This recent SBO educator survey uncorks the latest trends on these events – what directors are looking for when selecting a festival, tips on performance, another chapter in the old competitive versus non-competitive debate, and much more.

What are the most important criteria when selecting a band/orchestra festival to attend?

“When I plan a trip, the focus is musical. The trip is just an excuse to give the students a novel learning experience. However, the destination has to be appealing to the students.”

Salvatore Terrasi

Shorewood High School

Shorewood, Wis.

Do you prefer the festivals your groups attend to be:

“Both have value. I have attended excellent competitive and non-competitive events. It is the critique, clinicians, and concerts that make the event worthwhile.”

John Syverson

Fargo South High

Fargo, N.D.

“The best festivals get student musicians together to share. Competition is okay, but it would never be my reason for taking my band or individual students to a festival.  Note: That has not always been my position.  A decade ago my band was one of the most competition-oriented in my state. A series of extremely successful competitions led me to realize that the benefits to the students were transient compared to when they got together to share.”

Dean Lamp

Glidden-Ralston

Glidden, Iowa

What are the most important takeaways from the festivals your students attend?

“We are so busy in our own little musical world at school that we sometimes lose focus on the bigger picture – sharing our music with others.  It’s important to be able to hear other groups and get feedback from respected professionals, and to share what we’re doing in our program.”

Marianne Ball

La Salle High School

Union Gap, Wash.

“Band festivals tend to attract the best bands in our area. It’s great for our kids to hear these ensembles.”

David M. Miller

Valley Middle School

Apple Valley, Minn.

“I want my students to reflect on what the judges told us, accept the rating we received, and, most of all, watch the other groups and support their performances.”

Kurt Stalmann

Santana High School

Santee, Calif. 

What are the latest trends that you’ve noticed in the music festivals your groups attend? 

“I am certainly seeing more festivals add a clinic component. This has been a healthy development.”

Patrick J. Kearney

Johnston High School

Johnston, Iowa.

“I am noticing that there are more independent festivals being run at schools and universities rather than just having the state music educators groups sponsored festival.”

David Lesser

Clovis North Educational Center

Fresno, Calif.

“Festivals seem to be allowing more time for bands to mingle. A definite positive!”

John Stetler

Elida High School

Elida, Ohio

“Band (directors) are too concerned about the level of music they are performing, even if it does not fit their ensemble. Just because you’ve always performed ‘level 6’ in the past does not mean it will always fit your group.  Second to that is the value placed on trophies. The takeaways should be, ‘How did your students feel about the performance?’ And, ‘Did it move the listener?’”

Michael Walsh

Alpharetta High School

Alpharetta, Ga. 

In a festival setting, how do you balance challenging your students with demanding repertoire versus selecting music you know they can perform really well?

“This is a very fine balance. Over-programming is the vanity of high school directors. I challenge my students with music that should be achievable within their instrumentation and potential.”

James Quirion

Cypress High School

Cypress, Calif. 

“I think it is important to play music that your kids can play flawlessly at a contest. I push the kids with harder literature at their other concerts through out the year.”

Hugh Grubbs

Graham Junior High School

Graham, Texas

Do you have any special tricks or tips for preparing students for a festival performance?

“I try to get the dimensions of the stage, then set my band hall to match.”

Cynthia Mixon

Kelly Lane Middle School

Pflugerville, Texas

“‘Repetition is the mother of skill.’ We will spend a lot of time in sectionals, lessons and good old wood-shedding the pieces so as to address all the concerns and challenges of the pieces we select.”

D. Thomas Busch

Pulaski High School

Pulaski, Wis.

“The day before our ensembles participate in an away festival we schedule a two-hour rehearsal/clinic conducted by music staff of a university in the area of the festival. After the clinic, we tour the campus and eat real college food. For some of my students, it is their first time on a college campus. A university director telling my students the same things that I have been saying for months really gets them ready for the festival.”

John Mueller

Incline Middle School

Incline Village, Nev.

“I do a substantial amount of recording-playback so the students can acts as the Adjudicator as well as the Performer, with total objectivity as the goal.  In addition, I’ll often record an excerpt and play it back for the students, immediately followed by a second playback of the same excerpt as performed by a college or professional ensemble. I have also invented an objective self-and-peer evaluation program that I’ve used for the past decade; it allows students to use an easy-to-understand rubric to assess their own performance. In addition, I use a lot of ‘randomness’ techniques within the daily rehearsals (for example, I’ll say, ‘Now let’s hear the same passage but only the 2nd and 3rd chair players should perform; now only the Freshmen & Sophomore class; now only the females,’ and so on).”

Robin Linaberry

Maine-Endwell High School

Endwell, N.Y.

