MENC: The National Association for Music Education

Managing the Junior High Band Author(s): James A. Middleton Source: Music Educators Journal, Vol. 66, No. 1 (Sep., 1979), pp. 37-39+78-79 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of MENC: The National Association for Music Education Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3395715 . Accessed: 10/12/2013 23:15
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James A. Middleton
In many, if not most, junior high or middle school band programs,
The author is associate professor of music education at the Univtersitv of Missouri, Columbia.

the band instructor serves as administrator for the instrumental music program as well as the principal or only instrumental teacher. The situation also may be complicated by the common notion that the junior high or middle school student

is difficult to teach. But exemplary programs in instrumental music illustrate that the teaching/learning environment can be at its finest in programs at these levels if the teaching situation is properly planned and monitored. mej/september '79 37

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Goals and objectives A successful band program is more than students, buildings, instruments, equipment, materials, teachers, and schedules. It must be founded on a basic philosophy of music education, grounded in principles, ethics, and the need for selfactualization, and appropriately related to the aesthetic dimensions of human experience in music. A philosophy should reflect both personal and corporate elements in any classroom setting. The teacher/administrator also must take into consideration the education aims of the citizens of the community, parents, civic leaders, and school administrators.The smooth operation of any phase of the education sector depends on the recognition of variable points of view and the amalgamation of these into realistic goals and objectives. Not to be overlooked in the formulation of goals and objectives are the students within the program. Learning is improved when students are involved in the decisionmaking process, particularly if they are convinced that their opinions are respected. The following goals and objectives parallel the needs of students in many junior high and middle schools. * Students should develop the skills of performance within their level of maturityand understanding both alone and in small and large ensembles. * They should develop accurate concepts of music symbology, recognition, and meaning; meter, rhythm, melody, harmony, tonality, and structure;style, timbre, phrasing, balance, blend, intonation, dynamics, and related interpretation factors; and conducting patterns and how to react to music direction. * They should learn and be able to verbalize a rhythmic vocabulary. * They should gain enjoyment and satisfaction (self-actualization) from participation in instrumental music. * They should have opportunities and teacher encouragement to explore the history of music and a personal application of music theory in creativityand performance. * They should increase cognitive elements, psychomotor skills, and affective awareness compatible with their individual capacities, resulting from experience with a growing 38 mej/september '79

and challenging repertoire of excellent music. These general goals and objectives are neither inclusive nor exclusive. More specific statements should be formulated for single-focus behavioral guides related to each type of learning activity. Every music instructor is dependent upon a generalized organizational structure inherent in the school. The teacher/administrator, however, should strive to provide adequate exposure in music for optimal learning conditions. Three levels of band class instruction should be provided: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. The best pattern for scheduling instrumental programs is to allot daily classes of from forty-five to fifty-five minutes, especially for the beginning and intermediate band students. Beginning classes are most easily taught in homogeneous groupings, but, if the number of class sessions must be restricted to only one or two meetings per week, then heterogeneous groups taught daily are preferred. If the heterogeneous classes contain more than forty students, other techniques that can be used in beginning bands are team teaching, alternate day classes of woodwinds, brasses, and percussion, and daily classes at different times. Many teachers prefer homogeneous classes, but because of cost and scheduling factors, the number of classes per week might be limited. Daily heterogeneous classes do have these advantages:the instructor's time is used more completely; students benefit from exposure to a variety of instruments, experiences, and solutions to performing problems; daily classes encourage the routine of practice and facilitate the development of correct habits; and participation in large groups with common goals may enhance esprit and increase personal satisfaction. Those who believe that it is too difficult to teach beginning band students in heterogeneous class groupings should consider that there is just one subject being taught-music. Fingerings, position, and embouchure requirements will vary, but the larger elements are basically the same. Notation, breath support, music reading, rhythm, intonation, precision, phrasing, style, and many other factors are identical

and have implications for all students in the class. Beginning band classes Students who did not have the opportunity to begin formal instrumental study earlier should be taught no less than three classes each week, preferably five. Twice-aweek classes will be sufficient, if minimal, for homogeneous groups. Basic warm-up routines should be taught and used daily. The class then launches into the assigned material for the day. Many excellent types of music materials are available, and the judicious teacher chooses those items that adequately provide access to the basic behavioral objectives of the class. Not only should students be taught performing skills, they also should learn a rhythmic vocabulary and sing or count on pitch some simple exercises daily. The teacher should serve as a model for good performance and use excelling class members as additional exemplars to motivate proper development. Classes should never drag. The motivation level will remain high with affirmativecorrection of problems rather than a consistently negative attitude. Daily auditions of each student are valuable, but these necessarily must be short-one or two measures in length, moving from student to student quickly, alternating every few individual solos with the full class playing the exercise. This strategy avoids lengthy periods of idleness and yet allows a daily analysis of each student's progress. Tone quality, articulations, posture, hand position, pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and other factors can be assessed. With instrumental music, the emphasis is on learning and the student's desire to improve rather than on the teacher. Each student must be respected as an individual and encouraged to learn through discovery and exploration. The teacher's role is that of a guide and a catalyst in the learning process. He or she arranges the educational environment so that students can learn from each other, the learning processes are compatible with reality, students are encouraged to develop a strong sense of responsibility, and there is continuing provision for expanded educational opportunity. Competition for a high

