Why You Need to Be a Good Conductor

Written by Brandon J. Duras on October 26, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

If you are responsible for one or more large ensembles, conducting is one of the most important parts of your job. Your performance as a conductor is a window into your skills as a teacher. That’s why it is vital to be a good conductor for your students. By “good,” I don’t mean you passed Conducting 101 in your undergrad music education program. “Good” means that you can show the intent of the sound in your head through your gestures (explaining it in words doesn’t count!).

I have seen many conductors who are blessed with incredible rehearsal techniques and a musical ear, but their conducting was basically the pattern with an occasional dynamic. This isn’t good enough.

Here are the five reasons why you must be a good conductor for your students.

1. At Least You Did Something

You may have heard that the role of the conductor is to look like the music. The greatest conductors who you probably love to watch all look like the music personified. There is some truth in that statement, but that idea should be approached cautiously.

If you are of the mindset that you need to look like the music, that may get in the way of what your ensemble needs. If you have choreographed every move of each piece you conduct, you may look like the music you listened to, but do you look like the sound that your ensemble is creating? You need to look like the music in a way that will help your group sound the way you want them to.

I was lucky to participate in a conducting masterclass in Sicily where I conducted the first movement of Holst’s Second Suite in F. I had come up with a vision of what I thought the movement should sound like and was ready to take my shot at conducting. I started, listened, and showed the group articulation, the shape of the line, dynamics, etc.

When I was done, the maestro said, “I don’t know what you were trying to do, but at least you did something.” Ouch — I’ll try to take that as a compliment!

I encourage you to try something that can help your ensemble. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t, but at least you did something. And you can do something else next time.

2. Made for All Ages

No matter what grade level you teach, from elementary to college, being a good conductor is important for your students. As students get older they understand and respond more to nuances in your conducting, but don’t count out the younger students. Elementary students listen and engage in music in various ways such as drawing and dancing to music the way they hear it. By the time students start playing instruments, they can understand the gestures you show because they can connect the idea of motion to music.

You might think, “But my group can’t play in time unless I’m mirroring with both my hands the whole time.” I feel like that sometimes, too (this is where not conducting can be extremely effective, but that’s a topic for another time). Sure, depending on the age and ability level of the students, you may feel like you need to focus on some things more than others — in this case, time. However, there are other aspects of the music that students can respond to as well. Who knows, maybe if they start to include other musical aspects into their playing, it may fix other issues.

When I work with middle schoolers, I do not change my conducting but rather my focus because their needs are different. Like I said before, students are capable of understanding. They get bored seeing the same thing the whole time. Just think of how many TikToks they watch in five minutes. Their attention spans can be very short.

If you are conducting big all the time, that is all they will see and all you will hear. When they see it all the time, they will stop paying attention, which might be shocking because kids pay attention all the time, right? However, if you do something different, they will notice and will watch, analyze and respond. They can do it. And you can let go of all the control.

3. Engaging Rehearsals

Being a good and effective conductor will keep your rehearsals fast-paced and engaging. How many times have you played in a group where the conductor started telling you what to fix even before the third trumpets realized everyone had stopped? I’m guilty of doing this when I’m in a rush.

Imagine how much time you could save if you showed your students something instead of telling them. If you are so focused on sounding like the music that you have to stop and explain to your group what you are doing — “When I do this, you should sound like that” — that defeats the purpose of being a conductor, it eats up rehearsal time, and you run the risk of fixating on your choreography instead of the music. I, for one, think I am a better musician than dancer!

4. Inspire

Part of being a good conductor includes score study. Through score study, you begin to understand the ins and outs of the composer’s intent and develop an image of the piece and the gestures that will help you communicate the music. If you simply conduct a four pattern and do nothing else, you are doing a disservice to the music and all the work that you put in to understand the piece.

One time, my band was working on a piece, and the students seemed disengaged; they were phoning it in. They weren’t playing the piece — which should have been very easy for them — at the level that I expected from them. As a result, I changed my conducting. Not to be more musical but to be less, and they sounded even worse (how was that possible?).

I then said to them, “If you don’t care about the music and how you sound, why should I care about the music and how I look?” This could very easily have gone the other way.
If you don’t care about the music and showing it, why should they care about playing it musically? If you are simply conducting the beat pattern of the music, they will play the musical equivalent of that, and you will be disappointed.

What your ensemble needs may vary from week to week, day to day or even moment to moment, and you must meet those needs. In my article about unconventional rehearsal techniques, you can — and should — focus on the music immediately. Do not wait for students to play perfectly in time before you begin working on and showing the musical nuances.

5. Make Them Want to Play for You

How many times have you yelled “Watch!!!” in the middle of a piece? Hopefully, they weren’t during a concert. And how many times did that fix anything? If it was more than zero, I’m impressed.

In general, students want to do well for their teachers. I truly believe that. Do they always follow through on that? Of course not — they’re just kids!

Although their desire to do well is natural, don’t give them a reason not to try. Remember, you are also performing with them, and every time your group plays, it is a performance. One of the greatest compliments I received from a dear friend of mine was: “You always give so much energy and emotion into your conducting in rehearsals, and just when I don’t think you can give any more, you somehow give more during the performance.”

Your students deserve your all. When you do this, many things will happen — students will respond, you will create a stronger connection, and they will give it their all. All this needs to happen just once for students to want to play for you forever.

Yamaha Master Educator Emily Threinen conducting

How You Can Get Better at Conducting

There are many ways to improve your conducting. It all depends on what you want to improve. The cheapest way is to record your rehearsals and performances and watch them afterward. It is uncomfortable and awkward, but necessary. Unrelated to conducting, I once viewed security footage at the school and had the speed at 2x. The assistant principal said, “Here you come down the hallway.” I was mortified! I looked as if I had never walked in my life. Why did I move like that? After all, I’ve been walking for at least a few years by now. Regardless of how you look, it is the truth. Watch the videos of yourself and then send them to trusted colleagues for feedback.

Another option is to attend conducting symposiums with some of the best conductors. It is extremely rewarding and humbling to work with people much better than you and watch them work with other conductors.

And finally, practice. Practicing conducting may feel awkward at first but it gets better— trust me. People you live with will get used to it, too. It is weird to conduct without an ensemble, but as a result you will be leading, and not following, in your rehearsal.

How to Get Started Recording Bass at Home

Written by E.E. Bradman on October 26, 2023. Posted in Bass.

Thanks to technology, recording bass at home is easier than it has ever been. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

MAKE SURE YOUR BASS IS READY TO GO

Before you even start recording, make sure your bass is ready to go:

If necessary, get your bass set up and intonated. This will ensure that the string height is just right and that the instrument is in tune all the way up the neck.
Put on a fresh set of strings and break them in so that they’ll stay in tune as you record.
If your bass is active, replace the battery.
Dial in the right bass tone for the song, with the understanding that getting the bass to sit nicely in a mix might mean having to remove some of the low end.
Plug in and make sure your input level isn’t too high.

Electric bass guitar. — *The Yamaha BB435 is capable of many different tones.*

Recording puts a magnifying glass on your technique, so warming up before a session by practicing with a metronome is also always a good idea.

GATHER THE NECESSARY HARDWARE

Most of today’s computers have enough processing power to run DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software such as Steinberg Cubase, but make sure you have enough disk space to save your recordings, whether on your internal hard drive or any connected external hard drives. To connect your bass to your computer, however, you’ll need an audio interface; these come in all shapes and sizes. Some amplifiers, like the Yamaha THR10II desktop amp, have a built-in audio interface. The THR10II is designed primarily for use with guitar, but does a superb job with bass too.

Front and rear view of small amplifier. — *The Yamaha THR10II makes it easy to record bass.*

In addition, in order to ensure you’re hearing your bass accurately while recording it, you’ll want to be sure you’re listening through high-quality headphones like the Yamaha HPH-MT7 and/or monitor speakers like the Yamaha HS Series.

In both professional recording studios and onstage, the engineer will likely plug your bass into a DI (“direct injection”) box, so you should have one in your home studio too. One of the advantages of recording through a DI is avoiding audio gremlins like ground hum.

In addition to taking this direct signal from the bass, many engineers also place a microphone in front of the bass player’s amp. A well-recorded DI will capture solid tone with excellent definition, but miking your amp will give you the sound of that amp (which can be used to bolster low end, especially if it’s connected to large speakers), plus some of the “air” in the room. Both sounds are useful, and many engineers blend the two together.

Here are three audio clips (all played on a Yamaha BB435) that demonstrate this. First, a DI signal on its own:

Next, the same bassline recorded by putting a mic in front of an amp:

And finally, the sound of the two combined:

USING EQ, COMPRESSION AND EFFECTS

Equalization (“EQ”) and compression can be applied to your bass during recording, during mixdown, or both. The advantage of doing it during recording is that future overdubs are made to a more-or-less finished bass sound; the disadvantage is that you’re pretty much stuck with that sound if you later decide that it doesn’t fit in with the other instruments. On the other hand, if you leave EQ and compression solely to the mixdown stage, overdubs are being done to a bass sound that may not be quite polished. The decision is yours to make; experiment until you come up with the technique that works best for you.

To record an effect, you can plug into a pedal before your interface or use a software plug-in, again. As with EQ and compression, this can be done during recording, during mixdown, or both. A plug-in will be cleaner and introduce less noise than a pedal. In addition, it might have cool presets, and you can always change how much of the effect you hear. Consider recording both a clean track and an effected one so you can blend the two as desired during mixdown.

PLAN AHEAD

Decide whether you want to record all the way through the song or go section by section. It may be easier to record one section at a time, but playing all the way through can impart a better overall feel. When it’s time to record, back up a couple of measures so you have time to come in. Some people like to record in a “cycle” mode (your DAW may call it something different), which repeats a section over and over, allowing you to record multiple takes without stopping.

RECORDING FOR OTHERS

If you’re adding bass to someone else’s track, send them a few choices. Be sure to include both the complete track with your bass part and just your bass part on its own. This “soloed” bass track should be the same length as the complete song, even if your part is shorter or you only play on certain sections. Doing this makes it easy for the recipient to place the track in their DAW, hear it in context and mix it. If you export MP3 files, they may be small enough to attach to an email, but if not, use a file transfer application like Dropbox, WeTransfer or whatever service works best for the recipient.

OVERCOMING RED-LIGHT JITTERS

Many players experience pre-performance anxiety when they see the red “record” light. If you’re nervous before a session, take a deep breath, acknowledge it, and remember that, unlike highly paid professional studio bassists, you’ll most likely have plenty of chances to get it right — as well as the tools to fix most mistakes in your DAW. So play with confidence!

Check out E.E.’s other postings.

student putting sheet music into folder on music stand

Today’s Tasks that Pay off in May

Written by Don Stinson on October 25, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

Music education has always been about the long game and less about the quick wins. While instant gratification can be enticing, I’ll always choose the joy of long-term accomplishments. Here’s how you can set up your class for lifelong success.

orchestra rehearsal with two students playing silent violins

Always Address Tone

We’re always swamped during rehearsal, but if we wrap up early, it’s back to tone. Think of it as building musical athleticism. Forming an embouchure, holding a bow or singing with proper breath support is physical. The mechanics of good tone involve real muscle and airflow. No shortcuts allowed.

Treat your musicians like athletes and understand that if you want great tone at the spring concert, then you must start your physical conditioning now. Rushing this process isn’t just ineffective, it’s potentially damaging to the musicians’ physical wellbeing. So, plan accordingly, and commit to the long game of developing tone.

Try These Practical Tips

Play or sing for your students regularly; let them hear it straight from you.
Use online resources, but don’t just settle for anything. Find a credible source, such as university or professional recordings, and stick with it. I like to use either the Bravo Music’s Winds Training Series DVDs or the London Symphony Orchestra YouTube videos.
Work breathing exercises into your daily routine. Tone starts with air.

Insist on Intonation

We focus on intonation from the first day of class, and in many instances, we begin during the summer through extra rehearsals. Without this early commitment, my ensemble will not be able to perform in tune effectively. The process is layered — first, we work on achieving a characteristic tone, followed by addressing balance among the instruments. Only then do we dive into the specifics of tuning unison pitches.

There’s a camp of people who argue against using electronic tuners, advocating instead for “listening.” While I’m a big proponent of developing listening skills, I see the value in attaching tuners to each student’s instrument, especially during the early phases of rehearsal. My ears may not be perfect, but they’re still more trained than those of the students. Consequently, they often don’t know what good intonation sounds like until we collectively produce it and internalize that sound. It becomes a lightbulb moment when I can get just two students to play in tune, which gives them a benchmark, a goal.

By the time December rolls around, the majority of students have a tangible understanding of what “in tune” really means. Why the push to start so early? We’re back to our musical athletes. Certain muscular techniques — like tightening or relaxing the embouchure to alter pitch — require time to develop. These are not skills that can be rushed without risking poor habits or even physical strain. Therefore, an early start on intonation is crucial.

Try These Practical Tips

Utilize the resources at your disposal: employ tuners, drones and other tools to refine pitch.
Conduct a pitch inventory in pairs for targeted improvement. Designate a space like a practice room where two students can bring their instruments, a tuner and a note sheet. One student plays while the other observes the tuner and records the pitch accuracy — sharp, flat or in tune. This exercise makes students aware of their individual pitch tendencies.
Incorporate specialized tools like tonal harmony software or the Yamaha Harmony Director to teach intonation. Pairing these resources with instructional materials like the Bravo Music’s Winds Training Series DVDs can enhance learning.
Start by tuning a single pitch each day and then progress to tuning an entire chord daily. This gradual approach helps students better understand what being “out of tune” really means.
Use the “two tuners trick” to improve pitch perception: Set up two tuners to produce a tone simultaneously, one at 430 hz and the other at 440 hz. Gradually increase the frequency on one tuner by one hertz at a time. Have students raise their hands when they no longer hear the wavy sound produced by the conflicting pitches. This exercise is effective in teaching students to recognize out-of-tune waves.

Start Sightreading Every Day

Encourage your students to sightread a new piece of music every day. I know that time is a constraint. However, the dividends of consistent, daily sightreading are invaluable.

Investing in sightreading during the fall months — October, November, December — eases the fears and anxieties your musicians might have about new music come January and February. The task becomes less daunting, and your students will eagerly take on new pieces. Plus, incorporating regular sightreading into your routine can serve as a refreshing change of pace, breaking up the potential monotony of lengthy concert preparation cycles.

Try These Practical Tips

Start small: Dedicate one day a week as sightreading day or focus on one new piece a week over multiple days. Aim to increase the frequency over time.
Utilize resources: Tap into sightreading books or methods, whether from print or digital retailers. Most books, such as Tradition of Excellence or Essential Elements, provide some sightreading or rhythm reading examples in the back. If you use MakeMusic (formerly SmartMusic) or Musicfirst, the sightreading examples they supply will work well.
Switch it up: Have musicians swap parts. For example, part 1 can play part 2, part 2 can play part 3 and so on. Trumpets might tackle clarinet parts (adjusting for range) and vice versa. Get creative — there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to help students improve.

Maintenance Matters

I drive a 2003 Toyota that has its share of minor issues, but it’s a reliable vehicle overall. While I’m no car expert, I address mechanical problems as they arise and prioritize preventive maintenance. Given that I’m driving an older model, I understand the importance of frequent oil checks and having a professional inspect various components like tires and spark plugs every so often.

In the same vein, maintaining our musical instruments — and yes, that includes voices — instills discipline and responsibility in our students. It also minimizes unpleasant surprises, like a clarinet spring breaking just moments before a performance. Take time during class to remind students to oil and grease their instruments regularly. For vocalists, emphasize the importance of vocal rest, staying hydrated and avoiding straining activities like screaming, whispering or even speaking loudly.

Try These Practical Tips

Keep a visible chart with a maintenance schedule for instruments so everyone knows when it’s time for a tune-up.
Reach out to parents or, even better, partner with an instrument repair company to send technicians for periodic check-ups, akin to doctor’s visits.
Incorporate a quick “health check” at the beginning of each week’s practice. Have students do a basic rundown of their instruments or vocal cords, noting any issues like sticking valves or vocal strain, so they can be addressed before they become larger problems.

woman looking at herself in a handheld mirror

Facing Fears

I don’t mean to get psychological here, but I know from conversations with colleagues that a lot of us have things that we’re either afraid of or that we simply avoid. Maybe you’re hesitant to focus on a difficult music section, reluctant to rehearse an unpopular piece or nervous about asking for more funding. Do your due diligence — know your facts and prepare accordingly. Then, get real with yourself: Make a list of what you’re avoiding. Depending on your comfort level and the stakes involved, you can either approach these issues cautiously or jump in with both feet.

I had my own set of fears — inviting clinicians (too soon, we’re not ready), isolating sections or individuals during practice (I don’t want to single anyone out, we’re too busy), and petitioning for additional funding (it’s a tight budget, they’ll likely refuse). Recognizing these fears was a game changer; ignoring them was no longer an option. Facing them head-on has improved me and my ensemble.

Try These Practical Tips

Carve out some time to reflect on what you tend to avoid during rehearsals. Write down your reasons for avoiding these things. Next, ask yourself if others are doing these things and succeeding. If so, question why you think you can’t. Keep in mind that we often see what we expect to see when looking at others’ situations — not the whole truth.
Depending on your personality, try a different approach to confronting these issues. If you’re usually hesitant, try diving right into a smaller task. If you’re the type to act quickly, maybe slow down and think it through before taking action.
Regularly reassess your list of fears or avoidances. Once you’ve tackled one, it’s easy to replace it with another one without even noticing. A periodic review ensures that you’re constantly evolving, both as an educator and as a musician.

Sustained Success

The beauty of long-term strategies lies in their subtle transformational power. When you incorporate these habits into your routine, they become second nature to both you and your ensemble. Using a recording device serves as a potent tool to track this evolution. When you play back recordings from October in May, your students will likely be in disbelief at how far they have come. It’s crucial to celebrate this progress by acknowledging it and reflecting on the strategic steps taken. Instant gratification might keep the engine running, but it’s the long-term investments that really fuel the journey.

A Brief History of Yamaha Headphones

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on October 25, 2023. Posted in History.

For more than 45 years, Yamaha has been manufacturing headphones, bringing quality sound and the latest technology to personal listening.

Here are some of the most memorable product releases through the decades.

HP-1 ORTHODYNAMIC^® HEADPHONES

Over the head headphones. — *HP-1 Orthodynamic headphones.*

First introduced in 1976, the HP-1 represented our first entry into the headphone market. It was a product that had many unique features. Yamaha engineers had developed a manufacturing method to sandwich a very thin polyester “orthodynamic” diaphragm embedded with a thin copper conductor in-between two specially designed magnet structures. Similar in concept to the electrostatic speakers being experimented with at the time, the sound was open, full range and very musical. In addition, the skills of renowned Italian industrial designer Mario Bellini were tapped to create the look and feel of these headphones. Their open headband and fabric head strap made them extremely light and comfortable, good for hours of non-stop listening. Versions of the HP-1 (including the YH-1000, YH-100 and HP-1A) were released all the way into the mid-1980s.

EPH-20, EPH-30 AND EPH-50 WIRED EARBUDS

An array of wired headphones. — *EPH-50 wired earbuds.*

The EPH Series wired earbuds released in 2010 were designed to be used with the MP3 players and iPods of the era, as well as with home stereos. There were three models: the EPH-20, EPH-30 and EPH-50, all of which featured a dynamic driver and delivered an impressive frequency range of 20 Hz to 21 kHz. Driver size and maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) differed from model to model, with the EPH-50 having the largest driver (.53″) and the EPH-30 delivering the highest SPL (110 dB). The EPH-30 and EPH-50 came in both black and white, while the EPH-20 was available in five different colors, including “Hot Pants” Pink.

PRO SERIES

PRO500 wired headphones.

The wired PRO Series consumer headphones introduced in 2012 delivered high quality sound in a low-profile style. All three models — the on-ear PRO300 and over-ear PRO400 and PRO500 — incorporated a newly-developed Yamaha-proprietary driver design with neodymium magnets for maximum efficiency when used with mobile devices. In addition, they had an adjustable reinforced headband with textured padding, allowing for long listening sessions, and their detachable tangle-resistant cable was made from a material that was designed to reduce “touch noise” transfer effects. The cable included an in-line microphone optimized for use with iPod, iPhone and iPad devices, and provided a “+/-“ volume control as well as a dedicated button that allowed the user to play/pause music, skip to the next/previous song, or answer/end phone calls. All control buttons had a tactile click-response for intuitive operation without need for visual reference.

WIRELESS EARBUDS AND HEADPHONES

TW-E5B True Wireless earbuds.

YH-E700B wireless noise-cancelling headphones.

In 2020, Yamaha headphones and earbuds transitioned from wired to wireless technology with the release of a wide range of products that currently includes these models:

TW-E7B True Wireless noise-cancelling earbuds
TW-E5B True Wireless earbuds
TW-ES5A True Wireless sports earbuds
TW-E3C True Wireless earbuds
YH-L700A wireless noise-cancelling headphones with 3D sound
YH-E700B wireless noise-cancelling headphones
YH-E700A wireless noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones
YH-E500A wireless noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones

All incorporate the very latest innovations in personal listening, such as Qualcomm^® cVc (Clear Voice Capture) technology and Qualcomm TrueWireless Mirroring for stable wireless connectivity, and all deliver Yamaha True Sound that vividly depicts the texture and tonal balance of the sound of each musical instrument. Various models also provide an array of Yamaha-exclusive features, including Advanced ANC (Active Noise-Cancelling) technology that leaves your music pure and untouched; a Listening Optimizer that corrects the sound in real time, adapting to you and your environment; Ambient Sound that lets you choose when you need to be aware of your surroundings; Listening Care intelligent equalization for full-range sound at low listening volumes; and 3D Sound Field, which enables you to enjoy an immersive theater-like listening experience wherever you go.

YH-5000SE AUDIOPHILE-GRADE HEADPHONES

Man wearing over the head headphones. — *YH-5000SE audiophile-grade headphones.*

In a great example of things coming full circle, the recently released audiophile-grade YH-5000SE headphone rekindles the Orthodynamic legacy of the HP-1 with 21st century advancements in materials and technologies. Central to the YH-5000SE is a Yamaha Orthodynamic driver with an ultra-lightweight thin-film diaphragm that faithfully recreates every nuance of musical dynamics for sonic accuracy and extremely responsive performance. Other features include a Japanese-made, rolled plain Dutch weave stainless steel filter and an arch-shaped protrusion, housed within a large yet lightweight magnesium body that has outstanding rigidity. The two-layer headband and smooth stepless slider provide maximum comfort, and two types of earpads are included (leather and suede), as well as two types of silver-coated cables and a dedicated aluminum headphone stand.

Yes, it may be difficult to predict the future of headphone design, but the legacy of these great Yamaha products has clearly made a lasting impact, with the YH-5000SE truly representing the state of the art in personal listening today.

Experience Yamaha headphones here.

15 Ways to Navigate Imposter Syndrome

Written by Don Stinson on October 24, 2023. Posted in Self-Care.

Congratulations, you’re a professional! Armed with a degree, student teaching experience and a broad range of skills, you’re well-equipped for your role as a music teacher. However, when you stand before your class or speak with parents, that nagging feeling of being an imposter creeps in.

“What if people discover that I’m a fraud? I can’t even talk to parents without feeling nervous.”

You’re not alone — welcome to the self-doubt club. There’s a seat waiting for you next to my colleagues and me.

Imposter syndrome affects people in many professions, but the spotlight can be especially harsh for music teachers. You’re responsible not only for educating students but also for inspiring a love of music in them, which amplifies the pressure you might feel. Take comfort in knowing that many educators grapple with these same anxieties, even years into their career. Below, you’ll find strategies to help overcome imposter syndrome.