TI:ME Is On Your Side

At the forefront of the movement to revolutionize music instruction is the Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME). A non-profit organization that boasts a tagline of, “Helping music teachers integrate technology since 1995,” TI:ME maintains an impressive array of resources for educators including workshops, conventions, and online forums.

Mike Lawson has been affiliated with TI:ME since it was founded and currently serves as the organization’s executive director. In this recent conversation with SBO, Lawson speaks about how technology can help music teachers engage a new generation of music students.

School Band & Orchestra: What areas of music instruction have benefitted the most from technological innovation?

Mike Lawson: Because of the longstanding history of MIDI and notation, music theory was really the first implementation of technology in the music classroom. Those go hand in hand with being able to interactively and visually teach theory. Instead of handwriting notes on mimeographed paper, you can place notes, hear them, see them, and play them. And this is throughout all grade levels – there are educators using technology to teach basic theory to elementary school kids up through college.

SBO: Aside from the historical angle, does that also jibe with your own interactions with educators?

ML: The biggest opportunity I’m seeing today is how technology is being used to draw interest from non-traditional music students. TI:ME came around originally because there was a decline in traditional music program enrollment: marching band, chorus, and so on. With declines in enrollment come cuts in funding.  If students aren’t interested in something, it won’t get funding. TI:ME recognized early on that when you offer non-traditional courses – guitar lessons, recording software, and so on – there where often waiting lists for kids to take the classes, and with waiting lists comes more interest from administrators to fund the programs.

What’s happening now is that we have some really pioneering, innovative teachers who are using everything from Garage Band on an iPad to full on work stations set up with keyboard audio interfaces and a variety of applications. There’s really no limit on the brands and flavors of software that people are using.

SBO: What do you see as the biggest hurdles for educators to integrate new tools into their teaching?

ML: The biggest challenge is not pedagogy or finding resources, it’s selling their administrators on modernizing the centuries-old methods of teaching music. We have a lot of excited teachers who want to integrate technology in the classroom, but it’s the funding to set up the equipment – even the basic workstations – that can be most challenging and frustrating for educators.

SBO: With so many different types of tools out there, where do you draw the line between technology that is necessary to keep up with modern times versus luxury items?

ML: We could have that discussion on math, as well. It was fine to teach math with an abacus for years and years – they didn’t even have pocket calculators not that long ago. Now, everyone is required to purchase an $80 graphing calculator. I think it comes down to, frankly, some personal priorities and affinities for the arts within administrations. There are some public school programs that have much more emphasis on things like sports or other pet projects by administrators. The administrators who favor music and offering their students the best possible learning environment are the ones who step up to the plate and help the teachers solve the problem of getting more kids interested in the arts and in learning music. At the end of the day, our goal is not to teach technology, but to teach music – and to use the latest technology to do it.

SBO: Along those lines, what would you recommend for educators who may not be early technology adapters?

ML: I would recommend two things. First, they should join TI:ME. I say that now more emphatically than ever because we have reinvented who we are this year in terms of what we offer our members and the ability of our members to network with other educators. There is no easier way to solve some of these problems than through discussion with people who have been through it.  A teacher might come onto our system and say, “I’m kind of new to all of this.  Where should I start?” Other educators will join the discussion, either in public or in private, explaining options. So that’s a good place to start.

We offer courses around the country, and we also have some events that could be very helpful. The events move every year, and our National Conference is an excellent place to learn. This year it’s going to be in Texas alongside the TMEA show. It’s basically going to be three-and-a-half or four days of training. Then, a month later, we’re doing the same thing in Ohio, for people that might not be able to get to the Texas show.

Networking with peers is the best first step anyone can take, and TI:ME provides a great place to make that happen, with people who are actually doing this. Many of our members are already using this stuff in the classroom. Most of them have already implemented some kind of program.

I also can’t recommend YouTube enough, and there are some wonderful Facebook groups that educators can get involved with.

SBO: Do you see a dramatic generational gap in terms of which educators are adapting the latest teaching tools?

ML: Part of what’s going on here is a changing of the guard that is slowly starting to happen. There are a lot of band directors moving towards retirement. The older band directors are the ones who are least likely to adapt. Many of the newer ones coming in are already familiar with some of the more widespread music software, but they still haven’t spent a ton of time doing audio production or recording. Those educators could still benefit from some training on a basic understanding of the physics of sound and how to explain that to kids.  The bottom line is that TI:ME wants to help teachers figure out how to solve these problems.

SBO: What problems are you referring to that technology can really address?

ML: I knew from the age of eight or nine that I was going to be a musician.  From the day I got my first guitar, I knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life.  My musical education opportunities in public schools growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s were extremely limited.  Any aspirations outside of marching band and choir were highly discouraged by the music educators of that era – in my school, at least.  I took music classes in spite of that, because I had a desire to learn. I know that there are a world of students out there who would be life-long music lovers if they were able to have some hands-on technology in front of them that could help make sense of complicated musical processes.

