baritones in your horn line. A smaller bore will also make “slotting” of partials easier, especially in the higher registers; while a larger bore may make intonation and rhythmic accuracy more difficult, especially in longer rehearsals. Marching baritones are manufactured with a wide range of bore sizes – anywhere from .500” to .571”. Considering that the bore of most student trombones is .500”, a marching baritone with the same size bore may not have a distinct enough tim26 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
bre, if you march trombones as well as baritones. If your marching charts are written with the baritones on a different – lower – part than the trombones (as opposed to using marching baritones in lieu of trombones), a different – larger – bore size would add more contrast, depth, and strength to your low brass sound. On the other end of the spectrum, .571” is the bore of most concert euphoniums (again, more suited to concert band), and may not project well across a marching field, especially if the bell is no larger than that of your marching French horns and mellophones. Marching baritones with a mediumlarge (around .562”) bore may fit well in between your tenor trombones and your lower instruments, or they may blend too well with your bass trombones (usually also .562” bore) to add dimension to the section sound. Or, the baritones could help reinforce your bass trombone sound, if your chart is written with one part for both those instruments. A marching euphonium is meant to be the distinct middle voice between the marching baritone and the sousaphone. Unless the two instruments (baritone and euphonium) have distinctly different timbres, they may “muddy” the low brass sound rather than adding strength and depth to your band’s tonal foundation. Thus, if your marching euphoniums have the same bore size as your marching baritones – or the same bore size as your bass trombones – you may lose clarity, definition, and projection of sound. The lower-pitched instruments are, the more difference is required in bore and bell size to create distinctly different timbres – just as the lower intervals are played on the piano, the larger the intervals have to be in order to sound distinctly different. Each band director has his or her own “sound concept,” and each band has its own unique sound. Rarely, if ever, does one model of instrument suit everyone’s needs. However, understanding the significance of the features and specs of various models can help you get the maximum benefit out of each instrument you and your students purchase.
UpClose: Ben Brooks
A
Lifelong
Pursuit of Music BY ELIAHU SUSSMAN
28 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
B
en Brooks is a veritable institution in the greater Portland (Ore.) orchestra scene. He’s been teaching music in Oregon Public Schools for over 35 years, with the last 30 of those years in the town of Troutdale, on the outskirts of metropolitan Portland. Under his direction, the Reynolds High School
Symphony Orchestra and String Orchestra, whose primary performance venue since 2003 has been the school’s Ben Brooks Auditorium, have won six state championships and numerous other awards. He’s also spent 15 years conducting a renowned community ensemble, the Mt. Hood Pops Orchestra, and has been active with the All-State Band, the Northwest Bandmasters Association, the Oregon MEA, MENC, ASTA, and a slew of other music education organizations.
School Band and Orchestra, September 2008 29
Such dedication to a profession, while perhaps rare, isn’t unheard of, and it is fitting that Ben Brooks declares music to be a “lifelong pursuit.” A living testament to this philosophy, Brooks has spent decades fostering, as he likes to say, “musical appreciation through performance.” In this recent wide-ranging SBO interview, Ben speaks of the vital role of classical music in modern education.
I was on a prospective teaching fellowship in 1970, but then I got drafted and went into the military. There, I joined the Armed Forces School of Music. I played the clarinet in a military band for a few years. Then I got a master’s in music ed and conducting from the University of Oregon around 1976. It’s a bit of a varied kind of a background, in some ways.
School Band & Orchestra: What’s your own musical background?
SBO: When did the education bug bite you?
Ben Brooks: I started piano at five and violin at seven or eight. I grew up in a musical family. My dad taught high school music, so I went through all of his classes. I went to the University of Oregon, and graduated from there in 1969 with a performance degree on the violin.
Reynolds High School Music Programs at a Glance Location: 1698 SW Cherry Park Road, Troutdale, Ore. Director or Bands: Ben Brooks Number of Students in Program: 300 Recent Accomplishments: • Winners of the Mt. Hood Conference Jazz Competition (19 championships in the past 20 years) • Clackamas Community College Jazz Festival champions: Band in Black (2007) • Mt. Hood Conference Champions: Wind Ensemble (10 years running), Symphony Orchestra, String Orchestra (both orchestras have been champions of the Mt. Hood Conference since its inception) • Disney Heritage Festival: 8 first-place trophies (2008), including festival’s “Most Outstanding Band and Orchestra” • State Champions: String Orchestra (2008) • State Champions: Symphony Orchestra (2008) • State Competition: Wind Ensemble - Fourth Place (2008) • Rose Festival Starlight Parade: 2nd Place (Marching Band - 2007 & 2008)
BB: Well, I never planned to be an educator at any given point. When I was getting out of the military, my young wife and I had a daughter on the way. I had some auditions lined up which were very tentative, and because I went to the University of Washington on this prospective fellowship, I’d gotten some teaching certification, so I was qualified to teach music. A job in education came along which was a sure thing. Once I got into that, I knew that that was the right place for me. After a couple of years – it takes four or five years to learn what to do right – I really enjoyed the teaching. I still enjoy the teaching. I enjoy going to work every day. SBO: What was it about teaching that first appealed to you? BB: It was the kids; it’s not the music. Helping shape kids and helping them grow up to become productive citizens. Also, transferring to them the love of music that I have, to influence that. I think of it as teaching music appreciation through performance. In 1972, I started at Oregon City High School, which is only about 20 miles down the road from where I am now. I was teaching at seven elementary schools and the high school orchestra. Then, after a year, the high school band director retired, so I became the band and orchestra director. At that point I didn’t teach at so many elementary schools. From there, I went to Columbia High School, which is actually the forerunner of Reynolds High School, which I’ll explain in a moment. I was there from 1977 through 1989 or so. At that time, our school district had two high schools. In the late ‘80s, we had a real statewide budgetary crisis so our districts response was to consolidate the two high schools. Combined, they became Reynolds High School, where I still teach. SBO: So, basically, you’ve been at the same school for just over 30 years. How has the music department evolved in that time? BB: When I first got there we had a pretty standard program. We almost lost the orchestra program a couple of times over the years, especially during this time of budgetary crisis. SBO: Why do you think the orchestra was targeted?
Oregon Ambassadors of Music Tour, Rotenburg, Germany, in 2007. 30 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
BB: Perhaps because the orchestra doesn’t play at the football games and that sort of thing. I’m a dual person, I still do band and orchestra. In a sense, the orchestra was the least visible program, but then the orchestra got noticed by winning a pretty large award at a state festival and administration figured out that they wanted to keep the ensemble. Since then, it’s grown quite a bit. Now, I’m running three
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concert bands, three string orchestras, a symphony orchestra, two jazz bands and we run a low-key marching program. SBO: Low-key? BB: We participate in a few competitions and parades, but we mainly just do halftime shows for our constituents. I have one gentleman who assists me part-time on the band side, and I have a one-third-time person who helps me with the orchestra. SBO: Approximately, how many students are in each of these ensembles?
The Reynolds Symphony Orchestra at the Heritage Music Festival in Anaheim, California, 2006.
