The National Band Association acknowledges and embraces that our organization is strengthened by diversity. We welcome all peoples, inclusive of their culture, economic status, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and abilities. The NBA is committed to including all voices in our organization and invites everyone to join us in the advancement of our mission and educational purposes.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jason Fettig, President
Matt Temple, President-Elect
Elva Kaye Lance, Vice-President
Randall Coleman, Immediate Past President
Scott Tobias, Executive Secretary-Treasurer
PROJECT & COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Al & Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award, Rebecca Phillips
Alfred Young Band Composition Contest, Audrey Murphy Kunka
AWAPA Commission, David Gregory
Citations & Awards, Heath Nails
Constitution & By-Laws, Jason Fettig
Corporate Relations, Gary Smith
Foster Project NBA Representative, Wolson Gustama
Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors Board of Electors, Thomas Fraschillo
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Awareness, Ingrid Larragoity & Elizabeth Peterson
Marching Band Committee, Adam Dalton & Bobby Lambert
Merrill Jones Composition Contest, Matt Smith
National Programs of Excellence, Myra Rhoden
NBA Foundation, Susan Creasap
Nominating Committee, Rebecca Phillips
Research Grants, Brian Silvey
Selective Music List – Concert, Arris Golden
Selective Music List - Jazz, Steve Shanley
Selective Music List – Marches, Col. Don Schofield
William D. Revelli Composition Contest, Matthew McCutchen
Young Composer Jazz Composition Contest, Richard Stichler
Young Composer Mentor Project, Frank Ticheli
Young Conductor Mentor Project, Linda R. Moorhouse
Educational Purposes OF THE NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION
To promote and empower band performances throughout the world.
To encourage and promote the commissioning and performance of new wind band music.
To provide inclusive and authentic professional development opportunities and resources for everyone.
To acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of bands, educators, performers, and band support organizations.
To promote pride, commitment, and enthusiasm among band directors and performers.
To encourage lifelong involvement in music and to support interested students in pursuing musical careers.
To promote an inclusive community among directors, performers, the music industry, and all other band support organizations.
NBA Journal Editor, Matthew D. Talbert
NBA Journal Layout & Design, Nash P. McCutchen
Articles presented in the NBA Journal represent views, opinions, ideas and research by the authors and are selected for their general interest to the NBA members. Authors’ views do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Band Association, nor does their publication constitute an endorsement by the National Band Association.
Icouldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to serve as your new President, and continue the wonderful contributions of this organization to bands and band supporters all across the country!
Ever since I joined the NBA and began my involvement with the programs, recognition, and resources it provides to so many, I was deeply impressed by the spirit of the Association and the dedication of its members and leadership. The fact that the NBA encompasses the widest spectrum of the band community—from professional military and civilian ensembles, to collegiate, high school, middle school, elementary and community bands—is in keeping with the very spirit of the band movement in this country. From its earliest days, band music was always the “music of the people,” made by, and for everyday citizens. The thriving band programs in schools and communities all over the country is a testament to this ethos, and the NBA will continue to stand proudly in support of the value and special identity bands hold in the United States.
I want to recognize the exceptional service of both the outgoing Executive Committee and the new one. Our Immediate Past President from the last
biennium, Dr. Rebecca Philips has given so much to the NBA over the years, and her leadership and guidance was especially critical to me as I joined the team. Thank you, Rebecca! Returning to the EC is our invaluable Executive Secretary (and a Past President himself) Dr. Scott Tobias, our President-Elect and my Doppelgänger Matt Temple, and my predecessor and our current Immediate Past President, Prof. Randall Coleman. Randall was a fantastic steward of the NBA during the last biennium, and I am thrilled to continue to benefit from his wisdom and experience on the current EC. And finally, joining the EC as Vice President is Prof. Elva Kaye Lance. Elva has jumped into this service with both feet and is already having a wonderful impact on the team.
The fundamental tenet of the NBA is to serve. Servant leadership is the purest form of influence, and this Association is fueled entirely by passionate advocates of bands and band supporters who give their time and talents to preserve and further the artform. My overarching vision during this biennium is to lean into that ideal. The NBA and its leaders will continue to serve every member of this Association, and work to direct resources—both financial and human—to places that will make us better as individuals and
... the NBA will continue to stand proudly in support of the value and special identity bands hold in the United States.
PROF. JASON K. FETTIG
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
President’s Message, Jason K. Fettig, cont.
as a community. We will preserve and celebrate the wonderful programs of recognition designed to lift up achievement, including the Programs of Excellence for school bands and honoring the guiding lights in our community through the Hall of Fame, Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts awardees, and the Wright Legacy Award. We will continue to support and help develop young composers and conductors through our many prestigious composition contests and the Young Composers and Conductors Mentoring project. We will continue to reach out to teachers all over the country with our mentoring programs, old and new. And we will continue to afford our members the outlet to share their wisdom with each other through the NBA Journal, The Instrumentalist, social media, and beyond.
Speaking of the Journal, this publication is the heartbeat of our organization, and I want to continue to encourage you to think about words of wisdom, scholarship, and inspiration that you can contribute to the forum. We have decided to make the messages you will receive from the Executive Committee a bit more concise in each issue to provide even more room for articles and other valuable content. You will hear from me
... this publication is the heartbeat of our organization, and I want to continue to encourage you to think about words of wisdom, scholarship, and inspiration that you can contribute to the forum.
as the current President in each Journal, as well as one other member of the EC, starting with our new Vice President Elva Kaye. As you may have seen, we are also transitioning to a standard digital format moving forward for ease of reading on all devices and in an effort to be conscious of conservation. Those who wish to continue to receive a printed copy of the Journal may do so by electing that option in your account. I also want to remind all what a wonderful resource the NBA website continues to be, with current news, access to past Journal issues, the member directory, information about all of our programs and sponsors, and lots of reminders about the relevance of the NBA.
Along with these wellestablished ways in which the National Band Association validates and promotes band and band music, we will also be embarking on new initiatives designed to further diversify our community and music, provide additional resources for
growth and development to our professional colleagues, preservice teachers and students, and support opportunities to draw our members together to share their experiences and ideas. I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities within, and the invitation to further grow our passionate membership base in every state. I welcome you to join the conversation and encourage you to continue to spread the good word about the National Band Association!
I wish each and every one of you a wonderful end of summer and start to the Fall season.
Professor Jason K. Fettig
President National Band Association
Excitement is in the air as we begin to look toward another school year. Our NBA members set the standard for dedication, passion, and enthusiasm at all levels in our profession. The roots in our organization and in our profession run deep. It is very humbling to be entrusted by you to serve as a member of our leadership team.
Just like our organization, the roots of our band programs also run deep and extend far beyond our immediate band hall. However, as we get busy starting our school year, we often overlook an important connection for our program: i.e. retired band directors and private teachers in our area as they surely are important roots for our program. It is important to embrace the contributions made by this group in the past. If you are a new teacher in the community, don’t be threatened by them. Consider inviting the retired teachers to a band rehearsal early in the year, introduce them to the student membership, and seek their advice. Get them involved. They can help you. I don’t know of another profession where the seniors are so willing to share their “play book” with their juniors. This simple act often results in interesting discussions regarding music, leadership, or
procedural ideas and a friendship and professional bond that is often unmatched. Give it a try.
Nurture your roots.
Don’t forget the former members of your program. Identify those still in the area and recognize them at an event or invite them to join you in a public performance. Make it an annual affair. These former members are also part of the root system.
Nurture your roots.
Seek out community leaders who may have had an earlier connection to the band. Although they may no longer be directly involved with the schools, they recognize that a successful school is essential to a vibrant community and want you to succeed. These relationships may pay huge dividends.
Nurture your roots.
Identifying and nurturing these relationships requires little to no financial investment – only an investment of our time. Regardless of whether you are a teacher in your first year or a veteran teacher with many years of experience, these relationships can provide a strong voice of support, and in the same way that a healthy root system sustains plants, can help to sustain us when challenges surface as they do for all of us.
ELVA KAYE LANCE
... relationships can provide a strong voice of support, and in the same way that a healthy root system sustains plants, can help to sustain us when challenges surface ...
VICE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Vice President’s Message,
Elva Kaye Lance,
cont.
Just as in our band programs, those who have gone before us in various leadership positions in the NBA have provided a strong root system to support us as we look to advance the profession into the future. I intend to seek them out as I am looking forward
to studying the “play books” of those NBA leaders from the past while embracing the new initiatives of our future. Thank you for entrusting me with the role of Vice President. I am eager to engage with you, listen to your ideas and aspirations for
our organization, and work side by side with you as we serve our profession in the days ahead.
Elva Kaye Lance Vice President National Band Association
NBA MISSION STATEMENT FOR DIRECTORS OF SCHOOL BANDS BY DR. WILLIAM MOODY | REVISED IN DECEMBER 2009
The mission for directors of school bands is understood inherently by those who think of themselves more often as instrumental music teachers rather than simply as band directors. The basic objective of instrumental music education is that students will learn performance skills in order to understand musical language and to experience the joys of recreating music in the expressive medium of their choice. Music education should prepare students also for a fuller understanding and appreciation of the music they will be hearing the rest of their lives regardless of its style or venue. Efforts to address the National Standards for Music Education in band class by including music theory, music history, improvisation, and composition will help the students be better listeners in adulthood and will make better musicians of those who wish to pursue musical careers or practice music as an avocation in adult life.
The National Band Association would like school administrators, teachers, and parents to recognize that students elect to study instrumental music for a variety of reasons, including: as an outlet for creativity, a source of social interaction with like-minded peers, a possible career choice, gratification that comes from recognition by responsive audiences, discipline through study and practice, and service to school and community. The evaluation of instrumental music programs should be grounded in a review of the educationally and aesthetically justifiable objectives that are explicit in this mission statement.
The long-respected model for learning to play a musical instrument based on the role of artist-teacher with a studio of private students applies as well to school bands. Band class must provide these same foundations: a correct concept of characteristic tone quality, development of technique based on a graded course of study, a formal system for counting rhythms, practice in developing good intonation, and the sure goal of playing expressively.
An instrumental music program should offer a broad range of musical experiences: an extensive solo and chamber music repertory that provides subtle opportunities for nuance and other systems of expression; a school jazz ensemble that stresses rhythmic precision, understanding of harmonic progression, and creative improvisation; a concert band, the core of the program, where our musical heritage is transmitted through inspirational compositions by the most creative composers.
Service activities such as marching band are often important to the school and community, and students who participate gain social, educational, and musical values. Because evaluative competition can raise standards and motivate progress, NBA strongly recommends that all bands participate in festivals or contests sponsored by district and state music education associations, especially when a rating rather than a ranking is the goal. However, the integrity of the instructional program can be threatened by a disproportionate emphasis on competitions and servicerelated performances. Marching band activities that require extra rehearsals and travel time should be scheduled with concern for the many responsibilities that students have in addition to their musical studies, and must never be the focus of the instrumental music program. Excessive demands on students, parents, and community––financial and otherwise––bring about consequences harmful to the essence of the instrumental music program.
History demonstrates that those who cultivate a special intelligence in an area of personal interest make great contributions to the way we live. Efforts by legislators or educators to emphasize one area of study alone stifle the pluralism that has been one of this country's strengths. Rather, schools should provide a broad base of knowledge for students and also encourage development of the special abilities of those who demonstrate the capacity to excel. Instrumental music studies provide a laboratory of artistic and social opportunities for individual development that contributes to the collective good.
