JAZZ DIVISION John Currey, Vice President
Recording: Taking it to the Next Level
Recording the band is certainly not a 21st century concept, but it can be a useful tool in trying to get your band to the next level.
As a kid, I used to ask my dad if he had any recordings of the bands he played in while he was in high school. He had a few reel-to-reel tapes that he played for me, but the sound was distorted and I was not able to get a very good idea of what his band sounded like.
When I was in high school, I was able to get a few cassette recordings of honor bands that I had participated in and I played them frequently. After much use, the cassettes lost their fidelity and it seemed that many of the cassette players played back the recordings at incorrect speeds, which always bothered me.
During my college years, I ordered cas- sette tapes of all my band performances and recitals. While I really enjoyed listening to these recordings, I was only able to hear what I sounded like after the fact, never prior to the actual perfor- mance. Tis caused me to wonder what I could have done differently to improve my performances. My saxophone teacher suggested that I record my practice ses- sions and assess my playing. Taking his advice, I purchased an Aiwa Walkman, which was the best available recording technology, given my modest student budget. However, it allowed me to record my playing, critically listen to myself and focus on what I needed to improve as a saxophonist. During my graduate stud- ies, my saxophone teacher recorded all of my lessons and required me to transcribe them on a weekly basis. It was through that process that I really started to see the benefits of evaluating sound recordings.
Fast forward to the current day, nearly 20 years later. Te technology has certainly improved: personal hand-held recording devices are smaller, less expensive, higher quality and much more user-friendly. Tere are many different types of digital recording devices available at varying
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price points. Currently, I am using the Zoom H2 digital recorder, which sells for less than $150. It is incredibly easy to use and you can play back a recorded segment instantly. Te Zoom H2 has adjustable settings to accommodate a variety of room sizes and therefore is quite useful for all of my rehearsals and performances.
By recording my ensembles, I have found a way to not only get students to listen and share constructive criticism about their mini-performance during class, but also to mold their attitudes toward rehearsal. Band members seem to try harder and work more efficiently when they know they are being recorded.
Another great resource that I use is a
drop.io account, a free music sharing website which is password protected and allows musicians to upload personal audio files. After recording a rehearsal or concert, I post the files on a
drop.io account and assign my students to listen to the posted recordings. Students then write and turn in a reflective paper detail- ing constructive comments about each recording. I have found that this exercise has a tremendous impact on the quality of work in the following rehearsal.
Recording your band at your local pro- fessional recording studio is another great way to learn the tendencies of your ensemble. Over the years, I have found this process to be incredibly valuable to me as a music educator. What is great about the studio is the director’s ability to listen to every student individually, to small groups, or to whole sections.
Working side by side with the recording engineer in a separate mixing session is extremely helpful because it allows you to literally see the vertical alignment of sound waves for timing purposes. For example, have you ever wondered why your band sounds muddy but you can- not hear what the exact problem is? In a recording studio, you can easily discern if the third trombone is slightly behind or if the second alto is slightly ahead of the
time. Individual microphones for each player offer you the ability to solo each player so you can check for a multitude of potential problems including rhythm, articulation or pitch issues. As the music educator, you can make note of every inconsistency in the score. At your next few rehearsals, you can work on each of those trouble spots.
Te process of recording your band at a professional studio is an expensive undertaking. However, through this process, you are not only learning a great deal about your band, but you are producing a recording that your kids and band families will cherish for a lifetime. Tese recordings are great for student morale and can be used as valuable public advocacy tools for your program. You can provide complimentary copies of your new CD to local radio stations, as well as your school administrators and board of education. Tese high quality recordings can even be played as background in- troductory music for a meeting or event when your live ensemble is unavailable to perform. Keep in mind that it is pos- sible to sell these recordings for a band fundraiser as well. However, your orga- nization must obtain the copyrights for each tune from the Harry Fox Agency in New York City.
Some day your students will have chil- dren of their own who play in the school band and will ask the same question I asked my dad: “What did your band sound like?” You will leave a wonderful legacy for each of your students with your collection of ensemble recordings.
If you have any jazz related questions please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance to you.
John Currey Director of Bands Champaign Central High School 610 West University Avenue Champaign, IL 61820 P: 217-351-3911 ex 160 E:
jazz@ilmea.org
Illinois Music Educator | Volume 71 Number 2
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