BB: We have about 175 kids in the band program. Ensembles are in the range of 50-60, and I have about 130 string students. There are probably 30-40 kids per class, and those are ability-based. My select group is the smallest of them; that runs around 30 students. SBO: Is there overlap between the band and the orchestra students? BB: No. Where there is overlap is in our jazz program. That’s another 50 kids, but those students are also in other ensembles. Overlap-wise, the symphony orchestra is not an official class. I wish it were, but it isn’t. I run that ensemble
before school and most of my brass players come from jazz ensembles, and I get the best woodwind players out of the wind ensembles. We just do a lot of extra work, and that’s a wonderful experience for the kids to have, of course. I run a symphony of standard wind instrumentation with probably 80 or 85 students, but those students do overlap with the other ensembles. SBO: You mentioned that the symphony wasn’t curricular. BB: No, it’s just something we need to do in the music program, so we do it. Sometimes I’ll rehearse some of the
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symphony material during wind ensemble and sometimes I’ll have a jazz band period where I’ll rehearse. We meet before school, and sometimes we have an evening practice here and there. SBO: When the orchestra programs were under fire from the administration, what steps did you take to defend the ensemble?
Ben Brooks and the jazz band at the Clackamas Community Jazz Festival in 2005.
BB: I was very active. We serenaded the school board, attended meetings, and I organized a parent group that lobbied for us – within positive guidelines. My opinion is that the greatest music ever written in the history of western music was written for the symphony orchestra. It would be horrible to deny our kids that experience. The great masters wrote for that idiom, so it was a necessary element our schools had to introduce to the children.
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SBO: How do you inspire students to appreciate classical music, a genre which often gets very little exposure outside of a curricular setting?
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BB: Well, a part of that is the exposure. This year we did Mendelssohn’s “Reformation Symphony” and “Poet and Peasant” by von Suppé, just as an example of that kind of the material we tackle. First of all, if the students are simply exposed to wonderful music, they tend to love it. I try to do introduce quite a bit of historical background and talk about things like what Beethoven went through when he went deaf, or what some of the other greats went through. There is quite a bit of tragedy and intrigue in the lives of some of the great composers. The kids seem to learn to love the music because the music gives them something that no other class provides: it fulfills a need that is not filled by any other class we offer kids.
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34 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
BB: It’s a hard put into words the kind of wonder, emotion, and the art of performing the music at a very high level and the love of the wonderful melodies that the students get. They also get a great experience of working in a team, although that element is something they can find on the football field or in other places; but the musical appreciation is something that you can’t get just by listening: you have to perform it.
SBO: How would you describe your own teaching style? BB: In the classroom, I’m pretty old fashioned, pretty authoritative. But, especially with my advanced groups, we have a fair amount of collaboration. After we’ve gotten to a certain level and we’re trying to prepare for some of our larger competitions, there’s a fair amount of collaboration where the students can make suggestions and offer ideas. I haven’t always done that throughout my career, only for the last eight or ten years. SBO: What does the student collaboration add to the program? BB: The students might hear something that I don’t. The third clarinetist might hear something or someone in the trombone row may hear something that got by me. Or maybe he or she will have an idea on a better way to do something. It works quite well with the advanced groups; they have pretty good skills. SBO: Speaking of skills, how are your students’ abilities by the time they get to you? How are the feeder programs in your area? BB: Well that’s a really important point. You have to have really good teaching all the way through; you can’t just create talent. I get kids ages 14 through 18, approximately. In our system, we start orchestra in the fourth grade and band in the fifth grade. By the time they arrive at the high school,
the kids are fairly well trained in scales and articulation. As a violinist, they are probably coming to me with at least a rudimentary knowledge of five positions and of vibrato. I push rhythm skills and sight-reading. Those are two elements that are really important to me. A student that gets into the high school orchestra has already had four or five years of playing. Our students generally can play level 3 or 4 music when they come in.
[
]
“The greatest music ever written… was written for the symphony orchestra. It would be horrible to deny our kids that experience.”
SBO: And what’s your goal for when they finish? BB: My goal is that when they finish they will have been able to play some of the music of the masters. I suppose that’s level 6. My goals for the students, well, this is kind of an oldfashioned ideal, but I think music should be a lifelong pur-
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School Band and Orchestra, September 2008 37
suit. I try to give my students enough technical ability, and give them enough in their music appreciation that, if they decide, they can continue on throughout their lives. I also conduct a community orchestra, where the oldest player is 90 and the youngest is 15. SBO: That’s some range. BB: It’s a great range. I try to give my high school students enough background so that they can continue performing music throughout their life, if they choose to. That’s maybe my main goal.
[
]
“I think of it as teaching music appreciation through performance.”
SBO: What is your biggest challenge as an educator? BB: The hardest things that I face are all the things that
go along with being an educator but aren’t connected to musical performance… all the workshops and administrative, non-musical duties.
SBO: Have you felt the pinch of a tightening economy? BB: We are concerned. I guess it’s like anywhere else. The state pays “X” amount per student to each school district, based on how much money they raise each year. We’re in a little bit of a downturn in Oregon, so our school district is looking at about a $3 million shortfall for next year. And that means that we won’t be getting any new equipment or anything like that. So far, at least the music programs haven’t been cut. There have been personnel cuts throughout the district, but we’re status quo on the music front. SBO: That’s good to hear. If you could narrow it down to one thing, what’s the most rewarding element of the job? BB: The most rewarding thing is being around the young people and helping them mature into caring and productive young adults. SBO: Any other thoughts for your music education peers? BB: I’ve found music education to be a tremendously rewarding career. It is also tremendously time-consuming, but it is a career where if you get past that original burnout phase, after six or seven years, it can give you a wonderful life. I wouldn’t do anything else.
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SBOSurvey: Economic Impact
Testing Economic
Waters
B
etween rising gas prices, major credit crises, and massive deficits in the
Will your program feel the impact of the recent downturn in the economy this coming school year?
Federal budget, the US is facing economic uncertainty in proportions not
seen for some time. To find out how these financially troubled times are affecting the nation’s school band and orchestra programs,
No
22%
Yes
78%
this latest SBO survey seeks answers directly from school music directors themselves. Our readers weighed in with their thoughts on the subject, sharing the extent to which their programs will be affected and providing tips on overcoming obstacles presented by tightening budgets. 40 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
“We were already suffering before this downturn. Costs of instruments are causing parents to say no to kids who want to be in music classes.” Larry Petersen Huron High School Huron, S.D.
“If a referendum does not pass, our district plans to eliminate elementary instrumental music. I think the economy will make it hard to pass the referendum.” Madeline Elmhirst Robbinsdale Middle School Robbinsdale, Minn.
“We will not buy any new instruments this year and will only go on our festival trips if students can pay their own way, which is to be determined.” Sarah Jane Kang Millikan Middle & Performing Arts Magnet Sherman Oaks, Calif.
“The feeling of doom and gloom plus the pressure to buy necessities will cause some students to lose their instrument, as they will not have the disposable cash to pay for it.” Richard Powell Lakeside Middle School Anderson, S.C.
“I get $500 per year for new instruments, so I have to save up to purchase. It will be difficult to buy music.” Bob Urbani Peru Junior High Peru, Ind.
“In the last four years, we had to reduce the number of music/band teachers and have kept the same budget, but we’ve doubled the size of the band and choir! Go figure!” Janice Burch Deer River #317 Deer River, Minn.
What changes or adjustments will you be making, if any?
How does this year’s budget compare to last year’s?
8%
We have more money to spend
49% 43%
It’s about the same We have less money to spend
“I will be doing repairs on my own as much as possible. Also, I’ll be talking with music boosters about more assistance.” Wade Presley Nevada High School Nevada, Iowa “Unfortunately, we will have to take some of our fundraising money, which has typically been earmarked for travel, and use it for instruments and music.” Kevin Beaber Crowley County Schools Ordway, Colo.
“So far, we are lucky that the district has kept our budget the same. Enrollment is larger than it was four years ago.” Jeanne Johannesen CUSD 200 Wheaton, Ill.
