The Virtual Podium

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: Adam Gorb

2012-01-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: AdamGorb (1958-Present) British Composer/Teacher

Gorb at the Royal Northern College of music

- Born in Cardiff, Wales.

- Began composing at age 10 for piano and was featured onBBC radio (the piece was Pianist's Alphabet)

- Studied at Cambridge University (BA 1980) and the RoyalAcademy of Music(MM 1993)

- Has won many awards including the Walter Beeler MemorialPrize.

- Has held teaching posts at the London College ofMusic(1994-2000) and Royal Northern College of Music(2000-Present) inManchester.

- This has put in him in close contact with wind band conductor, Timothy Reynish.

- He has also worked for many drama schools and in musictheater.

- Written works for orchestra, choral, vocal, brass band,winds, and chamber music.

- He has a great website, http://www.adamgorb.co.uk

Major Works forWinds:

Metropolis(1993) 14Min Gr VI

- Premiered by the Royal Academy of Music WindEnsemble,Edward Gregson, Conductor on March 8th 1993 at the Royal Academy ofMusic.

- Won the 1994 WalterBeeler memorial prize

- dedicated to Paul Patterson , a professor of compositionat the Royal Academy of Music

- Inspired by a radio play which was set in the near futureand where the entire population of the country lived in their vehicles, drivingforever round a circular motorway day and night, stopping only for food andpetrol. The piece tries to capture a mood of extreme tension together with thedesperate exhilaration that the play conveyed to me.

- A continuous work written in 4 sections.

Scenes from Bruegel(1994)16Min Gr V

- Instrumentation: fl(pic), ob, E flat Cl, 2 cl(Bcl.) 2horn, 2 tpt, 3 tbn, 2 perc

-Commissioned by the National Youth Wind Orchestra.

- Premiered by the National Youth Wind Orchestra DavidCampbell, Conductor on April 5^th 1994 in Cheltenham.

In 4 short mvts: I. Children's Games - Vivace Leggiero, II.Two Monkeys – Lento, III. The Peasant Dance - Presto con Fuoco, and IV. TheWedding Banquet - Moderato Pesante - Allegro Molto

- Based on four paintings Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel, whoGorb says, “has a strong element of satire in his paintings; what comes acrossmost strongly is Bruegel's pinpointing of human folly and hypocrisy.”

*Awayday(1996rev. 1999) 6Min Gr VI

- Commissioned by the Royal Northern College of Music

- Premiered by the Royal Northern College Wind Ensemble,Timothy Reynish, Conducting on

November 17th 1996 in Manchester.

- Inspired by the great days of the American Musical Comedyand the feeling of “getting away from itall”.

- Gorb’s Notes State: “Musically the piece is a homage tothe great days of the Broadway musical with its irresistable brashness andirrepressible high spirits. If you can envisage George Gershwin, LeonardBernstein, Igor Stravinsky and James Bond travelling together at a hundredmiles per hour in an open-top sports car, I think you'll get the idea.”

Yiddish Dances(1998)16Min Gr V

- Commissioned by Timothy Reynish and written for his 60^thbirthday.

- Premiered by the Royal Northern College of Music WindEnsemble Timothy Reynish, Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music onMarch 9th 1998.

- In 6 mvts: I. Khosidl,II. Terkishe, III. Doina, IV. Hora, V. Freylachs, and VI. LeChaim!

- All are based on Klezmer dances and represent aparty atmosphere.

Symphony No. 1 in C(2000)16 min

- Instrumentation: 2fl(2pic), 2 ob, 2 Cl, 2 Bsn, 4 Horn, Double Bass

- Commissioned by Tom Hill for a private 40^thbirthday party

- Premiered by the Royal Northern College of Music WindEnsemble Clark Rundell, Conducting on June 28th 2000.

- Written in 4 mvts: I. Allegro molto, II. Andante cantabile(con moto), III. Allegro molto e vivace, IV. Allegro molto e vivace

- Taken on with a light-heartedness even though it was hisfirst symphony and some composers find that scale of composition daunting.

- The structural and thematic model of the piece is that ofSymphony no. 1 in C by Beethoven.

- Towards the end of the fourth and final movement of thisfifteen-minute work there are quotations from other famous symphonies in C.

Downtown Diversions(2001)18Min GrV

- Commissioned by a consortium of university bands in theUSA

- Premiered at the CBDNA Conference at the University ofNorth Texas by the Texas Tech Symphonic Wind Ensemble John Cody Birdwell,Conducting and Don Lucas playing solo trombone on February 24^th 2001

- In 3 Mvts: I. Fast, II. Slow, III. Fast.

- Has the character of a serenade or divertimento but withJazz and Latin influences. It also avoids characteristic trombone sounds suchas the glissando.

Towards Nirvana(2002)21min VII

- Commissioned by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra

- Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Douglas Bostock Conducting inTokyo, Japan on October 18^th 2002

- Winner of BritishComposer Award, Wind and Brass Category, 2004

- Based on teachings and life of Buddha.Nirvana is the highest possible state oftranquility and the realization of no-self and freedom from cravings andattachment.

*French DancesRevisited(2004) 15Min

- Instrumentation: 2 fl(2 Pic.) 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bsn, 2 horn

- Commissioned by a Consortium of USA High Schools

- Premiered in Minneapolis USA in November 2004

- conceived during an exercise for Gorb’s students, whichwas to write a variation on the Bach keyboard prelude in C BVW 939 for doublewind quintet.

- In 6 mvts following the model of the Baroque French suite:Overture, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavotte, and Gigue.

Side Note: I got to hear the WSU Chamber Players learn this piece during grad school. It's great, but trickier than it sounds!

Adrenaline City(2006)7Min.

- Commissioned by a consortium of USA Military Ensembles.Steve Grimo, Coordinator

- Premiered by the US Military Academy Band Tim Holtan,Conducting at the Clarinet Summit, New York, USA on March 3^rd 2006

- Winner of British Composer Award: Wind and Brass BandCategory 2008

- inspired by both the stress and vibrancy of twenty-firstcentury city life.

- It features a sonata form in 10/8 time.

Farewell(2009)20Min

- Commissioned by theNational Youth Wind Ensemble of Wales

- Premiered by the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Wales Timothy ReynishConducting at the Monmouth School for Girls, Wales.

- Winner of British Composer Award, Wind and Brass Category2009

- splits the wind ensemble into twoseparate ‘orchestras.’ The first consists of clarinets, saxophones, trumpets,trombones, tubas and harsh sounding percussion; and the music is predominantlydesperate and anguished. The second consists of flutes, oboes, bass clarinet,bassoons, horns and more gentle percussion, and the mood is more calming andintrospective.

- The title refers to Haydn’sFarewell Symphony, but instead of all the players walking off leaving twoinstrumentalists to finish, here a solo oboe and clarinet step forward andquietly lament while the rest of the band quietly intone an eternal modus in diabilis.??