The arts provide unique forms of knowledge, present a basic means of communication, and produce lasting works that are the hallmarks of a civilization. President Abraham Lincoln reminded us that education is not for the purpose of learning to earn a living, but for learning what to do with a living after it has been earned. Whether in the arts or other areas of interest, students who are encouraged to develop their talents and interests participate in the continuous regeneration of our democratic ideals.
ABOUT AWAPA
NBA ACADEMY OF WIND & PERCUSSION ARTS NBA AT ITS BEST
The National Band Association was founded on September 11, 1960. This new organization was the dream and brain child of Traugott Rohner, the editor and founder of The Instrumentalist magazine. Rohner set up a meeting with two of the most capable leaders among America’s band directors, Dr. Al G. Wright, who was at that time Director of Bands at Purdue University, and John Paynter, Director of Bands at Northwestern University, and these two very able leaders established a new, inclusive band organization which grew into the largest band organization in the world.
Al Wright was the NBA’s first president, and he soon became aware of a need to establish a special, high level award program to recognize excellence and exceptional service to bands. The result of this was the establishment of The Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts (AWAPA). This award was established for the purpose of recognizing those individuals who have made truly significant and outstanding contributions to furthering the excellence of bands and of band music, and it was not to be limited to band directors, but to anyone who’s contributions were determined to be so outstanding that they deserved and warranted honor and recognition.
The nine-inch silver AWAPA figure is designed to be the “Oscar” of the band world. Elections to the academy are made from time to time by the Board of Directors acting upon nominations from the AWAPA Commission. Presentations of AWAPA awards are made at band performances or meetings of national significance. The new recipients of the award are announced at the annual National Band Association Membership Meeting at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago each December, and the honorees from the previous year are invited to attend that meeting for a formal presentation of the award.
If the recipient is not able to be present at that meeting, the award is presented at another prestigious band event where the recipient is properly honored and recognized. The award consists of a silver statuette, a silver medallion, and an engraved certificate. The Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts represents the highest honor which the National Band Association can confer on any individual.
The NBA represents the best there is in a great, proud profession. When we honor our very best, we bring honor on our organization and on our profession. A list of the past recipients of the AWAPA Award is literally a “Who’s Who” list of some of the greatest leaders involved in the band movement during the past six decades. The list includes an international cross section of important individuals representing all aspects of the band world, who have rendered remarkable service to bands.
William D. Revelli
November 25, 1961
Karl L. King
November 10, 1962
Harold D. Bachman
January 9, 1965
Glenn Cliffe Bainum
February 21, 1965
Al G. Wright
March 7, 1969
Harry Guggenheim
August 18, 1969
Paul V. Yoder
December 18, 1969
Toshio Akiyama
December 13, 1970
Richard Franko Goldman
July 23, 1971
John Paynter
March 5, 1972
Roger A. Nixon
July 12, 1972
Traugott Rohner
February 11, 1973
Sir Vivian Dunn March 2, 1973
Jan Molenaar July 11, 1974
Frederick Fennell August 3, 1975
Harry Mortimer August 3, 1975
George S. Howard December 16, 1976
Mark Hindsley March 2, 1978
Howard Hanson December 13, 1978
James Neilson December 13, 1978
Vaclav Nelhybel
December 13, 1978
Leonard Falcone December 12, 1979
Alfred Reed December 12, 1979
Arnald Gabriel December 16, 1980
Nilo Hovey
December 16, 1980
Trevor Ford
December 16, 1981
Vincent Persichetti December 16, 1981
Clare Grundman December 15, 1982
Morton Gould December 15, 1982
Karel Husa December 15, 1982
Harry Begian December 14, 1983
Francis McBeth December 12, 1984
Normal Dello Joio
December 12, 1984
J. Clifton Williams December 18, 1984
Frank W. Erickson December 17, 1986
Neil A. Kjos
December 17, 1986
Merle Evans
December 20, 1986
Hugh E. McMillen
December 17, 1986
Claude T. Smith December 16, 1987
Warren Benson December 14, 1988
John Bourgeois December 14, 1988
Donald Hunsberger
December 19, 1990
Edgar Gangware
December 19, 1991
W J Julian December 16, 1992
Geoffrey Brand
December 20, 1995
Harvey Phillips
December 21, 1995
Richard Strange
December 20, 1995
L. Howard Nicar, Jr.
October 16, 1996
Kenneth Bloomquist December 18, 1996
H. Robert Reynolds December 18, 1996
Elizabeth Ludwig Fennell December 17, 1997
Arthur Gurwitz
December 17, 1997
Russell Hammond December 14, 1999
William F. Ludwig
December 14, 1999
John M. Long
December 20, 2001
Raoul Camus
December 19, 2002
Paul Bierley
June 14, 2003
William J. Moody December 18, 2003
Earl Dunn
December 16, 2004
Victor Zajec
December 16, 2004
James T. Rohner December 15, 2005
Frank Battisti December 21, 2006
David Whitwell December 20, 2007
Frank B. Wickes
December 18, 2008
Ray Cramer December 17, 2009
James Croft
April 16, 2011
Paula Crider
December 15, 2011
Mark Kelly
December 15, 2011
Bobby Adams
December 19, 2013
Richard Floyd December 18, 2014
Edward Lisk
December 17, 2015
Linda R. Moorhouse
December 15, 2016
Thomas V. Fraschillo
December 21, 2017
John Whitwell
December 20, 2018
Richard Crain
December 19, 2019
Loras John Schissel
December 15, 2020
Bruce Leek
December 16, 2021
Julie Giroux December 20, 2022
Frank Ticheli
December 20, 2022
Gerald Guilbeaux December 21, 2023
John Stoner December 21, 2023
"So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it ..."
–Aaron Copland
Be part of the world’s largest professional organization for bands, dedicated to promoting the musical and educational significance of bands and the attainment of a high level of excellence for bands and band music. The NBA is open to anyone and everyone interested in bands and stands ready to serve all members of our thriving musical community.
PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION
Al G. Wright 1960 - 1962
Honorary Life President
John Paynter 1962 - 1966
Honorary Life President
James Croft 1986 - 1988
Frank B. Wickes 1988 - 1990
Edward W. Volz 1966 - 1968
William J. Moody 1968 - 1970
Edward S. Lisk 1990 - 1992
George S. Howard 1970 - 1974
F. Earl Dunn 1974 - 1976
William D. Revelli 1976 - 1978
W J Julian 1978 - 1980
Kenneth Bloomquist 1980 - 1982
James Neilson 1982 - 1984
James K. Copenhaver 1984 - 1986
Robert E. Foster 1992 - 1994
John R. Bourgeois 1994 - 1996
James Keene 1996 - 1998
Thomas Fraschillo 1998 - 2000
Paula Crider 2000 - 2002
David Gregory 2002- 2004
Linda Moorhouse 2004- 2006
Bobby Adams 2006- 2008
Finley Hamilton 2008- 2009
John Culvahouse 2009- 2012
John M. Long 2010
Honorary President
Roy Holder 2012 - 2014
Richard Good 2014 - 2016
Scott Casagrande 2016 - 2018
Scott Tobias 2018 - 2020
Rebecca Phillips 2020 - 2022
Randall Coleman 2022 - 2024
NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION 2024 – 2026 BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
2024-2026 Board of Directors
Jason Fettig President Matt Temple President-Elect
Elva Kaye Lance Vice-President
Randall Coleman Past President
Scott Tobias Executive Secretary
Chip De Stefano Elem/MS Representative
Tiffany Hitz Elem/MS Representative
Tracy Leslie Elem/MS Representative
Audrey Murphy Elem/MS Representative
Brian Covey HS Representative
Melissa Gustafson-Hinds HS Representative
Jerell Horton HS Representative
Bobby Lambert HS Representative
Arris Golden Univ./College Rep.
Craig Aarhus At-Large Representative
Linda Gammon At-Large Representative
Mark Heidel At-Large Representative
Mary Schneider At-Large Representative
Will Talley At-Large Representative
NATIONAL BAND ASSOCIATION AWARD WINNERS
Winners of the following awards are listed at NationalBandAssociation.org/Awards-Recognition
Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts (AWAPA) Award
Al & Gladys Wright Distinguished Legacy Award
NBA Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors
Programs of Excellence Blue Ribbon Award
The NBA/Alfred Music Young Band Composition Contest
The NBA/Merrill Jones Memorial Band Composition Contest
The NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest
The NBA Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest
FREE NBA AWARDS FOR MEMBERS TO USE
Mentor Award
Citation of Excellence
Outstanding Jazz Educator
Citation of Merit for Marching Excellence
Outstanding Musician Award
Outstanding Jazz Musician Award
Music Camper Award
Band Booster Award
2024 FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL NBA/WILLIAM D. REVELLI MEMORIAL BAND COMPOSITION CONTEST
WHO MAY ENTER: Anyone
REQUIREMENTS:
ENTRY MATERIALS:
FORMS & MATERIALS:
$5000 AWARD: November 1, 2024 ENTRY DEADLINE:
A work for Concert Band/Wind Ensemble. Recommendations as to style, form, length, and instrumentation are outlined in the contest rules.
A pdf of the full score plus a digital audio recording of a live performance or recording session must be sent to the chair.
Dr. Matthew McCutchen (e-mail: mccutchen@usf.edu)
Attn: NBA Composition Contest School of Music University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., MUS 101 Tampa, FL 33617
CONTEST RULES & PAST WINNERS: NationalBandAssociation.org/composition-contests
NBA/WILLIAM D. REVELLI MEMORIAL BAND COMPOSITION CONTEST COMMITTEE
Matthew McCutchen, University of South Florida, Chair
Terry Austin
Virginia Commonwealth University
Marcellus Brown
Retired (ID)
Catherine Sinon Bushman
St. Cloud State University (MN)
Arris Golden
Michigan State University
Jennifer Hamilton
Red Mountain High School (AZ)
Chadwick Kamei
Pearl City High School (HI)
Tremon Kizer
University of Central Florida
Diane Koutsulis
Retired (NV)
Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin
Penn State University
Jason Nam
Indiana University
Sue Samuels
Furman University (SC)
Col. Don Schofield
United States Airforce Band
Shanti Simon
University of Oklahoma
John Thompson
Roosevelt University (IL)
2024 MERRILL JONES MEMORIAL YOUNG COMPOSERS BAND COMPOSITION CONTEST
FOR GRADE III/IV CONCERT BAND
WHO MAY ENTER: $2000 AWARD: November 1, 2024 ENTRY DEADLINE:
Anyone 40 years of age or younger (birthdate on or before November 1, 1984)
REQUIREMENTS:
ENTRY MATERIALS:
FORMS & MATERIALS:
A work for concert band with no restrictions as to style or form. Compositions must be for GRADE III/IV CONCERT BAND and must not exceed eight (8) minutes in length.
Full score, MP3 audio file, and entry form emailed to Matt Smith
SUBJECT: Attn: NBA/Merril Jones Contest
Dr. Matt Smith (email: maosmith@ku.edu) | Attn: NBA/Merrill Jones Contest
CONTEST RULES & PAST WINNERS: NationalBandAssociation.org/composition-contests
NBA/MERRILL JONES MEMORIAL COMPOSITION CONTEST COMMITTEE
Matt Smith, University of Kansas, Chair
LCDR Kelly Cartwright
U.S. Navy Band
Chris Chapman
Central Michigan University
Brooke Johnson University of Delaware
Sarah Labovitz
Arkansas State University
Nan Moore
Retired (KY)
Charles Page
Valley View High School (AR)
Scott Pierson
Yelm High School (WA)
Mickey Stisher
Retired (IN)
Brian Walden
Virginia Wind Symphony
FOUR TUNING EXERCISES FOR BEGINNING OBOISTS
BY JESSICA
HAISLIP
For the beginning oboist, the ability to adjust and correct pitch is one of the most important skills to develop. Pitch awareness and pitch correction are essential for any beginning band student, but the extreme pitch flexibility of the oboe reed can make these skills particularly challenging for oboe students. For the oboist, tuning has two main components: the physical component, which involves embouchure and air, and the ear training component. The following exercises are designed to help beginning oboists build proficiency in both areas.