“I will have to either limit what I do with my program this year, or ask all of the students to contribute money to the program to carry out the ideas I have for this school year. I will beg, borrow, and steal if I have to.” Jason Carter North Davie Middle School Mocksville, N.C.
Which areas of your budget are most likely to be affected?
Will your capacity to travel for competitions and festivals be jeopardized?
Purchasing musical instruments
14%
Repairs Uniforms
3%
24% 22%
Funds for travel and competition Purchasing new music Other
32% I’m not sure
38%
Yes
25% No
38%
5% School Band and Orchestra, September 2008 41
“We’ve been informed that we can have no bus trips for any purpose whatsoever. If I understand this correctly, it means no band festival, no programs to attend, et cetera. Kathy B. Tucker Page Middle School Gloucester, Va.
a pinch for a few years, everything you own won’t go bad at once. Also, ask for volunteer donations at concerts. People usually give more than you’d get if you asked for a set fee.” James Daugherty Central Davidson High School Lexington, N.C.
“Our budget continues to include money for traveling to festival, but there has been discussion of limiting any travel in order to meet the rising cost of fuel.” Stephen Bush Southwestern Central School Jamestown, N.Y.
“Fundraise with two-year goals in mind. Make some events every other year. Small schools and lower grades should consider band parent organizations – not just high school programs.” Mary Manion Mt. Ephraim Public Schools Mt. Ephraim, N.J.
“We’ll have to limit transportation this year mostly because my students will have more trouble coming up with their portions of the funds.” Kristy McPike Terre Haute South Vigo High School Terre Haute, Ind.
“It’s more important than ever to be a strong advocate for music education. Remind your audiences to spread their enthusiasm and support wherever they go.” Matthew Oyen Central High School Saint Paul, Minn.
Do you have any creative ideas to help band budgets weather economic uncertainty?
Additional thoughts on the effect of the weak economy on school music programs?
“Be in the habit of doing routine replacement of older/outdated instruments in a cyclical fashion, so that if you get into
“It is your job to make music with your students. Don’t complain to them about lack of funds – it may adversely
42 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
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affect their attitude towards music. You do have permission to complain about money to your administrators, however.” Peter Klemp Concordia Jr/Sr High School Omaha, Neb. “We educators know that musical participation keeps kids in school, helps develop the brain, gives kids a sense of belonging to a group, and teaches them self discipline; for some reason the higher ups in education do not see that. The Fine Arts are the first area that gets cut. “We have not seen it here in South Bend, because our program is strong, but the number of students starting instruments is down and that will impact us in the near future. Also the quality of instruction is down for strings because the principals want one person to teach band and orchestra, and these folks are not getting the job done equally. The administration just wants to get kids to graduate, but we really want to teach them to be life long learners and to appreciate our culture.” Denise A. Kuehner Clay High School South Bend, Ind.
44 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
“[Our town’s] school committee is looking into alternative energy solutions. Solar panels are being installed and wind power is being looked into. These options would save the district millions on energy bills. We hope that this will be enough to maintain our current level of service to the students.” Craig Hay Hopkinton Public Schools Hopkinton, Mass. “I am not overly concerned about my situation. Since I didn’t really have any money to begin with, my situation will most likely remain about the same.” Erika Branch North Woolmarket & D’Iberville Middle Schools Biloxi, Miss. “I worry more about families being able to cover the costs of being in band – there have been times where I have had to absorb costs for students who cannot afford fees. Hopefully the weak economy won’t last long!” Ben Harper Humboldt High School Humboldt, Iowa
SBOGuest Editorial: Syllabus Writing
Writing a K-12 Music Syllabus BY BURKE SORENSON
A
n effective syllabus is a commonly overlooked but essential pillar of any K-12 music class. In these introductory
statements, sometimes called disclosure documents, teachers set out the crucial information that they want students to know and be responsible for. As one of the first things that parents and students read, syllabi form a vital first impression, and the policies outlined therein can last the entire year
Instructor Information
– for better or for worse. Hence, any
Every syllabus should contain the instructor’s name, school e-mail address, room number, and classroom telephone number. Make this information clearly identifiable – perhaps in the top right-hand corner of the first page. Depending on how much trust the teacher has in his or her students, a home phone number, cell phone number, and a personal e-mail address may be included as well. Some teachers also include their planning period times, and whether they prefer to meet with parents before or after school. It is even more important to delineate possible meeting times if a music teachers travels between multiple schools.
ambiguity, omissions, or even imprecise wording can result in heartache and confusion for everyone involved. Writing a good syllabus takes thought and experience, yet many teachers receive little training in developing them. Following are a few suggestions for K-12 music educators on composing quality syllabi. 46 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
Greeting Unfortunately, a syllabus’ first paragraph may be the only thing that some parents will actually read, so make it count. Set a positive and friendly tone while briefly outlining your vision for the year. A greeting should be less than 100 words and let everyone know what to expect from the teacher and the class. A small 2x2-inch picture of the teacher can be part of the greeting, perhaps placed in the top left-hand corner of the first page.
Course Description A good course description gives an explanation of the content of the subject. Here is an example of a course description written for a typical band class: Cadet band offers advanced junior high school woodwind players the opportunity to learn and perform advanced note reading and rhythm techniques. In group and individual music settings, woodwind players will learn correct intonation, blending, and performance skills. They will also study musical vocabulary and terms, and critically analyze contemporary and historic band literature. Rehearsals concentrate on mastering scales, etudes, and concert repertoire. Cadet band members will perform in several performance venues throughout this yearlong course. In a public school setting where a music programs hosts a number of similar ensembles, it is helpful to show how a class fits into the hierarchy of music classes – for example, Cadet band is the highest-level woodwind ensemble at the school.
Course Objectives Course objectives are broad statements describing how a course will fulfill the program’s objectives and thereby satisfy student needs. Many educators begin this section with this familiar statement, or a variant of the same: “Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to…” Educators should communicate the skills and/or values that the course will instill in its students. This section preemptively answers the question that a parent might ask, “What will my kid get out of this class?”
Instruments/Materials Instrumental music educators in particular should include a paragraph in the syllabus about instrument quality and purchasing and renting musical instruments. To steer parents in the right direction, give the location and phone number of a trusted local music store or two. It is completely reasonable
to discuss recommended instrument brands and models, as well. Doing so will reduce the number of students who purchase or rent poorly constructed instruments. Outline the method/scale books, reeds, rosin, oil, folders, and all other miscellaneous supplies that students may need. Parents often have little experience in obtaining instruments and musical materials and supplies, so ensure that this section is written in a “Dummy’s Guide” style, without being condescending.
Concerts Because of their high visibility and importance, the initial course document should thoroughly cover everything related to concert performance. How many times have students shown up to a concert looking like they are going to the beach only to claim that no one told them that they should not sport their flip flops, bright pink shorts, and a Hawaiian tank top on stage? Get specific about the dress code including colors, shoes, and socks. In addition to the dress code, the disclosure document must include the year’s complete concert schedule for two reasons. First, parents need to know the concert dates so that they can plan their vacations and other activities without fear of double-booking their children. Second, posting the complete concert schedule enables music directors to hold students’ feet to the fire if they (heaven forbid) miss a concert. Highlight any concerts and performances that take place away from the school, such as music tours and trips. This also includes briefing the costs involved with these excursions. In addition, discuss the consequence of missing a mandatory concert. Many music directors also require students to attend an occasional professional concert performance.
