Students often don’t know what they don’t know.  Practical music performance practise at times can be contradictory and confusing.  As we discussed last week, part of the role of the conductor should be to assist their students, through their rehearsal technique in the discovery of what they do not know and offering strategies on how to go about remedying that imbalance.  If we wish to become more than band correctors we need to be able to offer learning strategies that go beyond simply identifying errors towards offering strategies on how to correct, improve and perfect the technical and musical issues which need to be addressed.   Despite confidence, knowledge and enthusiasm, supported with a belief in the importance of a music ensemble’s educational validity, the conductor cannot continue to spoon-feed their students.  Conductors must be prepared to lead students towards independant thinking, learning, interpreting, planning and evaluating. Therefore, successful rehearsal structure will require careful, effective planning that includes opportunities for the sharing of both learning and leadership responsibilities. In fact, every rehearsal needs to begin with a plan that includes a list of identifiable and achievable targets. The plan will also contain a set of clear directions, which are formed with deliberate forethought and supported with knowledge, conviction, experience and authority.

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” George Harrison

In planning rehearsals it is important to focus on the specific desired ‘ideal’ outcomes.  What should the ensemble understand in regards to the historical and analytical aspects of the works to be rehearsed; what should the ensemble sound like?  What should the music sound like and finally, what proven rehearsal methods will assist our students in reaching the rehearsal goals? Above all, what will constitute an acceptable performance of the works being prepared?  Do our students recognise the hallmarks of a fine performance, and are they in possession of the criteria we apply informing us of their achievement of an acceptable performance? To this end we should endeavor to ensure that we have prepared our students to be able to make critical, artistic assessments and decisions with regards to our performances.

What particular elements then should a rehearsal plan contain?  The plan should begin with a timeline with the specific learning activities factored in.  The plan should include an ensemble ‘warm up’ routine that goes beyond simply tuning individuals and sections.  It ought to include vertical harmonic, chordal tuning/balance/blend and internal pulse development exercises such as found in Ed Lisk’s “Alternative Rehearsal Techniques”.  The use of rhythmic exercises, such as Ed Sueta’s “Rhythm Vocabulary Charts” should assist in developing the process of counting and subdivision in obtaining an ever expanding rhythmic vocabulary. It should also include the systematic, fundamental studies found in our band method book. It should certainly include opportunities for exploring the importance of the vertical and horizontal harmonic narrative such as found in Erickson’s “66 Festive and Famous Chorales”.  

The plan should then continue with the application of the specific learning strategies gained through the use of the training  material toward perfecting sections of the performance repertoire. This will include the dissection and reassembly of difficult technical passages for either specific sections or large ensemble continuity. The plan will also provide opportunity for further expansion on interpretational issues and sight reading opportunities.  

Nevertheless, it is easy for rehearsals to loose focus with attention to unnecessary detail. To keep the rehearsal pace moving forward one will need to know exactly what they are trying to achieve today with forethought for the next rehearsal’s goals. However, it is important to also recognise when an ensemble has been pushed beyond their ability to remain focused.  Remember to be sensitive in reading ‘body’ language and learn to listen and watch for the visible and aural cues, which reveal ensemble disengagement, frustration and loss of focus.  Human relationships and musical destinations are inextricably linked in ensemble music making.   It is important that the conductor aims to be positive in their critical assessment, while remaining realistic and encouraging in their demands of the musical outcomes through maintaining respectful interpersonal relationships.  

Still, one need not sacrifice their overall commitment to excellence and learning. Students in school and community ensembles also have their own set of learning expectations.  To this end one must carefully consider their rehearsal plan, in light of today’s achievable targets, avoiding mindless repetition in rehearsing difficult passages. Instead, focus on applying or reinforcing personal practice strategies such as the use of sub-division in addressing rhythmic imprecision, or employing slow, careful repetition in the acquisition of precision of manual dexterity.  It is best when the conductor can demonstrate successful problem-solving strategies through practical application in the rehearsal. Also, the use of generic rhythmic, melodic and harmonic exercises drawn from the repertoire can aid in developing ensemble listening skills leading to improved tone production and intonation, ensemble balance and balance, pitch clarity and rhythmic precision for ensemble unity. 

Please stay tuned in for the final episode on Strengthening Student Learning Through Educationally Focused Rehearsals.

In my last installment I discussed the importance of making provision for individual learning ownership as an essential rehearsal component that offers opportunities to include individual participation in identifying and addressing both achievement and failure with encouragement and accountability.

