SBO May 2011

MAY 2011 $5.00

Inside the Biggest Band in Texas with Allen High School’s

Charles Pennington Roundtable: Uniforms & Footwear Technology: Music Education Blogs

Contents

May 2011

Features

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COMMENTARY: BRAIN RULES Eastern Kentucky University’s Joe Allison and Erin Wehr examine the connection between music and the brain, applying the latest findings in neuroscience to rehearsals.

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UPCLOSE: CHARLES PENNINGTON Charles Pennington is the director of Allen (Texas) High School’s Allen Eagle Escadrille, which, at approximately 600 students, is perhaps the largest school band in America. In a recent interview, Mr. Pennington takes SBO behind the curtains of this massive, award-winning operation.

34

PERFORMANCE: FIELD SHOW DESIGN Dr. Thomas Bough of Northern Illinios University takes a stepby-step look at designing marching band field shows.

40

ROUNDTABLE: UNIFORMS & FOOTWEAR SBO catches up with five expert educators who discuss the latest trends in performance apparel, including financing and innovation.

48

TECHNOLOGY: BLOGS FOR MUSIC EDUCATORS John Kuzmich explores the exploding world of blogging, while highlighting some of the best blogs out there for – and by – music educators.

55

STAFF SELECTIONS: MARCHING BAND Vince Corozine presents exciting pieces that can add flair to any marching band’s repertoire.

48

18

Columns 4 6 59

Perspective Headlines New Products

61 62 64

Playing Tip Classifieds Ad Index

Cover photo by Tim Carroll, Allen, Texas.

SB&O School Band and Orchestra® (ISSN 1098-3694) Volume 14, Number 5, 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 © 2011

by Symphony Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.

2 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

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Volume 14, Number 5

M

any civilizations have been renowned and remembered for their artistic contributions to the world, whether it be the Greeks for their architecture, the Italians for their Opera, the French for their impressionist art, or the Germans for their orchestral music, as well as many other examples throughout history. Now, in a very sad day for our country, one of the great musical institutions of American history, the once mighty Philadelphia Orchestra, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

This legendary ensemble has been led by titans of the conducting world, including Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, and more recently Ricardo Muti and Charles Dutoit. And now it has been brought to its knees by a convergence of financial difficulties, including the devastating economic crisis, dwindling ticket sales, management difficulties, and a challenging relationship with its landlord at the Kimmel Center. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean an end to the orchestra, it’s certainly is a position that doesn’t bode well for the future.

While the federal government was bailing out the corporate world that brought the U.S. into a massive recession, trillions of dollars were spent to prevent our country from falling into a depression. However, it has not been until “While many Asian recently that the gems of our culture, including musical ensembles, museums, opera companies, and other nations are spending artistic venues, were beginning to feel the pressure of fortunes to catch up to these events. Recently there have been a number of fine the quality of America’s orchestras across the country that have encountered severe financial difficulties, including Syracuse, which just superb orchestras and shuttered their orchestra, and symphony orchestras in opera companies, it ap- Charlotte, Baltimore, and Detroit. However, none of pears that we are allow- them were at the level of Philadelphia, whose history places it at the pinnacle of orchestras; which according ing ours to slip away.” the PSO website, included the U.S. premiers of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand,” and Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances.”

While many Asian nations are spending fortunes to catch up to the quality of America’s superb orchestras and opera companies, it appears that we are allowing ours to slip away, only to leave this country with an enormous void that apparently will be filled only with transient pop culture. When you attend American trade shows in the musical instrument business, you would sadly find few people present in the piano and violin halls, whereas at the Music China show in Shanghai, those areas are overwhelmed with students and adults who are taking every possible opportunity to learn more about these great instruments and how to make music on them. It’s a sad state of affairs that little is being done to rectify this situation.

As we feature one of the largest high school bands in the U.S.A. in this issue, it’s difficult to wonder if the highly talented students who aspire to become professional musicians will be able to fulfill their dreams with dwindling opportunities here at home, or if they’ll have to travel to Europe or Asia in order to accomplish their goal. If the great ensembles – and perhaps the finer musical institutions – are to survive, it is critical that there be audiences who understand the music. As educators, it seems like the future rests in our hands…

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

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christian Wissmuller

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CLASSIFIED & DISPLAY SALES Maureen Johan mjohan@symphonypublishing.com

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

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Member 2011

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Walt The Grammy Foundation’s 2011 Grammy Signature Schools Disney World T HeadLines

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• Clinics • Bowl Games • International • Disney Parks®

he Grammy Foundation has announced that 36 schools nationwide have been selected as Grammy Signature Schools for 2011. Created in 1998, the Grammy Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year. Grammy Signature Schools are made possible in part through the generous support of Best Buy, Campbell’s Labels For Education program, the Ford Motor Company Fund, Gibson Foundation, and the Hot Topic Foundation.

Each of the 36 Grammy Signature Schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant to benefit its music program. The top seven schools are designated Gold recipients. The best of the Gold recipients is named the National Grammy Signature School. The National Grammy Signature School will receive $15,000, and the six remaining Gold schools each will receive $5,500. Two remaining Grammy Signature Schools recipients will receive a grant award of $2,500 to benefit their music programs. In the Enterprise Award category, which recognizes efforts made by schools that are economically underserved, 27 schools will receive a grant of $5,500 each.

Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich. was named the 2011 National Grammy Signature School and awarded $15,000. The 2011 Grammy Signature Gold Schools, awarded $5,500 each, were Allen (Texas) High School, David Douglas High School (Portland, Ore.), Flower Mound (Texas) High School, Neuqua Valley High School (Naperville, Ill.), Plano (Texas) West Senior High School, and Waubonsie Valley High School (Aurora, Ill.).

The selection process for Grammy Signature Schools begins each year in August when the Grammy Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools from districts large and small, urban, suburban and rural, requesting information about each school’s music program. Applications are completed and submitted online in October at www.grammyintheschools.com. After the applications are scored, finalists are identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent blue ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals to determine the schools that merit Grammy Signature School status.

For more information, including the complete list of 2011 Grammy Signature schools, please visit www.grammyintheschools.com.

Good News: Detroit Symphony Orchestra Members Return to Work

T

he musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) have finally returned to work, rehearsing in Orchestra Hall in preparation for two free concerts that took place on the second weekend of April. The rehearsal and concerts were scheduled after DSO musicians and management reached a tentative contract settlement Sunday, April 3. The contract was ratified Friday, April 8, Bob Rogers Travel is a proud member of ... ending the six-month strike.

After weeks of stalling on face-to-face negotiations, DSO management finally agreed to schedule negotiating sessions the first weekend of April. Bargaining Bob Rogers Travel is a proud member of ... talks stretched for 17 hours on April 2 and 10 hours on April 3, culminating in a Bob Rogers Travel is a proud member of ... deal that the musicians’ negotiating committee brought back to the full orchestra for a vote. The approved three-year contract totals $36.3 million. www.bobrogerstravel.com For more information, visit www.detroitsymphony.org.

(800) 373-1423

6 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

From Marching and Concert Bands to Orchestras and Jazz Bands, instrumental groups who take part in a Disney Performing Arts program — whether that’s in a performance or a workshop or festival — share a common bond. And now, Disney Performing Arts is celebrating this bond and commemorating

this once-in-a-lifetime experience with an exclusive badge of honor. So, if you think your instrumental group has Ears for the Arts, then there is no better time to plan your next Disney Performing Arts trip.

For more information, contact your travel planner or call toll-free 1-866-715-4095.

DisneyPerformingArts.com

Disney Youth Programs

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Bad News: Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Suspends Operations

Scott JohnSon StickS.

T

he Syracuse Symphony Orchestra’s board of trustees has voted to suspend operations amid financial woes.

There were more than 20 concerts remaining in the orchestra’s season, including an April 27 concert by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The orchestra’s 18 full- and part-time staffers and 61 core and 14 contract musicians were laid off this past Monday.

In a note on the ensemble’s Web site, interim executive director Paul Brooks states, “On April 5, 2011 the Board of Trustees of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra voted to proceed with the dissolution of the corporation and the orderly liquidation of its remaining assets. The SSO will enter Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings as soon as possible. In plain terms, the SSO as we now know it will cease to exist.”

Visit www.syracusesymphony.org to read the complete statement.

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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.

HeadLines Zildjian Ramps Up Youth Initiative, Scholarship Programs

T

he Avedis Zildjian Company continues to strengthen its commitment to music education through its new relationship with the Music & Youth Initiative, a comprehensive after school music education program for underserved Massachusetts youth, ages 8-18. Partnering with inner city Boys and Girls Club and the Berklee College of Music, the Music & Youth Initiative uses music as a vehicle to improve academic, social, and vocational skills while building self-confidence and self esteem. Each week, over 1,500 young people visit Music Clubhouses and receive high quality music education from professional artists and music educators. Zildjian is proud to supply all of the cymbals for the Music Clubhouse program.

The Zildjian Company’s involvement with children’s music programs reaches beyond Massachusetts. Recently, Zildjian donated cymbals to the Ouidah International Center for Art and Music (CIAMO) in Benin, Africa. The first school of its kind in the country, CIAMO offers music and art classes taught by a variety of resident and visiting international professionals. The Kerope Zildjian Scholarship Competition, now in its seventh year, was established to pay tribute to Kerope Zildjian and encourage and reward percussionists in their pursuit of performing excellence. Kerope Zildjian presided over one of the most storied periods in Zildjian history (1895-1909) and developed the legendary K cymbal. The winner of the competition receives a $5,000 scholarship, a selection of cymbals, and an all expense paid trip to Zildjian headquarters to meet the Zildjian family, tour the factory, and choose cymbals. The application deadline for the Kerope Scholarship Competition is June 3, 2011.

Zildjian also awards scholarships through the Avedis Zildjian Scholarship Fund, a comprehensive scholarship program dedicated to the memory of CEO Craigie Zildjian’s grandfather. The Avedis Zildjian Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to students from premier colleges, universities, and conservatories throughout the world, including Berklee College of Music, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, The Juilliard School, Royal Academy of Music in London, and many others.

Finally, the Zildjian Company supports numerous other not-for-profit and charitable organizations like the Music Cares Foundation, The Rhythmic Arts Project (TRAP), Save The Music Foundation, and more.

For more information, visit www.zildjian.com/NewsEvents.

Lautzenheiser joins Music For All

D

r. Tim Lautzenheiser has joined Music for All as senior educational advisor, Music for All recently announced. As Senior Educational Advisor, Lautzenheiser will advise and support Music for All’s educational

10 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

programming. He will also work closely with Music for All leadership and staff on creating and providing programs for high school and middle school bands and orchestras, teachers and students.

Lautzenheiser was the executive director of Music for All’s predecessor Marching Bands of America, and he has been a regular presenter at MFA programs. He is also a past member of the organization’s Board of Directors.

Visit www.musicforall.org to learn more.