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: Felix Mendelssohn

2011-12-21T17:25:00.001-05:00

FelixMendelssohn (1809-1847) German Romantic Composer/Pianist/Conductor

Felix Mendelssohn

-Considered a versatile prodigy who stood at the forefront of German music.

-His musical style drew upon a variety of influences Bach, Mozart, Beethoven,and Weber.

-Mendelssohn is known for being a bit conservative in comparison to some of his contemporaries.

-His music reflects the tension between Classicism and Romanticism.

-produced a great deal work in his short life, including symphonies, concerti,oratorios, piano music, and chamber music.

MajorWork for Winds:

Notturno in C, Op. 24(1824) 10 min.

- Goes by a few titles(all using Op. 24) including: Nocturno, Overturefor Harmoniemusik, and the arrangementby John Boyd for modern wind band Overture for Band in C Major, Op. 24.

- claimed as one of theearly original works for wind band.

- At the age of 15,Mendelssohn spent a vacation with his father in Bad Doberan,a spa near Rostock, Germany. This is where he composed Nocturno.

-The original instrumentation for Op. 24 was that of an expanded Harmoniemusikensemble. 1222/2100 +English bass horn.

- This originalcomposition for 11 was for the court ensemble of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, which happenedto be a small windband.

- the original music for11 instrumentalists was lost before he could get it to hispublisher (Simrock), but he sent a version For 23 winds and perc in 1838

- The revised versionfeatured the “Turkish” percussion that was so popular. (see also discussions on janissary music)

- There is a suggestionfrom musicologists that the 1838 edition might have beenMendelssohn’s effort to imitate the orchestral color of Weber's Preciousa Overture (which features asmall wind band playing a gypsy theme)

- In relation to form: Thepiece is reminiscent of a classical symphony’s first movement.The overture features a slow introduction followed by a fast (Allegro Vivace)sonata form.

- Mendelssohn rescoredthe work for German and British band instrumentations to acquire moreperformances.

Notes specific to the John BoydArrangement:

- Instrumentation:3292/4331 +Pic, Alto Clar, Bass Clar, Cbs Clar, C Bsn, 2 Alto sax, Ten Sax,Bari Sax, Euph, sn drum, Triangle, Bass Drum, Crash Cym.

- Boyd’s use of therediscovered 1826 autograph makes his edition based on themost authentic source known to date.

- The score is markedwith * to show what was given in the 1826 edition.

- This arrangement canbe performed by a large band, 23 and perc, or for the original11.

- Leaving out the saxophoneswill recreate the 1838 fairly accurately.

- If performing theversion for 11 omit m. 191-193 as they were added by Mendelssohnin 1838.

Performance Practice Notes:

Tempo- Andante should belike a human heartbeat(76-80) and Allegro shouldbe twice as fast.

- Dr. Boyd has alsogiven some extensive notes on specific measures in his score.

for the geography loving folks!

I bet a lot of people don't know that Mendelssohn wrote a bit of "Band Music" and I'm really glad he did! Overture for Harmonie, Op. 24 is astaple of the wind ensemble repertoire not only because it is one of the feworiginal works for winds written during the Romantic period, but also becauseit allows winds to play a lively work by a composer who is respected by themusic community at large.

An Experiment in Thanks

2011-12-06T15:45:00.001-05:00

I know it's a little bit after Thanksgiving but I wanted to share a little thing I did during my first week of Winter Break this year. For those of you who don't know, I'm the Director (and instructor of record) for the WSU Pep Bands. It's program that I was somehow was able to grow from 19 students to 70 in a little over a year. It's been amazing to believe in myself and really go after something like this even though I knew it was only a two year position since I'm a GTA. However, in the growth I realized I don't know each member as well as I want to know them.

This lead to the following experiment:
Craft a form letter saying "thank you" for all they do for the bands, but instead of mass emailing it, I tweaked it and sent a personalized email to each individual. It took me around 10 hours over the course of two days to get it done, but I wanted to do it right. I was hoping I would hear back, but I had no clue the response would be so great.

I had shy students, who I don't think have ever said a word to me, write and tell me how it's the best part of college for them. Some offered some suggestions for games. I had future teachers tell me I was helping prepare them for being music educators. I even was called inspiring! Who knew? All this because I took the time to think about each of them, on a personal level, and give them a way to respond to me.

Here's a few samples so that I can look back on one of the tougher days and realize being a music educator and conductor really is the greatest thing in the world for me.

Mr. Freesen -
I want to thank you for being such a great leader, and a role model for me. Someone who can take charge of students, put them in a group and make them one of the best groups at Wright State.
Thank you for showing the example of leadership that I will try my best to do the same.

Thanks Mr. Freesen, this means a lot to me. I don't know if this is lame or awkward, but I have actually been inspired by your enthusiasm for teaching, your excitement, and your skills and methods in teaching. I am trying my best, and I am glad you see that I am doing so.

Being a part of the Raider Pep Band has been one of the best experiences of college. I only wish I would have joined sooner.

Thanks Mr. Freesen, if anything I should be thanking you for an opportunity like this to be able to play in such an excellent band. Compared to my high schools pep band program this one gives me the whole experience. I doubt that I will ever leave the group. Thanks again

My dedication to the Raider Pep Band has helped a lot having a director who cares about the program as well. I have watched this band mature into something we should all be proud of.

I'm certain that I will do something like this again. It was so much more valuable than those bubble sheet evaluations or any principals discussion after watching a lesson. More importantly, it's helped me to try to embody those things my students are looking for in me because now I am certain that they are watching.

Wind Conducting Symposium/Workshop Calendar

2011-08-29T15:56:00.001-04:00

I hope Summer is winding down nicely for everyone. I just wanted to put up a quick post to point you to the newest feature on my blog.

The upper right corner now features a live link to a calendar of wind conducting symposiums and workshops. I will be adding more as I hear about them, but this is a good start.

If you have one to add let me know any info you have. In the meantime, enjoy and I hope to meet you in person at one of them soon!

Where are the Women in Composition?

2011-08-07T17:51:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, before the craziness of my marching season job got going, I had a conversation on Twitter with a few colleagues. @BrandtSchneider started the whole thing by talking about trying to program more female composers for our school bands. We have a lot of girls in our programs(probably a majority in many programs). Do these girls know that composition could be a career for them? Are we doing them an injustice by programming male composers almost exclusively? They are so many questions that flew through my mind after this tweet. It seems a 140 characters can always get me riled up in one way or another.

First, I said good music is good music. We program good music for music's sake and that should be priority number 1. I didn't want this to be some kind of musical affirmative action. We could say these things about any group of people(by race, gender, locale, etc..) but that's not a good reason to program them.

However, there is some good music out there written by women so why not program. I quizzed myself on female composers for wind band, after all I am a conducting master's student. I should do well. Libby Larsen, Anne McGinty, Julie Giroux, Cindy McTee, and Augusta Read Thomas. Wow, that's it. I could name 5 and this is what I do. The only one of I've ever programmed is McGinty because I taught in a small school and middle school. Giroux and Thomas I hadn't even heard of until my grad studies. I was ashamed, but should I have been? I didn't have groups that could do this stuff! Oh and FYI, Clare Grundman is a dude...

