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A unique challenge for band directors is keeping students motivated and moving forward in musical growth. A happy band student is one that is demonstrating regular progress and feels challenged. Most band students have the same director for multiple years and under the wrong conditions, this might surely lead to stagnation or worse. What techniques and ideas do experienced directors employ to keep individuals moving at an appropriate level to boost the results of their performing ensembles?
James Thompson is now retired, but served as a director in this state for over 30 years. He taught at schools of all sizes and economic levels, but spent the most time in developing a very successful program at Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and found an individualized curriculum idea there during his student days that has been widely used by instrumental programs in this state for many years. “I used challenges from technique books for chair placement and a Yale Ellis style course of study with chair placement being determined by the student who had completed the largest number of requirements in the highest level of requirements. Mr. Ellis was the Assistant Director to Colonel Butler at
the
University of Alabama. He was in charge of the Music Education curriculum for band directors, and having been a public school educator for many years, gave us ideas that we could employ immediately in a wide array of settings”. The Ellis “pass-off” system takes a student through
14 multiple
Keep Instrumental Students Growing and Progressing
levels or “classes” of
musicianship, with each level requiring the student to perform proficiently on exercises specified in a logical progression of method books. Assessments and seating order can be determined in this manner, with good natured competition helping keep band members accountable.
Dr. Frank Blanton has taught as a high school director for over 30 years, and presently teaches at Mountain Brook High school. He provided a very helpful response to the problem of student motivation: “We do find that getting our students to consistently practice is challenging and often frustrating. One of the strongest motivators seems to be that of a focused purpose for practicing. This may include preparation for honor band or All-State auditions, a method book pass- off system, or excerpt pass-offs from music being prepared for MPA. Another thing that especially seems to work well with younger students is after-school or before-school open practice, pass-off, and assistance sessions. This creates an atmosphere sort of like a "practice party" and has the effect of, "well if all of these other students are staying after school to practice then I should do it too".”
Technology innovations such as
SmartMusic and iPads have certainly provided us with tools that put a fun aspect into practice, but there is really no substitute for teacher-driven feedback. One of my favorite stories involves Barry Lumpkin (creator of Audition Manager software). In the 80’s and 90’s Barry was the band director at Harding Academy in
Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmaster Fraternity is committed to improving quality instruction and advancement of bands in this state. Please email
pemin@mac.com with any comments on this column or suggestions for future columns.
February/March 2012
Memphis, TN. He had an outstanding program that competed at the highest levels, but always had less than 40 students, grades 7-12. I travelled up there one day to see how he was accomplishing this and was astounded at his routine. EVERY day EACH student was responsible for playing one line out of a pass-off method book and turning in the cassette in a numbered slot in a rack outside the director’s office. At lunch, Barry would take the rack, listen to each tape in the rack, stop at the end and record several prescriptive comments to each child telling them to proceed or redo the exercise. He would put the rack back outside his office, and the students would pick up their tape each day. He had a special player that he could control with a foot pedal that would allow him to stop or play the tape at a higher speed. Barry had figured out that with his situation, he really could have no child in the band that was not making regular progress, and so he found a way to give feedback without stopping the entire class. One line a day does not sound like much, but wouldn’t any of us be pleased if our average student was performing and getting individualized feedback on 180 lines a school year?
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