Grading Include the grading scale in the disclosure document and if a point system is used, make clear the point value of every student activity. Use the syllabus to state the policies on extra credit and late work as well. Remember, parents do not always pay attention to whethSchool Band and Orchestra, September 2008 47
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er their child can sing or play in tune (some can’t tell anyway!), but few ignore report cards. Cover the homework policy, especially any extra curricular practicing requirements. Talk about the attendance policy, in-class performance testing, and any before- or after-school rehearsals that might affect learners’ grades. Most of all, leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that the grading policy is simple, fair, and well thought out.
Behavior Outline the class expectations, including rehearsal etiquette and student demeanor and conduct. Do not forget to mention the non-verbal aspects of behavior. List the basic classroom rules like talking in class, food and drink, gum and candy, cell phones, and other small but important topics. Do not neglect the teacher’s behavioral responsibilities towards the students and their parents – after all, it’s a two-way street.
Fundraising Since fundraising takes up so much time and effort, it is a good idea to give a brief overview of any fundraising projects that students will participate in during the year. Talk about the fundraising philosophy, including any mandatory student fundraising requirements. Highlight the dates of the fundraising campaign, what the students will be doing, and how parents can help. Always tell the parents and administrators what the money will be spent on, and state the fundraising dollar amount goal.
Parent Volunteer Opportunities Many parents want to get involved with their child’s music program, but are never given the opportunity. Use the disclosure document to ask for those who would be willing to help with the music program to indicate this, and be sure to follow-up with them.
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Including everything that needs to be covered in a short, easy-to-read syllabus is simply impossible, but if it is too long, no one will read it. To solve this conundrum, many music directors print a comprehensive band/orchestra/choir handbook as an addendum to the disclosure document. A complete handbook exhaustively covers a music program and fleshes out the details of the syllabus. This spares the disclosure document for only the most important information. Linking a course syllabus with a personal or school Web page saves space, as well. In fact, the Internet is a great place to publish the comprehensive music handbook. In general, a class syllabus should not exceed a single two-sided page. One motto to remember: maximum disclosure, minimum length.
Signatures Parents and students should signify their agreement and compliance with the disclosure documentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies by signing it. Many school districts legally require students and parents to sign a syllabus to participate in music programs anyways, but even if the school or district does not mandate any signatures, it is a good idea to require them anyways. Many teachers design their initial course documents with a detachable portion, enabling parents to keep most of the syllabus for future reference, while returning the signed portion to the teacher. File the signature away in a safe location for later use if they needed.
E-mails A great way to keep in contact with parents and students is through e-mail. If the disclosure document asks parents and students for their e-mail addresses, School Band and Orchestra, September 2008 51
For f ifty yea rs our secrets ha ve been locked.
music directors can use those to communicate announcements, changes in rehearsals, and other useful information. If a student is having trouble in a class and the parent is hard to get a hold of on the phone, sending an email can save the day.
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With all that this article has said about the importance of a good syllabus, one thing more needs to be said: No one reads syllabi! Parents usually get a stack of syllabi on the first day of school, and few read all them thoroughly, and students can be even worse in this regard. One way to encourage students to read an initial course document is to quiz them on it on the second day of school. Teachers who warn their students of an impending syllabus test will find that their learners may actually read it.
Conclusion promark.com
One of the best ways to refine a syllabus is to obtain and use feedback from parents, students, other educators, and administrators. Disclosure documents should evolve with the teacher, not just get Xeroxed from last year’s syllabus binder. Pack your syllabus with the most important information that you want your students and their guardians to remember. Keep a positive tone, and most of all, be yourself! Burke Sorenson received his bachelor’s of music education and his master’s of music in orchestral conducting from Brigham Young University. He has taught orchestra and general music in the Alpine and Provo School Districts, and has been on the faculties at Brigham Young University, Utah Valley State College, and Western Governors University. Mr. Sorenson is currently a doctoral candidate at Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
52 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
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SBOTechnology: Music Notation Titans
The Two Titans of Music Notation BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.
M
usic notation software is perhaps the most ubiquitous creative tool among music educators. Competition in research and development has opened up a new world of teaching and productivity that has, in turn, influ-
enced all notation manufacturers. Two companies have been at the very center of this growth: Sibelius and MakeMusic, the creators of Finale. Perhaps, the best thing that happened to Finale (1988) was Sibeliusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (1992) entrance into the American market in 1998. These notation titans have tried to out-duel each other Dr. Kuzmich is a nationally-known music educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience. He has certification from TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators) to serve as a training instructor throughout the country. His academic background also includes a Ph.D. in comprehensive musicianship. As a freelance author, he has more than 250 articles and five textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries. For more information, visit his Web site: www.kuzmich.com.
54 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
ever since with major updates, trendsetting, innovative features and user-friendliness; improving each other and all their competitors in the process. Sibelius and MakeMusic have also established a full-spectrum family of music notation products to attract entry, intermediate, and advanced users with affordable pricings. Entry-level students can begin learning with the same software interface of latest professional level music notation product, minus the complexity. These entry-level products can be gradually upgraded to approximate more advanced editions. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all. Sibelius and MakeMusic have created landmark video tutorials and automatic arranging features to teach creative composition from scratch. Both Sibelius and Finale have championed music scanning, which is the fastest way to input music scores. Finale partnered with SmartScore, and Sibelius with PhotoScore. There is no doubt about it: these are the Two Titans of the music notation market. Their variety of products and wealth of features have made a world of difference for
Shapes are used to represent elements of music such as rhythms, melodies, and chords. As a chosen character walks across the screen, the shapes play their sounds. A library of preset sounds is included, which children can drag onto the screen to build up their musical creations. They can then play back their piece, edit it, and see the elements displayed as music notation. Groovy Jungle introduces children to notes and notation, ostinato, major and minor scales, and simple musical terms. More complex musical textures are explored, and additional instruments allow them to experiment further with their own compositions. Music can be added to a composition by recording from a keyboard or other MIDI instrument, and compositions can also be viewed in a full-score display. In Groove City, students learn more about notation, and complete more complex listening tasks. They are also introduced to question and answer phrases and the blues scale, so that they can begin to create more sophisticated compositions. The library of sounds includes patterns, as well as individual sounds. Sibelius Compass is a unique program to help students systematically learn how to compose. It includes lessons, worksheets, and self-tests covering a wide range of topics, leading to complete composition projects. For each lesson in their theory and practice section, students study relevant interactive topics, test themselves with the built-in quiz, and try out what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned in the Tracker. Topics include melody, harmony, scales, rhythm, dynamics, transformations, timbre, texture, and form. Sibelius Student is the entry-level notation software based on and fully compatible with the Sibelius 5 software. It is designed for students in grades three through 12, and it is priced to suit the student budget. This complete notation software is intended to give students a positive experience with composing and arranging. The playback feature allows students to listen to and refine their compositions on the spot. Music 56 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
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Intermediate Instruments For The Entry Level Player
Designed for the entry and intermediate player, Master Class Series offer name brand quality at prices you can afford. Each instrument has been designed with professional features, indestructible cases, helpful accessories, assembly and care instructions and website support to ensure the beginning musician every opportunity to succeed.
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Many professional features and a host of exciting upgrades accompany every Concertino Collection instrument. Value packed, these instruments can easily pass for professional quality instruments except for their amazing low prices. Presented in black aluminum cases with matching velvet interiors, these beautiful instruments will enhance every performance.
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Value has a whole new meaning. Each Pro Classics instrument is hand made from the nest materials by skilled craftsmen. The highest quality woods, metals, plating and assembly techniques produce an instrument that will perform beyond your expectations. Best of all, prices are up to 50% below any comparable professional instrument in its class.