My teachers have programmed these composers because they have had ensembles that could play it. It's good writing and worthy of being programmed, but there aren't a lot of groups that will be playing the music of Julie Giroux at the HS level. I think the real issue is that we lack pieces that fit technical demands of the average band. If you look back at wind band history, the clear answer to this issue is commissioning for grade 3/4 works by up and coming women in composition. It's a possibility that some great music will come out of this if someone can back it. Maybe it's time we become a consortium!

I'll close with a conversation/interview I did with the only female composer I converse with on Twitter, Jennifer Jolley. Jennifer is a blogger and composer in Cincinnati. Feel free to start a conversation with her, @JennJolley I'm sure she'll be glad to discuss her work. I also invite you to view her blog, www.whycompose.com and her website, www.jenniferjolley.com

KF: A colleague of mine has been discussing programming choices and female composers as role models since band programs are majority girls.

JJ: That's so cool! I'm glad to hear this.

KF: Why composition?

JJ: Like how I got started composing? I was in high school and I wanted to write music for films. This was the first time I was conscious about wanting to be a composer; in the past, I would get bored practicing piano and doodle around a bit. Had I known I was improvising and that improvising was a form of composing, I think I would have started sooner.

KF: Issues because of gender?

JJ: Yes and no. I feel like I have not been held back because of my gender, but I'm wondering why there aren't as many girls who want to be composers when they grow up.

KF: Thoughts on writing for winds?

JJ: It's tricky! When I was writing my first band piece, I was a little scared because I didn't play a band instrument. To compensate, I studied scores and attended rehearsals. Also, my composition teacher gave me a good exercise to familiarize myself with the ensemble: he had me write scales from the low end of the ensemble to the high end. This gave me an idea where my ranges and color were, and I discovered that the wind ensemble is thick in the middle! Ack! What do you do? How do you balance this? At least I was aware of the situation. Now that I've written my first band piece, I will have more confidence when I write my next one.

What are your thoughts? Where do we go from here? I'm all for finding great music in all places. I'm sure there are some great musical ideas in some women out there, how do we find them and get them to write for the wind band?

Perspectives on Conducting Workshops: A Guest Blogger Article

2011-07-30T10:38:00.002-04:00

Hello to anyone still out there. I'm sorry for the absence, but it has been a busy Summer. Professionally, I haven't been doing as much as I like. Personally, it has been the best summer of my life. More on that in another post.

I met my colleague, Josh Underwood at a conducting workshop I attended at Ball State this past February. We have since become good friends. When I found out he would be attending this workshop at the storied University of Michigan I was jealous, but the timing just didn't work out for me. I asked him to write a short article about his experience in hopes that more people would take advantage of these types of workshops. Please enjoy his perspective and please contact me if you have attended something like this and would like to write a guest post for The Virtual Podium.

Conducting Workshop Reflection

For one week at the end of June I had the privilege of attending the University of Michigan Band Conducting and Pedagogy Workshop. Conducting workshops (or symposia, as they are often called) are interesting events to attend. You spend a great deal of time preparing what is ultimately a very short stint conducting someone else’s band; or, if you are really lucky, a “symposium band” made up of observers and your conducting peers. You are expected to show all you know about conducting while 1. hoping that you don’t look like a moron in front of some of the greatest conductors in the band field and 2. praying to a higher power that no matter what you do, the ensemble in front of you follows.

My experience at Michigan was unlike any I have had before. I spent the weeks before heading to Ann Arbor diligently studying my scores, prepared to know every note of every part, and ready to be able to effortlessly cue every major cue, and exude great passion and emotion. What I ended up learning, however, was not only about conducting and physical gesture, but an extreme awareness of my physical self. Every day time was devoted to body awareness sessions (which were then applied as we conducted each day). The first exercise of the entire clinic centered on how one arises from a sitting position. It was incredible to discover all of the extra and unnecessary tension we place on ourselves performing an activity everyone does so often on a daily basis. The discovery didn’t end there. As the week went on, we became aware of keeping our feet evenly balanced as a tripod (heel, inner arch, outer arch), and how tension in our ankles lead to tension in the shoulders, which leads to all sorts of conducting issues.

Of course, the conducting sessions were just as in depth. A great deal of time was spent discussing over-conducting, independence of the hands, and using facial expression only when necessary, and always genuine. What was particularly fantastic about the conducting sessions was the fact that not only did I receive feedback on the podium, but also attended a one-on-one session with a Michigan band director immediately following podium time. This was a time to watch a DVD recording and get immediate suggestions and feedback. The conducting sessions also had the added bonus (as they most always do) of having the opportunity to conduct a few of the great band masterworks, something that graduate students and school directors don’t often get to do. I personally conducted the second movement of Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy and the first movement of Holst’s Suite in E-flat.

Studying with the conducting faculty at the University of Michigan was truly a phenomenal experience. The knowledge and compassion they shared during that short six days on campus completely transformed me as a conductor. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone serious about transcending to the “next level” in their own conducting, whatever that may be.

Mr. Underwood in performance with the Ball State Wind Ensemble

About The Guest Blogger:

Joshua S. Underwood is currently a band/conducting graduate assistant at Ball State University, where he is pursuing a Master's of Music in Instrumental Conducting and Trumpet Performance. Prior to this he resided in north Texas, where upon graduation from the University of North Texas he spent time as a church music director, and was also the Director of Bands for the Muenster Independent School District, where he directed bands 5-12, including a competitive marching and concert program at the high school. Mr. Underwood also served as a judge and guest clinician in the north Texas area.

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: Dr. Dana Wilson

2011-05-26T09:38:00.001-04:00

Dr. Dana Wilson (1946-Present) American Composer/Pianist/Teacher

Dana Wilson, Composer

- Interested early on(HS) in improvisation and played guitar and piano.

- Holds degrees from Bowdoin College(BA Psychology, Music minor- 1968), UCONN(MA- Music Theory- 1975), and Eastman(Ph.D- Theory 1982)

- Was drafted for the Vietnam war and played piano in Germany during his tour.

- Has written music for ensembles such as the Chicago Chamber Musicians, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, Netherlands Wind Ensemble, and the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.

- Received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council for the Arts, and Art Midwest.

- His compositions have won many awards, including the International Trumpet Guild First Prize, the Sudler International Composition Prize, and the Ostwald Award.

- Serves of the faculty teaching composition at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.

- co-authored “Contemporary Choral Arranging”, and has written for the “Composer's Insight” series(Vol. 4) and "Composers on Composing for Band, Vol. 2."

- It is said that he conceptualizes the wind band as a sort of large jazz band.