These days, kids are into all different kinds of music, and you have to hit them where they live.  The electronic tools, software, controllers, all of these things ignite the spark and get them interested.  A certain percentage of those sparks are going to turn into raging fires. I see technology in music education as a means to igniting that spark and start a fire in some of these kids that will burn inside them for the rest of their lives. So what if they’re initial interest is making beats or loops or dropping samples? Get them interested, give them some gratification, let them see some progress in what interests them, and it will grow from there.

I don’t want to give the impression that I’m down on traditional band directors, because I’m not; they play an important role and truly music can be taught without any technology.  I would just encourage people to not discount new ways of doing things, to not look at new tools as toys or cheats to learning music just because we had to learn the hard way when they were growing up.

We don’t know who we’re teaching, what the kids in our classes are going to go on and do. There is that opportunity now to reach a whole new level of students and interest them in music. You never know if another little Miles Davis is sitting there and drawing inspiration from being able to put something together, someone who might decide, “You know, instead of dropping that trumpet sample down, I’d like to learn to play it myself.” That’s what we’re hoping to ignite. TI:ME wants to be here to support interest in music and adapting technology to teach music with. Again, we’re not here to teach technology, we’re here to teach music and let technology aid in that.

By John Kuzmich, Jr.

Technology is changing how we deliver education. However, getting up to speed on the innovative opportunities that come with new software and hardware can be helped by an occasional jumpstart. At the end of this column is a link to a listing of over 130 online workshops and course offerings that cover every aspect of music technology education (click here to download a pdf of the listing). While traditional travel and housing expenses have been eliminated, you’ll need four things to participate: a fast internet connection (broadband or higher); a Pentium 4 computer or a Mac (with 4 GBs of RAM); a microphone connected to the computer; and access to videoconferencing software for the interactive classes. GoToMeeting and WebEX are popular examples of videoconferencing software that work well over broadband internet connections without special hardware requirements. Skype also offers multipoint conferencing. Webcams are usually optional, although many laptops now include built in cameras.

Distance-learning instruction comes in two styles of delivery: synchronous and asynchronous. Asynchronous classes offer pre-recorded lectures and demonstrations, while synchronous is live, real-time interactive streaming over the Internet. Some asynchronous workshops offer live chat sessions so students can interact occasionally with the teacher; these are called “blended learning.” Blended learning may also have prerecorded material presented after the live chatroom transmissions. Three model approaches for distance-learning featured here are: lynda.com, berkleemusic.com, and IUPUI. Lynda.com offers well over 50 asynchronous courses for quick and easy training on a monthly subscription basis. Berkleemusic.com offers blended learning instruction. IUPUI offers both asynchronous and synchronous instruction.

Three Models of Distance-Learning Instruction

Lynda.com

Technically, lynda.com is not distance learning. Rather, it’s an online resource for anyone who wants to learn software, technology, business, or creative skills without academic pressure. With a lynda.com subscription, members receive access to the entire library of video tutorials in nine different content areas: 3D/Animation, Business, Design, Developer, Home Computing, Photography, Video, Web/Interactive, and, perhaps most useful for our purposes, Audio. This helpful structure has been in place since 2002 when Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin began posting training videos online at www.lynda.com. With over one million individual, corporate, academic, and government subscribers, lynda.com was recently ranked the 13th fastest-growing, privately-held education company in the U.S. by Inc. magazine. Schools are partnering with lynda.com so students and teachers can stay on top of ever-evolving technology.

Lynda.com currently offers 50 courses that focus on teaching digital audio tools and skills, such as mixing, mastering, music production, recording, and scoring and composition. For example, there are courses in audio software such as Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Garage Band, Soundbooth, Finale, Reason, Sibelius, and Soundtrack ProTools. They also offer courses to learn skills surrounding these digital tools, such as Digital Audio Principles, Foundations of Audio, and Audio Mixing Bootcamp.

Courses vary in length. For example, Pro Tools 10 is a nine-hour course and iTunes Essential Training is a four-and-a-half-hour course. However, each course is divided into bite-sized sections so students can learn at their own pace. There is no homework (or grades) associated with the video tutorials. Students either need to own the software or have access to it. Since all of the courses are video courses, the faster the Internet connection, the better. Their service requires up to 440 KB/s per individual user. With self-directed asynchronous learning, you go at your own pace and direct your own learning path.

