After students have a good understanding of posture and bow hold, I address the concept of tone through what I call the “LAWS of Tone and Dynamics,” with LAWS standing for Lane, Amount, Weight, and Speed. These four terms help students understand how to create a characteristic tone and a variety of dynamic levels.

Lane

The location of the bow on the string plays an important role in the quality of tone that one can produce and the volume that will be produced. Different methodologies divide this into various amounts of areas, with the basic three being Sul Tasto, Sound Point, and Ponticello. The opening of Sound Innovations: Sound Development explores lanes in relationship to dynamic levels, with an explanation of where to play prior to each of the first six exercises in the book.

Generally speaking, students should play near the sound point, staying parallel to the bridge; however, allowing your students to experiment with different tone qualities is a great way to open their ears to what is possible. Using a simple tune such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” have them try playing in different lanes. You could even have them change up the name of the song depending on the tone quality—“Mary Had a Little Dinosaur” (for ponticello) or “Mary Had a Little Fish” (for sul tasto).

Amount

When explaining to beginners the role “amount” plays in tone quality, I simply say that “more bow = more sound.” We then explore the mechanics of how to use our shoulders, elbows, and even wrists to extend our bows from frog to tip and tip to frog. As they advance, they learn that tone development is a balance between location, amount, weight, and speed—so more bow doesn’t always equate to more sound.

To explore “amount,” check out the first few exercises in Habits of a Successful String Musician (or Habits of a Successful Middle Level String Musician).

Weight

I like to use the term bow weight rather than bow pressure because pressure infers tension, whereas weight has to do with gravity. Discuss with the students where this weight comes from (gravity and their scapulas, not squeezing their fingers).

Sound Innovations: Sound Development has a helpful unit that teaches students to experiment with different bow weights.

Speed

The speed of your bow does not always equate to the speed of the music or the rhythm. How fast you move your bow plays an important factor in the type of tone you produce when applied with different weights and different amounts. For example, if you use fast speed and large amounts with light weight, the sound might be wispy tone-wise, but it might also be loud dynamic-wise just because of the speed.

An entertaining example of this is having the students make a “light-saber” sound effect by drawing the bow, slow to start and fast to finish, on an open string (sorry in advance that you will now hear this sound at the start of every class period!).

Tilt

Once students understand how to use the LAWS, I add one extra letter… “T” for Tilt, and tell them they’d be “LAWST” (aka lost) without bow tilt. Tilting your bow with the hairs toward the bridge alleviates some of the friction created between the bow hairs and the string, and often results in a more resonant tone. For violin and viola, this means tilting your stick away from you and raising your bow arm slightly in response. For cello, this means tilting your stick towards you, which relieves some tension in your bow wrist and arm as well. For bass, there will be less tilt because of the necessity for some friction when creating a big bass tone, but you will at times tilt the stick slightly toward you.

Putting It All Together

I remember teaching Midnight Howl to my students one year, rehearsing the open 8 measures over and over. I was very focused on matching their bow lanes, amount, weight, and speed, so we could find a unified tone and match our articulation as well. Students started asking why we were going over this same spot day after day when they “knew it” already. They knew the notes and rhythms of course, but understanding all of the capabilities of their bow was another story, so we continued to work on it until they played and sounded as one. Setting them up with a strong foundation in these LAWS helped promote a very successful school year for that ensemble and I know it can for yours as well!

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I firmly believe that focusing on the fundamental skills (specifically tone production, articulation, rhythm, technique, and style as appropriate) lead to both individual development and ensemble development since each of these skills build on the one before it.

Once students are able to produce a great sound, the next most important aspect of their playing is articulation. I believe that articulation should be worked on every day. One of the best parts of working on articulation is that kids can hear the improvement. It’s an immediate change. They want instant gratification—everything to happen right away—and articulation is one of those things that you can hook them on and give them the feeling of “Oh, this is cool. I do sound better.” Even in the first year of playing, I encourage everyone to work on the development of fundamental articulation, and to do an articulation exercise. It can be very short at the start and develop over time as the students continue to progress.

Check out these recommended articulation exercises from Alfred Music’s Sound Innovations: Ensemble Development for Intermediate Concert Band series.

Open the Playlist

Just like when you speak, articulation is important for clarity of what is being said or played. Ensuring that all students articulate correctly requires individual attention. Since you cannot see what they are doing inside their mouth, you must be persistent when you teach. Never be afraid to teach and reteach again!