To continue along these lines, I believe that it is essential that conductors assist students in identifying the essential markers, targets or outcomes necessary for personal evaluation, thus affirming effective learning as well as enjoying the rewarding results achieved in mastering difficult passages. For example, on what 3 targets within a passage will a student identify and focus on? How will students measure their success in achieving those targets? And, are there other targets yet to be identified?  Are there bowings, articulations, correct pitches, fingerings, rhythmic accuracy or expressive inflection that need special attention?  What learning strategies will students then apply that will lead to skill acquisition and mastery? Once again, it is important that effective  learning/practice strategies are both shared, promoted and proven in rehearsal.

A valuable component of the successful transfer of individual learning into students’ hands is accomplished through the nurturing of the intrinsic self-evaluation process. Effective self-evaluation should lead students towards understanding both the value and intrinsic rewards of practicing a specific exercise or passage in light of similar learning applications.  When students become ultimately responsible for setting their own targets or goal criterion, they also begin to clearly articulate when and how they have met and achieved the technical and musical goals found in the specific exercise/passage in question. And, they will be encouraged to do it again!  

Educationally based rehearsals that introduce and encourage improved learning habits will require and employ effective and proven teaching strategies, supported with quality repertoire and teaching materials matched to the appropriate skill level of the ensemble.  Ensemble members should be encouraged to learn and master scales and arpeggios, rhythmic vocabulary, expressive etudes and solo repertoire so as to apply the learning process gained from mastering this material towards  meeting the musical demands presented in the ensemble performance repertoire.  An important point of rehearsal focus then is to use the essential applications of fundamental technique toward achieving musical outcomes through the rehearsal process.  The study of mathematics provides a fitting analogy in that mathematicians do not learn equations, save for the purpose of their application and usefulness in future problem solving.

To this end the conductor should both model and communicate the value of ‘process learning’ throughout the rehearsal, thus inspiring students to apply this ‘process’ independently outside the rehearsal. For when students’ ability to recognise both when and how the desired result has been achieved, the successful transference of the learning process is confirmed. However, to be effective in transferring motivation for independent practice, it is also important that students need to remain committed to the continued investment in practicing training material over the long term.  Conductors must assist students in resisting the temptation to neglect investing in the process of learning for the pursuit of short-term performance goals.  Professional sporting teams know the value of continued engagement of practicing fundemental skills! 

Conductors should then remain committed to providing opportunities for effective performance skills to be introduced, developed and perfected.  It is generally accepted that 70% of rehearsal time should be spent on interpretation, with the other 30% being used for mastery of technical demands found in the repertoire under consideration.  We must ensure that there is a correlation between our ensemble study material and the performance repertoire that can reinforce and assist in the mastery of fundemental skills!  Composers of significant repertoire generally assume an ensemble’s command of a prior knowledge and skill base will be applied to their work, leading to effective, rewarding musical performance. Therefore, a majority of the technical skills needed to allow our ensemble to focus on interpretation must to be addressed separately from the repertoire.

Keeping the above in mind, conductors of performance ensembles should regularly consider the following questions:

· What do we want students to have gained from ensemble participation?
· Are our students passionate lovers of music? 
· Are our students competent musicians, able produce acceptable characteristic tone, centred intonation       and expressive, intelligent well-formed phrases?
· Can our students follow, as well as lead?
· Are our students curious, purpose driven and independent learners? 
· Do our students possess sufficient reading skills?
· Are our students dependable and responsible?

It is easy to forget that rehearsals ought to also provide students with effective generic learning skills equally applicable to other subjects.  Therefore rehearsals should not be overly concerned with the goal of producing the the ‘perfect performance’, but aid in developing a personal approach to study that can be applied indefinitely to many learning targets. To this end conductors need to enable their ensemble members to become thoughtful observers, excellent listeners and articulate participants.  We should promote personal initiative and natural curiosity, but should resist the temptation to provide answers for them.  Instead, students should be led toward developing critical self-assessment criterion through exposure to great musical models and substantial repertoire, being given opportunities to experiment with their emerging musical interpretation without fear of failure, or intimidation. 

As a colleague recently pointed out  “Professional ensembles rehearse because they give concerts, whereas educators give concerts because they rehearse.” Craig Kirchhoff, University of Minnesota

With this in mind, conductors must be willing to shrug off the temptation of solely practising for the concert, and trust in the advantages of spending some of the precious rehearsal time in the gaining automated ensemble skills such as the acquisition of internal pulse, the use of rhythmic subdivision, understanding the importance of the harmonic narrative, tuning through key centre, and developing sensitivity to melodic nuance and inflection.  When ensembles are in possession of a well-developed rhythmic, harmonic and pitch vocabulary it is amazing how much more effective and enjoyable rehearsals become.  The benefits of planning educationally based rehearsals are seemingly obvious, but patience is needed, along with a willingness to rediscover the importance of ‘delayed gratification’ in the process of learning.

