Background

I have to give credit to my two sons for this idea; John, who is a high school band director in Waconia, MN, and Joel, who is the band director in Pierz, MN. Together they came up with the list of songs based upon their own personal likes and pieces that they thought would be interesting to the students. I edited the list slightly to include some of my favorite pieces and some I thought were more geared towards college students.

As we all know, band is a social activity as well as a “class,” and although we can’t have live rehearsals right now, we can still have live interactions with each other. When students submit their choices for the second round, I plan to host break-out sessions via Zoom where groups of students can interact with each other about choosing the set of pieces that will advance to the next round. It is my hope that as we progress to the “final four” that students have collectively chosen pieces to use as program material for the fall. I believe that students can have meaningful and interesting discussions about the pieces and be able to connect with each other during this strangest of times.

Instructions

Open the Google Doc to access the bracket. Click on a title to see and listen. For each competing pair of songs, choose your favorite to move to the next round. Write a paragraph about each of the Final Four titles and why you chose them, then explain why you chose the “winning” piece (What did you like about the songs? What makes them “good” pieces? What did you not like about the other songs?).

Variations and Extensions

• Before beginning the project, have students develop their own rubric or criteria that they will use to evaluate each piece.
• Assign the bracket as a group project. The group will debate and negotiate together to decide which piece moves forward.
• Pair up students who had different “winners” to discuss what led them to choose the winning piece.
• Find multiple versions of the “winning” song and analyze the differences in the performances.
• Extend the activity by having students learn more about the composer or arranger of the winning piece. Students can create a mock Facebook or LinkedIn profile that reflects what they learned about the composer.
• Use this exercise as a way for you to gauge the interests of your students. Did you notice any patterns in the pieces they chose? Did their choices surprise you?

The post Music Listening Activity: The Bracket Challenge appeared first on SmartMusic.

The next time this happens to you, I have a technique for you to try; the “mix it up” method.

The Mix It Up Method

Simply break the ensemble into small groups and have each play through the section individually. Sounds obvious, right? Well, to interject variety and engage students, it’s the way I divide the ensemble that makes it fun.

I might group them in any of the following ways:

• Students who have birthdays on even- or odd-numbered days of the month
• Students who have multiple or single siblings
• Students whose age is an even or odd number
• Students who are wearing jeans
• Students who are wearing athletic shoes
• Students who are wearing a particular-colored top (one of my favorites because most of the time the students will have to look down to see what color they are wearing as they have forgotten since they got dressed that morning)

You might also split them based on whether or not they like something silly and topical. You know your kids – you can decide what will best help to engage them.

Try SmartMusic for free, today.

What Happens

First of all, grouping students in this way has a randomizing effect. You will group students in an infinite number of new ways. This gives both you and your students the opportunity to hear every player in the ensemble with a new perspective.

Secondly, it keeps students wondering what will come next. This helps to retain their attention and focus. They also develop more interest in hearing the other groups perform. 

As a result, you not only work on improving the passage but you also engage students in listening to each other! 

I have done this countless times at honor bands and other special events. It never fails to bring new energy into the rehearsal. Use your imagination to pick just the right kind of groupings and you’ll see attitudes transform; suddenly working on the passage becomes fun again.  

Don’t be surprised if students ask you to do it again and again throughout the year.

The post Mix It Up: Take a Fresh Look at Those Same Measures appeared first on SmartMusic.

Have you ever wished that more of your teaching colleagues would attend your concerts? Wouldn’t it be nice if they could hear and see what your students are capable of?  How might you get more of your community involved in your program? Would you welcome having more than just the parents of your students in your concert audience?  

These are just some of the questions that I have asked myself over the course of 33 years of directing bands and choirs at multiple levels. While some answers remain elusive, I’m glad to share a few of the ideas I’ve come up with for increasing faculty and community involvement.

Fellow Educators

Getting your faculty colleagues to attend school concerts can be difficult.  They are all as busy as you are with planning, grading, and a multitude of other responsibilities. Nevertheless, there are ways to increase the likelihood of their participation.  

A quick search of jwpepper.com led me to several “novelty” tunes that offer ways to include faculty members in your concert performance. These include (but are not limited to) James Ployhar’s Concerto for Faculty and Band and Second Concerto for Faculty/Band.

You might discover that a piece like this could become the perfect way to have the head football coach “play” along with the band.  

Imagine the laughs you’ll get when it all goes wrong and you have to “politely” remind the coach about counting or rhythm. If you’re a band director, and have had to lead the pep band at football games, this could present you with the ideal opportunity for some good-natured “payback.” Of course the coach, his family, and other members of the faculty will not want to miss this.

Community Narrators

You might also search for pieces that include narrator parts; there are many very good examples available. Jim Curnow’s Heritage of Freedom is one such piece that calls for a strong narrator as the music progresses.  Imagine having a local radio personality, doctor, or your mayor perform the narrator role.  Even if none of these people have ever attended one of your concerts before, they may be willing to participate – simply because you asked. And of course, when they take the stage their friends, family, and colleagues will want to be in the audience.

