Blog prompt # 2

After reading Brant Schneider’s article “Creating Musical Flexibility Through the Ensemble”

The thought that comes to mind is here is a teacher who knows what kids can do better than they can. There is a direction in his teaching and methodologies.

First off there is a great amount of dedication on both teacher and students.

I like methodology used to bring the students to that level and seeing them every day really helps.

You’re in an ideal situation when you can see the band student’s everyday as well have a clear cut plan of where you want them to be.

Brant Schneider knows what makes band students tick…..

Changing it up

Schneider lists ways to keep the music alive through student playing basic melodies and folk songs in different styles.  This allows the students to play their instruments not so much practice them, in of a traditional sense. Students need to hear their instruments being played in a way that sounds more like the music that they listen to, so it is more meaningful to them. For example playing a folk song in different styles like rock, reggae, or funk.

Games

The games are a great incentive for the competitive students in band.  The after effect on the positive side is other students will see them as leaders and in a teacher created culture, there will be a positive and nurturing climate in the classroom.

Performance opportunities

School districts have public meeting and they are a great excuse to have your band, orchestra or choir perform.  If they are beginners a community will have the chance to see the students grow for years to come. If they are in high school and they are at a level 2 or 3, or intermediate level they will be the pride of the district and requested more and more throughout the school year.

Giving students a chance to show off….

During the MEA conferences Schneider and his band had a chance to show off just how great they were by letting audience members set standards for playing three pieces, Amazing grace, Wachet auf, and Over the Rainbow”.   The band was able to play either piece as requested by the audience.

This shows a trusting relationship between the students and teacher.

In conclusion

Looking for opportunities for students to be showcased as band teachers if we don’t advocate for our program no one else will and who better to speak for it than the students.

The key points made in the article and they can work for all situations even if your students don’t meet with you on a daily basis.  Instilling those values in the students pays dividends in the future.

Please read this article to develop your own thoughts and opinions Band Director Brant Schneider

What is being a good musician?
Actually what can a teacher do to help students develop and become a good musician?

For educators:

As educators our job is to help students develop and become good musicians.

Through concerts, performance tests, games, team work, and assessments that help students improve in areas of concern.

Concerts do a great deal to develop a student’s ability to become a musician. They are performing under a bit of pressure.  The audience is listening, and the lights are on! There is nothing like the feeling of being the soloist on a jazz piece for the school concert.

Assessments and quizzes are also a good for a teacher to determine areas of concern for that student and give them the tools they need to improve. 

Lessons! Lessons! Lessons!  Students need lessons to become a good musician. Private or in school, a student needs instruction. Without that instruction they may platue and may not be challenged and reach the next level on their instrument. Teachers are a great resource and their skills need to be utilized.  Every so often I hear "I am learning this song or this instrument from a lesson I got off of YouTube".

Music teacher can help students become good musicians.

Band works as a team! It is one of the few activities where students start and end at the same time, and you're responsible for everything in between. The band experience be it a small jazz combo, a diverse high school band, orchestra, choir, or marching band really is about team work. Students can really motivate their peers and sometime apply appropriate pressure where a teacher have no effect at all.  

After that we can get into this.......

My definition of a good musician is broken down into

 

How do we determine someone is a good musician?

My definition of a good musician is broken down into

Knowledge of the music they’re playing.

Musicians must make on the spot decisions about the music they are playing so that their interpretation of the music is true.  Stevie Wonder for example can sing along with any pop star and sing the song. Sing it the way the music needs him to be he doesn’t make the music fit him.

Ex. Stevie Wonder with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams 

Ability to convey that message through expression

A musician must be able to let the audience know what the point of the piece they are playing is.

When Otis Redding sings   "I've Been Loving You"  a listener can feel the conversation he is having with his partner and deep ache that is in the pit of his hear

Another example of this in a different format is The Kronos Quartets recording of George Crumbs

 ”Black Angels" . It a modern piece that in Crumbs words was meant to be “Something wild, something scary”.

  Command of their instrument, technique etc.

A good musician must have technical command of their instrument. A good musician doesn’t make mistakes when playing live or making a recording, they will practice at home and not on the gig.

Here are a few examples of musicians who when it’s time to play live they are on it! Why?

They didn’t wait for the gig to practice               

Runaway Baby –Bruno Mars Band

Pepe Romero  -Pepe Romero plays “Leyenda and Fantasia”.   These are among the most popular and challenging pieces for classical guitar.

Buddy Rich Tribute   You don’t show without practicing over six hours a day for this gig!

Drummers practice anywhere they can  even Animal had to practice for this.

Ability to teach

A good musician can help others learn their own instrument due to their understanding of their own instrument.  Be it vocal, strings, brass, woodwinds, or percussion a good musician can communicate to others through understanding of how to formulate what they know into words.

Well versed in all genres of music

I believe every musician has their music of choice but is able to hold an objective conversation about any genre of music.