by John Bingaman | Sep 27, 2024 | Bandroom Tips
One of the biggest questions in beginning percussion pedagogy is when to start mallets vs when to start drumming on a practice pad. This is an important question that is inspired by different experiences across band halls everywhere. Percussionists show up in the back...
by Joseph Hermann | Apr 17, 2024 | Bandroom Tips, Motivating Students
As most of us understand, we have few behavior problems in our classes with bands. The students are, by in large, among the best students in our schools. They are involved in a quality activity, and each of them wants to be a part of an interesting and valuable...
by Greg Snyder | Feb 15, 2024 | Bandroom Tips
You may think listening is an innate skill that improves with time—it’s not. From the early days of learning their instrument, a clear priority must be for each student to listen intently to their individual tones while matching the tones around them. This important...
by Academic Alliance | Nov 20, 2023 | Bandroom Tips
Join XO Artist and Educator Dr Jeff Phillips as he discusses the steps to assemble, hold, care for and create the first pitch on the trombone in this series of 4 videos created for teachers, students, and parents to use as a reference to play and maintain the trombone...
by Peter Boonshaft | Apr 4, 2023 | Bandroom Tips
Though working on pieces in a rehearsal can be extraordinarily beneficial, time spent doing warm-up and ensemble development exercises at the beginning and scattered throughout a rehearsal can be equally – if not more – rewarding. Here are a few ideas to help make...
by Joseph Hermann | Feb 14, 2023 | Bandroom Tips
In our lives, we thrill in finding the answers to mysteries, solving riddles, or discovering secrets. Teaching students to be sensitive and accurate with pitch and intonation can be an enigma, too. The secret is… there is NO secret! Developing performance technique...