Dinkles Marching Shoes Celebrates 25th Anniversary

I

n the Summer of 1986, Up-Front Footwear’s founder and then-president Jerry Savoca, a veteran shoe craftsman in Central Pennsylvania, created a new design with a flat heeled sole, the Vanguard marching shoe.

Millions of miles in parades, competitions, and halftime performances later, Up-Front Footwear is now celebrating its 25th anniversary. From January through December 2011, Dinkles Marching Shoes will be marking this occasion with promotions and other memorable events. Watch for more details to follow in the coming weeks and months regarding 25th Anniversary celebration events, including the inaugural International Dinkles Day, a global interactive celebration on August 25, and a salute to band director Dr. Harry Dinkle.

For more information on Up-Front Footwear, Dinkles Marching Shoes or the company’s 25th Anniversary, visit www.dinkles.org.

Norman Goldberg, 1918-2011

Norman Goldberg, a longtime music innovator, enthusiast, educator, and music store owner, passed away on March 31, 2011 in a nursing home outside of St. Louis.

Norman studied music from an early age and became a band director early in his life. Seeing the needs of music educators, Norman opened his own store, Baton Music, in 1948, in St. Louis, Mo. A year later he began working with German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982) and Orff’s unique and influential method of music education for children. Norman set out to create a company that would provide the instruments for the Orff programs as well as the music. In 1964, Norman established the publishing side of his business, Magnamusic-Baton Inc., known as MMB. Norman’s impact on the print music industry was soon as critical as his role in music education.

His company slogan was also his way of life: “Our Performance Enhances Yours.”

See Mr. Goldberg’s interview for NAMM’s Oral History program here: www.namm.org/library/oral-history/ norman-goldberg.

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SBOCommentary: Brain Rules

Brain Rules for Rehearsals

By Joe Allison And erin Wehr

T

ony DeBlois represents a captivating example of the unique relationship between music and the human brain.

DeBlois was blind and weighed less than two pounds

at birth, and was diagnosed with autism at age five. But

at age two, his mother bought Tony a toy piano on which he im-

mediately was able to play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” This was the very first time he ever touched an instrument! He soon won a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music, and graduated summa cum laude with a Certificate of Achievement for his work from the prestigious Boston school.

Now in his 30s, DeBlois plays 22 instruments and has been performing professionally since he was 9. His precocious ability has been the subject of several media features, including CBS’ “Sixty Minutes.”

14 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

This and other similar examples point to a unique relationship between music and the human brain – not only in how we make music, but how we respond to this most complex form of expression. Neuroscientists and music educators have long been interested in the musical connection to the human mind. Just Google “music and the brain,” and you get about 124,000,000 results in 0.07 seconds!

Recent publications associated with the latest research in the music/brain relationship include Oliver Sacks “Musicophilia” and Daniel Levitin’s “This Is Your Brain on Music.” Both works have reached bestseller status and are quoted and applied extensively in music education circles. A more recent book has rapidly been accepted and adopted in the neurology community, and has already inspired further “spinoff ” publications.

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“Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School” is the work of John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Medina is also director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University.

In the introduction, Medina has a section entitled “no prescriptions.”

In it, the author says that rather than being prescriptive, the ideas of his book are a “call for real-world research” into how biology affects behavior. Appropriate to that goal, Medina’s own writing style could be described as “real world” in that he takes great care to use plain English to illuminate the physical processes of the mind’s activities in a way that non-scientists can understand.

In fact, the hardback edition comes with a DVD to serve as an introduction and to demystify the subject material by using video illustrations and other devices.

As the title would suggest, the focus of “Brain Rules” is squarely on the 12 Rules and their practical application.

So, let’s take a look at Medina’s “stone tablet.”

• Rule #1: EXERCISE - Exercise Boosts Brain Power.

• Rule #2: SURVIVAL – The human brain evolved, too.

• Rule #3: WIRING – Every brain is wired differently.

• Rule #4: ATTENTION – We don’t pay attention to boring things.

• Rule #5: SHORT-TERM MEMORY – Repeat to remember.

• Rule #6: LONG-TERM MEMORY – Remember to repeat.

• Rule #7: SLEEP – Sleep well, think well.

• Rule #8: STRESS – Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.

• Rule #9: SENSORY INTEGRATION – Stimulate the senses.

• Rule #10: VISION – Vision trumps all other senses.

• Rule #11: GENDER – Male and female brains are different.

• Rule #12: EXPLORATION – We are natural explorers.

Let’s now take a brief look at each one of these and see if we can establish connections to benefit our rehearsals.

Rule #1: Exercise

If you immediately thought of marching band (or strolling strings), you’re not alone! But, does the physical nature of performing in an ensemble (moving around or not) have this same desired effect? Should we incorporate physical drills into our regular rehearsal plan? Assign aerobic exercises as homework? Do breathing exercises count?

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Rule #2: Survival

Obviously, symbolic reasoning, although unique to humans, is essential to both the process of making and understanding music. Since the need for students’ perceived safety & security is an aspect of this rule, what do we do to insure concurrent feelings of well-being and intense focus, particularly since those two states can seem to be opposites? How often (and how intensely) should we appeal to our students’ emotional mind? How do we get the music performed to do that for others?

12 New Marching Features from Row-Loff!

From the compositional talents of Brian Mason, Kennan Wylie, Lalo & Julie Davila, John R. Hearnes, David England, Chris Brooks and Chris Crockarell. With a variety of styles and levels, these features will work great for your fall marching show or just to impress the competition!

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Rule #3: Wiring

Knowing that no two brains store information in exactly the same way, how do we get each student to master the same skills in the same way as others? How do we get them to retain the knowledge and skills needed to be uniformly proficient? Do we need a special teaching activity for each individual student? (IEPs gone wild!)

Rule #4: Attention

… huh? Sorry, I dozed off there for a second… How do we decide which individual component skills to emphasize with a roomful of students practicing several multi-layered skills at any point in time? Knowing that emotional arousal helps the brain learn and retain, how can we capitalize on that? Just wait until we discuss Medina’s “Ten-Minute Rule”!

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Rule #5: Short-term Memory

What number is this again? (…

Sorry again.) Medina tells us that most

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indicators that predict the success of learning and retention occur in the first few seconds of the specific learning event. How can we possibly use this to advantage? Since relating new information to that already learned is a well-established method of securing memory, what techniques can we use to improve on simple repetition? Medina also says, “introductions are everything!” If that is true would “okay, let’s run through this and see what happens” really be the most efficient and effective way to approach a new piece of music?

Rule #6: Long-term Memory

Medina says that most memories disappear within minutes, but those that don’t actually strengthen with time.

What do we do to account for that in a lesson plan? How do associated memories work? Long-term memories often take years to form – since we’re teaching life-long skills, is there a way to “set up” students for future success?

stress for the human brain and body.

So if stress improves learning, how do we deal with that? Anarchy? No rules?

Rule #9: Sensory Integration

Medina suggests we learn best when several senses are all involved in the learning. Should we consider senses other than hearing and seeing in our instruction? If our senses evolved to work together, how does that affect learning and musical understanding?

Use air freshener?

Rule #10: Vision

This probably comes as no surprise to anyone, and music educators have attempted to account for this fact for quite some time in many ways. The process of sight takes up fully one-half of our brain’s physical resources! But even though our sense of sight is dominant, it’s not always accurate. How does what we see affect what (and how) we hear?

Rule #11: Gender

Rule #7: Sleep

Youngsters need more and better sleep to develop growing minds and bodies. A lack of adequate sleep (amount or quality) decreases attention, memory, mood, quantitative skills, reasoning, and even motor dexterity. Other than that, it’s not very important. Can we as educators have any influence on the amount and quality of our students’ sleeping patterns?

Rule #8: Stress

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Stressful situations trigger the body’s release of adrenaline and cortisol to focus the brain (and body) in a maximum (fight-or-flight) way. This begs the question: wouldn’t a consistently stressful rehearsal environment facilitate the students to learn more effectively and retain more? Think again. Even if true, is this practical?

How much stress is appropriate, and how do you measure it? A number of legendary conductors have applied this theory, knowingly or not. Regardless of possible learning gains, the feeling of helplessness (the feeling one has no control over a problematic situation – like a student in instrumental music rehearsal) is the worst kind of

Yes, Mars and Venus yet again, but in some ways a risky topic to tackle. Few would contest that the genders are different in physiology, but the practical implications of approaching females and males in contrasting ways would be risky in most any context, particularly public education. In light of this, is it practical to incorporate multiple techniques that tend to stimulate one particular gender in a way that equalizes their exposure to all students (i.e., is the same number for boys as for girls)? Would using a technique or activity geared more to one gender have the opposite effect on the other, engendering the “Robin Hood” effect? Same-gender classrooms? Our courtrooms are busy enough as it is.

Rule #12: Exploration

What if we were taught as babies to speak in the same way we were taught to play an instrument in an ensemble?

(Would the method book and worksheets even fit in the crib?) For most of us, the process of learning to talk was an interactive one that included exploration and modeling. Medina’s text emphasizes that we learn from experience as powerful and natural explorers.

Have you ever found yourself squashing

a student’s natural curiosity? Not the best feeling, is it? We all know the “reasons”: music instruction in the schools is a group activity, and we must have discipline and control in order to even begin to accomplish anything en masse.

“You can’t teach them anything until you get their attention,” the old saying goes. Certainly there’s truth in this, but it’s also evident that it’s easy to “do all the student’s thinking for them,” and systematically diminish their innate desire for discovery. The axiom “you learn better when you learn it yourself ” may still be true, but the emphasis on teacher accountability and standardized testing has all but eliminated discovery from many classrooms, even “successful” ones.

No one is suggesting that we can regularly manufacture students with the amazing skills of a Tony DeBlois using the research-based insights offered by John Medina in his book, “Brain Rules.”

But strategies based on the 12 Rules may have the potential to unlock more

and greater achievements in music for a greater number of people – performers and listeners. Toward that end, in future articles we will focus on the individual Brain Rules in more depth. We will visit the human processes associated with each Rule, and propose applications to take advantage of these latest insights into the functions of the mind. In the meantime, please visit Medina’s Brain Rules website at www.brainrules.net/.

There’s an introductory video, and the information is presented in ways consistent with the Brain Rules themselves.

See you again soon, and be sure to get some sleep and exercise!

program became the first internationally to be honored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation as laureates of both the Sudler Flag of Honor for concert excellence and the Sudler Shield for marching achievement. Allison maintains an active international schedule of clinics and adjudications in the concert, marching, and jazz activities. He can be reached at joe.allison@eku.edu.

Erin Wehr has taught music education for Eastern Kentucky University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Iowa. She has also directed elemenJoseph Allison is a tary and secondary professor of Muinstrumental music programs in Iowa sic, the director of and Illinois, taught general music, Bands, and coordinaand holds Orff certification. Wehr has tor of Conducting served as a clinician, adjudicator, and Studies at Eastern guest conductor for elementary and Kentucky University. secondary music programs, drum and Prior to this position, Dr. Allison was bugle corps, and adult and community the director of Bands and Orchestras at music groups.