Exercises 1 and 2 address the physical component of pitch adjustment. These exercises will help oboe students develop an awareness of the physical changes they use to raise and lower the pitch. By mastering these two exercises, students will gain the ability to adjust the pitch with intention and control. Pitch adjustments often involve manipulating the embouchure. Therefore, students must establish
a good embouchure before they practice altering their embouchure for pitch adjustment. Embouchure can vary from one oboist to another, but following the steps outlined below will help students to form an embouchure that allows flexibility and limits tension.
1. Form an “O” shape with the mouth by saying the syllable “oh”. Notice how this pulls the mouth forward and draws the corners of the mouth in.
2. Set the tip of the reed on the lower lip. The lip should be between the reed and the bottom teeth. As long as the reed is resting on the lower lip and not on the teeth, there is no need to roll the lip in further. A portion of the red part of the lip should still be visible.
3. Rest the upper lip on the reed, ensuring that the lip is between the teeth and the reed. Once again, it is not necessary to roll the lip in tightly over the teeth - some of the red part of the lip should be visible.
Dr. Jessica Haislip is an Instructor of Music at Mississippi State University, where she teaches Applied Oboe, Double Reed Ensembles, and History and Appreciation of Music.
Dr. Haislip serves as Principal Oboe of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra (LA), Second Oboe of the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and Co-Principal Oboe of the Starkville Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with ensembles including the Kansas City Symphony (MO), Missouri Symphony Orchestra, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra (AL), Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra (ND), Mankato Symphony Orchestra (MN), and the Midwest Chamber Ensemble (MO). She has been a featured soloist with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, the Mississippi State University Wind Ensemble, and the Mississippi State University Concert Band.
Dr. Haislip holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree and Master of Music degree in Oboe Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the Bachelor of Music degree in Oboe Performance from Concordia College (MN).
Continued on next page
4. Pull the corners of the mouth in toward the reed. The embouchure should be pulled forward, rather than pulled back into a smile.
5. Keep the lower lip somewhat firm – if it is too relaxed, the pitch will be consistently flat. The upper lip should be more relaxed than the lower lip. The inside of the mouth should form an open “O” vowel shape, and the tongue should be in the middle of the mouth – neither at the bottom nor at the roof of the mouth.
When a consistent embouchure has been established, the student is ready to proceed to Exercises 1 and 2, using the adjustments described below.
1. Increasing embouchure pressure will raise the pitch, and decreasing embouchure pressure will lower the pitch. (Note: Oboists should not make a habit of “biting,” or using excessive pressure between the upper lip and the lower lip. This can cause response issues and other problems. Instead, the muscles in the corners of the mouth can add pressure, drawing in toward the reed like a drawstring.)
2. Increasing the amount of air will typically raise the
PEDAGOGY
Four Tuning Exercises for Beginning Oboists, Jessica Haislip, cont.
pitch, while using less air will lower the pitch. (Note: Using more air can be an effective adjustment that raises the pitch without causing unnecessary embouchure tension. Using less air is rarely a solution for beginning oboists and may result in poor sound production.)
3. Raising the tongue toward the roof of the mouth will raise the pitch, and lowering the tongue will lower the pitch.
4. Increasing the amount of space inside the mouth by lowering the bottom jaw can lower the pitch.
5. Shortening the space between the lips and the reed’s thread will raise the pitch, while lengthening the space between the lips and the thread will lower the pitch. (Note: Moving closer to the thread of the reed is rarely a good solution for beginning oboists - this can cause response issues and increased embouchure tension. Encourage students to stay at the tip of the reed, and if the pitch is consistently sharp, check that they are not too close to the thread.)
Every oboist may use a different combination of these adjustments to raise and lower the pitch. All
of these adjustments should be used in moderation – adjusting too far in any direction can result in discomfort for the player, poor tone production, and poor response. Encourage students to avoid adding unnecessary tension to the embouchure.
EXERCISE 1: PITCH BEND WITH THE OBOE REED
This exercise uses the oboe reed alone, without the rest of the instrument. A tuner is required for this exercise. I recommend using a tuner with a meter-style display, which can show how far the pitch is moving from center (“in tune”) and whether the motion is controlled or irregular. For this exercise, the goal is to achieve pitch adjustments are that are smooth and controlled.
Step One: Ask the students to form an embouchure and play a sustained tone on their oboe reeds. For beginning students, the starting pitch can be whichever pitch the reed automatically plays. More advanced students can aim to play a stable, centered C♮, using that as the starting pitch.
Step Two: When the starting pitch is established, ask students to play a long tone, beginning “in tune” in the center of the tuner, then, slowly and with control, raising the pitch 20 - 30 cents,
Continued on next page
PEDAGOGY
Four Tuning Exercises for Beginning Oboists,
Jessica Haislip, cont.
and then lowering it back to the starting pitch. This exercise should also be practiced in the opposite direction: starting in the center, lower the pitch 20-30 cents and then raise it back to the starting pitch.
Students often perform this exercise intuitively, making the necessary pitch adjustments without thinking about the physical adjustments they are making. Ask students to identify the physical changes they use to adjust the pitch. As they become familiar with the specific adjustments they use to raise and lower the pitch, they will be able to apply that knowledge beyond the context of this exercise.
Modifications: This exercise may be practiced with a metronome to encourage smooth, precise motion as the pitch is raised and lowered. Set the metronome to a slow tempo between 50 – 60 bpm. Use an equal number of beats to raise and then lower the pitch – for example, bend the pitch up for four beats, then lower it back down to the starting pitch for four beats. Repeat in the opposite direction –bend the pitch down for four beats, then back up for four beats.
EXERCISE 2: PITCH BEND WITH THE OBOE
This exercise is similar to Exercise 1 but uses the fully
assembled oboe. The pitch is usually less flexible on the oboe than with the reed alone, but the same principles of pitch adjustment apply.
Step One: Select a note and ask students to play a long tone. For beginning students, it may require some effort to stabilize and center the pitch.
Step Two: When they can successfully focus the pitch and the tuner indicates that the note is in tune, the pitch adjustment part of the exercise can begin. Ask students to play a long tone, beginning “in tune” in the center of the tuner, then gradually raising the pitch 20 - 30 cents, and finally lowering the pitch back to center. Repeat the exercise in the opposite direction, starting in the center and lowering the pitch 20-30 cents, then raising it back to center again.
This exercise should be practiced in each of the registers of the oboe. Choose three different notes: one note in the staff, one note below the staff, and one note above the staff.
Modifications: This exercise can be performed with a metronome to build accuracy, using the procedure described in Exercise 1.
adjustment, helping students improve their ability to raise and lower pitch with accuracy. Exercises 3 and 4 address the ear training component, developing the skills that will allow students to identify when pitch adjustments are necessary.
EXERCISE 3: PITCH MATCHING
This is a simple exercise that involves demonstrating a pitch for students to match. The provided pitch may be played on an oboe, or it may be sung or played on a different instrument. Students should not look at a tuner for this exercise because it is designed to train them to rely on their ears to recognize when they need to make a pitch adjustment.
Step One: Agree on a note to use for the exercise. The instructor should play or sing a sustained tone on the selected note. Ask the students to listen to the provided note and then match it by singing or humming.
Exercises 1 and 2 address the physical component of pitch
Step Two: When students can match the note by singing or humming, the instructor should sing or play the provided note again, asking the students to match the pitch by playing the note on the oboe. If they struggle to match the pitch with the oboe, return to step one and ask them to match the pitch by singing or humming
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again, then try again on the oboe. Encourage students to identify the pitch they want to play before they play it, either out loud or in their mind.
once again making any necessary adjustments to match the tuning drone. This exercise may be repeated in the third octave where possible.
This exercise should be repeated in each of the registers of the oboe.
Modifications: In a beginning oboe class setting, invite students to take turns giving the initial pitch, and ask the other students to match them, either in turns or all together. This is a great exercise for developing an oboe section that plays with a unified sound.
EXERCISE 4: DRONE OCTAVES
A tuner that can play a drone is required for this exercise. Select a note and set the tuning drone to the selected note. Like in Exercise 3, students should rely on their ears to identify any necessary pitch adjustments rather than looking at the tuner.
Step One: Starting in the low register, ask students to play a long tone on the selected note, listening closely to the drone and adjusting pitch if necessary. If they struggle to match the pitch, use Exercise 3 as a starting point – ask them to sing or hum the note. When this is successful, they can try matching the pitch by playing again.
Step 2: Next, ask students to play a long tone an octave higher,
Modifications: This exercise may be practiced with a metronome. Set the metronome to a slow tempo as in the previous exercises. Ask students to play a long tone, slurring from the low octave to the middle octave and then to the high octave. Each octave should be sustained for an equal number of beats. Follow the same pattern for the descending octaves, slurring from the high octave to the middle octave, then to the low octave.
This exercise may be embellished by adding fifths or arpeggios for an additional challenge. When adding embellishments, students’ primary focus should be listening to the drone and matching the pitch of the octaves. If the addition of embellishments causes the tuning to suffer, go back to a simpler version of the exercise.
These four exercises will help beginning oboists develop a foundation of listening and adjusting pitch accurately. When practiced attentively, they will help oboe students develop the skills they need to play in tune with the oboe section and the full ensemble.
Four Tuning Exercises for Beginning Oboists, Jessica Haislip, cont.
THE INGREDIENTS FOR BEAUTY BY EDWARD S. LISK
Beauty begins with balance, blend, and intonation. It is based on the director’s beauty of total ensemble tone quality. The director’s foundation for ensemble tone quality requires an understanding of the overtone series based on the science of sound. In my rehearsals I based ensemble tone quality on “beatless” or straight line tuning. The purity of overtone tuning creates the uniqueness and excellence of your ensemble. For more information, visit The Mysterious World of In-Tune Playing: youtu.be/r9uhnbYd0Og?si=7JMZEzzLsxFKsC2U
Listening and Hearing are two terms that are high priorities for musical excellence. The quality of these terms are determined in a carefully designed prep or warm-up process. We have many warm-up methods available. Various exercises are written in various keys, rhythm patterns, and chorales. Musical expectations are relative to the literature being prepared based on the director’s background and experience
understanding listening and hearing. Listening and hearing are best improved without reading notation. Without notation, all listening is focused on ensemble tone quality.
Edward S. Lisk is a distinguished educator and author renowned for his contributions to music education. With a career spanning over four decades, Lisk has made significant impacts through his innovative teaching methods and curriculum development. His expertise is particularly noted in the areas of instrumental music and music theory, where he emphasizes the importance of creativity and student engagement. Lisk's influential works, including several acclaimed books and instructional materials, have become essential resources for music educators worldwide. His dedication to fostering musical excellence and his ability to inspire both students and fellow educators have left a lasting legacy in the field of music education. As a passionate advocate for the arts, Edward S. Lisk's contributions continue to resonate within academic and musical communities, embodying his commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians and educators.