1. Recognize the Syndrome for What it Is

Imposter syndrome is common. You fear being exposed as a “fraud” despite evidence of your competence. Remember, these feelings are an internal struggle about perception, not reality.

If you have self-doubt as you lead your students in their first concert, know that many skilled musicians and teachers have felt the same way. You belong here.

2. Reality Check Your Experience

When doubt creeps in about your qualifications, take a moment to reflect on the foundation of your career. Consider your credentials, hands-on experience and positive feedback you’ve received. Tangible reminders like your degree on the wall or thank-you notes from students and parents can reinforce your competence. As you set up music stands before class, remind yourself of your achievements — your music education degree, years mastering your instrument and successful student-teaching experiences. You’ve earned your position through hard work.

three people looking at paper and smiling

3. Team Up on High-Stakes Projects

If the mere thought of leading a big project like a concert or overnight trip fills you with dread, team up with a more experienced colleague. This collaboration not only eases the workload, but it also assures you that you’re on the right path.

Imagine you’re tasked with organizing the annual spring music festival, and it feels like an impossible task. Don’t be shy about tapping into the wisdom of a seasoned colleague or even a music teacher from another school. Working together provides the opportunity to learn valuable insight from someone with more experience. If you want to earn trust and enhance your reputation, volunteer for high-stakes projects beyond your usual role, like prom planning or travel coordination. And if any mistakes happen, well, that colleague should have known better than to entrust this to an imposter, right? Jokes aside, the real benefit lies in shared responsibility and personal growth.

4. Develop a Character

“I’m not a music teacher, but I play one on T.V.”

When self-doubt arises, employ a performance strategy. In other words, play a character to navigate through tough situations. Visualize the most confident version of yourself and channel that persona when imposter syndrome strikes. If you’re anxious about talking to parents about their student’s progress, imagine how a seasoned educator would handle the situation and emulate that character. This act of “playing the part” can boost your confidence.

For example, when I faced a challenging phone call to a parent, I initially felt like Don, the relatively inexperienced music teacher. However, in that moment, I chose to act as a different version of me — the one who is composed, confident and focused on what’s best for the student.

If assuming a different persona feels disingenuous, remember that we all adapt our behavior in the various roles of our life — work, personal life, parenting and more. And, you’re a musician. Chances are you had to play some sad music when you were happy and vice versa, but ultimately you got the job done.

mirror with self-affirming notes on Post-Its

5. Pep Talks

“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone it, people like me!” — Stuart Smalley

Boosting your confidence through self-talk or support from others is invaluable. When facing a daunting moment like your first solo performance at a teacher’s conference, take a breather backstage or in a quiet spot. Whisper affirmations: “You’re well-prepared, and you’ve got this.” These words act as your shield against self-doubt.

Additionally, seek support from someone you trust. A quick text or call for a pep talk can make a world of difference. Hearing reassurance from someone else validates your own affirmations.

Verbalizing positive thoughts can transform your mental state, drowning out doubts. Whether it’s that solo performance, a challenging meeting or any situation that triggers imposter syndrome, a timely pep talk can be the boost you need to succeed.

6. Take the Plunge

The best teacher is experience, so don’t overthink and take calculated risks. If you want to tackle a more challenging musical piece, do your research, weigh the pros and cons, then take that leap and put it in the folders for sightreading.

Regardless of the outcome, every risk enriches your professional journey. Lessons from challenges are as valuable as successes. Each challenge builds your experience, chips away at imposter syndrome and informs future decisions. So, when the opportunity arises, seize it, take that calculated risk and grow from whatever comes next.

7. Honesty is the Best Policy

Honesty builds trust, so don’t exaggerate your qualifications. If you’re unsure about something, admit it and promise to follow up with the needed information. This straightforward approach increases trust.

If a student asks about a bassoon fingering that you’re not familiar with, don’t bluff and say, “Mumble, mumble, pancake key.” Be honest and say that you don’t know but commit to researching it. Such forthrightness maintains and often enhances trust.

I once faced an unexpected question during trip planning about medication. I didn’t have an answer, but I assured the parents that I would consult the school nurse and policies, promising a response by the week’s end. It’s OK to not know everything. What matters is your commitment to finding out.

8. Seek Feedback from Trusted Colleagues or Mentors

Before important events or meetings, rehearse your presentation or discuss your plans with an experienced colleague. Seek constructive feedback and, to make the practice more authentic, ask them to pose challenging questions that you might actually face. Offer to return the favor by doing the same for them in the future. This preparation sharpens your material and boosts your confidence for when it really counts.

9. Engage Parents and Students as Partners

Seek input from parents and long-standing community members — their insights are invaluable. A collaborative atmosphere creates opportunities for diverse perspectives and fosters shared responsibility.

Imagine you’re introducing a challenging piece of music with complex rhythms or unfamiliar cultural elements to your percussion class. Instead of avoiding it, say to your class, “This is intricate, and it’s new to me, too. Let’s explore it together.”

Invite students to share how they learn tough rhythms. Transparency about not knowing everything creates a learning environment, turning vulnerabilities into opportunities for communal growth.

What about parents? Many are more than willing to offer help for odd jobs like stuffing envelopes to helping to organize travel. Yes, we’re the musical experts, but don’t shy away from asking parents what they think your program needs. You’ll be surprised at some of their insights.

woman jumping up for joy with confetti around her

10. Celebrate Your Achievements No Matter How Small

Remember that complicated rhythm you were initially hesitant to introduce to your percussion section? The one you asked students to help you master? After weeks of collective effort and learning, your students finally nailed it during rehearsal. Don’t gloss over this achievement — celebrate it! Give your students kudos, maybe even bring in a small treat the next day. (I use imaginary points based on our school mascot and tell the kids they are redeemable for nothing, and they still fight over who gets more points!) Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back, too.

Acknowledging and celebrating these milestones, however small they may seem, not only boosts your students’ morale, it also helps you construct a more realistic and positive self-image over time. It’s a way to counteract the imposter syndrome by recognizing that, yes, you do have the skills and the right to be in your role.

11. Document Your Successes

After a challenging semester with a new curriculum or innovative teaching method, receiving applause and accolades at the final concert is rewarding. Capture these moments. Take photos, save emails and jot down compliments. Create a digital or physical “feel-good file” and add items to it regularly, including your updated resume, not for job hunting but as a self-affirmation tool.

When imposter syndrome strikes, open that folder. Revisit your accomplishments and positive feedback to ground yourself in your competencies. Acknowledging your capabilities is a powerful antidote to self-doubt. I often look at my feel-good folder; I still have thank you notes from over 15 years ago to remind me of how far I’ve come.

12. Set Realistic Expectations and Goals

Setting achievable goals is crucial, especially for music teachers stepping into successful programs. The weight of expectations, internal and external, can fuel imposter syndrome.

Imagine teaching beginners, dreaming of them mastering a complex piece by year-end. You can achieve this goal by breaking it down. Set attainable milestones like basic scales and rhythms first, then simple ensemble pieces and progress gradually. Celebrate victories at each step because they build confidence.

Reality Check: It’s natural to want to emulate successful programs or directors. Keep in mind that they didn’t achieve their status overnight. It’s easy to set our sights on the cosmos — making it to district festivals, then state, national and maybe even international competitions. But such a fast track to the stars can set you up for failure, or at the very least, unnecessary stress. Start with engaging and enjoyable concerts as a foundation. Set challenging yet realistic objectives. Don’t reinforce imposter syndrome with unrealistic expectations. Build your legacy — not someone else’s — step by step.

13. Establish a Support Network

Feeling isolated intensifies self-doubt. Build a network of colleagues, mentors and online teacher forums for support and growth. Chances are, some go-getter has already created a Facebook group for your discipline and grade. They offer advice, fresh perspectives and a safe space for questions and insecurities.

If you know about a veteran music teacher in your district, reach out. Invite them for a coffee or virtual chat. Be open about your triumphs and challenges. Seasoned teachers often faced similar uncertainties and fears, offering both practical advice and emotional reassurance. You’re not alone.

14. Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

Mindfulness combats imposter syndrome, so be aware of negative thoughts and emotions. Show self-compassion as you would to a friend.

If you’re preparing for a high-stakes event, pause, practice deep breathing or mindfulness exercises. Catch negative self-doubt in its early stages. Ask yourself, “What advice would you give a colleague or student?” It’s likely not harsh, but it is reassuring. Extend that same courtesy to yourself.

15. Share Your Experience

Once you’ve had a successful semester or school year in dealing with imposter syndrome, offer guidance to others facing similar challenges. Whether they are student teachers, recent graduates, or new department members, share your wisdom through regular meetings. This not only benefits them but also boosts your self-confidence and skills as you share your journey and effective strategies.

You Can Do It!

Battling imposter syndrome is a long-term endeavor, not a one-time fix. Whether you’re a seasoned music teacher or new to the field, it’s natural to feel self-doubt at times. The key is to break down your journey into manageable goals and celebrate your victories along the way. Keeping a “feel-good folder” can serve as a powerful antidote during moments of doubt, as can the practice of mindfulness.

So next time you find yourself questioning your right to stand in front of your music class or nervously preparing for a parent-teacher meeting, pause and remind yourself that you’ve earned your place. In those moments of doubt, remember to be both your toughest critic and your biggest supporter. You are more capable than you think, and each day offers a new opportunity to prove that — not just to others, but to yourself.

happy elementary student during percussion lesson

Teaching Music in High Need Schools: Building Rapport

Written by Dr. Robert Bryant on October 21, 2023. Posted in Advocacy.

Building rapport with students, parents, the school and the local community is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of a successful music program. If you teach at a Title I school that has a majority of students whose families live at or below the poverty line, establishing these relationships is even more critical.

Understanding Student and Community Needs

Many of us are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as outlined by Saul Mcleod, and we understand why it is essential for us to know what we may need to provide to students so they can be successful in school and in our program. If our students’ physiological (food, water, clothes, etc.), safety, social and esteem needs are not adequately met each day, we must be ready to address these issues to mitigate any barriers to the learning process. As highlighted by Jessica Minahan’s article, “Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies,” it can be difficult for a student to maximize their learning potential when they are hungry, feel they are in danger or do not have the support needed to fully express themselves.

As a teacher in Title I schools throughout my K-12 career, I can reflect back to times when I saw my students struggling to have these needs met. At first, I leaned on my educational training, which taught me that teachers have a specific role, and if we have students who need support in other ways, we must be aware of the people and available services to share with them and their families. We should not, however, wear the many hats of counselor, surrogate, life coach, etc. This kind of thinking, however, unintentionally built barriers that prevented my students from opening up to me.

Next, I tried to assess what I thought the needs of my students were and provide the resources they needed in the classroom. Students, however, would feel embarrassed or ashamed and not take advantage out of fear of judgment by me or their peers. Then, as I was taking notes at a conference session on building rapport with students, I realized I was missing a key component to my intentions. I was not connecting with my students as people — I was still viewing them as a type of “stakeholder,” and they were viewing me as just a music teacher. When I started to connect with my students on a human level, share more about myself and my background, and learn more about them and their interests, it made it so much easier to build a strong rapport with them. Alice Pendlebury’s dissertation, “Building Positive Relationships in Title I Schools,” highlights the importance of developing strong bonds with your students as a gateway to trust and success. The following passages will share in greater detail how to establish meaningful connections with students, parents, colleagues and community partners.

Build Trust with Students

Students seem to have a radar for when adults are being authentic. Whether it is smiling and greeting students at the door as they enter class or chatting with a few students on their way out of class, it is vital that we are genuine in expressing ourselves. If we come across as contrived, forced or obligatory with our actions, these practices can be perceived by our students as being “fake” or inauthentic.

teacher working with a student in a classroom while another students works on a worksheet

Some of the key connections that I found to be most important with my students coincide with Leslie Wooten-Blanks’ article, “Building Rapport with Students by Sharing a Piece of Yourself,” and include:

Knowing how to pronounce their full name correctly.
Constant encouragement and an open-door policy.
Talking to students during downtime (before school, between classes, etc.) and sharing more about yourself in a casual, but still professional, way.

I made it a priority to have at least one informal conversation with each of my students before the end of the first two weeks of the school year. This helped me get to know my students, start building trust, and help them understand that I see them not just as student musicians, but as people too.

Finally, learn not only about your students’ musical interests, learn more about their lives outside of music. There are many wonderful things our students have going on in their lives that, because we only see them within the context of our class, we do not get to see fully expressed. If you ever have the chance, attend an event or a sport that some of your students may be involved in at school. It will build lots of goodwill with your students, and their parents will appreciate it as well.

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Connect with Parents

teacher-parent conference — Photo by Adobe Stock/Mangostock

Getting to know parents is also very important to build a strong and sustainable music program in any setting, but it is particularly critical for success in a high-need school. Because of the economic stressors that families can face, it may be difficult for a parent or guardian to balance their family responsibilities, work schedule and involvement with the program. Before I would ask parents to fundraise, chaperone or serve on a committee, I would carve out time early in the school year to introduce myself to as many parents as possible, get to know them and share the volunteer opportunities with our program.

Next, I would invite parents to come sit in on either a class or an after-school rehearsal whenever they had any free time so they could see what it is we do in music class. I had a completely open-door policy and let parents know that they could come as often as they liked. Once parents saw how much their child was learning in music class, it was easy to reach out to them for support and assistance. Using a method of giving first and asking second made it simple for me to ask parents to step up when we needed them for fundraising, chaperoning or supervising students.

Collaborate with Colleagues, Administrators and Community Partners

The colleagues and administrators at my schools were always supportive of our programs, not because it was the norm at the school, but because I was intentional and authentic in garnering their support. One example of this can be found in how I approached them. We’re all very busy, so I would find the parts of the day when a colleague or the principal may have less on their plate and schedule a brief meeting. For some, the best time was before school, for a few it was during morning or afternoon duty, and for others it was after school. I would make it a point to learn more about what they have going on professionally and how the music program could support them. Investing in this way helped me to have a very open and approachable relationship with my colleagues, which helped us greatly when we needed extra teachers for field trips or managing crowds at concerts and other events.

Community partners were such a joy to work with. We built strong partnerships with local small businesses, as well as many restaurants and big box stores in town. Schools and districts usually have a list of their official partners in education, and I would use it to start my outreach. I would also ask parents if they were small business owners or worked for a company that would be interested in partnering with us. Once I introduced myself and gave them a little information about the program, I would offer my program’s support of their business. I would ask them to share any events or activities they have upcoming and how either I, our students or our parent volunteers could help support them. Companies are accustomed to having organizations ask for monetary gifts or free goods, but I wanted them to see that a partnership with our program would be mutually beneficial. This always led to a massive outpouring of support from our community partners. Whether it was sending our jazz band to perform at a local board meeting or bringing student and parent volunteers to our community partners’ events, our ability to show how we could support them in reaching their goals was a great benefit to the music program as well.

Strong Rapport Leads to Success

Building rapport with students offers a multitude of benefits. It fosters a positive and supportive learning environment where students feel valued, seen and understood. This connection can really boost a student’s sense of self, motivation and overall engagement in our program. Also, by establishing trust and rapport, we can gain insights into students’ unique backgrounds and needs. This allows us to tailor our instruction and provide more targeted and personalized academic support.

Strong professional relationships with parents, colleagues, administrators and community partners can provide the resources and funds necessary to help our programs thrive. When the community coalesces around a music program in this way, it often results in improved attendance rates, reduced disciplinary issues and better academic outcomes.

This series attempts to show ways that we can mitigate disparities in access and opportunity by providing a high-quality educational experience for our students who may face socio-economic challenges. Building rapport with our students, their families, the school, and the local community can go far toward developing a thriving music program.

Read part 1 of this series on recruitment.

Read part 3 of this series on defining success.

Read part 4 of this series on best practices.

Read part 5 of this series on funding.

Read part 6 of this series on retention.

Read part 7 of this series on sustainability.

References

Mcleod, Saul. (2023). “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory.” Simply Psychology.
Minahan, Jessica. (2019). “Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies.” The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Pendlebury, Alice Charlotte. (2020). “Building Positive Relationships in Title I Schools: Teacher and Student Perspectives in the Elementary Classroom.” Published Doctor of Education dissertation, University of Northern Colorado.
Wooten-Blanks, Leslie, PhD. (2023). “Building Rapport with Students by Sharing a Piece of Yourself.” Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning.

Expert Tips for Navigating Your First Festival

Written by Don Stinson and Jessica Corry on October 21, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

Staging your first major concert or festival is a landmark event in an early music educator’s career. It is a journey full of excitement, learning and certainly a few nerves. Being well-prepared is a must for this adventure. To aid you on this pathway, we present some tips and insights grounded in real experiences to help you keep your cool on performance day, even if the brass section left half their equipment back home, 20 miles away!

Meticulous Preparation is Required

Performance Selection: The mantra “under program and overperform” should be your guiding principle. Choose pieces that resonate well with your group’s competency rather than gravitating toward the most challenging compositions. Strive to excel in your chosen pieces, creating a performance that stands tall in its own right. If anyone who isn’t a clinician criticizes you for your program selections, either don’t engage or ask them what they would have programmed instead. Remember, we’re always learning. If a clinician suggests something, it’s worth considering … heavily.

Clinician’s Assistance: Engaging a clinician early on in your preparation is a wise strategy. Their experience can be a guiding light and will help shape a performance that resonates with professionalism and excellence. Many experienced directors who were apprehensive to have a clinician visit their school often confess that they wish they had done this sooner.

Dress Rehearsal: This is exactly what it sounds like — a rehearsal of the big day, which will help identify kinks and iron them out. It also ensures that the performance is as seamless as possible. Some groups do a dress rehearsal without uniforms, but we recommend replicating the festival experience as closely as possible. Fixing a concert uniform issue the night before is significantly less stressful than dealing with it the day of (and hours before) the performance.

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Attend to the Minutiae

Parent Volunteers: The assistance of parent volunteers can be a cornerstone in efficiently handling various logistics. From supervising uniformity to chaperoning buses and helping with folders, their aid can be indispensable. We have no qualms about leaning on our chaperones. There are too many things for us to remember during the day, and parent help is much appreciated.

Essential Repair Kit: An emergency repair kit complete with reeds, valve oil and small screwdrivers can be a true savior in addressing instrument mishaps promptly. We typically pack at least three reeds per instrument.

Health and Safety: Advocating for student welfare, especially during marching band events on hot days, is imperative. Guide them to prioritize their wellbeing above all.

Multiple Directors: Some schools only have one director, who handles everything. If you work with another director, don’t be afraid to cover details and ask questions. In our time as a co-director or assistant, we would rather annoy our colleagues with too many questions than frustrate them with emergencies on the day of the event.

Remember, it’s just music! If there is an option to register for comments only, or exhibition performance in marching band, consider taking it. This will alleviate quite a bit of stress for you, and the educational process will still hold firm.

Transportation Rules

Bus Delays: This is completely out of your control, so just roll with it. This may be your first time at a major event, but trust in the experience of the festival organizers to manage such issues with care. We have never had festival organizers say, “Sorry, you can’t perform because your buses were late.”
Also, don’t blame the drivers. We are experiencing bus driver shortages everywhere and added stress does not help anyone.
Permission slips: Have copies of these with you. If they have parent contact information, make sure they are in alphabetical order, and don’t forget to shred them at the school afterward.

Same Seats Both Ways: Some directors like to be nice and let kids change buses or sit anywhere they want. We have found that this just makes things more difficult for attendance. We stand firm on the same-seats, same-bus method for getting to and from the event. Our flexibility is that once attendance is taken for the return trip, the kids can change seats on the same bus, but only before the bus starts moving.

D-Day Strategies

Eat and Drink: We’re talking to you, directors. We often hit the ground running as soon as we arrive at school and don’t take a break until we get home 12 hours later. You can’t do this on festival day. Pack some healthy food options and set an alarm to eat and drink (just make sure that your alarm doesn’t go off during the performance!).

Sheet Music: The first order of business is to ensure the availability and organization of sheet music. Rely on original, numbered scores, and steer clear of photocopies. Always have a spare set to circumvent unforeseen circumstances. Many of us have attended performances and have forgotten the sheet music. It was stressful at the time, but we’re still here! In some cases, we borrowed a set from the school, and in other extreme cases, we simply had to skip the pieces that we did not have on hand.

Communication: Make sure to have the phone number of at least one administrator in your phone. We have had to use these contacts quite a bit, especially during trips right after we returned from remote learning.

Stage Setup: Give time for kids to adjust to being on stage. Some directors feel like they have to rush, which results in kids playing with music stands that are at an incorrect height, or they are seated incorrectly. It may feel like an eternity but take a few seconds to ensure that everyone is comfortable and seated in positions where they are normally seated.

Weather: If the event is an outdoor performance, monitor the weather and use your best judgment. If your group has to wait to enter the parade because your kids look like they need water, then your priority goes to the students’ wellbeing.

Footwear: You are going to be walking a lot. We learned the hard way that our concert shoes, whether they are winged-tip dress shoes or heels, are not good choices for schlepping equipment back and forth and running between warm-up and performance areas. Pack a set of comfortable shoes to ensure ease of movement and comfort during the hustle and bustle of the day.

Stress + Stress = More Stress

Kids will forget things or mishaps will occur. These things are unavoidable. Do not react with frustration and stress. Look at these situations as opportunities to solve a problem together. If you are stressed, it’s OK to tell a student, “I need a minute.” This can save face and allow you to return to the student calmly, so you can both find a replacement trombone slide.

Concert Etiquette: Prep your students on being a good audience — they should be excited to listen to other groups! However, we suggest that if your group is new to major performances or festivals, avoid listening to other groups before their own performance. Other groups can certainly be inspiring, but your students can become intimidated by other ensembles, which will affect their performance. Try to schedule time to listen afterward, if possible.

Percussion Specifics

Percussion has its own set of rules and intricacies. Ensure that you have all percussion items accounted for and that specific students are responsible for these items. On the day of the event, particularly with younger bands, have students open their cases and show you the instruments they are responsible for.

The Ready Sign: Before we begin a piece, every percussionist must acknowledge us before we start. The easiest way is a thumbs up.

Pedal to the Metal: Check the timpani ahead of time. More than a few times, our kids have had to adjust to a pedal system that they weren’t used to.

Bringing it Home

Being Present: Make sure to at least enjoy a few moments on stage with your students. I often tell my kids that many people in this world never get the chance to share their hard work with others and receive applause. Your first festival will be over in a flash, but if you can be in the moment for at least a minute or two, you will reap the benefits.

Acknowledgments: Say thank you to everyone involved: parents, bus drivers, colleagues and especially the students. This can help create a nurturing and appreciative atmosphere that everyone will want to continue participating in. We have had many parents experience some crazy festival days, but they continue to come back because they feel appreciated.

The Perfect Bow: We also must remember to say thank you to our audience. Remember to bow and acknowledge those who came out to listen to your group. How long should you bow? Here’s what we tell our students: As long as it takes to say “peanut butter and jelly sandwiches” in your head.

Pre- and Post-Performance Analyses: Encourage students to reflect on their performance, which fosters a culture of continuous learning and growth. Sharing constructive feedback and celebrating the success can be a great learning experience. Some kids will state how much they enjoyed the performances, while other kids will complain that the pizza wasn’t good. It’s all part of the process.

Other Believe-it-Not Tips for Success

Here are a few other tips to ensure success. Or, at the very least, avoid some embarrassment. If this advice sounds oddly specific, it’s because we’ve been there. Trust us!

