Richard Saucedo Band Workshop

February 5, 2007

Reflection of Practice

Carmel, Indiana School District

4,000+ students, growing, performing arts center for Freshmen

Enrollment at Carmel:

• 5 concert bands – 7 concert bands, 150 kids in freshman band, growing
• dual enrollment for music programs
• 6 jazz bands – turn band room into nightclub for concert
• 450 in band program
• marching band is voluntary
• 200 kids in marching/national yr champions
• 8 choirs, 3 orchestras, large drama program, 2 performance areas
• 2 music theory classes, electronic music class, which is composition class
• 3 middle schools

Carmel Band Fees:

$35. a yr for concert band

$15. for jazz

$850. to be in marching band, can fund raise-parents choice to have a quality experience / gift certificate program

• $1400. to go to California

Has 1500 seat auditorium, practice rooms, ensemble practice rooms, auditorium for each level – ms facilities as good as hs

new ruling – ms kids must take a music course in ms for academic reasons/statistics/research

Parents for Performing Arts – parent organization at the ms, supports fa at school level – meet with parents to encourage advocacy- hs talks with ms parents

travels as guest conductor/composer – wrote piece “To This Heartbeat, There is no End”  -Katrina commissioned piece- arranges for Cavalier Drum and Bugle

Good teaching:

• Passion important, success of kid A impacts kid B, unlike English, visibility

• FA extremely important in providing students intrinsic motivation

• Set high standards for self and students /balance important

How do you address a total program?  Vertical alignment important

• Recruitment:  parent meetings at parent houses, talk to parents about electives-6 nights of meetings/ informative/ have been very successful

• advocacy DVD from Tim Lautzenheizer, share with counselors, admistrators

• hand out statistics for success of music kids at parent meetings

“so, you want your kid to go to medical school?”

• crowded requirements in Parkway - problem of personal finance, foreign language, 3 semesters of science – educate parents

• Gary Markham - good speaker for music administration

• Must have strong belief of ms and hs band teachers working as a team

• We exist to teach music as a part of the school curriculum /communicate and connect with principals about “curriculum” – band does not exist for entertainment only

• Transition of 5th into 6th – aptitude test in 5th

• take ms jazz band into elementary

• hs music recruiting concert, bring el kids in to HS for concert, all groups perform

• put out brochure about future opportunities, make sure 1st grade parents get it

• take jazz bands to elementary schools/interactive concert, have kids bring recorder, improvise with jazz band / hook

ms have  = 6th, 7th, 8th  bands (more than one of each, 2 teachers)

6th gr. Meets all at same time, can’t share staff with hs

ms 6th grade mixed groups, 70-80 students– 2 instructors in same room

Instrument try out nights – set up through music company, brings teachers to assist in students trying different instruments

Middle schools each have their own instrument night – in January before sign up time

6th, 7, 8, all have summer band classes - 4 week classes in summer for all beginners, then they do a concert-2 ms staff members, sometimes aides, student teachers- during summer school time

flutes

clarinets

small # saxophones (must play clarinets first)

oboes, bassoons – target them from audition test

trumpets

horns-start as horn players

trombones

baritones – change to tuba later

percussion

Bring in summer teachers to work as clinicians during concert time

Carmel Academy for Performing Arts

 ms, hs kids both, can come and take private lessons after school, evening

Hs director must support ms:

• Guest conduct at ms

• Go into classrooms, conduct a piece, a rehearsal, hs takes control of ms recruitment

• No sharing of staff between ms and hs

Master classes for  instruments come in, specialists to help at ms

Big belief in small groups and sectionals

Retention – read and read early, inability to read music loses kids

Strategies to teach reading – every day, rhythm of the day, warm up, vary meters, all could clap and count the rhythms, everyday, when melodic example, they must sign, then finally play

Always play recordings for the kids, listening examples important – make sure you play examples of trumpet, etc. specific instruments, have parents listen as well, let them see potential  “trumpetplayers.com” Students must become familiar with characteristic sound of instrument early

Vertical alignment in intentional curriculum – the when –how- and why

Sound quality achieved through fundamentals, must stress always

• Triads, balance exercises, scales

• Teach reading, not just music for a concert, work on tone

SOUND quality - is it really balance? 

 In balance you will have better clarity, must come first.  Key to ensemble success is balance.   Get inside the person’s sound next to you.

Breathing exercises (PatSheridan  Breathing Gym), no tenseness, must be relaxed to get good sound.  RELAX

Breathing in 8 counts, fingers together in front of mouth, out 8 counts, with hand held flat in front – shoulders down in marching, stay relaxed, motion with breathing, 2 and 8, to improve sound in every situation-transfer onto instrument

Tuning Contest day, partners play, to try to sound like one person.

Teaching listening and intonation.  Make it a game.  Getting them to think about listening through questions.

Starting a tone

go down one row have each play F concert – listen for matching, starting a tone, - listen for breathing and moving when they start tone, sit still, relax for clear note // cracking notes can be fixed, don’t move when you start tone.  How many tones are started within a whole piece?

Balance

Everytime you play you have to hear someone other than yourself, or you are not really listening.  First part players should be able to hear their 2nd players.  2nds have to hear 3rds.  Don’t stick out.  After you are hearing those around you, listen to the lowest instrument, often has the root.  Playing out of tune is often playing out of balance.

HS all kids normally play sharp.  General pitch goes high, also in marching band.  Relax to bring pitch down. 

Good nights sleep repairs tired chops.