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www.jarvisonline.com School Band and Orchestra, May 2011 17

UpClose: Charles Pennington

Inside the Biggest Band in Texas (or anywhere else!)

W

By Eliahu Sussman

hen it comes to music education, sometimes things really are bigger in Texas.

Such is the case at Allen High School, the lone public high school that serves the entire town of Allen, a well-to-do suburb of Dallas. Allen has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and Allen High School has likewise seen a dramatic increase in student population, up to its current enrollment of approximately 5,000 students. In turn, the Allen Eagle Escadrille, the school’s marching band, color guard, and drill team, has also boomed significantly. In fact, over 500 student musicians participated in the popular ensemble this past fall, in addition to another 100 members of the color guard and drill team, as well as scores of volunteer assistants. Already perhaps the largest school band in the U.S., the program’s directors are expecting an additional 100 or so students to join the Escadrille next year.

Charles Pennington

18 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

The Allen Eagle Escadrille in the Allen High School main hallway. Photo by Scott Yarberry.

To put their size in perspective, the Allen Eagle Escadrille requires 18 school busses to transport its members to and from performance events. At football games, they cover the entire field, from end zone to end zone. And when it was time to update their uniforms, they put in an order for 800 sets from Fruhauf, which is the largest order the company has ever received.

[Allen High School had already placed the second and third largest orders in Fruhauf ’s history.]

Yet, in spite of their almost comical numbers, the size of the Allen Eagle Escadrille is far more than a novelty act. In 2004, the school was awarded the Sudler Shield for marching excellence by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, and the Escadrille has recently participated in such notable events as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York and the Tournament of Roses Parade in California. After marching season ends, the Escadrille breaks down into eight concert bands, with

20 School Band and 040111-FCS-general.indd 1

Orchestra, May 2011

the top concert groups also having garnered significant acclaim.

The man running the show behind this massive music operation is Charles Pennington, who was tapped for the

head job three years ago, after previously serving as an assistant director at AHS for eight years (the last four of which he was also the director of the marching band).

4/1/11 10:15:17 AM

In this recent SBO interview, Pennington talks about what it takes to keep such a colossal ensemble in top form, while also detailing how the remarkable size of his marching band stems from the program’s philosophy of finding a place for every student that wants to participate.

School Band & Orchestra: Let’s cut straight to the chase – you have over 500 students in your marching band, 600 if you include the guard and drill team.

How do you make it work?

Charles Pennington: There are a lot of key pieces to making it work, and it starts with great kids. We have excellent kids who want to be here. After that, I have to give

The Allen Eagle Escadrille in action at a Friday night football game.

Photos by Scott Yarberry

all the credit to my staff. Each of the staff members has a particular role to play in bringing together each season. We have one person who is responsible for taking role each rehearsal. That’s his job. Another person takes care of inventory. We have someone who takes care of the private lesson programs. Each person has a specific area that he or she takes care of, and everyone does his or her own thing. I trust them to do their jobs well. In terms of just managing the kids themselves – I’m always asked the question, “Do you know the name of every kid in your band?”

And the answer is no! [laughs] Absolutely not. But I always follow up by saying that somebody does. Someone in our staff knows each of the kids. We do a zone approach to the marching band, where one director is in charge of an area and a section, and they become very familiar with that group of kids. So if I need to know the name of a particular child or deal with a problem, my staff can point me in

“I think that’s key, and it’s something that we miss out sometimes in music education: presenting our groups as a chance for kids to belong to something.”

the right direction. It’s a bit of a spider web effect.

We have staff meetings every morning, where we discuss what we need to work on and what has gone well. We also do a lot of collaboration planning for the next day – what is working, what isn’t, and so on.

SBO: What was your plan coming in several years ago, when you were given the opportunity to take over as the head director?

Photo by Scott Yarberry.

24 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

CP: Allen really is a dream job because we have such great kids, staff, parents, and administration. To get all of those aligned, it’s just an amazing thing. Many places will have some combination of those four elements in place, but there are also always other areas that you’ll really have to work on. I took the job here because of what the program was already doing – and I’d already been a part of it for eight years. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to change anything; I just want to continue doing what we’ve already been

doing, keep kids involved and excited, and keep it fresh and new for both the fans and the students.

SBO: What factors create an environment where a band can get to this size?

CP: A lot of people see the size of our high school, which is right around 5,000 students, and say, “Oh, well, that explains it.” And I think they’d be pretty close to right. I don’t think our percentage of band students to student

body is outrageous. It’s just that we choose to keep it all together. To allow that to happen, you have to have a creative schedule that enables the students to be involved, which is a big credit to our administration. You have to create a situation where kids can participate. We have kids on the football team, swimmers, tennis players, all-star physics students – they come from everywhere. We share kids with all kinds of sports and other activities; it’s not just band or else.

There has to be a mutual support from the school itself where the student body appreciates the band, just like they might appreciate the football team or anything else. We get that here.

And finally, the parents are a critical part of the process, from chaperoning busses to sewing buttons on uniforms to handing out food and water. They give an enormous contribution to our daily activities.

SBO: Is the support your program receives something that you foster by going out and supporting other activities in your community?

CP: Here, it starts with the football games. That’s one area where we really reach the community. One of the most visible activities our school does is have a football game every Friday night. That’s what our community sees, and that somehow relates to the climate of the entire school. We’re out there to support that team, and the community, in turn supports us. In addition, we also support the community through store openings, pep rallies, veteran’s day celebrations, holiday parades, and so on.

SBO: How often do all of the students come together as a single band?

CP: Every day! And they all meet during the same class period. It is different from what you might hear someone else doing, where students are split up into concert band during the day and then come together later for a marching period.

SBO: And the marching band is curricular?

CP: We meet the first part of the day. We start before school and work our way through the first period.

That’s part of the reason why we’re able to have a lot of kids in the program. We’re on a block schedule, but that rotating block schedule is bookended by a single one-hour class at the beginning and at the end of the day. And those meet every day. That’s where we put sports, band, and other similar subjects, and that enables us to avoid conflicts with other core academic subjects.

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SBO: What are some of the biggest challenges of managing a group of that size?

CP: Accountability with the kids – just hearing each of them play and making sure we are reaching all of them. A lot of times we find ourselves very familiar with the top kids. We are also very familiar with the kids at the other end of the spectrum – those who might have some discipline issues or are not quite as motivated. So reaching that great middle kid can be really challenging.

SBO: Is there a maximum size for a marching band?

CP: We are exploring that! [laughs] We’re not sure yet. Our goals are different from other groups, though.

Some people have that goal of creating a small, competitive, well-balanced

marching band. I support that. If that’s something that a director or a community wants to do, fantastic. We just happen to have a different approach.

Why not make it more like a college band? Some college bands have 350 or 400 people, and that’s where we like to throw our focus.

SBO: What do you think being a part of such a large ensemble means for the students? And what do you think it adds from a music education perspective?

CP: I think it lets every kid participate, which is the first thing. Regardless of ability, and level of devotion to band, they have a place here. For those students that have an interest in music education or becoming a professional musician, they have the opportunity to be at the very highest

“When you look at that many kids, and then you put a real dollar amount to what we’re doing with those kids, our administration really finds [the marching band] to be a bargain.”

The Escadrille performs at the 2010 UIL Marching Contest. Photo by Scott Yarberry.

28 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

tier of performance. And for those students that just want to experience music in a casual way, just want to see what it’s like to play and belong to a bigger group, we present that opportunity as well.

I think that’s key, and it’s something that we miss out sometimes in music education: presenting our groups as a chance for kids to belong to something.

SBO: Are you expecting further growth?

CP: The plan is to continue with that approach. If you are willing to be here and participate, and do your best, we’re going to find a place for you. If the marching band goes beyond the 600 mark, we may have to make some adjustments, just because of physical restrictions. If we travel to an away football game, we may not have a place to put 600 kids. The football field isn’t going to grow. So we may be forced to make some decisions down the line, but even in that case, we’ll do our best to involve every kid to a certain point, to keep making this experience possible.

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SBO: Tell me a little about the delegation you do among the students?

CP: It’s a good marriage of student leadership and our staff running the show. We do have a complete tier of officers, ranging from Drum Majors to Drill Instructors and Section Leaders. Those are our instructional leaders – kids who teach other kids. And then we have our logistical leadership crew. That involves the kids who move equipment, take care of the music, take care of the uniforms, and do other behind-the-scenes tasks.

SBO: It’s great that there are so many kids that you are able to include, but it must come at considerable financial expense, as well – equipment, uniforms, busses, and so on.

CP: In order for a band like this to work, the district has to support us, and they do, wholeheartedly. Texas, like other states, is facing some serious budget concerns. The reaction of some districts is to cut, alter, or reduce music programs, or, for example, have bands not go to away games because of expense. Our district has not gone in that direction. They believe that this activity is an important part of our kids’ lives and they are willing to pay for that.

On the other hand, band in Allen is extremely cost effective. When you look at that many kids, and then you put a real dollar amount to what we’re doing with those kids, our administration really finds that to be a bargain.

SBO: Is that concept of bang-forthe-buck something that you think more people around the country need to realize?

CP: Absolutely. If you talk about the number of staff that they have to pay for and the number of kids that those staff can service at any one time… if we didn’t have 500 kids in band, where would they be? They’d have to be in a class somewhere limited to a 20 or 30 students, like Art or English – we’re able to service that many kids all at one time.

SBO: How do you approach the topic of competition with your marching band?

CP: Competition sometimes is our own worst enemy. Texas is known

for having outstanding competitive marching bands. And I think competition brought us there. It’s that competition, and, of course, excellent teaching and leadership, that has created so many well-respected band programs in Texas. But at the same time, sometimes we lose sight of the big picture. For example, if I decided to turn this band program into a program where the focus was

on competition, then I would probably have to ask 200 or 300 kids to not participate. And which 200 or 300 kids would I want to go up to and say, “I’m sorry, you’re not good enough”?

I certainly don’t mean to be critical of programs that do create those outstanding competitive bands – they serve as the model that we aspire to musically. We strive to main-

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CP: I think it helps. I really do.

Those 600 kids translate into 1,200 parents. And those 1,200 parents see what we do with those kids, and would not have it any other way.

They want their kids to be a part of something that is great, that teaches great values, that provides them the feeling of belonging in the school, in the ensemble, as a part of a team.

The kids here love that element.

CP: That’s a tough question.

We’re continuing to grow. We had leveled off for a while, but now we’re seeing another potential growth spurt – we’re expecting up to 100 more students next year. My goal is to continue to get better at what we do. We are constantly trying to think of ways in which we can continue to do what we do without changing our philosophy, and at the same time improve all phases of the program, from quality to musical performance. High quality participation from the students is the goal.