Have good relationships with other directors. Help whenever asked. You never know when you might need to borrow a concert snare 10 minutes before your performance. (Thanks, Mark!)
Let chaperones know that the buses should not leave without the director! If you go inside to get “one more thing,” make sure you have the head chaperone’s number so you can get the buses to turn back around to get you! Or, you may give up after 20 minutes and drive yourself to the event, which steals invaluable bonding time with your students or time for last-minute planning with your fellow directors.

Author Don Stinson is the Band Director at Joliet Central High School in Illinois.

Check your concert programs, then check them again. Have the kids sign off on their names, and then check them again. Don’t be surprised when you have to apologize to the parents for leaving the baritones off the program.
When bowing from the podium, be mindful of the safety rail. If you happen to hit your head on said safety rail, ignore it. The kids will think that your watering eyes are because of their stellar performance, not your excruciating pain.
“Bobby, do you have your folder?” “Yeah, Jeff says he’s taking it.” Jeff didn’t even show up that morning, and he’s definitely not bringing Bobby’s folder. Make students be responsible for their own items. The most common reason we have left items behind was because kids relied on someone else.
Tell kids ahead of time that when they’re in the audience they should not hum along with pieces they know.
If you lose grip of your baton and it flies out of your hand and onto the floor, or worse yet, into the hair of the flute player in front of you, just let it go. It’s gone.

Author Jessica Corry is the Band Director at Plank Jr. High School in Oswego, Illinois.

Avoid scheduling a time-sensitive event, such as a dinner, movie or show, after your performance. An event that runs late coupled with students who still need to be picked up may deter any plans you have.
If your background is band and you end up taking a job that has a choir element, be prepared for a choral performance where the surprise guest speaker just happens to be Julie Andrews. Yes, that Julie Andrews. No pressure.

Remember, the road to a successful performance is paved with detailed planning paired with a spirit of adaptability to embrace the spontaneity of the live performances.

We are cheering you on as you take this significant step in your musical career, wishing you a journey filled with success, learning and sharing in musical experiences!

5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Flute

Written by Aleah Fitzwater on October 20, 2023. Posted in Winds.

The flute is one of the most common instruments in the world, and it has been found in nearly every culture in existence. The flute has made quite a name for itself since ancient times. But did you know these five flute facts?

1. The First Flute Was Probably Made by Neanderthals

The oldest flute historians have found dates back to approximately 60,000 years ago. The ancient flute I’m referring to was found by archaeologists in Slovenia. Name after the cave in which it was found, the Divje Babe flute was discovered in 1995 and is the only Neanderthal flute to be uncovered so far. It is currently housed in the National Museum of Slovenia.

This find was monumental to historians because it proved that Neanderthals created music. Not only is it the oldest flute, it is also the oldest instrument in the world.

Other very old flutes include the Hohle Fels flute (from over 30,000 years ago) and the Geißenklösterle cave flutes (over 40,000 years ago). But the Divje Babe flute still takes the cake for being the oldest as the carbon dating estimates it to be an astonishing 60,000 years old.

2. Flutes Were Made of Surprising Materials

You might be shocked about the variety of materials used to make flutes. The Divje Babe flute was made from the femur of a cave bear. Other animal bones used to make flutes include swans and woolly mammoths! The Hohle Fels flute (also called the Aurignacian flute) was carved from a griffon vulture.

Some ancient flutes that are still played today have interesting materials and accessories. The Chinese dizi, for example, requires a thin paper membrane that is attached to the instrument with the juice of a garlic clove. The result is a one-of-a-kind woodwind with a unique buzzing timbre.

3. It has Versatile Historical Uses

Flutes have been used for:

Spiritual purposes
War
Artistic performances
Celebrations
To profess love

Japanese artwork feature woman playing flute — Artwork in Kyoto shows woman playing the flute.

I once played the solo to a German piece where the flute represented death, which I thought was pretty unique, but using the flute to represent death has been done since ancient times. The Aztec death whistle might be the spookiest of all of the flutes used for spiritual reasons. This orb-shaped ocarina-like flute creates a haunting screaming/whistling sound. It was traditionally used to aid the sacrificed dead in their travel to the afterlife.

By the time the fife was created around the 1300s, flutes were often used for war. During the Crusades, transverse flutes were commonly used in the military. But flutes were used for artistic expression, too. In Indonesia, an end-blown flute called the suling was used alongside a bronze percussion ensemble (collectively called gamelan) in order to accompany shadow-puppetry (Wayang kulit).

In some Native American tribes, flutes were traditionally played by young men to confess their love for a woman. According to the Smithsonian, Native American flutes were common in Southwestern tribes and were most often made of red cedar. In India, flutes are associated with Krishna, the god of love. If you think about it, using the flute as a romantic instrument at weddings is in some ways, historically accurate!

4. The Instrument Can Create a Near-Perfect Sine Wave

Waveforms are the basis of all sound, and there are four main types: sine, square, triangle and sawtooth. A sawtooth wave gives the violin that buzzy undertone. The triangle wave gives flute-like woodwinds their crystalline clarity in the lower register. A square wave gives a clarinet its richness, and a sine wave is what makes pure sounds with fewer partials.

You can hear them all isolated on the Perfect Circuit website. Interestingly enough, when a Western flute is played in its upper register, it creates a waveform that is close to that of a pure sine wave.

5. They’re Woven into Mythology

There are books that focus on the mythical stories of the flute. It seems that the instrument has been associated with many cultures’ gods. As mentioned earlier, the Indian god of love and compassion, Krishna, was associated with flute, which also represents nature, and all that is divine.

The Greeks had multiple flute myths. The flute was created by Athena, the goddess of war, wisdom and reason. A nymph named Syrinx was transformed into a flute after she drowned, and she was then played by the god Pan.

There are many variations of the creation of the flute woven into Native American lore. For example, the Comanche believe that the flute was created to help a man express his sorrows (according to Flutopedia), and the Sioux tell a tale of how a man played the flageolet (a small end-blown 5-holed flute) in order to find a woman to marry.

statue of Pan holding pan pipe — Statue of Pan holding a panpipe.

But the significance of the flute in the context of mythology is not lost to time. For example, the Debussy piece “Syrinx,” which references the pursuit of the Greek nymph by Pan, is still one of the most popular musical works for solo flute today. Similarly, Mouquet’s “Pan et Les Berges” (Pan and his shepherds) is another piece flutists play around the world.

It seems that the flute is constantly associated with myths. This, by extension, has led composers such as Reineke to base one of his most well-known pieces, “Undine,” on the idea of a Greek water nymph.

References

Flutopedia, “Narratives of the Native American Flute”
Perfect Circle, “Sine, Square, Triangle, Saw: The Difference Between Waveforms and Why It Matters”
Smithsonian, “The Courting Flute in Native American Tradition”

How Mariachi Changed 3 Las Vegas Families

Written by Stephen Blanco on October 13, 2023. Posted in Advocacy.

Latin music is very popular in the United States, and mariachi is especially prevalent among Mexican families. Mariachi musicians across the U.S. perform at events honoring the rich culture of Mexico, as well as other Latin American countries. Because of the music’s popularity, mariachi education is a sweeping movement that started in the Southwest but is now offered at many schools in the U.S. Incorporating mariachi into a formal music education program has made all the difference to many students of Hispanic descent who may not have otherwise become involved in music.

Mariachi by Accident

Daniel is a graduate of Las Vegas High School and its mariachi group, Mariachi Joya, and current member of Mariachi Plata at The College of Southern Nevada. Before he joined mariachi, he was not involved in any music courses although he always wanted to be a musician. He joined mariachi on violin during his freshman year and loved being in music class with his friends. Toward the end of the year, COVID-19 sent everyone to virtual learning.

Daniel took advantage of online music theory courses offered at LVHS and used his time at home to learn even more about mariachi. He decided that he wanted to switch to the guitarron, which is a bass-guitar-like instrument that carries the bassline in the mariachi ensemble. He took the initiative to practice every day, and when we returned to school the following year, he was named the guitarron player of Mariachi Joya!, which has been recognized as the “Nation’s Premier Mariachi Ensemble” by SBO magazine. Daniel’s grades improved and he even had straight As during some semesters of his junior and senior years.

“For me, mariachi was an accident,” he says. “I was going down one path, and my love for mariachi took me to even new heights. I just thought I was going to play the violin, but through the last few years I have gotten to share the stage with famous musicians, meet my heroes, and even bring music back into my parents’ lives.”

His mother, Flor, echoes his passion and says, “I am very proud of my son. I am happy that out of all my kids that one of them has the same love for mariachi music as I do. My relationship with my son is closer because he started to play mariachi music and it fills my soul to see him doing what he loves”.

Now, Daniel is slated to become one of the first-ever mariachi students in a new university program and is excited to bring this beautiful music to new generations as a mariachi teacher after he graduates.

A Family of Musicians

Jennilee, a member of LVHS Mariachi Joya

Jennilee is another example of how mariachi changed a student’s life. Jenni was not involved in after-school activities before mariachi came along. She was a very shy young woman who followed in her older brother’s footsteps when she joined mariachi. She is now a senior at Las Vegas High and regularly auditions at vocal competitions across the country.

“Mariachi has made me believe in myself more than ever,” she says. “We really love this music and this community we have created. I do not know where I would be without my school’s mariachi program”.

Her younger sister is now in mariachi, and their mother is proud to have three musicians in the family who make people smile with every performance.

Brothers in Mariachi

Axel is the current student director of Mariachi Joya. He started playing the violin in beginning mariachi two years ago and practiced for hours every day to get into the school’s top ensemble. His younger brother, Irvin, is a mariachi student at Keller Middle School, which has a thriving program under Ms. Miriam Vazquez, who does a great job at preparing her students to become “Joyas.”

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto with Axel, a member of LVHS Mariachi Joya — U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada with Axel, a member of Mariachi Joya.

Irvin really loves playing beautiful music with his friends, and he says, “I am really proud of my big brother Axel. He is a role model for me and has inspired me to work hard in school. Mariachi has bonded us. Now we have something special to talk about every day. I hope I can be in Joya one day, too.”

Axel has a 4.0 GPA and says that mariachi greatly contributes to his academic success. “Mariachi has motivated me to do well in school,” he says. “It taught me that I can get results with hard work, so if I put hard work into other classes, I can do well in those just like mariachi.”

Being a part of Mariachi Joya has changed his outlook on what he wants to do in life. Axel says that he wants to teach mariachi so he can help students “bring their communities together just like we did here on the east side.”

Axel and Irvin are just one of many examples of how mariachi education has brought families together. It also prepares students for life outside of music.

The cultural power of mariachi is strong. It rings families together, creates opportunities for students that they wouldn’t otherwise have, and it creates strong community engagement.

Closeup of author's hands playing guitar.

Five Reasons to Take Guitar Lessons

Written by Robbie Calvo on October 11, 2023. Posted in Guitars How-to.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say that learning music theory will ruin your “feel.”

Not true! In fact, learning music theory will only enhance it. That’s because it expands your knowledge, provides more options for composition, and improves your ability to translate ideas to other musicians.

I know phenomenal musicians who have zero formal training and play strictly by ear. I also know some players who have a master’s degree in music but struggle to improvise, or even get through the simplest song without sheet music. I think the best approach is to have a well-rounded ability in every aspect of your craft.

But how do you go about it? Sure, there are some amazing guitar tutorials online. Great players break down the parts to your favorite songs, and some even give you the theory and analysis behind the notes. Unfortunately, this method of learning is a one-way street. You can’t ask the teacher questions or receive feedback on posture, fingering or technique.

That’s why I suggest you instead consider taking real, in-person guitar lessons from a qualified instructor (your local music retailer can suggest someone in your area), as opposed to just learning nuggets of wisdom from a friend or a few riffs from some songs on YouTube.

Here are five reasons why.

1. Fresh Fingers

Learning anything from a book or video may give you the necessary tools to accomplish a certain task, but an instructor can guide you and add the elements of finesse that a one-way platform just can’t do.

As much as I love using Google search or YouTube for musical resources, the fact of the matter is that not everything on the internet is accurate. (Shock, horror!) Without the discerning eye and ear of a professional to give you instant feedback, you may end up learning techniques that will ultimately impair your abilities down the line. Sadly, I’ve seen this all too many times … and breaking muscle memory is way harder than learning something with fresh fingers.

2. Logical Progression

I’d say that most of us learn how to play the guitar “somewhere in the middle.” We can play a few chord progressions and a handful of riffs and Pentatonic licks … but without knowing the “how and why” it all works together.

As an educator, I’ve always been an advocate of logical progression. Start with the basics. Learn the correct fingerings for chords and scales, a few simple rhythmic values and the theory behind the notes, then gradually add techniques and musical expression to play songs with musicality. I also believe that you can develop musical sensibilities and feel by practicing stylistic grooves and developing your phrasing chops with melodic and rhythmic displacement techniques.

So look for a guitar teacher that builds you up from the beginning, or fills in the gaps to what you already know. With a solid foundation in all aspects of music, you can build a house in which creativity can flourish. A good instructor will push you to build a mansion, or help you renovate your existing structures into a beautiful new home.

3. The Inquisitive Mind

When I learn something, I want to know both the “how” and the “why.” If you don’t have a naturally inquisitive mind, you need to develop one in order to expedite your musical journey. For that reason, be sure to ask lots of questions of your instructor, so you can gather a full understanding of any topic.

Sometimes the answers require further questioning … and that’s just how it should be. Sometimes the information needs to be delivered in multiple ways in order for the concept to “stick.” Again, this is perfectly normal.

A good teacher will recognize whether or not the student fully comprehends the information being conveyed. I always confirm this with my students by asking them questions until I am sure they understand every aspect of the material we’re working on.

4. Setting Sail

Embarking on a journey of discovery often requires a road map. Structured courses that are curated by a professional educator often keep you on track.

If you know what your big picture goals are, you can take small steps towards that destination. For example, learning how the seven major scale modes work, one mode at a time. Adding a deadline is often a good idea too. Nothing motivates me better than a deadline. It’s the procrastinators’ kryptonite.

5. The Jam Factor

When you learn from a real-life instructor, you have the opportunity to hear how they play, and how they integrate the same information you’re working on.

So many professional guitar players cite their instructor as the driving force behind the musical storm they finally became, and there’s a good reason why. Jamming with your mentor will give you a growth perspective. You’ll be able to actually hear how well you’re doing through comparison, then make small corrections and implement their suggestions in real time.

Virtual Learning

If you can’t find a good local instructor, you may be able to work with a qualified guitar teacher via video chat online. However, I suggest you take some time to determine what you’re trying to achieve in advance of taking those kinds of lessons. Audio quality is improving radically on online platforms such as Zoom, but latency and bandwidth compression often negate the ability to jam online.

So make a list, and work through the list by asking lots of questions. You can always record your video lessons, enabling you to watch them again for reference. Maximize your time and get your instructor to demonstrate ideas, concepts and examples while you’re online with them.

As you are probably aware, guitar courses are also available for subscription, streaming or download. This is where my personal legacy as an instructor primarily resides.

Author with title of "Chord Moves Grooves".

These courses are a great way to work with your favorite players and discover specifically what they have to offer you. Just make sure you find someone who fills in any gaps in your knowledge and nurtures your creativity through real-world musical examples.

The Video

The harmonic structure of the progression I’m playing in this video takes you through three different keys within the context of a four-bar phrase. Having the knowledge to analyze, play and improvise over this kind of progression generally comes from having some kind of formal training, so I thought this would provide a good example of what it might take to handle this kind of musical challenge without the guidance of an instructor.

I’m using a Yamaha CSF-TA TransAcoustic guitar and layering its tones into the mix with a subtle strumming part. I’ve double-tracked this guitar part, adding small amounts of the onboard reverb and chorus, panning the two hard-left and hard-right for extra width. The arpeggiated overdub defines the harmonic structure of this progression by following the upper voices in the strummed guitar part.

The melodic phrases are being played on a Yamaha SA2200 semi-hollow body electric through a Line 6 Helix processor. I’m targeting chord tones of the five chords to establish their tonality within the framework, but I’m also making sure you can hear the characteristic tones you’ll find in some of those tasty chord voicings too!

The Guitars

The CSF-TA is the parlor-sized powerhouse in the TransAcoustic range. Like all TA guitars, it features two onboard reverb types (Room/Hall) as well as chorus, all without the need for external amplification. All effects can be dialed in to taste with a sweepable mix control.

Acoustic guitar on leather couch. — *Yamaha CSF-TA.*

TransAcoustics also feature an excellent undersaddle piezo pickup and a preamp that works beautifully for recording directly to DAWs or for plugging into the mixing console at a live gig. These versatile acoustic-electric guitars are excellent for young beginners due to their short scale length and small body size, and the solid Sitka spruce top will only get better with age.

The SA2200 semi-acoustic guitar may be one of the best sounding electrics on the market. These amazing guitars resonate like a piano, play like a dream, sit beautifully in the mix, and look like a million bucks on camera.

The Wrap-Up

When we take intentional steps towards our goals, we get closer to them.

Working with a professional guitar teacher can guide your steps around the pitfalls, keep you moving towards your destination, and perhaps most importantly, inspire you to reach the same high level of proficiency. Lofty goals indeed, but the right instructor can help you achieve them!

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

The 12 Best 12-Inch Vinyl Singles

Written by Jeff Dorgay on October 5, 2023. Posted in Vinyl.

The 12-inch single (or “maxi” single, as it was called back in the ’70s and ’80s) tends to be synonymous with DJs, conjuring up visions of dual turntables. Yet there is so much more to this form of media! When vinyl records ruled the radio waves as well as the dance floors, the 12-inch was a great way for record companies to get a new release out to the public immediately, and there were sonic benefits as well. Putting an entire song or two on one side of a large slab of vinyl like this means big grooves, along with the potential for tons of bass and incredible dynamic range.

Today, 12-inch singles still exist, but they tend to be more biased towards electronica, house and the occasional Record Store Day release. Here are a dozen — some new and some old — that I think you’ll enjoy.

1. All of a Sudden – The Chemical Brothers

“All of a Sudden” is the latest single drop from the Chemical Brothers, which is actually the B-side of their song “No Reason.” Their signature heavy driving beats (on both sides) deliver a solid bottom end that you might not be used to, even with vinyl. Hang up that disco ball and turn up the volume!

2. 1999 – Prince

Prince may just be the undisputed king of the 12-inch, in part because so much of his music was being played in clubs, but also because he had such a prodigious output. All his singles deliver the maximum level of dynamics the medium is capable of, but if this one happens to be your first purchase, you’ll be hooked for life.

3. Paranoimia – The Art of Noise

Released in 1986, the three versions of the title track and a bonus edit of “Dragnet 89” have Max Headroom nodding in approval. All are full of fun electronic sounds that fly all over the room, weaving in and out of the signature synth backing track that anchors it all. Though many 12-inch singles are 45 rpm. with one track on each side, this one is meant to be spun at 33, so you can dance for about 10 minutes before you have to flip it over.

4. It’s Tricky – RUN-D.M.C

Nothing says hip-hop to me like RUN-D.M.C. This 33 rpm 12-inch features five versions of “It’s Tricky”: Club Mix, Uptempo version, the album version, “scratchapella” version, and the “Tricky Reprise.” “Proud to be Black” is a bonus track at the very end.

5. Cruel Summer – Bananarama

Considering it’s been a warmer than normal summer and big hair is starting to make a comeback, this one seems totally appropriate to make the list. The title track delivers a more solid beat than the LP version (which is very compressed), and the three vocalists come through with much more presence.

6. High and Dry – Radiohead

This eclectic group has released a wide range of 12-inch singles for nearly 15 years now. “High and Dry,” from their second album, The Bends, accentuates the atmospheric aspect of their music perfectly, creating a massive sonic landscape in your listening room (or in your headphones). Most 12-inchers deliver more overall level, but this one does a particularly good job of revealing the intimate vocals and the separation of the three guitars that are the foundation of the Radiohead sound.

7. Prime Time – The Tubes

The ’70s art band The Tubes were well known for attracting top studio engineers to assemble their albums, and this track from Remote Control was produced by Todd Rundgren. As with most 12-inch singles, the wide grooves produce additional sonic nuggets that even the well-crafted LP hides — like backup singer Re Styles, who sounds much more present in this release.

8. Become – Beach House

Here’s a 12-inch that blurs the line between maxi single and EP. There are five new Beach House tracks here, and the group’s dreamy sound really comes to life on vinyl, with a Twin Peaks-like feel. In addition to the ethereal vocals, there are some heavy synth bass grooves to rattle your walls.

9. Peek-a-Boo! – DEVO

The alternative DEVO anthem “Peek-a-Boo!” is another great example of taking a fairly dense track and achieving greatness by spreading it all out on one album side. The jumble of grungy, distorted guitars and synthesizers all have their own voice here. Keep this one at the front of your record crate on party night.

10. The Look of Love – Dusty Springfield

This is one of the few 12-inch single releases pressed by an audiophile label, the now defunct Classic Records. Good as the standard album sounds, this version really shows off just how great your Hi-Fi system can sound. The only thing that did a better job at capturing Dusty’s slinky voice is the master tape!

11. I Scare Myself – Thomas Dolby

Here’s another track that sounds absolutely brilliant with all the extra groove space, and again, it’s not just about slamming bass, but about inner detail. “I Scare Myself” was recorded with such a huge feel, you’ll swear there are surround sound speakers hidden somewhere in your room.

12. Fight The Power – Public Enemy

The theme song from Spike Lee’s film Do The Right Thing demands the forcefulness that only a 12-inch single can provide. There are a few options out there, but I suggest the extended version, with the full unedited 6:45 rendition from the theatrical release, and the sanitized radio version on the flip side.

Music Tech Series, Part 2: Elementary Music Technology

Written by Gillian Desmarais on September 29, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

Children have an innate desire to improvise and create. Without any expectations, they begin life moving, singing and playing music in imaginative and newfound ways. As students begin learning formal music in elementary school, the urgency for mastering literacy and vocabulary skills can sometimes take the place of learning improvisatory or creative music skills. As a way to counter this, the National Coalition for Arts Standards (NCAS) reorganized music learning goals into the universal domains of creating, performing, responding and connecting. The hope was that by re-emphasizing these domains, the focus could shift to foster students’ convergent and divergent thinking. Exercising these enabling skills helps prepare students for the multiple roles found in the music industry as well as promoting student autonomy. The national standards are very extensive, so for brevity, here are the four major disciplines with summarized anchor standards.

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Creating:

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.

Performing/Presenting/Producing:

Anchor Standard 4: Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation.
Anchor Standard 5: Develop and refine artistic work for presentation.
Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

Responding:

Anchor Standard 7: Percieve and analyze artistic work.
Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

Connecting:

Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

David Brian Williams, author of “Reaching the Other 80%,” defined 80% of students who do not currently participate in music education ensembles as “non-traditional musicians” (NTM). NTMs are determined to be between 6th and 12th grade and may have a music life independent of school. They may also not read music notation but aspire to a career in the music recording or the music industry. A later article written alongside Peter R. Webster titled “NTM Skills as a Future College Music Student” defines specific music technology skills as “essential for the undergraduate music major.” The following skills are outlined below:

Edit in notation software (like Dorico).
Understand and edit digital audio.
Record and mix a performance.
Understand copyright and fair use.
Create music with production software.
Create a streaming audio file.
Understand MIDI and applications with instruments.
Set up/problem solve a computer music workstation.
Understand basics of acoustics.
Create/edit a music video.
Manage social media music-sharing tools.

