#66 …To Awaken…

#66 …To Awaken…

When you think of what we do, and remember the words of Albert Einstein when he stated: “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” It is humbling. It is daunting. It is almost overwhelming. But it is also inspiring and...
#65. Let Them Hear The Difference

#65. Let Them Hear The Difference

I am convinced that half the problem with teaching students in a band is that many of them have a very distorted vantage point from which they hear the group, by nature of where they are seated. Things like ensemble balance, section balance, layers of compositional...
#64. Start A Good Habit

#64. Start A Good Habit

As I look out at my students while rehearsing, I so often see bad habits reveal themselves. And what gets me is that I have mentioned those bad habits over and over and over. It can be debilitating. When I take the time to think about why this is happening, I usually...
#63. Pacing

#63. Pacing

I like a fast-paced rehearsal. No, I love a fast-paced rehearsal. I think I can keep my students awake and energized better, and get more done in less time. But that’s me. I also know that a moderately-paced rehearsal can no doubt be wonderfully effective, and that a...
#62. Stravinsky Knew

#62. Stravinsky Knew

In the first moments of your next rehearsal, after getting the students quiet and focused, go to the board and with no words of explanation simply write these words: “I haven’t understood a bar of music in my life, but I have felt it. – Igor Stravinsky.” Then,...