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SBO: Would you say that that’s the bottom line, to get as many children involved as possible?

SBO: Where would you like your program to be in five or ten years?

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And, on top of that, it might be neat if everyone had a little bit more of a holistic approach, top-to-bottom, to see if we could get more kids involved in what we do.

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CP: Absolutely! It would be my ultimate goal for every student to leave high school and continue to play his or her instrument, whether that’s in church, in a community band, in a college band, or whatever. Just participating in that process – not necessarily to be the greatest player on earth or to make a living by it, but just having a great appreciation for acoustic music.

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SBOPerformance: Field Show Design

Designing a Custom Field Show for Marching Band by

Thomas bough

M

The NIU Huskie Marching Band.

any band programs invest a great deal of time and energy into the marching band season. As a 20-year veteran teacher, I am convinced that marching band can contrib-

ute meaningfully to the music education of students, especially if the creation and selection of the field show keeps some big-picture goals in mind.

The single most important goal should be to create educational opportunities for all performers, especially the musicians. I realize that this may not be a popular sentiment, but our foremost obligation is to serve as music educators, not visual educators. Show design starts with the selection or creation of the music to be performed. Any field show should maintain a high level of musical artistic and aesthetic value from beginning to end. The music selected for the field show forms a large chunk of the curriculum for your students for the first third of the school year. There must be enough musical substance to help them grow as artists and performers in the process. Due to the personality-driven nature of a great deal of popular music today, many current hits do not meet this criteria.

34 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

“The single most important goal should be to create educational opportunities for all performers, especially the musicians.”

The show should be coherent, with some sort of internal logic or story line that flows from beginning to end. Once upon a time, one could combine three interesting but un-related pieces of music and call it a show, but that practice has fallen out of fashion today, at least in competitive circles. The show should demonstrate a clear dramatic arc, such that the musical energy, guard work and drill rise and fall in unison at clearly identifiable moments, appropriately placed throughout the show. Both to maintain educational validity and to engage the audience, the show should integrate all units within the ensemble, utilizing each segment of the band (winds, brass, drums, and guard) as the focal point at various times. The best shows provide seamless transitions from one such moment to another. A generation ago, a field show might stop while the performers stage for the “guard feature,” stop again to re-set the band after the feature, and then continue the show after that.

This sort of show design will not be rewarded by contemporary judging standards. Ultimately, a good field show should create a performance that is engaging for both the audience and the performers. Designing a show that fits these criteria is possible for band directors at every level.

Music The most critical element in show design is selecting or creating appropriate music. Venerable conductor H. Robert Reynolds said many times over the years that if a band cannot perform the notes and rhythms of a given piece of music at a recognizable level when sight-reading, the opportunity to teach intonation, phrasing and tone quality will never occur. Bret Kuhn, percussion caption head of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps for 20 years and now drumline instructor at Northern Illinois University goes a step farther by saying, “Adding drill will not enhance your chances for musical success.” Based on my experience as a marching band judge in six states, I have observed that many bands perform music that is too hard for them.

I do not suggest playing music that is easy or trite or lacking in substance on the field. On the contrary: the best marching bands perform music that is technically and artistically advanced at a very high level. Consistently, the very best marching bands are drawn from the very best concert bands. However, a realistic, honest assessment of the skills of your students and the skills of your field staff (if any) plays a critical role in developing a show in which your students can thrive, not just survive.

tive show. At a minimum, there is an expectation in the judging community that a successful show will contain a special moment for woodwinds, brass, battery percussion, front ensemble, colorguard and drill, as well as solos and/or chamber ensemble moments.

Smooth transitions between these moments are also expected. As you consider the goals of your music program, and how your marching program fits into those goals, create opportunities

Focus One must also consider the goals of the field show in the design process.

Creating a show to appeal to the Friday night football crowd is very different than creating a show with the potential to compete at the regional or national level. My percussion designer Jim Bailey coined the phrase “hidden compulsories” to describe the expectations of judges as to what ingredients are required for a successful competi-

for feedback and input from administrators, parents, and students. Building consensus and community support for your program starts with being a good listener!

The Design Process For the last two years, I have helped create shows for Vic Scimeca, the band director at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School in Warrenville, Il-

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linois. The process starts in February, when Vic and I meet with his instructional staff for a design meeting. We reflect on the show from last year, and make projections about the number and skills of the incoming students. We discuss competitive and educational goals for the coming year, and select musical content and show themes for the coming year.

Then, we utilize a graph to plot all show events on a timeline. This system was inspired by and adapted from a process described by Pulitzer-prize winning composer Michael Colgrass. By representing the music visually, we are more

mindful about creating moments of tension and release, as well as how to combine all elements of the show. We literally plan out the entire show in 10 or 20 second increments.

First, we make decisions about the flow of the music. Do we start loud or soft? Where is the climax of this movement? Where is the softest spot in this movement? Where do we utilize a soloist or chamber ensemble, if at all? Where do we feature the battery or front ensemble, if at all? By planning the duration in seconds and by graphing the rise and fall of the musical energy of each portion of the show, it is easy to clearly identify the focal points.

Second, after we have planned the musical events, we script the visual ideas. How do we want the drill to support or reinforce the music? Are there moments where the band should stand still? Where do we want to stage the soloist on the field? Will we utilize props to help propel the story line or clarify the flow of the music? How can we utilize the colorguard the advance the story line or to enhance the music?

Lots of people “listen with their eyes,” so the guard can play a critical role in clarifying the musical intent. If that is hard to imagine, here’s a basic example: let’s say that the first movement of the show ends with big block chords that crescendo for 10 seconds. The guard can support this crescendo by lifting very large flags over their heads in time with the tempo of the piece as the music gets louder. This

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visual crescendo can be even more effective if the drill for the guard spreads them out to a very large interval, as large as 10 or 12 steps apart. The drill looks bigger, the flags are coming up in the air, and all the audience notices is that the band sounds great. Achieving this “full ensemble crescendo”– one that incorporates music, drill, and guard work – is no accident. Rather, it is the result of careful planning.

Our design team accomplishes this through the use of the graph, described below. In this example, if we want to use large flags at the end of the first movement to achieve a crescendo, we note that in the graph. Then, we back up 20 or 30 seconds and make a note to the drill writer, something like, “Stage colorguard for equipment change.” All members of the design team get a copy of the graph, so that all elements of the show work together.

Equipment changes for the guard should not create a distraction for the audience, so we plan carefully to engage the audience elsewhere on the field while these are taking place.

Just like a magician re-directs the attention of the audience before the trick actually happens, we want to incorporate guard changes so carefully into the show design that the audience literally wonders, “When did they get that flag?”

Again, a really basic example might be making the drumline the focal point of the show for 20 seconds while the colorguard changes equipment. During the drumline moment, the drill designer has freedom to place higher demands on the woodwinds and brass, since they are not playing. So, while the audience is engaged watching the drill whizz along or watching the drumline play something loud and fast, the guard change is quietly taking place out of their field of vision.

At this point in the process, there is a lot of give and take among the designers, instructional staff, and the director.

We may change the musical timeline to create a richer performance opportunity for the guard or to allow for a more dramatic drill moment. This is truly a fluid process, with all minds focused on creating the most coherent, artistically pleasing, interesting show possible. Even after the graph has been solidified, it can always be changed as the music is created and the visual ideas take shape.

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Professional Help Many directors may not have the time or expertise to consider all of these elements when designing a show. To fill that void, there are many companies available to create such a show for you. If you opt to go with a design company, be thorough in researching their credentials. You want to go with a company that has experience both performing and teaching in the public schools.

Part of selecting a company should involve examining their contract. At first glance this may seem a bit formal, but a written contract protects both parties. Mutual obligations and expectations should be clearly spelled out. For instance, if the director provides an accurate number of student performers to the drill writer by the date specified by the contract, then the drill writer is obligated to deliver a certain percentage of the drill by the date specified. If the director delivers the number of students later than the date

38 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

specified, then the drill writer’s deadline should move back accordingly. Deadlines for show delivery and for payment should be in writing as well. A reputable drill writer, composer, percussion arranger or choreographer should also be a reputable business person, and should be able to deliver your show content in a timely manner. Conversely, in accepting a contract to create your show, your design team has probably turned down other professional opportunities, so it is normal to pay a deposit or retainer fee to the designers as part of the contract, which is then typically applied towards the final balance. The contract should include language that specifies how much of the show the design team is willing to edit strictly at the request of the director versus a reasonable charge per measure of music or per page of drill for re-writes or edits beyond that point.

The self-assessment and reflection required to create a custom field show can yield long-term benefits for your band. Not only will you get a clearer picture of where you stand now, in the process you can develop a better idea of where you want to go.

Dr. Thomas Bough is the director of Athletic Bands at Northern Illinois University. He also conducts the Wind Symphony and teaches conducting and instrumental arranging. An active conductor, arranger, composer, clinician, and adjudicator for both concert band and marching band, Dr. Bough has dozens of appearances per year to his credit across the United States. He is also the founder and owner of the Downbeat Design Team, which designs both custom and original marching band shows. Visit them online at www.downbeatdesignteam.com.

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n orderly, well-put-together appearance goes a long way towards creating the impression of a flourishing music program, which is absolutely critical when raising funds, recruiting, and advocating for your program. What’s more, in the face of hits that music department budgets may have taken over the past

couple of years, presenting a proud, cohesive image is as important as ever for student performers, boosters, and everyone else involved in the program.

Fortunately, the relatively recent boom in the popularity of marching pageantry has created a dramatic increase in uniform and footwear design options and, in many cases, these purchases provide more bang for the buck than in past years, with continued innovation in long-lasting, easy-toclean fabrics.

With a focus on funding – as uniforms are often the largest single purchase a music program will make – SBO recently reached out to five experienced educators who took some time to share their thoughts in this roundtable on the latest trends in uniforms and footwear.

Do you have any suggestions for financing uniforms in hard economic times?

Cristin Eick: When directors are preparing budgets they should always plan ahead. Uniforms can be the largest single purchase in the history of a band’s treasury. That financial burden should not be left for that year’s current parent association or school board to finance. In my tenure at BeCaHi, we have made it a part of our Band Parent Association By-

“When considering uniforms, first and foremost, band members must be proud, comfortable, and confident when wearing their uniforms.” laws to fundraise and deposit $3,000 each year in a separate uniform account. This type of savings and budget planning provides evidence to our parents and school community that not only are we vested in our future members but that we are fiscally responsible. A community will be more willing – and potentially more giving – to financially support an organization that proves this as opposed to one that spends frivolously.

40 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

Fundraising during trying economic times can be difficult, but fundraising committees should not get discouraged or give up hope.