It’s important that we refer to these competencies as overarching goals for our growing students and find ways to cleverly integrate them into our lessons. Giving students the opportunity to compose music, whether it be in notation software or in a digital audio workstation (DAW) is a great way to accomplish the national standards, while also allowing students time to practice these music technology competencies. Using web applications that bridge music with other interdisciplinary topics like science or math can be a fun and new way for students to make connections to music. MIDI instruments are very customizable and can be a great addition to the classroom for students with disabilities. As a music stand is to sheet music, technology is to music education. Let it be a tool for supporting students in their music learning experiences.

Elementary Music Curriculum with Technologies and Web Apps

Assuming that Chromebooks, iPads or desktop computers are available to you in your classroom, the next step would be to invest in decent quality headphones like the Yamaha HPH-50B. A little more expensive than the average headphones, these have much better sound quality and will be more durable for classroom use. Headphone splitters are also a great investment for collaborative projects that require more than one student listening from the same device. These are relatively inexpensive and can include a range of two to five headphone ports for sharing audio.

Optionally, having a few MIDI controllers can be great for small group projects or classroom stations. MIDI keyboards are the most common choice for DAW composition and can come in a variety of sizes. For classroom use, 25-key MIDI keyboards are more suitable for portable independent use, whereas 49-key keyboards are great for two-player fixed stations. Other controllers like the ARTinoise re.corder (based on the recorder) or the Joué J-Play Keys (based on the xylophone) can be fantastic for students who struggle performing on their traditional counterparts due to a disability. STEAM-based kits are also great for connecting music to other disciplines. Useful for classroom activity stations, these kits are often self-guided and include apps that introduce skills like coding or instrument making. Lastly, microphones can be a worthwhile investment for older and more advanced music technology students. Microphones requiring a separate interface and XLR cable are more professional (like the Focusrite Scarlett Studio 3 bundle), though there are many USB microphones that require less set-up (like the FIFINE USB Microphone).

A few general music curriculums that specifically integrate music technology include “Teaching Music Through Composition” by Barbara Freedman, “Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches” by Amy M. Burns, “Integrating STEM with Music” by Shawna Longo and Zachary Gates. These resources are great for introducing digital composition or for STEAM-based/interdisciplinary learning. Web applications (web apps) are also be a great way to engage students. Below are a few of my top recommendations, as well as a few others that are fun for kids to explore music with.

Download this elementary web-apps chart.

Creating lessons that give students time to explore is key. This semi-structured “play” time allows them to make stronger connections to each new concept by utilizing it within their own art. Here are some of my favorite elementary music lessons that apply students’ new musical knowledge in an engaging and creative way. Enjoy!

Lesson 1: Soundwaves and The Science of Sound (STEAM)

NCAS:

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

Technology Competency Goals:

9. Understand basics of acoustics
5. Create music with production software (web-app version)

Objective: Students will understand sound waves and how humans hear sound. Using Chrome Music Lab, students will use the visualizer to experience how pitch affects soundwaves and the movement of air particles. Students will also learn a song and participate in a movement activity reinforcing these learned concepts on soundwaves.

Level: Grade 3 (can be modified for other grade levels)

Materials:

Chrome-accessible devices (Chromebooks, laptops, tablets etc.)
Headphones
Slideshow Presentation (optional)
Piano or high-pitched/low-pitched instrument (e.g., triangle and hand drum)
Chrome Music Lab link

Procedure:

1) Begin with the question, “what is sound?” As students guess, slowly navigate them toward the answer: “vibrations in the air.” Next ask, “What is actually vibrating when we hear sound?” The answer should be “air molecules.” Feel free to use the following explanations below alongside diagrams or photos in a slideshow presentation.

“All sound is made up of vibrations. Vibrations through the air.”

“What is actually vibrating? Air molecules! Molecules are tiny particles that make up everything around us. Even you are made of molecules! Molecules are also invisible, meaning we can’t see them. Air molecules help us to hear sounds.

“When a bell rings, the air particles around it start grouping together and spreading out. This movement looks like a wave. We call these sound waves!”

2) Demonstrate the movement of soundwaves using Chrome Music Lab. Navigate to the Soundwaves window and ask students, “What do the blue dots represent? What instrument is at the bottom of the screen?” Tell students to observe how air particles move differently based on each note’s pitch. Define pitch and clarify that “the higher the pitch, the faster the movement of the air particles; the lower the pitch, the slower the movement of the air particles.” Have student volunteers play a note from the demo computer. Use the magnify glass on-screen to zoom in on the horizontal waveform. (*This demo will prepare students for a follow-up lesson on soundwave shapes)

3) Give students 10-15 minutes to explore Chrome Music Lab’s Soundwaves window as well as the other music windows.

4) Transition students to begin learning the accompanying “Johnny Was a Molecule” song and movement activity. Have students listen and echo each line one line at a time. Introduce the Sally verse in a follow-up lesson or as an extension.

Download Johnny Was a Molecule sheet music.

Sally Verse:

Sally was a molecule, floating in the air

When the bass would play, she’d move slower than a bear

Crawl, crawl, crawl, and wobble to and fro

And now you’re like a molecule, ready, set go!

Movement Game:

On the Johnny verse, have students jump to the beat.

On the Sally verse, have students crawl to the beat.

After the verse is sung, the teacher alternates playing a high-pitched and low-pitched sound. Students respond by either moving slowly (low pitch) or fast (high pitch). Specific locomotor movements may also be picked in advance (e.g., fast: running, skipping, jumping or slow: crawling, tip toeing, walking). Teacher may give individual students a turn to play instrument(s) as well.

Lesson 2: Four Basic Sound Waves (STEAM)

NCAS:

A group of 5th-grade students learn about sound waves.

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

Technology Competency Goals:

9. Understand basics of acoustics
5. Create music with production software (web-app version)

Objective: Students will learn about the four primary wave shapes and recreate them using manipulative (popsicle sticks). Using Soundbreaking, students will use the visualizer and sound generator to identify the differences in timbre between soundwaves and the movement of air particles. Students will play a competitive popsicle stick game by listening and identifying the different soundwaves.

Level: Grade 3 (can be modified for other grade levels)

Materials:

Chrome-accessible devices (Chromebooks, laptops, tablets etc.)
Headphones
Slideshow Presentation (optional)
Soundbreaking link

Procedure:

1) Start by reviewing what sound is (e.g., vibrations through the air). Show a visual of a transverse wave and explain that the reason it is horizontal is that it’s simpler to see. Ask students, “What shapes do these soundwaves look like?” Have them guess the triangle and square shapes. Introduce all four basic sound waves (sine, square, triangle and sawtooth) along with their visuals.

2) Use the Soundbreaking app to play back each soundwave’s unique timbre. Have two students volunteer to play a guessing game. One student plays a soundwave while the other guesses. See if they can listen for the differences in sound.

3) Allow students 5 to 10 minutes to explore the Soundbreaking app on their devices.

4) Transition students and provide a group demonstration of how to create each soundwave with popsicle sticks.

5) Distribute eight popsicle sticks to each student and have them re-create each soundwave shape.
To begin the competition, have students hold onto their own popsicle sticks and split the room into two groups. Next, play a tone, display the name and/or show the visual of either of the four sound waves (sine, square, triangle or sawtooth). Students must work together to make a giant soundwave from one side of the room to the other. The first team to use all their popsicle sticks wins!

students working on creating soundwaves with popsicle sticks — A group of 4th and 5th graders work together to create the four basic wave shapes.

Lesson 3: Introduction to Audio in Songwriting (STEAM)

NCAS:

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard 5: Develop and refine artistic work for presentation.
Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

Technology Competency Goals:

A 3rd-grade student uses an online DAW to create their first song.

2. Understand and edit digital audio
8. Set-up/problem-solve a computer music workstation
5. Create music with production software (web-app version)

Objective: Students will learn about digital audio and the transfer for sound from a microphone to a digital audio workstation (DAW). Students will also write their first song using an online DAW and apply their knowledge of audio in the creating process. Students will share their projects with peers and discuss aspects to refine for the next song.

Level: Grade 3 (can be modified for other grade levels)

Materials:

Chrome-accessible devices (Chromebooks, laptops, tablets etc.)
Headphones
Slideshow Presentation (optional)
Digital Audio Workstation (e.g., Cubase, Soundtrap, Garageband)

Procedure:

1) Begin by asking, “When you talk on the phone with someone, how are you able to hear them and how are they able to hear you?” Begin the conversation by guiding students toward the term “microphone.” Use the visuals to display a picture of a stage microphone, a studio microphone and a computer microphone. Next, explain the process of how sound is recorded onto a computer.

“When sound vibrations reach the microphone they are made into an electric signal. That signal then becomes a series of numbers known as binary code (the language of the computer). In the computer, this data represents a digital sound or “audio.”

2) Have a project open in your DAW and encourage students to view the sample browser/loop browser. From here, differentiate audio loops by their “audio icon” (see below) and drag and drop one into the timeline. See some examples below for reference.

3) Have students begin a project in which they drag and drop four audio loops into their blank project. Give students 10 to 15 minutes to complete this task.

4) Once most students are done, have them transition to “Musical Museum,” an activity where students will simultaneously stand up, walk around the room and listen to two random student songs. Allot about 4 to 5 minutes for this activity. Afterward, have students return to their seats and begin a discussion on what they heard. Some appropriate questions to ask include:

“What did you like about the songs you heard?”
“What would you want to hear more of?”
“What instrument sounds did you recognize/like in songs?”
“What’s one thing you heard that you might add to your own song?”

In the next few articles, we’ll discover why beginning with these technology goals and interdisciplinary lessons provides a strong foundation for middle school and high school music learning. We’ll also look at showcase opportunities, trademark stages of learning with the DAW, audio engineering fundamentals, and project-based learning activities. In the meantime, enjoy and lookout for more coming soon!

Read the first article in this series, “Music Tech Series, Part 1: Getting Started Teaching the DAW.”

40 Under 40 — Nominate a Deserving Music Educator Today!

Written by Yamaha Staff on September 28, 2023. Posted in 40 under 40.

Do you know a young music educator who inspires students, colleagues and the community? Someone who oversees a program that is continually growing and improving?

Nominate them now to be recognized and celebrated as one of the top 40 music educators under the age of 40!

Yamaha is an active advocate for music education, and we want to empower music educators and help them strengthen their programs in any way we can.

“40 Under 40” is the latest part of this advocacy. This program will recognize and celebrate innovative and impactful music teachers under the age of 40 who are doing extraordinary things in their classrooms or programs. These music education leaders will be the ones to watch in 2023 and beyond.

Eligibility Requirements

Music educators — any grade level, public or private schools, private music instructors — can be nominated by students, parents, other teachers or administrators, and mentors. No self-nominations are allowed.

Nominations will be accepted from October 1 to November 1, 2025.

Nominated educators should have the following characteristics:

Action — How does the nominee take proactive actions to build a stronger music program?
Courage — How has the nominee implemented bold, new ideas in their program?
Creativity — In what ways did the nominee realize plans and ideas with originality and resilience?
Growth — How has the nominee established, grown or improved music education in their community?
Must be under 40 years old on March 31, 2026.

Please click here for the nomination form. In addition to providing information about the nominee, you must tell us in 500 words how the nominee embodies the characteristics above.

Benefits to 40 Under 40 Educators

Music educators who are selected for the “40 Under 40” program will receive national recognition for the positive impact their work has on their schools and communities.

Key Dates and Deadlines

October 1: nominating period opens
November 1: nominating period closes
December: selected educators will be notified
February 2026: The 2026 “40 Under 40” educators will be announced

Contact

For information or questions about the Yamaha “40 Under 40” program, please email educators@yamaha.com.

Nominate a Music Educator Today!

2025 “40 Under 40” Educators

2024 “40 Under 40” Educators

2023 “40 Under 40” Educators

2022 “40 Under 40” Educators

2021 “40 Under 40” Educators

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* If fewer than 40 nominees are selected, or if any selected nominees decline such nomination, fewer than 40 individuals may be featured in our annual “40 Under 40” article. Yamaha Corporation of America reserves the right to select alternate nominees if a selected nominee is unable, unwilling or otherwise ineligible to participate in this program. Nominees must be willing to be featured in this program, provide image(s) to Yamaha, and sign a release agreement. All decisions by Yamaha are final.

Nominations are used solely for the purpose of identifying suitable teachers to be profiled in the “40 Under 40” program. Your information will not be shared, sold or added to any marketing database. Nominations are good for only the current nomination period and will be not retained for any future “40 Under 40” program. Please see our Privacy Policy for additional details.

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Closeup of Yamaha bass guitar being played.

Bass Soloing 101

Written by E.E. Bradman on September 28, 2023. Posted in Bass.

Imagine that you’ve just seen a great movie with your friends. Everyone’s taking turns remembering the highlights, and when it’s your turn, you quote your favorite lines, compare it to other movies you’ve seen, and maybe even share a detail or two your friends might’ve missed. When you’re done, someone else pipes up and shares their experience of the film.

This, in essence, is what a bass solo is: your contribution to a conversation between you and the rest of the band. You and your bandmates are having a shared sonic experience, and each solo is a remark on the song that’s currently the topic of conversation. Just as your thoughts on a movie are informed by how well you know the genre, actors and director, your solo will reveal how comfortable you are with the song, your instrument and the type of music you’re playing.

Here are a few tips and techniques for crafting effective and compelling bass solos.

LISTEN, LISTEN AND DO MORE LISTENING

It’s much easier to develop a concept of soloing if you enjoy listening to good bass solos. There are many ways to approach a solo and a wide variety of styles, from Paul Denman’s cool feature on Sade’s “Smooth Operator” to Jaco Pastorius’ impeccable turn on Ian Hunter’s “All American Alien Boy” to Billy Sheehan’s insane chops on Mr. Big’s “Addicted to That Rush.” (played on his Yamaha Attitude Limited 3 signature bass). If you’re new to this adventure, enjoy learning what kind of solo you like, and ask yourself what each occasion calls for.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

If you’re nervous about soloing on a particular song, get familiar with its harmony and melody. Knowing the scales and chords you’ll be soloing over is like reading a book before writing a book report — it’s not just helpful, it’s necessary. Get inside the song by playing arpeggios of each chord, which will help you develop phrases to have under your fingers. Think about tempo too: a sweet ballad, a head-nodding hip-hop groove and a techno track all require different approaches. Some musicians learn to hear spontaneous melodies and play them in real time; others use arpeggios or chord tones; others base their solos on transcriptions of other people’s solos. Most solos combine several techniques that have been honed in the practice room so they’re ready to be used on the bandstand. No matter what, build a roadmap.

MAKE A PLAN

Once you know how long your solo will be (in most contexts, four, eight or 16 bars), pick an approach. The song or style may ask you to be as fluid as a saxophone, chordal or driving like a guitar, or thumpy and percussive like an upright bass or drum. An easy way to start is to take a short phrase, state it clearly, repeat it and develop it. When it comes time to solo, many bass players go up the neck for articulation and a change of tone, but you don’t have to. Willie Weeks’ solo on “Voices Inside/Everything is Everything” is a great example of a bass solo that grooves, starts low, tells a story, and has a satisfying arc.

THINK ABOUT SPACE

It might seem natural to play fewer notes on slower songs, but this melodic Tal Wilkenfeld solo on Jeff Beck’s “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” proves that that’s not always the case. Some solos are spacious, while others are busy. Listen to David Hood’s relaxed eight-bar solo on the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There,” then check out Rancid’s “Maxwell Murder” to hear Matt Freeman go wild. Both solos fit their respective songs like a glove.

BE WILLING TO EVOLVE

If you solo on a particular song often, consider developing something you can refine over time. In the ’70s, an epic Suzi Quatro bass solo helped make her famous, and four decades later, she’s doing it again. “It’s physically demanding and requires immense concentration, but I’m playing it better than ever, which is a real surprise at 73,” she said in a recent Bass Magazine interview. “I have been practicing my bass solo, and I can’t practice it enough!”

WORK WITH YOUR BANDMATES

It seems obvious yet contradictory: Your solo is only as good as your bandmates’ support. When we stop playing, the bottom (quite literally) drops out, and how the rest of the band reacts in that moment makes all the difference. Chic’s “Good Times” keeps the dance floor packed during the bass solo because Bernard Edwards never loses the groove. Sometimes the bass solo is a call and response with the rest of the band, like John Entwistle’s big moment on The Who’s “My Generation.” Others are duets, like this one between Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and guitarist John Frusciante. Your bandmates are part of your solo, and so is the audience. Listen to how the audience cheers on a Joe Dart bass solo straight into a tight arrangement of the Eagles’ “One of These Nights.”

RELAX INTO IT

Whether you’re playing a solo that’s meticulously planned or simply winging it, stay open to unexpected moments and the thrill of improvising, an art taught by many teachers, including Victor Wooten. Watching him not get thrown off when he breaks a string during a marathon solo is simply inspiring.

At the end of the day, the best way to learn is to listen to great solos, figure out what makes them work and spend lots of time with your bass so that when the time comes, you can step into the spotlight with confidence and let the magic flow.

Check out E.E.’s other postings.

two male music students, one playing the flute, the other the oboe

Teaching Music in High-Need Schools: Recruitment

Written by Dr. Robert Bryant on September 26, 2023. Posted in Advocacy.

This article serves as the first in a series of discussions related to teaching music in today’s school environment. A growing majority of music educators in the United States work in public schools that are increasingly diverse and categorized as high-need. A high-need school, also known as a Title I school, is defined as any public pre K-12 school that is “located in an area where at least 30% of students come from families with incomes below the poverty line” (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, p. 173).

My goal through this series of articles is to share my experiences as a music teacher in high-need schools, as well as how I help prepare future educators in my current role as an associate professor and coordinator of the music education program at Tennessee State University. These are the strategies and beliefs that I believe are essential for success in these settings.

Through teacher training while at university or in professional development settings after we become educators, experts in the field often share best practices for music education through a lens of optimal circumstances. Abundant resources, teacher autonomy, and strong administrative and parental support for the arts usually serve as the foundation for these conversations. However, many of us find or will find ourselves leading programs that may not yet have such strong infrastructure, according to Jennifer Doyle in her research article, “Music Teacher Perceptions of Issues and Problems in Urban Elementary Schools.” It is my hope that this series will provide effective strategies for future and current teachers in high-need schools.

Use Data Effectively

I would like to begin this series by sharing what is one of the core tenets of building and sustaining school music programs: recruitment. As a music educator in the age of data-driven decision making, I have tried to leverage administrator demands for data by providing evidence of how students, parents and staff make the program shine, as outlined in Roger Mantie’s “The Philosophy of Assessment in Music Education.”

Whether it is tracking attendance for concerts and events, increasing followers to our social media platforms, analyzing student and ensemble performance outcomes or sharing enrollment data with administrators and community partners, I believe that the ways in which we integrate data can help drive our recruitment activities. The following are what I believe to be three essential practices to excel at recruiting for your music program.

1. Recruitment Is a Year-Round Process

Recruitment has no real beginning or end. It is a continuous process fueled by active recruiting strategies, culturally relevant curricula and student ownership of the process, according to Daniel J. Albert’s “Strategies for the Recruitment and Retention of Band Students in Low Socioeconomic School Districts.” In addition to your planned recruitment activities at the beginning and end of the academic year, look for ways to recruit students into the program throughout the year. When I taught middle and high school band, I made it a priority to develop rapport with the staff responsible for student schedules. I made sure they knew that I was flexible and open to receiving new students throughout the year.

At the beginning of each semester, I would make brief in-classroom visits to each homeroom and give my quick 30-second “elevator pitch” to each class. I would sometimes bring current students in the program with me. It was important for students to know that they did not need prior experience, just a love for music, to be a part of our program. I also made sure that the students were at the center during all our fundraisers, concerts and community events. They would lead, organize and oversee much of the planning and execution for our activities. This allowed their peers, parents, administration and community see just how awesome being in the music program was. This continuous process of year-round recruitment with student ownership at the center helped us significantly to enroll students in our music program.

For the purpose of data collection and analysis, I would use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of how many potential recruits we contacted at our recruitment events and performances, feeder school visits, and in-classroom visits at the beginning of each semester. I would then convert the data into bar graphs that compared the current term’s activities to the previous term to show recruitment gains and program growth to my administration and parent boosters.

2. Anything Can Be a Recruitment Opportunity

Performance is a great way to showcase your students’ abilities, and it also serves as a chance to connect with potential recruits. Whether we performed at a sporting event, seasonal concert, performance assessment or a community event, I always made sure to provide space for recruiting. Students shared their experiences in the music program, and I had flyers, handouts and contact information ready to give out to students and parents who might be interested in signing up.

At every performance and event we would keep track of selections performed, estimates of audience in attendance, and number of students who expressed an interest in wanting to join our organization. We would also track the number of views, likes, shares and followers on each of our social media sites. These would be compared monthly through line graphs generated in Excel and posted in the classroom to show our growing social media presence. Because it was mandatory for teachers at my school to post data on the walls, I always looked for creative ways to involve our students and present data that was fun for them to engage in and meaningful for our program’s growth.

We also had a student-led social media team that helped us share everything that was happening in the program and posted information on how to join. At every fundraiser and community event, our parent boosters and student leaders would also use those opportunities to share about the program’s successes. These moments helped generate great “buzz” around the program and helped attract even more students to us.

3. Setting Enrollment Goals

There are several ways to look at and set your enrollment targets. Some look at what percentage of the total school population is enrolled in a particular program, while others look at numbers of new recruits versus retention of prior classes. And there are still others who look at historic trends and set targets based on those.

We know that COVID set many school music programs back as it pertains to enrollment, and it can be demoralizing to see a program that was once thriving be so severely impacted. But, if we establish a new baseline and redefine how we measure success, we can ensure that our strategies align to our teaching philosophy and with the mission and vision of the school and community. Thomas Rinn’s article, “Research-to-Resource: Persistence and Recruitment in Elective Choral Music During the Pandemic Recovery,” speaks to the importance of instruction that is student-centered, recruitment practices that are more inclusive, and alignment of program goals with those of the communities that we serve

Goals for this Series of Articles

Teaching music in a high-need school has its challenges, but the rewards that come with seeing the positive impact your program can have on students, parents, school and the community is immeasurable. While this article and this series might be helpful for music teachers in any setting, it has been prepared specifically with music teachers in high-need schools in mind. I hope that these strategies are helpful to you as you build a thriving and sustainable music organization in your school.

In subsequent articles, we will cover key issues that music teachers in high-need schools face, including building rapport with stakeholders, defining program success, student empowerment and more.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us throughout the school year!

Read part 2 of this series on rapport.

Read part 3 of this series on defining success.

Read part 4 of this series on best practices.

Read part 5 of this series on funding.

Read part 6 of this series on retention.

Read part 7 of this series on sustainability.

References

Albert, D. J. (2006). “Strategies for the Recruitment and Retention of Band Students in Low Socioeconomic School Districts.” Contributions to Music Education, 53-72.
Doyle, J. (2012). “Music Teacher Perceptions of Issues and Problems in Urban Elementary Schools.” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, (194), 31-52.
ED.gov. (n.d.). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Mantie, R. (2019). The Philosophy of Assessment in Music Education. In “The Oxford Handbook of Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education, Volume 1” (p. 33). Oxford University Press.
Rinn, T. J. (2023). “Research-to-Resource: Persistence and Recruitment in Elective Choral Music During the Pandemic Recovery.” Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 41(3), 5-11.

Closeup of someone's hands playing piano.

Basic Piano Chords for Beginners, Part 2

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on September 26, 2023. Posted in Keyboard How-to.

After you’ve practiced playing and hearing the four basic chord types described in Part 1 of this two-part series, the next step is to listen to your favorite songs and try to identify which of these chord types they are using. Here are some examples to get you started.

