End of year movement

I haven't technically been here a year. But the end of this school year means massive changes to the music rooms. 

For several years now the "Choir room" has been used as storage and office space, because one teacher taught all the music classes in the band room. Next fall, with band and choir separate we cannot use the same room. Plus there is to be some re-carpeting and painting in the band room this summer. My students and I have logged many hours cleaning and moving out everything so that they can re-carpet and paint. When the carpet is done they will install my Wegner sheet music storage unit, build me a bunch more shelving units, and then i will do instrument inventory and sheet music inventory as I move it all back into the band room. I really have my work cut out for me this summer.

This is the band room right now. There are a few personal instruments to be taken home today.

There are also a few items which will be taken to the trash and a nice cabinet 

that will be sold at a school surplus auction next week. I pulled the screen down to hide the HIDEOUS white board, which is being replaced this summer also. In addition they're building me some more shelving units like the ones seen because the program is growing.

This is now the Northwest corner of the choir room. Stacked in that pile are 8 horns, 7 trombones,

11 trumpets, 5 alto saxes, 1 tenor sax, 2 bari saxes, 5 baritones, 3 tubas, lots of drums, and a Piano.

I tried to stack it out of the way as much as possible. 

But the poor choir teacher has me invading her space. 

The Southwest corner of the choir room. Containing marching snares, and trumpets, clarinets, 

bass clarinets, lots of drum stands. The robes and uniforms have been taken to the cleaners.

The filing cabinets will be replaced by the Wegner Music Storage units which are in 

the gigantic cardboard boxes. The only thing in this picture staying in the choir room

for next year is the overhead projector.

For now all I have left to do is move 67 music stands and 54 chairs into the choir room, move the surplus to the bus barn for auction, and throw away the broken stuff. 

Hopefully I can get it all back together before the July 12th band camp. Ugh. 

Lanky, Mouthy, Tripping-over-your-own-feet Marching Techniques

So I'm finishing the year with marching basics. We went out to the field today and subdivided the marching step (1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a, etc). The slow motion of dividing up the step helped the high school tremendously. The middle school made massive and impressive improvements.
The 6th grades couldn't walk straight if their life depended on it. They were trying sooo hard for the first 20 minutes but the awkwardness of pubescent youth was whooping them. They were literally tripping over their own feet. After the initial rough time they began to feel helpless and mouthy. I then stopped the marching and did a number of energy-sucking stretching and dancing activities until the smiles returned. We did march a little at the end and they did better.
I forgot how clumsy they are at that age.

Limited Instrumentation

I have spent probably 20 hours this past week beginning a seemingly doomed search for music.

My students really need exposed to classics: the Whitacres, dello Joios, Reeds, Swearingens, Fillmores, Jacobs, Holsts, and Grundmans. They have played way too many Mike Storys and Paul Murthas. Not that Story and Murtha aren't good enough arrangers. But these student's haven't played anything older than maybe 15 years.

The biggest challenge is the limited instrumentation. My high school band in the fall will have doubled and will be more or less 5 clarinets, a bass clarinet, 2 altos, a bari, 2 trumpets, a horn, a trombone, a tuba, and 2 percussionists. Something in the central Nebraska water makes flute undesirable. So I look and look and look. I've found a number of "limited instrumentation" resources with JWPepper and most recently apromusic.com. Nevertheless, these are mostly grade 1-2 works. My high school band could handle a 2-3.5 and be more successful. But most everything requires a flute.

So, I'm thinking about having a successful 8th grade flute step up and help. Which, as i understand, would even be acceptable in District Music Contest.
I'm also still trying to find something that fits my instrumentation without bringing middle schoolers into the mix.

On the bright side. I've doubled the band program in High School and the Middle school is looking at 140% growth in the fall. Not a single 6th grader is quitting and only 2 or 3 are quitting before entering 9th grade. So recruitment seems to be successful.

Concert Night

I've only done a few concerts here as a new director but I'm pleased with my band's improvement. They aren't perfect or anything but progress is progress.
The two things I've noticed most so far:
First, directors who stay calm have an amazing power. Directors who literally sweat out every detail in a stressful manner will drive the kids to performance anxiety. I'm proud to say I'm very comfortable in the performance because I work my heine off to have everything prepared in advance.
Second, smiles from the podium are super powerful. The kids both light up and focus more when they glance up and see the smile of confidence. I remember my college director giving me this amazing smile of confidence in a concert several years ago and now I'm noticing it working on my students.
I'm pleased with my kids.
Not necessarily with others though.

Friday's Stink

I had some pretty intense and interactive lessons today in band about world musics. We focused on the Gamelan. They went great. However, despite only being here for the second half of the second semester I've found an odd connection with the seniors. I have 2 graduating band seniors, both of whom are going in to music education at Midwestern universities. It was surprisingly bitter-sweet class when suddenly, after signing their check-out sheets, I realized I would not get to teach them again. Maybe I'm still really young in the world of teaching. But when you have so few students and you give them your all... parting words are bitter.
It was harder than I thought.

Attitudes

Its funny how much my students complain before and after class, but during class they visually demonstrate interest and participate in the lesson to the fullest degree. It almost seems that students, especially those in middle school, feel they cannot verbalize liking anything for fear of peer judgement.
Most of my students seem to enjoy the effort I put into teaching. I have not yet done a stereotypical band rehearsal where you come in, warm up, and straight up rehearse the music. I always have something, a new listening activity, a new worksheet, a mini music history presentation, new stretches and movements, and occasionally I even perform for my students.
They smile, they laugh, the commit themselves, they work hard, and improve daily. Yet they pretty much all act like they are "too cool" to be in band. Students are a unique species. I love it.

Marching 101

Today I introduced my MS and HS bands to marching basics. I had a list of 8 drill commands and combined it with work on posture and carriage.
Apparently they were taught previously to walk to a beat and not actually march. I'm not going to ask for high steppers or anything, but I have a sneaky suspicion these kids can't keep a beat in their feet. I'm going to incorporate foot movements into lessons for the rest of the year.
Next fall I will need to remind myself to pace lessons and involve less tedious tasks in rehearsal. I found myself wondering today if the strictness of a marching band was going to drive the students away. Several blatantly stated they hate marching and it showed in more than just their attitudes. How do I get my students to enjoy marching band? I feel like results are the best motivator, but they haven't seen positive results and won't in the near future. What can I do in the meantime?