Sample Articulation Exercise, courtesy of Robert Herrings: click here to download

As the teacher, having an understanding of where the tongue should touch inside of the mouth or on the reed is part of what we need to define for our students. Even within brass playing, where the tongue touches will vary from instrument to instrument. I am a firm believer in only giving the students the information they need. We don’t want to complicate things for them. Be short, clear, and concise. If we start trying to dissect it and get really “scientific” about what’s happening inside the mouth, then things will start to get distorted.

Articulation also changes with each student depending on their teeth structure. These days they will come to school with all sorts of orthodontic contraptions in their mouths! We are sometimes stuck trying to figure out different ways to get students to articulate clearly so they don’t distort their tone in spite of those devices.

One tool which is really helpful when teaching articulation is to have students start notes without their tongue: an air attack. An air attack is when you have the student make a fundamental sound with no distortion to the tone. Once that tone has been achieved, add the tongue back in at the start of the note. The goal is to have no change in the air speed or the embouchure from the successful air attack. Adding the tongue back in should only offer more clarity to the start of their sound. A phrase I often use and learned from a really smart band director is, “airspeed drives articulation.” We all know that if we want students to play with a great sound, they need to use great air. If the air is fast behind the tongue and the kids are able to execute very clear articulation, the tone qualities take care of themselves. A lot of times, some of the intonation takes care of itself, too!

As the students develop in their playing, define note starts and releases. So many bands do not start or end together! This is a skill that has to be taught and reinforced through repetition. Listen critically and address concerns as they arise. A beautiful note-start hinges on the intake of the breath and the tongue moving down quickly and together at the start of the note. The phrase “A band that breathes together, plays together,” stands true. With note releases, I stress that students should stop the note by breathing in, holding the vowel sound on the note-end and staying relaxed. The follow through of the note-end is often overlooked. No matter the duration, notes should all start and end together. With younger players, this is a skill that has to be monitored and reinforced consistently. To fully develop the students’ awareness and skill, vary articulation patterns to challenge their growth. 

Ensemble articulation consists of the combination of each individual performer’s articulation (consistency) and the overall transparency of the ensemble. This can be developed by modeling, the use of consistent language, working an articulation exercise, varying articulation patterns, the use of subdivision exercises, and vocalizations

Keeping these keys to successful articulation in mind—quality, strength, speed of tongue, and support of air—will make an immediate impact in the sound of your ensemble.

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An essential part of learning and playing a string instrument is understanding the geography and theory behind the fingerboard. When approaching this with students, I ask myself the following three questions:

Question # 1: Do the students know how to read notes on each string?

This is always a big hurdle for many incoming middle schoolers. Some students know all four strings, while others may only know the D and A string. Using a traditional beginning method book might be a great way to go back and teach these basic concepts, but some kids may feel that using their “elementary” book seems juvenile, so I try to present the material in a new way. For example, my composition Sky Suite has four distinct movements designed to introduce one string at a time (A, D, and then G). The goal is to allow the students to feel solid at reading and performing notes on each individual string, but doing so in the context of a piece of sheet music.

Another spin is to assign an exercise from a method book through SmartMusic. The benefits to this approach are a) you don’t have to pass out the whole book for just one concept, b) the students will likely not realize it is the same book they used in elementary school, and c) there are so many method books to access–you don’t have to stick with just one. For example, I might assign some G string review in Essential Elements Book 1 (#97 “Walking around” and #100 “The Low Down.”). Then I’ll have the students skip over to Sound Innovations Book 1 to play a G major scale, saying the notes out loud while we play.

Question #2: Do the students understand the chromatic scale, all of the notes available to them, and the concept of an enharmonic?

It is so important to get students to understand there are notes beyond the D major scale. To assist with this, I teach the chromatic scale early on in the year. I equate enharmonics to “nicknames” and have students practice saying and playing the notes. I use a method of “Say Play Play,” where they say the note aloud and then play it twice to give them time to really let the note name and finger position sink in.

Examples of Chromatic Scale Resources

• Sound Innovations: Sound Development, #229 Chromatic Scale (on D)
• Essential Techniques 2000 Book 3, #185 shifting chromatic fingering (1 octave)
• Habits of a Successful Musician, #185 two octave chromatic scale (starting on C)

Question #3: Do the students understand the different finger patterns they can play on each string and how the key signature affects their finger patterns?