Major Chords

Hey Jude – The Beatles

This classic starts out with four easily recognizable major chords (the third one has a dominant 7th added, as discussed in Part 1).

Here’s how they are played:

Your Song – Elton John

The intro uses three major chords, all played over a constant E-flat octave in the left hand.

Minor Chords

Fallin’ – Alicia Keys

This tune is sung over only two chords, both of them minor, repeated ad infinitum in a “broken chord” (arpeggiated) style.

All Of Me – John Legend

This power ballad opens with a clear minor triad. Notice the use of inversions to keep the notes close from chord to chord.

Augmented Chords

Oh! Darling – The Beatles

A strong augmented triad opens this song before the main figure comes in.

Diminished Chords

If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys

This classic chord progression (starting in bar 5) uses a diminished chord to move from the first chord (G major seventh with the ninth added) into the third chord (A minor seventh).

Looking for even more guidance and help in learning the chords in your favorite songs? Be sure to read this series of postings and check out the free Yamaha Chord Tracker app, available for iOS and Android devices.

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

20 Ways to Set the Tempo for a Great School Year

Written by Don Stinson on September 25, 2023. Posted in Self-Care.

When you’ve been in the trenches, such as teaching in urban classrooms or underfunded rural programs, you pick up a thing or two about education, and more specifically, the art of teaching music. One of the first things you learn is that this isn’t a one-person show. So, accept help and advice whenever you can — mentors and colleagues, from you own experiences and through trial and error (the hardest way).

I’m sharing these foundational ideas, insights, practical tips and philosophies because they have guided me through a journey of highs, lows and everything in between. While you will develop your own style, there are some common things that every educator, regardless of their instrument or discipline, can incorporate into their lessons. That’s what I tried to focus on here.

My main concern is that the list below captures only what I remember — I know that there is so much more that I have forgotten!

1. Things Just Take Time

You can’t rush the good stuff. Whether you’re waiting for the ensemble to gel or for that one kid to finally get it — patience is key. Many of my mentors echoed this sentiment. And trust me, those seeds you’re planting? They will grow. You just have to give them time.

Time is like a good brass polish — it reveals the shine that’s always been there. The virtue of patience can be especially hard when you’re bursting with energy and vision. Always remember that every note played and every mistake corrected accumulate into something extraordinary over time. Patience is not passive; it’s a strategic investment.

2. An Ensemble Is a Direct Reflection of its Conductor

This was the first bit of advice I received from my high school band director, Mr. Ted Lega. He received it from his mentor, Dr. Harry Begian, director of bands at the University of Illinois from 1970-1984. So, I guess you could say it’s “grand” advice that’s been handed down from generation to generation.

If your group sounds disjointed, it might be time to look in the mirror. Just as a composer leaves an imprint on every composition, your energy, mood and skills are mirrored by your ensemble. Your approach sets the stage for either harmony or discord.

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3. There’s Always Money Somewhere

This was a quote that my college band director, Dr. Charles Menghini, said in passing that I’ve never forgotten. “Sometimes the money’s not in the budget, but that doesn’t mean it’s not out there.”

Here’s something that you learn when working with budgets that could make a shoestring look generous — there’s always money somewhere. Sometimes, you have to get a bit creative to find it. In my years of teaching, I’ve witnessed remarkable things happen through grants, community donations and good old-fashioned spaghetti dinners. Read my article on “Financial Tips for Music Educators.”

4. Kids Love Being in on the Process

Give your students some skin in the game by letting them help select pieces or lead warm-ups. When I started incorporating student input, the atmosphere shifted from “us vs. them” to “we’re in this together.” And the best part was that performances were better for it. Besides, I’m the only director at my school, and I need the help!

5. Multitasking Can Be Disrespectful

This was a hard lesson for me. You think you’re being efficient, but you’re actually sending a message that what’s happening in front of you isn’t worth your full attention. In a digital age, this is even truer.

There’s nothing like looking out into a sea of smartphone screens to make you question your life choices. Your full attention signals to your students that they’re worth it, something I wish I’d grasped earlier in my career.

6. The Brain Is for Creating

Organization is key. Clipboards, sticky notes, digital apps — whatever helps you keep your tasks in check, use it. There’s freedom in structure that liberates you to be more inventive and responsive in your teaching. I’ve always been a pen-and-paper kind of guy, jotting down notes, to-dos and observations. Free up mental space for what your brain does best: creating and solving problems. Thinking all the time gets pretty tiring!

7. Literature Selection Matters

What you choose to play shapes not just the musical experience for your students, but also their emotional and intellectual development. What we play may be the most important curricular decision we make. And sometimes it’s also OK to program things that the kids like! Keep an ear out for what your kids warm-up on before rehearsal begins, and you instantly will know what works.

8. Music Theory Matters

You can’t fix a flat note if you don’t understand why it’s flat. When you and your students understand the mechanics of music, you are armed with the tools to refine, adjust and excel. I’ve had the privilege of learning from some of the most theoretically sound minds in the field, and the knowledge has been invaluable.

9. Teaching Just Feels Good

There’s not much that can compare to the look on a kid’s face when they nail that tough passage for the first time. The joy of teaching is its own reward, and it’s what keeps me coming back year after year. When you see that aha moment in a student, it’s like hitting the jackpot. I’ve been lucky to experience this thrill many times, and let me tell you, it never gets old.

10. Act Like You Belong

Sure, some days the music stands are missing, the tuba has a dent and the second clarinets are revolting — figuratively, of course. Even on those days, especially on those days, you must put on your game face. You chose this path for a reason, so find ways to remind yourself on why you do what you do.

11. The Complain-Twice Rule is in Effect 24/7

This is an original: Complain about something twice, and you either need to fix it or let it go. It’s a principle that has served me well and has kept the rehearsal room positive and proactive.

Moral of the story: Either change it or change your attitude about it. Students are like sponges; they’ll soak up the positive vibes or the griping, so choose carefully. Being able to focus on solutions rather than problems is a skill I’ve honed over time, but it does it make a difference.

12. The Cost of Saying “Yes”

Remember that your time and energy are finite resources. When you commit to something, make sure it aligns with your goals for the ensemble and yourself. Sometimes turning down a side gig or additional responsibility is the best thing you can do for your students. In more practical approaches, saying yes to one student may mean saying no to everyone else.

13. Caring Comes in Many Forms

Whether it’s tough love or a listening ear, caring isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some days it’s a high-five, other days it’s a hard conversation about missed notes or missed opportunities. Your students are as diverse as the instruments they play, and they require different forms of caring. This is a teaching philosophy I’ve developed over the years, and it’s one that serves me well.

14. The Weight of “Should”

I catch myself with this one. If you’re using the word “should” too much, you’re not in the moment, and that’s a problem. Or, you have not accepted either what your situation is or where your control may be. I learned early on to adapt, reassess and keep it moving. “We shouldn’t have to invite the principal to our concert — they should just attend!” This, and other items, are not always how things work.

15. We Are Never 100% Without Control

It’s easy to feel swamped, but one of the most empowering lessons I’ve learned is that there’s always something you can control. Whether it’s your reaction, your mindset or your next move, seize it. No matter how chaotic things get, remember that you’re never without options. I’ve faced numerous challenges that seemed insurmountable at the time, but there’s always a lever to pull, always a button to push.

16. Self-Judgment vs. Other-Judgment

It’s easy to hold yourself to one standard and your students to another. This disparity is something I’ve worked hard to reconcile over the years, aiming for a more equitable view that fosters mutual respect and understanding. Kids respond positively to teachers who walk the walk.

17. The Ultimate Conformists’ Activity

My former colleague Dan Moore, a retired music educator and author of “Important Ingredients” method book, often spoke about band being the ultimate conformists’ activity. Yes, the individual is important, but continuing to promote collective success helps our students understand that we can’t do this alone. I’m not always one who enjoyed group projects, but there was something special about performance music and the way it showcases the individual, the smaller sections and the larger group. Each member has a role to play, and it’s rewarding for everyone when all these roles align.

18. Insistence, Consistence, Persistence

Another invaluable piece of advice from Mr. Lega and Dr. Harry Begian: A great program has a director that is insistent, consistent and persistent. If I had to sum up my teaching philosophy, it would be these three words. They serve as the foundation upon which I try to build a fulfilling and impactful career.

19. Every Day Is a Reset

Good or bad, tomorrow is another chance. Each new day presents a clean slate to try again, to be better, to make music. Embrace it.

20. I’m Just Happy to Be Here

I have a Post-it note near my desk that says, “You’re in your dream job. Act like it.”

I often pause to remember my early ambitions and appreciate the journey that has led me to where I am today. Whenever I find myself in a tough situation, I remind myself of this simple truth: There was a time when all I wanted was exactly what I have now.

Over the years, mentors, colleagues and above all, experiences, have contributed to these insights. Take these lessons as you will, tweak them to fit your own style, but always remember that teaching is a balancing act. You’re not just sharing information; you’re influencing the next generation. Sure, there are challenges — budget constraints, restless students, administrative tasks — but keep your eye on the bigger picture. Collect wisdom from others, be consistent in your approach and make room for growth. Every day offers a fresh start. Just take it one step at a time and remember: You’re making a difference!

five female students perform at the Nutcracker pre-show

An Afro-Centric Curriculum Promotes Excellence

Written by Kellie B. Gormly on September 22, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

Girls who excel in math and science get into Grace M. James Academy of Excellence, a middle school for girls in Louisville, Kentucky. The magnet school’s STEAM-focus curriculum for girls of color doesn’t negate the need for arts education, and Orchestra Director Gabriella Burdette is committed to developing the right side of her students’ brains with an Afro-centric emphasis that isn’t typical for mainstream music classes.

Grace James, which is part of Jefferson County Public Schools, invests in music, dance and theater classes along with its STEAM courses to offer a more well-rounded education. Students are required to take some kind of arts class, and they indicate first and second choices when filling out the survey for incoming students.

Challenge the Left and Right Side of the Brain

“We actually have a lot of arts in the school; it’s a very strong department,” Burdette says about her school, which just extended its grade levels to include high school. “I think we come in with that other side that everybody needs… that creativity side. We need to come in and help develop the whole brain. I think it works well because of that.”

Some particularly left-brained students who excel in the STEAM environment may struggle with the right-brained nature of music and other arts, but Burdette helps them by letting students take home instruments for extra practice, and making instruction videos the girls can use to practice at home.

Working with pre-teens and young teens — an age group many teachers avoid — gives Burdette a great opportunity to introduce a passion for music.

“I love that they are open to new things,” she says. “I love that they are not already with their mind set into one thing one style or trying just one thing for their whole life. They want a challenge. If it’s not a challenge for them, they are bored.”

African American Music Roots

While Burdette, who started at Grace James three years ago, still covers the classical composers like Bach and Beethoven, she focuses on Black composers in the six orchestra classes she teaches. Her students, about 90 percent of whom are Black, see themselves and can relate to composers like Florence Price, who was born in 1887 and was the first Black female composer to gain national status.

“Music is part of our history,” says Burdette, a native of Brazil who moved to Kentucky in 2012. “We are performing music that isn’t usually performed. What I want for my program is for the community to see the excellence in these girls.”

Another way Burdette incorporates the school’s Afro-centric focus in her orchestra classes is to ask questions. “If I’m going to include classics and talk about Beethoven or Bach … we have a discussion about the other side, and I ask things like: Were there Black composers from the same era? We always push into the Afro-centric, no matter what I show them.”

Investigate Intersectionality

students learning from musician Brooke Alford — Orchestra students at Grace M. James Academy learn from guest speaker, musician Brooke Alford.

Burdette and her students also talk about intersectionality, which describes the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class and gender, and how they overlap. This complexity applies to the lessons about Price, who wrote symphonies and concertos and pieces for the violin and piano.

“Florence is one that we focus on because she was female and Black and a composer,” Burdette says. “There are a bunch of layers to her story so we include her in not only our discussion and project, but in our repertoire. We not only read about her, but we really discuss the intersectionality of her life.”

Burdette, who was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educator, explains, “It’s not: ‘Let’s play music by a Black composer and move on.’ It’s deeper than that.”

Through this Afro-centric approach, students are getting a more complete and meaningful music education. “I think they’re experiencing more in getting way deeper experiences,” she says. “This curriculum was challenging at first because I’d never done it. I had no idea what it was or what it looks like. I think the students enjoy learning about and playing composers who look like them.”

strings students playing instruments — Students perform “Adoration,” a piece written by Black composer Florence Price.

One favorite Price piece Burdette’s class plays is “Adoration,” which is a slow, beautiful, thoughtful and serene song. “It’s a song that you can meditate to, a song for you to just close your eyes and listen to,” Burdette says.

It’s not just music by Black artists from the early 20th century, like Price. Burdette and her students also play songs by more contemporary pop artists like Bruno Mars and Brooke Alford.

Learn from Professionals

strings students learning from a member of the Louiville Orchestra — Grace M. James Academy’s orchestra in a masterclass with a member of the Louisville Orchestra.

Periodically, Burdette brings in professional musicians from the Louisville Orchestra to work with students on the violin, viola and cello. The school received a grant to host a masterclass with the orchestra musicians. The girls benefit tremendously from meeting and hearing these talented and accomplished people. “The kids think: ‘Wow, I’m impressed. Maybe I can sound like that, too,’” Burdette says.

“I feel like there’s a lot of spaces for Black students to shine in not only the classical world but in the string world,” she says. “We don’t see many students like mine represented in orchestras. I hope my program will change that in the future.”

Grace James strives for excellence, not mediocrity. Students can sense that both in Burdette’s music classroom and elsewhere in the school.

“The most important thing for my girls to see is that I’m investing in them,” Burdette says. “I bring in professionals to show them what they can sound like. They see that I’m trying to give them a high-quality education. I want them here to play their instrument, but I also want them to play with excellence. We’re not going to do average. I think that excites them.”

Strive for Excellence

Teaching music, for Burdette, is not just a job. It’s her passion. It’s her calling.

“I have the excitement and the desire to give them an above-average experience,” Burdette says. “Since I joined Grace James, I felt that the school always pushes students to be more than above average. I want the same thing for orchestra. I tell them that a lot: I want you to experience the above average in my class.”

Burdette loves what she does. “I come to school every day wanting to see them, wanting to play music with them, wanting to hear them play and wanting to teach them,” she says enthusiastically. “I think they feel that, and they want to do well because it’s a two-way street

Discover the Sonic Possibilities of Your Drums, Part 2

Written by Steve La Cerra on September 22, 2023. Posted in Drums How-to. 1 Comment on Discover the Sonic Possibilities of Your Drums, Part 2

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we discovered how the sound of a drum is affected by various tonewoods, drum heads and muffling. This time, we’ll see how different tunings, hoops and bearing edges impact on tonality.

Tune Up!

One of the easiest ways to give your drums a new personality is by changing the tuning. Good tuning takes a bit of practice, but the results are well worth the effort.

Here’s how to tune snare drums and toms:

1. Start by evaluating the condition of the drum heads. Heads that are torn, stretched or have pock marks will be difficult to tune and should be replaced.

2. Whether you’re replacing the heads or not, take them off before you begin the tuning process and use a clean, dry cloth to remove debris from the heads, the metal hoops and the bearing edges (the thin edge of a drum shell that directly contacts the head; more below). Take care not to damage the bearing edges because a dent or crack in the edge can make tuning difficult.

3. Next, stretch the head to make tuning easier. Set the drum down on a flat, dry surface with an old towel underneath, and seat the head on the shell by making sure that the “flesh hoop” (the hoop of the head) surrounds the shell and that the head lies flat on the bearing edge. Then gently press down a few times on the middle of the head with your palm, as shown below. You may hear a cracking noise when you push down on new heads; this is the sound of the glue separating from the flesh hoop and is completely normal.

Man's hand holding down a tympanic membrane from a drum. — *New heads should be gently stretched before tuning.*

4. The next step is to check the tension rods, washers and metal hoop. If any of these parts are bent or damaged, they should be replaced. Bent tension rods can be spotted by rolling them along the edge of a table, and you can check a metal hoop by laying it on a piece of glass or a stone countertop. It should lay flat and not rock back and forth. If necessary, you can add a a small dab of viscous lithium grease to each tension rod, but don’t overdo it or they’ll loosen too easily. (Yamaha drums use a special lubricant for tension rods that lasts a very long time — sometimes even for the life of the drum.) Finger-tighten each tension rod until the washer comes in contact with the metal hoop.

5. Pick a tension rod (call it “number 1”) and tighten it a half-turn using a drum key. Do the same to the tension rod opposite, then all the others, following the tuning patterns show below. These patterns help create equal tension across the head, which reduces unwanted overtones and ensures consistent pitch throughout the entire drum head. Even tension also helps prevent rims from bending and shells from going out of round.

Diagrams. — *Left to right: tuning patterns for six-lug, eight-lug, and ten-lug drums.*

6. Once there’s tension on the head, you can use quarter-turns for finer adjustment. Depending upon the size of the drum, the weight of the head and the desired pitch, you’ll need between two and five half-turns — but snare side heads usually require more tension to achieve the high sensitivity required for ghost notes, drags and buzz rolls.

7. As you work your way through a tuning pattern, you may notice that some of the tension rods become loose. That’s because the metal hoop is being pulled down by the tension rods you’ve already tightened, so finger-tighten as you go if necessary.

8. Once the head has enough tension to produce a note, tap it near each tension rod and listen for consistent pitch. Adjust the rods where the pitch varies significantly, then strike the head in the center with a stick and listen for a pure note without any weird overtones.

9. When done, tune the bottom head in the same manner, being careful not to break snare side heads by overtightening. For toms and kick drum, start with the resonant head tuned to the same pitch as the batter head; this will maximize sustain. From there you can experiment by tuning the resonant head higher (less sustain, slight pitch bend up) or lower (less sustain, slight pitch bend down). As you get to know your drums, you’ll learn the range of pitches where they “speak” best. Tuning too high will choke the drum, while tuning too low can make a drum sound dull and muddy, like a cardboard box.

Contemporary drummers who typically tune their kits high include Stewart Copeland and Bill Bruford. The great Buddy Rich also utilized a signature high tuning. Drummers that favor a low tuning include Dave Grohl and Lars Ulrich, as did Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham.

Here are some videos that show Yamaha Artists playing in different tunings:

Dario Panza on a Live Custom Hybrid Oak kit with the toms tuned low.

Joshua Johnson on a Stage Custom Birch kit with medium tuning.

Steve Gadd on a Recording Custom kit with the snare tuned medium and the toms tuned high.

Tuning a Bass Drum

Follow the same steps for tuning a bass drum, keeping in mind that there are a few important differences. Most bass drums use straight wood hoops with T-rods and claws, so take extra care when aligning the wood hoop with the flesh hoop of the head. One to two turns on each tension rod for the batter head should be enough to create the low-pitched “whump” heard in most contemporary music genres, but jazz drummers may want to tune a little higher to create a longer, more defined note. If the batter hoop has a hoop protector (shown below) to prevent damage from the foot pedal clamp, be sure it’s positioned at the bottom where the pedal will be attached.

Closeup on metal plate. — *Bass drum hoop protector.*

Before you seat the resonant head, consider whether or not you’ll add a pillow, blanket or other device designed to dampen a bass drum. Internal damping may not be needed if the heads already have built-in damping. To get maximum “woof,” tune the resonant head low (one to two turns), but make sure that none of the tension rods are loose enough to rattle. If you’re looking for a pure tone with more sustain, tune the resonant head higher (two to four turns).

An Alternative Tuning Method

Here’s an alternative tuning technique that works very well for some drummers:

1. Finger-tighten the tension rods, then place your palm in the center of the head and push down. The head will wrinkle.

2. Using a drum key, tighten one tension rod until the wrinkle near that rod disappears.

3. Then move clockwise to the next tension rod and repeat the process until you have completed a circle and there are no wrinkles.

4. Finally, do a tap test to check the pitch near each tension rod and adjust if necessary.

Snare Wire Tension

The tension on snare wires can have a big impact too, so be sure to check it as part of the tuning process.

Here’s how: With the snares switched on, tap the drum at the center of the head very lightly. If it sounds like a tom, the snares are too tight and the drum is choking. Loosen the throw off so that the snares rattle slightly when struck at a low volume. If they rattle too long, tighten the throw off.

Closeup. — *Overtightened snares can choke a drum.*

You may encounter a situation where hitting a tom causes the snare to buzz. This is called “sympathetic vibration” and can usually be cured by making sure that the toms and snare are not tuned close to one another in pitch.

Bearing Edges

As mentioned previously, the bearing edge is the part of a drum shell that directly contacts the head. It significantly impacts the tone and articulation of the drum, with different shapes producing different tones. The bearing edges for Yamaha PHX Series drums, for example, are cut at 30 degrees, but each type of shell (tom, floor tom or bass drum) has a different radius (R). The radius is the area at the top of the bearing edge where the head touches the wood, and it determines the amount of vibration transferred from the head to the shell. The edge for the PHX bass drum (R1.5) produces a clear, sharp sound, while the tom edges (R2 and R4) produce a fatter, more rounded sound.

Yamaha Recording Custom Series drums use a R1.5/30-degree bearing edge to deliver a sharp response and a wide tuning range with a variety of head choices.

Yamaha Tour Custom drums feature 45-degree bearing edges that add tonal depth and quick response while providing the perfect amount of sustain.

Hoops

Drum hoops can be made of steel, brass, aluminum or wood, and each has a unique sound. Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak Series drums, for example, use 2.3 mm steel hoops for a tighter sound and sharp response, while the company’s PHX Series drums feature 3 mm die-cast aluminum hoops that are manufactured using a proprietary process developed by Yamaha. These hoops provide precision tuning due to their rigidity but — unlike zinc die-cast hoops, which are heavy and reduce head vibration — produce a rich, melodic tone and moderate attack without suppressing head vibration.

Yamaha Tour Custom Series drums utilize a unique 2.3 mm inverse DynaHoop that controls overtones and focuses the fundamental tone of the shell.

Listen to Yamaha Artist Shoji Hirakawa play a Yamaha Tour Custom drum kit.

All of these elements — tonewoods, heads, muffling, tuning, bearing edges and hoops — are part of a formula that you can use to create your ultimate drum sound. Time to roll up your sleeves and get started!

Photographs courtesy of the author.

Yamaha at The Met

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on September 20, 2023. Posted in Creativity.

New York’s world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) recently added an interactive learning space for children at their 81st Street Studio facility, with Yamaha playing a major role.

The musical station at the space was conceived and designed by the Yamaha Design Laboratory, using a variety of materials to introduce children to unique sound experiences and demonstrate how different materials influence sound. The first-of-their-kind instruments include standing guitars, a bird chime, a castanet wall, a marimba window, sound surfboards and an 11-note bellows pipe organ.

Ready to learn more? Read on …

Standing String

Two children playing with standing guitars.

This consists of two guitars, one large and one small, each with a single string on a tree trunk-like body rising vertically. The position of the finger on the string alters the string’s length, while pressing the pedal changes the tightness of the string, both resulting in a change in pitch. Using their whole body, the player can experience and understand the principles of one of the most basic musical instruments: a string, which produces sound by vibration.

Woodpecker Chime

By pulling a string and releasing it, a hammer strikes a chime, imitating the way a woodpecker taps on wood. An array of wooden birds are scattered across the ceiling, with each playing a different scale, allowing the child to enjoy the various sounds and movements of the birds spread throughout the space as if they were in a forest.

Wall Castanet

Young child playing with wall musical instrument.

This large interactive sound-making wall is filled with dozens of castanets, designed to spark children’s curiosity. The sound varies depending on the type of wood used for each castanet, as does the pitch, which changes depending on the size of the ring cut out from the wall.