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standard of performance can be an excellent motivator when coupled with a chair placement system, but only if gently, humanely practiced by the instructor. The competition should not pit students against one another, but rather encourage them to jointly work toward creditable goals. The beginning band class should perform briefly near the end of the first year, as a part of the annual spring concert of all classes in the band department. A performance has several values: it provides a forum for the sharing of talents; both students and parents can hear and compare the gradual processes of maturation in instrumental skills from one level to the next, gaining a perspective of successive education opportunities; and parents are given another means of ascertaining music growth. Intermediate level Students at the intermediate level of classes in band programs are

sometimes neglected. It seems easier to focus attention on the problems of the beginning and advanced classes. The intermediate student is beyond laboriously groping for the control of an instrument and, unlike the advanced student, is not faced with the frequent public displays that often sublimate quality education for the sake of performance. The intermediate student has many of the fundamental processes under control and is in a position to accelerate physical dexterity and cognitive rapprochement with music elements in greater depth. But if proper attention is not given to the intermediate student, the interest cultivated by the student at the beginning level will wane and the potential for advancement will be lost. The ideal schedule for intermediate levels is a like-instrument grouping daily for forty-five minutes to an hour. The next preferred schedule would have daily team teaching by three instructors with the class divided into three groups-woodwinds, brass, and percussion. If only two team teachers are available, the brass instructor also can teach the percussion students, based on the parallel factors of embouchure, position, and fingering in the brass area compared to the woodwinds. Daily classes of full band with heterogeneous instrumentation is the alternative if only one teacher is available. At the intermediate level, self-discipline is developed by continued emphasis on proper procedures. Individual progress is cultivated and abetted when orderliness and careful practice routines are ingrained as habit. A need remains for the continuation and extension of warm-up procedures and the use of technical and music studies. There should be an increase in the exposure to band repertoire of a modest level of difficulty.A temptation to be resisted is to let the group just play "pieces" rather than work on technical and interpretative concepts and background materials. More than half the available time each day should be allotted to technique and concept development. Assignments should be given on a daily basis for the ensuing day, to be scheduled along with regular individualized performances. Again, solos should be

short and in rapid succession, with alternation between individuals playing alone interspersed with full class activity.If the team teaching arrangement is used, the groups should be combined one day a week for a full band experience with concert music of easy to medium difficulty.If just one teacher must be the sole instructor of a large class of intermediates, time may preclude hearing all students individually on a daily basis. One option would be alternate auditions of woodwinds one day, brass the next, and percussion students the third day. Advanced band Normally an advanced band will be composed of students in the top one or two grades who have progressed satisfactorilyin skills and music concepts to deserve membership in the most capable ability grouping. Occasionally younger students are admitted to this level because of their rapid, early musical maturity. The ideal schedule for the advanced band is one full forty-five-to sixty-minute period daily. Three full class periods a week should be considered an absolute minimum. This schedule does not mean that every class must maintain the traditional full band rehearsal format. It is entirely possible to give students time for individualized work, solo practice, small ensemble participation, and even time for composition or arranging.When importance is placed on the processes of learning rather than on performance alone, the band program gains in educational validity. A high quality of performance is to be desired and should not be minimized, but the performance level of a group of students may be elevated because of a deeper understanding of conceptual/interpretational factors that should be learned in enrichment activities outside of the full band rehearsal. Inasmuch as even advanced junior high players are still immature and young musicians, the discipline encouraged at the beginning levels should be maintained. Perhaps more compelling than at the earlier level of accomplishment is the desire by students to just play compositions to the exclusion of techContinued on page 78 mej/september '79 39

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When the advanced band is broken into smaller groups the individual auditions can be continued as a e~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.. part of these sectional rehearsals _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.. rather than taking time for this acr~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,~lxl tivity in the full band class. The positive attributes of daily individual solos at the earlier levels can be attained at the advanced similarly I level, but on a weekly audition basis. This band should have more opportunities for public performance, commensurate with the maturing VALUE IN musicianship. At least one concert THE FINEST TRADITION each semester is recommended, An exceptionally broad selection with additional appearances probof choral apparel to meet the need able in the second semester. Solo of any school or organization. and small ensemble performance Carefully styled in rich, durable fabrics in standard or custom can develop as a natural outgrowth designs. of the expanding, diversified teachSend for free information: ing process. Name In general, students at these levSchool els should not march with inStreet struments. Middle or junior high City school is a critical time in forming State correct habits of performance, and Zip students should not be subjected to Number in choir the added chore of learning to C. E. WARD ROBES march and play an instrument at Macmillan Ward Ostwald, Inc. 54 Main Street, New London, Ohio 44851 the same time. The senior high (419) 929-1523 school band will provide ample opportunity for marching band experi-

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ences at an age that is more amenable to added performing stress. Administrative checklist The teacher/administrator also has behind-the-scenes responsibilities that have extensive impact on the quality and character of the learning environment. An active recruitment and orientation process must be maintained, not only within this academic unit but also in conjunction with the elementary schools in the area. Orientation procedures should include communication with principals, teachers, and students in those schools and a schedule of testing, instrument demonstrations, films, and concerts by the advanced band especially for the students nearing promotion to middle or junior high school. The teacher/administrator must be concerned with buildings, rooms, and facilities. Buildings should serve the needs of children by being comfortable, spacious, climate controlled, well-lighted, aesthetically appointed, and acoustically correct. There should be rooms for practice, storage, repair, a library, listening, and offices. Each school should have a major inventory of school-owned instruments. A complete complement of multimedia equipment, materials, tapes, recordings, films, music, and similar supplies is needed to provide a multiplicity of tools, not only for the teachers but for the students as well. The music library should contain a variety of quality band literature representing several levels of difficulty,both original works for band and transcriptions. The library should also have solo and ensemble literature for individual and small ensemble development. Often overlooked is the need for library reading materials, books on the history and theory of music, biographies and autobiographies of musicians and composers, and source books covering the whole discipline of music. Students in our schools deserve the best education we can offer. Through the continuing exemplary efforts of those who implement music administration and instructional processes, stimulating and progressive programs of instrumental music can be made available to all students in middle and junior high school bands. I

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