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
Search Results for: teaching strategies
Promoting Musical Independence in Ensemble Teaching (TMEA Preview)
Promoting Musical Independence in Ensemble Teaching Secondary school music is dominated by the structure of the performing ensemble. This model has many positive attributes including the ability to engage a lot of students at once, to offer a very valued sociocultural environment, and to offer ... Read More about Promoting Musical Independence in Ensemble Teaching (TMEA Preview)
Beyond Measure: “UnGrading” Your Classroom
“OK class, today is practice chart turn-in day.” Audible groans and murmurs came from the band. As I began collecting the monthly practice charts I noticed Spencer writing “20 minutes” in every box on the chart. I moved in on his position like a stealthy cougar, ready to pounce. With a triumphant ... Read More about Beyond Measure: “UnGrading” Your Classroom
Beyond “Gamification”
Video games are a waste of time for men with nothing else to do. Real brains don’t do that. ~ Ray Bradbury Video games have been blamed for many things in our modern society, but I offer a radically different view: I think that video games are far from the problem… in fact, they may well ... Read More about Beyond “Gamification”
Organizing for Success as a Novice Band Director
What can I do right now to make 'future-me' a happier, more effective band director? Transitioning from being a college student to a public school teacher is a challenge, and in this article, we hope to shed light on organizational topics/challenges to help young band directors find their way in the ... Read More about Organizing for Success as a Novice Band Director
The Ringmaster: Programming, Rehearsing, and Conducting the Beginning Band
In the realm of beginning band, there are many different forms the first school year of instruction can take. How can we make that vital foundation best suit our students, given the high level of variation in our programs? Clearly, the most important tool in your collection is your knowledge and how ... Read More about The Ringmaster: Programming, Rehearsing, and Conducting the Beginning Band
Why Doesn’t My Band Sound Good?
For my first several years of teaching band, I wanted my bands to sound great. And I really wanted that Superior rating! But while I could teach my students to play correct notes, rhythms, articulations, and other things that were written on the page, my bands still did not sound great. I did not ... Read More about Why Doesn’t My Band Sound Good?