Understanding finger patterns is an essential aspect of playing a string instrument. Chris Selby does a great job of providing exercises for understanding these patterns in Habits of a Successful Middle Level String Musician. For example,  #16 “First Two Finger Patterns” concisely shows the difference between playing F# and playing F natural, and then takes the exercise a step further by mixing up each pattern.  

To help students associate finger patterns with specific key signatures, you can go to Essential Technique Book 3, which has a collection of exercises based on each key and each string. (example #125 “Finger Patterns in A Major”).

For more advanced students, you might assign a solo that contains a variety of finger patterns. Check out, Sound Innovations Soloist,  a new series from Alfred Music which includes solos for all instruments along with preparatory exercises for each piece. Lauren Bernofksy’s Serenata (available for violin, viola, cello, and bass) is a great example of a piece that focuses on different finger patterns

You could also quiz the students by coming up with a SmartMusic playlist of examples in different keys and ask them what finger pattern or hand shape they will need to use for that exercise. Here’s a playlist I’ve curated that you could use as sight reading practice or just a written quiz.

Open the Playlist

Once the students have obtained the background knowledge of note reading, the chromatic scale and finger patterns, I find that they can tackle any future key signature or scale that may come their way, making them much more successful in sight reading and performance for the rest of the year. Of course, along the way we also must consider posture and all of the other aspects of playing, but with this solidified understanding of fingerboard geography, students will have a great foundation and framework for future study.

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Element #1: Breathing

Correct breathing must be taught and practiced. Band is probably the only class where students have to be intentional about breathing. We need to guide our students to breathe deeply and correctly continually so that it becomes second nature to them. Why do breathing? Here are 4 reasons:

1. Helps maximize lung capacity, thereby increasing airflow.
2. More air means more vibration, thereby, more sound (sound = air + vibration).
3. Helps remove tension, which is tone’s worst enemy.
4. Creates a focused and quiet environment in which to make music. (classroom management by-product!).

Encourage students to think about breathing down to the bottom of their stomach and/or their chair. Try having them inhale whispering the word “how” and exhale whispering the word “too,” or try the exercise below:

Element #2: Tone

Tone is the medium by which we communicate; GREAT tone is how we communicate effectively. Tone drives, otherwise known as long tones, are the best way to have students focus on and develop optimum characteristic tone quality. Using a SING – BUZZ – PLAY approach, have the students default to a 2-count inhale from Element #1, but have them sustain for 12 counts at mm=96. Gradually, slow down the tempo for longer sustains. You can vary the number of counts on the exhale, as well.

SING—Have students sing on a unified vowel such as “dAH,” “dOH,” or “dOO.” You might try humming first: Mmm… MAW… dAH.

BUZZ—While brass players buzz a note, have woodwinds play it. When the brass players are buzzing rather than playing, it allows woodwinds to hear themselves a little more easily, and for the brass players, it helps focus their embouchures and increase vibration, which clears up the tone quality.

PLAY—The approach to tone drives should be prioritized as follows: BBI = Balance, Blend, Intonation

• Priority 1: Balance = Volume (translates to air speed)
• Priority 2: Blend = Characteristic Tone Quality—“Describe your tone quality at all times!”
• Priority 3: Intonation = Most effective after priority 1 and 2 are achieved

Element #3: InTONEation

Students must be taught how to listen. What does “in tune” sound like? Eliminating the waves between 2 players (one could be a tone generator like the Harmony Director) is a good starting point. The singing from Element #2 helps develop internal audiation (hear it before you play it) and pitch discernment (ability to hear intonation discrepancies). Encourage them to listen to the lowest octave of their note within the ensemble.

You must be consistent and persistent, especially at the beginning. The students have to hear what “right” sounds like to be able to recreate it, and in fact, want to recreate it!

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The first step to managing and teaching intonation to young musicians is in the development of the students’ fundamental pitch and tonal center. Spending regular time focusing on these skills over a long period of time (not just at the beginning of the year) will build the long-term skills that students need to have in order to have a secure fundamental pitch on their instrument. Examples of a fundamental pitch for some instruments are as follows:

• Oboe: Reed Crow should sound a C
• B-flat Clarinet: F# on mouthpiece and barrel
• Bass Clarinet: F# on mouthpiece alone
• Alto Sax: G# on mouthpiece and neck
• Tenor Sax: E on mouthpiece and neck
• Baritone Sax: D on mouthpiece and neck

Once students can produce fundamental pitches consistently on smaller parts of their instruments, they are better able to manage the more intricate details of intonation. I often tell my students “you must be in tune with yourself before you can be in tune with the band.” This statement is a reminder that when a student plays the interval of a Perfect Fifth, did they truly play a P5? The ability of a student to recognize and adjust comes from regular and consistent repetitions on understanding their instrument’s intonation tendencies. One of the ways in which students can discover these tendencies is through an Intonation Inventory.