There is no need to send large data files. All of the lynda.com courses are available online. Lynda.com is always publishing new courses for further learning, and are often the first to offer training when new software versions are released on Mac, PC, mobile, and tablet technology. There are no deadlines for completing any courses all of which are available for a monthly subscription fee. This approach allows the flexibility to be able to watch a course from beginning to end, watch numerous courses in one session, or watch specific videos that cover particular skills and topics. Linda.com also provides 24/7 access to the library from a Mac, PC, smart phone, or tablet.

Berkleemusic.com

Berkleemusic.com was launched in 2002 and now offers 150+ courses and certificate programs. The purpose of berkleemusic.com is to provide avenues for learning music technology instruction either for recertification or academic expertise. Music technology changes so fast that it is essential that there be avenues for such study, and the variety and wealth/depth of instruction at Berklee is incredible.

A maximum of 20 students per class allows for more personal interaction between students and teacher. For larger classes, Berklee offers multiple sections of a course to keep that ratio. Out of the 150 courses, there are many areas of music technology with which to engage. The music production area, for example, has between 30 and 35 courses. There are professional certificate programs, such as their most popular course of study, music production and technology, which is a collection of 12 different courses. In music production, there are about 30 courses and 20 certificates that give students more than 50 options of study. Because of the number of courses offered, students can become very proficient in what’s being taught. There are abundant courses for entry, intermediate, and advanced levels: four or five ProTools courses and advanced mixing and mastering techniques ranging from Music 101 to 301. Professional students have taken courses while on tour, including musicians from groups like Sugarland and the Dave Matthews Band.

Every course is 12 weeks long and available on Mac and PC. Berklee doesn’t offer any short-term courses. Within every course, there is a one-hour chat interaction on a weekly basis. The live chat uses WebEx to coordinate all students in the class. The teacher uses video, audio, and screen-sharing to answer questions and may add additional information to the course in the weekly chat session. For the rest of the instruction, the student does the work privately in an asynchronous mode. Generally, five hours of outside home is required for every hour of on-line instruction each week (chat, assignments, and quizzes). Students generally own their own software, but Berklee has partnered with companies directly to provide educational discounts for such programs as ProTools, Aberton Live, Logic, Sonar, and Cubase. They also use freeware, like a. Every course has hardware and software requirements, but Internet speed requirements are not that specific. Webcams are not required, but some teachers may request them.

IUPUI

Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) has a long history of innovative leadership in music technology offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and IUPUI is currently developing a doctorate program in music technology. Some undergraduate courseware is transmitted over public television, while others are delivered asynchronously over the Internet. Most graduate degree courses are transmitted synchronously with a few courses utilizing podcasts or recorded video.

IUPUI offers 10 online courses, plus elective courses for the masters degree in Music Technology and 10 courses for the masters degree in Music Therapy program. All elective courses and three of the music technology core courses are available to students who are not enrolled in a degree. These include: Music Website Development, Using Flash, Using ProTools, Using Finale, Sound Design, Teaching at a Distance, Teaching with Social Media, and the yearly International Music Technology Conference and Workshop. The average course has 42 hours of instruction for students. There is a designated time limit which conforms to university deadlines for completion of campus courses, usually a day or two after the final exam period.

The faster the Internet connection the better, but students can use DSL at 768k or cable internet connections at 1.4 Mbps. All graduate courses have access to a live chat during class through Adobe Connect Pro and Oncourse. Students may also videoconference through Connect Pro during class and can Skype or iChat with an instructor or chat online outside of class meetings. The music department uses Tandberg’s H.323 MOVI system for high-end videoconferencing. Students do not need a webcam for any class. The department’s courseware is Mac and PC compatible.

IUPUI runs their annual International Music Technology Conference and Workshop during the third week of June. This year it will be held June 20-23, 2012. It is videostreamed live with on-campus students present.

Closing Comments

There are so many ways to access the latest learning in music technology. Examine the directory for a myriad of topics via both on-site and distant-learning. Hopefully, you will find what meets your needs and incorporate technology skills in your teaching. Also, check out the web supplement at: www.kuzmich.com/musictech12.html for late submissions. You might also consider earning a professional music technology certificate offered by TI:ME (Technology Institute for Music Educators), which has workshops taught by their certified instructors from coast to coast. The April 2009 and 2010 issues of SBO magazine will give you good look at TI:ME and its advantages for music educators. Many of their workshops are listed in this directory.

I invite you to peruse this directory of music technology classes for opportunities in professional growth and career development. On-campus instruction is represented coast-to-coast. Distance learning is everywhere. This is a rich resource for both summer study and year-round learning.

2012 Music Technology Course Offerings

Click Here to download a table of Music Technology Course Offerings.

Dr John Kuzmich

Dr. John Kuzmich Jr. is a veteran music educator, jazz educator and music technologist with more than 41 years of public school teaching experience. He is a TI:ME-certified training instructor and has a Ph.D. in comprehensive musicianship. As a freelance author, Dr. Kuzmich has more than 400 articles and five text
books published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America.