Duke Ellington once observed, “When a man finds out what he wants to know, well that’s the beginning of education.” But, one would do well to consider Plato’s quote, “All learning under compulsion has no hold on the mind.”  It is the conductor’s role to assist their ensembles in discovering what it is they wish to achieve beyond superimposing their personal will over an ensemble.  After all, great music performances are generally collaborative in nature, effectively combining the musicianship of conductor and ensemble, as well as between individual ensemble members.

Next week I hope to examine and discuss further both the benifits and the attributes of educationally focused rehearsals. 

 

Throughout my career, I have been involved with numerous educationally centred school, community, professional and semi-professional music ensembles, including jazz and music theatre.   Needless to say, during this time I have had ample opportunity to observe a variety of rehearsal styles across the spectrum of primary, secondary, university, community and professional instrumental and vocal ensembles. In my university positions of teaching future music educators, performance majors and conductors, I have continued to maintain a strong interest in examining and comparing various rehearsal techniques found between large school, community, tertiary and professional performance ensembles.  Consequently, I have formed a fairly comprehensive, overall picture of current ensemble rehearsal practices.

Generally, the ensembles I have observed consist of musicians who genuinely enjoy playing with other musicians in an ensemble setting for either musical development, pleasure or personal enjoyment.  The musical directors/conductors generally display confidence, knowledge and enthusiasm.  They also believe in the importance of their ensemble’s educational validity in preparing their members for a rewarding, successful and enjoyable music experiences.  And, there is general administrative acceptance, and support for their school or community ensemble programme.  However, as I have looked closer at what in fact is happening in many of these ensemble rehearsals, I have also begun to wonder as to the actual quality of the musical experience and its effectiveness with regards to the intrinsic educational, rewarding and lasting value of the rehearsal methods.

As I have observed these rehearsals over time, I have become increasingly concerned with the overall rehearsal process. I have noted that incredible energies are often expended toward ‘note perfect’ performance-based outcomes, such as concerts, festivals, contests or other performance related targets. The most common rehearsal pattern seems to begin with a 10-minute ‘tune up’ time. The rehearsal then continues moving directly on to the performance repertoire, employing a regimen of stopping the ensemble to address each technical difficulty encountered (usually wrong notes, incorrect rhythms or inattention to dynamic levels). After pointing out a detailed list of errors, the passage is then often repeated several more times in an attempt to correct the problems.  There too, appears to be little regard for the time expended on this ‘rote learning’ exercise, and little effort to offer corrective strategies.  Yet, the few times when conductors redirect the ensemble’s attention away from the error detection and correction mode toward musical interpretation, there are often exciting results.

 Nevertheless, during these successful rehearsal moments, conductors often fail to affirm the successful musical and technical performances of individual students, or of a specific section’s efforts and achievements. Missing too, are efforts to introduce, or reinforce specific, effective learning strategies, or to encourage personal ownership of a learning process through the introduction of self-evaluative skills. Generally members play through their parts, waiting for the conductor to identify and correct individual mistakes, in effect learning individual parts in rehearsal; not a particularly effective method in preparing individual parts when students often lack requisite performance skills to successfully meet the technical demands found in the music.

Considering the above observations, I have become increasingly interested in how one might redirect conductors’ use of ‘error detection and correction’ energies, and ‘conductor centred’ rehearsal management towards promoting individual ownership of self-assessment, imitative and self directed learning. To develop the effective nurturing of individual learning ownership, it is essential that rehearsals provide opportunities that include individual participation in identifying and addressing both achievement and failure with encouragement and accountability. Rehearsal methods should lead members towards developing personal assessment and accountability through reinforcing strengths and correct performance results along with recognising areas for specific personal improvement. If the constant stream of emails I receive from former students is any gauge, much of what participants gain from ensemble rehearsal training has multiple generic applications for lifelong learning.

Importantly, every rehearsal should contain opportunities for conductors to provide practical examples on how on how members can effectively prepare their individual parts outside rehearsal. Surprisingly, most technical problems encountered during rehearsals can be addressed before the rehearsal begins through the individual’s personal use of the effective practice strategies shared in earlier rehearsals.  This is especially true when the learning strategies have been proven to be successful through practical demonstration during rehearsals, and where members perceive the intrinsic performance goals shared in rehearsals are worthy of the effort to be expended in personal practice.  Members must then be strongly encouraged to come to rehearsals with individual parts prepared.  Without the element of individual preparation, ownership and personal responsibility, ensemble performance is doomed to mediocrity.  Therefore, building motivation for improving more effective personal practice habits is essential for successful learning and rewarding performance outcomes to take place.

In my next installment I wish to share how rehearsals can be structured so as to assist in developing and establishing ownership, personal responsibility and commitment toward excellence. 