The Intonation Inventory is an activity that can be assigned multiple times throughout the year for students to track their personal intonation tendencies and adjustments. After a full warmup and doing a fundamental tuning of the instrument, students first make predictions to several questions.

1. Which notes are the “bad notes” on your instrument?
2. Which notes always give you intonation problems?
3. Are those notes usually flat or sharp?
4. Which notes seem to be nearly always in tune?

Using the tuner on SmartMusic or a personal tuner, students will team up with a friend to fill out the intonation table with how many cents flat, sharp, or in tune they are for each note throughout their current entire range (it does not make sense to have students attempt to gauge the intonation for notes that they do not currently play with control). In the far-left column, they will star notes that are extremely out of tune. Students can also access SmartMusic’s LoFi Long Tones exercises by first practicing with the  accompaniment, then practicing without it while having the SmartMusic tuner on (in separate tab/window) so they can continuously check their intonation tendencies.

After completing the chromatic intonation evaluation with their partner, the student can respond to the following questions.

1. What number of predictions did you get accurate?
2. Did you notice any patterns that proved your predictions?
3. What were they?
4. What did you notice that surprised you?
5. What will you do with this information?

Of course, the Intonation Inventory is just one of many techniques to teach and reinforce intonation tendencies with individual players in the ensemble. Students should also be reminded of the role of breath support, posture, reed selection, dynamics, pad/key adjustments, room temperature, and playing position when completing their Intonation Inventory.

The quest for well developed intonation in our ensemble is never over and using as many tools to help our students to firmly grasp this often-nebulous concept is crucial to the success of every ensemble. Using the SmartMusic tuner and an Intonation Inventory might be a tool and activity to add to your toolbelt this school year:

Download the free PDF activity

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While songs are the goal of our students, rhythm is the foundation of musical fluency and a fundamental worthy of isolation. In fact, rhythm is the most accessible fundamental we can address with all of our students. Actual pieces of music happen because students know when to play the notes they are so excited to learn, and any time we spend on rhythm benefits their understanding and every performance forward.

Beginners

With my own beginners, I cannot imagine a better way to start their musical career than with rhythm. We start our school year with almost two weeks of rhythm (and basic note reading) taught in total isolation without an instrument. Our students come to us with varied musical knowledge, if any. Teaching rhythm requires no previous knowledge and the least amount of coordination initially. Rhythm also most closely aligns with concepts they may have approached in elementary music through clapping games, dancing, Orff instruments, Takadimi, or the like. 

Because our students learn rhythm in isolation, we can teach all of our beginners together, regardless of what instrument they play. While our beginners are typically in homogeneous classes, the start of the year brings everyone within the same period together, learning and counting at the same time. Our students come from a number of feeder elementaries, and this becomes our window for creating a unified language for our band program. Everyone receives the same information at the same time, building a common foundation for everything that follows. 

When rhythm is taught in isolation from the start, we ease kids into the expectations of our program in a safe environment. Their very first lessons are without the awkwardness of hand position and balancing while figuring out their embouchure simultaneously (or bow hold, etc. if referring to strings). Instead, they can focus on posture while chanting numbers they have known since they were two. They build confidence in verbalizing and articulating what our code of music means and how to write those rhythms in a way that matches the visual code. Rhythm in isolation is especially useful for our ESL students as we are only using a limited number of words in repetition, and because rhythm is based on “pictures” it is one of the easiest concepts for them to grasp in a new language. 

I love that rhythm in isolation at the very beginning gives an instant structure to the start of the year. While their core classes are still ramping up, beginner classes can (and do for many of us if you use Teaching Rhythm Logically and Count Me In) start with organized, rapidly progressing rhythm lessons on the second day of school. The students see that they are learning new stuff from the start and have skills they can perform immediately. By the time they finally touch their instrument for the first time, they understand so much about music—time, note length, duration, starts and stops, timing—that their first sounds can be and are expected to be just as organized. Rhythm becomes the first layer of many skills and the foundation for all other musical concepts to follow.