Take upper notes an octave down in brass til they get the idea of sound. Kids learn to play relaxed and understand the sound.  Finally when they get to the higher octave, they are ready, makes for better sounding band.  Robert Duke’s video on how to practice.  Jeff Young started a website called Dynamic Marching.

Copyright experiences:

Wis. Band State Championships -  fined $30,000. – must be careful about purchasing marching shows.  Big band arrangers on black list.  Hal Leonard owns 80% of copyrighted stuff.  If you get a DVD from a competition…must have performance rights if distributed.  Don’t assume video company is taking care of that.  Piece must be substantially different in order to qualify for arranging rights.  

Fundamentals- importance of basics – Starting a tone / very important

Typical hs band rehearsal:

90 minute rehearsals / blocked at hs

practice marching 7-7:40 am up through November-0 hour

jazz band the rest  of the year during that time

At HS – blocked schedule, team teach every ensemble, 2 directors

• 90 min. period, with 30-45 min., of fundamentals, last 45 min. get to the music.  Essential Musicianship – true ensemble book, not a technique  book-  University of Houston staff, Hal Leonard put it out. 

• F concert, section by section for intonation.   Series of articulation exercises“ whole one”.

• Listening exercises.  Where to listen, what to listen for

• Dynamics – try having contrasts – who’s important? 

in tune, in balance, in time

Balance

For triads, play 1st and 5th tone, when set, add third, a little flat.  Most bands play sharp.  Pay attention to 2nd and 3rd players, add in 1st or melody later to get better balance.

How to get more expressive playing out of everyone:

Music always comes from somewhere or goes somewhere, ….it doesn’t just stay there.  Crescendo means get louder, not change sound.   End of phrase –avoid falling off and cheating phrases.  Last couple of seconds from a phrase missing in many marching pieces….”don’t play just 2/3 of the music”.  Music is about communication, providing an emotional experience.  Setting up for the breath can cut a phrase short.

Utilizes tuner at the beginning of class.  Tubas are the first to go sharp.

Groupings of pitch centers…need to have feeling of pitch center in a line.

Full time percussion instructor takes out percussionist in concert band, working on mallets.  Two percussion ensembles play at each concert.

Assessment – not a priority, achievement indicated by high marks from outside venues – We would never accept a bell curve for a concert. Sample sight reading at freshman and senior levels to show growth.

Encouraging individual practice

• younger kids don’t know how to practice – ok  with practice records 

• Have master class on how to practice. 

Marching Band

Create exercises to prepare for the marching music.  Teaching to practice.

Marching Band Assistants used:  guard, 4 directors, head drum assistant, 3 more, color guard instructor, 3 assistants, 4 extra woodwind and 2 brass instructors.  Twelve instructors on the field.  Two weeks band camp on campus. 9-6 o’clock.

A lot of marching assistants come from out of state for Carmel.   Flight, lodging, $500-$2,000 for three or four hours a day.  Experts are brought in at the beginning of the season, end of season.

Marching Band Design team starts in February.

• Marching percussion rehearsals start in March, one night after school. 
• April or May do auditions to place on instruments. 
• Music is given before school is out. 
• One rehearsal in April, get acquainted night.  Parents meet in another part of the building, calendar information.
• Wind parts done in May.
• Overnight camp in May, a lock in Friday-Saturday, team building exercises.  Work with freshmen, marching specifics.  In the fall, they then feel a part of the family. 
• Through June, two nights a week, rehearsal.
• Parade in July. 
• Two weeks of band camp in August.
• A long time to process the marching show. 
• Start teaching drill in July.   
• Marching band does the football games, 7 home games.
•  Tues, Friday after school practices. 

Design team……main focus……whole thing is about effect…..

• what can we do to affect the audience as many times as possible in a 15 min. period?

• Come up with a simple concept.  Take simple ideas and build on them.  Machine, Symbol…how can we manipulate the idea to impact audience?

• What visual effects can we set up….how can we pace it to keep our audience intrigued and interest?  Orchestration can impact. –use it

Provides summer workshop for band directors

• bring in marching band scores to critique.

• Show needs to have variety, visually and musically, in the drumline, textures.

• Use woodwinds effectively.

• Look at textural pacing. 

• Look at manipulating visually. 

• Maybe crazy drill without music, something for impact. 

• All about catching people’s eye, unexpected. 

• Being different , not stupid different, but effective different.

• Pacing and variety biggest elements. 

• Make sure people get it.  Friday night audience has to get it.  Has to be accessible to the audience.

• Interesting and exciting music.

Stylistic marching.  Go to Dynamic Marching.com   ($149)  It will show you how to break it down and show how to march.  Warm up body stuff.  Stretches, controlling body.  Contrast in tempos. Incorporate visual with the music. 

March with fundamentals.  Combine fundamentals with marching.  Timing issue.

Timing – Phasing problems, locked in timing.

• Timer, metronome  is always in back, not in front.

• Drum major conducts to center snare, stays consistent, no matter if the band starts falling apart.

• Peripheral kids must be with the hands of the drum major.

• Wind and color guard listen back.  Who to listen to? 

• Back kids play 1 beat ahead of the front kids. 

• Don’t take kids off of metronome too soon.

Does an 8th grade band night, school song and ntl anthem. Kids watch the high school rehearsal, practice going on field.  Families come and event becomes a recruiting tool. 

Improving conducting skills.   Keep from being noticed, not getting in the way of the music.  Less is more.  Don’t conduct your marching band on the sideline.

In composing, starts with a small idea and then develops.  Has started to research before writing.  Commissioned up through 2012.