Major works for Wind Ensemble:

Piece of Mind(1987) 20min Gr V

- Premiered in New York City with the Ithaca College Band. Rodney Winther, Conductor

- Won both the Sudler Award(1987) and the Ostwald(1988)

- In 4 movements: I. Thinking, II. Remembering, III. Feeling, and IV. Being

- It’s a pun(peace of mind) and represents Wilson’s musical reflections on the inner workings of the human mind.

Time Cries, Hoping Otherwise- Concerto for Alto sax and Wind Ensemble(1990) Gr. V

- Commissioned by the University of Northern Arizona.

- Premiered by Laura Hunter and the Northern Arizona Wind Symphony at the western conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance in 1991.

- Also available for alto saxophone and piano.

Calling, Ever Calling – Concerto for Oboe and Wind Ensemble(1991) Gr. V

- Commissioned by the Mid-American Band Directors Association,

- Premiered in 1991 at the 50th anniversary convention of the CBDNA in Kansas City, with Michael Henoch, oboist with the Chicago Symphony, performing.

- This work is “to awaken the spirits, to one’s love, to dance so that we may forget...”

- At various times, the soloist calls to the audience or different members of the ensemble, and ensemble members call to each other

Dance of the New World(1992) 8 min Gr. IV

- commissioned by Belmont High School, Belmont, MA with funding from the Mass. Foundation for the Arts.

- completed 500 years, to the month that Christopher Columbus first landed in the New World.

- The piece is considered a tribute to the blending of styles and attitudes that has taken place in the “Latin” American region of this hemisphere where Columbus first landed.

- It is also intended to suggest the hopeful awakening of the Renaissance that his voyage symbolized.

The Shifting Bands of Time(1997) 12min Grade III

- Commissioned by Ohio University.

- Metric shifting challenges younger groups.

Shortcut Home(comp 1998, pub 2003) 3min Gr IV

- Premiered by the Hillsborough High School Band(NJ) with composer conducting in 1998.

- Written as an extended fanfare with jazz influences

- Home is C Major, which we arrive on with the final chord

Other works for Winds:

Avatar- Concerto for Bassoon and Chamber Winds(2006), Black Nightshade for four perc and wind symphony(2004), Clarion Call for brass and perc(1988), Colorado Peaks(2005), Concerto for Horn and Wind Ensemble(1997), Leader Lieder for trumpet and wind ensemble(2002), Day Dreams(2006), Evolution(1999), Footsteps(2010) harder they fall for Narrator and Wind Symphony(2004), Io Rising for brass quintet and wind ensemble(1993), Kah! Out of Darkness(1999), Liquid Ebony for clarinet and wind ensemble(2005), Liquid Gold for soprano sax and wind ensemble, trans. of Liquid Ebony(2005), Odysseus and the Sirens(2008), Remembrance(2005), Sang!(1994), Shakata: Singing the World into Existence(1989), To Set the Darkness Echoing...(2005), Uprising(1995), Vortex band, percussion, and piano(1999), When I Am Gone Away(2006), and Winds on the Steppes for 16 winds, piano, and perc.(1991)

Dana Wilson is an incredibly prolific composer for our medium. You can listen to clips and find out more about him and his music on his website, http://www.danawilson.org/

In other news, I'm done with my first year of Graduate School in about a week and a half! I can't believe how fast it's gone and how much I've learned.

Helpful Resources for Horn Playing and Teaching

2011-05-20T09:25:00.000-04:00

The school is winding down. We have about two weeks to go here at Wright State. I couldn't be happier about choosing this school. I'm hoping that next year is even better.Hopefully summer will leave a little more time for blogging as well!

The following is a handout I'm working on for my brass methods course. I hope it's useful for them as they start to think like teachers. If any educators/horn players out there have anything I should I add please comment. If you found something you might use you should comment as well.

Helpful Resources for Horn Playing and Teaching

Compiled by Mr. Kyle Freesen

Wright State University Brass Methods

Method Books for Individual Study:

Skornicka - “Rubank Elementary Method”

Pottag/Hovey - “Method for French Horn - Book 2”

Reynolds - “The Horn Handbook”

Kopprasch – “50 Etudes, opus 6” (HS/College)

Farkas - “The Art of French Horn Playing”(not really a method book, but important reading)

Schuller – “Studies for Unaccompanied Horn” (Advanced players)

Ericson - Introducing the Horn: Essentials for New Hornists and Their Teachers

Websites:

www.hornsociety.org

- A website featuring a wealth of information. This includes an index of their journal, Horncall and tips of the month. You can find recordings, podcasts, and much more here.

http://hornplayer.net/index.asp

- There is a searchable message board here covering a wide range of topics.

www.hornplanet.com

- A site by hornist and professor, Thomas Bacon, there’s a lot here, but most importantly go to the “Study Guide” as it outlines goals for players of all abilities and recommends method books, supplementary materials, and appropriate solos/ensembles to reach those goals. There’s even horn trivia!!

http://hornmatters.com/

- A blog of sorts run by John Ericson and Bruce Hembd. New content is added daily. They even have a list of horn youtube channels.(A great way to get world class players into your classroom)

Resource Recordings:

“Mozart: Horn Concertos” - Dennis Brain, horn

“The London Horn Sound” - Horn ensemble music performed by 32 of London’s top players

“Perspectives” -Hermann Baumann, horn

“Next Mode” - Vincent Chancey, jazz horn(they do exist!)

“Brahms and Beethoven: Music for Horn” - Lowell Greer, natural horn

“20th Century Settings” Gail Williams, horn

Equipment:

Good Brands:

Conn(8D), Holton, and Yamaha(667)

Mouthpieces: Remember, this is just a starting point, result may vary.

Yamaha 30C4(Beginner)

Schillke 30(Beginner)

Holton-Farkas MC or MDC (Intermediate)

Laskey 75G(Advanced)

Laskey 80J(Advanced, larger lips)

Mutes:

Humes and Berg Straight Mute(basic)

Trumcor 45T Tuneable Straight Mute(advanced)

I'm hoping Dr. Randall Faust would be proud...CORdially...

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: David Maslanka

2011-05-05T20:33:00.000-04:00

David Maslanka

Dr. David Maslanka (1943-Present) American Composer

- Born in New Bedford, Mass.
- Holds degrees from Oberlin(1965) BMusEd and Michigan State(67-71) MM and PhD Theory/Composition where his prinicipal teacher was H. Owen Reed.
- spent a year studying at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria
- Has been working as a freelance composer since 1990.
- Served as faculty at the State University of New York at Geneseo, Sarah Lawrence College, New York University, and Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York.
- Now resides in Missoula, MT.
- Has written choral, orchestral, solo, chamber, and percussion music, but is most well-known for his over 40 contributions to the wind ensemble repertoire.
- Symphonies 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 are for wind ensemble as well as 12 concertos, a Mass, and many smaller scale concert pieces.

