Sometimes we view the all-region/all-state music as being only for our top students, when, in fact, the process of working on this music can be critical to the development of ALL our students. In my experience, the systematic learning and assessment of this music throughout the fall semester is the single best tool we have for developing our individual musicians.
In our high school program, we have our students perform prescribed cuts from the all-region music live for a band director during class. These assessments happen approximately once per week, beginning around Labor Day and finishing before Thanksgiving, with the students working their way through nine cuts. These assessments prepare them for upcoming all-region auditions, as well as in-house band placement auditions. Students are graded through a rubric and are also given unlimited reassessment opportunities. All students in the program participate, but students are given a choice as to the level at which they learn the music. The fact that all students participate reinforces the idea that we are all in the same boat, working toward the same goals, whether you are in the top band or the fourth band.
Students can select the Gold, Silver, or Bronze tracks for this process. Students do a remarkably good job of selecting the correct track for their current skill set. Giving them this choice helps them feel invested and in control of their own destiny. On the Gold track, the students learn all the audition music, with the idea that this track will prepare them to audition for all-region, if they so choose. Our TMEA region selects “freshmen cuts” of the all-state music each year, which are then used for 9th graders to audition for a freshmen region band. These cuts comprise approximately half of the total all-state music. We use these freshmen cuts as our Silver track. We offer this track to any students, not just freshmen, but upperclassmen understand that if they select this track, they will not be eligible to audition for all-region. Finally, we offer a Bronze track for students for whom the all-region music is not yet developmentally appropriate. In selecting this music, we tailor it to the needs and abilities of each individual student. It can be anything from middle school region etudes to lines from a beginner method book.
A couple of years ago, we felt our top students, who were aiming to advance to the area auditions and possibly make all-state, were not having their needs met. We were not hearing enough of the music later in the process of preparing for auditions and were not giving them timely feedback as they were perfecting the etudes. For this reason, we added a Platinum track this past year, in which students learn the music at an accelerated rate and play larger chunks of the music and surprise cuts closer to the actual region auditions.
For students who select the silver or bronze tracks, we build in additional scaffolding to assist them in learning the music. There is more time for this because there is less music to perform. Depending on the needs of the program and the student, we might alternate between having them count a cut one week and then play it the next. Or we might use other scaffolding strategies, such as having them say note names, play every note as a quarter note, or perform the music at half tempo first.
Ideally, on assessment days (which happen twice a week for us,) one director is leading the class while other directors are hearing students play their region music individually. However, sometimes staffing does not make this possible. In this case, students can engage in individual practice time or student-led performances of the region music for each other, while all available directors are listening to individual assessments. Obviously, the success of this unsupervised class time depends on the maturity of the students. These assessments can also be done as recordings. This is certainly better than nothing, but live playing times are always best if you can make it happen!
This systematic process of learning the region music can work in any program! Tailor it to fit the needs of your students. Start where they are and grow from there. Make the individual playing times a positive experience, as well as a time to build relationships, with a lot of encouragement at the start! Be patient, as it can take several years of consistently implementing these playing times to see the results in your program. This process can end up being a very positive part of your program’s culture, as students enjoy the challenge, the opportunity to show off their hard work, and the ability to clearly see their own musical progress over time.
Reprinted from Southwestern Musician with permission by Texas Music Educators Association.
Bryn Roberts is in her 14th year as a band director. She is currently an assistant director in Frisco ISD at Reedy High School, which she helped open in 2015. Before coming to Reedy, Mrs. Roberts taught in Brenham ISD and at Westlake High School in Austin. She holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music Education from Texas Tech University.
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