Example from Count Me In by Darcy Vogt Williams and Brian Balmages

Performing Bands

With our older students, rhythm isn’t the first fundamental we focus on, but it is a close second. Long tones are our first priority with our performing bands, but just as we listen for open, relaxed tones we highlight clean note starts and releases. Starts and stops are an issue directly related to rhythmic awareness and accuracy, and while we approach cleaning the bookends of each note from a variety of directions, this is an easy transition back to our original fundamental: rhythm. When does a whole note end? How can we mentally subdivide the note just before the release as well as our breath beforehand? 

Returning to rhythm charts is the next logical step. To begin with, it feels familiar. For our second year players suddenly in a full band environment, working rhythm charts at the start of the year closes the gap between beginner band and the performing ensemble. Our students learn confidence within this new ensemble through verbalizing, singing, and playing rhythm charts in unison where mistakes are less noticeable and the material is not new. However, because our students now come with a greater understanding, playing the rhythm charts can be a tool for addressing clean releases, balance, intonation, chords, as well as practicing style and rehearsal techniques. 

Students moving into our program are given an opportunity in a safe group setting to learn and utilize our common vocabulary, which is key to assimilating into our band culture. As we work through a few lines of rhythm charts every day, we can find holes in their musical understanding before the music makes it obvious to all. It is almost never the actual note that confuses the student. It is almost always when the note happens. 

Continuing on a path of consistency at all levels, rhythm is our first step in breaking new music into attainable layers even with older players. When in sectionals or a full band setting, counting new pieces or segments of new music reinforces that the rhythm is what structures pitch into song. The more we continue verbalizing and occasionally writing in the count for rhythms, the more these concepts commit to memory, allowing our students to become more self-sufficient as musicians going forward. 

Rhythm is the central concept that ties all other layers of music together to create a unified work, and understanding rhythm is what creates a self-sufficient musician, unreliant on others to figure out “how it goes.” Counting is not a beginner concept; it is a fundamental concept for all musicians. 

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Look at the Big Picture

It may seem silly but we do need to remind ourselves to breathe and relax from time to time. Why do we play and listen to music to begin with? I’ve heard music described as “tangible emotions.” Music has been around since the beginning of human existence and has been an integral part of our lives. When was the last time you experienced a show, a movie, a restaurant, or even a car ride without it? Even when you’re studying or relaxing, chances are you are listening to some kind of music because it connects with us on a deeper level and creates an emotional connection.

Create That Emotional Connection

Think about the reasons you want to dance when you hear a certain beat, why some songs make you cry, and why you have a personal playlist that you gravitate toward. When I was in grade school, my violin teacher gave me listening assignments every week. I had to choose a standard musical work and then write a story of what the music represented to me. The story did not have to be historically accurate or what the composer intended (although it certainly helped), but something of my own creation. These assignments shaped my view of music, gave me a creative outlet and a sense of ownership, and developed a strong personal bond to the work. I became passionate about the music I listened to and was more motivated to “master” the techniques to tell the stories I wanted to tell through my own performances. The training became tools to get what I wanted as opposed to a chore I felt obligated to complete.

Remember to Have Fun!

Find your passion and figure out what brings you joy. Chances are if you teach or are in music classes, you already have a passion or at least a great love for music. Your enthusiasm and emotions on stage translate to your performance and the audience will see it and experience it. If you are enjoying the music, your audience will have no choice but to enjoy it as well. Keep in mind performing on stage is also visual. Feel free to move and express the excitement through your body and on your face. I posted a video of an orchestra performing one of my compositions at a major convention. There were plenty of advanced ensembles with better skill and technique, but this group had so much heart and fun during their performance, they received by far the most views, likes, and comments than any video I posted in the past. Thinking back on some of the most memorable performances in history, we are impressed by technically flawless execution, but it’s musicality and artistry that really draws us in and makes it unforgettable.

I very much look forward to hearing more brilliant performances and profound musical stories from all of you in the coming years.

Putting the Connection into Practice!

While any number of pieces can help forge or rekindle this emotional connection to music, I would like to suggest the following specific pieces that may help specifically jumpstart the process toward the beginning of the year.

Grade 1:

• Gaelic Castle—Work on that big sound! Fun and energetic with lots of double stops.
• Hiawatha—A powerful and exciting way to start the year while sneaking in some review of L2 and limited L1 fingerings in first violins.

