Klarinet Archive - Posting 000257.txt from 2004/05

From: "Nicholas Yip" <clarinets21@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Being the poor old Band Director
Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 13:17:19 -0400

Thank You, Unfortunately the school district I teach at, all the money goes
to marching band and marching band is the core of the instrumental program.
They expect so much out of it.

Nicholas Yip
Clarinetist and Music Teacher

>From: "Thomas" <thomas@-----.com>
>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>To: "klarinet list" <klarinet@-----.org>
>Subject: [kl] Re: Being the poor old Band Director
>Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 10:24:48 -0400
>
>Nicholas - more aggressive doesn't mean getting angry! It means standing
>behind what you say. Don't waffle. Set the musical bar higher. Raise
>your standards. You have to make the students make intelligent choices.
>You give them the guidelines.
>
>Competitive marching band as a rule does not do that, as far as the musical
>bar is concerned - who gives a rat's behind about what trophies they win,
>if
>they can't play their scales and play in tune? Which most of them don't,
>I
>judged marching bands and marched drum corps - so I am a bando and know
>from
>experience, lol. But in any case, marching band should NOT be the core
>of the program. Concert band (and lessons if your district has them)
>should
>be. That is where they really Learn about Music.
>
>Come up with something, like a playing test on different levels. The
>higher
>the level attained, the higher the grade. They can choose. Give them a
>few weeks to prepare. You can post a copy of the score sheet so they know
>in advance what they are being judged on. You can test them on the music
>they're learning for band, too. Give them all their major scales to 4-5
>sharps and flats, 2 octaves by memory, mm 120 and start with quarter
>followed by eighths with a quarter note on each Do. And chromatic. If
>they
>can do them, that's a superior right there. And give them a generalized
>chart: You do this, you get an A, you do this, it's a B, and so on.
>
>Another thing to do is support private lessons. Most band directors just
>give the kids a list of teachers, and forget about it. Go to the booster
>meeting and make sure the parents get one, and talk about it. If they are
>so concerned about superiors, then tell them their kids have to put the
>time
>into the instruments because that is what gets the superiors. The kids
>will get back what they put into it. What you do in class will be better
>the more they can do on their own. The more kids who take lessons, the
>more superiors they will see. People don't have to be future music majors
>to be good musicians.
>
>Also - go talk to the principal, and also the superintendent, or any other
>administrator. If the program is on the chopping block, ask what he will
>do
>to support it. Find out what needs to be done to keep it from being cut
>and get it in writing.
>
>MENC has a band director's bulletin board that is pretty good.
>http://www.menc.org/networks/band/openforum/wwwboard.htm
>
>Lynn
>
>
>
>
>
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