Saturday, February 25, 2012
High School Pep Band
I observed the high school pep band on February 10th, at Bozeman High. They played a numbner of classic pep band pieces, including Tequila and The Final Countdown, and also some newer repertoire, including a song by Lady Gaga, which I believe was Poker Face. The band was very well organized, and although it looked like everyone was having fun, I believe that definately some rules for behavior and some classroom management going on.
Elements of a Successful Program
I believe that the most important element of a successful Instrumental Music program is the School and Community's desire to have a program. Without any support, a music program would be constantly neglected and dismissed, and one would be constantly fighting an uphill battle to get funding, support, time, and any effort towards it.
Also, instruments and equipment are vital to having a successful program. Without the tools, it would be nearly impossible to give the students the education and experience of instrumental music.
A good repertoire of quality music is another essential. Even with instruments, equipment, and support, a music program is nothing without the music is just an exercise in assembly and care of instruments.
On the part of the students, an effort and desire for excellence is necessary for the success of the program. Without a desire to be the best they can be, and to learn and grow, the students will not put forth the effort it takes to learn an instrument and play it well, resulting in a successful and satisfying sound.
Even with commitment and drive, the students' passion for excellence will be severely hindered if the director does not effectively use rehearsal time. Efficient rehearsals are vital to correcting mistakes and to offer learning opportunities to the students, furthering their education and enjoyment of music.
I feel that to have efficient rehearsals, the director needs to plan well in advance, and to have plans and options available for every situation. Concert planning, repertoire planning, seating, and fund-raising all take a large amount of time, and that is just outside the classroom. The actual instruction of the students is the most important aspect, and deserves all the attention and care of the director, not to be diminished by a full plate of everything else he or she is worrying about.
Dedicated facilities for a music education program are another important aspect of a successful program. The students need a place where they can all meet together to play and make music, and also somewhere to safely store their instruments when the day is done. The room should be fairly soundproof, to avoid distracting and annoying students in other classrooms as well.
A yearly budget is vital to an instrumental music program. Instrument maintainance is not cheap, and on top of getting new music, buying supplies, and even hopefully getting new instruments, there isn't much money left over, so a good budget is of the utmost importance.
No matter how good the budget is, however there will never be enough money to cover everything, so the booster clubs and fund-raising organizations made up of parents and friends is key to getting more money to get the essentials.
And finally, students practicing outside of the classroom is an important element of a successful program. Most often, the best learning comes from the student's self-discovery, and maay not always happen in the classroom. If a student takes the initiative and practices at home, they not only increase their chances of making big musical discoveries, but also further their proficiency on their chosen instrument.
Also, instruments and equipment are vital to having a successful program. Without the tools, it would be nearly impossible to give the students the education and experience of instrumental music.
A good repertoire of quality music is another essential. Even with instruments, equipment, and support, a music program is nothing without the music is just an exercise in assembly and care of instruments.
On the part of the students, an effort and desire for excellence is necessary for the success of the program. Without a desire to be the best they can be, and to learn and grow, the students will not put forth the effort it takes to learn an instrument and play it well, resulting in a successful and satisfying sound.
Even with commitment and drive, the students' passion for excellence will be severely hindered if the director does not effectively use rehearsal time. Efficient rehearsals are vital to correcting mistakes and to offer learning opportunities to the students, furthering their education and enjoyment of music.
I feel that to have efficient rehearsals, the director needs to plan well in advance, and to have plans and options available for every situation. Concert planning, repertoire planning, seating, and fund-raising all take a large amount of time, and that is just outside the classroom. The actual instruction of the students is the most important aspect, and deserves all the attention and care of the director, not to be diminished by a full plate of everything else he or she is worrying about.
Dedicated facilities for a music education program are another important aspect of a successful program. The students need a place where they can all meet together to play and make music, and also somewhere to safely store their instruments when the day is done. The room should be fairly soundproof, to avoid distracting and annoying students in other classrooms as well.
A yearly budget is vital to an instrumental music program. Instrument maintainance is not cheap, and on top of getting new music, buying supplies, and even hopefully getting new instruments, there isn't much money left over, so a good budget is of the utmost importance.
No matter how good the budget is, however there will never be enough money to cover everything, so the booster clubs and fund-raising organizations made up of parents and friends is key to getting more money to get the essentials.
And finally, students practicing outside of the classroom is an important element of a successful program. Most often, the best learning comes from the student's self-discovery, and maay not always happen in the classroom. If a student takes the initiative and practices at home, they not only increase their chances of making big musical discoveries, but also further their proficiency on their chosen instrument.
F.E. C. J. TE Day 2
On February 15th, Shannalee and I returned to Chief Joseph middle school to work with Sallee Nelson's 7th grade clarinet section again. This time it was my turn to teach them, so after we got them settled again, I began by showing them a simple set of rhythms, and then breaking them down further and further, until I had two rhythms that were played the same, but notated differently, and the students recognized that they were the same rhythms, just written in a different way. After that, I took them through the new section of "Her Majesty's Brigade" again, working on longer sections at a time, and emphasizing working on the rhythms that I had introduced at the beginning of class. The students had a lot of trouble the first time that rhythm came up, so we spent a majority of the lesson working on that, and then when a similar but different rhythm showed up later, they played it the same as the first rhythm, so we worked on that too, until they could confidently and competently play through the entire section with correct notes and rhythms. Then Shannalee correctly remembered each students' name, and we sent them back to Mrs. Nelson. I feel that the entire lesson went well, and that the students can play that section better than when they originally started. I found out a few things to work on myself though, including keeping my students rehearsing as much as possible, and taking as little time between rehearsals as possible.