Grade 2:

• Viking—Bold sounds and powerful images make a strong statement and set the tone for a good year.
• Country Hoedown—A reflection on our own history and culture with some stomping and clapping to make things educational, informative, and fun.

Grade 3 and up:

• American Landscape—A lovely trip across the country in a train ride to bridge the summer into the fall school year.
• The Odyssey—A shorter and self-contained programmatic piece which includes all of the favorite images from the story. A great way to connect music and literature and spark the imagination while getting students really excited about the year.
• Fire Dance—With mixed meters and dancelike rhythms, this piece is often played as an opener or closer, so it makes sense to start off a school year with it as well!

Open the Playlist

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I consider these four elements when planning the fundamentals period that begins a band rehearsal:

• Breathing and the activation of the breathing apparatus
• Listening skills and audiation—the act of “thinking in music or thinking about music in a way that the brain is able to give meaning to the sounds”
• Articulation—how we begin AND exit sound
• Association of fundamentals with the repertoire being learned

Breathing

In a rehearsal setting, this means a coordinated effort for the entire ensemble. This can mean exercises from the Breathing Gym (by Sam Pilafian & Patrick Sheridan), but from a global perspective, it means exercises that increase student awareness of how air is entering and leaving the body, and supporting the creation of their best possible sound when instruments are added. This can also mean an increase of student awareness in these “breathing adjacent” areas—body posture, instrument position, and embouchure formation. These exercises also include percussionists, as their ability to breathe with the rest of the ensemble is supportive to their ability to play in time with the ensemble.

Listening Skills and Audiation

In its most basic form, how does the ensemble sound when we create sound? Is each individual producing a characteristic sound, and then how about each instrument group? Is the overall quality of sound from the combination of instrument groups well-balanced/well-blended/symmetrical throughout the ensemble? And if not, what adjustments are necessary to improve the overall sound quality? The establishment of the characteristic ensemble sound can be rehearsed and achieved through the use of exercises such as:

• Concert F around the room (within individual sections, between sections, and then in unison)
• Concert F Descending Intervals

Wonderful resources include Foundations for Superior Performance, Essential Musicianship, Sound Innovations Ensemble Development, Tuned In, Superior Bands in Sixteen Weeks, and many others. The following playlist includes a broad sampling of exercises for both winds and percussion (as previously stated, we want them busy as well!). Using the metronome and tuner feature of SmartMusic both in class and at home will make a profound difference in listening skills and audiation. In particular, it is useful for students to record themselves in SmartMusic and then listen back to observe the intonation tendency and make any adjustments as needed.

Open the Playlist

Articulation

How we begin AND exit sound is a key component to the successful achievement of precision (rhythmic and stylistic) in musical performance. This can be accessed and achieved in many ways:

• Via Concert F around the room—once students have established the desired ensemble sound, additional concepts may be accessed
  • Are we all starting the note with the same articulation syllable and strength?
  • Are we “touching the rest with the sound” to exit the back side of the note?
• Via F Remington or a written rhythm and tonguing exercise—sing the exercises on an agreed upon articulation syllable (e.g. tah/too/tee, dah/doo/dee, lah/loo/lee) in a written rhythmic sequence that includes sound vs. silence. Moving forward to playing with instruments, this will allow students to practice articulating in unison to establish unified note starts / note endings and be able to learn to self-diagnose how to improve their individual articulation.

For these exercises, I would suggest the use of a metronome as a pulse source to help develop ensemble precision. 

Association of Fundamentals with the Repertoire Being Learned

Purposefully linking daily fundamentals and repertoire is essential to the continued development and reinforcement of these skills. Linking these two important elements can be approached in the following ways:

• Determine selected “areas of improvement” from the repertoire for that particular rehearsal.
• Create a series of rhythm and/or articulation exercises that extract the elements that are in need of support/refinement and rewrite for the ensemble (Exercises for Concert pitch, B-flat, E-flat, and F transposing instruments would be needed).
• Have all students play these excerpts on a single note (Concert F, for example) and assist students in refining the articulation or rhythm. Once achieved, have students play actual parts from the repertoire, having those students who may not have the part play from the ensemble exercises, remaining on the single pitch.