For more information, visit www.kuzmich.com.

In order to uncover potentially helpful tips on funding and executing a performance apparel purchase, SBO reached out to five music educators who have recently acquired new band uniforms for their programs.

Funding

How do you go about financing uniform purchases? 

Shawn McAnear: In Cy-Fair ISD, the school district sets the process and the amount of the purchase. We are free to seek out whatever uniform design we wish from any company. The central administration will use past uniform expenses to craft a budget amount and either approve the expense as bid or ask us to remove items to lower the expense. We have been fortunate through two cycles to have our uniform approved without any changes from a finance standpoint. The school district supports this purchase as a capital outlay expense and is on a cycle of every ten years. With ten high schools in the district, basically one complete set of uniforms is purchased each year. We are fortunate that our band parent organization is not responsible for funding this expense, as outfitting our 250 member band was roughly $98,000.

Joe Bartell: We just purchased brand new uniforms this year. When we decided to make this purchase a couple of years ago, we started to set aside money from various fundraisers into a uniform account. We were able to raise the funds quickly because we host a running event in our city that brings in a great amount of revenue. Administration was not involved since it is our own booster group that made the purchase, plus our administration doesn’t like to get involved with those types of decisions. They allow me, the director, to have creative freedom over the design of the new uniform.

Raymond Thomas: We also save money through the boosters. When I got to this school, there wasn’t much in the way of savings. However, we were able to save five, six, or seven thousand dollars each year, and put that money away. By the time we got to the point where we really needed new uniforms, we were able to go out and get them. That system works.

I have also taught at schools where the Board of Education bought the uniforms, which is a very different situation. Now I’m in a district that has five high schools, so there’s just no funding for uniforms. I also worked at another school that had to take out a loan to purchase uniforms. Every school that I’ve worked at has been a little bit different. I think the plan of saving money is the best way to go because then you’re ready to make the purchase when you need to.

Susie Marin: Prior to committing to the purchase of new uniforms, a series of meetings were held first at the school site with our principal and then at the district with the assistant superintendant of business services. Since our district supplies half the money for the purchase of new uniforms, we had to have approval at that level before we began our fundraising campaign. Because of the financial difficulties many California schools are facing, we had to plan two years in advance so the money could be put into the district’s budget.

In our case, money was raised and then donated to the district for the purchase of the uniforms. So the district is responsible for the contract and payments. The uniforms become the property of the district, not the boosters. Normally we are allotted new uniforms every seven years, but this is dependant on the boosters’ ability to put forth half the costs of the new uniforms. We waited 10 years since our last uniform purchase this time around due to the economy and financial difficulties.

The boosters set up an aggressive fundraising program to raise our half of the funds for the uniforms. Some of the fundraisers included working concessions at the Rose Bowl, a menudo cook off, a silent auction, car washes, and a letter writing campaign for donations. The challenge was to raise funds for the uniforms while also raising funds for our operational budget. The boosters had to submit our half of the funds in full before the contact would be signed and the order placed with uniform company.

We have committed to putting money into a savings account every year until our next purchase to help keep us on schedule and to make the whole process less stressful.

Marla Weber: The school pays for all of our uniforms. It’s a fixed cost, just like football uniforms and everything else.

The Purchase

What is the typical process you go through when choosing a design and selecting a manufacturer/supplier?

Marla Weber: We are fortunate to have a uniform manufacturer here in our town, and we like to keep our business local so we go with them. Our staff works with their designers. Our main concern is getting the most uniform for our buck. We try to push for three different looking uniforms coming from one main outfit. So, for example, we have a breast plate that can be worn one way for one look, reversed for a second look, and removed for a third.

Shawn McAnear: We are fortunate to have a great working relationship with the uniform company we use. In our opinion, they are the leading designer of marching band uniforms in the country. With that said, over the last two cycles, they were the only company that we discussed our design ideas with. Upon getting district approval to proceed, we will meet with a designer from the company to discuss our likes/dislikes and our vision for the uniform. From there, they will do a sketch and the process begins. Because we are very picky, we went through three redesigns of the uniform to find the one that fit our group. This took place over several weeks until we had a uniform that everyone was excited about having for the next ten years. While the initial designs were great, given that we keep them for ten years, we have to stay a little more traditional as to not have a dated look down the road.

Susie Marin: I started researching designs first by picking out uniforms I liked. I would go to shows or watch DCI and Bands of America and see colors, coat designs, and shakos that I liked. I would then ask colleagues who designed their uniforms, what they liked about their uniforms, how expensive they were, what the care was like, and so on. I then narrowed down my manufacturer choices and visited booths at my state conference and at Midwest. I made appointments with designers and sales representatives to see fabrics and care options first hand.