[Freesen Note: Maslanka’s belief in fate and the beyond is interesting to me. He talks about his school selection by saying he was naïve in choosing programs, but he believes if “you need a teacher, than the teacher will appear”]

Major works for Wind Ensemble:

A Child’s Garden of Dreams (1981) 35:00Min Gr. VII
- Premiered in Feb. 1982 at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., NU Wind Ensemble, John P. Paynter, conductor
- Commissioned by John and Marietta Paynter for the Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble.
- The work is based on “Man and His Symbols” by Carl Jung(a Swiss psychologist): The anecdote explains an experience of meeting with a psychiatrist who brought in a handwritten booklet he had received as a Christmas present from his 10-year-old daughter. It was a puzzling set of dreams that were incomprehensible. Each dream begins with the words of a fairy tale: ‘Once upon a time.’ The father couldn’t explain the dreams because they had no personal association. She would die a year after giving this book to her father.
- from Man and His Symbols: “The dreams were a preparation for death, expressed through short stories. The little girl was approaching puberty, and at the same time, the end of her life. Little or nothing in the symbolism of her dreams points to the beginning of a normal adult life. When I first read her dreams, I had the uncanny feeling that they suggested impending disaster. These dreams open up a new and rather terrifying aspect of life and death. One would expect to find such images in an aging person who looks back on life, rather than to be given them by a child. Their atmosphere recalls the old Roman saying, ‘Life is a short dream,’ rather than the joy and exuberance of its springtime. Experience shows that the unknown approach of death casts an ‘adumbratio’ (an anticipatory shadow) over the life and dreams of the victim. Even the altar in Christian churches represents, on one hand, a tomb and, on the other, a place of resurrection – the transformation of death into eternal life.”
- In 5 movements, which were selected from the 12 dreams in his book:
I. There is a desert on the moon where the dreamer sinks so deeply into the ground that she reaches hell.
II. A Drunken woman falls into the water and comes out renewed and sober.
III. A horde of small animals frightens the dreamer. The animals increase to a tremendous size, and one of them devours the little girl.
IV. A drop of water is seen as it appears when looked at through a microscope. The girl sees that the drop is full of tree branches. This portrays the origin of the world.
V. An ascent into heaven, where pagan dances are being celebrated; and a descent into hell, where angels are doing good deeds

Symphony No. 2 (1985) 30 min Gr. VII
- In 3 movements: I. Moderato, II. Deep River III. Allegro Molto
- Premiered in Feb. 1987 at the CBDNA National Convention in Evanston, IL by Northwestern University Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble, with John P. Paynter, conducting
- commissioned by the Big Ten Band Directors Association in 1983 to be a major work for full symphonic band.
- The first and third movements are in sonata form.
- The second movement is based on an African American spiritual(Deep River) and the final notes were written during the tragedy of the Challenger space shuttle. It is dedicated to the memory of those astronauts.

In Memoriam (1989) 13 minutes
- Premiered Feb. 1990 at the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference, San Antonio, TX by the University of Texas at Arlington Wind Ensemble, Ray C. Lichtenwalter, conductor.
- Commissioned by the University of Texas at Arlington Wind Ensemble/Ray C. Lichtenwalter at the request of the students of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma at UTA.
- Utilizing the the Bach chorale prelude; “Nur den lieben Gott lasst walten” (If you only trust in God to guide you”) this was composed for Ray Lichtenwalter, in memory of his wife Susan.
- “The opening declamatory statement of the hymn tune by the brass and percussion, and then by the full ensemble, sets the stage for a work which dramatically captures both the conflict and the celebration of human life.” – Maslanka
- The work is a large fantasia interweaving variations on the hymn with related thematic material.
- The text of the hymn is as follows:
“If you but trust in God to guide you
And place your confidence in Him,
You’ll find Him always there beside you,
To give you hope and strength within.
For those who trust Gods changeless love
Build on the rock that will not move.”

Symphony No. 4 (1993) 29 minutes Gr. VII
- Premiered Feb. 1994 at the 1994 Texas Music Educators Association convention, San Antonio, TX, by the University of Texas at Austin Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jerry Junkin, conductor
- Commissioned by a consortium headed by the University of Texas at Austin Symphonic Wind Ensemble and director, Jerry Junkin
- based on a joy for life. He found this inspiration in many things including the landscape of Montana and Idaho.
- The telling of Lincoln’s funeral procession by Illinoisian Poet, Carl Sandburg is used as inspiration as well. Maslanka thinks Lincoln serves as a model for dealing with the struggles of the current time.
- The hymn tune Old Hundred as well as other hymn tunes (the Bach chorales “Only Trust in God to Guide You” and “Christ Who Makes Us Holy”), and original melodies which are hymn-like in nature, are used throughout.
- Psalm 100 was also part of the basis for the work. It reads in part:
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord
with gladness; come before His presence with singing… Enter into
His gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise: be
thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”
- While not Christian in his own ideology, he uses these Christian symbols because they are part of our cultural heritage.

Mass (1996) revised (2005) 105Min
- composed for SATB Chorus, Boys Chorus, Soprano & Baritone soli, Organ, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble
- Premiered April 1996 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Tucson, AZ, by the University of Arizona Wind Ensemble, Gregg Hanson, conductor.
- Commissioned by a consortium headed by the University of Arizona Wind Ensemble and Gregg Hanson
- This is complete setting the Latin Mass, intercut with solo songs on poems of Richard Beale.
- dedicated to the generations of Maslanka’s family – his grandfathers and grandmothers, his father Stanley, his mother Mary, his brothers John and Robert, his wife Alison, his children Stephen, Matthew and Kathryn – and to the continued opening of the human spirit in this age of transformation.
- This the second work that utilizes texts by Beale, he is also the poet behind Litany for Courage and the Seasons which is 6 settings for choir.
- The full text for the mass can be found at http://www.davidmaslanka.com/

Song Book(2001) 45min
- Commissioned by a consortium of universities headed by Larry Gookin, Director of Bands, and Hal Ott, Professor of Flute at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA.
- scored for Flute and Wind Ensemble as a concerto.
- 5 movements: I. A Song of Coming Awake, II. Solvitur Ambulando(it is solved by walking) III. In Loving Memory, IV. In the Crucible of Your Pain, and V. A Song for the End of Time
- The title comes out of the intimate nature of the music, and the voice-like quality of the flute.
- The piece is based on three chorales by J.S. Bach, which Maslanka uses frequently.