The warm-up is most important for developing ensemble tone quality. A warm-up must include exercises (without notation) focusing on listening for the beauty of tone quality, balance, blend, and intonation—elements required when performing every composition. The elements of tone quality place all emphasis upon listening. Music is a listening art, and to be most effective, rehearsals must elevate listening to the highest levels of focus and concentration. To further boost listening skills and ensure total student immersion, I suggest not using musical notation when shaping ensemble tone quality, balance, blend, and intonation. I discovered many years ago if notation is used when exercising listening, improvement is reduced significantly. When students do not have to read musical notation, their attention and concentration is directed to shaping the beauty of ensemble tone quality, balance, blend, and intonation. A director must carefully describe what
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students are listening to, and what they are listening for . . . thus, knowing what to do with what they heard in making decisions for improvement.
Immersion - created by “what are you listening to, what are you listening for, and what you do when you hear it” or, deep involvement through absorbed involvement.
Once immersed in the sound of music being presented, the conductor “enters” a “space” of deep mental involvement with total focus on guiding the beauty of the composition. Entering this “space” compliments and guides the movements and motions of the conductor enhancing the performance. The audience silently internalizes and enters the beauty of music being presented. Immersion is an element of music, conducting and listening. The mystery of music is answered within the conductor’s presentation!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at:
elisk@twcny.rr.com.
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The Ingredients for Beauty, Edward S. Lisk, cont.
DO WE SEE NOTES OR HEAR MUSIC
BY EDWARD S. LISK
“Phrasing is the crucial element of life the performer adds to the music. A kaleidoscopic variety of colors, intensities, and inflections that holds the interest of the listener and highlights the composer’s message. The spoken line is the template for the musical line. The shape of the spoken line is a smooth progression toward an important word, an arrival at the point of the statement.” ~ David
McGill
Do we see notes, or do we hear music?
When reading a score, does the mind focus on the notation or the sounds being created? Can a conductor focus totally on the sound while reading notation? The number of years we have studied and practiced music was primarily focused on notation. This is a huge hurdle we have to overcome in our responsibilities as a conductor and teacher.
There are two separate awareness states of mind. The first is a major shift from reading notation to
hearing the sounds of music we are creating. The second, natural musical expression is a result of shaping the nuances and inflections we hear and imagine that embellishes what we see.
Quite often in my clinics, when I have someone conducting the ensemble, I will remove the score from the music stand.
Immediately, the person conducting lifts their head and looks over the entire ensemble hearing and connecting with the sound being created. This often is a startling and enlightening moment! Listening becomes
sensitive to the whole ensemble sound and not to specific notes, rhythms, or other notation being read from the score. Not only does their listening change, communication with the eyes is directed to the players. This state of musical awareness and communication creates a response to the whole/entirety of music and not to specific notation; a removal of the “bits and pieces” approach to performance.
There are musicians and conductors who are unable to go beyond the “notes” to create meaning. Many believe a “human” connection is something mysterious and occurs naturally without any connection with their soul. “Feeling” originates within the passion of the soul. Truly, we have consumed years and years of unimaginative practice with less consideration for the beauty and expressive nature of music. Throughout our preparation in becoming a conductor, attention was placed on specific physical conducting movements, and responding to the exactness of the score. Very seldom, if ever, does a conducting student experience music expressively. They are programmed to specific conducting movements in response to the score. I suggest observing some of our great conductors of the past. None
of them conduct the same way. Today, many conductors are totally programmed to specific moves, having been taught the “right” way to conduct a certain score. The result is very little musical expression emanating from the ensemble. This is a result of “programmed” conducting, gestures and moves devoid of any meaning or connection of soul/ expression between conductor and ensemble.
Throughout my years of preparing to become a musician and educator, music and the connection to emotions was very seldom presented, discussed or rehearsed. This was the “mystery” of music. Very few attempted to research or discover the “why.” Even today, when reading about musical expression, complex descriptions are given that more often than not, confuse the issue and are very difficult to understand. Expressivity is simply something conducting classes fail to teach. My attempts with this publication are to bring a deeper awareness of musical feeling and emotion that leads to expressivity.
When beginning to rehearse a composition, it is necessary to focus on the score, notes, rhythm patterns, dynamics, and the details necessary for understanding and interpretation. This is the first stage of preparation. It is
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Do We See Notes or Hear Music, Edward S. Lisk, cont.
extremely important that once the composition is shaped and designed to your expectations, and is embedded in your mind, one must look beyond the signs and symbols (force yourself) and focus on the sound of the music being created. Take your eyes off the score and you will hear “music” and not see “notes.” Natural expression and phrases are the result when the mind is totally focused on the “sounds” we hear and see in our minds ear and eye. This aural image is the intimate connection with our personal expression of “feeling.” It is the feeling of sound, beauty, and passion from conductor and musicians that creates musical worth and appreciation for the ensemble and audience. There is a huge difference between an ensemble that plays only notes, with the conductor immersed in the score, and those that are true artists that collectively shape the integrity of musical expression, not simply creating something contrived.
Phrases are as natural as we speak. Too many perceive phrases with a fixed, unnatural design and believe this has something to do with musical expression. When we speak, our phrases/sentences are natural and enhanced with nuances and inflections to create meaning and understanding. It was interesting to read that George Szell attributes his conducting
success to his study of the French Horn. By studying the French Horn, provided him with a high degree of understanding phrasing in order to breathe at musically correct moments.
Music cannot be any different than our spoken language. Music is the language of sound. To create meaning, it is necessary to perceive and treat music as a language with an intimate connection to our soul and passion. David McGill of the Chicago Symphony states, “One thing is certain – musical performance without attention to line is not related to language; the spoken line is the template for the musical line. The shape of the spoken line is a smooth progression toward an important word, an arrival at the point of the statement.” Or as Stravinsky states, “the point of repose.” Words flow forming a line of speech. The musical line is the same.
“We can never exhaust the multiplicity of nuances and subtleties which make the charm of music.”… Pablo Casals
“Musical imagination, personality, and expressivity create and embellish the charm of music. This makes music unique.” … Edward S. Lisk
DO YOU HAVE
Research relevant to the field that you would like to share?
Professional advice or tips that might help other band directors?
Something to say?
The National Band Association welcomes and encourages members to submit articles for possible inclusion* in future editions of the NBA Journal. Peer-reviewed** and non-peer reviewed articles are accepted. The NBA Journal is published quarterly and deadlines/ instructions for submission are as follows:
Winter Edition (published in February)
Spring Edition (published in May)
Summer Edition (published in August)
Fall Edition (published in November)
*Articles are published at the discretion of the editor and may appear in a later journal edition or not at all.
**For guidance on how to submit a peer-reviewed article, please see page 49.
Please submit your article in Word document format to NBA Journal Editor Matthew Talbert: talbertm@ohio.edu.
IS THERE ANOTHER WAY? REVIEWING EXISTING LITERATURE AND RESEARCH ON NONTRADITIONAL TEACHING AND
REHEARSING TECHNIQUES IN THE LARGE ENSEMBLE SETTING BY
FOTEINI ANGELI
There is, however, reason to question whether this traditional rehearsal approach is always the best one to take. Empirical research from music education and music psychology may offer valuable insights to band directors seeking innovative solutions to the problem of ineffective rehearsing. In this article, I draw from this research literature to consider alternative approaches to improve large ensemble learning. The ideas I offer here not only promise to make rehearsals more productive, but they can also help instrumental music learners to aim beyond the next concert to attain life-long goals.
At some point in their career, band directors tend to look for inspiration and answers to their problems in existing published literature. Many established
conductors have written books and articles about ensembles and rehearsal techniques. Often, they explain in detailed steps how the reader could improve their ensemble. This is a good starting point, and a great way to find and try out alternatives offered by professionals who have experienced similar issues. It is reassuring to know that they are not alone. However, it is often not enough, or it does not work. Having been an assistant conductor and a member of an alternative wind ensemble recently, I have concluded that we ask the wrong questions. We are looking for an answer to the question how. How can I fix the rhythm in this passage? How can I fix intonation issues? And we are looking for a definite answer to our issue. We need to fix it and fast. We want to know how successful people did it before us. We need someone to provide the answer for
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Foteini was born in Corfu, Greece. She is a DMA student, Othmer Fellow and Graduate Teaching Assistant in Wind Band Conducting with related area of studies in Music Education at University of Nebraska. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in music from Ionian University (GR) and a Masters in Orchestra Conducting from Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (NL) and Conservatoire Royal de Mons (BE). She has Graduated with a Masters in Wind Band Conducting from University of Northern Iowa. From 2016 until 2020 she was the music director/conductor in Corfu Municipal Wind Band of Thinali and Assistant Orchestra Conductor for Philharmonic Society of Corfu. In 2017-2018 she was assistant orchestra conductor for Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra. She has conducted orchestras and wind bands in many European countries (Berlin Symponieta, Orchestre Royal de Liege, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Athens City Orchestra, Athens Philharmonic, Orchestre de Bauge).
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us. Imagine switching the question into what if? The following recent research and literature provides some alternative ways of thinking. Many scholars focus on the role of the conductor and the interaction of the ensemble members.
DUO AND SMALL ENSEMBLE REHEARSALS AS INSPIRATION
To begin with, “Conductorless” ensembles such as duos are a great source of inspiration when thinking of alternative rehearsal techniques. A team of Austrian researchers studied the nonverbal communication between performers in piano and clarinet duos and found that the musicians relied on gestural communication to coordinate the timing of performances. This was especially so during irregularly timed passages in the music, at which points visual interaction was heightened (Bishop, CancinoChacón, & Goebl, 2012).
More generally, visual interaction seems to serve a social-motivational function, as musicians seem eager to engage visually with each other. The performers in a piano duo gained expressive and communicative assurance as they grew in familiarization with each other and made decisions about technical and expressive aspects of music. Coordinated nonverbal gestures and eye-contact
emerged, increasing in frequency over time (Davidson, 2002). D’ Amario & Bales (2022) suggested that an increasing amount of research has investigated specific sensorimotor cues, such as body and head movement, head nods for synchronization and eye-gaze are the most common non-verbal means of communication in duo ensembles (Bishop & Goebl, 2018, Bishop and al., 2019, Goebl & Palmer, 2009, Glowinski et al., 2013, Glowinski et al., 2015).
Geeves et al (2014) studied how a quartet responds when the leader improvises and changes the last chorus of a song that had been previously rehearsed, performing suddenly in a different manner. The article examined the mechanisms in operation (trust, improvisatory strategies, eye contact and gesture) as the other musicians follow the leading performer and smoothly transition into unprecedented performance territory to secure a successful conclusion to their song. In a similar study, Davidson and Wood (2002) examined a student string quartet in their final rehearsal and performance. The players later reviewed and commented on what they observed on the video taken. Deep interpersonal histories and interaction styles emerged. Without these sources of information, some of the rehearsal room behaviors and
resulting performance effects would not have been appropriately interpreted.
When adjusting a large ensemble setting, probably the first step is to examine how the members interact with each other. Do they interact? Do they move, do they look at each other? Have the flutes ever made eye contact with the percussionists? It is common that the communication of large ensemble members aims to the conductor and back. A good first step would be to encourage eye-contact and non-verbal communication through body movement and head gestures among the ensemble members.