It was important to me when choosing a manufacturer that the design be cutting edge, use modern fabrics, the cut of the uniform be more athletic and free moving, I want options for machine washing parts of the uniform, and that the company be well established. Price was somewhat of a concern, but getting what I wanted in the uniform was the big issue.

Reliable delivery was very important. I wanted to get what I requested and match the sample I had received. I didn’t want any surprises on delivery; I wanted to make sure colors in the sample were the same as the delivered product.

The company we went with did a great job of showing me options; they designed many uniforms to my requests. They let me know my construction and accessories options, as well (plumes, special fabrics, buttons, et cetera). They were great through our manufacturing process. They gave us realistic delivery dates and even in the touchy delivery stage they gave me weekly updates. They were in constant contact during our final completion and delivery.

Joe Bartell: I would have to say the biggest aspect that was considered was the price. We wanted to get a uniform that was durable, would stand the test of time, but was of good quality. I submitted requests to a couple different uniform manufacturers, met with their sales reps, and ultimately decided on who we went with because they could provide the design options we wanted with the price we were able to spend. The biggest aid in choosing a design is actually going to regular band competitions. While we are waiting around for awards or while we are unloading/loading the trailer I am always checking out the other uniforms. You develop a taste for what you like and what you don’t. I brought those ideas to the table, met with the rep from the uniform company, and with a little creative guidance from the professionals, we were able to come up with a product that I, and all the invested parties, loved.

Raymond Thomas: I spoke with all my colleagues who had recently bought uniforms or who had a uniform that they were happy with. I asked them who they have bought uniforms from. I looked at the styles that were being produced that we liked, and then I spoke with every company about quality, design, how the uniform is produced, and the kinds of options they offered in terms of materials and every other thing. Once we started sorting through the companies in that sense, we narrowed it down to two companies and started talking to representatives about specific designs. From there, we evaluated the designs we got back and looked into each company’s customer service. When we contacted these companies, some of them came to our school and brought a bunch of product to show us. Other companies weren’t that interested in doing that. Customer service comes to play in anything but it really came into play at that stage in the process.

Tips

Do you have any advice for teachers who may not have experience with this process?

Marla Weber: Find someone who is really knowledgeable in the area of uniforms and has been in the business for a long time. Sit down with them before you start the process, and ask as many questions on what you should be looking for. One of the main things is to always look into the future. Over the years, colors don’t stay the same, so if you see your band growing at any point in the near future, it’s best to get more than you need because matching colors – with fabrics and dyes – might be a problem when you try to order more.

Joe Bartell: The biggest advice I can offer is to look around and really figure out what is out there that you like and don’t like. I would also suggest going into the design meeting with an open mind. When I created our uniforms, I had in my head exactly what I thought the new uniforms would look like. After talking to the rep and listening to his input, I realized that some of the aspects I wanted wouldn’t look good in person, were too expensive, couldn’t actually be made how I had envisioned it, or were just bad design. These reps really know what they are doing, and if you let them help you in the process, work with them and maybe compromise on some of what you thought were “must haves,” then you will come out of the process with a really good looking uniform.

The other bit of advice that I would share with teachers is that they shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. Call around and talk to other directors, exchange emails with the uniform reps, and get some input on the design of the uniform. Just because you solicit input doesn’t mean you have to take it. But, you never know who might suggest something that turns out to be an amazing idea. After all, you are going to have to live with these uniforms for many years, so you want to make sure that it is something you are happy with, and something that will make your band look great!

Susie Marin: When designing a uniform, get input from students, parents, and faculty. Present people with multiple drawings and take a vote of which design they like best. Ask questions what they like and dislike about the designs. Have a sample or multiple samples made. Have kids wear them and don’t be afraid to make changes!

You can save money in a new uniform by using a stock shako and pants and put your money into a nice coat and plumes. Ask your sales rep for money saving ideas, like do you really need new shako boxes or plume cases? Can these items be bought second hand? Also look into selling your old uniforms to bring in a little extra cash.

Shawn McAnear: Find a company that you are comfortable working with. We have had a relationship with the company we use since 1999. This is key to being happy with the design and the overall uniform. In addition, do not settle for a design that is not what you want just because it may be the designer’s vision. Utilize their expertise along with your vision to design a uniform you are excited about for many years to come.

Raymond Thomas: Start early – I would suggest a year and a half out from when you want to buy. Also, order early. If you want your uniforms on a particular date, order at least six months in advance. Uniform companies will tell you that, too, but they’re right.

