My Day
Today I observed the orchestra rehearsal; I always enjoy learning more about string instruments. I conducted the concert band through a piece and today my conducting was not very good. I really need to practice conducting everyday to work on my consistency. I conducting the wind ensemble and it went good.
Instrument techniques
Brass
-I need to become best friends with my brass methods book and look and memorize EVERYTHING!
-Intonation tendencies with partials
-Low brass get chin off chest because of bad tone
General Instruction
Orchestra
-Important at the beginning of class on Mondays to take an interest in students’ lives/weekends to develop good rapport
-Make sure students know how to mark music (accidentals)
-“String slap:” low strings vibrate on notes and hits the board….not good.
Band
-Break down transposing, how to find minor scale by starting on 6th scale degree of major with the same key signature
-With beginning brass take the time (especially with warm ups and scale) to check correct pitches
-Students should be able to know (of a piece) the key, key change, time signature, for, etc.
-As a director know style with grace notes whether they are before or on the beat
-Define to your students what a “pick up note” is
-Have everybody play except the melody to hear/teach phrasing in harmony
-Dynamic of performance from audience perspective
-Harmony/drone notes to phrase follow melody
Conducting
-Ictus! Be consistent.
-Make style changes obvious
Quotes and Other Random Happenings
Analogies!
-Melt one note into another or into a rest like “Butter on a hot skillet.”
Videos & Pictures
Here is a video of parts of my rehearsal with the Wind Ensemble. My apologies for the poor sound quality, I am speaking to them in between playing, and if you click on the video you will be able to open it in youtube full screen to see the writing.
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