I encourage my parent association to look outside the normal and typical fundraising opportunities. We do our best to avoid events that target our own band parents to spend money – spending money to make money doesn’t necessarily work when you’re constantly tapping the same parents and family for funds. In the past, we’ve established relationships with community businesses to obtain a financial sponsorship in exchange for advertisement in programs, as wells as other similar ventures. Fundraisers, like clothing and toy drives, that pay your organization back by the pound offer “easily found money” that does not require the selling of tchotchkes and benefits others less fortunate at the same time. Finally, directors can make money by creatively not spending their money. For example, a par-

ent may not be able to donate money but may have a trade or a skill that could be useful. For example, instead of paying to have your uniforms or flags repaired by a seamstress, there could be a parent willing and able to donate his or her time. Utilizing these resources not only create fellowship within your organization, but also are “priceless”!

Greg Bimm: Being a private school, our band parent organization has always had to cover the cost of new uniforms. We budget to add annually to our “uniform account” from our general band parent fund so that we have enough money saved when it is time to buy new uniforms. We have been lucky at times to have great fund raising opportunities at just the right uniform time. Our current uniforms were almost completely paid for with funds earned by working at the U.S. Open, which was held at Olympia Fields Country Club (about one mile from Marian) in 2003.

Eric Mullins: The band uniforms in our school district are on a rotating replenishment schedule. Every eight years the school board purchases new uniforms for two to three of the 13 high schools in the district from a Capital Improvement Fund/Capital Replacement Fund specifically for that purpose.

Steven

Barraclough:

Due to the economy, I think booster organizations are going to become increasingly vital in terms of funding both uniforms and shoes. Our students raise money through the many fundraisers that our music booster organization does each year. Each student has an account from which supplies like shoes, gloves, and t-shirts can be purchased. These accounts are used for trip payments as well.

Cristin Eick Band Director/Music Department Chair Bethlehem Catholic High School Bethlehem, Pa. Since arriving at Bethlehem Catholic High School in 2001, Cristin Eick has been the band director and music department chair, directing the marching band, concert band, and jazz band, as well as being involved in the spring musicals.

Eric Mullins Director of Bands Western Hills High School Benbrook, Texas Eric Mullins is in his fourth year as the director of Bands at Western Hills High School in Benbrook, Texas. Under his direction, the WH Marching Band consistently receives first division ratings at Texas UIL Region Marching Contest, and is a finalist in area marching contests, including five straight appearances in finals at the “Aledo Unleash the Sound” Marching Festival, and two at the Texas UIL Area B Marching Contest. Prior to Western Hills, Mr. Mullins held a post as an associate band director at Creekview High School in Carrollton, Texas.

Greg Bimm Director of Bands Marian Catholic High School Chicago Heights, Ill. Greg Bimm has been director of bands at Marian Catholic High School since 1977. Under his direction, the Marian Band has earned hundreds of awards and honors, and has become one of the premier high school band programs in the United States. Marian’s Marching Band has been undefeated in its class in Illinois State competition for 31 years (since 1980), and has been crowned the Bands of America Grand National Champion seven times.

Marian Catholic is one of the few music programs to have been honored with both the Sudler Flag of Honor (for concert band) and the Sudler Shield (for marching band) by the John Philip Sousa Foundation.

Among his many personal honors, Greg Bimm was elected to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 1994. In 2005, he was elected to the Music for All/Bands of America Hall of Fame, and in 2006, Mr. Bimm was named a Lowell Mason Fellow

by MENC. Steven Barraclough Director of Bands Elizabethtown Area High School Elizabethtown, Pa. Steven Barraclough is currently in his eleventh year as the director of bands at Elizabethtown Area High School. He also serves as the assistant director of the Elizabethtown Area Middle School Bands. A native of Brockway, Pa, he holds a B.S. in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has done graduate work through Wilkes University.

Prior to joining the EASD staff, Mr. Barraclough taught at Laurel High School in Laurel, Md. and Scotland School for Veteran’s Children in Scotland, Pa. Robert Gibson Director of Instrumental Music Saugus High School Santa Clarita, Calif.

Robert Gibson is currently in his 18th year as director of Instrumental Music at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California. The Saugus High School Marching Band has made Southern California Marching Band Championship for four consecutive years, and the instrumental music program also boasts an award-winning Jazz Ensemble, Theater Orchestra, Concert Band and small performance Ensembles. Mr. Gibson is also the director of the Saugus High School Winter Guard, which has three WGASC medals to its credits.

Robert Gibson: Until two years ago, the practice and protocol in our district, which has six high schools School Band and Orchestra, May 2011 41

and six junior highs, was that all the bands were a rotation where every 10-12 years each school was allotted the opportunity to purchase new band uniforms. The district would cover 50 percent of the cost and the programs would match the funds. This past year, we purchased uniforms and as a result of the lack of district funds, the boosters were responsible for shouldering the entire cost. Looking forward, we have started to put away a certain amount of money – approximately 3,000 dollars – every year as a part of our fundraising to allocate that towards new uniforms. After ten years or so, we should have enough funding to buy new uniforms.

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42 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

CE: We are not a competitive band, so we wear our marching shoes during football season and at the most, two or three additional performances each year. I feel that for the amount of time our band members wear their shoes, it was not necessary to invest an exorbitant amount of money on them. The speedster style of shoe my instrumentalists wear provides enough support and a beveled heel to allow them to roll-step properly. The band front portion of my band also purchases an appropriate style shoe at a moderate price.

When our shoes are ordered, payment for their shoes is included with the uniform deposit students must make in order to take home their band uniforms. However, we try to handle any financial hardships as best we can. If a parent is short funds, we include the cost of shoes in their fundraising

quota. This would allow them the opportunity to fundraise over the course of the year for their shoes as opposed to paying cash. Like most teenagers, our band members seem to continue to grow at a ridiculous rate – especially their feet! We try not to have our members purchase more than one pair of shoes during their time with the band. When growing band members or senior band members graduate, they can donate their gently worn shoes back to the band. This collection is not only used for emergency purposes, but also for a “give a pair, take a pair” recycling program for those who have outgrown their band shoes.

GB: We do not purchase footwear, and our students are required to purchase marching shoes. We do not have a financing option for shoes, but, luckily, the shoes we use are quite affordable and last very long. Often our students can wear the same shoes for the entire time at Marian, unless they grow out of them. Our graduates regularly donate their shoes back to the program and since they are well cared for and very sturdy, they can be used to help students with financial difficulties, or they can be placed in our “emergency” stockpile.

RG: We provide footwear for the students. We require them to wear matching shoes, which are good for the marching band and other performance opportunities, as well. We happen to use a patent leather finish shoe, which works incredibly well on the field, but also works great with formal wear on stage or in other public performances, with the jazz band, for example.

What recent trends have you noticed in uniforms and footwear?

CE: I’ve no-

ticed

that

there has been a tremendous amount of variety in the uniform and footwear options. The possibilities are endless when it comes to designing band apparel. These options can become overwhelming for a director and could persuade a director to spend their budget on a fad as opposed to a more

of the “washables,” but true to their reputation, our uniforms have held up beautifully. In truth, they have actually been more resilient and have held their look better than any of our previous uniforms. Another thing of note is the fit and feel of the new uniforms. Our old uniforms were heavy wool and

“When we got our new uniforms several years ago, it really raised the level of pride for our students.” traditional or timeless uniform. Also, directors should be aware that some uniforms, especially band front uniforms, are often made to be disposable – purchased for a specific theme, and worn for one season. These types of uniforms can be tough on the budget.

GB: Our most recent uniforms are the “new” washable uniforms. Having grown up in a fully constructed, dry-clean only uniform world, I was very concerned about the longevity DINKLES1.2horSBO:Layout 1

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had the feel of “parades” or “standing guard,” whereas our current uniforms are much lighter, more tailored looking, and built for movement. Finally, some uniforms are being made with snaps for adjustable-length sleeves and pants. While ours do not have these, I think the idea sounds like an incredible time/hassle saver. I know the Bands of America Rose Parade band used these and they worked really well.

We have used the same shoes for years and even though I look at every 4:19 PM

Page 1

new generation of footwear, I feel that the idea and design of the shoes we continue to use remains exactly what we need.

EM: Some of the current trends in uniform design are a cross of a return to military lines, but more modernized, and design concepts from theater. The main focus, however, is helping the band look cleaner through the cleanliness of the uniform.

Many band directors want students to look thinner and taller, and these desires drive design concepts.

Uniform designs accomplish this in two ways: First, by bringing the color of the pant either all the way up to the shoulder or to the chest area as opposed to introducing a new color in the jacket right at the waist. A new feature that assists with this concept is the introduction of one color fading to another color. Secondly, plumes have gotten taller. While at one point most bands wore 6- or 8-inch plumes,

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moisture-wicking material is a very atmore people now are opting for 12tractive feature of new marching band or 14-inch plumes. To get the stuuniform designs. dents to look thinner, uniforms are There are many more choices tofitted much tighter than in the past, day in marching footwear than there this is also easier to accomplish (withwere a few years ago. I remember a out constricting the player’s ability to time, when I was in high school, that breathe) than it used to be because there were two choices, Drillmasters companies are using washable, lighter and Dinkles. With the advent of the weight polyester. Some designs incorMTX by Director’s Showcase, new porate something called a waist cinch, shoe designs have been popping up which can be the same color as the all over the place. Many people still pants and/or jacket, or it can act as prefer – and most designs incorpoa cummerbund as well, but one that rate – some sort of rolled heel. Othpulls in the body at the waist, like a er design features that most people girdle. prefer are leather shoes instead of Another trend in which we are vinyl; an athletic shoe type soul that very interested is the rising popularis more stable, comfortable and duity of gray pants. We are getting new rable, one that is capable of encouruniforms this year and our new deaging a smooth glide step yet will sign will feature two pairs of pants, grip the turf for a direction change one black and one gray. The drawback at 140-180 beats per minute. to wearing gray pants is, in fact, the footwear. You really need gray shoes to make the look as clean as possible.

SB: Uniforms and shoes compaHowever, no one makes gray shoes, so nies continue to evolve. They have we will do as other groups have done developed a variety of price points and paint our shoes gray. for uniforms and shoes that fit into I teach band in Texas, and we are in most budgets. I have been very the hot weather more often than not. pleased with the shoes that we have Early in marching season, we will have our students purchase. They have a several football games and marching good quality shoe that really fits into SBOCelloColorAdQuarter:Layout 1 3/15/11 12:06 PM Page 1 contests enduring temperatures of 90 the budget of our students. We really degrees or more. Therefore, a light, try to keep the costs as low as pos-

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sible for our students because times are tough. Regarding uniforms, the styles of have changed significantly over the years. While traditional uniforms are still available, styles that are more cutting-edge are readily available. It really provides a lot of options for bands!