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can be published online at SibeliusMusic.com and scores can be shared and e-mailed between friends, classmates, and teachers. Even if your school doesn’t have Sibelius, Sibelius Student will save MIDI files compatible with most other music software. When students outgrow Sibelius Student, they can upgrade to Sibelius 5 at a discounted price. For details on differences between Sibelius Student and Sibelius, go to: www.sibelius. com/products/sibelius_student/features.html. Sibelius 5 is a music engraving program that can produce beautiful scores, inspire spellbinding performances, and print pieces that look as professional as published sheet music. It has a simple interface and great tools. Compositions can receive authentic sounding playback through the built-in Sibelius Sounds Essentials library, a 2GB collection of sounds selected from top-name libraries such as Garritan Personal Orchestra, Garritan Jazz & Big Band, Garritan Concert & Marching Band, and Tapspace Virtual Drumline. Its parts are dynamically linked to the score so users can flick between them using a drop-down menu. When changes are made to a full score, the relevant parts are automatically updated, and vice versa. Sibelius 5’s Ideas Hub is an easy way to capture, tag, find, and bring together musical ideas. Ideas Hub comes preloaded with over 2,000 ready-made ideas that cover all styles of music and help provide useful inspiration for your compositions. The Panorama view shows the music in a single, infinitely-wide strip, which is easy to read and navigate. It enables users to think just about the notes, and forget about page layout until they’re ready to print.
Finale NotePad is one of the wonders of music technology. It provides universal access to music notation and is compatible with the entire Finale family of products. Its streamlined interface offers a Setup Wizard to assist the selection of instruments or voices needed, and then sets up the score instantly. Lyrics can be au-
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tomatically placed under notes, and Human Playback plays the music as to the user’s preferences. Educators have made great progress with NotePad’s many invaluable features because their students can jump in and create music anytime at home and in the classroom. Recent additions to the features list include MIDI file import/export, step-time entry, and MIDI playback. MakeMusic’s challenge has been to add the most requested features, while keeping Notepad affordable to students. This fall, they plan to add more requested functionality, while keeping the price under $10. Check out the details at www.finalemsuic.com/notepad. Finale SongWriter is the entry-level version of the Finale music software. It can be used to create melodies and songs, then experiment and explore the possibilities using SongWriter’s powerful features. Create all types of lead sheets, including religious music, guitar, piano lead sheets and more. In addition to everything offered in Finale Notepad, SongWriter lets users enter music in real time by playing a MIDI keyboard, and add guitar fretboards and slash notation. Band-in-aBox Auto-Harmonization can add up to three voices of harmonization to a melody, and Drum Groove can automatically add a drum part to your
score. SongWriter can also save audio files for burning to CD. PrintMusic adds music scanning, import and export of TIFF graphics, and the ability to extract instrument parts from a score, useful for songwriters, students, teachers, church musicians, and band leaders. Included is MicNotator, which lets brass and woodwind players enter notes using a computer microphone. In fact, PrintMusic offers far more features found in the full version of Finale features than its significantly lower price might suggest. Finale Allegro is a Finale music score software program alterative with a variety of features that make it easy, fast, and powerful. Whether you’re an experienced composer, a beginner, or educator, the multitude of features allow the software to adapt to your specific needs. In addition to a powerful mixer to control volume, panning, patch and reverb, Allegro adds more Finale-level customization to the many features in PrintMusic. For example, guitar tablature beyond standard tunings of guitar and bass, Human Playback effects can be customized, and Allegro can also “optimize” a score, automatically hiding non-active staves on a system-by-system basis. At every turn, Finale is a leader in getting started, entering notes, adding
Every year I have attended the Midwest Clinic, I am reminded of why I chose this profession: to inspire and motivate young people through the art of music. The clinics, concerts and exhibits are creative and inspirational, giving me the boost I need in my own classroom.– – 2007 Midwest Clinic Attendee
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markings, lyrics, and playback. It offers exclusive educator tools, including expanded SmartMusic support. One aspect of this expansion is the support of Finale’s linked parts, which lets educators create SmartMusic files for their entire ensemble from one Finale score. Sonic options have been greatly expanded as well. Finale includes a huge library of world-class sounds, including hundreds of instruments from
Garritan and Tapspace, and Finale also supports all VST/AU instruments. Recent additions include the Aria Player (the next generation of VST players), multi-page editing, and workflow enhancements. Its contextual menu system pops up with a simple right click of the mouse, making Finale 2009 the most powerful and easiest version ever to use. Every menu system in Finale can be quickly generated with a simple
right mouse click. Its simple note entry system is extremely powerful and easy to use.
Product-By-Product Features To better understand and appreciate the full spectrum of quality of the two titans and their family of music notation products, download their product demos from their Web sites and give them a try. There’s no substitute for hands-on experience. For a bird’s eye view, the following tables give you product-by-product comparisons for each product in the entire Sibelius/Finale music notation family. The professional products offer the very highest, state-of-the-art features while staying user-friendly making, and the entry- and intermediate-level music notation products are very powerful, affordable, and attractive for most users. Writing your own music has never been more accessible.
Future Trends Can you imagine what the next decade of music notation will look like. if the last decade is any indicator? There are already several music notation products with multiple editing views. Mastering Music has a professional level MIDI and digital/ audio sequencer built-in. Plus over 400 lesson-plan tutorials that get students creating right “out-of-the box.” Tom Carruth of GIA Publications has just released a book that focuses on creative projects with Finale that include PDF files with stepby-step instructions on how to use Finale. Virtual instruments will be the next wave of authentic playback. In Finale 2009, Gary Garritan’s new media player allows the user simple customization of the vast library of virtual instruments built into the program that affords customization of playback sounds. Educator and composers of every level and kind owe a debt of gratitude to the battle of the titans. Our world of music looks and sounds better for it. 62 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
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Productivity Information Products
Manufacturer
List Price
Academic Price
Foreign Language Supported
Frequency of Updates
Charge of Updates
Computer Platforms
Operating Systems
Minimum Operating Requirements
Product Update Credit
Finale
MakeMusic, Inc.
$600
$350
German, Japanese, French, Italian
Annual
$99.95$169.95
Mac/Win
Mac OS 10.4 or higher. Windows XP/Vista 32-bit.
Minimum 512MB RAM
NA
Finale Allegro
MakeMusic, Inc
$199
See below
German, Japanese
Varies
$59.95
Mac/Win
Mac OS 10.3.9 and higher, Windows 2000/XP, Vista 32-bit
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
Upgrade to Finale: $300 ($125 academic)
Finale PrintMusic
MakeMusic, Inc
$99.95
See below
German, Japanese, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish
Annual
$29.95
Mac/Win
Mac OS 10.4 or higher. Windows XP/Vista 32-bit.
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
To Finale $400/$225 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; other upgrades available
Finale SongWriter
MakeMusic, Inc
$49.95
No
German, Japanese
Varies
NA
Mac/Win
Mac OS 10.3.9 and higher, Windows 2000/XP, Vista 32-bit
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
To Finale $450/$275 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; other upgrades available
Finale NotePad
MakeMusic, Inc
FREE
FREE
German, Japanese
Annual
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Mac/Win
Mac OS 10.4 or higher. Windows XP/Vista 32-bit.