THE ROLE OF CONDUCTOR AS A FACILITATOR IN THE LARGE ENSEMBLE REHEARSAL
One of the problems of the traditional approach to ensemble rehearsals where the conductor and only the conductor identifies the problem and then applies a solution is that there is often a lack of transfer when a similar situation comes up in the future. Conductors must look for ways to involve their students in the rehearsal process and provide opportunities for them to exercise their budding musicianship and enrich their musical understanding. Rehearsals can be a context in which students actively engage rather than simply
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follow directions—something that happens because of them rather than something that happens to them (Morison & Demorest, 2012).
Leadership organization is another important factor for ensemble gesture and communication. If there is no conductor, the musicians need to communicate more directly with each other. This leads to different types of performance gestures than when a conductor is taking on the main communication role. At this point, the conductor could have a different role in the classroom, that of the facilitator. Instead of the bearer of absolute musical knowledge and the one and only interpretation, they are there to make the process of learning easier, rather than dictate it (Jensenius & Erdem, 2022).
When dealing with the challenges of group work, teachers need a wide repertoire of strategies to support their students in truly collaborative and cooperative practices. At various stages in group work, effective facilitators need to position themselves on the continuum from hierarchical to collaborative. Effective facilitators have a range of leadership strategies that they may adopt when appropriate, ranging on a continuum between facilitation (learner-centered) and transmission (directive, topdown, teacher-centered). One
useful framework identifies three overarching styles: gatekeeper, midwife and fellow traveler (Jones, 2005) with expert facilitators moving between these styles during sessions with a given group. When adopting the gatekeeper transmission style, the teacher delivers content to learners.
The midwife acts as a facilitator, enabling participants to discover the content and processes for themselves. Although this is to some extent a learner-centered approach, the midwife selects the material and constructs activities in order to maximize positive learning outcomes. In the fellow traveler approach, teachers and students focus their energies on discovering new material together. The fellow traveler encourages egalitarian relationships between leader and participants. As a result, the latter may feel more able to contribute their own ideas and sometimes will take on leadership roles within the group. The group may become a learning community, characterized by collective exploration. The life experience and insights that all participants bring to the group are acknowledged and valued by the fellow traveler.
At various stages in group work, effective facilitators will need to position themselves on the continuum from hierarchical to collaborative, although this is
Is There Another Way ..., Foteini Angeli, cont.
always likely to be most effective within a student-centered rather than teacher-centered paradigm. Awareness of group dynamics and interpersonal processes can empower facilitators, offering valuable ways of fostering an interdependent and collective commitment to shared goals (Creech & Hallam, 2017).
Adopting participatory teaching could result into several key outcomes. First, it is the potential for students to feel increased ownership over the ensembles in which they participate and the encouragement of achieving higher-quality performances. Second, the quality in decisionmaking processes can encourage students to act increasingly as reflective practitioners. Third, this research results highlighted the complicated power relationships and imbalances that are at play between lecturers and students, a social context which might impact students’ democratic engagement in both their learning and ensemble musicking (Murphy, 2022).
SELF-EVALUATION IN PERFORMANCE
Graulty (2010) writes about a situation band directors who have played in ensembles in the past know well: “I have come to believe that when conductors stop to talk
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Is There Another Way ..., Foteini Angeli, cont.
about something they believe must be “fixed”, most players lapse into what I call “Peanuts mode” (they simply do not listen)”. He suggests that when a conductor stops the rehearsal to address a challenge, before telling the ensemble why they are stopping, ask if they know why you are stopping.
The role of the conductor is essential in the decision making and the democratic engagement of an ensemble’s members. Switching from a conductorcentered large ensemble approach to a different one is not easy and it could be frightening for directors. A potential first step that relates directly to Graulty’s approach comes from the field of music psychology. It is the role of self-evaluation in an individual’s practice and creativity in a large ensemble’s rehearsal and performance.
In rehearsal, band directors can be more strategic about solving performance problems with a better understanding of the cognitive skills involved in music performance (Woody, 2022). Goal Imagining is the ability to mentally represent what a piece of music should sound like. Motor Production is the execution, the physical actions needed to produce musical sound with one’s instrument or voice. Self-monitoring is the ability to
judge whether the actual sound matches their goal. If we think of these three steps as a circle, self-monitoring leads back to goal imagining as the musical ideas mature. It could be difficult when young musicians are still developing their skills and have not yet attained any automaticity in their performing. This is true in the large ensemble classroom as well. This is a stage where the conductor is needed to help and guide, to facilitate rather than discourage.
Music psychology provides many opportunities for inspiration for orchestra, wind bands and jazz ensembles. In addition, it gives an insight into the process of sight reading, and tone production (Cotrell 2017, Howard & Gromko 2009, Lonhmeyer 2023, Panncurt & McPherson 2002, Springer, 2020).
Although much of the research is aimed at individual practice, countless examples like the cognitive skills of learning could be incorporated into the large ensemble setting. Supposing we are ready to move on, what is the next step? How can we put theory and our willingness to change into practice? Creativity is the key.
THE USE OF CREATIVITY IN REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE
Simply rehearsing in an atypical style may enhance rehearsals. Creativity is, after all,
a hallmark of the arts. Creativity in psychology includes the ability to discover original and new ideas, connections, and solutions to problems. It is a part of our instincts as humans, because our daily life requires acts of ingenuity. The personality traits that are mostly connected to creativity are openness to experience and playfulness. Creativity can be taught and practiced.
In a preliminary analysis of the habits of mind that were systematically observed and thematically coded in twenty-four rehearsals of six public high school music ensembles (band, choir, and orchestra) results revealed evidence of eight habits of mind being taught: engage and persist, evaluate, express, imagine, listen, notice, participate in community, and set goals and be prepared. However, two habits of mind that the researchers expected to find were not observed: appreciate ambiguity and the use of creativity (Hogan & Winner, 2019).
Incorporating creativity in rehearsals and performances might be a frightening idea for many band directors, especially those trained in the conservatory model for many years. It is a step that needs to grow within the ensemble’s culture first before the results come our in the
performance. How do we start?
Borrowing chamber music techniques such as stepping off the podium at times during rehearsal, demanding the students to take responsibility for pulse, and ask students to reconsider the musical decisions they are making are just some suggestions (Fitzpatrick, 2014). In addition, the success and longevity of conductorless orchestras (Cotrell, 2017) has demonstrated that creative performance can be manifested in large ensembles without the need for a supervisory figure, however unlikely that may appear to those who believe such a figure to be essential for orchestral performance.
Creativity in performance that is communicated convincingly to listeners depends, arguably, on creativity in rehearsal, which in turn arises from effective communication within the group. This can be achieved just as much by experienced musicians who have worked together for many years, and for whom that communication is more implicit than explicit, as by performers coming together for the first time to share their discovery of the music with each other and their audience (Ginsborg, 2017).
school's string orchestra program result in many positive outcomes considering group dynamics (Yi, 2022). Students not only became aware of each other’s positions as the group was shifted out of a conventional hierarchy and had different learning outcomes both socially and musically as they sat in different seating arrangements, but also found that their motivation increased as they exchanged musical knowledge and vulnerabilities with others. Students experienced the diversity within the group more directly and noticed that it was this diversity that helped to build the unique musical identity of the orchestra.
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who do not want someone else to offer solutions to our problems. We want to invent them ourselves.
Experiences with alternative seating practices in a public-
Exploring the possibility of conductor-less ensembles and alternative seating practices is currently taking place in various institutions throughout the country. Due to the recent publication of scholarships related to alternative approaches, there is hope that there will be more and more research on the topic published soon. Additional resources supporting the wind band's future (and the future of concert ensembles in general) include conferences such as CBDNA, The Midwest Clinic, and IGEB, in which well-established practitioners share their experiences. I hope this article will be a source of inspiration and research guidance for those of us
REFERENCES:
Bishop Laura, Carlos Cancino-Chacón, and Werner Goebl. Beyond Synchronization: Body Gestures and Gaze Direction in Duo Performance. arXiv (Cornell University) (2022). 2201.13297.pdf (arxiv.org)
Cottrell, Stephen, 'The creative work of large ensembles', in John Rink, Helena Gaunt, and Aaron Williamon (eds), Musicians in the Making: Pathways to Creative Performance, Studies in Musical Performance as Creative Practice (New York, 2017; online edn, Oxford Academic, 21 Dec. 2017), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof. oso/9780199346677.003.0004.
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Springer, D. G. (2020). Research to Resource: Evidence-Based Strategies for Improving Wind Intonation. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 39(1), 4-7. https://doi-org.libproxy. unl.edu/10.1177/8755123320930483
Timmers, Renee, Freya Bailes, and Helena Dacern, eds. Together in Music: Coordination, Expression, Participation. First edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.
Tammy S. Yi (2023) Alternative seating practices: pedagogy of the back of the orchestra, Music Education Research, 25:2, 190-204, DOI: 10.1080 /14613808.2023.2187042
Williamon, Aaron. Musical Excellence: Strategies and Techniques to Enhance Performance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004
Williamon, A., & Davidson, J. W. (2002). Exploring Co-Performer Communication. Musicae Scientiae, 6(1), 53–72. https://doi. org/10.1177/102986490200600103.
Woody, R.H. Psychology for Musicians: Understanding and Acquiring the Skills. New York, Oxford University Press, 2022. DOI: 10.1093/9780197546598.001.0001
20 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW AS A MUSIC EDUCATOR BY JIM LEBON
1Yours is not the only program in the school. Although you may understand the value of what you teach, others may not. Their attitudes towards what you do have been created by their life experiences and you will need time and teaching opportunities for their values to approach yours.
2. The three most important people in a school setting are as follows: the principal’s secretary, the bookkeeper, and the head custodian. Without the support of these three people, your school life will always be lacking. The secretary runs the school and controls access to many things that you need in order to be successful. The bookkeeper handles finances and that is one of the two ways to get fired in a hurry. The bookkeeper needs to know that you are willing to learn the right ways to handle monies and purchasing. The head custodian makes sure that your
room is clean. The head custodian also maintains the physical plant that includes your room and is vital to the comfort of you and your students. Lose the air conditioning for an hour and you will begin to appreciate a good custodian.
3. An emergency to you is almost always a result of poor planning on your part. String together a couple of emergencies in a short amount of time and people will begin to doubt your competence.
4. When your students succeed in performance, it is to their credit. When they fail in performance, it is your fault. There are no exceptions to this rule. Never correct a concert patron that tells you that they really enjoyed the student’s efforts. Thank them for their kind words and thank them for coming to the performance.
5. If your students can’t do a skill, it is because you have not taught it well. You have to teach with
Jim LeBon is originally from Pennsylvania. He received his bachelor’s degree from FSU in 1982 and his master’s degree in music education in 1993.
Mr. LeBon is in his second year of retirement after forty years of teaching high school and middle school band in Georgia and Florida. He writes music for band, teaches privately and mentors band directors who are working to become better teachers.
Mr. LeBon is published by C.T. Smith Publications. He also has pieces on the FBA solo and ensemble list.
Mr. LeBon is a Lifetime FBA member and adjudicator and is also a member of the American School Band Directors Association.
Mr. LeBon conducts the Stuart Community Concert Band which is an adult ensemble dedicated to the performance of great band literature. He plays clarinet and bass clarinet with the Treasure Coast Wind Ensemble and baritone saxophone with the Ambassadors of Swing.
enough repetition that it is a part of their toolbox. You have to teach sequentially in order for skills to make sense. If all you teach is the music that is in front of them for a performance, you are cheating the students and you are lessening the effect of the program.