RG: When we recently bought our new uniforms, we were given some contemporary choices for colors. The colors we have now, compared to the uniforms we bought 12 years ago, are much more vibrant. In terms of style, a lot of bands in our area – and I was particular about this as well – are moving towards an all-in-one, meaning as few pieces as possible. The fewer pieces of fabric to worry about, the fewer pieces to lose or break – snaps, Velcro, stickers, zippers, and so on. Our previous outfits looked great from a distance, but they had far too many pieces. Now, we have fully constructed, one-piece uniforms that zip up the back like a straight jacket. It only takes two people to put on the uniform. You have a partner, you zip each other up, and away you go.

Would you describe the impact that apparel has on your field shows and parade performances?

CE: Uniforms and apparel have a great impact on all of our performances. Unlike competitive bands, which change their uniforms to compliment the theme of their shows, my band front uniforms complement the instrumentalists’ uniforms. The majorette and silk squads use flags and equipment made up of different colors that are complimentary to the theme of our music. When considering uniforms, first and foremost, band members must be proud, comfortable, and confident when wearing their uniforms. A band member who is reluctant to wear his or her uniform with pride will be reluctant to give 110 percent effort.

GB: I think that the design of our uniforms and shoes is lighter and more movement driven, so naturally we are more easily able to incorporate all forms of expressive marching and movement in our field shows.

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SB: When we got our new uniforms several years ago, it really raised the level of pride for our students. Our old uniforms were nice but had a dated look. Our new uniforms gave the group a more up-todate look. When we tied the new uniforms into the banner and po-

dium covers and it really provided a cohesive look.

Any other thoughts on school band uniforms and footwear?

CE: Uniforms, and band apparel in general, can certainly set the tone of your organization. Band directors

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should evaluate their program’s needs prior to making any purchases as well as thoroughly research all of their options. Finally, directors should choose their uniforms carefully while considering budget, style, and comfort.

GB: I would recommend for anyone planning on buying uniforms or shoes to plan ahead. Give yourself plenty of time for decisions and to get through the financial mechanics. Be sure to consider your school and community when looking at cost and financing. Do not simply follow the crowd to newest styles or “flavor of the month.” The uniforms must last a long time both physically and stylistically and shoes must be safe and comfortable. Check out real samples. Wear shoes for yourself. Talk to friends who have bought or are buying uniforms and shoes and get their real feedback.

EM: My general thoughts on uniform design are to sit down and come up with your priorities. Take all of the things you love and/or hate about your current uniform, all of the uniform concepts that you see in cutting edge marching band and drum corps and how it affects the way that they look from a distance and up close.

Then communicate that to the uniform company of choice and if they are great, they will come up with a concept – or several – that will strike you. Uniforms are becoming more interesting and creative pageantry is an increasingly important part of the process, as well. In our design process, we have tried to be very open to new and unique ideas, because there are a lot of the same uniforms out there. Our bands need comfortable uniforms the students can take pride in wearing that provide an identity and also fill the function of making our students look taller, thinner, and cleaner.

SB: Personally, I like some of the hybrid type uniforms, and the traditional uniforms that have been given a modern twist. I hope the manufacturers keep up their good work in developing styles and materials that will continue the evolution of the band look.

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48 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

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Type of social media Blog Share and view videos Share and view photos Post or update Wikis Create dialogue & interact with existing audience, or seek out new audiences Interact with other professionals Website Online music lessons Jazz-specific community Sell music online for fundraiser

Resources to get started Blogger.com, wordpress.com YouTube.com, iTunes.com/podcasts Flickr.com, Shutterfly.com, picasa.com Wikispaces, Wikipedia Facebook, Twitter, Evite MusicPLN.org, Linkedln landLcom, wordpress.com viaacademies.com Jazzplayer.com alfred.com/alfredrecords, itunes.com

The recent successful 18-day rebellion in Egypt was attributed in part to Facebook’s mass communication capabilities. As of early 2010, Facebook boasted well over 500 million active users with 200 million people logging in via mobile devices. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world. Twitter’s growth has been so stratospheric that it now has a market value of 5 billion dollars and has changed the lexicon with catchy terms such as “tweeting” and “hashtag.” Although only 8 percent of online Americans use this microblogging service, 95 million tweets are written per day. LinkedIn is the leading businessoriented social networking site. Tumblr is a microblogging site that blends the best aspects of traditional blogs and social-networks. Tumblr users can reblog any post with one click. In Facebook, they can “like” a post with or without leaving full comments. Flickr is a great social-network with free online photo sharing services, user-friendly organization tools and a straightforward tagging system. If you are a digital immigrant, blogging may be the most practical way to begin social networking because it can immediately impact your teaching in creative ways.

Blogging has revolutionized the way people create exciting multimedia websites without HTML expertise or even a website domain. Hundreds of music educator’s are blogging. Dr. Joseph Pisano, 2011 Teacher of the Year for TI:ME and a professor of music at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, compiled a list of prominent bloggers (mustech.net/projects/100-me-bloggers#MElist) containing excellent links with which to brainstorm. He has a great list of the benefits of writing a blog: 1. Reflection, introspection, and thought crystallization 2. Sharing knowledge with students, peers, or the world (global conversations) 3. Contributing to a larger database of information (active research) 4. Writing practice 5. Creative outlet 6. Digital mentoring 7. Active sharing of media (pictures/photos/videos/webcasts/podcasts/vidcasts) 8. Creating a network of peers and colleagues 9. Advertising concerts, clinics, or anything else (publicity) The word “blog” comes from the older term, “web log.” These regularly updated on-line journal entries may be private or readily accessible to the general public. Entries are usually written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. For educational purposes, it might be best to use a closed-access blog that requires a login and password to avoid security breaches.

WordPress, one blog-hosting site, has this feature built in. Other free blog sites to consider are Blogger, Tumblr and Posterous. Tumblr is a favorite of mine because it is more multimedia capable than others, and even allows users to save up to 20 MB of audio online on a daily basis, making it possible to update daily podcast within the blog and not worry about where to save and store the audio file. I also

like blogger.com because of its power and user-friendliness. All of the abovementioned blogs have on-line tutorials with step-by-step guides. Generally, posting can be done in three or four minutes with just a few steps, after creating an account and selecting a template for the blog. The text for your first posting can be copied and pasted into the blog from your word processor or e-mail program and quickly

posted. The learning curve is minimal compared to constructing HTML web sites.

Andy Zweibel presented an excellent clinic at the 2011 TI:ME national conference in Cincinnati entitled “Music Teacher 2.0: Blogging Your Way to a Better Classroom.” A special set up at musicedmajor.net/time11/ has downloadable clinic handouts and his PowerPoint presentation. This “native,” a senior at the University of Miami, gave clear rationale for the connectivity of social networking among music educators. Reading other teachers’ blogs can refresh and validate our ideas and projects and inform us on handling challenging situations. One of the difficulties in music teaching can be our isolation. Nine out of every 10 teachers in the clinic did not teach with another music teacher in the same building. Contrast this with academic teachers in your building, who may have several colleagues to talk to at lunch, planning period, and before or after school. Bloggers freely ask and answer questions ranging from management to tone production. And it’s a great way to get news, inside scoops, and send high-fives.

How about engaging students with writing assignments about what they are doing in class, perhaps posting them on a weekly basis to a school

“Reading other teachers’ blogs can refresh and validate our ideas and projects and inform us on handling challenging situations.” blog? A blogged writing assignment would be right up their “native” alley, and administrators would certainly appreciate any display of enthusiasm for writing. However, for security reasons, I recommend not posting students’ full names – use initials or first names only.

RSS Feeds The secret ingredient to blogging is the RSS feed, which enables web-based aggregation. “RSS” stands for “Really Simple Syndication,” and RSS feeds are designed to automatically deliver blog updates through a family of web 52 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

feed formats used to publish frequently updated works, including blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video. An RSS feed automatically sends you any new updates from the blog(s) that you have chosen to subscribe to. This means that you only have to go to one place to receive the latest documents from however many blogs that you have subscribed to, without needing to go to each of the individual blogs to stay current. All blogging platforms have active RSS feeds built-in to them, requiring no knowledge from the blog owner/writer. You simply post an article and it is automatically added to your site’s RSS feeds. It has an orange icon and when clicked, it searches for the latest blog updates that you have subscribed to.

If you want to author podcasting, one of the easiest ways do that is through a blogging Burner; or consider using Podomatic, a free blogging platform specifically for podcasting. iTunes allows users to subscribe to both video and audio podcasts through their services. Those Podcast authors that have registered their sites with iTunes are able to automatically notify iTunes of new content the instant they publish their podcasts through the RSS mechanism.

Subscribing to multiple RSS feeds can be vastly simplified by utilizing OPML files. For example, Joseph Pisano maintains an OPML file on MusTech.net that contains the RSS feeds of almost 100 active music related sites. By subscribing to his OPML file through an RSS reader (like Google Reader) you will instantly be subscribed to all of the RSS feeds at one time. Web sites like MusicEdNews.com utilize RSS feeds to bring visitors the latest information from multiple sites. This type of RSS syndication and republishing is known as Web-based RSS aggregation. It can be seperated into categories like music technology, pedagogy, instrumental techniques, instrumental, vocal, strings, and so on, with the five most recent posts updated from each blog. Through Web 2.0 magic, you get every single update to MusicEdNews.com even faster by following its Twitter Entity:

@musicednews. RSS allows users to avoid manually inspecting all of the websites they might be interested in because new content will be automatically passed on to their browsers when it becomes available.

Examples of Music Educator Blogs for Professional Development Let’s first view Andy Zweibel’s blog at musicedmajor.net/2011/01/. You’ll quickly recognize the magnitude of what he’s doing. Although written for college students, it hosts a vast amount of information for music educators with links, archival postings, conference presentations, downloadable files, popular posts, and more. The blogging resources, RSS/Aggregation resources, and Twitter resources (micro blogging) contained there are all pertinent for both newbies and digital natives.

It is impossible to separate a blog from a person, so I listed the people operating the blogs, as well as information on their blogs, in the list below (which was originally compiled

by Dr. Pisano). These selected blogs represent a wealth of information that can be fed via RSS directly to your computers.

Selected Music Education Blogs:

• Music, Education, and Technology: MusTech.Net (mustech.net) – Dr. Joseph Pisano’s blog is one

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of the oldest and active music blogs online. This blog contains over 700 articles about music education, music technology, and social media for educators and musicians.

Elementary Music and Music Technology Blog (musicroomburns.net/) – Amy Burns’ blogs about her experience as a music elementary teacher and provides many articles about integrating various forms of pedagogy and technology into the primary music education classroom.

MusicEdMajor.Net (musicedmajor.net) – Andy Zweibel, currently a senior at the University of Miami, started this blog his sophomore year in order to get other preservice music majors connected to each other and through music education social media.

MusicEdTech (musicedtech.com) – Barbara Freedman’s blog provides articles about using technology to teach, learn and create music in multiple music education scenarios.

Music Education at About.com (musiced.about.com/) – Espie Estrella provides daily information about music education and useful pieces of information for music educators.