Community Musicians

Similarly, there are likely many singers and instrumentalists in your community who have yet to attend one of your concerts. By inviting them to perform with the group, you may be opening a door to a potential music program supporter.  

Perhaps you know of a vocalist in your community who would love an opportunity to perform Somewhere over the Rainbow, but has never been approached or invited to do so.  You take a risk that the soloist may not bring the musicianship you would like, but you stand to broaden your audience and expand your connection with your community. Available pieces for guest soloists range from very easy to very difficult. It’s up to you to find the right arrangement – and level of difficulty – for this opportunity. Nevertheless, I believe the benefits you could enjoy have the potential to be far-reaching.

Taking it Further

I’d like to close by sharing an example of how it’s possible to take community involvement to the next level.

One year I decided that the theme of our fall concert would be “Dances from Around the World.” While playing in a local pit orchestra I learned that the director was not only an accomplished musician but had also competed as an Irish dancer in a statewide talent contest.  I approached her, asked if she would choreograph a dance to Leroy Anderson’s Irish Washerwoman, and she kindly agreed.

Her dance performance at our concert was literally show-stopping. The audience response was overwhelming.

Also on the program was the Offenbach’s Schuller Polka. I had heard that a young woman on our campus was currently serving as Miss Czech Slovak of Iowa. What’s more, she was reputed to be a terrific dancer. She also agreed to participate.

At the concert she performed an incredible dance in a traditional Czech dress. The polka, further enhanced by a strong lead clarinet, produced another memorable moment in a truly great concert.

Obstacles

As directors, we are sometimes our own worst enemies. We often take ourselves too seriously and forget that there are many resources available outside of our own rooms. Engaging a faculty member or community leader to participate builds relationships that can provide tremendous rewards. Because of opportunities like these, I have become wonderful friends with people outside of the band room who have gone on to sing the praises of our music program.

Even if it doesn’t become a regular (or annual) practice for your program, offering an occasional “special” guest performance can be an added draw and a highlight. Filling the seats at your concerts is rewarding for yourself, your students, your school, and the community.  Why not give it a try?

Glenn Pohland, D.M.A., is the director of instrumental music at Loras College and an assistant professor in the communication and fine arts division. He conducts the wind ensemble, jazz ensemble and chamber groups; serves as instructor of the low brass studio; and teaches courses in music education, orchestration, music history, instrumental techniques and conducting. 

Previously, Dr. Pohland was an assistant professor of instrumental music education at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He served for 24 years as the director of bands and general music teacher in the Glencoe-Silver Lake, Minnesota, school district. He is also an active adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor.

The post Increase Your Concert Attendance and Community Support appeared first on SmartMusic.

I teach at a small liberal arts college in the Midwest. Our music education students, like most others I would assume, are required to take one course each in brass, woodwind, string and percussion tech. We meet one day of the week for 50 minutes, so time is a major factor in developing the appropriate syllabi for each course. For the past 6 years I have insisted that the students who enroll in these courses have a student subscription to SmartMusic and it has become an invaluable tool in the teaching of these courses.

Throughout the semester students are required to learn and perform exercises on each of the instruments in the particular family of instruments being studied. While there is no expectation that the students develop into more than middle school level-performers neither is it allowed that the students fail to produce characteristic tone qualities and gain some proficiencies. Having the students use SmartMusic allows me to listen to their progress on the individual instruments and give constructive feedback without having to use the limited class time that we have. Students often submit their recordings to me at very unusual times, like 1:30 a.m.! I am then free to listen to their submissions outside of class time. Using SmartMusic allows the students the flexibility they need in order to submit their assignments.

Another feature of SmartMusic that I have found extremely beneficial in teaching these classes is the number of method books that are available on the program. One of the assignments that students must complete is a method book assessment. Having the many methods available in one location not only saves the students time and money but allows them to browse the methods easily and quickly. They can compare and contrast the various methods from one location and easily navigate back and forth between the books. Often times the students will remember the method that they used in elementary, middle and high school but are completely unaware of the numerous methods that are available to them. The decision on which method they want to use when they find a teaching position is made much more effectively when they have had the opportunity to view and work out of many books before making that decision.

Finally, I like using SmartMusic in the methods class because it is motivational. It is not only beginners who enjoy the “game-like” features of the program. College students, too, enjoy the assessment and then can challenge each other to “beat” the high score. With this going on, I am free to talk about the many other aspects about playing and teaching the families of instruments without having to focus on right and wrong notes.

I encourage those of you who teach methods courses to explore the possibilities of using SmartMusic in your teaching. I would also enjoy hearing other comments about how you may use this tool and the results that you are seeing from your students.

Glenn Pohland, D.M.A., is the director of instrumental music at Loras College and an assistant professor in the communication and fine arts division. He conducts the wind ensemble, jazz ensemble and chamber groups; serves as instructor of the low brass studio; and teaches courses in music education, orchestration, music history, instrumental techniques and conducting.

Previously, Dr. Pohland was an assistant professor of instrumental music education at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and served for 24 years as the director of bands and general music teacher in the Glencoe-Silver Lake, Minnesota, school district. He is also an active adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor.

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