As the school year opens once again with all of its opportunities and possibilities, I would like to share with you about the importance and necessity for maintaining our love of music, of teaching, and for the love of the students entrusted to our care.

In facing the everyday, mundane grind of living and working in the midst of on-going obstacles, setbacks, erosion of conditions, the need for support and recognition, fatigue and defeats, how do we keep our love of music, and our love for our students alive, while maintaining the fire of our personal passion for music, filled with purpose, commitment and positive energy?

I believe that these issues constitute one of our biggest challenges, so how will we meet it?

How often during the last year were we able to reflect on why we chose music over the many other opportunities available to us, and why we chose to share music with others in the first place?  When was the last time we reflected on memories of our past significant musical moments?  When was the last time we attended a professional performance, or made time to sit down and specifically ‘listen’ to one of our favourite recordings?  What is our continuing commitment towards playing our instrument for ourselves, playing with other musicians, or with our students?  How often have we taken a ‘musical bath’ at the end of a taxing day of teaching or rehearsing, immersing ourselves in an inspirational performance?  And, have we been willing to take chances in listening to, or exposing our students to music outside our comfort zone? 

I believe that staying ‘in love’ with music is essential to our effectiveness in sharing our joy and passion of music and music-making with our students.   As an undergraduate music education major, I distinctly remember my course advisor saying to me, “Monte, never let your students guess what instrument you play.  Play for them; play with them.  Show them how important music-making is in your life”. 

On the other hand, it is hard to keep our personal music-making alive when so much of our time and energies are given to helping, encouraging and inspiring our students.   And, let’s not forget the continual round of protecting, explaining and defending what we have, striving to strengthen the learning environment, while straining to sustain, preserve and create the opportunities necessary for rewarding and successful learning to take place:  not to mention maintaining our personal life outside our job.  Extreme juggling! 

Still, we must be careful to also protect, nourish and grow our own love affair with music by staying actively connected with the art form that originally captivated us.  It is important to remember that our students often feed off our passions.  In fact, they are aware of our inner core values more than we know.  As a part of their learning process they will generally love what we love, honour what we honour, value what we value and dislike what we dislike.  That is why we must be careful not to limit what we share with them as to what we think they will like, or limit our offerings to our own personal preferences.   

How many of us are musicians and music educators today because of a music teacher who inspired us?  What ‘artistic’,  and ‘people skill’ qualities did they possess? Were they passionate about music and teaching?  Were they actively engaged with their students?    As I recall the men and women who impacted and inspired me, what I remember most was their love of music, their love of teaching and above all else, their love for us, their students.  They cared about music and their student's welfare and were quite willing to share their personal love and passion for music with us!  Their willingness to become personally engaged with their students continues to inspire me to this very day. 

As I reflect on my teachers and their teaching style, I realise that these men and women were investors in ‘futures’, often encouraging me and my fellow classmates to be curious, to shape opinions; they often provided opportunities to trial our ideas and skills, even allowing for our failures.  They encouraged us to think and listen both critically and independently in order to form values based on observation and personal reflection.  They expected us to both develop and exercise personal integrity, responsibility, accountability, compassion, teamwork, respect and honour.   Above all, they encouraged us to be inspired by great musical models and heroes. 

Like them, we too can experience the joy and satisfaction of sharing what we love, believing that it can make a difference in the lives of those who have been entrusted to our care, for this may constitute one of our greatest contributions. 

Nevertheless, it is also important to remember that the joy of music-making should be pursued for the powerful intrinsic rewards of personal achievement, emotional engagement, excitement, wonder, joy and fulfilment. 

However, it is often easy to seek assistance in motivating our students through the extrinsic rewards of tours, contests, festivals, and yes, even AMEB or Trinity exam achievements.  While each of these constitute worthy goals and incentives, they can actually impair and detract our students from developing a lifelong love affair with music when we allow the extrinsic results to over-shadow the ultimate end of their endeavours.

How often have we met adults who have suffered the loss of their initial love, enjoyment and passion for music through the pursuit of transient, short-term goals, only to experience performance ’burn out’?  We therefore need to be careful that the pleasure and joy of experiencing summit moments in music performance is not tied directly to winning, losing, what an adjudicator thinks, or linked to marks or comments on a sheet of paper.  Helping our students to take personal ownership of their performance experiences through acquiring personal judgment, critical assessment and evaluative skills, in line with established and time-honoured criterion will go a long way in assuring that they continue to experience the joyful and personal fulfilling rewards of music long after their final performance in our music Programme!  