Africlassical (africlassical.blogspot. com) – William Zick blogs about African heritage and influence in the classical music genre.

Making the Most of Notation Software (tomrudolph.berkleemusicblogs.com) – Dr. Tom Rudolph’s blog focus on music notation and provides a number of tutorials and

Muscle Memory Exercises for Band BbTrumpet

by Randall & Ami Kulik northeastern music publications, Inc

Bb Trumpet

---It’s more than a warm-up book!

---Get your students totally in the key in which they are about to perform.

---Work the scale, balance and blend with 3 chorales in that key.

---Students love it.

A Northeastern Music Publication Choose your free student book.

Call: 866-385-8446 or email: info@nemusicpub.com School Band and Orchestra, May 2011 53

tips for making music notation both faster and easier.

• Teaching Music in the 21st Century (teachingmusic.posterous.com) – Brian Wis blogs about his experience as a music educator and high school band and orchestra director.

• MusicTechForMe (musictechforme.com) – Keith Mason’s original Music, Education, and Technology Blog. This blog contains dozens of Music Education related podcasts.

• BandEdToolShed (rogerwhaley. blogspot.com) – Roger Whaley has created a blog where he writes about music education and band directing.

Other Social Media Sites and Projects:

• The Music Educators Professional Learning Network (musicpln.org) – This website is the “facebook” of Music Education and includes groups for discussion about a variety of music topics including conducting and ensembles.

• Facebook Group: “I’m a Band Director” (facebook.com/banddirectors) – A relatively new, and active, group on Facebook for discussing life as a band director.

• Twitter Music Educators List (mustech.net/projects/musictwitter) – A reviewed list of Music Educators to “follow” on Twitter. By following this list, anyone can easily be immersed in the “social good” that is coming out of Twitter for music educators.

54 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

• MusicEdNews.com (musicednews. com) – An online news aggregator containing information from almost one hundred Music Blogs and Websites.

• Music Education RSS/OPML Project (mustech.net/projects/poem_ – Follow dozens of music websites with any RSS Reader by utilizing this project.

• The Educator’s PLN (edupln.ning. com) – This site is dedicated to providing educators of every type an avenue to discuss the education profession.

• Classroom 2.0 (classroom20.com) – Classroom 2.0 is an enormous social media website specifically designed for educator collaboration.

• TBA Yellow Board (theyellowboard.com) – While a somewhat older “2.0” technology, The Texas Band Director Yellow Board is still one of the best places to find discussions about directing bands.

• Twitter #musedchat (musicedmajor.net/musedchat/) – A weekly discussion about any and all Music Education related topics on Twitter at 8 PM Eastern time.

• Ischoolband.com (ischoolband. com) – A private, commercial, social network for your band or ensemble. It includes various ensemble management tools and a “Facebook” like communications platform for the students and directors.

Summary of Best General Social-Networking Practices:

• Make sure you have a website to di-

•

• •

• •

•

•

• • •

•

rect folks back to and link all online presences together.

If you don’t join any other network, at least build a Facebook page for yourself and your group.

Spend 10 minutes a day online doing professional development.

Share links to articles with your students from print magazines and supplementary YouTube videos.

Have your students manage the pages to promote the group.

Measure effectiveness by amount of friends, interaction, number of clicks back to your site.

Focus on value-added posts – video of the week, jokes, teaching tips (not just promoting your events).

Don’t be afraid to contribute content, share tips, comment on others’ posts.

Make a goal to update your status/ page at least every day or two.

Be open to changing your strategy based on feedback.

Figure out what type of content/ interaction works with your community (find your “voice”).

Connect to parents and encourage them to participate.

Closing Comments Many music educators and advocates are uncertain about how using social media technologies, but simply choosing to ignore or dismiss them means losing out on opportunities. Blogging can be the gateway to social networking. It’s the latest professional development tool connecting you with educators in the field regardless of geographic distances. There’s no faster way to expand your horizon than networking with colleagues via social networking. The price is right, since many options are free and don’t require programming or technical skill. The quicker you jump on this technology, the sooner you’ll move from an immigrant to a native in this rapidly changing world.

SBOStaff

Selections

Exciting and Diverse

Music for Marching Band by

Vince corozine

B

and directors are always on the hunt for new and refreshing music to add spice

and excitement to their programs. This article highlights pieces for marching band that will add flare and diversity to performances and field shows.

Included are both new music and some integrated concept

Part 1: New Music for Marching Band

field shows. Performances for

“Hip to be Square” (Music by Huey Lewis and the News, arr. by Roland Barrett – Alfred Music Publishing)

most of these pieces can be found by searching YouTube.

This energetic rock piece at quarter note=148 in B♭ major is part of Alfred’s Mega Sounds Series, (grade level 2 1/2-3). This series is scored for two trumpet parts, low brass, and woodwind parts 1 and 2 in both bass and treble clef. An optional alto saxophone part is provided that doubles the low brass and woodwind part 1. This is the perfect series for smaller bands that still want technically challenging arrangements.

This is a stirring new treatment with lots of rhythmic drive and is solidly scored. It has six very active percussion parts with interesting rhythmic fills, and this arrangement displays a lot of unison/octave writing for the band. The strong unison/octave sound adds to maximum projection and ease of performance.

School Band and Orchestra, May 2011 55

comfortable coupled with ample contrast in scoring as the dynamics range from piano to fortissimo. A melody for two part trumpets, reminiscent of Mariachi-style music, leads back to a full rhythmic ending.

“Cuban Coffee” is an outstanding Latin piece that is both fun to play and exciting to listen to.

“Jump” (Music by Van Halen, arr.

by Jay Bocook and Will Rapp – Hal Leonard) The technical demands are modest for most instruments and the dynamic compass extends from piano to fortissimo. The tuba part is doubled only by the bass drum and requires confident players to bring out this independent part. This vigorous, full-sounding piece has one part written for every instrument except the trumpets, which are written in two parts. An effective middle section provides contrast and relief when the theme is given to the low brass and woodwinds in octaves.

This is a flashy, high-energy piece can be easily learned and will make an effective piece for the field show or in the stands.

This level 4 piece was recorded by Van Halen in 1984 and made popular again by the TV Series “Glee.”

“Cuban Coffee” (Music and Arr.

by Victor Lopez – Alfred Music Publishing) Also a part of Alfred’s Mega Sounds Series (grade level 3), “Cuban Coffee” is fiery Latin original at quarter note=120, in C minor.

This tune starts out big and bold and is written in a solid Latin groove with strong, vibrant harmonies. The active “montuno” vamp in the middle section generates tremendous energy and excitement, which allows the low brass and woodwinds to shine forth.

The momentum builds in intensity with crisp percussion fills that lead to an uplifting modulation. “Tequila”type rhythmic figures accompanied by solid moving melodic lines in the horns and alto saxophones lead to this effective modulation. The six percussion parts burst forth during the sudden intermittent breaks in tempo. The instrument ranges are 56 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

A pulsating groove – quarter note=120, in the key of B♭ major – permeates this driving rock piece as the upper brass and woodwinds play short syncopated figures throughout. Continuous eighth notes, occurring in the percussion, baritone horn, tenor sax and upper woodwinds, saturate this piece and keep the music moving steadily forward. Flutes extend to F above the staff, horns to F on the fifth line, and the first trumpet is written to A above the staff. Most parts are in a comfortable range.

This is a solidly scored, stirring piece that will enhance a field show.

Part 2: Integrated Concept Field Shows “The Rise and Fall of Rome” (Music

by Key Paulin, percussion by Leonard Bedoian. www.keypaulin.com) This grade level-4 production ranges for the trumpet solo up to the D above staff, and for the horns written G above staff. It is divided into three movements: I. Chisels and Stone II. Catacombs III. Pagan Dance and the Great Fire The piece opens dramatically and forcefully with the sound of workers yelling as they toil on the objects of stone. Short rhythmic hits in the winds combine with energetic percussion that dramatically brings forth a mood of backbreaking work. This movement is loaded with special effects and dissonant textures. The dynamic shadings are very effective and boldly lead to the full and resonant fortisimo section.

“Catacombs” opens in a foreboding and somber mood leading to a mournful solo by the alto saxophone. A fortissimo section fades into a pianissimo to end the movement; as though the exhausted workers completed work for the day.

“Pagan Dance” begins with active percussion in 6/8 meter that leads to a lively melody played by the winds.

There is a highly energetic, angularsounding dance that is reminiscent of Khatchaturian’s “Sabre Dance.” The final section brings forth vocal “yelling” from the band to emulate crowd noises and brings this exciting and crowd-pleasing piece to a close.

“Scenes of Simple Gifts” (Music by Key Paulin, percussion by Jim Casella) This is another three-movement production for level 4. With variations on the famous Shaker tune, “It’s a Gift to Be Simple,” it ranges for the trumpet up to the C above staff and option G below, and horns written A above staff.

“Purpose” opens with the main theme stated by the woodwinds, and is immediately followed in imitation and diminution, leading to a broad fortissimo section. A pulsating rhythmic section follows leads to a new key a minor third higher. This gives a needed lift to

the melody. The movement ends on a sustained, resonant fortissimo chord.

“Passion” now presents the theme in a minor key and again makes use of imitative entrances. The compositional technique of melodic augmentation is effective. After leading to a dramatic fortissimo, the section ends quietly.

“Promise” brings forth active percussion in a 23-measure feature. This is followed by a fanfare leading back to the familiar melody. A grandioso at a fortissimo level concludes this dramatic and colorful piece.

“Bound” (By Ian Groom and John Mapes –pub. Box 6 Productions, box-six.com) This complete show for levels 5-6 includes full ensemble integration of music, drill and color guard. The piece is in three movements and includes 22 percussion parts and 14 band parts. ✶ Box X Productions’ show includes the following: ✶ PDF files for all movements including full scores, drill scores, battery scores and all individual parts. ✶ High quality MP3 recordings that can be burned to CD for full ensemble as well as percussion only. ✶ MP3 file of all narration and sound effects that can be entered into a sampler. ✶ Personal web page with a username and password to access all the unit’s information.

This piece ranges from C above staff with optional A below for trumpet, B♭ two octaves above staff for flutes, and written F fifth line on staff for horns. The mallet percussion parts are particularly challenging.

From the physical bonds in the first movement, the emotional bonds of the second movement, and the common bonds of the third, “Bound” is a production that hits many tiers of the intellectual scale. The verve and precision of the large percussion section must be maintained throughout.

A superbly executed performance of “Bound” by the Chino Hills High School Marching Band is available on YouTube.

The numerous variations in moods are striking and the rhythmic figures are reminiscent of “West Side Story.” This impressive field show sets a mood, fol-

lows a theme, and integrates all of these into a well-produced field spectacle. This impressive production will be challenging for many bands, but it will add a new dimension and a contemporary visual impact to one’s marching band shows.

