My experience as a high school band director and clinician has shown me that teachers often avoid topics such as jazz style, improvisation, song selection, and even jazz ensemble setup for fear of being perceived as unfamiliar with common practices. I often get asked about a good way to ... Read More about Developing a Jazz Program: Strategies and Solutions
Articles
It’s a Tuba Thing
Dr. Roeder's full handout is now available for free here... Its a Tuba Thing Effectively teaching tuba players and general tuba pedagogy at times can be a very daunting idea for many band directors. Playing tuba is often extremely different than the other instruments in the brass family. ... Read More about It’s a Tuba Thing
Teaching Rhythm Logically
Rhythm as a Fundamental We are all aware of the importance of the almighty Concert F. We understand the gravity of setting up our beginners tonally from day one, and the presence of long tones and articulation exercises have become standards in our band halls. But of equal value at the core of ... Read More about Teaching Rhythm Logically
Motivate Your Band – The Band Puzzle
Share this story of the "Band Puzzle" with your students to help them understand how their individual piece fits into the big picture... Have you ever put together a 1,000 piece puzzle with a group of people? My family loves puzzles. When we first start we dump out all the pieces and flip them ... Read More about Motivate Your Band – The Band Puzzle
A Systematic Approach to Improving Trumpet Tone Quality
Improving Trumpet Tone Quality: In order to produce a beautiful trumpet sound, the performer must have a thorough understanding of the fundamental habits essential to brass playing. The next step is how to translate these fundamentals from theory to practical application in the classroom. A ... Read More about A Systematic Approach to Improving Trumpet Tone Quality
Start Your Beginner Flutes the Right Way
The flute can be an awkward instrument to hold and many students struggle to balance it properly. As band directors, you can teach your students three points of contact that make balance easy! Those three points of contact are the chin, the bottom knuckle of the left-hand first finger, and the ... Read More about Start Your Beginner Flutes the Right Way
