THE MAGIC, MYSTERY, AND METHODS OF TEACHING BEGINNERS AND BEGINNING FLUTE BY

HEATHER LUNDAHL

THE FIRST DAY OF BEGINNING BAND!

It’s the day they’ve all been waiting for! They’ve selected their instruments, done everything you’ve told them to do, bought everything you’ve told them to buy, and learned all the note names, basic rhythms, and musical terms you could cram down their throats, knowing all they wanted to do was play! Finally, it’s Bandmas! Christmas in the band room! The day they receive the best gift they will ever get - their first instrument, which will lead them down the music education path of life skill building, core musical memories, and relationships that will last a lifetime!

Not unlike Christmas, there is a great deal to be done BEFORE the first day to have a chance at successfully teaching beginning instrument pedagogy. The process of balancing the students’ natural abilities and instrumentation needs when selecting instruments must be intentional to maximize the outcome.

INSTRUMENT TESTING AND FITTING:

Congratulations! You have successfully recruited tons of beginning band students, but what should they play, and how do you get them started? Do not let this be more complicated than it has to be. Set aside time to let the students “try out” instruments. There are a multitude of ways to do this, but that would be an article all on its own! What is most important is that your instrument fitting is a fun, low-stress opportunity for students to try out as many instruments as you have available in your beginning band program, much like an instrument petting zoo! I have done this a few different ways, but once I had been at a school for a while and had reliable older students, I would have my best players lead each instrument station. The new students rotate through each station, learning embouchure formations to produce basic sounds and holding the instruments to get a feel for each horn – nothing overly complex – the reality is that nobody will be a virtuoso at that moment.

As the students rotate through each instrument station, they keep track of their desires for each instrument by ranking each experience on a 5-point scale, while the older students assess them on an (albeit loose) aptitude rating. For example, if a student tried for five minutes to make a sound on the flute and was unsuccessful, that is valuable information to keep track of, just like it would be valuable to know if a sound popped out naturally on the first try! Data from these surveys provides the director with a general gauge for putting this giant instrumentation puzzle together. Students will gravitate towards instruments they are good at and are encouraged to play by the director. As the director, you play an essential role in taking the information from the students’ surveys and encouraging each student to play an instrument they have a natural aptitude for and a strong desire to play. This does not always mean students are assigned to play their highest-ranked instrument, as it is also a concern for the director to procure a well-balanced ensemble, though picking one of their top three choices is essential.

Another component that must be considered is parental input. I recommend collecting the student surveys before the students return to their parents to avoid parents persuading them to request instruments that another family member used to play and is now just sitting in a closet. You can navigate this by planning a consultation meeting for all students and parents!

THE CONSULTATION MEETING:

This is a game-changer! It’s what I refer to as the front loader for success. Depending on how many beginners you have, you will invite students and their parents to a required consultation meeting where they will come and have a one-on-one consultation with you to:

1. Discuss the final instrument selection determination. This is where you can ensure everyone is on board with the instrument assignments. In this meeting, you can ease concerns, try out the instrument again in front of the parents, or, if necessary, try out an alternate instrument. Taking this step will save a ton of future headaches and will hopefully reduce or prevent requests to switch instruments after only a few weeks (or months).

2. Talk about the commitment involved with band, specifically time, money, and practicing at home. This is an invaluable opportunity to build relationships and learn more about each student and their unique family unit. This insight will help you understand why certain challenges may arise later and how best to address them.

3. Take the time to congratulate the student and their parents for becoming a trombonist and the parents of a trombonist!

4. Hand them a beginning band permit! You can make a special document that you fill out using check boxes for all the equipment they will need and send them over to the music store to get the order filled!

Each consultation only needs to last 5–7-minute– time well spent! Doing this with every family now will save a great deal of time answering emails, handling confused and possibly upset parents, and so on.

The other essential aspect of this consultation is the instrument and equipment rental portion. Partnering with a music retailer who knows your expectations for what brands and models you want your families to rent is crucial. This includes approved mouthpieces, reeds, and care kits you wish to be incorporated into the rental package. Do not neglect this step! Insist on high-quality equipment, repair service inclusion, and convenient customer service for the parents. This will ensure that parents get what you want them to have without getting overwhelmed during the process. The parents will appreciate your proactive work in this area because it made it efficient, convenient, and affordable! This is a win-win!

BANDMAS:

On the first day with instruments, place instrument cases, books, and accessories in front of each student’s chair, clearly labeled with their name. Make this a HUGE deal when students first arrive at the band room! Wear your Santa hat, play Christmas music, or anything to make it an exciting and festive experience! After the students enter the band room and find their seats, explain that you will give them instructions and they must listen very carefully and only do as they are told. At this point, you should have them in the palm of your hand, so take advantage of it! Explain that instrument cases are always to be left on the floor when opened so that nothing can fall and get damaged. Never let them place instruments on chairs, or even worse, on music stands – this is a recipe for disaster! everything fall out. Instruct students to check their neighbor’s case so that everyone’s case placement looks correct. Once everyone is ready, tell them to open their cases, and voilà –the students get the first glimpse of their shiny new instrument! should be thoroughly covered before you move on to some basic mouthpiece, embouchure, and hand position instruction. This process usually takes 2-3 days before we all come together and make that very first joyful noise! This time for me is typically about a week.

Pro Tip: As fun as it is to have all the plastic and wrapping of a brandnew instrument, this takes extra time, creates a mess, and is generally a bit more than they can handle. I recommend removing the plastic wrapping beforehand. This will be particularly helpful if you have a class of 60 or more students!

At this point, we talk about all the parts of the instruments and how they are assembled. If you are in a heterogeneous situation, you will be juggling your attention back and forth between all the instruments. It can be challenging to expect the brass students to assemble their instruments without playing while guiding the woodwind students to set up their reeds and mouthpieces correctly. Let’s not forget the percussionists in the back of the room. Great fun!

FINDING SUCCESS IN STARTING FABULOUS FLUTES:

The students should understand that the latches are like suitcase latches. It is important to ensure that they are on the side closest to them and right side up to avoid opening the case upside down and having

Pro Tip – It would be ideal if you could arrange to have extra help (or crowd control) on the first day with instruments. This could be other adult musicians or some of your older students! If you have students assisting, you will need to train them on how to teach assembling and disassembling instruments, using accessories, and daily care and maintenance. All of this

I recommend that my beginning flute students rent a good quality and reputable brand, such as a Yamaha student model. I advocate renting for the first few months at a minimum before making a more significant financial commitment. Rent-toown programs are easy to sell to parents and help promote band as an investment in their child’s education. When students are ready for a step-up instrument, I encourage them to keep their student model instrument for High School marching band. Essential accessories for flute players should include a) a flute swab, b) polishing cloth, c) a tuning rod, d) a flute stand, and e) flute-specific method and etude books beyond your classroom text. Other accessories that all musicians should own include a) an electronic tuner, b) a metronome, and c) a folding music stand.

FLUTE ASSEMBLY:

1. Place the case on the floor, ensuring the latches are upright and facing you. Open the case.

2. Notice how the three pieces are laid in the flute case. The end