“Beyond the Forest’s Edge” (by John Fannin, www.johnfanninmusic.com) This is a modern version of “Little Red Riding Hood” suitable for grade levels 3-5. Little Red Riding Hood is depicted by the woodwinds and melodic percussion; the wolf and the hunter are represented by the brass and battery percussion. Sound effects are an integral part of this production and are available. Included are a narration, ideas for props, guard ideas as well as other visual suggestions. Trumpet ranges up to the written C above staff with optional G below, horns to the written F on the top line.

Movement I begins in a light, airy, and playful mood – not knowing what lies ahead. This tension is reinforced by antiphonal effects between the soloists and the band. Numerous pedalpoints are used underneath to enhance the suspenseful moods.

Movement II brings forth the beauty of the forest, as Red explores all the new and unusual sights. Bold, dramatic scoring leads to a warm, mellow texture that is layered with sound effects.

The composer cleverly quotes “Over the River and Through the Woods” throughout the piece, presenting the theme in augmentation, diminution, and truncated forms.

Movement III is entitled “Good vs Evil and the Lessons Learned.” Dissonant textures depicting danger and anticipation of trouble ahead are used antiphonally between the Wolf and Red. The dramatic intensity continues as the plot unfolds. Again the “Over the River” is reintroduced, this time in three-quarter time. This adds a pleasant touch and a needed change of pace. A very full and pulsating dark section builds in intensity and brings this exciting production to a close. This piece has considerable theatrical and musical appeal and will bring a crowd to its feet!

“Phobias” (by John Fannin) This concept show for grade level 3 or 4 has a dark, evil edge. The production

explores the many common phobias that most humans have. The music addresses the following fears: spiders, snakes, water, being alone, public places, performance, loud noises, fire, and heights. Optional vocals add a tinge of haunting color to the piece. Pedal-points are used with regularity to anchor the sound and increase the tension as the production unfolds.

This piece begins with a dramatic section where the band shouts in unison.

Each phobia is presented with its own special melody, and harmonic and rhythmic underpinning. The dynamic shadings add just the correct amount of color to the spicy dissonances.

In an unusual touch, in the middle of Movement I, the trumpet and piano play a melody that is reminiscent of a Jewish Hora. The numerous mood changes from one phobia to another are skillfully handled, and the xylophone player must be able to execute scales with skillful accuracy.

The third movement brings forth a funky bass line with a Latin feel. Rhythmic excitement builds as the “fear of notes” (performance) continues and the piece ends on a thunderous fortissimo.

This is a very interesting show that has the potential to delight an audience.

Vince Corozine has served as director of Music for the Peekskill, New York City schools, associate professor of Music at the King’s College in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., and director of Music Industry Studies at Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, N.C. He performed and arranged for the USMA Band at West Point and served as music director for the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pa. for WPVI-TV (ABC-Disney) for 10 years.

Vince is the author of Arranging Music for the Real World, (Mel Bay).

He records professionally in New York, Toronto, Philadelphia, Hong Kong and China, and currently teaches 12 music arranging courses online. www.vincecorozine.com School Band and Orchestra, May 2011 57

Beginning Band Instruction Has Changed Forever!

Please contact Kjos Music for your FREE Review Copy today! www.kjos.com/review or (800) 797-5567 NN1101B

NewProducts Row-Loff Productions 2011 Marching Extravaganza

Row-Loff is excited to announce the publication of 12 new marching drum line features for percussion section. Offering a wide variety of levels, styles and authors, RLP can provide a percussion feature for marching shows, indoor competitions, or festival. And with each feature they offer an optional Tutor CD, which includes individual parts recorded at two tempos. Also, “Bale O’ Cadences” is the new package of seven easy cadences for drum line.

Complete with score, parts and performance CD.

www.rowloff.com

SuperDrillmasters, the Blue Devil-designed Marching Shoe

hundreds of Corps performers, created a new marching shoe, SuperDrillmasters. This unique shoe represents an opportunity for every marching band and drum corps that seeks to improve its performance. After two seasons in their SuperDrillmasters, the Blue Devils have won every contest (50 in a row.), including two DCI World Championships.

Ryan suggests that corps people and marching band directors seriously interested in improving performance compare the shoes they use now with a free pair of SuperDrillmasters. You may ask your favorite marching shoe dealer to order your free pair or request it at info@drillmaster.com.

There is absolutely no obligation to buy.

www.drillmaster.com

Envoy Sax from Diplomatte Musical Instruments

The new Diplomatte Envoy model alto saxophone has been designed with beautiful engraving, including bell rim, extra hard keys, all leather pads, and exceptional quality brass usually only used on the highest-grade professional models, as well as other features. These instruments are the result of a lifetime of work as professor of music and a renowned performer of woodwind instruments.

www.diplomattemusic.com

Two New Digital Pianos from Kawai After three years of development and exhaustive competition-testing, Todd Ryan, caption head and marching instructor with the 14-time DCI World Champion Blue Devils, in collaboration with his colleagues and

Kawai recently announced two new digital pianos for 2011 – the CS3 and CN43. These instruments were featured in Kawai’s showroom at the NAMM Show in January.

The CS3 is the first model of the new Classic Series digital piano line.

The Classic Series is an offering of instruments with elegant polished ebony finishes and classically styled cabinets. The CS3 is the entry point to the lineup, offering a selection of fine acoustic piano and other sounds, along with Kawai’s new Responsive Hammer (RH) keyboard action. An elegant matching bench comes with this beautiful instrument.

At the top of the CN series lineup is the new CN43. It is a powerful digital piano featuring 323 sounds, 12 drum kits and a 16-track recorder/player. It utilizes Kawai’s acclaimed Progressive Harmonic Imaging sound technology and the new RH action. New to the CN series is the CN43’s ability to play and record digital audio – both MP3 and WAVE files. This instrument is as beautiful as it is capable, with an elegant leg and toe block cabinet, and comes in Premium Rosewood, Mahogany and Satin Black finishes.

The introduction of these new instruments comes on the heels of the release at the end of 2010 of the new Kawai MP10 and MP6 Professional Stage Pianos. In all, there are 12 new models of Kawai digital pianos that have been released since the beginning of 2010.

www.kawaius.com

Auralex’s Sustain Bamboo Sound Diffusor Series

Auralex Acoustics, Inc. has launched its first line of acoustical products made from 100 percent Eco-Friendly bamboo, the Sustain Bamboo Sound Diffusor Series.

This new line consists of the WavePrism, WaveLens, QuadraTec, Peak Pyramid Diffusor and KeyPacs, and retains the longevity and acoustical qualities Auralex is known for with green and acoustical properties of natural bamboo.

The Auralex WavePrism eliminates flutter echoes and other acoustical anomalies without removing acoustical energy from the space.

The closed box design configuration of the product disperses sound School Band and Orchestra, May 2011 59

NewProducts evenly to create a more consistent listening or recording environment.

The WavePrism is sized to drop into a suspended ceiling grid or can be wall mounted using mechanical fasteners.

Auralex WaveLens’ open-boxed design scatters and redirects acoustical energy. The WaveLens can be beneficial in numerous applications as it can create a “large sound” in a small room, as well as optimize existing absorption panels by redirecting the sound energy.

The QuadraTec’s unique tiered design provides excellent scattering properties, resulting in a warm, musical character to the dispersed sound. The nested pair offers two unique diffusion tools that, when used in combination with each other, can result in a more spacious feel in any room. The lightweight design allows QuadraTec diffusors to be placed in suspended ceiling grids or attached to wall surfaces with mechanical fasteners.

Auralex’s Peak Pyramid Diffusor is optimized to provide high-quality sound diffusion while also doubling

9 Hole, Bubble and Star – KeyPacs can fine tune any absorption treatment to be more effective and create a more acoustically balanced space.

www.auralex.com

Lexicon Offering Digital Streaming For Apple iPad as an effective bass trap when filled with absorptive material. These lightweight, sturdy pyramid-shaped diffusors are sized so that they can be easily dropped into a suspended ceiling grid or installed onto wall surfaces using mechanical fasteners.

KeyPacs are designed to be mounted to the face of absorptive panels; such as, Auralex’s ProPanels or Studiofoam. These specially designed panels will tune your absorption treatment to be more effective in the low and mid range while not killing off the higher frequencies – yielding a room that is well balanced across the frequency range.

Available in three configurations –

On the heels of the launch of Apple’s iPad2 and GarageBand for iPad, Harman’s Lexicon has announced the Omega Desktop Recording Interface’s capability for digital streaming and recording to Apple’s iPad. Lexicon’s Omega allows musicians to record directly with any audio recording app, including the newly released GarageBand. The highquality audio streaming capability of Omega allows musicians who record at home and on the go take further advantage of the increasing number of recording applications for musicians available from the Apple App Store.

The Omega contains all the necessary components to transform an iPad into a professional 24-bit recording studio. For the first time, a user can record, edit, mix and publish high quality audio using an iPad and the Lexicon Omega.

The Lexicon Omega is designed and built around the same model as large-format recording consoles. An 8-input, 4-Bus, 2-output USB I/O mixer with inserts, instrument input, MIDI I/O and complete metering and monitoring functions gives you the freedom to record up to four tracks at once and mix without the need for additional mixing hardware.

www.harman.com

60 School Band and Orchestra, May 2011

PLAYING TIP OF THE MONTH

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From the Back to the Front When learning or memorizing a piece of music, start from the end and work towards the beginning. For example if the piece has five sections (A, B, C, D, E), learn section E to the end, then D to the end, and so on. Transitions between sections will be smoother because you already know what comes next, and you will feel more confident as you go through your performance because you’ve rehearsed the end more than the beginning. This method also automatically and naturally develops endurance. By practicing playing to the end instead of stopping at the end of a section, continuity will be improved, and a good basis for musical contour and interpretation will be developed.

Darryl Singleton Texas Southern University Houston, Texas Submit your PLAYING TIP online at www.sbomagazine.com or e-mail it to editor Eliahu Sussman at esussman@symphonypublishing.com.

Winning entries will be published in School Band and Orchestra Magazine and contributor will receive a prize gift compliments of EPN Travel Services, Inc.

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SAVE THE DATE

THE 3RD ANNUAL

LOUISVILLE, KY

JEN CONFERENCE January 4-7, 2012 Developing Tomorrow’s Jazz Audiences Today!

In the immortal words of one of jazz’ most notable innovators, LOUIS Satchmo Armstrong…

To Jazz or not to Jazz… There is no question!

Call it what you want, but by chance, through karma, serendipity, destiny, fate, providence, or luck…we are proud to announce the Third Annual JEN Conference in yet another city with LOUIS in the title... LOUISville, Kentucky… We think Three’s a CHARM! Come experience all Louisville has to offer, as we will be collectively…

The Jazz Education Network

is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences.

For complete membership information/benefits please visit us at: www.JazzEdNet.org