It is really important to feel comfortable with the representatives of the uniform company. The reps need to be there not only when you’re buying, but also afterwards to take care of anything you might need. That actually ruled out a few companies that we were considering – we heard that they had really poor customer service after the uniforms had arrived. That can be problematic, especially if the uniform quality is an issue. Right now, if I called my rep today and told him that I had a problem, he would take care of that today. I know that about him. We had to do some fill-ins; as soon as I called, the process started right away, and we got our fill-ins no problem.

Also consider the “extras.” Some companies will take you to their plant, other companies will send a designer or manager to your school, and others will set up a meeting with one of their major designers. Take advantage of any of that, if you can. When we sat down with some of the big designers from companies, not only did that help me in other areas, it was a true education for me. Even if you don’t go with a particular company, they might help teach you about something you may want to do in the future – maybe haven’t even considered yet.

Today’s school band, orchestra, and choir directors are really conductor-educators who must simultaneously perform the roles of leader, musician, and pedagogue. There are a number of personality traits that facilitate this feat, both on and off the podium. These personal, musical, and pedagogical qualities and skills help the music teacher reach his or her musical and educational goals. This article will discuss such traits by first focusing on their theoretical importance and then examining their practical importance to the successful music conductor-educator.

There are a number of books and articles that tell us of the variety of traits considered important to becoming an effective music teacher. In an article written in 1989, Joy Lawrence noted that successful music directors often display certain qualities that help them achieve their goals and that these qualities can be grouped into three general categories: personal qualities, musical knowledge and skills, and effective teaching techniques. References to such traits are also mentioned by other authors who were more specific in their research and found that self-confidence, sense of humor, sincerity, human understanding, restraint, moral character and friendliness were helpful for the music teacher and conductor. Ward Woodbury found that leadership behaviors were also important to have for a conductor-educator, while yet another author stated that the music director is expected to lead and combine the skills of a musicologist, instrumentalist, community organizer, and psychologist to accomplish his goal of leading an ensemble to communicate musically.

The effects of conductor behaviors on students was the subject of a study by Cornelia Yarbrough, who discovered that when an ensemble director’s noticeable behavior in a rehearsal is dynamic, it can positively affect the students’ performance and attitude. She also found that the students preferred to be taught by the high magnitude conductor and were more attentive to the high magnitude conductor as compared to the low magnitude conductor. Other studies have been done on traits in relation to teaching and conducting music, finding that it was important to have the ability to use effective rehearsal techniques, good verbal communication, and a sound knowledge of psychology in leading successful rehearsals.

Throughout the various books and articles on teaching and conducting, many traits were found that included certain personal, musical, and pedagogical traits and skills needed by today’s conductor-educator to be successful, both on and off the podium. Here is a summary of some 27 common traits that were commonly and consistently mentioned in these studies, articles, and books:

While many sources allude to the theoretical importance of having and demonstrating various personal, musical, and pedagogical traits for teaching and conducting, it was decided to compare theory with practice to see if there was a correlation of importance. Information on the practical importance of these various traits by school ensemble directors was gathered through an opinion survey sent to a random sample of current ensemble directors who are middle school and high school band and orchestra directors in several states in the United States. These ensemble directors were asked to rate 27 traits on a standardized scale with “5” rated as the highest in importance and “1” rated as the lowest in importance. Here is what was found from these surveyed school band and orchestra directors. Hopefully, this will be of practical value to today’s music teachers.

The results show that many, if not all, of the personal, musical, and pedagogical traits were considered important by these surveyed ensemble directors (Table 1). The traits rated the highest were enthusiasm, aural skills, communication ability, self-confidence, assertiveness, and mastery of subject matter. Among the lowest rated traits were expressive gestures, knowledge of music history and music theory, philosophy of education and knowledge of psychology. Asked to list separately what the ensemble directors considered the two most important traits, these teachers consistently mentioned enthusiasm and human understanding. This appears to hint that the directors’ perceptions and beliefs that the personal traits are considered to be of the most practical and important in successful teaching and conducting. It is also interesting to note that these surveyed ensemble directors rated the three categories in different degrees of importance as well (Table 2). It was found that the three categories of traits were ranked in importance as follows:

• Personal Traits: 1st Importance Mean: 4.547
• Pedagogical Traits: 2nd Importance Mean: 4.347
• Musical Traits: 3rd Importance Mean: 4.218

The information from this survey also suggests that all three categories of traits (personal, musical, and pedagogical) are considered essential in both the articles and books as well as by the school ensemble directors themselves, but in varying degrees of importance. Interestingly, both the articles and the results of the survey seem to indicate that the personal traits are considered the music conductor-educator’s strongest asset with enthusiasm being the highest and most valued overall trait. This may imply that the personal qualities provide a foundation for the teacher’s personal and interpersonal skills which enable him/her to earn the student’s respect and attention. When students hold a positive view of their teacher as personable, the classroom environment can and generally does become more conducive to teaching and learning.

