Category Archives: Music Education

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Schools Celebrate Chamber Music Programs

Recently two schools in Kentucky celebrated the power and educational benefits of students learning in a chamber ensemble setting. Dixie Heights High School and Madison Central High School have taken the leap to implement professional, organized and weekly chamber music programs.  I have been excited to help both schools implement these programs into their daily curriculum. All ensembles performed without a conductor and with only 1 hour per week rehearsal time.  Rehearsing less puts more personal responsibility on the students to prepare outside of class and motivates the student to learn the importance of professional practice and preparation. They take pride in their ensembles and learn to communicate non verbally tempo, musicality and how their part fits into the overall big picture of the ensemble.

If you are interested in building a chamber music program into your school music program, please visit my chamber ensemble page for more information. There are many possibilities available and the educational benefits for your program will be invaluable.

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Band, Meet Chamber Music

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Why Should I Learn My Scales?

We have all heard this phrase many times as music educators, especially if we do private music lesson teaching.

Why do students fight so hard against learning scales and why is it so hard for them to grasp why they are important?

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I guess it is like anything in life that really isn’t that much fun, but is really good for us. Human nature is to rebel against things that do not provide us with instant joy as we want everything right now.  It takes a good deal of training and experience to realize how to achieve our goals and the tough work that lies in between point A and point B.

I try to answer the above question for students before they even ask it. I try to motivate them with the knowledge to understand that learning scales is not busy work, but provides them with the power to become the best musical version of themselves. 

Since we are in the middle of march madness, and everyone has a busted bracket at this point, no doubt, I will equate scales to free throws. Many basketball teams do not work on free throws in their practice sessions but then expect to hit them when the pressure is on. It just isn’t possible. Without that training of the basics and fundamentals, and taking individual responsibility to go through the “basic training”, the game cannot be won at the end.

The same is true in music. Without the fundamental training of scales and patterns, true mastery of music in pressure situations will never happen. There is something that happens to us when we decide to take the initiative to spend time on basics and fundamentals instead of jumping right into a piece of music. Our minds become focused, our character becomes stronger and our mastery of our craft takes on a new form. Can you imagine jumping into the Ohio River and you have never been to the pool? Can you imagine running a marathon with no training? That is exactly what happens when students jump into solos or etudes without the tools from fundamental scales first.

Of course personal responsibility is only one reason to learn your scales, but there are many many more. In fact, there are so many reasons that this post could become very long and boring, so I will just list a few that I use with my students.  I always tell my private music lesson students that they could be excellent musicians if they just practices their scales and only scales in their practice sessions.

Here are a few things scales will improve:

  • sight reading
  • tone quality
  • technique
  • range (for instrumentalists)
  • air flow and evenness in all registers (instrumentalists)
  • key signatures
  • articulation
  • volume control
  • breathing
  • rhythm
  • tempo
  • musicality
  • intonation

Do you focus on scales in your lessons and if so, what are ways you motivate your students?

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Off the Beaten Path

Education done right in Richmond, Ky

Down I-75, off Exit 90, is a town called Richmond, Ky where a band program exists that is just “off the beaten path” called Madison Central High School.

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I had adjudicated the MCHS Marching Band on several occasions for many years, and was excited about the opportunity to do some consult work with them in 2011. I had no idea the musical fulfillment, relationships, musical growth and pure joy that would evolve over the past 5 years.

They do things the right way in Richmond.

All parts of the band program are successful because of special care in each area that ensures students are receiving a top notch music education. They understand that to have a successful marching program in the fall, the concert program must be the primary focus. They understand that to have a successful concert program, they must limit the amount of “spoon feeding” and focus on creating knowledgable individual student musicians with high personal responsibility. They understand that in order to create and foster student musicians with large amounts of personal responibility, they must trust their educational process and do more than play in a band and rehearse a lot.  They are constant learners and thinkers and are humble in their approach, therefore not afraid to incorporate new ideas, some that might be scary or “off the beaten path”.

What else are they doing right?

They have a growing and evolving chamber music program that the students enjoy and thrive from. The directors are  not afraid to turn the students loose out of the main ensemble to learn and grow without a conductor.

They do not over rehearse the students. In December 2014 & 2015, the Madison Central Music Department put on a concert with only 3 weeks of prep and not your typcial music concert. They partnered with the choral department and put on current arrangements, some in keys that are not common for the high school muscian, and trusted the students to do the preparation outside of rehearsal. On the cusp of a KMEA performance, they saw the benefit of performing and preparing this Christmas program, in which thousands from the community enjoyed at the EKU Arts Center.

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Speaking of KMEA, the 2014 MCHS Wind Ensemble performed at the KMEA State Convention on Thursday February 5, at 1:00.  They began rehearsing for this ever important concert on January 4. One month of preparation is all the students were given, and really, all they needed. The directors understand that students want to succeed, and the less chances they give them to get it wrong, the faster they will get it right. I was there 2 days before this event to witness this band rehearse.  These young musicians were so competent that there were no “high school” level comments being made. The rehearsals were about style and emotion, listening and communicating, phrasing and beauty of tone. It was a huge confirmation of what happens when music is educated and students are trusted, instead of fed with a large spoon.

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Yes, they won the KMEA 5A State Marching Band Championship twice in a row, but that award comes from doing things the right way.  The students love the band program and thrive from the many experiences that are given to them. They love the concert program and making music with each other and they trust the staff to provide musical experiences that are unparalled at the high school level. They have passion and a huge work ethic that comes from a high level of  importance placed on each individual’s training.

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I must also mention the amazing Directors who are never afraid to learn, ask questions and evolve and grow as musicians and educators. Both Brent Barton and David Jaggie are passionate, humble, hard working and selfless. Who knew that in 2011 from a few marching band consults, that I would be able to form relationships with two of the finest music educators in the business, and all would happen just a little “off the beaten path.”

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I could not not be more impressed with a band program, and what these students from rural Richmond, Ky are able to accomplish with less resources than that of larger areas. Keep up the good work Madison Central. I look forward to being part of this stellar band program for many years to come. Thanks for your commitment to musical excellence.

Music Advising for your Marching Band

What are your thoughts about MCHS’s band program?