Give Us This Day: Short Symphony for Wind Ensemble (2005) 17 minutes Gr. V
- The work is divided into two movements. I. and II.(with a symphonic character)
- Commissioned by Eric Weirather, Director of Bands at Rancho Buena Vista High School in Oceanside, CA, (San Diego area).
- Title comes from the Lord's Prayer, but the inspiration for this music is Buddhist.
- Written with ideas from a reflection on reading a book by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced "Tick Not Hahn") entitled "For a future to be Possible."
- The theory is that future for the planet is only possible if individuals become deeply mindful of themselves, deeply connected to who they really are. Maslanka says this is the issue for world peace.
-Ends with a modal setting of the Chorale melody "Vater Unser in Himmelreich" ("Our Father in Heaven"), #110 from the 371 Four-Part Chorales by J.S. Bach.
Other Works for Winds:
Concerto for Alto Saxophone (2000), Concerto for Marimba (1990), Concerto for Piano, Winds, and Percussion (1979), Desert Roads: Four Songs for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble (2004), Four Pieces for Band (1980), Golden Light (1990), Heart Songs (1998), Hell's Gate (1997), Montana Music: Chorale Variations (1993), Morning Star (1997), Mother Earth (2006), Prelude on a Gregorian Tune(1981), Rollo Takes a Walk (1980), Sea Dreams for Two Horns and Wind Ensemble (1998), Symphony No. 3 (1991), Symphony No. 5 (2000), Symphony No. 7 (2008), Tears (1994), Testament (2001), A Tuning Piece: Songs of Fall and Winter (1995), Traveler, UFO Dreams: Concerto for Euphonium (1999), Variants on a Hymn Tune (1995), Alex and The Phantom Band (2001), Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble (2007), Procession of the Academics (2007- For ISU graduation), and A Carl Sandburg Reader (2007)

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: Morton Gould

2011-04-19T17:47:00.002-04:00

Morton Gould(1913-1996) American Pianist/Composer/Conductor

- child prodigy with abilities in improvisation and composition(writing at age 6)

- studied at the Institute of Musical Art(Now Julliard)

- During the Great Depression(in his teens) he worked in playing piano in movie theaters, as well as with vaudeville acts in NYC.

- When Radio City Music Hall opened(1932), he was hired as the staff pianist.

Morton Gould Circa 1941

- By 1935, he was conducting and arranging orchestral programs for New York's WOR radio station, where he reached a national audience. He combined popular music with classical.

- Was a sought after orchestral conductor in America, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan, and Australia. With his orchestra, he recorded music of many classical standards, including Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on which he also played the piano.

- Grammy Award(1966) for his recording of Ives' 1st Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. - received the American Symphony Orchestra League's Gold Baton Award(1983).

- President of ASCAP(1986-1994). [American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers]

- He was adept at incorporating styles into his repertoire as they emerged, including a rapping narrator and a singing fire department into commissions for the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony.

- Received the Kennedy Center Honor in recognition of a lifetime contributions to American culture(1994).

- Posthumously award a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award(2005)

- Wrote for orchestra, film, broadway, ballet, piano, voice, and band.

Major Works for Band:

Symphony No. 4 for Band or West Point Symphony(1952) 16Min Grade VI

- In 2 movements: I. Epitaphs and II. Marches

- Premiered April 13th 1952 at West Point with the composer conducting

- A few pieces were composed for the Sesquicentennial Celebration of the US Military Academy

- inspired partly by the cemetery on the West Point grounds, was to evoke the Long Gray Line, the generations of Army soldiers on parade.

Santa Fe Saga(1956) 10min Grade V

- commissioned by Dr. Edwin Franko Goldman

- Premiered on Mar. 9, 1956 at the American Bandmasters Convention in Santa Fe, New Mexico

- 4 distinct sections “Rio Grande”, “Round-up”, “Wagon Train”, and “Fiesta”

- Was collaboration with ballet choreographer. Elliot Feld.

- Based upon the sounds of folk life in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Prisms(1963)

- Commissioned by Dr. William D. Revelli, University of Michigan for CBDNA

- Premiered1962, with the composer conducting the Indiana University Symphonic Band.

- In 5 movments: I. Slow, mysterious,II. Moving exaltedly, III. Moving forcefully, IV. Slow—quietly vibrant, V. Brisk-fleeting.

Mini-Suite for Band(1968) 4:30Min Grade II

- 3 Movements: I. Birthday March, II. A Tender Waltz, III. Bell Carol

- Transcribed from piano works written for his pre-teen daughters, Abby and Deborah

- Music for young band by a master composer

Gould Conducting the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl

"Composing is my life blood." - Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Morton Gould

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: Ralph Vaughan Williams

2011-04-06T19:56:00.001-04:00

Ralph Vaughan Willliams(1872-1958) English 20th Cty Composer/Conductor
- composed symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores.
- collected of English folk music(over 800 songs) and used them in compositions.
- attended the Royal College of Music where he met Holst in 1895
- Served in WW I as stretcher carrier, named Director of Music, First Army.
- The bulk of his major works are his 9 symphonies, yet his contribution to the wind world is important.
- He is considered, along with Holst and Jacob, to be one of the British Band Masters


The first page of the Score

Major Wind Works:
English Folk Song Suite (1923) 10:30Min Grade V
- Full military Band Instrumentation
- 3 movements: March-Seventeen Come Sunday(title song, Pretty Caroline,and Dives and Lazarus), Intermezzo-My Bonny Boy(and Greenbushes), and March- Folk Songs from Somerset(blow away the Morning Dew, High Germany, The Tree So High, and John Barleycorn)
- Gordon Jacob arranged this suite for orchestra.
- Its world premiere was given at Kneller Hall on July 4, 1923 in London.
- Made known in the US by the 1957 Fennell Eastman WE recording.
- Most of the 9 melodies appear first in solo lines making it a great piece to showcase multiple players.

Sea Songs (1923) 4 min Grade III
- Originally part of the aforementioned suite as the second movement, there is some debate on this, but I believe it to be quite plausible..
- based on folk songs Princess Royal, Admiral Benbow and Portsmouth.
- written for the band of the Royal Military School of Music

Toccata Marziale (1924) Meaning “Martial(soldierly) Toccata” 5 min VI
- Full military band instrumentation.
- broke away from the concept of the military band original repertoire being mainly a vehicle for ceremonial purposes.
- extensive use of counterpoint and dynamic ranges(like Hammersmith, maybe an influence on Holst because of their relationship?)
- 158 measures based on one motive that is developed into 5 additional themes. Great study in balance of melody/counter melody.
- Fennell has a “Basic Band Repertory” essay on it(Instrumentalist 1976)

Ralph as a Young Man

Scherzo alla Marcia(1956) for Chamber Winds 4min Grade IV(MD)

- This an extracted movement(2^nd) from Symphony #8 The first uses full orchestra, second winds, third strings, fourth all.
- Instrumentation: fl, pic, ob I/II, 2 clar, 3 bsn, 2 horns, 2 tpts, 3 tbns

Other Works of Significance:
- Variations for Wind Band (1957) arr. Hunsberger(1988) originally for orchestra 14Min Grade VI
- Rhosymedre (1920) Trans. Beeler(1972) 4min Grade IV

Oh, and by the way...make sure you pronounce it Rafe, not Ralph. It'll help you sound like a learned band nerd!

While it is not an in-depth scholarly article I hope it is of use. If you have suggestions for composers/conductors you'd like to see, or information you think it relevant feel free to comment or send me an email, k.freesen@gmail.com I'm always ready to talk about the art of wind band.

