"Building the Band" Perhaps the most difficult aspect of building a successful band program is the actual "building" of the band. Many times young teachers find themselves in situations where either the band has a poor reputation or even worse....no reputation. The idea of having to create a ... Read More about Habits of a Successful Middle School Band Director
Articles
Music Mentors Can Make a Difference!
Music mentors can make a difference. Whether you are a brand new band director or have been at it for a few years, most of us know that we thrive most on the wisdom of others. Everyone wants to improve and continue to learn, but sometimes you just hit a roadblock. This is where a mentor can really ... Read More about Music Mentors Can Make a Difference!
Vive la Difference: The Uniqueness of the Horn
Hey, don't point that at me! If one thinks of the famous solos from the standard repertoire written for the horn (the opening solo to the first movement of Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1, the solo from the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, or the theme from the orchestral ... Read More about Vive la Difference: The Uniqueness of the Horn
Demystifying Double Reeds
The embouchure is an important fundamental concept to playing either the oboe or bassoon. There are many similarities between a proper oboe and bassoon embouchure, however there are a number of differences as well. Both oboe and bassoon feature a round embouchure that encircles the reed with ... Read More about Demystifying Double Reeds
Band Substitute Lesson Plan (for a non-music sub)
Do you need a band substitute lesson plan for a general substitute to use? All you need for this is the ability to show on-line videos and printouts of the worksheets provided below. Have the links ready to go. They can link to them all from this post, but be sure you can easily access this ... Read More about Band Substitute Lesson Plan (for a non-music sub)
Bassoon Eb (Quick Tip)
When teaching the bassoon, it quickly becomes obvious that the third space E flat is a lousy note! It is almost always out of tune, unstable and has a horrible tone quality. While there are acoustical reasons for this, we still must deal with this most troublesome pitch...in fact I refer to it as a ... Read More about Bassoon Eb (Quick Tip)