Having often served as an adjudicator for various festivals and contests, when presenting on-stage tutorials I generally begin with some general comments or questions, such as: “We are fortunate in that we get to do this; to make music” or “What did you enjoy about your performance today; what did you learn from your performance experience?” Some of the few answers I receive are quite telling…  

My good friend and mentor Craig Kirchhoff once remarked that one should never place the love of the ‘activity’ (like being a part of an ensemble programme) over the love and appreciation of music itself.  In a sense, this can be very true for us.  It is easy to pressure ourselves, or allow ourselves to be pressured into the pursuit of external achievements.  After all, music-making is more than belonging to a group that does things together.  As in all things, maintaining a balance is very important.  There is a time to pursue participation in worthwhile events, such as festivals, tours, exams and contests.  We just need to know why we want our students to participate in them, and how they will enrich our student’s musical and educational experience.  We can even stretch the ‘motive’ consideration to the repertoire we place before them, such as considering our educational rationale for our repertoire selections.   Incidentally, I generally have both educational and musical purposes and justifications for each work in the ensemble folder.

In closing, we must learn to care for, and nourish our own musical souls; only then can we genuinely share the art, beauty and joy of music-making with our students.  For the world in which we live and work today is not ‘over friendly’ toward an art form that takes so much time, effort, energy and expense to fully reap its benefits.  In fact, neither music, nor any of the other art forms can successfully compete with the culture of instant gratification and limited attention span that increasingly surrounds us today. 

With so many distractions and temptations for deviating from the pursuit of excellence, we must be careful not to try and support, or compete with these distractions, but overcome them through sharing the great intrinsic rewards that await all who are willing to invest in the pursuit and achievement of excellence and beauty.   

Making music disciples is a glorious quest.   So, will we see ourselves as the next generation of ‘futures’ investors, making a difference in the lives of our students through sharing the gift of significant and rewarding music-making?

   ‘Mission impossible’ you say?  No! We are privileged to share a great art form with our students and colleagues that has been inspiring followers since the dawn of time.  All we have to do is share our love passion for music, supported by our pursuit of excellence, and provide opportunities for music to speak for itself.  

In my last installment on Repertoire Choice I mentioned the importance of developing a personal repertoire grading system, as it can serve as great ally providing specific reference points when making those difficult repertoire selections for your ensemble programme.
2.      Technical demands, such as:

• Fingering, bowing, articulation, sticking and slide shift demands
  
• Rhythmic complexity considerations, such as syncopation and sub division issues.
• What are the expressive demands: Phrase length and articulations?
• How active and varied are the percussion parts?  Are there Key mallet and Tympani parts?

3.       What are the instrumentation requirements?

• What are the minimum percussion instruments needed to faithfully meet the composer’s requirements? 
  
• Do I have access to the necessary percussion instruments?
  
• Do the members of the ensemble collectively have the technical skills to meet the musical demands of the work?
  
• What are the ‘solo’ requirements within the work, and does the ensemble possess players capable of playing them with sufficient skill and expression?
  

A.  When considering what constitutes appropriate repertoire selection it is important that we should consider works that:

1. Provide opportunities for encouraging the love and appreciation of music: works that will aid in the nurturing and encouragement of musical creativity, comprehension, expression, inspiration and joy.
   
2. Introduce and reinforce theoretical music concepts and historical context.
   
3. Reinforce interpretive music concepts and expressive performance skills, which are introduced or addressed in the warm-up, technical development and chorale portions of rehearsals.
   
4. Provide opportunities to reinforce technical development, such as manual dexterity, rhythmic vocabulary acquisition, the use of articulations as well as expressive and stylistic considerations.
   
5. Present opportunities for exploring a wide range of human emotion: Works should include passages that present significant opportunities to experiment with expressive note grouping, phrase shape, rhythmic inflection, tempi variations and dynamic contrast. 
   

B.  Examining various evaluation criteria for the purpose of developing a more effective and academically accountable repertoire selection process:  We can begin by exploring the individual work’s compositional elements and related craftsmanship relating to how the works are put together.

1. Does the work exhibit the craftsmanship of a skilled composer/arranger?
   
2. Are the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements integrated, transformed, and developed in a skilled way? 
3. Is the form logically conceived? 

• is it expertly scored?
  
• Does the form shape the various elements of the work in a convincing way?
  
• Does the work reflect a historical context in relation to both ‘creative and stylistic’ expression of a specific era?   

   4.  Does the work provide opportunities to employ the use of aural, dexterous and transitive skills?
   5.  Does the work contain the potential for developing musical skills in a sequential way?
   6.  Does the work contain interest for the players, audience etc.?
   7.  Does the work interest you —do you ‘believe’ in the work and, do you really want to conduct it? Why?

C.  Repertoire Choice: Assessing the educational and artistic suitability 

1. Does the work lead towards achieving both technical and expressive educational goals?
2. Select music that inspires, and includes all students in various combinations
3. Coordinate your repertoire with your curriculum
4. Does the work provide for:

• Establishing and maintaining internalised pulse?
  