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
To Finale $499/$325 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; other upgrades available
Sibelius Student
Sibelius
99
99
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
Approximately every 2 years
PC, MAC
XP, Vista OSX 10.4 or later
512MB RAM, 100MB hard disk space
Credit to update to Sibelius 5
Sibelius
Sibelius
599
329
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
Approximately every 2 years
PC, MAC
XP, Vista 32 bit, OSX 10.4 or later
512MB RAM, 350MB hard disk space
NA
The University niversity of Tennessee School of Music M offers the following programs:
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UĂ&#x160; >VÂ&#x2026;iÂ?Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;V UĂ&#x160; >VÂ&#x2026;iÂ?Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192; UĂ&#x160; >Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;V UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160; iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;wV>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x160;Â Ă&#x20AC;>`Ă&#x2022;>Ă&#x152;iÂŽ
Concentration areas include:
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UĂ&#x160;*iĂ&#x20AC;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2DC;ViĂ&#x160; UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x160; `Ă&#x2022;V>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2022;`Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;VĂ&#x160;EĂ&#x160; >ââĂ&#x160; UĂ&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x2022;VĂ&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160; VVÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;ÂŤ>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;
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Audition Dates:
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Application Deadline:Ă&#x160; iViÂ&#x201C;LiĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;ÂŁ]Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;ään Apply Online: www.music.utk.edu ÂŁĂ&#x2021;{ÂŁĂ&#x160;6Â&#x153;Â?Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;iiĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160; Â?Ă&#x203A;`°Ă&#x160; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x203A;Â&#x2C6;Â?Â?i]Ă&#x160;/ Ă&#x160;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2021;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2122;Ă&#x2C6;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2C6;ää *Â&#x2026;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;i\Ă&#x160;ÂnĂ&#x2C6;xÂŽĂ&#x160;Â&#x2122;Ă&#x2021;{Â&#x2021;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;{ÂŁĂ&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2C6;Â?\Ă&#x160;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;VJĂ&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Â&#x17D;°i`Ă&#x2022; 64 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
Productivity Features Products
Manufacturer
VST Support
Auto Arrange for Creating Compositions
Curriculum Test Worksheets Included
# of Sample Songs Included
Use ThirdParty Plugins
# of ThirdParty Plug-ins
Transposing
Minimum Operating Requirements
Product Update Credit
Finale
MakeMusic, Inc.
Full support of all VST/AU Instruments
Explode Music Feature
Over 50,000 Exercises
22 plus full access to Finale Showcase
Yes
+60
Yes – also offers concert pitch view
Minimum 512MB RAM
NA
Finale Allegro
MakeMusic, Inc.
No
No
No
Full access to Finale Showcase
No
NA
Yes – also offers concert pitch view
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
Upgrade to Finale: $300 ($125 academic)
Finale PrintMusic
MakeMusic, Inc.
No
No
No
Full access to Finale Showcase
No
NA
Yes – also offers concert pitch view
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
To Finale $400/$225 – other upgrades available
Finale SongWriter
MakeMusic, Inc.
No
No
No
Full access to Finale Showcase
No
NA
Yes – also offers concert pitch view
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
To Finale $450/$275 – other upgrades available
Finale NotePad
MakeMusic, Inc.
No
No
No
Full access to Finale Showcase
No
NA
Yes – also offers concert pitch view
Minimum 256MB RAM recommended
To Finale $499/$325 – other upgrades available
Sibelius Student
Sibelius
No
No
None
17 demo files
No
Not Applicable
Yes, by interval or by key
512MB RAM, 100MB hard disk space
Credit to update to Sibelius 5
Sibelius 5
Sibelius
Yes as well as AU
Yes
1700+
476 plus dozens of demo files
YesVST, AU
Thousands
Yes, by interval or by key
512MB RAM, 350MB hard disk space
NA
Notation Layout Features Products
Manufacturer
Extract Parts/ Score
Parts Dynamically Linked to Score
Stave/ Voices/MIDI Channels
# of Templates with Product
Notation Scroll View
Notation Page View
Notation Scaling
Family Ordering
Finale
MakeMusic, Inc.
Yes
Yes
Unlimited
68
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Finale Allegro
MakeMusic, Inc.
Yes
No
Unlimited
50
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Finale PrintMusic
MakeMusic, Inc.
Yes
No
24
31
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Finale SongWriter
MakeMusic, Inc.
No
No
8
0
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Finale NotePad
MakeMusic, Inc.
No
No
8
0
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Sibelius Student
Sibelius
No
Yes
12 Staves
37
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Sibelius 5
Sibelius
Yes
Yes
Unlimited
67
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Extract Parts / Score – Display and Print an individual track from a conductor score Parts Dynamically Linked to Score – One Part when updated appears updated also in the conductor score Stave/Voices/MIDI Channels – Number of parts in a conductor score # of Templates with Product – Number of different templates for conductor scores Notation Scroll View – One linear row for each part that scrolls continuously from beginning to end Notation Page View – Notation displayed in pages ready for printing Notation Scaling – Scaling notation vertically and horizontally to fit more or less bars on a line and lines on a page Family Ordering – Instruments grouped into families and the order of these families within a conductor score Staff Brackets and Braces – Brackets and Braces for staves in conductor scores based on family groupings
News
©
For Additional News in School Band and Orchestra, please visit www.sbomagazine.com 66 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
Staff Brackets and Braces
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NewProducts “Holiday Strings” from Kendor
Arranged by Robert S. Frost, this grade 1-2 collection contains 11 familiar holiday songs from divergent ethnic groups, each arranged in two performance formats: duet and string orchestra. These formats provide directors with versatility and variety in meeting the performance needs of beginning level string orchestras. In the duet arrangements, each instrument has the melody line and a harmony (duet) line. In the string orchestra arrangements each instrument has two parts that follow standard instrumentation, allowing for various instrument combinations between upper and lower strings. The optional piano book includes both duet and string orchestra accompaniments that will strengthen the confidence and sound of ensembles of any size. Titles include “Up On The Housetop”; “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”; “Silent Night”; “O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)”; “Joy To The World”; “Go Tell It On The Mountain”; “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”; “Ding! Dong! Merrily On High”; “La Piñata”; “Ma’oz Tzur (Rock Of Ages)”; and “S’Vivon.”
www.kendormusic.com
Yamaha Drums’ Hex Rack System
Yamaha Drums adapted the same hex shape that is synonymous with their tom arms and applied it to a newly-designed Hex Rack System. These hex-shaped pipes also provide superior strength over the rounded pipes that dominate the market. Yamaha also developed a method for attaching toms, cymbals, and accessories to the hex pipes. A two-piece combination gives drummers innumerable possibilities and infinite flexibility in setting up their kits: the Arm Clamp and Synthetic Open Sphere. The Sphere can be quickly and easily attached anywhere on the hex pipe with a Pacman-style spring, allowing the Arm Clamp to be easily secured onto it. The use of this Sphere and Arm Clamp together is twofold. First, it allows for the Arm Clamp, when loosened, to provide additional adjustability as it spins on the Sphere. As the Arm Clamp is tightened, the Sphere grips the pipe at the six hex points and eliminates slippage.
Orfeo Woodwinds Wurzbach Brass
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68 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
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Made in the USA
Pro-Mark’s Sean Vega Tenor Stick Pro-Mark Corporation announces the addition of the TS8 Sean Vega Tenor stick to its expanding line of marching sticks and mallets. The TS8, a part of the System Blue family of products, is made of American hickory. It is 16 1/4 inches long. It features a “Comfort Flare” grip measuring .730” (18.5mm) in diameter, tapering to .680” (17.3mm) in diameter, with a .730” diameter nylon cookie–style tip. It has the feel of a snare stick with the sound of a tenor mallet.
www.promark.com
The perfect music education duo: Mixcraft with lesson plans.
Mixcraft Reach more students with this easy to use music recording studio software. Mixcraft for the Classroom teaching aid. Connect music, technology, and interdisciplinary subjects with Mixcraft guided lessons. Expand student thinking, learning, and creative communication with Mixcraft for the Classroom.