Marimba Woods

Young child playing a percussion instrument.

Photo by Paula Lobo, courtesy of The Met.

This is a collection of sound boards made of various types of wood, lined up against a glass window. Each board is tuned to make the correct scale, but when the child taps it, they will notice that, depending on the wood type, the sound characteristics and the relationship between their size (length) and scale vary. This shows that each wood type has different and unique properties, such as hardness and density.

Sound Surfboard

Two children playing on circular balance items.

These balance board-style toys play the sound of waves when ridden. Small steel balls inside move and rub against the form, producing white noise-like sounds. From strong waves to quiet ripples, the sound changes depending on how the child moves their body, allowing them to naturally enjoy making sound through play.

Bellows Pipe Organ

The first musical instrument crafted by Yamaha company founder Torakusu Yamaha, way back in 1887, was a reed organ. Similarly, the pipe-like organ created for The Met’s interactive learning space makes sound by pushing air through orderly arranged tubes. Air is pumped out by bellows on the base, and sound is produced from the resulting vibration of air coming from the tubes. As they play, the child learns how the pitch changes depending on the length of the tubes and will experience the overlap of notes played by pumping air into multiple tubes simultaneously. This allows the player to better understand the sound-making principles of a pipe similar to a recorder, and to appreciate the sound of multi-note chords.

The Heart and Soul of Yamaha

“Music education is at the heart and soul of Yamaha,” says Kip Washio, design R&D department manager, Yamaha Corporation of America. “With this musical learning station, we aimed to create out-of-the box musical instruments — ones that are experiential in nature and distinct from traditional instruments — to fuel children’s curiosity for exploration. This is a first for Yamaha to create inspiring and interactive musical instruments as long-term installations.”

With each of the instruments on display, children will uncover the principles of music-making. This includes being able to use their whole bodies to generate sound, emphasizing a tactile experience, in addition to the marimba boards along the windows allowing multiple children to simultaneously explore the diverse tonal qualities of various wood types and materials.

“The six featured pieces are designed to allow people to experience the joy and wonder of creating different sounds using a diverse range of materials,” adds Mr. Manabu Kawada, senior general manager, Yamaha Design Laboratory. “Visitors can immerse themselves in the sounds of the natural world and everyday life as they strike, pluck, and even ride on these creations. Because they are installed in a learning center in a world-renowned museum where curious children are free to roam, we dedicated ourselves to offering people the chance to experience real sound phenomena firsthand. In an age of convenience, we wanted children to discover ways of enjoying themselves with sound by touching things with their hands, listening carefully to the sounds created, and experimenting in their way.”

About the Yamaha Design Laboratory

Established in 1963, the Yamaha Design Laboratory is the company’s in-house design division, overseeing a wide variety of products, ranging from acoustic and digital musical instruments to audio equipment, furniture, golf products and more.

Throughout the years, Yamaha has accumulated numerous awards and recognition for products developed by the laboratory, including the flagship wireless YH-L700A headphones and the saxophone-like Venova casual wind instrument created for beginners, as well as the YDS-150 digital saxophone and the line of THR-II desktop guitar amplifiers. The laboratory also created the experimental “wall piano” that was one of the highlights of the 2022 NAMM show.

About the 81st Street Studio

The 81st Street Studio is a renovated 3,500-square-foot science and art play space in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education at The Met. Created for children ages 3 to 11, the Studio offers dynamic digital and analog experiences that stimulate and encourage making, investigation, critical thinking, problem-solving and appreciation for the diverse dimensions of materials and their properties.

Learn more about The Met’s 81st Street Studio.

All-Day Energy Hacks for Music Teachers

Written by Kathryn Drury Wagner on September 20, 2023. Posted in Self-Care.

We all know someone with seemingly boundless energy. They have so much vigor and stamina, the Energizer Bunny would be jealous. But what about the rest of us normal people, whose energy levels dip during the day? These dips usually happen at the most inconvenient times, like during a schoolwide staff training or before the last music class of the day. Well, fade out no more. Here are some clever and more unusual ways of boosting your energy, and no, none of them are “chug coffee.” (You’re a teacher. We assume you’re already chugging coffee.)

5:45 a.m.

You’ve hauled your tush out of bed, so enjoy a little treat. Maybe that means a special mug, a super soft robe, fancy slippers or extra-soft bath towels. Life’s little luxuries mean an awful lot at the crack of dawn and can be helpful in starting the day off feeling more energized.

6:00 a.m.

Turn your shower into a stimulating spa steam room. Try a shower mist spray or a shower steamer with essential oils like orange, peppermint, lemongrass or rosemary. Finish the shower by standing under cold water — see if you can gradually work up to about 30 seconds. According to cold therapy proponent Wim Hof, cold showers induce a state of alertness and focus by decreasing the amount of CO2 throughout the body. He claims you’ll eventually start to look forward to this icy blast. Hmm, we’ll see.

6:30 a.m.

Eat a couple of kiwi fruit as part of breakfast. Kiwi is high in vitamin C, which is essential for the body’s energy powerhouses — mitochondria — to work optimally, according to research published in the journal Nutrients. One kiwi fruit has more vitamin C than two oranges, and has fiber and potassium to boot. Other energy-boosting breakfast foods include steel-cut oatmeal, Greek yogurt, eggs or whole grain toast with a nut butter.

7:15 a.m.

On the way to school, sing in your car. In addition to being just plain fun — and a great way to entertain your fellow commuters as you zoom by performing Queen’s greatest hits — singing reduces the stress hormone cortisol. Research from the University of Oxford shows that singing also boosts positive neurological effects, reduces muscle tension and may boost the immune system. So, what song boosts your swagger?

8:30 a.m.

Promote energetic vibes with yellow, a highly stimulating color. Try putting yellow flowers on your desk, or a pot with a yellow indoor plant such as kalanchoe or an orchid. If you’re allowed, paint a wall in your classroom or office yellow. Other options: a yellow sweater or shawl for chilly spaces, or a bright yellow water bottle.

9:45 a.m.

Speaking of water, dehydration is one of the most common causes of fatigue and even mild dehydration can leave you feeling droopy. According to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, adult women need 9 cups of water each day (72 ounces) while adult men need 10 cups (80 ounces), so sip throughout the day. If you’re not a big fan of plain water, add fresh mint, cucumber, berries or citrus fruits to your water bottle to make the beverage more enticing.

11:00 a.m.

Keep to-do lists to a minimum: Three specific goals for today — that’s it. For example, “send out permission slips for field trip, call for dentist appointment, plan lesson on music mind maps.” Longer to-do lists sap your energy and make you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Short lists like this help you stay energized and focused, rather than feeling discouraged and ready to curl up into a ball on the carpet.

Noon

Can you slip out for a 10 minute walk around the school campus or even up and down some stairs? A low- to moderate-effort walk is as effective in boosting energy as consuming 50 mg of caffeine, or about the same as a can of Coke or Diet Coke. That’s according to a study published in the Journal of Physiology & Behavior. That study also found that cognitive performance increased after the short walk. And unlike caffeine, a walk won’t boomerang back to keep you awake at 3 a.m.

Bonus points: Pair your walk with chewing gum — yes, you can walk and chew gum at the same time — because chewing gum boosts alertness, according to research. Cinnamon and peppermint flavors are both energizing options.

1:30 p.m.

Time for a healthy snack. Almonds are high in manganese, copper and magnesium, all of which are important to the body’s energy production. Plus, almonds have protein and fiber to keep you feeling full. A serving is 23 almonds, or a small handful.

2:30 p.m.

The dreaded midday slump approaches, but you are ready to banish it. It’s time to have a little afternoon dance party with your students. “I like to move it move it…” Little kids love to learn dances like the “Cha Cha Slide,” while older students can take turns DJ-ing their current favorites for their classmates to groove to.

4 p.m.

Your workday is hopefully coming to a close, but busy music educators like you probably have plenty of tasks left to accomplish. Beat late-day lethargy by rubbing your ears. The ears have energy points, according to traditional Chinese medicine and yoga philosophies, and stimulating these by massaging the ears can release tension and boost energy. Massage therapist Rachel Richards has a video with instructions.

An Introduction to Immersive Sound Bars

Written by Rich Tozzoli on September 19, 2023. Posted in TV & Movies.

Both stylish and functional, sound bars offer home theater enthusiasts a great way to enjoy action-packed movies and bass-thumping music with little to no setup. And with the ever-increasing amount of films and music being released in the Dolby Atmos^® format, they provide a fully immersive audio experience, literally taking sound to new heights.

Ready to find out more? Read on …

What Is Dolby Atmos?

First introduced in 2012, Dolby Atmos provides object-based surround sound. Unlike standard 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, where the sounds are “fixed” to each speaker in the array, object-based multichannel technology can produce up to 118 sound objects simultaneously, feeding up to 64 speakers! This allows for those mixing audio in the production process to place individual sounds with pinpoint accuracy … and without being limited to certain speakers in the system. What’s more, these sounds offer additional width, depth and height over conventional surround, and can be set to fixed locations or moved with the action, creating a more fluid listening experience with full sonic envelopment.

Up until recently, this technology was mostly used for film releases, but these days, it’s not just for movies. Dolby Atmos Music offers thousands of specially mixed music tracks in the Atmos format, created in studios around the world by top producers and audio engineers. These tracks can be streamed via services like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and Tidal. Game publishers are offering an ever-increasing universe of titles in the Dolby Atmos format too.

Atmos-Compatible Sound Bars

These are exciting times for home theater enthusiasts who love surround sound! And with the wide array of Atmos-compatible sound bars now available, you no longer need a full Hi-Fi setup with ceiling speakers to enjoy a fully enveloping listening experience.

How does a sound bar handle Dolby Atmos technology? While models vary, depending on cost and options, a basic Atmos-compatible sound bar will generally utilize a single center unit outfitted with a combination of full-range front-firing speakers and built-in subwoofer speakers to fortify the low end. It may also include speakers designed to fire upwards, off the ceiling, adding an element of height. More advanced models may include a separate wireless subwoofer, helping to take the load of bass off the sound bar, or even a set of rear speakers for additional envelopment.

“Sound bars were born out of necessity, as users needed an easy and affordable way to get acceptable sound for their TV viewing,” says Phil Shea, Marketing Communications Manager of Consumer Audio at Yamaha Corporation of America. “The common thought, a few years ago, was that a great sound needed a receiver and 5.1 speaker package for starters. With the recent integrations of Dolby Atmos into sound bars, the performance gap between entry level component systems and sound bars has narrowed.”

Yamaha Offerings

Yamaha has long offered sound bars with Dolby Atmos capabilities, the latest of which include the entry-level SR-B30A and SR-B40A. In addition to being able to play back Dolby Atmos soundtracks and music, both models have built-in Bluetooth^® so you can stream music directly to them without the need for any additional gear. The SR-B30A includes dual built-in subwoofers, while the SR-B40A adds a 100-watt wireless subwoofer that can be placed anywhere in the room to get maximum bottom end.

In addition, there are two new high-end Atmos-compatible sound bars: the True X Bar 40A and True X Bar 50A. The True X Bar 40A has dual built-in subwoofers, while the True X Bar 50A comes with both dual built-in subwoofers and a separate wireless sub. Both feature Alexa compatibility for voice control.

As shown in the cutaway illustration below, both models incorporate upward-firing drivers, designed to bounce sound off the ceiling. “That will get you a much bigger sound with much a more enveloping presentation, giving you a more realistic 3D sound from Dolby Atmos mixes,” says Shea.

In addition, you can pair True X Bar sound bars with wireless Yamaha True X Speaker 1A portable speakers, allowing you to place your surround speakers anywhere in your room. The 1A is a true dual-purpose speaker. With a push of a button, it can be switched into Solo mode, which converts it to a standalone Bluetooth speaker that you can take into your backyard in order to listen to a podcast or some music. When you’re ready to sit down and enjoy immersive audio again, just take the speaker back into the living room and switch it into Surround mode to instantly reintegrate it into your home Atmos setup.

Small speaker. — *Yamaha True X Speaker 1A.*

“Everything is wireless in the whole system,” Shea explains. “You simply plug in the sound bar, then use an HDMI cable or optical cable to connect it to your TV. The True X Speaker 1As are wireless and have rechargeable batteries in them; when fully charged up, they provide to 12 hours of power. They can be placed wherever it’s convenient — on a coffee table or bookshelf, anywhere in the room.”

From action-packed movies to high energy gaming and all styles of music, immersive sound bars can cover it all. It’s like having a full performance audio system that just happens to be packaged into one easy-to-setup, fully flexible device.

female singer at West Covina High School

Interdisciplinary Development Between the Arts

Written by Savy Leiser on September 13, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

When the pandemic of 2020 caused schools across America to close their doors, West Covina High School in California was in the midst of developing a new program that had been years in the making: the Performing Arts Academy, which provides additional learning opportunities for students studying instrumental music, voice, dance, acting and theater tech. Before COVID hit, West Covina had already started the process of taking student applications and scheduling auditions for the academy. As a result, the administration said they should begin the program virtually. “That was our soft opening,” says Tyler Wigglesworth, choral director at West Covina and director of the vocal discipline (which is referred to as a pillar) for the academy.

Now that school has been back to in-person instruction for nearly three years, the Performing Arts Academy is finally evolving into the program that Wigglesworth and others had envisioned. West Covina already had thriving music, dance and theater departments — but the academy gave the school a place where these departments could come together. “Our idea was to bring an academy where students could select a major when they audition,” Wigglesworth says.

The academy, which is publicly funded as part of the public school system, is open to auditions from incoming 9th and 10th graders within the West Covina Unified School District — or any other school district, though acceptance into the academy would require an outside student to go through a transfer process. During the past four years, the academy has grown substantially, beginning with only six students in 2020 and now with 36 students for the 2023-2024 school year. “Our hope is that in the next five years, we will surpass the 100-student mark … with 25 students in each pillar,” Wigglesworth says.

Inspired by Alumni

Wigglesworth says that West Covina’s alumni were a major source of inspiration for building the program. During his first couple of years of teaching at the school, he noticed how collaborative the students could be when putting on a production. As the music director for the school musical that year, Wigglesworth worked alongside the choreographer/dance director and the theater director, and he realized how crucial it was for vocalists, actors and dancers to work together. “It’s this collaborative experience,” he says. “We had students sharing in all our disciplines pretty rigorously. Students who in their senior year, would take a dance class, a choir class, a theater class and marching band.”

Wigglesworth says that taking all these classes together was making the students not just better performers and musicians, but also better overall learners. Though these students have now graduated, their legacy includes their inspiration for the Performing Arts Academy. “These alumni, they were hungry, they wanted this,” Wigglesworth says. “They started to paint a picture of what could be a reality — and that was the academy.”

These overachieving students inspired Wigglesworth and other faculty at West Covina to turn this interdisciplinary approach into an officially structured program. “This formality of creating a structure where you’re developing the whole performer was happening very organically, but now we [were] going to give it a bit more structure, and through that structure, provide even more opportunities,” Wigglesworth says.

These additional opportunities came in the form of scheduled private lessons, workshops with teaching artists, visits from industry professionals and so much more. According to Wigglesworth, industry professionals and trained educators each have something unique to offer. “We are firm believers that the development of these performers cannot be done without a trained educator,” he says. “Teaching artists may not be educators … they’re professionals who have worked in the performance arts industry. Through that, we’re asking them to bring their wealth of experience into the academy and add another layer to the pedagogy.”

A Busy Schedule

Students involved in the Performing Arts Academy must fit all their private lessons and extra performances into their existing school schedules, which include all traditional school requirements. “Their schedules are pretty jam-packed,” Wigglesworth says.

While working as the director of the academy’s vocal pillar, Wigglesworth, who was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educator, also serves as the program’s coordinator. Each year, he meets with all academy students and their academic counselors to work out an efficient schedule. “They need to meet all graduation requirements for high school [and] be eligible to apply to any college of their choosing,” Wigglesworth says.

In addition, all academy students must take an ensemble class within their discipline: a vocalist must take a choir class, for example. During seventh period on Mondays and Wednesdays, academy students take a “professional practices” class, which could include workshops from professional teaching artists, lessons on how to professionally audition, and more. Mondays and Wednesdays are also when academy students take their private lessons. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, academy students meet for the school musical; all academy students are required to participate in the musical in some capacity.

Outside of school-day classes and musical rehearsals, Performing Arts Academy students also put on a plethora of performances. Each school year includes two academy-only showcases, at the end of the fall and spring semesters. These showcases include both solo recitals and group performances.

Additionally, academy students perform with their ensemble classes. For example, students in the vocal pillar must perform with the choir department in its seven yearly shows. Beyond those shows, students are also expected to perform in more professional, outside-of-school settings as well.

Professional Performances

Because West Covina is located in Southern California, faculty have developed working relationships with professionals from The Walt Disney Company, which provides students with additional workshop opportunities.

For example, Wigglesworth has brought choir students onto Disney’s Imagination Campus. “We’ve been test choirs for them,” he says. “These types of performances [are] looking at how we can push into the industry as much as possible. I don’t believe the West Covina High choral department should exist in just the four walls of any given classroom; it needs to be out in the community, us working with industry professionals, so our students are getting a well-rounded experience.”

By securing performance opportunities within the West Covina community, including in collaboration with big companies like Disney, Wigglesworth aims to introduce choral department and academy students to the variety of career paths available to them. “There are so many niches in the performing arts industry,” Wigglesworth says. “You can find that niche and have a great career, be fulfilled as an artist and also make money.”

Interdisciplinary Development

While Performing Arts Academy students focus their studies in a specific major, they are also required to take classes in the other pillars, or disciplines. According to Wigglesworth, an interdisciplinary approach helps them become a more well-rounded performer. “There’s something for an instrumentalist to learn from taking a vocal or dance class,” he says. “The skills a vocalist can get from an acting class will make them a better vocalist.”

When auditioning for the academy, students apply solely for their intended discipline. Even if they aren’t skilled in the other pillars, learning the basics will help them gain stage presence, more overall performing experience, and a better understanding of the skills their classmates are developing.

The yearly school musical is where all academy pillars come together. The theater teacher directs and leads the production, the dance teacher choreographs, the instrumental music instructor plays with the instrumentalists in the pit, and Wigglesworth musically directs the show.

“No matter what role you are playing or intending to play, every goes through the audition process,,” Wigglesworth says.

Building Toward the Future

Tyler Wigglesworth, choral director at West Covina High School, conducting — Tyler Wigglesworth

As the Performing Arts Academy grows, Wigglesworth and the rest of the faculty have big plans for the future, and some of those plans are starting this academic year. Because the 2023-24 school year will include the academy’s first class of graduating seniors, this coming year will welcome the first senior jury process. “Seniors present solo or small-group works before a panel,” says Wigglesworth. “We bring some teaching artists into that senior jury to give feedback. They’re presenting in front of people who might hire them at some point in their career. [We’re] trying to bring the industry into the academy and bring the academy to the industry.”

Building a future for the academy has also included some literal building. Construction is underway for a Performing Arts Center, which will include a main theater with a full stage, orchestra pit and about 630 seats. “We’re pushing the boundaries of what’s expected at the high school level,” says Wigglesworth, noting that the new Performing Arts Center will “rival most colleges.”

Because West Covina sits in between Orange County and Los Angeles, Wigglesworth hopes that this new building can attract some professional musicians, actors and dancers to perform in town.

The Performing Arts Center will also include a black box theater, a scene shop for building props and sets, a full dance studio and an acoustically tuned choir room that can double as a recording space. Through the ClearCom and Dante systems, this new building will fully sync with the instrumental music building across campus.

Previously, many performances at West Covina took place outdoors, in the cafetorium or in rented facilities. “Now we’re going to have this space that mirrors [our] quality,” Wigglesworth says.

Outside of hosting new performances, Wigglesworth notes that he’s especially excited for West Covina alumni to come back for a visit and stand on the new stage. He wants to tell them, “It’s because of you.”

A Guide to Electric Guitar Pickups

Written by Robbie Calvo on September 13, 2023. Posted in Electric Guitars.

We’ve discussed previously how multiple factors affect the tone produced by an electric guitar, from the soul of the player to the tonewoods used in the instrument’s construction … and everything in-between.

But probably none has more impact than the pickups on the instrument. Here’s a guide to the many pickup options available, how they differ and why you should familiarize yourself with the various tonalities they provide.

What Is a Pickup?

An electric guitar pickup is simply a magnet (or, more typically, a set of six magnets — one for each string) inserted into a bobbin and wrapped in copper wire. Its function is to sense (“pick up”) the vibrational movement of the strings on your guitar and convert it into electrical energy that can be sent to an amplifier and speakers.

Interestingly, coils and magnets can be used to convert sound to electricity even without electrical power. This is because an electric current flows through a coil whenever a nearby magnetic body (such as a steel string on an electric guitar) is moved. A correlating change occurs in the resultant current depending on the frequency at which the strings vibrate.

Most electric guitar pickups are “passive” — that is, they don’t require external power — though there are also some instruments outfitted with “active” pickups, which are powered by a battery housed in the guitar. These provide a juiced-up signal that appeals to shredders and heavy metal enthusiasts … though, of course, the battery needs to be replaced when it dies.

Regardless of whether it is passive or active, the type of magnets used in any guitar pickup, as well as their proximity to the strings and position along the string length, along with the amount and direction of copper windings, are all contributing factors to the resulting tonality. Although winding the coil more will increase the volume of the sound, if wound too much, the sound will become muffled. In addition, the size of the gap between windings has a major effect on tonality. It’s a complicated formula with multiple interactions, which is why constructing an effective guitar pickup is as much an art as it is a science.

Here are the most common electric guitar pickup types you’ll encounter:

Single-Coil

As their name implies, these types of pickups utilize one coil of wire wound around a magnet. They are the simplest of all the pickup types, but because they are also the smallest, they capture the smallest surface area of the string vibration, thus somewhat limiting their tonal range. However, their reduced footprint enables them to be angled slightly for variation in the bass and treble response, in addition to allowing placement anywhere between the bridge and the fretboard. The height of the pole pieces is often staggered too, to compensate for the natural variation in string volumes. Some modern versions of the single-coil pickup increase the output volumes for contemporary playing styles, but in my opinion, something gets lost in that extra output.

Closeup of electric guitar body. — *The Yamaha Pacifica PAC612VIIFM utilizes single-coil neck and middle pickups.*

Because they reproduce high frequencies (treble) better than low frequencies (bass), single-coil pickups have a characteristically bright and well-defined sound that easily cuts through any mix. They are also very sensitive to subtleties in a player’s technique, making them eminently suitable for pop, country and funk music. However, single-coils can be noisier than other pickup types (they can actually act like small microphones) and are susceptible in particular to 60 Hz (60-cycle) electrical system hum. This can make them tricky to capture in a quiet recording, but some say that the trade-off in tone is worth the extra effort gating out the noise. I’d agree. After all, once the band kicks in, no one hears the hum anyway.

For a long time, I’d only play guitars fitted with single-coils because I felt that the artistic voice and personality of a guitarist comes through best on an instrument fitted with this type of pickup. Maybe it’s the slower response to the attack that I like — it’s almost as if the notes have air around them … a hollow aspect that envelops the sound.

P90

The P90 is a variation on the basic single-coil pickup, but it has a wider bobbin, giving it more string area to sense, thus creating a sound that’s a little more aggressive and not as cutting as a standard single-coil, with a higher output and fewer humming issues when you crank up the gain. They’re sometimes referred to as “soapbar” pickups because they’re usually sealed in cream-colored or black enamel, which gives them a distinctive look that’s quite different from that of standard single-coils. The Yamaha Revstar RSS02T and RSP02T (shown below) comes with dual cream-colored P90s.

