On my very last day of teaching lessons before my retirement, I came up with a fun, high energy rudiment activity that my 4th and 5th grade percussionists loved. (I only wish I had thought of it sooner so I could have used it more!) I set up enough drum pads in a circle for all percussionists ... Read More about A Rudiment Activity Your Percussionists Will Love!
Articles
Low Brass Scale Warm-up and Scale Memorization
I have used these exercises for over 50 years during my teaching career with great success. They are designed for players from high school through university and beyond. These exercises are not designed for large ensemble rehearsals (though they work well with brass sectionals), but for individual ... Read More about Low Brass Scale Warm-up and Scale Memorization
Building Musical Independence Through Small Ensemble Work
One of the challenges I have found in teaching band is giving students opportunities to actually make musical choices. In most of the repertoire we perform, many of those decisions have already been made. Dynamics, articulations, tempo, and style are printed on the page, and as the conductor, I make ... Read More about Building Musical Independence Through Small Ensemble Work
Advice for a Director Taking Over a Band Program
In our recent survey, we asked Band Directors Talk Shop readers to share "What advice do you have for a director taking over a program?" With many responses to the survey, we came up with this list of your answers. Thanks so much to all of our readers who took time to fill out the survey. Keep an ... Read More about Advice for a Director Taking Over a Band Program
Beginning Band Music Theory: What Should I Include in a Student Theory Book?
What should beginning band students learn in music theory? Note names? Rhythms? Music symbols and terms? Key signatures? There are a lot of music theory concepts we want our beginning band students to understand, but deciding what to teach and when to teach it can be overwhelming. We use a ... Read More about Beginning Band Music Theory: What Should I Include in a Student Theory Book?
Selecting a Classical Saxophone Mouthpiece for Band Performance
When striving to produce a good saxophone tone, one of the most crucial pieces of equipment is the mouthpiece. There are many brands of saxophone mouthpieces being manufactured using a variety of materials, encompassing a wide price range and designed for performers at all levels of development. ... Read More about Selecting a Classical Saxophone Mouthpiece for Band Performance
