provide the answers to problems and expect the students to achieve a depth of understanding beyond the specific answer to a specific question. Mastery comes from the students knowing “how to” so that they may replicate responses when the same musical questions are asked in the future.


When I talk about these issues at conferences or in my music education classes, I am often asked the question, “How long do all of these engagement/ warm-up exercises take? I have concerts to prepare for”. Let us use a standard class period of 42 minutes as our model. Understanding that the average students’ brain is in its highest form of engagement in the first ten percent or so of the class (engagement related to retention of material), this is the best time for not only warm-up but skills development as well. Understand also that warm-up and skills development should cross-pollenate with your musical rehearsal; Long-tones – warm-up the


instrument, establish unison intonation, as these are done without music they establish connection and communication with the conductor (make sure to keep them fresh with ideas: volume, articulations and other non-verbal cues). Do they always need to begin on concert F or Bb? Why not G or E? Play the first pitch, sing the second… Articulation exercises– Warm up


the tongues, fingers, slides etc. Reinforce scales and key signatures.


Have students


visualize a rhythm that you tell them and then apply (warms up the brain), use of tricky rhythms or meters from the music that you are preparing. Harmonic engagement – 97% of


what we play is harmonized in some fashion, so get to these sounds/balances before you require application in a specific piece. Balance and blend, tone color, connection with to conductor, expressive style etc.., all essential for any quality ensemble, and you are establishing them while students are developing expectations to take to their performance music. With my ensembles we read new chorales each rehearsal so there is a sight-reading component that further engages the musicians. If you do not have the resources, try stacked scales; dividing the group in two or three or four and assigning multiple scales simultaneously Bb-D-F major, or closer intervals; Ab-Bb-C. Students get the initial sound groupings and then think forward to their next pitch. There are certainly many more that you all use and I will gladly share


ala breve


additional ones with you if you contact me.


Again, the students’ brains are being engaged and warmed up. This engagement is the desirable outcome for the music preparation to follow.


All of the above mentioned exercises take approximately ten to twelve minutes.


As


mentioned before, though there is regimen and order that student musicians need, there is not monotony. Variations for these brain warmers abound with your own touch and creativity.


developmental exercises work best in an organized environment, where students are settled in and ready to work


From here, we move into the rehearsal part of the plan: The preparation of the performance music.


I am a fan of the process espoused by Daniel Kohut in his text Musical Performance: Learning Theory and Pedagogy. The concept of approaching the student learning through a “Synthesis, Analysis, Synthesis” design, especially when working with large ensembles provides a quality learning atmosphere that allows for correction yet keeps the entire ensemble involved a majority of the time. How often, after an intense warm-up, activating all of the musician’s brains, preparing for rehearsal, do we go immediately shift to correction with one isolated group of musicians, while the others sit? Granted, we do need to correct individuals and sections, but when? Consider the bridge from the warm-up to the rehearsal. We already have an idea of the various corrections that we need for the day and where they are located. Certainly go to those areas but first consider contextualization, getting all of the musical minds to that place, understanding where they are before dismantling the section(s). Think about dropping your students into the middle of a forest with or without a map. Those with the map may quickly orient and thus devise a logical path, those without the map franticly look in all directions trying to figure out the best way to safely exit. Work back from your area of correction, engage the entire ensemble, continue through the point of correction, stop, address the area with the specific musicians and plug them back in.


SYNTHESIS I We have the appropriate section of music ready (was posted when the students arrived


in class). We work collectively before dealing with any corrective issues. This assimilates the ensemble. They are reminded of the sounds and styles of the specific area(s). The conductor has pre-planned for problem areas within the planned section. When these arrive, again, the conductor has already devised an action plan for their correction. There is a stoppage and the specific musician(s) are addressed.


Also remember that these


ANALYSIS Concepts are broken down into their individual parts for explanation, experimentation, and hopefully comprehension. Once corrected and understood, the corrected section is then plugged in to the work with all other musicians playing, thus re-orienting the ensemble with the desired interpretation.


SYNTHESIS II Once the above has been executed, it is hoped that a more musically desirable product will result. Additionally, the learning from the Analysis section will hopefully be transferrable to future music (depending upon the nature of the correction). We put everything together resulting in a more accurate and musical product.


Coda: In ensemble as in the other classes that our students take, there need to be opportunities for students to develop the skill-sets necessary to problem solve for the future. For our students to develop these skill-sets and moreover to be able to problem- solve independently, they must have sufficient information and mastery to be able to answer the questions being asked. Providing the tools for learning and allowing, with guidance, the students to master the required techniques will provide more high-functioning musicians and will provide our ensembles with musicians who can more readily and independently answer the musical questions being asked in the repertoire that we choose.


Dr. R. Tad Greig is the Director of Instrumental Activities and Associate Professor in Music Education in the Department of Music at Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA.


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