Wind Band Composer Snapshot: Norman Dello Joio

2011-04-05T21:56:00.003-04:00

Norman Dello Joio(1913-2008) American Composer/Organist

- Parents were Italian immigrants(father organist/opera coach) in NYC
- began career as organist/choir director at the Star of the Sea Church on City Island in New York at age 14.
- Attended Juilliard(1939) studying organ and composition(BM, MM) on scholarship.
- studied with Hindemith at Tanglewood(1941), huge influence on his compositional style.

Norman Dello Joio

- Hindemith told Dello Joio, "Your music is lyrical by nature, don’t ever forget that." Dello Joio states that, although he did not completely understand at the time, it meant: "Don’t sacrifice necessarily to a system, go to yourself, what you hear. If it’s valid, and it’s good, put it down in your mind. Don’t say I have to do this because the system tells me to.”
- Compositions include choral works, orchestral, wind band, solo voice, chamber works, concertos, piano pieces, ballets, 2 masses, operas, and film scores.
- Taught at Sarah Lawrence College, the Mannes College of Music, and was Professor of Music and Dean of the Fine and Applied Arts School of Boston University(1972-1978).
- Directed the Ford Foundation’s Contemporary Music Project(1959-1973), which placed young composers in high schools who were salaried to compose music for school ensembles and programs.

Circa 1964

Major Works for Band:

Variants on a Mediaeval Tune (1963) 11:40 Min Grade VI
- Commissioned by the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation for the Duke University band.
- Variations based on the tune “In Dulci Jubilo”
- Introduction/Theme and 5 variations
- Harmonic structure doesn’t reflect a past era
- Not a standard theme and variation form as each movement could be free-standing.
- Dello Joio was 50 years old when he wrote his first band piece.

Scenes from the Louvre “Based on Ancient Airs”(1966) 10Min Grade 5
- Commissioned by the Baldwin Wallace College Symphonic Band
- 5 movements: The Portals, Children's Gallery, Kings of France, Nativity Paintings, Finale
- Premiered March 13 1966 with the composer conducting
- Written as soundtrack for a documentary of the Louvre museum(France). It was orchestral in nature first.
- Winner of Emmy Award for Best Score for a Television Production.

Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn(1968) 14:30min Grade VI
- 3 movements: Theme and Fantasy I, Fantasy II, Fantasy III.
- commissioned by the MSBOA and dedicated to Mr. Leonard Falcone, Director of Bands at Michigan State University, upon his retirement.
- This work for band is based on a theme from a composition for piano by Joseph Haydn.

Satiric Dances (For a Comedy by Aristophanes) (1975) 7Min Grade V
- In 3 movements: Allegro Pesante, Adagio Mesto, Allegro Spumante
- Commissioned in commemoration of the Bicentennial of April 19, 1775 by the Concord Band, Massachusetts; William Toland, Music Director.
- It was a piece he had used as background music for a comedy by Aristophanes.
- features Mediterranean folk dance influences
- Performance Note: There should not be break between the final two movements

Other works of note(pieces based other works of Dello Joio)
From Every Horizon, A Tone Poem to New York – Music from his film score(Every Horizon)
Song of Abelard – Baritone solo and band – Trans from his ballet "Time of Snow"
Caccia – Trans. Of his Diversions No. 3 for orchestra
Colonial Ballads – 6 mov taken from his 13 movement Colonial Variants for Orchestra
The Dancing Sargeant – Transcription from Five Images for orchestra and piano versions.
Metaphrase – Original 12-tone band work, based on Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
City Profiles – Trans from New York Profiles for orchestra. For the Keystone WE, Jack Stamp.

Dello Joio's Obiturary from 2008
When a major composer passes on, it sets off a series of concerts featuring his music as an homage to the composer. I hope this causes a bit of a resurgence in the in the programming of his works for wind band as directors and teacher are reminded of the wonderful literature he has left us.

It's Really February?

2011-02-12T18:37:00.001-05:00

Well the post below is the February Blog Carnival so I guess it must be true. I can't tell you how quickly January came and went. I really enjoyed the challenges of January after the LONG break. Wright State takes a break from Thanksgiving to New Years, so other than the basketball games I didn't have a whole lot going on. Then these three events hit!

Conducting the Fight Song after the Win over Butler

First the biggest weekend(so far) of college basketball where we played Valpo and Butler on our home court. Have I mentioned that I love being the Athletic Band Director for a Div I basketball team? How many grad students get that wonderful opportunity? Anyway we split the weekend losing to Valpo and beating Butler. The win against conference rivals, Butler was something I'll remember. We combined both bands and had almost 70 members all in uniform, playing and cheering all night. There were just 9,000 fans in attendance. The feeling of raising my hands for the Star Spangled Banner and having all those people come to their feet was amazing. The whole game was electric really, all the way down to the Vaughn Duggins buzzer beater and the crowd rushing the court. I hope an NCAA or NIT bid is on the way...I would love to take my band on that adventure. I have such a vision for where I can take this group in my two year appointment.

Dr. Booth, Myself, and Professor Ponto

Then we had Tri-State Honor Band. I had been putting the details of the honor band in place since October, but this weekend it all came together. Professor Robert Ponto was in From Oregon to work with kids from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio on our campus. I loved hanging with the guest conductor and organizing the event as well as playing for the HS kids in the Wind Symphony. Dr. Booth may call me a nerd, but I'm glad I'm detailed, the whole thing seemed to go off without a hitch. I'm working on making a handbook to TSHB to pass down after next year.

After TSHB 2011 was capped off by a 5AM drive with Ponto to the airport, I focused on IMEA. The return to Illinois to present a clinic with Keith Ozsvath was great. We spoke to a room of fellow music educators about how to use Twitter and Facebook to have your own 24/7 Professional Development. Not everyone got into it, remember that "acquaintance" lady? Overall, the reception was great and I need to start looking into what I am going to propose for next year. It's like an addiction, I just can't get enough time to praise the use of technology to make us better teachers. Of course the other side is I got to go to all kinds of clinics and learn for myself. I really loved two of the clinics that had demonstration bands, one about new approaches to ensemble tuning, and the other about teaching musicality and expression. Inspiring! Seeing friends with Jes was a lot fun and it makes me wonder where will land after these couple of years in Ohio. What should I propose for the session next year? Ideas?

In personal news. The wedding train is chugging along thanks to my diligent future wife. She cuts through her to do list like none other. We've done engagement photos, bought her band, ordered invitations in the last month. I'm sure there's more, but that's what comes to mind. Oh and I've got the website up and running.

It's all great and I've enjoyed taking a bit of time this evening to put it together. Next week is a conducting workshop with Dr. Stephen Davis from UMKC at Ball State with Dr. Thomas Caneva. Better get back to studying my Holst and Dello Joio scores! Have a great night and make sure to share your blogs with me. I'd love to read what's going on out there.