*Lab license pricing available at acoustica.com/edu Download a FREE trial at acoustica.com/mixcraft *Requires Microsoft Windows
Mel Bay’s Modern Guitar Method Grade 3: Rock Studies
A reference manual designed for everyday use, Modern Guitar Method Grade 3 is a book and CD set is a collection of rock exercises and solos for guitar. This title presents basic fundamentals progressing towards techniques such as barre chords, power chords, ties, slurs, slides, vibrato, double stops, bends, harmonics, the whammy bar, tapping and more. It also includes numerous rock rhythms, chords, and scales suitable for everyone from the student to the professional musician.
www.melbay.com 70 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
NEW RESOURCES A CONDUCTOR’S INTERPRETIVE ANALYSIS OF MASTERWORKS FOR BAND
REHEARSING THE BAND by John E. Williamson, edited by Kenneth L. Neidig
by Frederick Fennell, edited by Kenneth L. Neidig Frederick Fennell, the “dean of American band conductors,” has freely shared what he called “longdistilled thoughts” about the world’s greatest music for band. In this collection, he covers original scores by Persichetti, Hanson, Schuman and Chance as well as classic works by Wagner and Holst. ISBN 978-1-57463-094-7 $19.95
In his foreword, Frederick Fennell says: “If you are a conductor, or are in training to be one—or are confused about how it’s going—this book is all about you and me.” Chapters written by Frank Battisti, Eugene Corporon, James Croft, Donald R. Hunsberger, Jerry F. Junkin, Craig Kirchhoff, Allan McMurray, H. Robert Reynolds, James Smith, John Whitwell and John E. Williamson. ISBN 978-1-57463-093-0 $19.95
TEACHING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC:
CANADIAN BAND MUSIC:
Developing the Complete Band Program DVD-ROM
A Qualitative Guide to Canadian Composers and Their Works for Band
by Shelley M. Jagow
by Michael Burch-Pesses With up-to-date biographies of 63 Canadian composers and more than 200 of their works in grades 1 through 6, this books listing of each work includes program notes, description of the piece, grade level, duration and publisher. ISBN 978-1-57463-087-9 $24.95
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS WIND WORKS
Visit a virtual rehearsal on you PC or MAC where each video clip illustrates a different rehearsal concept including: Warm-Up, Intonation, Style, Balance & Blend, Rhythm and Musicianship. Featured music educators Include: The late Frederick Fennel, Colonel Timothy Foley, Jerry Junkin, H. Robert Reynolds, Mallory Thompson, William Wakefield, and Garwood Whaley. ISBN 978-1-57463-095-4 $14.95
THE DRUM AND PERCUSSION COOKBOOK: Creative Recipes for Players and Teachers
edited by Rick Mattingly 57 authors provide their favorite “recipes” that cover an extreme range of topics from rudiments to rock, drum set to symphonic playing and keyboard percussion to interpretation. ISBN 978-1-57463-101-2 $24.95
THE STRING TEACHER’S COOKBOOK: Creative Recipes for a Successful Program
edited by Joanne May Includes “recipes” from 57 of today’s most outstanding string professionals that range from overviews of successful programs to specific topics that will inspire all levels and types of ensembles and performers. ISBN 978-1-57463-091-6 $24.95
THE WOODWIND PLAYER’S COOKBOOK: Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance
by Jon Ceander Mitchell
This exciting new work, by one of today’s most highly regarded music scholars brings new light to the more than two dozen works by Ralph Vaughan Williams for military band, brass band and wind ensemble. ISBN 978-1-57463-098-5 $28.95
edited by Charles West 57 of today’s most outstanding woodwind professionals provide “recipes” that range from overviews of successful programs to specific topics that will inspire all levels and types of ensembles and performers. ISBN 978-1-57463-097-8 $24.95
Exclusively distributed by the Hal Leonard Corporation TO ORDER, GO TO WWW.MEREDITHMUSIC.COM TO FIND YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC DEALER
NewProducts Drum and Percussion Cookbook
Meredith Music has released The Drum and Percussion Cookbook: Creative Recipes for Players and Teachers, edited and with a forward by Rick Mattingly. This collection of quick-to-read, insightful strategies is like finding expert trade secrets all placed in one convenient source. With outstanding records
of performance, workshop-clinics, recordings, research, composition, leadership, and teaching, the 57 authors provide their favorite “recipes” that cover an extreme range of topics form rudiments to rock, drum set to symphonic playing and keyboard percussion to interpretation. There is something in this
unique publication to inspire all levels and types of teachers, ensembles, and performers. Royalties from this project are being donated to the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), a non-profit music service organization promoting percussion education, research, performance, and appreciation throughout the world.
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Real Men Don’t Rehearse
Real Men Don’t Rehearse by Justin Locke, a freelance double bass
Travel Adventures is the only travel company to provide the Teachers Free & Easy™ and Students Safe & Secure™ programs Travel Adventures makes trip planning easy and provides free travel for you.*
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player in Boston with over 18 seasons of experience with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops, is a delightful collection of zany and amusing anecdotes from within the world of professional orchestras. This book is illustrated with dozens of humorous tales of musician antics and concert meltdowns.
www.justinlocke.com 72 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
Jazz Education Network
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is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences. The Jazz Education Network was founded in the spirit of collaboration and excellence. Our goal is to be a vital resource for a constantly evolving art form that lives globally.
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Classic Hammond Organ: Know the Players, Play the Music from Backbeat Books’ Master series chronicles not only the “whos” and “whens” but also the “hows” of this intimidating instrument. Author Steve Lodder lays down a solid foundation for novices and offers a refreshing take for more experienced players. Learn the essentials of keyboard splits, foot pedals, drawbars as well as signature licks from a broad range of styles. The book---with beautiful photos throughout--also includes an extensive list of essential listening and CD with numerous musical examples to complement each lesson. Retail price is $24.95.
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Teach music overseas with ISS Educational Staffing as over 20,000 educators in American international schools have done. Contact us to establish your professional file and interview face-to-face with international school heads at one of our exclusive US-based International Recruitment Centers.
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For Additional News in School Band and Orchestra, please visit www.sbomagazine.com 74 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
1000 Songwriting Ideas from Hal Leonard
From melodies to lyrics, great songs need great ideas to spark the creative energy that will help you write your next big hit. 1000 Songwriting Ideas, by Lisa Aschmann, is a handy book of creative exercises that stop writer’s block and turn the imagination into a powerful songwriting machine. The
book offers a thousand concepts to ponder as starting points for lyric and melody writing, along with provocative and inspirational examples. These proven exercises move the lyrical self, stir the melodic soul, and give you the power to be the creative songwriter you’ve always wanted to be.
www.halleonard.com
Southeastern Performance Apparel 25th Anniversary Catalog
Southeastern Performance Apparel has recently published its 25th-Anniversary Catalog for high school, middle school, college, church, and community choral and orchestral groups. A wide range of size offerings from youth to adult makes it possible to fit every member of the group. Classic designs for concert choirs, show choirs, and orchestras are offered in easy-care fabrics that will travel well and stand up to the numerous performances required by performing groups. Southeastern Performance Apparel does not impose a minimum order size, and they have a “no hassle” return policy for items that do not fit.
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Compact Discs – New Releases CD774: TEXAS HORNS. Combined Horn sections of Dallas & Houston Symphonies play music written for them by Kerry Turner & James Beckel, plus transcriptions of Barber’s Adagio, John Williams’ Hook, Limehouse Blues, A Child is Born, Amazing Grace, etc. A thrilling sound by12 of the best horn players in the country. Principals are Gregory Hustis and William VerMeulen.
