Do your percussionists need a way to practice marimba over the summer? A duct tape marimba may be your answer! This picture was originally posted by Tony Lyman in Mississippi with the comment: “One of my freshmen at Petal HS earned a marimba spot this year. This is how she practices at home. ... Read More about Duct Tape Marimba (Practice Marimba)
Articles
Saxophone F# & C – There’s a Time and Place for Every Fingering
This is the second post in a series on saxophone fingering options. As I discussed in my previous article on saxophone fingering of Bb, I strongly advocate teaching all common fingerings for a particular note at the same time to avoid allowing the student to develop a favorite. In this article, ... Read More about Saxophone F# & C – There’s a Time and Place for Every Fingering
Crossing the Break on Clarinet – Smoothly!
There are many factors that contribute to clarinet players going smoothly from A to B in the staff. Many people call this "crossing the break" when really, the goal is to have NO break. I use the term "crossing the break" when talking to other teachers, but never when talking to students because I ... Read More about Crossing the Break on Clarinet – Smoothly!
Recruiting Website – Free Resources to Recruit Band Students
Looking for some fresh ideas for recruiting for your band program? If you haven't checked out this site yet (see at bottom of the article), it's worth your time to poke around a bit. It has free resources that are all very 'cool' and modern looking including: Downloadable documents (editable for ... Read More about Recruiting Website – Free Resources to Recruit Band Students
Teaching Strategies to Evaluate Band Students
Every day that we teach, we want our students to become better musicians. One of the best ways to do that is to evaluate band students consistently and frequently. In larger classes of students with multiple instruments, it can be a great challenge to listen to individual students daily or on a ... Read More about Teaching Strategies to Evaluate Band Students
Connect 4 – Beginning Band Games – Finish Strong – Motivate until the last day of school
More beginning band games? Yes, please! If you don’t have a Connect 4 game, ask the kids to bring one. I bet one of them has one at home. An alternate option is to play tic-tac-toe on the front board. Start this game right at the beginning of class to be sure you have time to finish. The winner ... Read More about Connect 4 – Beginning Band Games – Finish Strong – Motivate until the last day of school