Music Education Blog Carnival- February 2011 Edition

2011-02-01T13:49:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my first Music Education Blog Carnival

Following a month filled with activity in the field of music education. I got some great article submissions from teachers all over the world. Between hosting an honor band, filling in as the WSU Wind Symphony conductor, running my pep band, and presenting at IMEA I was engulfed in music this past month! I was glad to have @PisanoJM cheering me on and sending a lot of "Retweets" to help put this together.

Hopefully you'll find some new folks in here and maybe even a new blog to add to your RSS feed. I have also included their twitter usernames, get on twitter and join our conversation! Without further ado, please enjoy your Carnival!

Music Advocacy

Dr. Joseph Pisano(@PisanoJM), TI:ME 2011 Teacher of the Year, presents MMC Keynote: The New Relevance Of Music Educators posted at Music, Technology and Education: Mustech.net - Dr. Pisano's blog post includes his PowerPoint titled 21st Century Skills - The New Relevance of Music Educators from his recent presentation at the Michigan Music Conference."

David Ahrens(@MrAhrens) presents Music Life Lesson #5: Getting Along posted at Sound Education - Music teaches us more than how to play or sing. The life skills taught through music are invaluable. This is #5 in a series of posts by Mr. Ahrens about what else music teaches and his reflections on a #MusEdChat discussion on the topic.

Professional Development

Keith Ozsvath(@band_techie) presents Part I - IMEA Recap: Using Facebook for Professional Development posted at Teaching & Technology [in music]Keith and I presented a session on "24/7 Professional Development, Creating a PLN" at IMEA this past week. Here he has outlined the first part of our presentation, Parts 2 and 3 to follow!

Amy Cook presents When Does Technology Work for K12 Teachers? - posted at Information Technology DegreeThis article includes link to discussion about making technology "work" for teachers and dispelling myths about technology in a study done by Walden University.

Music Education

Yoon Soo Lim (@DoremiGirl) presents Visiting Artist Week: Learning from Other Teachers posted at sing imagination - What a great idea! This post explores what both students(and teacher) learned by bringing professional artists into school.

Nick Jaworski(@JaworskiMusic) presents Why is it that the music we prefer to listen to is so vastly different from the music we teach our students? | posted at Moving Forward With Music (Nick Jaworski) - "This article attempts to examine the discrepancy between the music that music education undergraduates listen to and the music that they are expected to teach when they get into the professional world. By trying to understand our future teachers' own tastes, maybe the profession can start to ask the necessary questions about what music should be taught within the classroom." - Nick Jaworski. Personally, I like the nerdy stuff I am "supposed" to teach...then again Celine Dion is ok too :)

Samuel Wright(@WrightStufMusic) presents Making Music Fun posted at Wright-Stuff Music - this is a collection of links for all things fun, musical, interactive and wizbang(his words, not mine) on the internet. It is technological, but also pedagogical and useful in performance. Great for early learning to junior high classes.

Elizabeth Heist(@Heistes) presents Dealing with Instrumentation in Ensembles posted at Music Education Highlights from an Undergrad - Miss Heist lists resources to help with instrumentation issues of school band programs. She is a student teacher, currently dealing with this issue in her co-op school's program.

Thomas J. West(@thomasjwest) presents Teaching Expressive Music Making - Beyond The Black Dots - Thomas J. West Music posted at Thomas J. West Music - Mr. West discusses music beyond the page. He says, "One of the most challenging things to do in teaching music is guiding students towards performing music expressively. Performing music is such an intricate and complex process, or is it? Basic music expression is really quite natural and fundamental to humans. As the guitar teacher at my school is fond of telling his students, "Music is about communication.""

Emily Farrell(@EmilyRFarrell) presents A Percussion Discussion posted at Waiting For a Story - A humorous and very honest look about the need to really teach percussion as a opposed to just letting them "Hit what they want. When they want. How they want."

Brandt Schneider(@BrandtSchnieder) presents Who is in your Top Ten? posted at Things To Come - "Is there agreement on what artists we should teach?" Probably not. Go weigh in on Mr. Schneider's post that was started by a NY times series.

@jmonteo presents Componiendo JUNTOS posted at Componiendo JUNTOS - "Composing together. A Spanish collaborative project to compose a song with all the schools who want to participate." Completely in Spanish.

Samuel Wright(@WrightStufMusic) presents Programmatic Learning ? Pictures @ an Exhibition posted at Wright-Stuff Music - This is a lesson you can take out of Mr. Wright's playbook. He says, "A small but useful AIR application to get students listening, comparing, score reading and analysing the music of Mussorgsky. Firstly as orchestrated by Ravel and then by Emerson Lake and Palmer."

I hope you enjoy your monthly ME Blog Carnival. From here I turn it over to the March Host, Miss Justine Dolorfino(@Justine_Robin). You can submit your blog article for her edition of Music Education Blog Carnival by using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Next up on my blog will be some reflection articles about this past few weeks! Stay warm out there if you're being affected by these big storms across the US!

The Virtual Podium is Hosting the Music Education Carnival this Month!

2011-01-20T22:33:00.002-05:00

I'm proud to present the February 2011 edition of the Music Education Blog Carnival here at The Virtual Podium!

It's exciting to be hosting this months Music Education Blog Carnival on my blog. It's such a big deal I even rolled out a new header for everyone! We are now accepting submissions for the upcoming Music Education Blog Carnival. With so many professional development things happening the upcoming weeks, this is the perfect time to get involved and keep it going right into February.

Please click here to be automatically sent to our Music Education Carnival submission page.

Who came up with this great idea?
The Music Education Blog Carnival was created and is maintained by Dr. Joseph Pisano of
MusTech.net and Joel of SoYouWantToTeach.com in order to promote the great works being done
by Music Education Bloggers across the Internet and to provide useful Music Education related
information into the Internet “mainstream” quickly.

The Music Education Blog Carnival is published on the 1st of every month and is a recognized
member of the communities of blogs as indexed by BlogCarnival.com. All writings submitted to the
Music Education Blog Carnival are examined to ensure that they are valid, interesting, and related
to the topic of Music Education.

What is a Blog Carnival?
A Blog Carnival is way to extend and/or create a community of bloggers (and readers) that have
great things to say about a particular topic… in our case, Music Education. I know it's been help to this very blog.
A Blog Carnival functions as a mini-magazine or an online journal that is focused around a particular topic and is created by experts in the online community that submit their entries for inclusion. All entries are reviewed, each month, by the host to make sure that they are well-written, timely, topic-related, and of interest to the Blog Carnival’s readership.

Can I participate in this Carnival?
Anyone that has an online article or post, new or old, that has something positive to contribute to the topic of Music Education. Again, anyone may submit topic-related articles to the carnival; however, not all submissions may be included in the monthly edition.

How do I submit my article/blog post?
The online process is actually very easy. The Blog Carnival is being organized by http://blogcarnival.com and you can find the direct Music Education Submittal Page by following this link, http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_4443.html

When can I submit?
Anytime you're feeling it! Just head to the Music Education Submittal page!

I look forward to reading your submissions, share this with friends/colleagues, and feel to check out the rest of my blog.