CD820: ERIN HANNIGAN, OBOE, with bassoon, percussion, & piano. Music by Simon Sargon, Dan Welcher, Dutilleux, Dunhill, & Patterson. Hannigan is principal oboe, Dallas Symphony. CD383: THE BIG TROMBONE, Jeff Reynolds, bass trombone (25 years principal Los Angeles Phil.); Dan Perantoni, tuba (prof. Indiana Univ.); David Hickman, trumpet (Arizona State Univ.).
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News
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office assistant The #1 system for managing successful bands. Only Charms allows you, your assistants, your booster club, your parents, and your students to share information on the same program! trip ledgers • student forms • uniform control • fees • fundraising library inventory • online calendar • parent access • mass email • labels barcodes • activity fund • booster club • student records • live support budgets • helpers • statements • practice logs
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Advertise in the Classifieds!
Call Maureen 1-800-964-5150 ext. 34 mjohan@symphonypublishing.com 78 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
Classifieds
Visit the Classifieds on the Web:www.SBOmagazine.com www.SBOmagazine.com
PRINT MUSIC
SOFTWARE
TEACHING RESOURCES Find Your Next Private Teacher
www.LessonPortal.com REPAIR TOOLS
Teachers Sign Up FREE, Forever TRAVEL
EARN FREE AIR MILES!
PUBLICATIONS MEWZKL PUBLICATIONS
“New Things For School Strings” www.mewzkl.com 410-841-6288 Request our sample CD! RECORDING SUPPLIES LEFT HANDED VIOLIN PLAYING? Visit website for unique catalog of music books and recordings from New
When your Group Travels with For 60 years we have providedmusical instrument repair tools to technicians and musicians around the world. We have a wide selection of pads and other supplies in addition to our repair tools. Contact us today for a FREE CATALOG.
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Hampshire: ddle, banjo, ute, piano, accordion, pennywhistle and more! www.captainddle.com 603-659-2658
REPAIR TOOLS HAVE YOU EVER WANTED to learn to repair musical instruments but can’t stop your life to go back to school? Well now there is a way – online! Visit: www.learntorepair.com for details.
Advertise in the Classifieds! Call Maureen 1-800-964-5150 ext. 34 Or Write
mjohan@symphonypublishing.com
Events Calendar October
Delaware:
Yom Kippur October 9
Delaware Music Educators Association Conference October 10
Columbus Day October 13
Montana:
Halloween October 31
Montana Music Educators Association Conference October 15 – 17
Wisconsin:
Wisconsin Music Educators Association Conference October 29 – Novermber 1 Every attempt has been made to provide accurate data, though readers should note that all event dates and information listed are subject to change. If you have information on any relevant future events that you’d like to see included in next month’s calendar, please e-mail SBO editor, Christian Wissmuller: cwissmuller@symphonypublishing.com School Band and Orchestra, September 2008 79
Visit the Classifieds on the Web: www.SBOmagazine.com AdIndex COMPANY NAME Acoustica Software
E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS www.acoustica.com
PAGE #
COMPANY NAME
E-MAIL/WEB ADDRESS
70
Marching Show Concepts
www.msconcepts.com
All American Music Festival www.allamericanmusicfest.org
49
All American Music Festival www.allamericanmusicfest.org
51
Meredith Music Publications
www.meredithmusic.com
All American Music Festival www.allamericanmusicfest.org
68
Midwest National Band Clinic www.midwestclinic.org
PAGE # cov 4 734 61
National Events
www.nationaleventsvs.com
9
New Horizons Tour & Travel
www.nhtt.com
53
New Horizons Tour & Travel
www.nhtt.com
cov 3 19
American Way Marketing LLC
info@americanwaymktg.com
76
Antigua Winds, Inc.
www.antiguawinds.com
16
Mike Balter Mallets, LLC
www.mikebalter.com
55
Band Shoppe
www.bandshoppe.com
11
Bari Woodwinds
www.bariwoodwinds.com
38
New Horizons Tour & Travel
www.nhtt.com
Barrington Music
www.wwbw.com
62
Noteworthy Music
www.noteworthymusicalinstruments.com 68
Bob Rogers Travel
www.bobrogerstravel.com
Peace Musical Co. LLC
www.peacedrum.com
Burkart-Phelan
www.burkart.com
Pearl Corp.
www.pearldrum.com
6 58
Cannonball Music Instruments
www.cannonballmusic.com
56
Charms Music Software
www.charmsmusic.com
75
Columbus Percussion
www.columbuspercussion.com
70
Crystal Records
www.crystalrecords.com
76
D’Addario
www.daddario.com
26
Disney Festival
www.festivaldisney.com
27
Disney Magic Music Days
www.magicmusicdays.com
EPN Travel Services
www.epntravel.com
Festivals of Music Festivals of Music
www.educationalprograms.com cov 2-1 www.educationalprograms.com 36
7 35
Performing Arts Consultants www.usafest.org
12 3 39
Peterson Strobe Tuners
www.petersontuners.com
44
Premier Perc.
info@groverpro.com
24
Pro-Mark Corp.
www.promark.com
52
Pro Winds
www.prowinds.com
65
Roland Corp. U.S.
www.rolandUS.com
17
Ron-Jon Surf Shop
www.rjss.com
Sabine
www.sabine.com
33
Sheetmusicplus.com
www.shhetmusicplus.com
18
Stageright Corp.
www.stageright-corp.com
37
www.summittourtravel.com
32
8
Fiesta-Val Music Festivals
info@fiestaval.com
21
Summit Tour & Travel
Fiesta-Val Music Festivals
info@fiestaval.com
43
Super Holiday Tours
www.superholiday.com
67
www.superscopetechnologies.com
74
Fobes Clarinet Products
www.clarkwfobes.com
49
Superscope Technologies
Good for the Goose Products
www.chopsaver.com
42
Super-Sensitive Musical String Co.
www.cavanaughcompany.com
69
Hawaiian Music Festivals
www.himusicfest.com
74
Suzuki Music
www.suzukimusic.com
57
Taylor Tours
www.taylortourstravel.com
64
Hershey’s Fund Raising
www.hersheysfundraising.com
25
International Schools Services
The Tuba Exchange
www.tubaexchange.com
50
www.iss.edu
74
Travel Adventures Inc.
www.traveladv.com
72
Intropa
www.intropa.com
49
University of Tennessee
music@utk.edu
64
J.W. Pepper & Sons Inc.
www.jwpepper.com
48
Vandoren
www.dansr.comcom
34
Jarvis Industries Inc.
www.jarvisonline.com
45
VEW Arts
Schooland YouthGroups.cwf.org
10
Jazz at Lincoln Center
www.jazzatlincolncenter.org
63
Vic Firth, Inc.
www.VicFirth.com
47
Jazz Education Network
www.jazzednet.org
73
Vic Firth, Inc.
www.VicFirth.com
51
Jupiter Band Instruments
www.jupitermusic.com
13
Vic Firth, Inc.
www.VicFirth.com
49
Krispy Kreme Donut Corp. www.krispykreme.com
60
Wenger Corp.
www.wengercorp.com
31
LP Music Group
www.lpmusic.com
22
World’s Finest Chocolate
www.WorldsFinestFundraising.com 59
Manhasset Specialty Co.
www.manhasset-specialty.com
52
Avedis Zildjian Co.
www.zildjian.com
Manhattan Concert Prod.
www.manhattanconcertproductions.com 5
80 School Band and Orchestra, September 2008
23
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