6. You have to have a handbook of expectations and grading standards. Your administration has to approve it. You have to follow it and teach your students to use the book as a guide. You will have to add a line to it every year for those students that find something that you didn’t think of. When a director calls me with a problem, my first question will always be to ask what the handbook says about the situation. If they tell me that they don’t have one or that the issue is not covered, my answer will be that they are probably at the mercy of whoever will be the loudest person in the coming conference.
7. You have to create a calendar for the school year. Students need a way of notifying you of conflicts with rehearsals and performances. Your program is not the only thing in their lives. Students’ lives are very complex, and they are pulled in many directions by family, school, jobs, and friends, and they have little control of their obligations. You have to have a policy for adding to the calendar that is
reasonable and you need to add events sparingly, if at all.
8. It is important to get out of your room and be seen in the school. Go to events that don’t include your program. Go to athletic events that your kids are involved with and enjoy building that relationship with a coach and your students. Learn names and talk to people in the hallways. Eat lunch with other teachers and spend time listening to what is going on outside of your room and your program. You have to support other programs before they will support you and your students. Build community one relationship at a time.
9. Learn to visit administrators when you don’t need anything or when you have something good to share. This will probably have to happen after school hours and it is an improvised behavior, a chance occurrence many times. This idea will help build relationships with administrators and they will get to know you over time. Many people only visit an administrator when they have a problem. After a while, that administrator dreads seeing you as you are bringing them more work to deal with.
10. When you have a problem that you need administrative help with, make sure to come to the meeting with a possible solution to share.
If you do not bring a solution, you might be saddled with something that you don’t want to do. Remember, you are the one that asked for help!
11. When you make a mistake, go right away, and tell your administrator before the phone rings. We are human and we will make mistakes. An administrator that is already warned has an answer in mind when that disgruntled parent calls. An email asking the administrator to call you because you have something that they need to know is a good start if you are away from the building at an event. Administrators are usually pretty good at monitoring email and will often call quickly to get ahead of an issue. Don’t put details in an email, just leave a message to call as soon as possible.
12. All school communications are public records. Don’t potentially add to a bad situation by creating a chain of evidence and understand that no one ever won a fight in an email. My standard answer to someone that is seeking my advice and has sent me an email chain is very simply this: “Call me.”
13. Lock down all of your social media outlets so that your students can’t access your life. Do not friend students or parents. Know your school system policy on social
media and follow it. Do a regular search of yourself online and see what others are seeing or have access to. Keep your private life private and your school life will be better as a result.
14. Make friends with the coaches and observe how they work in the school setting. Coaches always know the easiest way to accomplish what the school wants so that they can have the time to do what they want. When you share a student with a coach, sit down with that coach and create a schedule for the student. Make sure that your student fulfills their obligation to that coach as you would want that student to fulfill their obligation to you and your program.
15. Everyone needs mentors. As a young professional you need someone to teach you how the school works. As a musician, you need an experienced, successful director to teach you how to run a program and prepare your students for concerts and festivals. I have been in education for forty years and I still have mentors. No one can do the school business themselves; it is a team effort.
16. Never put yourself in an alone setting with a student. Never socialize with students or their parents outside of the school setting. Do not allow your students or
parents to line you up with dates or other social obligations. Do not share your personal life with parents or students. Personal is personal. Work is work.
17. Once you have your calendar set, work backwards from the performances to the proper preparation for the performances. When you pick your tunes, you pick your ratings. Bring in experienced directors to work with your students and to work with you. Do a sleevetugged rehearsal with an experienced director. That means you are on the podium, and they are by your side, tugging on your sleeve to teach you and the students what to do better as good musicians and as a good rehearsal technician.
18. Record your rehearsals on a regular basis and analyze what needs to be improved upon. Set goals and stick to them. Create a calendar of improvement and make the students part of the process. They need to hear their rehearsal work and understand their role in creating improvement.
19. All music is about tone. Proper equipment, proper breathing, proper technique, and proper rehearsal behavior is the start of great tone. Great tone and musicality is what a judge wants to hear when they are evaluating your group. Nothing else matters.
20. Continue to listen and learn your entire life. People that are admired in this profession have incredible libraries of recordings and incredible libraries of music that they have played and continue to play because they are wonderful pieces of music.
A Beautiful Thing, Zach Tolman, cont.
BOOK REVIEWS BY GARY BARTON
The North American Wind Symphony
Conceived and edited by Mark Camphouse, Forward by Timothy Mahr, Afterword by Frank Ticheli Chicago, Illinois: GIA Publications, Inc., 2024; ISBN-978-1-62277-802-7; US $29.95; 349 pages
Mark Camphouse has created what is easily the most important book of the 21st century concerning bands and band music by outlining in detail a proposal for the creation of a truly professional ensemble and all that comes with it. At the center of the book
is a fifty-three page outline that includes every physical, financial, and personnel detail that would be involved. He presents activity starting with September 2025, and continuing through August 2028. Included are youth programs, community outreach activities, and tour proposals. Every detail down to when to serve punch and cookies is included, so you may wonder, if all of this is in fifty-three pages, why is the book over three hundred pages?
Twelve contributing authors offer their ideas on the proposal of a professional ensemble. These authors have widely varied backgrounds, from composition teachers, university and military conductors, public school teachers, the older and retired to the very young. Camphouse obviously made them feel comfortable in “letting their hair down” when discussing the current state of music education and composition. Each author presents two essays. Sue Samuels, Matthew Clark, and Trevor Smith wrote entries that speak volumes; maybe all that is current and popular are not always the best path? Each contributor
Gary Barton retired from the La Porte, Texas Independent School District after thirty-seven years of teaching in five states. He received the Bachelor of Music Education from the University of LouisianaMonroe and the Master of Science in Education from Indiana University. A Past President of the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association and Past 2nd VicePresident of the National Band Association, he has written for numerous publications and has done clinics and presentations in sixteen states. He may be reached at bartonglp@gmail.com.
includes a recommended reading list that is enlightening considering the fifty-year age variance of the writers (if Paula Crider says a book is required reading, then it’s required reading).
The North American Wind Symphony is the book to buy if you are curious about what is really required to create a truly professional ensemble, of any kind. Mark Camphouse has Continued on next page
done the work for us. If you want to validate or even challenge your beliefs about music education, this book is a must.
The Rehearsal – A Quick Guide to One Music Teacher’s Most Potent Retention Tool
by
David Newell
San Diego, California: Neil A. Kjos Music Company, 2015
ISBN-10: 0-8487-7027-0, ISBN-13: 978-0-8497-7027-2, US $8.99; 48 pages
In his little book The Rehearsal, David Newell will convince you that there is only one true path to retaining students in your program. This path is the “cake” and all the little events and incentives we do are the “icing.” He calls it our “Master Key”: “What happens during each and every ensemble rehearsal is the “Master Key” that unlocks the box
labeled “Student Retention.”
Newell maintains that, just as we want the audience to leave anxious to come back for more, we want our students to feel the same way after every rehearsal. After reading this book, you will have an immediate plan for outlining and pacing a rehearsal:
• How to create a perfect twopart rehearsal: The Lesson Part and the Literature Part
• How to start on time and end on time
• How to prevent boredom by turning a ten-minute drill session into a two-minute session
• The most unique and simple way to teaching what a phrase is all about
• How to stop and make corrections by using just “Four Magic Words”
There is a twelve-page section that walks us through a failed lesson plan in painful detail. We are then shown the same lesson using a successful plan. Most of us will see ourselves in these pages.
These 48 pages, really no more than a pamphlet, are loaded with teaching tips and strategies that will help even the most seasoned teachers create a classroom where the students always leave wishing rehearsal was longer. The
Book Reviews, Gary Barton, cont.
Rehearsal is now my answer to the question, “What is the one book that every music teacher should own?”
YCCMP: A REFLECTION
BY HANNAH
C. MORRISON
Collaborative. A word that encapsulates the experience as a participant in the National Band Association Young Composer & Conductor Mentor Project. Collaboration began prior to stepping foot in Washington D.C. with digital greetings and conversations between conductors, composers, and mentors. Innovative and engaging scores were distributed and the process of score discovery began. Collaboration continued between the participants and the mentors, with advice and wisdom passed willingly and freely. Once we finally arrived at
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, the rehearsal hall was filled with the collaborative and generous efforts of the United States Air Force Band. Rehearsals were marked by intense and rapid progress, showcasing time spent in the evenings making final adjustments to the compositions. Ultimately, collaboration was celebrated through a final livesstreamed concert at the end of the week.
Participating as a conductor in the 2024 edition of the NBA Young Composer & Conductor Mentor Project was a momentous and unique event largely thanks to the opportunity to team up with a composer and bring a new composition to life. Each composer and conductor duo worked together across four rehearsals to make small adjustments to the content and interpretation of the compositions. I found the opportunity to workshop the new music and converse behind-thescenes to be greatly impactful. Furthermore, mentorship was a key part of this event with each group assigned a conductor and composer mentor respectively.
Dr. Hannah C. Morrison is the Associate Director of Bands at West Chester University, conducting the Wind Symphony, assisting the “INCOMPARABLE” Golden Rams Marching Band, and teaching graduate and undergraduate conducting classes. Dr. Morrison holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory (UMKC), where she studied with Steven D. Davis and Joseph Parisi. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Instrumental Conducting and a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Baylor University, where she studied with J. Eric Wilson and Isaiah Odajima.
Dr. Morrison is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Much was learned from hearing the world-class composers speak to every aspect of the new compositions. The conducting mentors were there every step of the way to offer feedback regarding rehearsal techniques, nonverbal communication, effectiveness of gesture, and overall demeanor
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on the podium. Combining the teamwork between the conductors, composers, and mentors with the generous talents of the musicians led to profound music-making.
Another unique aspect of this event was the professionalism engrained in the culture of the United States Air Force Band. Our first day began with a tour of the facilities, leaving one dumbfounded by the histories and memories depicted through photographs and artifacts. The walls were lined with signed scores (i.e. Lowell Graham, John Williams, Alfred Reed, etc.) and numerous photos of performances in the states and across the world. It was inspiring learning about the far-reaching influence of the many ensembles that make up the United States Air Force Band. At the end of the second day of rehearsals, a small group of musicians gave each composer and conductor individualized
advice. The specificity of feedback and the insight from performers allowed for increased connection and growth. I reflect fondly on the flexibility of the musicians and their willingness to lean into the process as much as the performance.
For those who are considering applying for the NBA Young Composer & Conductor Mentor Project, I highly encourage it! Standing in front of this ensemble is a humbling and exhilarating experience, with a level of detail and nuance that is inspiring. Wrapped in the experience of conducting such a talented ensemble is the chance to build camaraderie with colleagues and friends. I’m grateful to have worked alongside composer Connor Wooley to present Iron Horse and to have met composers Willie Cornish Jr., Isabella Morrill, and Alec Schantz. Additionally, it was a joy to have been a part of
YCCMP: A Reflection, Hannah C. Morrison, cont.
the conductor team with Jennifer Hepp, Alexander Scott, and David Ramos. I’m grateful for this experience and inspired to share all that I learned with my students at West Chester University.
None of this would have been possible if not for the support of the National Band Association combined with the generosity of the United States Air Force Band. I want to extend a special thanks to the leadership of Linda Moorhouse, Colonel Schofield, and Frank Ticheli and to all who contributed their time and expertise including Randall Coleman, Rodney Dorsey, Jennifer Jolley, Pete Meechan, and Scott Tobias. Finally, a huge thank you to the talented and kind musicians of the United States Air Force Band. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will forever be tremendously grateful for.