• Exploring the beginning and ending keys or pitch centres?
  
• Expressive musical interpretation in context: including dynamic contrast, articulations, note-grouping, phrase shape, form and the use of structure, rhythmic inflection)
  
• Opportunities for the stylistic entering and exiting of silence in expressive context
  
• Does the work fall within a standard grading system? i.e. 1 beginning to 6 Advanced? (consider developing your own*) 
  
• The repertoire’s instrumentation requirements? Do you have the required instrumentation as listed in the score? Can instrument substitution be facilitated without comprising the composer’s original intent? 
  
• Are the parts interesting, including the bass line and percussion section parts? Do you have sufficient forces to give a faithful performance of the work? 
  
• Are the technical/musical demands of the work compatible with the overall skill level of the ensemble?
  
• What is the general overall character of the music? 
  

I do hope that you will find these questions leading you to more investigative reflection...

We possess both the privilidge and the responsibility for choosing the foundatioal material for our performance ensembles.   Therefore choosing significant repertoire must form a vital component in a student’s musical education.  It is the interaction, and engagement between the human spirit and music that often initiates the spark of creativity and appreciation of beauty.

We need to the remember the importance of remaining discerning and able to articulate our rationale and defense of the repertoire we use as a critical component of our curriculum.

I do hope that you will find these questions leading you to  more investigative reflection...

In my next installment I plan to continue the discussion of repertoire selection through examining various grading systems and how we can best use them in assisting our repertoire choices.  

Please stay tuned in for my next installment on the importance repertoire choice!

Choosing Repertoire that Inspires and Teaches: A Rewarding Challenge

Some general thoughts and considerations on the imporance of choosing appropriate repertoire for long term investment

Every year we are faced with the perplexing issue of repertoire choice.  What concerns/needs/pre-conceived notions will drive our choices?  Do the following questions sound familiar?

• Will my students like the works I choose? Why?
• Will the works I choose have relevance? 
• Do the students know the works, and does this matter?
• Do I like the works I choose? Why?
• Is teaching music through my repertoire choices an important consideration? Why, and how will I plan for this?     
• Will the school, family and community approve of my choices? Is this important?
• What is the overall technical strength of my ensemble? Is this important?
• How long will it take me to teach my repertoire choices?  Is this important?
• What are this year’s priorities and commitments?
• Where do I see my ensemble’s position at the end of the term?  At the end of the year?
  

The importance of repertoire choice forms a vital link to achieving our overall educational philosophy and goals.  It is essential therefore that we choose works from a broad base of significant, rewarding repertoire as a part of our teaching matrix, as this selection provides the necessary material for applying the skills and practical knowledge we are attempting to share through our rehearsal process. 

If the purpose of music education is to stimulate, nurture and enhance the creativity, the imagination and the expressive abilities of our students, then the use of significant repertoire is an absolute necessity toward assisting us in achieving these lofty goals.

If we are to nurture a life-long love affair with music and the attendant creative process necessary for significant performance, we will need to search out and acquire repertoire, which by it's very nature intrinsically  motivates through providing inspirational opportunities for exercising both technical and expressive skills.  

To achieve this goal we will need to embrace four foundational beliefs, which in turn inform our music performance curriculum.

1. The process of nurturing students through making and sharing music is more important than preparing for concerts, festivals, tours or contests.
2. The long-term value of music education is greater than the entertainment value, which is often a high priority for families or school administrators.
3. The long-term benefits of music education for our students is much more important than the short-term rewards of a concert, tour or festival participation. 
4. And lastly, the quality of the student’s music education is directly related to the quality of the repertoire (and applied learning processes), which they will regularly study and perform!
   

It is essential that we consider the importance of making appropriate and informed choices in repertoire selection, for every decision or choice we make as educators, whether it is musical or ‘extra-musical’ is a direct reflection of our values.  In the case of repertoire selection the critical balance between aesthetic criteria and personal taste is a direct reflection of that value system.  While aesthetic values may be more easily agreed upon, the issue of personal taste is more difficult to define.  However, 'personal taste' may constitute the most important issue in the overall equation.

We must possess a basic understanding of how our chosen repertoire serves both our musical and non-musical educational agenda. In other words, we ought to look at our repertoire as a 'vehicle' that will transport our ensemble to its next musical and educational destination.

Please stay tuned in for my next installment on the importance of repertoire selection.
In my next post we will explore some specific criteria to keep in mind while making informed choices.

Recently I received a request from a former student regarding the work of Emile Jaques Dalcroze and it’s applications toward assisting in ensemble rehearsals.