This quick exercise can then be incorporated directly into the repertoire that the ensemble will be rehearsing next in the rehearsal sequence. It should be noted that repertoire sometimes comes with these types of exercises already written out for students, making it easy to use as a part of the fundamentals session each day. A perfect example of that is the new PerformancePlus+ series from Alfred Music (which is available for concert band, choir, and orchestra). Every piece in this series includes educational resources designed to enrich the rehearsal process by including piece-specific exercises to focus on necessary skills and fundamentals.

The consistent use of this fundamental sequence supports students in building the necessary skill set (correct breathing techniques, active listening, and the ability to self-diagnose their individual performance) to perform successfully within an ensemble. These important skills will also support them as they continue to participate in ensembles beyond their time in our music classrooms, which is the ultimate goal—life-long music learners!

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Clearly, there are a lot of things to celebrate, and it is important that we give ourselves some room (and grace) to appreciate the opportunities that lie ahead. All of this said, I am also hearing from many conductors who are feeling overwhelmed by how much ground they have to make up. Worrying about how much rebuilding they are facing. Concern over recharging their programs and reinvigorating their students and ensembles. In general, a lot of folks are asking the simple question—“Where do I even start?”

It is a great question. And to help plan a way forward, we are thrilled to introduce a new blog series: “Power Up! Recharge, Rebuild, and Reinvigorate.” We have reached out to some amazing educators in the field to share thoughts on everything from rehearsal planning to tone, articulation, rhythm, music literacy, and much more. In addition to their written blog posts, many have also provided SmartMusic playlists that you can share with your students or use in rehearsal. I have already heard from schools using SmartMusic to help prepare for performances at state conferences. Others are using it as a means of providing instrumental feedback 5 days a week even though they may only meet in school twice a week. And most importantly, I am hearing about how SmartMusic is impacting rehearsals themselves, because when students use SmartMusic outside of rehearsal, ensembles are then able to make music in rehearsal instead of chasing down notes and rhythms.

Before We Begin

As mentioned earlier, this “Power Up!” series will provide a lot of practical information when it comes to the beginning of the school year, setting expectations, and establishing daily routines. With so much on our agenda this coming year, it can be easy to jump in before we address what I believe is one of the most overlooked experiences of being in an ensemble, especially toward the beginning of the year: sharing our expressive voices with each other.

I love how band directors have a plan to tackle ensemble sound on day one. How orchestra teachers want to address intonation and balance right away. How chorus teachers want to work on diction, resonance, and more. These are all critical to a successful performance, and of course are an important part of any musician’s growth.

However… Do these fundamentals fully reinvigorate a program? 

Think about where we are as a nation concerning mental health. Think about the conflict happening outside our school buildings (and even in our school buildings). Think about inequity, privilege, access, the definition of family to various students, whether they feel safe, and what motivates them to come to school.

For more students than we realize, the reason they want to come to school is to make music in your rehearsal. They want to come because of how they feel in rehearsal. And, perhaps more now than ever, it is important that we acknowledge the power of music—in fact, the superpower of music—to bring joy to our students, unity to our communities, and to provide a voice to those who feel they have never had the opportunity to be heard. Fundamentals alone are not going to unlock these powerful and regenerative emotions. We need to provide an opportunity for these kids to experience music as quickly as possible. Maybe you typically have a grade 4 ensemble and you choose to read two grade 2 pieces that can make a big emotional impact on your students. Maybe you focus on expression on day one, and then tackle fundamentals the following week. For many of us, it is a balancing act to figure out the relationship between the two. But we cannot forget how badly some of these students just need a moment to hold their instrument (or use their voice), and just play their hearts out. Maybe this is the year that the very first expectation you set is simply to make the most beautiful music possible. Some students may not yet sound the best, but maybe that initial “performance” will help them feel their best and prepare them to invest in the fundamentals work to come.

I am so incredibly excited for the year ahead. I am grateful for the amazing clinicians that offered so many wonderful thoughts. I am inspired by all the music teachers throughout the world who are using their ensembles as a platform to bring beauty into a world that so desperately needs it. And I am thankful for you. For the rebuilding you will do, for the music you will make, for the kids you will impact—especially for the kids you will save. 

And now—maybe you have a lot of logistical questions. How do some of the most successful teachers in the country handle certain fundamentals? Let’s dive in, always keeping in mind that all our music is ultimately rooted in our emotions and our experiences.

Here’s to an incredible year of music making and powering up our ensembles!

Recharge, Rebuild, and Reinvigorate with more Power Up blogs

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