YCCMP: A REFLECTION BY CONNOR WOOLEY
Now, I had only been a part of the “music world” for a little under four years and only composing for just over a year. Everything was new and I felt like I was always figuring it out behind my peers and colleagues. It was not until I began “throwing myself out into the world” that I would start to find my own way. Many composition contests were explored and YCCMP was one that
I had little faith in my chances of being selected for, but I submitted anyway. The experiences and friendships that have resulted from that simple decision have taught me a tremendous amount and will last my lifetime.
After receiving email confirmation of our acceptance, we soon had our first Zoom meeting with just the composers. In this meeting we had some brief introductions, but the main goal was to prepare us and our scores for the project. Once we had made the necessary changes and edits to our scores, a second meeting was had with both composers, conductors, and all respective mentors. It was in this meeting that we were given most of our information regarding what to expect and how to prepare. The start of one of my favorite parts of the project also happened in this meeting, and that was getting paired up with our conductors.
Connor Wooley (b. 2001) is a composer, educator, and performer based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has been prolific in his works for solo, chamber, strings, and wind ensemble. Wooley has been commissioned by numerous performers and ensembles in the Midwest region, with works being performed at professional development conferences and symposia such as the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA) and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) conferences. He has worked with and collaborated with performers and groups at the student, community, collegiate, and professional level.
In the weeks leading up to the project, I was able to work with
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An alumnus of an unsupported music program in Northeast Indiana, Wooley seeks to provide performers of all ages an opportunity to experience quality music that is exciting and enjoyable to perform. He enjoys being able to work with students to help them find their own connections within his music. Collaboration between the composer and the performers is something about which he is deeply passionate.
my conductor partner Dr. Hannah Morrison a few times. I was her reference for any questions she may have had. What is interesting about this project, specifically with the preparation, is that most of the work for both the composers and conductors is done at different times. Most of my work, like the other composers, was done less than a year prior when I had completed the first version of my piece. The conductors, however, were given just a month to prepare. Thankfully, I was able to keep in contact with Hannah up until a few days before we all arrived.
Our first day was one of becoming grounded and prepared for those to come. Late in the
evening after checking into our hotel, we met in person for the very first time. Honestly, it did not feel real until about an hour into that meeting when we broke out into our groups. I was able to meet and hear the stories behind my fellow mentees and our mentors and it became quickly clear that we all shared a very similar joy in what we do. I will speak more on that joy later. Hannah and I’s group included composer mentor Dr. Pete Meechan and conductor mentor Dr. Linda Moorhouse. Both individuals, as well as the rest of the mentors, exhibited a very strong desire to provide the best experience for us. After this meeting, everyone was fired up for the next three days.
The next two days were filled with countless hours of rehearsals, masterclasses, lessons, and a few tours around the base. Running the show was Col. Don Schofield. Col. Schofield is one of the calmest professionals I have met and the relationship he has with his band is inspiring to say the least.
Paired with his quick sense of humor, his enthusiastic devotion to the mission of the Air Force Band allowed us mentees to feel welcomed and excited about our work on base.
Alongside the opportunity to hear our work performed daily by some of America’s finest musicians, each rehearsal was incredibly
YCCMP: A Reflection, Connor Wooley, cont.
YCCMP: A Reflection, Connor Wooley, cont.
educational. The ability to be mere feet away from an ensemble known for its clarity and precision for three days provided me with a much more well-informed inner ear. I was told a while back by my former director that there would be moments in my career when I would hear instrument sounds that would ruin the instrument for me for the rest of my life. This was true for much of this project. One moment stuck out, and that was when Col. Schofield had his clarinet section demonstrate the first few bars of On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss. It was only eight measures, but afterwards the entire composer’s table collectively looked at each other speechless, some of us on the verge of tears.
At the end of the two large rehearsal days, we were able to sit with some of the members of the band and talk constructively about our writing and conducting. This and many prior moments showed not only the musicians’ passion for performing, but also their desire to educate and pass on their
knowledge and experience to those that come after them. The evening included a group dinner, and that was one of the rare opportunities in which we were able to relax and just enjoy each other’s company.
The fourth day of the project included a dress rehearsal followed by our final concert.
I was fortunate enough to be able to bring my family to the performance, as they have always been incredibly supportive of my musical endeavors. During the performance the musicians (and conductors) added what we called the “special sauce” to make the performance that much more impactful. One of the many bits of advice that Col. Schofield gave us throughout the project was to “not evaluate while you participate.” Every single one of us was able to live in the moment of that final performance and it was the perfect way to end the project.
The quality that I observed in every single person I encountered during this project was that
unstoppable joy for what they do. No matter what was thrown at us, whether it was last-minute changes for the composers (and subsequently conductors) or the brief lack of air conditioning in the rehearsal space, we all were kept in wonderful spirits by that bright joy. I was severely fatigued from heavy traveling prior to the project, and it was the joy and excitement of the rest of the mentees and mentors that helped me live in those moments.
This would not have been possible without the support of the National Band Association and the musicians of The United States Air Force Band. Every musician in this project, whether they wore a uniform or not, displayed the highest level of professionalism and dedicated those four days completely to us. We will all be forever grateful not just for the depth of their artistry, but for the depth of their care and love for music.
SHOOTING FOR STARS AND GOING OVER THE MOON: AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANK TICHELI BY JOSEPH LEITES
One of my favorite parts of music education is constantly meeting new people and understanding their perspective on the profession itself. I first met Dr. Frank Ticheli at The Midwest Clinic in December 2021; his music had always been influential on me as a student, and as I grow into the teaching profession I see it in a new light. I was able to stand and talk with him for a short time in the exhibit hall at McCormick Place in Chicago, but it never felt like enough. When I found out that the Kentucky Intercollegiate Band, housed at the University of Louisville each year before the Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference, had commissioned Ticheli’s newest work, I felt that it was a great opportunity to reach out to him.
Works by Frank Ticheli have been
described as “brilliantly effective” (Miami Herald), “optimistic and thoughtful” (Los Angeles Times), and “powerful, deeply felt, crafted with impressive flair and an ear for striking instrumental colors” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel).
Born in 1958, Ticheli has held an important role in the band community for quite some time. Ticheli began his education at Southern Methodist University, holding postgraduate degrees from the University of Michigan, all in music composition.
The 2023 Kentucky Music Educators Conference saw the premiere of Frank Ticheli’s newest work for concert band, Over the Moon, performed by the Kentucky Intercollegiate Band conducted by Col. Michael Colburn. Ticheli retired from his faculty position at the University of Southern California at the end of the 2023 academic year, so this is an
Joseph Leites has proudly served as Director of Bands at Satellite High School, in Satellite Beach, Florida since 2023. Under his direction, the band program has expanded to three concert bands, two jazz ensembles, and a percussion ensemble. He also directs all athletic band activities, including the Scorpion Sound Marching Band. In 2024, the Wind Ensemble began its Campus Connection Concert Series, traveling to give concerts on select college campuses throughout Florida. Aside from his duties at Satellite, Joseph is active as a guest conductor and clinician in brass technique and performance.
Prior to his appointment at Satellite, Joseph served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Louisville, assisting in direction of university concert and athletic bands. Joseph holds a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Florida, and an M.M. in Wind Conducting from the University of Louisville.
appropriate time to sit back and digest the impact on the music
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INTERVIEW
Interview: Shooting for Stars ..., Joseph Leites, cont.
education profession he has had over his career. He recently agreed to sit down and talk about his career and this newest piece, sharing that he “…couldn’t wait to hear the premiere performance done by the Intercollegiate Band players.” Let’s take a look into the insights of Frank Ticheli.
INTERVIEW
Joseph Leites: To start-what is your earliest memory of music?
Frank Ticheli: Well, my earliest memory of music would probably be when I was a boy, growing up near New Orleans, hearing the sound of traditional New Orleans jazz which was already museum music by that point. It wasn’t as vibrant as it was in its infancy, and it became more frozen as a kind of museum-like reference back to the past. But it was magical to me.
the trumpet!” And so that’s how it all sort of happened. I played the trumpet all through middle school, high school, undergrad, even into grad school. I played in H. Robert Reynold’s Symphony Band at Michigan, and I played in the chamber winds, all sorts of things. So, right through to about once I started my doctorate.
JL: You’ve been writing and performing music for a long time. Who would you say are your biggest mentors or role models in your field?
FT: Robert Floyd was a huge influence on me in high school, because he was the head of that program at Berkner High School in Richardson.
JL: What was your first instrument, and why did you choose it?
FT: Trumpet. There was a trumpeter named Al Hirt, you may have heard of him. *laughs* I wanted to play clarinet, and my father took me to a pawn shop down on Bourbon Street, and there was a clarinet and a trumpet in the window. That’s all they had for sale. And the clarinet was $80, but the trumpet was only $45. My dad said “Sorry son, you’re gonna play
JL: What drew you to composition as you grew older?
FT: It started pretty early on, I was in high school. We had just moved away from New Orleans to a small town outside of Dallas, Richardson, Texas, and it was an amazing wind program. And it was a culture shock for me. I had come from a pretty modest music education program in a small town in Louisiana, and now suddenly there was this amazing program. I had no idea kids my age could sound so good. I went from playing this goofy music, really, to playing the Hindemith Symphony in B-flat or the Dahl Sinfonietta, and fun stuff like Rocky Point Holiday. And you know, I was around 14 years old, and it just blew me away. How do you write like that? I want to know how to do it, how to compose music like that. I just decided “I’m going to be a composition major” without even knowing what it entailed. I wanted to study how to compose music.
My real influences started at the University of Michigan when I studied with William Bolcom, William Albright, and Leslie Bassett, those three became huge influences. On the conducting and performing side, H. Robert Reynolds. He’s a mentor and brother and friend all wrapped into one, as is Carl St. Clair, the conductor of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.
JL: How have you balanced teaching and composing during your career?
FT: Poorly. *chuckles* It’s hard to do it. When when I’m teaching, I wish I were composing. When I’m composing, I miss my students. When I’m on sabbatical, I can’t wait to get back to teaching. When I’m teaching, I can’t wait for my next sabbatical. It’s human nature, right? That we’re always looking around for greener grass.
INTERVIEW
Interview: Shooting for Stars ..., Joseph Leites, cont.
It’s not just balancing teaching and composing, it’s balancing guest appearances, commissions, conducting, family life, all of those things. The further you go into your career, the more responsibilities you end up taking on. If you’re doing a decent job, you end up being entrusted with more and more responsibilities. So it becomes even harder. I don’t have any magic formula for it, you have to carve time and just make it happen.
I do find that the busier you are, the more productive you will be. When you have that long awaited free time that you’ve been dreaming about, you’re less productive. That’s another irony in human nature, that the busier we are, the more we get done. Something I’ve learned that’s really important, is that you don’t have to wait for inspiration. In fact, it’s the other way around. Just start something, and often inspiration will follow.
takes hold and what doesn’t. Maybe one day I’ll like something, and the next day, I won’t. Then, maybe after a week, I finally have something I really like. I start to just focus, obsess over that little thing that I have, not knowing if it’s the beginning of the piece. It could be the middle, it could be anywhere. Eventually, an idea becomes a living thing. And it starts to suggest other ideas.
It’s a messy way of working, where I have to write a bunch of ideas in a kind of void. I’m very much a riffer. I’m an improviser. I discard about 90% of what I improvise and keep maybe 10%. It’s not until I’m maybe halfway through this process that I start to see a form and a structure because the content reveals that structure to me, not the other way around. My piano, my trumpet, Sibelius and my couch. Those are my main big tools. Paper and pencil, too.
also go crazy; I would have just stopped. The ability to change from one medium to another keeps the creative process alive for me. My work in one medium influences my work in another. They cross fertilize each other.