Closeup of guitar body. — *The Yamaha Revstar RSP02T features dual P90 pickups.*

The P90 voice purrs or growls depending on the dynamic of the player. There’s a sweet, gritty dirt that flows like syrup when using a guitar fitted with this kind of pickup, making them perfect for kicking out the jams or playing the blues.

Filter’Tron

Filter’Tron-style pickups are also single-coil in nature, but with an improved signal-to-noise ratio (to “Filter” out the elec”Tron”ic noise). These iconic black and chrome pickups are often associated with retro-styled guitars that emulate those manufactured in the 1950s, sometimes paired with a Bigsby tremolo “whammy bar” system, as in the (now-discontinued) Yamaha Revstar RS720B shown below.

Electric guitar. — *The Yamaha Revstar RS720B offered dual Filter’Tron-style pickups.*

Similar in width to the P90, but with a less aggressive sound, Filter’Trons have a cleaner, chime-like and somewhat jangly tone, making them excellent for rockabilly, rock ’n’ roll chordal playing and single-note arpeggios.

Humbuckers

Humbucking pickups, often called “humbuckers,” are essentially two single-coil pickups mounted side-by-side and wired together. This not only gives them a thick, powerful sound with a hotter output, but also enables them to greatly reduce (“buck”) any hum or buzzing.

Some guitars with humbuckers feature a switch (usually called a coil split or tap) to turn off one coil and make it work and sound like a single-coil pickup.

Humbuckers are sometimes used in the bridge position, paired with two single-coil pickups in the neck and middle positions — a combination used by Yamaha Pacifica 600 Series, 200 Series and 012/100 Series guitars.

But perhaps the most common configuration is that of dual humbuckers in both the bridge and neck positions, as in the Yamaha Revstar RSS20 solid-body and SA2200 semi-hollow body models. Due to their positioning, the bridge humbucker delivers a brighter, punchier sound, while the neck humbucker adds warmth and a smoother tone, especially when playing in the upper register. When paired this way, humbuckers deliver versatility galore and are suitable for every kind of genre, from jazz to blues to hard rock.

Sometimes humbuckers simply look like two single-coils next to each other, as in the Yamaha Pacifica 012 shown above, and sometimes they are placed in a metal casing to look like one large pickup, as in the SA2200 (shown below).

Pickup Selector Switches

Unless your guitar has only one pickup, it will offer a pickup selector switch and individual volume control knobs (often supplemented by tone control knobs) that let you blend various combinations of the pickups onboard.

All Yamaha Revstar Professional and Revstar Standard electric guitars feature a five-way pickup selector switch, along with a pull-pot on the tone control called a “focus” switch. This adds a passive mid-boost tonal variation to any of the five pickup selections … giving Revstar players ten pickup tones on a guitar with only two pickups! These models also come with your choice of P90 or humbucking pickups.

How to Choose Your Pickups

Should you choose your guitar based on its pickups? To some degree, yes, but first and foremost you should always look for an instrument that feels comfortable and fits your personality and style. If you can find a guitar that has all those things in one beautiful package, then you should definitely consider buying it.

But what if you fall in love with a particular guitar but find that its pickups lack the tone, punch or pizzazz you’ve been searching for? No problem: There are a million options for replacement pickups on the market these days. In fact, most pickups can be retrofitted to most guitars without the need for expensive modifications, provided you choose the correct replacement sizes.

Even semi-acoustic and hollow body guitars can have a new set of pickups installed, though it’s best to opt for a qualified luthier or repair technician to make any significant change to your guitar, regardless of how simple it may appear to be.

The Videos

Describing pickup tone is like trying to describe color. The tints and shades they produce depend on the environment we see and hear them in.

For that reason, I thought it would be helpful for you to hear each of these pickup types in action, so here are three videos that do just that.

1. Single-Coil

Here, I’m playing a Yamaha Pacifica 612VIIFM, which, as mentioned previously, features two single-coil pickups (one in the neck position and one in the middle position) and a humbucker (which can be coil-tapped into one single-coil) in the bridge position. In this video, I’m using the single-coils exclusively.

2. Filter’Tron/P90

This video allows you to compare and contrast the sound of P90 pickups and Filter’Trons within the context of a rock’n’roll vibe. The Yamaha Revstar RS720B I’m using for the rhythm (and some of the lead) parts comes with dual chrome Filter’Tron-style pickups. As you can hear, they deliver a clean, clear, punchy sound ideal for rock rhythm. The RS502T I’m using for the arpeggio and lead parts is outfitted with dual P90s for a grittier rock and blues tone.

3. Humbucker

The Yamaha Revstar RSS20 features two humbucking pickups. In this video, I’m also demonstrating the sound of the instrument’s Focus Switch and how it affects the tone of the pickup selections.

The Wrap-Up

There’s a reason why electric guitar pickups are often referred to as “the heart of a guitar.” They certainly bring life to the resonance of the music we play on our instruments.

If your favorite artist favors a certain pickup type, that may be a good place to start when looking for the instrument that delivers the tonality you want to achieve in your own music … and of course there are a ton of video demos online that can help you find exactly what you’re looking for. But there’s no substitute for actually plugging an electric guitar into the amp of your choice and listening carefully as you play to determine what’s right for you.

Photographs courtesy of the author.

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

Five Simple Steps for Maintaining Your Piano

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on September 12, 2023. Posted in Piano How-to.

Owning an acoustic piano is a big step in your musical journey, and you’ll want to keep your investment in perfect performance shape. Here the top five tips for maintaining your piano so it can deliver years of enjoyment.

1. Keep It In Tune

There’s nothing better than playing on a well-tuned piano: the music just sparkles and sounds wonderful. On an out-of-tune instrument? Not so much. It’s important to keep up a regular schedule of tuning to keep your piano sounding great because if you let it go for too long, it can be hard to bring it back to perfect condition … which means more time spent by the technician and more cost for you. As a rule of thumb, you should have your piano tuned at least once a year, though instruments that are played often or are brand new should be tuned twice a year or more. The bottom line is, use your ears. If your piano is starting to sound less than pristine, or the tuning bothers you, call in a technician.

That’s a must, because tuning is something that you absolutely should not attempt to do yourself, as you can potentially cause damage to your instrument. Instead, find a good professionally trained piano tuner, then stick with them so they get to know your instrument and your home. “A well-trained and conscientious technician can actually help to lengthen the lifespan of a piano,” says Ryan Ellison, Yamaha Supervisor of Piano Services. “The person who will fill this function for you should be carefully chosen for his or her ability to perform the needed tuning and maintenance tasks, and should also be someone who can effectively communicate with you so they can meet your needs efficiently.”

2. Adjust the Pedals

While the technician is working on your piano, you should also always ask them to check the performance of the instrument’s pedals. (Grand and baby grand pianos have three pedals instead of the two you’ll find on upright models.) If they are not working optimally, there may be too much “play” in the range, which means they might not respond as quickly as they should. You can find more information about the functionality of piano pedals here.

Closeup of piano pedals. — *The three pedals of a grand piano.*

If your piano has a squeaky pedal, you may be tempted to fix it yourself by spraying some lubricant into various locations. Don’t do it! Instead, have your technician investigate in order to find the actual location of the problem; they will know how to best address and fix the issue.

3. Regulate the Action As Necessary

An acoustic piano has upwards of 10,000 moving parts, and they need to be set to exacting specifications for the instrument to feel good and perform at its best. One area of particular focus is the piano’s action — the mechanism that causes hammers to strike the strings when a key is pressed.

Two settings are critical here: The point at which the hammer mechanism slips free of the key (called let-off) and the small distance that the key still travels downward afterwards (called aftertouch). Too little aftertouch and the keyboard action will feel hard and bottom out abruptly. Too much aftertouch and the action will feel mushy, and the keys will be slow to respond when releasing notes.

How often your piano is played, along with the room environment and other factors, can cause these settings to change over time, so it’s important to have your technician check them occasionally — Ellison suggests during every other tuning — and make any necessary adjustments. This work is called regulation. It doesn’t take long to do, but is an important part of regular piano maintenance.

4. Control the Humidity

Many people think that heat or cold is the enemy of the piano, but Ryan Ellison states that it is humidity issues that are the real culprit, and the likely cause of stuck or squeaky keys. Common advice for where to place a piano includes staying away from direct vents/radiators, etc. that cause warm or cool air to be blown near or on the piano. But focusing on the general humidity of the room in which the piano lives is an equally important factor in caring for your instrument.

Yamaha recommends a range of 35-55% humidity, with 45% being optimal. This can be regulated if you have an HVAC system with a humidistat control built-in, or you can buy a simple digital thermometer with a reading for the humidity percentage, and place it near your piano.

Digital thermometer. — *Most digital thermometers show humidity percentage too.*

If necessary, you can purchase a small room dehumidifier/humidifier and place it near (but not too close to) the piano to help regulate the moisture.

5. Keep It Clean

Just like any piece of furniture in your home, you will want to keep your piano looking good, free of dust and fingerprints. But a piano is more than a piece of furniture — it’s a highly complex device that must be kept in optimal working condition.

As a rule, it’s best to keep the lid of your grand piano down when it is not being played; this will serve to protect the insides from dust, dirt and other contaminants. The same goes for the keyboard: keep the key cover closed when not in use. To dust the case, use a simple cotton cloth or T-shirt: do not use microfiber rags, as they tend to hold onto the dust and just push it around — in fact, they can actually charge the surface to attract more dust. Avoid using furniture polish to remove fingerprints or smudges from the wood finish; instead, use a small amount of window cleaner sprayed onto the cloth.

To clean the keys, use a diluted solution of dishwashing liquid and water on a soft rag, followed by a clean, slightly damp one, as described here. Do not use any type of alcohol-based cleaner, as it can cause the keys to discolor and/or crack over time.

Mono: A Look Back

Written by Jeff Dorgay on September 8, 2023. Posted in Vinyl.

Years ago, comedian Steve Martin remarked that he had bought a new stereo system and referred to it as a “googlephonic — the maximum number of speakers nearest to infinity.” Today’s multichannel and Dolby Atmos systems aren’t far from this, but when LP records first appeared in the late 1940s, they were mono: a single channel, meant to be played through just one speaker.

Despite all the technological innovations that followed, mono is still a “thing.” Mono is not just limited to vinyl, either; today, most major streaming services offer popular music from classic rock bands like the Stones, The Beatles, and others in mono as well as stereo formats, so you can make some quick comparisons of your own.

The most obsessed vinyl enthusiasts have a separate phono cartridge for their mono discs, so as with all things audiophile, you can take this as far as you like. The difference is minor, but mono records often have better fidelity and deliver a louder signal with less surface noise since they utilize a slightly wider groove and are best played back using a stylus with a 1 mil (thousandth of an inch) width, whereas stereo records use a 0.7 mil stylus. In fact, many stereo records in the ’60s and very early ’70s were marked “for use with a stereo phono cartridge only,” as the larger 1 mil stylus would have destroyed the grooves rather quickly.

Why Mono Today?

There are a few good reasons for seeking out a mono recording. In the case of many early rock records — those of The Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones, to name a few —the mono release was the original work, as the artist intended. It’s well known that as stereo became more popular during the mid to late 1960s, the stereo mix from the master tape was not always given the same attention as the original mono. Often, those early stereo mixes consisted of nothing more than moving the drums to one side and the guitars to the other. (Thankfully, the bass and the vocals usually stayed in the middle.) This was often referred to as “reprocessed” or “rechanneled” stereo. And however it was done, the results were often bad.

Even some contemporary artists like John Mellencamp and Jack White have done records in mono. Mellencamp’s 2019 album No Better Than This was recorded with a single microphone and a ’50s-era mono tape machine. Even when played back digitally, the big, fat, warm sound is incredible. “The idea was to get as far away from technology and get back to the origins of how music was recorded,” Mellencamp explained in one interview.

A number of rock and jazz remasters have also been released in mono, utilizing the original mono tapes to stay true to the music. If you’re on the quest to get to the source of the music, mono mixes are worth seeking out.

The Original Argument

Joe Nino-Hernes, a mastering engineer at Sterling Sound/Nashville, looks back on mono as being the most accurate rendition at the time. “In the early days of stereo, many of the mono versions were better than their stereo counterparts,” he says. “The engineers and producers of the day had decades of experience with mono. It was highly refined and very well understood at that point. Stereo was new and didn’t have the benefit of that accumulated knowledge and experience.”

Legendary Beatles recording engineer Geoff Emerick certainly preferred it. “The mono mixes … were the real mixes as far as we were concerned,” he wrote in his memoir Here, There and Everywhere. “True Beatles fans would do well to avail themselves of the mono versions of Sgt. Pepper and Revolver because far more time and effort went into those mixes than into the stereo mixes. … In contrast to the way they carefully oversaw the original mono mixes, the group had no interest in even being present when we did the [stereo mixes]; that’s how little thought we all gave stereo in those days.”

When stereo recording was first released, the claim was that using two microphones instead of one would capture more spatial information than a single mic was capable of. However, if you listen to a mono recording on a quality audio system, you might just be surprised at how much spatial information there is and how instruments still have specific placement in the mix (i.e., soundstage) as they do in a stereo recording. Part of this may be due simply to the amount of hard work that went into some mono releases. Looking back on his days recording The Beatles, Geoff Emerick recalled that “It was tough trying to separate out John [Lennon] and George [Harrison]’s guitars, because they were usually recorded on the same track, in mono, so they were both coming out of the same speaker — it wasn’t a simple matter of placing one in the left speaker and the other in the right speaker. Sometimes I’d spend two hours or more on each guitar, trying to differentiate between the instruments; I had to do a lot of equalization work and record each with its own echo so it would sound distinctive.”

Classical music lovers will note that when listening to a full symphony in a concert hall, there really is no “pinpoint imaging.” The instruments blend together with some sense of placement, but not like a modern rock recording.

You can get a taste of the differences between the mono and stereo versions when streaming, which as a bonus allows you to bounce back and forth between the two from the comfort of your listening chair and decide what you prefer before you make the investment in the original vinyl versions. A cursory search on the internet will lead you to the countless debates that have been going on for years.

The bottom line is this: Many iconic recordings were originally recorded and/or mixed in mono, and regardless of whether or not you prefer it to stereo, there’s no question that you can get a lot of enjoyment out of the listening comparison. If you investigate some of your favorite artists from the ’50s and ’60s, you’ll discover there’s a lot to choose from!

Here are three tracks to get you started, all of which sound their best when the original vinyl LP is played with a mono cartridge installed.

The Beatles – “Paperback Writer” (from the American release of Revolver)

It’s intriguing to hear the differing sonic presentations when you compare the mono and stereo versions of this track, recorded and mixed by Emerick. Immediately you’ll hear a more solid bass line, better delineation of backing vocals and a somewhat fatter sound overall in the mono mix. Go back to the stereo version and it sounds considerably thinner, with less dynamics.

The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy For The Devil” (from Beggars Banquet)

As with “Paperback Writer,” this track really comes alive in mono, even when streamed. The blend is better, Mick Jagger’s voice is much more solid and organic, and the whole song has considerably more energy. This is even more pronounced when comparing vinyl versions. Interestingly, the mono mix has more of a stereo imaging effect!

The Beach Boys – “Sloop John B” (from Pet Sounds, Mono & Stereo)

For group leader, producer and songwriter Brian Wilson, mono was not just a preference, it was a necessity because he was virtually deaf in one ear. For that reason, all the classic Beach Boys tracks were recorded and mixed in mono. One standout is “Sloop John B.” This is another great example of that wider groove delivering a bigger, fatter bassline. Slightly anemic on the stereo mix, it rumbles on the mono mix, and those harmonies that the Beach Boys are famous for are absolutely massive in mono.

Discover the Sonic Possibilities of Your Drums, Part 1

Written by Steve La Cerra on September 7, 2023. Posted in Drums How-to. 1 Comment on Discover the Sonic Possibilities of Your Drums, Part 1

Getting a great drum sound is a little like creating a great recipe: All of the ingredients add to the flavor, and changing even one of them can have a significant effect on the end result. Let’s take a look at what formulates the sonic identity of a drum.

The Shell Game

Two main components have a huge influence on the sound of your drums: the material used in the construction of the drum shells, and the drum heads. Wood is by far the most common material used for drum shells, and the woods used for this purpose are known as tonewoods. Each tonewood has unique properties that contribute to the sound.

Maple, for example, produces an articulate tone, balanced mids and highs, and a slightly warm low end. The shells used for Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple Series drums are constructed from three plies of maple on each side of a single ply of wenge, an extremely dense wood that produces a relatively bright tone with a resonant low end. Check out Yamaha Artist Wale Adeyemi playing an Absolute Hybrid Maple drum kit.

Closeup of inside. — *Absolute Hybrid Maple shell.*

Another popular tonewood used in the manufacture of drum shells is birch. Yamaha Recording Custom Series drums feature birch shells that minimize unwanted overtones and produce a bright timbre with plenty of power in the bottom end to cut through heavy instrumentation. Listen to Yamaha Artist Larnell Lewis playing a Recording Custom kit.

Other tonewoods utilized for making drums include oak (used for Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak Series drums), mahogany, poplar (which you’ll find in Yamaha Rydeen Series drums) and jatoba, an extremely hard wood that serves as the center ply in Yamaha PHX Series drums, helping increase projection and strengthening the fundamental tone.

Listen to Yamaha Artist Moses Boyd playing a PHX Series drum kit.

Here’s Yamaha Artist Satoshi Bandoh playing a Live Custom Hybrid Oak kit.

You can hear a comparison of tonewoods in this video.

Snare Drum Shells

Snare drum shells can be made from the tonewoods mentioned above, or from metals such as steel, aluminum, brass, copper or bronze, each of which has a unique sonic signature. Aluminum snare drums like Yamaha Recording Custom Aluminum snares produce a bright, crisp, dry sound with a short sustain that may not need damping (see below). Brass is the most responsive metal used for the construction of snare drum shells, and gives Yamaha Recording Custom Brass snares a dry, articulate sound with dark overtones, a sharp crack and more low end than other metals.

Closeup of metal snare drum. — *Yamaha Recording Custom Aluminum snare drum.*

Steel shells like those used in Yamaha Recording Custom Stainless Steel and Stage Custom Steel snare drums accentuate the mid and high frequencies, and generally produce more ring so they may require damping.

For a comparison of Yamaha Recording Custom snare drums, check out this video.

Mind Your Head(s)

The other major influence on the sound of your drums is the drum heads. Most drummers use different types of heads for the top and bottom: a batter head for the top (the one you hit), and a resonant head for the bottom. Resonant heads are generally thinner than batter heads. This is especially true when it comes to snare drums, which use very thin (2 to 5 “mil,” or thousandths of an inch) bottom heads for quick response and high sensitivity to the vibrating snare wires.

While there are no hard rules about using a resonant head for the batter or vice-versa, using a standard resonant head on the bottom of a snare drum will drastically reduce the sensitivity and playability of the drum. On the other hand, using a bottom snare head as a batter will inevitably result in breakage because those kinds of heads are not designed to be hit with a drumstick.

Inside of drum. — *Bottom snare heads are much thinner than batter heads.*

Drumheads are constructed from one or two plies of material, most often a plastic film which ensures consistency and durability (though heads made from calfskin are still available). Batter heads can be one- or two-ply but resonant heads tend to be one-ply. The thickness of a one-ply batter head is around 10 mil; each ply of a two-ply head can have a thickness between 7 and 10 mil, and there are two-ply heads manufactured with plies of different thickness. Resonant heads tend to be one-ply with a thickness varying between 7 and 12 mil. Thicker resonant heads produce deeper tone and longer sustain, while thinner ones produce a brighter tone with less sustain.

As you’d expect, a two-ply head will last longer under a heavy hitter but two-ply heads rebound slower than one-ply heads. One-ply heads produce a brighter timbre with more sustain and overtones than two-ply heads, which is why many jazz drummers prefer one-ply heads on both sides. The reduced sustain and deeper tone characteristics of two-ply heads, however, makes them an excellent choice for playing rock, pop, funk, R&B or metal.

One- and two-ply heads are also available in coated varieties, where a textured coating is sprayed onto the head. The coating provides a damping effect, resulting in a warmer, darker tone and a reduction of overtones compared to a non-coated head. Coated heads are a must for jazz drummers who play with brushes because the coating provides the “swish” when a brush is dragged across the head. The coating also shortens the sustain of the drum, enabling you to create a wide variety of tonalities by mixing and matching clear and coated heads on the top and bottom of a drum. Coated heads are also a good choice when you’re looking for a vintage vibe for playing rock, traditional country or R&B.

Mixing and Matching

When you consider the variety of tonewoods and metals used for the construction of drum shells, plus the wide assortment of drumheads available on the market, the sonic possibilities are endless — and provide you with a way to “fine-tune” the tonality of your drums. If, for example, you find that birch shells are a bit too bright for your taste, you can dial the brightness down by using coated heads on top and bottom. On the other hand, if you feel your drums sound too dark, you can try one-ply clear heads on top. A steel snare drum that has too much ring can be tamed with a two-ply head, even more if it’s a coated two-ply head. Feel free to experiment until you find your unique drumming voice!

Getting Rid of Ring

Controlling the overtones and sustain of a drum can be tricky business, and that’s why some batter heads are offered in versions with a “dot” in the center of the head, either on the playing surface or on the underside of the head (the latter is known as a “reverse dot”). The dot is a separate layer approximately 3 to 5 mil thick, bonded to the head. Along with making the head more durable, it helps control some of the ring.

Another type of head designed to control overtones utilizes a “control ring” underneath the edges of the head — an extra ply that’s only about an inch or two wide. Usually found on snare drum heads, a control ring also reduces sustain.

A similar effect can be achieved by using an external clip-on muffler or “O-ring” mufflers that lay on top of any batter head. Stick-on gel dampers can also be applied, as shown below.

In Part 2 we’ll look at how tuning, bearing edges and hoops affect the sound of your drums.

Photographs courtesy of the author.

jazz pros performing trumpet with jazz band

Incorporate Jazz in Your Classroom Daily

Written by Jeremy Williams on September 6, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

Jazz is an American treasure that is considered by many to be the most significant contribution to music. Historians have traced its roots back to Congo Square in New Orleans. Located at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Port of New Orleans was a prime location for goods to be shipped in and out of the city. Travelers from across the globe were constantly coming and going from here.

There is no place like New Orleans. The music created in the city is organic and constantly evolving. It’s not a style that can be stamped, pressed and rolled off a cookie-cutter assembly line. With the constant influx of travelers during the city’s early history, New Orleans became the perfect melting pot to brew up the musical gumbo now known as jazz.

Schools, districts and band programs have evolved dramatically in recent years. Many band programs took a massive hit during the pandemic that set them back years due to the temporary pause caused by restrictions and outbreaks. In many cases, jazz bands have been one of the harder-hit components of school band programs. With fewer jazz bands in school programs, fewer young musicians are exposed to jazz, which is sad because kids who are introduced to it love it.

To keep a band program moving forward, you must capture the attention of young people. One way I have generated interest and increased retention in my program is by incorporating jazz into the curricula.

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jazz band horn section — The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans. Photo by Christopher Broome.

Make Connections with Jazz Repertoire

Keeping jazz alive in band rooms across the country is a vital piece of our American identity. I teach at Marrero Middle School, which is located just outside of New Orleans, where jazz is deeply rooted in the culture and daily life of young and old alike. Jazz incorporates improvisation, which offers young people a unique form of critical thinking and self-expression.