In addition, if would seem helpful for music teachers to also know that having a demonstrable balance of both musical and pedagogical qualities would enable their students to hopefully see and realize that their ensemble director has such skill-based traits and is willing to demonstrate these traits for their educational success. Sometimes students need to know that their ensemble director can both “talk the talk” and “walk the walk,” which can only lead to students’ increased willingness to learn and growing respect for the music teacher.

But what does all of this mean?

The results suggest first of all that ensemble directors believe that whoever possesses and demonstrates a blend of certain personal, musical, and pedagogical traits can be a successful conductor-educator in the music classroom/rehearsal hall. That being said, the results may also suggest for ensemble directors to be aware of and focus more on developing one’s personal qualities in working with students, faculty, and staff. A proper balance of all three sets of qualities could help ensemble directors to provide better and more meaningful and memorable musical experiences for all of their students.

After all is said and done, here are also some practical and hopefully helpful implications and things to think about from all of this:

1) Because of the relatively high importance of the personal qualities as found in the articles and books and as deemed by the surveyed music teachers, there should be a conscious effort by music teachers to concentrate on and demonstrate these personal traits by continuing to work on personal and interpersonal skills in promoting healthy working relationships with students, parents, and administration, both on and off the podium.

2) Because enthusiasm was rated highest by the conductor-educators, there is an implication that the music teacher’s subjective qualities (such as personality) are deemed most valuable and practical to have and demonstrate in teaching and conducting.

3) Because expressive gestures was rated among the lowest in importance, ensemble directors should consider teaching their students about what these gestures can and do mean on the podium. Another suggestion is possibly using expressive gestures more often so that their students will be able to recognize and respond to them more quickly and interactively in rehearsals and performances. An article by Corey Francis, “Expressive Conducting,” highlights this point and is worth reading.

4) With an extensive number of these 27 traits being derived from articles and books, it is apparent that a number of these traits can overlap. The resulting implication is that these traits can be separated into three distinct categories, be interrelated, and can be used all at the same time in teaching and conducting school bands, orchestras and choirs.

In summary, through a balanced blend of personal, musical, and pedagogical traits, conductor-educators – and all music teachers, for that matter – should have and demonstrate a variety of traits, qualities, and skills with which to guide students to their own learning. By the same token, with better prepared teacher/role models, students will be better prepared for the real world and to hopefully become better people. Students often remember not only how well their ensembles played, but also well they were treated as people. As the saying goes, “People only care about how much you know when they know how much you care!” Let us all continue to do our best in teaching music to today’s music students while realizing that whom we are teaching today may become tomorrow’s conductor-educators!

PERSONAL TRAITS: enthusiasm, assertiveness, commanding presence, friendliness, human understanding, integrity, organizational ability, self-confidence, self-discipline.

MUSICAL TRAITS: aural skills, baton technique, expressive gestures, knowledge of music history, knowledge of musical styles, musical modeling skills, personal musicianship, and knowledge of musical instruments.

PEDAGOGICAL TRAITS: application of rehearsal methods, communication ability, having goals and objectives, knowledge of psychology, knowledge of assessment/evaluation, mastery of subject matter, having a philosophy of education, being a role model, and use of resources.

Dr. Victor Vallo Jr. is a professor of Music and the chair of the Department of Music at Georgia College & State University (GCSU). Dr. Vallo has been conductor and guest conductor for a number of orchestras and bands around the country, including the Immaculata Wind Symphony, Anderson Symphony Orchestra (SC), Arkansas Festival Orchestra, Alabama All-State Orchestra, and South Carolina All-State Orchestra. Currently, Dr. Vallo is the music director/conductor of the Oconee Regional Symphony Orchestra.

The Powell Academy is the educational section of the site, providing flutists with direct access to master teachers currently playing Powell. Through the Academy, flutists may schedule lessons with the master teachers, request to host a local event, read articles and view videos on flute and piccolo techniques. Recordings are available for download in the Recording Studio, which includes new releases and some discontinued recordings available only through powellflutes.com.

See the new site for yourself at www.powellflutes.com.

For more on this historic milestone, visit www.carlfischer.com.

For more on this remarkable story, visit www.utahsymphony.org.

Champion died after suffering a ritual beating by his fellow band members on a school bus following a band performance. News of the tragic event cast a pall on the marching world, bringing the national spotlight on to the unfortunate hazing practices that some say are particularly prevalent in the marching band culture at southern universities and historically black colleges.

For more on the charges filed and fallout from this case, read this article from the N.Y. Times.

And yet, through it all, Totenberg was an educator first and foremost. In a 2010 interview with Boston University publication BU Today, he noted, “At age 11 I had a student who was 10. I always had the interest in teaching.”

For more on the passing of this icon, click here.