Who Should Be Where?

I am really glad to have some nice responses to the last post. First let me say I in no means meant that teaching chorus or strings is easier than teaching band. I am just, of course, more familiar with the wind instruments. With that being said, I am glad Mr. Dover shed some light to me as to some of the problems with teaching chorus. In fact, one of the finest chorus teacher I know, Mr. Ridgely, had his classes arranged by voice part. As for the comment from our orchestra friend, it seems they may have a much better set up that we do at the present time. Now for some solutions or at some suggestions.

Why do we not have our lower level classes put together by like instruments? I am just suggesting to put the brass and percussion together and then the woodwinds. Why not have the horns alone, the clarinets and saxophones together, the trombones alone, and flutes and double reeds together, and the tubas and euphoniums in their own class? Percussion it seems to me must be taught separately. Sure some classes will be larger than others but who cares? I teach a 120 piece marching band by myself sometimes. Just an hour ago I taught 42 high level winds. What would it hurt to teach 30 clarinets? It would certainly be more beneficial to the student rather than teaching 15 clarinets alternate fingerings on the left hand because of the Eb which can only be played on the right hand. The flutes, if they were nice, would just sit there and who really knows what the percussion might be doing. Get it? We should look at what the goal end of our teaching is to be rather than what is easy or convenient to schedule. I can almost hear the complaints about how to schedule these students but I teach a singleton now that is 9-12th grade and has various levels of other courses like college prep, honors, and AP courses too so it must be possible. I really think this is way to go to facilitate the teaching of wind instruments especially at the lower levels but wait it would work at the high school level too. I think it would be great to at least have the mid level woodwinds, the brass, and percussion in separate classes. They can work on balance, blend, and intonation all without sacrifice in their own sections.

What about concerts or festivals? Well first I don't think students in the beginning stages of learning their instrument need to be concerned with festivals or competitions. Let them enjoy the instrument for the sack of playing it. Let us high school band directors destroy that later with competitions and festivals! (Not really, but more on that later. There is a way to do it educationally!) These students should be taught the fundamentals first and foremost. As for the "fun" of it all, I really think if the fundamentals are taught correctly, they are fun. What about concerts? Well if the students can read well and understand their instrument it is really not a problem at all. Most schools would allow the director to put them all together at least once during school time. Balance would be the main concern. I have very rarely seen a middle school band parent go up to the their child and say "Your technique was great but the trumpets just were a bit out of balance with the clarinets."

Should there even be large integrated ensembles at all? Of course, I just finished rehearsing "Incantation and Dance" with my top group. This is where it all comes together and it is fun too. I did not have to stop and teach fingering or much technique at all either. It seems to be an appropriate level of composition for them. Do we stop and work on playing as a group and articulating together? Sure we did. But next week we will be separated into brass and woodwinds again. It is amazing how much better we this year for this too.

Please keep the comments and suggestions coming. I really enjoy it. I don't have all the answers but rather just some thoughts about what may help us become music educators instead of just music correctors.