JL: So, then how do you start your writing process?
FT: It’s very messy. It’s very mysterious. I don’t understand how it works. I’m not one of those composers, like many of my colleagues, who must have a structure first. I just sit down and start composing, seeing what
JL: In your career, you’ve written for many different ensemble configurations. Do you have a preferred medium to write for?
FT: Not really, I love writing for different media. I love wearing different hats. It keeps it interesting to me. I think I would be so bored, and I would be so boring if I composed for one medium all the time. I would
JL: Of all those different media, what’s your favorite work you’ve written?
FT: That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is. They’re all unique. And I love them all in their own unique ways. If you really pin me down, I would say: what do I keep going back to as a conductor? When I’m asked to guest conduct my music, I keep coming back to certain pieces. And it’s a handful. It’s things like Blue Shades, Angels in the Architecture, and the new piece Lux Perpetua. And then there’s An American Elegy, and Sanctuary and Rest. And you see, I’m naming too many already.
There’s another one called Acadiana. That’s my third set of Cajun folk songs. I adore that piece. My first Cajun set was commissioned by a middle school band, so it couldn’t be too difficult. The second one was a high school all state group. And the third was for a consortium of adult bands and college bands. I could more or less do exactly what I wanted, and that was a joy for me.
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And those are just the band works. I can talk about my orchestra works like Radiant Voices, and my first symphony. Right now, my favorite piece would probably be The Shore, a work for chorus and orchestra. I don’t know, tomorrow it might be different.
JL: Do you have a favorite dish from your Louisiana heritage?
JL: What are some of your hobbies outside of music?
FT: Languages. I love languages, I love studying the Italian language—it’s the one I’m best at. But I also love German. I’m not nearly as fluent as my wife, who speaks German quite well. Physically, I just like to take long walks, I walk anywhere from three to five miles. I’m right here at the foot of a mountain, we can pop up the mountain and hike as well. I used to run, I’m getting to the age where running is a little precarious now, joint wise and so forth.
I am also a huge Dodgers fan. In fact, we were at the baseball game when Albert Pujols hit his 700th home run! The Dodgers didn’t play well, though—in fact, they got thumped. I’m a Saints fan too, but being from New Orleans we used to call them the “Ain’ts”, when they were not so good. And of course, I’m a USC football fan! We’ve finally got a great team again.
Interview: Shooting for Stars ..., Joseph Leites, cont.
FT: Oh, yeah, actually I do! That’s another hobby of mine, cooking. I don’t know what it’s called, but I know how to make it. It’s a cold dish, in fact nothing is cooked except the shrimp. It’s this incredible dish where there’s artichoke hearts, brown mustard egg and spices, a ton of parsley, all mixed together with the shrimp. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I also just love the standard fare. My favorite New Orleans dish is red beans and rice. That is the staple in New Orleans. And it’s so good. It’s got a little andouille sausage in it. The simplest things make you the happiest.
The actual melodic lines in the beginning, they were kind of dull so I had to mess with it. I thought about putting it in 4/4 and 5/4, but with the way the eighth notes shook out I thought to myself, “Well, just put it in the meter that it implies!” So, I went with the alternating 8/8 and 10/8 framework.
JL: What was the first idea or influence you had for this new piece, Over the Moon?
FT: The first thing I had in this piece is near the beginning, a rhythmic dance motive. Just a dance-like melody over a chord progression of ascending thirds, form F minor, to A-flat major, to C minor. Then, little tango like rhythms start to appear in the accompaniment. It becomes obvious that this is a dance.
JL: How did the melodic content develop over time?
FT: These things start coming slowly, with the dance theme being passed around from instrument to instrument, and these new melodic interruptions showing up between the saxophones and clarinets, with these little blues licks showing up. You can almost sense me discovering the DNA of the piece. Okay, I’ve got the dance, but oh, wow! There’s a melody here! And yet I still have this same chord progression: F minor, to A-flat, to C.
It's like a chaconne. In fact, I was thinking about including chaconne in the title somehow because it’s this recurring harmony everywhere, with melodic variations above it.
And then, of course, you have a B theme, just a contrasting melody that nevertheless resembles the
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INTERVIEW
Interview: Shooting for Stars ..., Joseph Leites, cont.
rhythms of the main melody. I could have put it in 8/8 and 10/8, as used for the main melody, but the accompaniment suggested the simpler meters of 4/4 and 5/4.
JL: As in your other works, the bass clarinet acts as a soloist and plays an important role. What sticks out to you about that instrument?
FT: I love the bass clarinet. Quite frankly, it’s one of the coolest instruments in the band. Instruments like the bass clarinet, the bassoon, the horns, and the oboes, these are the color players, and they never get enough solos.
FT: Well, modally, it sounds a little different. It’s fairly static and I let the horn drive it. I don’t remember how I came up with the harmony, I just wanted it to resemble what had already happened, and yet have its own identity.
The piece builds to a huge finish, but then I add this little threebar tag to remind the listener that, in the end, this is a carefree dance. Those last three bars are almost tongue-in-cheek, fulfilling a similar role to the end of Blue Shades. It could elicit a chuckle. What’s cool is that this little moment only happens at the very beginning and the very end.
what is compelling the voice to sing.
I suppose I’ve always been drawn to the early 20th century masters such as Stravinsky. But I’ve also learned from so many other composers, including younger composers. I’ve learned a lot of cool new ways to think about rhythm. There’s a renewal of interest in non-metered and improvised rhythms in music being written right now by today’s young composers. It’s kind of cool, consciously ceding control of some elements to conductors and performers. Sometimes it can be messy and fall flat on its face and fail, but it’s exciting.
IN CLOSING
JL: How do the sections of this piece function together?
FT: The outer dance sections are mostly light, care-free, nonchalant. In contrast, the middle section is darker, more menacing. There’s no real programmatic reason for it. Just wanted some darkness in the middle. Then, out of the darkness, a triumphant melody emerges and builds to a huge climax. After the climax, there’s a little oasis of slow music, and then we’re back to the dance towards the end.
JL: How did you develop your voice?
JL: Where did the harmonic framework come for the slower section?
FT: You don’t really find your own voice. It finds you. We are creatures of habit, and over time those habits crystallize into a kind of personal voice. I don’t remember who said it, but what I think of is this: all music really does is two things. It’s either singing or dancing, no matter how complex, whether it’s 12-tone music, hardball modernism, jazz, and A minor prelude from the 19th century; no matter what it is, it’s either singing or dancing or both. So, no matter what I’m doing, I’m always asking myself, “what is compelling the body to move and
Dr. Ticheli’s influence on the wind band repertoire is felt every year at state contests and music performance assessments; the number of his works programmed by directors is staggering, and it speaks to the quality of his music, and Over the Moon proves to be another fantastic addition to his own catalogue of compositions.
HOW TO SUBMIT PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH ARTICLES TO THE NBA JOURNAL
BY MATTHEW TALBERT
The difference between a peerreviewed research article and the articles traditionally published in the NBA Journal is best described as a difference in the vetting process and source material. To have an article appear as “peer-reviewed” in the NBA Journal means recognized researchers and scholars in the field of music/music education will read, evaluate, and then recommend whether or not an article should be published, revised or rejected. This process is widely recognized as an indicator of quality scholarship in a particular discipline or field. Other names for these types of articles are “scholarly” or “refereed.”
A traditional NBA Journal article is most often written from the perspective of the author’s unique experiences in life, music,
and/or the profession. These articles are of extraordinary value, as they often present a number of ideas that have been effective for the author and may also be effective for the reader. A research article is most often written as a continuation of ideas presented in previous articles, with the motivation drawn from combining the findings of those previous articles and the author’s own experiences, experiments, or observations. In building the article in this way, the validity of the information is heightened beyond the traditional article. These articles are also of extraordinary value as they may also impact the way the reader approaches the subject material in a potentially more generalizable way. When incorporating the peer-review process, the an author’s article now has a final layer of review (for accuracy) utilizing other experts within the same subject matter.
Matthew Talbert, Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of the School of Music, joined Ohio University in the fall of 2016. Talbert earned a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of South Carolina (2012), a Master of Music in Music Education from Appalachian State University (2005), and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Appalachian State University (2004).
TRADITIONAL RESEARCH LAYOUT AND VALUE OF THE RESEARCH ARTICLE
Dr. Russell Gavin, former chair of NBA’s Research (and Editorial) committees, shares his thoughts on the layout and value of these types of articles:
A number of peer-reviewed research articles may read like other articles found in the NBA Journal, with the author outlining their thoughts on a subject while using citations to support the premise of the issue
How to Submit Peer-Reviewed Research to the NBA Journal, Matthew Talbert, cont.
being discussed. Other research articles will take on a bit more of a scientific approach. These articles begin with a review of literature summarizing the research on the topic that already exists, while simultaneously presenting the reader with the rationale driving the current article. A method section follows, describing what actually happened in the research, then a results and analysis section(s) describing what the researcher found, if anything. The article closes with a discussion of the findings and how they may relate to the world. The article concludes with a list of references from which the author drew information and ideas.
If you are inexperienced at reading research articles, you may want to read the discussion section first. This part of the article will explain how the information found in the rest of the article may impact you and others in the article subject community. Oftentimes this is the place where practical ideas will be most clearly expressed; however, taking in the entire article will always give a much clearer view of what the author was attempting to express.
As mentioned above, an ideal research article is adding to the research that came before it. This continuation and growth of
knowledge is one of the defining characteristics of this kind of inquiry. At the end of the article, the reader is left with information that is not only new to them, but simultaneously new to the world. This level of investigation is of paramount importance in all areas of music and education, and the NBA is proud to present this new avenue for such exploration and thought.
GUIDELINES for Submission of Peer-Review Research Articles
A. Submission Method: Manuscripts should be submitted as Microsoft Word attachments via email to the Editorial Committee Chair: silveyba@missouri.edu
B. Length: The manuscript should not exceed 25 pages and should include an abstract of 100-150 words in length on a separate page. We encourage the submission of short form articles (4-10 pages) as well as full-length articles.
C. Cover Page: To ensure anonymity in the review process, the manuscript should contain no clues as to the author’s institutional affiliation or identity. Author’s name(s), address, institution affiliations, and pertinent information should be listed on a separate
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cover page at the beginning of the submission. The cover page should also include up to five keywords/phrases that describe the contents of the manuscript.
D. Style Guide: Manuscripts should conform to one of the following style manuals:
(1) Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, 2019),
(2) The Chicago Manual of Style(17th edition, 2017), or
(3) A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (K. L. Turabian, 9th edition, revised by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory Colomb, Joseph
SUBMITTING PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH
How to Submit Peer-Reviewed Research to the NBA Journal, Matthew Talbert, cont.
M. Williams, and the University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff, 2018). Note: Authors may not combine and/or mix styles within a single manuscript
F. Ethical Requirements: It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that no copyright issues have been violated by the submission, including images, charts, etc. Manuscripts already published in other journals can be submitted for consideration in the NBA Journal providing the author has permission to do so.
Questions about submitting a peer- reviewed article? Email Research Chair Brian Silvey at silveyba@missouri.edu
E. Tables and Figures: Tables and figures may be included with the manuscript, however, these must be publishable in black and white. It is the author’s responsibility to make sure any tables/figures are checked for accuracy before submission. Additionally, if any copyrighted materials are submitted, it is the author’s responsibility to provide documentation allowing the reproduction of these materials.
