band Continued from page 21


what beat the note is on. In speaking to Christine Hayes, general music teacher in the Whitewater Unified School District, I learned that this feeling of the meter is essential for transitioning from syllables to counting – to understand on which beat in the measure the rhythm occurs. In her classroom, Ms. Hayes has students tap on their upper bodies a quarter note ostinato that places each beat on a different loca- tion. For instance a meter of three would have the child touch the wrist, elbow and shoulder. When the child uses the syllabic method of counting the rhythms in a measure while keeping the body meter, they always know on which beat in the meter it occurs. In fact, when the students develop their body pattern they will count out loud 1-2-3 so that they un- derstand their groupings in the meter. This sets up numeric counting in the future. This way, both meter and note durations are understood. After talking with Ms. Hayes I found this really helped me to understand the disconnect between the syllables so many students learn and the counting that I want them to learn. There is absolutely nothing wrong with teaching syllables, and I also state this very plainly to the students I teach. I like to tell the students that counting rhythms is simply providing more information (i.e. where you are in the measure in addition to the note duration). It’s like saying “I went to the store earlier” (note duration syllables) versus “I drove to the grocery store two hours ago” (traditional counting). There’s nothing wrong with the first sentence, but the second sentence gives more informa- tion. Regardless of where the student is in their rhythmic and metric development, it is up to their current teacher (and in the case of the band students I teach, that is me) to help the student continue on their journey to rhythmic literacy, wherever they are at.


As someone who has always been able to understand rhythm very naturally and quickly, it can be a challenge for me to stay patient when helping students through improving their rhythmic literacy. But, as I have challenged myself to find as many


22


different ways to explain rhythmic con- cepts, it has really become a fun part of the curriculum again. And, the students I teach have shown much greater and deeper understanding when it comes to note- duration relationships, meter, and how to count and play rhythms. There are so many awesome ways to teach rhythm! Are you a band teacher who is on Facebook? Are you a part of the Wisconsin Band Teach-


ers Network (www.facebook.com/groups/ WisconsinBandTeachersNetwork)? Let’s keep the discussion going – what are some of your favorite and most effective ways to help students gain rhythmic literacy?


Julie Brown is a beginning band teacher in the Appleton Area School District. Email: brownjulie@aasd.k12.wi.us.


Wisconsin Foundation for School Music


President: Paul Heid, Heid Music, Appleton


President-Elect: Sarah Jerome, Retired,


Arlington Heights School District Past President:


Scott Pierce, Superintendent, Central High School District of Westosha


Secretary:


Timothy Schaid, Executive Director, Wisconsin Foundation for School Music


Board Members:


Gregg Butler, Administrator, Eau Claire County Off Campus High School


Stephanie Elkins, Program Director, Wisconsin Public Radio


Bernie Fiedler, CFP, Oconomowoc Paul Heid, Heid Music, Appleton


Vicki Jenks, WYSO Percussion Ensemble Director, Wild Rose


Sarah Jerome, Retired, Arlington Heights School District


Gerald Kember, Retired, La Crosse School District


Elaine Mischler, M.D., Retired, Waunakee


Richard Parks, Superintendent, Marathon Public Schools


Nancy Rasmussen, Retired, Walworth


Russ Rautmann, Executive Director, Engler Center, Chilton


Elizabeth T. Russell, Russell Law


Todd Schmidt, Village Administrator, Waunakee


George Smith, Retired School Administrator


Ted Witt, Retired, Waunakee


Advisory Council: Linda Bergren, Retired, Madison


Jim Brandmeier, CEO, 180 Music, Madison


James Byrd, President/CEO, Midwest Asset Management, Inc., Madison


Rhea Myers, Attorney, Wheeler, Van Sickle & Anderson, S.C., Madison


James Schutz, Senior Financial Advisor, Statehouse Investments, LLC, Madison


Roger White, Retired, White House of Music, Inc., Waukesha


Richard W. Wolf, Emeritus Professor of Music, University of Wisconsin, Madison


Staff:


Timothy Schaid, Executive Director, schaidt@wsmamusic.org


Jamie Kember, Development Associate,


kemberj@wsmamusic.org


Kenzie Trezise, Development & Marketing Associate, kenziet@wsmamusic.org


April 2017


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72