F.E. C.J. TE Day 1
On February 9th, Shannalee and myself performed our first Teaching Episode with the clarinet section. After we got them all settled, I handed out index cards and had the students write their names on them to help me with memorizing them. Then Shannalee took over, first teaching them a rhythm that they were having trouble with in class, and then rehearsing a new section in "Her Majesty's Brigade". The rhythm sequence was a little rough, but the students eventually learned it pretty good, and then the new section was rehearsed. Shannalee took it slowly, making sure the students were fairly competent in one section before moving on to the next. There were a couple rough patches, but they could have been easily addressed with more time. I then correctly remembered the names of the students, and gave them all mustache tattoos. In retrospect, they mustaches could have been used as a reward for being quiet and well-behaved, but I missed that opportunity.
F.E. C.J. Primary Observation
On February 3rd, I observed Sallee Nelson's seventh grade band program at Chief Joseph elementary school. They worked on just a couple of pieces while we were there, those being "Her Majesty's Brigade" and "Slavonic Legend". Mrs. Nelson uses a microphone hooked around her neck to project her voice throughout the whole class, which enables the class to constantly be playing but also being able to hear her. She would be conducting, then telling one group to fix a problem with notation or rhythms, and then jump to the other side of the ensemble to fix other problems, all while the band kept rehearsing. She never missed a beat, as they say.. ;D Classroom Management seemed to be in the vane of keeping the band so busy they didn't have time to misbehave. They were almost constantly playing, and when there were small breaks, to work with individual sections, the rest of the sections were allowed to talk quietly amongst themselves, as long as they weren't a distraction, and also knew where they were starting when it was their turn to play again.
Recruiting for Beginners
For their first year in an instrumental music program, there are a number of things a child should experience, whether they will be returning the next year or not. First of all, the child should obviously get the chance to play the instrument of his or her choice, as long as it is within reason. A beginning 5th grader should probably not be playing a Baritone Sax, but Alto or Tenor definitely, for instance. The child should also get to experience the joy of performing in an ensemble, and the sense of teamwork and accomplishment that comes along with that. When every member of an ensemble plays their part and music is made, it is a feeling not really found anywhere else. And along with that, students should also get the chance to successfully play in front of an audience. The sense of accomplishment is expanded exponentially when one plays a piece successfully, and then is rewarded with a heartfelt round of applause.
It may be hard to recruit new students into an instrumental music program for a number of reasons, however. They may be intimidated by the instruments or band may have a "nerdy" impression in the school. However, giving every student a chance to see and experience instrumental music is a huge step towards ensuring their future interests and successes in music. An instrument petting zoo is a good chance for students to get some hands on time with different instruments and experiment with which ones they like best, before committing to playing that instrument. A school assembly with live performers on various instruments might also be a good way to spark students' interest in a band or orchestra program. And having the class not scheduled during other "fun" activities, like recess, would help draw students into the program, without making them have to choose between music and something else that is an easy sell.
It may be hard to recruit new students into an instrumental music program for a number of reasons, however. They may be intimidated by the instruments or band may have a "nerdy" impression in the school. However, giving every student a chance to see and experience instrumental music is a huge step towards ensuring their future interests and successes in music. An instrument petting zoo is a good chance for students to get some hands on time with different instruments and experiment with which ones they like best, before committing to playing that instrument. A school assembly with live performers on various instruments might also be a good way to spark students' interest in a band or orchestra program. And having the class not scheduled during other "fun" activities, like recess, would help draw students into the program, without making them have to choose between music and something else that is an easy sell.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
The Resource Notebook
The resource notebook is a tool that can be referenced during the first one or two years as a new teacher, to help get one's feet in a tidal wave that is the first year of teaching. It can be quickly referenced for vital information on a number of important things that might escape a new teacher.
It basically has three functions, which are:
-Portfolio
-Summative Assessment
-Collection of useable resources for me as a teacher
The portfolio aspect is a way of keeping together all the important documents obtained through the music education process, to be able to easily showcase the achievements and results of an education in music.
One's understanding of the information presented in the Instrumental Methods class can be easily judged through the resource notebook, and further instruction can be determined through that.
And back to the opening statement, the RN is a tool for a new teacher to be able to quickly browse over something that may have been forgotten or overlooked in the hayday that is the first year as a new teacher.
It basically has three functions, which are:
-Portfolio
-Summative Assessment
-Collection of useable resources for me as a teacher
The portfolio aspect is a way of keeping together all the important documents obtained through the music education process, to be able to easily showcase the achievements and results of an education in music.
One's understanding of the information presented in the Instrumental Methods class can be easily judged through the resource notebook, and further instruction can be determined through that.
And back to the opening statement, the RN is a tool for a new teacher to be able to quickly browse over something that may have been forgotten or overlooked in the hayday that is the first year as a new teacher.
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