“Monte, I have a question for you. Presently in my Lecturer’s Elementary Music unit, we've been learning about Jaques-Dalcroze, and much of it sounds like concepts and techniques you used in your [Northwestern College] Symphonic Band rehearsals. I am really interested in learning about Dalcroze techniques, and how they relate to rehearsal environments. Do you know of any good resources that exist relating to this? Also, did you incorporate Dalcroze technique into your teaching/learning "process," and what did it look like?”

I was fortunate to have three colleagues with whom to work when I first arrived at the University of Tasmania in 1984.  Two of my colleagues were classroom music educators who incorporated a mix of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Alexander technique as well as Orff and Kodaly methods in their classroom music approach.  The other colleague was a drama lecturer.  He introduced me to the work of Rudolf Laban, which he employed in developing dramatic movement and body language.   I gradually began to understand the rich benefits to be gained by implementing these men’s philosophy and teaching strategies connecting music and movement.  The more I reflected on the implications of incorporating expressive movement as a way of enhancing non verbal communication, the more I became convinced of the effectiveness of integrating these strategies into my conducting/teaching practice, rehearsal regime and my private studio teaching.  

Over the years I have come to value the usefulness of Dalcroze Eurhythmics concepts in communicating music expression in both my rehearsals and music lessons. After all, music often inspires and defines both physical and aural movement, much in the same way that Laban concepts of balance and 'Centres of Effort' can express, reflect and define motion and movement.  As an ensemble conductor, I employ movement and physical gesture to reflect, articulate and communicate musical interpretation. In fact, I find that ensemble members more effectively connect with the expressive nature of music as it becomes more internalised and linked to their response to, and understanding of movement (‘felt’).  Consequently the use of Dacroze Eurythmics can provide a powerful tool in assisting the development of emotional response in timing, internal pulse, space and physical shape.  Of course, all of these things are interrelated with one another.

My study and use of Dacroze Eurythmics techniques has also influenced much of my understanding and use of the “Alternative Rehearsal Techniques” of Ed Lisk, which I continue to employ extensively in every rehearsal. Dalcorze Eurhythmics, along with my understanding of Laban’s descriptive ‘Centres of Effort’ have greatly influenced my use of expressive gesture and the importance of internal pulse, which generally leads to increased musical freedom of expression for my ensembles.

Further to my above comments on Dalcroze, one of its most important implications to rehearsal strategy is the nature of 'feeling' the sensation of ‘time and silence’. Dalcroze exercises can prove very useful in assisting our ensembles in learning to 'feel and measure' space and time. Music by its very nature of being in both ‘time and space’ consumes time and space through body motion, such as experiencing the sensation of playing asymmetric meters like 5/8 & 7/8.  Thus, 2/8 'feels' different from say, 3/8.  We intuitively know that it is much better to 'feel' rhythm, as well as in knowing how to count it.  Counting is about the learning strategy we apply to understand a particular rhythm pattern with which we are unfamiliar.  However, 'feeling' the rhythm is about how we practice, finally mastering the rhythmic passage, allowing us to now focus entirely on the musical line/phrase shape, without being distracted by its construction.  For example, on many occasions in the past I have had younger ensembles step meters/rhythmic passages to great effect, such as in the 3rd movement in the Chobanian Armenian Dances, which uses this meter (2+2+2+3), or the crotchet-quaver figures in "Robin Hood, Prince of Thiefs".

Through consistent, mindful repetition, slow tempi and attention to specific detail we eventually have enough mentally and kinetically stored rhythmic material, enabling us to rely on the 'feel' of a rhythmic pattern instead of how to count or perform the rhythm. That is why each and every rehearsal should include a component on what, how and why to practice at home (i.e. rhythmic patterns, scales/arpeggios and technical/expressive etudes) by modelling the practice process and demonstrating successful outcomes in our rehearsals. Without these basic building blocks, the Dalcroze ideas cannot operate effectively.

Please keep in mind that it will be up to you to make the essential and valuable connections between the classroom music experience, the instrumental music rehearsals and individual music lessons.

Here are some other great reads:  "Tone Deaf and All Thumbs", Frank Wilson; “Nurtured By Love", Shinichi Suzuki; "Sound in Motion", David McGill; and "Note Grouping", James Thurmond; “Master your Mind Master Your Instrument: Brass Wind Artistry”, Severson and McDunn; “Intelligent Music Teaching”, Robert Duke; “The Musical Mind of the Creative Director”, Ed Lisk.  I hope that these resources will prove, in some small way helpful for you.

I include a small definition and bibliography of some Dalcroze resources. To my current understanding, the work of Dalcroze is not well known in instrumental music education circles, although it does have a strong following amongst some classroom music teachers.   I also find that it is much the same with the work of Daniel Kohut, Ed Lisk and Rudolf Laban. Hopefully, instrumental music teachers will become more familiar with these men’s work and be able to research and implement the attendant applications towards improving the delivery of instrumental music education.

