These past couple of weeks have been exciting as I prepare for my first year as a middle school band teacher in Fargo, ND. I moved up to Moorhead, MN yesterday and had the fortunate opportunity to attend an ACDA-MN Summer Dialogue session at Concordia College-Moorhead.

The session featured Minnesota composers David Dickau, Jocelyn Hagen, and Timothy Takach. Though I am primarily a band teacher, my interest in choral composition and the commissioning of new music drew me to this dialogue.

Choosing a Text:

Dickau commented that choosing a text was one of the most important parts of his compositional process. After choosing a text, Dickau reads and recites the text for two weeks, meditating on the flow and the meaning of the lyrics before even considering the musical composition. Takach and Hagen agreed that there has to be some lyricism and evocative phonics and phrases that would textually stimulate the audience.

Conductor and Composer:

Hagen communicated strongly that she “expects to work with your choir if you commission me! It is part of the experience.” Dickau hopes that conductors will take their own direction with his music (within reason); no piece of music should ever be performed exactly the same way twice.

The Commissioning Process:

All three composers agreed that the conductor or commissioning party should be involved in the creative process of the music. While some conductors have very clear images in mind and others simply want to help aid in the creation of a new piece of music, the composers stressed that creative input is welcome, but also need freedom to be creative. Hagen encouraged conductors to commission arrangements if full compositions are too expensive. Dickau said that while he gives a quote to interested commissioners, he is always willing to negotiate. After all, commissioning and musical composition is all about the people, and not the money.
 
 

Reflecting and retooling were two of the prominent topics at the 2009 Wind Band Institute. At the opening session, Dr. Scott Jones encouraged teachers to reflect on the previous school year.

What percentage of your teaching time is devoted to skill development versus repertoire preparation?

 Many teachers sensed the direction that this question was leading- that in fact, we spend so much time concerned with the level and quantity of repertoire, that we fail to focus on transferable, fundamental skills which lie at the heart of musicianship.

In a sightreading situation, what percentage of the mechanics of the piece should be performed well in order to be a “good fit” for the ensemble?

Many teachers contended that there was no set percentage, we should find repertoire with a variety of difficulty levels for our students. I think that we often fall into the trap of choosing repertoire to “challenge” our students; as a result, we spend too much time preparing pieces for the concert rather than honing mastery of musical skills.

What broad areas of musical skills do you teach well? Which ones do you need improvement in? How do you assess individual learning in these areas of musical development?

 Most teachers agreed that their own musical strengths as performers were reflected in their teaching. One teacher pointed out that his own personal areas of musical strength were more difficult to communicate with his students because it came so naturally to him. Many different ideas were shared about assessment, which served as a good launching point for Dr. Doug Orzolek's session on assessment in the music classroom.

How does a student look/behave/think if we've done our job well?

 Of course, this question relies on our own personal beliefs, insights, and philosophies. But if we start thinking of our students with the end result in mind, we can more clearly create the plan and environment by which we hope to teach and inspire our students.

 
 

  • The majority of young band music should reinforce concepts that are being taught or have previously been taught in methods books. Teaching new concepts can be done much more efficiently and sequentially in the context of a methods book or similar resource.

  • Don't over-program. While it's great to have a variety of well-crafted repertoire; playing an abundance of music is not nearly as impressive as playing a few pieces that are well-rehearsed.

  • Choose music that has musical merit. Too many pieces are being touted as “educational” when really they should be deemed “formulaic.” Pieces should be musical. Teachers should be the ones responsible for choosing how to sequentially present pieces to students.

  • Consider all elements of music when teaching and choosing repertoire. If we have to spend too much time focusing on “notes and rhythms,” expressive playing, intonation, and tone quality probably will take a backseat.

  • Students are excellent at perceiving our opinions. If we aren't engaging during our warmups and chorales, it's no wonder that our students aren't. If we are excited by beautiful tone quality and lyrical playing, certainly our students will start to notice.