Archive for September, 2008

breathing gym

24Sep08

I’ve not ever seen the Breathing Gym videos, but I have done a few of the exercises, and I’ve got to start using them with my flutes. Since a major thing that flutes must learn in their first year is how to conserve air over time, I need to start collecting the resources to prepare [...]


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patience

19Sep08

One of my biggest obstacles in my first year was controlling my temper and keeping patient with my students. I got better as the year went along. In fact, by the time May rolled around, I was not threatening to send my kids to the office and I wasn’t having to bite my tongue so [...]


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effective assisting

16Sep08

It has been a stressful day in the life of an assistant band director. I am wandering the marching field feeling most incompetent. I also work with a top junior high band where the director wants me to do everything to help, but won’t tell me what he needs, and won’t let me have a [...]


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subdivision and foot tap

11Sep08

I often joke that musicians don’t have to count any higher than 4. We have 4/4 time, 3/4 time, 6/8 time (which is just two groups of three) and even more complex examples like 5/4 (which is really 2+3 or 3+2). Never have I encountered a meter were counting to higher than 4 was necessary. [...]


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routines

10Sep08

While my first year was mostly a learning experience disguised as a disaster, this year has been more invigorating and enjoyable. I come home happy most days so far, and feel ready to go the next day, for the most part. Last night is one example, where I had been at school from 7am to [...]


Filed under: beginning band, flute, fundamentals, music education, saxophone, school   |  4 Comments

the slide

07Sep08

When it comes to marching fundamentals, I get picky. I used to refer to myself as the “Posture Nazi,” always so critical of a person’s posture on the field that I would actually get angry, and a little fundamentalist, pardon the pun. I learned that, when you stand at attention, you should raise off your [...]


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March-a-thon

06Sep08

It’s marching season, as many of you probably know, and because I am in public schools, it’s also fundraising time. It’s always fundraising time. Anyway, a big fundraiser that a lot of schools do around here is the “March-a-thon.” Digging around on the internet, I find that its not that uncommon of a thing, but [...]


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flute embouchure, continued

05Sep08

I am teaching beginner flutes today, and had come to a point in the lesson where I wondered if what I was teaching them was correct:
1. Think and say “pooh.” (of course, this always gets giggles)
2. Make the aperture as small as possible.
3. Make the aperture round.
4. Keep everything centered in the cross-hairs (translation: the [...]


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euphonium harmonic skips

03Sep08

The high school had afternoon sectionals today. Tuesdays are for brass. I decided it would be fun and probably smart to pull out a euphonium and noodle along as best I could. I’m not a low brass player by any means, but I can get a decent tone on euphonium when i need to. The [...]


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