 

Here follows some further information on Emile Jaques Dalcroze downloaded from the site below, http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonplans/p/dalcroze.htm

The method of ‘eurhythmics’ was developed by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, a Swiss composer, music educator and music theorist, who studied with Gabriel Fauré, Mathis Lussy and Anton Bruckner.

The Dalcroze method, also known as Dalcroze Eurhythmics, is another approach music educators use to foster music appreciation, ear training and improvisation towards improving musical abilities. In this method, the body is the main instrument. Students learn to listen to the rhythm of a music piece and express what they hear through physical movement. Simply put, this approach connects music, movement, mind, and body.

Dalcroze was born on July 6, 1865, in Vienna, Austria. He became a professor of harmony at the Geneva Conservatory in 1892; by which time he started developing his method of teaching rhythm through movement known as eurhythmics. He founded a school in Hellerau, Germany (later moved to Laxenburg) in 1910, and another school in Geneva in 1914, where students learned using his method. Dalcroze died on July 1, 1950, in Geneva, Switzerland. Several of his students, such as ballet teacher Dame Marie Rambert, used eurhythmics and became influential in the development of dance and contemporary ballet during the 20th century.

Eurhythmics (Greek for "good rhythm") - Musical expression is experienced through movement aiding the development of musical skills through kinetic exercises. Students experience both rhythm and structure through listening to music while expressing what they hear through spontaneous bodily movement. For example, using stepping and clapping to represent note values and rhythms.

The method also employs the use of Solfeggio to assist and develop ear-training and sight-singing skills.  Improvisation is used to stimulate creativity while freeing students from inhibition in musical expression.  The improvisation exercises can also involve the use of instruments, movement or voice.

Although it is generally referred to as a method, there is no set curriculum. Dalcroze himself didn't like his approach to be labeled as a method. Hence, each teacher uses a different approach based on his/her interests; training and skills, while keeping in mind the age, culture, location and needs of students.

When employed the Dalcroze Method can aid in further developing imagination, creative expression, coordination, flexibility, concentration, inner hearing, music appreciation and understanding and practical application of musical concepts.

There are several training opportunities available to teach this method.

•    Dalcroze Certificate - Requires a Bachelor's degree in Music; may teach children.

•    Dalcroze License - Requires a Masters degree in Music; may teach adults.

•   Diploma - Given after completing studies from the Jaques-Dalcroze Institute in Geneva,

•   Switzerland. Holders of this diploma may teach other teachers and award certifications.

Essential Dalcroze Books:

•    Méthode Jaques-Dalcroze (5 parts, 1907–14)

•    Eurythmics, Art and Education

•    Rhythm, Music and Education - Compare Prices

•    Dalcroze Eurhythmics in Today's Music Classroom - Compare Prices

•    Rhythm - Compare Prices

•    Songs Without Yawns - Compare Prices

•    Rhythm and Movement - Compare Prices

•    The Eurhythmics of Jaques-Dalcroze - Compare Prices

Marie-Laure BACHMANN:

Dalcroze Today: an education through and into music

Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK, 1991

Mary BRICE:

The Unfolding Human Potential: Dalcroze Eurhythmics

Editions Papillon, Geneva, 2004.

Gilles COMEAU:

Comparing Dalcroze, Orff and Kodaly: choosing your approach to teaching music.  CFORP, Vanier - Ontario, 1995

Heather GELL:

Music, Movement and the Young Child

Australasian Publishing Company, Sydney, 1949 (revised ed. 1959) out of print but often available second-hand.

Emile JAQUES-DALCROZE:

Rhythm, Music & Education

Dalcroze Society (UK), London, 1921 (reprint 1980).

Beth LANDIS & Polly CARDER:

The Eclectic Curriculum in American Music Education: contributions of Dalcroze, Kodaly and Orff

Music Educators National Conference, Washington D.C., 1972.

Virginia Hoge MEAD:

Dalcroze Eurhythmics in Today's Music Classroom

Schott, New York, 1994.

Joan POPE (ed.):

Heather Gell's Thoughts on Dalcroze Eurhythmics & Music Through Movement

CIRCME, University of WA (Perth), 1996

Julia SCHNEBLY-BLACK & Stephen F. MOORE:

The Rhythm Inside: connecting body, mind and spirit -- Dalcroze Eurhythmics

Rudra Press, Portland - Oregon, 1997

Toni STEINITZ:

Teaching Music in Rhythmic Lessons -- Theory & Practice of the Dalcroze Method

(Private publication, printed in Israel)

 

Elizabeth VANDERSPAR

Dalcroze Handbook: Principles and Guidelines for Teaching Eurythmics.

The Dalcroze Society (UK), London, 1984