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Meet Yamaha Master Educator Marguerite Wilder

Band and Orchestra Group
Middle School Conductor (retired), Clinician and Consultant
Clarkesville, Georgia

The ultimate goal for beginning band students is the devel­op­ment of skills and under­standing that enable the student to experience musical artistry. Marguerite Wilder‘s innovative, game-filled approach to teaching fundamentals help set students on a strong path toward success.

This technique helps teachers monitor individual progress while providing the students with a comprehensive, rigorous and creative learning experience that includes strong aural skills and improvisation techniques.

Wilder’s long tenure as a middle school band director has helped her work with educa­tors on effective strategies to transfer young musicians from short method book songs and arrangements to full band arrangement experiences. She explores how daily routines start with warm-up and fundamental exercises that address the components of music that will be used in their music literature. Young instrumentalists also need an understanding of how melody, rhythm, harmony and bass lines combine to produce music.

Band directors looking for ideas to incorporate into their beginning band classes have found great suc­cess implementing Wilder’s unique ideas and have discovered that her comprehensive approach has led to enhanced musical independence for students at an accelerated pace.

Some of Marguerite Wilder’s session titles are:
  • Meaningful Middle School Band Rehearsals
  • An Aural Approach with Instrumental Music Using Conversational Solfege
  • Habits of a Successful Middle School Band
  • Teaching and Rehearsing the Middle School Band
  • Do It! Teaching through Rain, Sleet, Snow and a 7th Grade Fire Drill
  • You Too Can Be a Winner with Beginners
  • Creating Habits of Success for the Young Band

To learn more about clinics by Marguerite Wilder, please contact Jalissa Gascho at jgascho@yamaha.com.