Make selecting jazz repertoire simple. For example, the musical notes used in Count Basie‘s tune “Splanky” are the same ones used in Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.” The chords on Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” album were composed like those in one of Bach’s fugues. The point is that all styles of music have similar threads. Some of the characteristics that make different styles of music sound so different from each other are the feel, context and the way the phrases lay in correlation to the beat.

“Hey Pocky A-Way” by the New Orleans band The Meters has a totally different feel than anything else you will ever hear. It’s often described as having a very “New Orleans sound.” The rhythm section’s use of polyrhythms create a distinctive “language of rhythm” that is indigenous to New Orleans. Locals learn this unique rhythm the same way they learn to speak through continuous listening. In truth, jazz is like a language that requires exposure to fully understand.

jazz band with two saxophone players standing and performing — The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans with soloists Aidan Schwarz (left) and Sam Korn. Photo by Christopher Broome.

Listen to Jazz Every Day

In order to encourage students’ interest in jazz, they must first be exposed to it. If we want our band to play jazz, they need to listen to it. A simple way to incorporate some jazz into the class setting every day is to turn on some jazz while students are setting up and packing up during each class period. Always pick high-interest songs.

Many younger kids like brass bands like the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Rebirth Brass Band. Modern brass bands play music associated with parades or other fun experiences, which helps capture students’ interest.

Whatever you choose, use music that grabs your kids’ attention. Once you have their attention, you can mix it up in any direction you want and expand their listening even further.

jazz band group photo — The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans with guests (far left) Tim Barnes and Preservation Hall musicians Caroline Brunious, Wendell Brunious and Craig Klein. Photo by Jorge Schwarz.

Introduce the Blues

Harmonically, so much of jazz is rooted in the blues, so I recommend introducing basic blues to your students. Make sure they know what notes make up the blues scale and the basic blues chord progression (which is standard progression). Teach them what notes they should use and which ones to avoid for improvisation purposes. Identify the patterns of a blues form and explain how these harmonic patterns are the same for so many songs. This will open up a young musician’s ears and understanding, which will eventually help them feel more comfortable with improvisation.

The long-term objective is to have students apply the information they are learning to any song. For example, you may get a new song written in a different key signature than the one the band has been practicing in class. Though the key signature may differ from song to song, the harmonic structure will likely be composed around the same blues form. Once the harmonic structure of the blues form is understood, students will be able to identify when there are minor deviations which, in many cases, are just examples of a slightly altered blues form.

Many jazz standards are composed entirely around the blues form, which makes the blues the perfect springboard to introduce students to improvisation. Eventually, when students begin to apply the knowledge they acquire, the transition to improvisation will be easier.

jazz band guitars, piano — The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans with special guests from Preservation Hall Mari Watanabe (on piano) and Kevin Louis (tambourine). Photo by Christopher Broome.

Know the Repertoire

Studying and knowing age- and level-appropriate jazz repertoire is vital to your group’s success. Are you looking to make an addition to a program with a new jazz band or do you have a well-developed, experienced jazz band? In either case, there are many suitable arrangements that are age- and level-appropriate.

For a young band that needs exposure to jazz, I recommend a simple melody like “C-Jam Blues.” This Duke Ellington tune is composed in a simple 12-bar blues form in the key of C. It provides students an excellent harmonic framework to work within.

If you think your band is still building toward a traditional big band arrangement, have the horns play only the melody at first. Focus on the band playing stylistically and accurately, and tell students to exaggerate those simple little phrases so they swing hard. This melody could be the foundation that the group builds on for the whole school year. Start with the entire band playing the melody and eventually move to a more traditional arrangement.

I also recommend opening up tunes like this to everyone even though jazz bands may not traditionally include some concert band instruments. Eventually, anyone can convert to a second instrument for jazz band purposes. When played correctly, someone can swing just as hard on a trombone as on a flute or clarinet.

Ear Training

To get buy-in from students, pick a melody of high interest to the band for ear training or have the band suggest a popular melody. One successful ear training method is to have the band learn the melody by ear collectively. Or give the band half the melody written out, then work together to figure out the rest of the tune’s melody. Both lessons work well, but one may fit your particular group of kids better.

Songs that I have used for this are “C-Jam Blues,” “Watermelon Man,” “Chameleon” and “Do Whatcha Wanna.” The melodies for these songs are simple enough that even young students can figure them out.

After the band learns the head, they typically dig into the charts because these are all such cool tunes. Even if you have a very young band, there are so many musical possibilities with these charts to expose young players to the possibilities of jazz.

After the head feels tight, explore transcribing a solo or a part of a solo, which can be done individually or as a group. The transcribing process forces students to open their ears.

Find a Mentor

Students who show interest in jazz must find a mentor who can help guide and mold them. All music students should have a mentor they look to for inspiration and guidance. Learning the many nuances of jazz from experienced musicians who have played it is the best tool any student can have. Getting a private instructor is always an excellent first choice, but this depends on the student’s home and financial situation.

If a private instructor is not possible, there is still a lot a student can take in from listening to old recordings and imitating the sounds of one of the many greats. There are also many free online resources that make it easier for students to find an excellent musician to model.

Exposure is the Goal

Remember that the overall goal is to expose students to jazz. The only way to preserve jazz is to introduce more young musicians to the art form. Even if you have a limited background in jazz, there are still plenty of possibilities to explore. Suppose you are just beginning to incorporate jazz into your curricula. Remember that whether you are playing a tune with a funky New Orleans street beat or watching a video of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band performing “When The Saint Go Marching In,” it is still exposure to jazz.

jazz band saxophones — The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans. Photo by Christopher Broome.

Draw from what you already know to get where you want to be. If your program does not currently have a full jazz band, you can begin by incorporating jazz into the curricula where possible. When you’re ready, start a smaller jazz band or combo, or form a more contemporary group that plays rock and brass band tunes. With time, add a standard jazz tune.

At the end of the day, music directors should play music that interests our students. That said, it is also our job to expose young musicians to music they aren’t familiar with. You can start by playing a classic rock tune that the kids know. Then begin to incorporate some arrangements from the more traditional big band repertoire, such as some Basie and Ellington standards.

Online Resources

There has been a tremendous increase in the use of technology in classrooms, especially since COVID forced just about every school into virtual learning. Here are two very thorough online resources that I have used to incorporate jazz education into my daily curricula:

Preservation Hall Lessons: These online lessons are very well put together and include many musical elders. They allow anyone to learn the music directly from the original source of New Orleans jazz.
New Orleans Jazz Museum Educator Resources: This is a great resource where you can learn about the history of New Orleans jazz through online virtual tours of the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

I would love to hear how you have built interest in jazz in your band programs or which jazz repertoire selections have worked for your band. If you’re looking for ideas to get a jazz program off the ground or are interested in jazz repertoire ideas, please contact me at JWilliamsband@yahoo.com or email educators@yamaha.com.

In addition to teaching and performing, I run a student jazz band called The Next Generation Jazz Band of New Orleans. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Watch this video of the band performing “That’s It!”

Top photo by Christopher Broome

Man playing a bass guitar in his living room.

Getting the Most Out of Your Bass Practice Sessions

Written by E.E. Bradman on August 31, 2023. Posted in Bass.

Everywhere we turn these days, we are inundated with ways to get better, faster. Social media and YouTube are packed with ads and testimonials that promise to make us virtuosos in the next few minutes. You can certainly learn a thing or two from these methods, but in the long run, intentional practice sessions are far more rewarding.

We all learn in different ways, so no single practice routine works for everyone, but here’s a collection of tips that have helped me over the years.

DECIDE WHY YOU WANT TO PRACTICE

Do you just want to rock out, or are you trying to learn a song or specific technique? Perhaps your goal is somewhere in-between. Get clear about why it’s important to set up a practice schedule for you and your instrument … and why you need to stick to it.

SCHEDULE IT

Nothing is real until it’s on your calendar — and the moment you schedule practice time, you can bet that something important will come up. When that happens, having a concrete goal will help you reschedule that Very Urgent Event instead of moving your practice session.

PICK THE RIGHT SPOT

Find a place where you won’t be disturbed and won’t be disturbing anyone else. If possible, have your bass, cable, practice materials and amplifier (like the feature-packed Yamaha THR10II desktop amp) ready to go. The fewer things between you, your instrument and your practice materials, the better.

BE HONEST

If you have a teacher, trust them to tell you what you need to work on. If you don’t have one, do your best to objectively assess your strengths and weaknesses. What are you confident about, and what’s holding you back? Celebrate what’s working and be curious about new possibilities.

SET A GOAL

Having a specific goal makes it easier to avoid being overwhelmed by all the things you want to learn. Your practice priority could be a short-term objective (like mastering a lick, a song or the setlist for next week’s gig) or a manageable chunk of a long-term goal like learning how to solo or play walking bass lines.

PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY

It’s not enough to put your phone on silent. Turn it off … or if you can’t bear the thought, at least put it in another room. If your practice materials are on a device, do whatever it takes to stay away from email, social media and other distractions. It may be tough, but the rewards will be worth it.

BEGIN THE RITUAL

You’re alone with your instrument in a quiet place, and you have a plan. Take a deep breath, acknowledge that you’ve made it this far, and remind yourself that all the other crucial, urgent things on your schedule can wait. If you light incense or burn candles, this is the moment.

DO SOMETHING HARD

If you wanted real results in a gym, you’d walk past the light weights and head to the heavier ones. Instead of going for the easy ego boost by playing stuff you already know, use your valuable practice time to begin untangling something that’s more challenging … or perhaps even seems impossible to play.

RECORD YOURSELF

Recording your practice session (something that’s easy to do with Yamaha desktop amps thanks to their built-in USB connectivity) helps you observe yourself objectively. Listen back with compassion and humor, the way you might listen to a close friend’s playing, and be on the lookout for song ideas. Consider keeping a journal that documents your progress.

SLOW DOWN

The practice room is the perfect place to stop and look at details. Whether you’re learning new things or working on small ideas, don’t be afraid to slow things down to a glacial crawl if it helps you see, hear and feel nuances. A metronome can support you and keep you honest.

TAKE BREAKS

Time management is so important here! Especially if you have a long practice session, take frequent breaks. Setting a 20-minute timer, for example, could make it easier to pretend that your practice session is the only thing in the world that matters until the bell dings.

REWARD YOURSELF

Eventually, practice itself — the thrill of discovery and the chance to zero in on your playing without distractions — will be its own reward. Until then, close out each session by playing whatever comes to mind. Noodle away!

CLOSE IT OUT AND GET ON WITH THE REST OF YOUR DAY

If you’ve used your time well, putting the bass down and ending your practice session will give you an enormous feeling of satisfaction. Now it’s time to get on with the rest of your day and look forward to your next practice session, whether it’s to continue working on the same concept or taking on something new.

Check out E.E.’s other postings.

elementary school female student holding the ukulele

Ukuleles: Why You Need Them

Written by Aleah Fitzwater on August 31, 2023. Posted in Strings.

When I started teaching music, I inherited a classroom full of hand percussion and manipulatives. It was a wonderful start, but it felt like something was missing.

Later that year, I met with one of my mentors, who told me that she had just received a classroom set of ukuleles. Later, I taught a few lessons in her district. The difference between the instrumental skill level of her students and mine was palpable — they were more on pitch and their fingers seemed more agile. Was this a mere coincidence? Or were the classroom ukuleles working their magic?

As I continued to grow as a music educator, I realized that we do not introduce students to harmony instruments early enough. Ukuleles are a great, versatile and economical solution to this problem.

Here’s why elementary and middle school music classrooms need ukuleles and how music teachers can get started using them. Even if you don’t play a string instrument, you can learn this sunny instrument alongside your students and have a blast while doing it!

Why You Need Ukuleles

You easily can play complex chords on them. Many chords require just one or two fingers, which allows students to play their favorite pop and Disney songs without the insane stretches that might be required on the guitar (something that is great for kindergartners and students with small hands). Because of the ukulele’s unique tuning and its smaller fretboard, suspended and 7ths chords are easier to learn.
Ukes are great instruments to sing over because the basic chords of the ukulele can be learned quickly.
Many students can play these instruments at the same time without creating an overwhelming or displeasing sound. Ukes are extremely mellow and easy on the ears — even when a bunch of wrong notes are being played. Dissonance sounds more pleasant and less “crunchy” on ukes.
Ukes require a different type of dexterity than recorders. With ukuleles, students are doing three things at once — fingering, strumming and singing — which fosters creativity, connects synapses, improves dexterity and encourages writing melodies. Furthermore, it preps for bigger string instruments later down the road.

The Ukulele in Preparation for Guitar

While many music educators daydream about their students becoming members of a community band or even a symphony, this isn’t often a shared dream. Oftentimes, kids would rather be rock stars. Enter the ukulele.

The ukulele is more economical than guitars (so it’s easier to stock your classroom with them). But the ukulele is by no means an elementary instrument. Pro ukulele players are just as respected as pro guitarists and bassists.

Uke strings, which are usually made of nylon, nylon polymers or fluorocarbon, are more gentle on fingers than the metal strings of a much larger guitar, which is a distinct advantage for younger players.

You can also introduce tabs and chord stamps with the ukulele.

How to Introduce Ukuleles to the Classroom

Don’t start teaching with the instruments already in students’ hands. Instead, create a presentation on how to properly hold and use ukuleles, including examples of what not to do. Tuning, maintenance and how to put the instrument away should all be addressed a day before the instruments are put into their hands.

The next steps are introducing the correct posture, finger position and basic strumming. C, F, and C7 are great 1- and 2-finger chords to start with.

Some Lesson Plan Ideas

Once your students know how to play a few of chords, you are ready to integrate these chords into your lessons.

Play one song every day.
Show students the Axis of Awesome’s “4-chords.” The chords C, G, Am and F in the key of C are the bread and butter of most radio hits. Teach your students these chords, and they can write a song that sounds like songs they already know, which pupils tend to really enjoy. These chords can be used in solo or collaborative songwriting.
Consider writing your own classroom theme song, which is a great way to create classroom culture and get students playing every day. Try placing this “everyday song” at the beginning or end of a lesson to punctuate the transition to or from music class.

Types of Classroom Ukuleles and Accessories

If you don’t already have ukes in your classroom, you’ll need to do a bit of research. Most entry-level ukuleles cost around $50 to $60. Anything less than this are likely not high quality instruments. Entry-level ukuleles are usually made of wood or plastic. Most classroom sets are plastic, although there are a handful of economical wooden ones (such as those by Makala), but instruments made of wood require more care and are more susceptible to damage.

I recommend that teachers use either an electric-acoustic uke or a guitar so that their playing doesn’t become drowned out.

Must-have accessories include tuners, mini chord charts, extra strings, an instrument rack and a classroom set of books.

Ukulele Method Books

There are a plethora of ukulele method books. Some are solo-based and others are ensemble-based. Go with the latter for your class, but you may find some helpful tablature in the solo books. Commonly used books include “Essential Elements Ukulele Method Book,” “Jumpin’ Jim’s Ukulele Tips ‘N’ Tunes,” “Ukulele Primer Book for Beginners,” “Alfred’s Easy Ukulele Songs” and “Strum it Up.”

Ukuleles and Recorders: A Good Combo

I’m supportive of using both ukuleles and recorders in beginning music classrooms. The ukulele preps students for string instruments while recorders prep them for woodwind instruments.

I’ve seen ukes and recorders being used in tandem during mock-up lessons at music conventions, which creates an interesting duet dynamic. Combining lessons for both instruments sets up students for flute and guitar duos once they get older.

Get recorders and ukes, if possible. You can ask parents to supply some funds or do crowdfunding or fundraising.

What To Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

Written by Don Stinson on August 30, 2023. Posted in Self-Care.

Early in my career as a music educator, I knew I wanted a group that sounded good! However, I was unsure how to achieve it. I listened to bands with impressive tone quality, balance, intonation and style. Then there was my band. Every time we rehearsed, I couldn’t figure out all the things that needed addressing. I grappled with developing good intonation within my group because I couldn’t hear where the wrong notes were coming from and how out of tune things actually were.

After a few years, I came to a harrowing realization: I was not naturally talented at this.

A Look Back

Don Stinson as a middle school trumpet player — Don Stinson in junior high.

I was a good trumpet player since the 7th grade, but I was not a natural. We started band in 4th grade in Joliet, Illinois, and I’m pretty sure that from the ages of 9 to 12, I made my poor beginning band instructors suffer far more than they needed to. At the end of 6th grade, my mother became fed up with how I sounded.

My older brother was a very successful trumpet player — full ride to college, lead soloist at Disneyland, etc. And me? I faked being sick to get out of playing a solo at church because I knew how bad I sounded.

My mother told me that from now on I would practice the trumpet for 40 minutes a day. I complained that the band director said we only needed to practice 30 minutes a day, but my mother told me that she knew that 1) I would screw around for at least 10 minutes, and 2) I had to make up for lost time. So, I practiced. Every day. And I got better. A LOT better.

Clearly, I couldn’t rely on my mother to force me to practice to become better at band rehearsing. I was lost. Fortunately, through the help of method books, friends and mentors, I was able to “practice” band rehearsing more and provide a better experience for my students.

Here’s what I did.

Expand Your Listening Horizon

I enjoy live music, but hearing exceptional groups reduced my confidence. Still, it was important to continue this exposure, not only to continue getting examples of what I wanted, but for my own enjoyment as well.

One of the most effective ways to refine your ear is to immerse yourself in the music of various groups. Seek out live performances whenever possible. Witnessing a musical ensemble in action can provide a new perspective on how sound interacts in a real-time setting. Exposure to different styles and interpretations will expand your auditory repertoire, enhancing your ability to distinguish subtleties.

Collaborative Learning

The responsibility was on me to get this group where it needed to go, but not on me alone. I could explain to the kids what I was trying to do until I was blue in the face, but it went a lot quicker when I was able to bring kids to live performances to say, “See, this is what we want, and this is what is possible.”

The journey to hone your listening skills need not be a solitary one. Encourage your ensemble members to listen to other groups as well. By sharing experiences and discussing what each person hears, you collectively broaden your auditory awareness. The interplay of different perspectives can lead to richer insights and a more nuanced understanding of musical intricacies.

Peel Back the Onion and Rehearse Systematically

We know when something doesn’t sound like we want it to, but what do we do when we’re in the middle of rehearsal? If something sounds off but you can’t put your finger on it, start separating the parts. Break down complex pieces to understand them better.

I thought this would be a waste of time, but it turns out, I was able to either reinforce what students were doing right, find the problem quicker or in some instances, find out that we had a lot more issues in some sections, which is OK!

In these cases, honesty always works best. “Band — something could be better, but I’m having trouble hearing where. Let’s go section by section from A to B. Flutes, first, then oboes and clarinets, etc.”

Diagnosing the problem becomes much easier, and you’ll soon find out that there is always something to offer feedback about! Put it back together, and the kids (and you) start noticing the results as well.

We use a formula to make sure every element of music is addressed. For example, during the rehearsal from point A to B, the first round could focus on rhythm, the next on note accuracy, followed by balance, and finally intonation. This formula was also something that worked wonderfully when I had to be absent: students leading the ensemble could use this process to make sure we had a productive rehearsal regardless of who was in front of them.

Practice Tuning

Whether they sound off or not, make a habit of tuning specific notes and chords to ensure uniformity. I started by picking one student to play a note. I then played my instrument and tuned to them. This showed an example of what “in tune” sounded like. Later, we started having kids tune to each other — just a couple each day.

As we progressed, I started picking sustained chords in the pieces we were performing. Early on, I really couldn’t tell how out of tune certain chords were, so we just spent time going through each note and each student, working with drones and tuners, and got this chord in tune. Sometimes this took nearly an entire class period, but the results were fantastic. Kids were still having trouble tuning some chords, but now they knew the difference between in tune and out of tune, and they wanted to do something about it.

We continued the routine of tuning sustained chords that appeared in the piece, and the process kept getting more efficient. If something was grossly out of tune, kids would start crinkling their nose up in a disgusted face — aka as “the look” that band directors consider an indicator of success!

Technology and Score Study

Tools like the Yamaha Harmony Director or TonalEnergy app can be invaluable in identifying and correcting sound inconsistencies. Utilizing music assessment software can also help students prepare parts on their own. Machines don’t lie!

Delve deep into the music, studying one line at a time. I’m serious. Take a piece and plunk out every single instrument line on the piano, or grab an instrument and play through. Go through every line and see what your kids are actually playing. Then do it again. Then one more time.

This may seem monotonous, and yes, it will take some time. Trust me: If you are having difficulty reading scores or hearing parts, this will be time well spent. Familiarize yourself with every detail and your students will benefit.

Research, Learn and Pay Attention to Detail

Books like “Practicing Successfully” by Elizabeth A.H. Greene provide invaluable insights into refining practicing techniques that can be passed on to your students. I’ve mentioned “Atomic Habits” by James Clear in this article. These habits can be instilled into your ensemble routines to create a consistent method that works.

Don’t forget about your state and national conventions, and especially your colleagues. Be specific and ask for help!

In the pursuit of musical excellence, sweat the small stuff — every detail matters. Even seemingly trivial factors like the arrangement of chairs, which can influence sound projection and balance. A meticulously planned rehearsal space can contribute to promoting your students to create an effective musical experience.

From Struggle to Striving

My story began in Joliet, where I, unlike my accomplished trumpet-playing brother, was not a musical prodigy. After facing years of struggle and under the guidance of my mom, I developed into a skilled trumpet player. But when it came to leading students, I felt like that young kid again.

However, with persistence, the right tools and guidance from mentors and method books, I managed to hone my skills. The journey taught me that no matter where we start, with the right strategies and dedication, we can achieve our goals.

What Is a TransAcoustic™ Piano?

Written by Mike Levine on August 30, 2023. Posted in Acoustic Pianos. 1 Comment on What Is a TransAcoustic™ Piano?

Yamaha is not only a top manufacturer of acoustic pianos but also a leader in integrating technology into them. Some examples include the Disklavier, the Clavinova and the SILENT Piano™.

In 2015, Yamaha introduced the TransAcoustic™ Piano, a hybrid acoustic and digital instrument. “We’d been working on this technology for some time,” says Russ Hirota, Product Marketing Manager at Yamaha. “The piano version was the first TransAcoustic product to come to market. We later released the TransAcoustic guitar.”

In 2023, Yamaha debuted a line of third-generation TransAcoustic Pianos. Here’s a look at how these extraordinary instruments work, along with a description of their unique capabilities.

TransAcoustic Explained

The TransAcoustic Piano comes in various upright and grand models that differ in size and features. Yamaha describes them as “hybrid” because they offer several separate playing modes.

In Acoustic mode, you can play a TransAcoustic piano like any other Yamaha grand or upright piano. “It’s a pure acoustic instrument in every sense,” Hirota notes.

When you turn on the power and enter TransAcoustic mode, your sonic options multiply significantly. The piano strings get muted, and your keystrokes and pedal movements are converted to digital data. That data triggers a built-in tone module that offers a variety of sampled keyboard sounds, including grands, electric pianos, strings and more.

If you switch to Layer mode, the mutes come off the piano strings, and you can combine the acoustic and digital sounds.

The last option is Quiet mode. Here, you can listen to what you play on headphones without creating any sound in the room, allowing you to practice any time of the day or night.

Capturing Keystrokes

If you’re wondering how a TransAcoustic Piano converts your playing into digital audio in real time, it all starts with an array of sensors. “We use an articulation sensor underneath every key,” explains Hirota.

Closeup of what is under a piano's keyboard. — *Articulation sensors.*

These sensors capture which keys are pressed and how hard, sending that information as data to the instrument’s built-in tone generator — a process that happens with no lag between pressing the key and hearing the note, so the playing feel is authentic.

Grand and baby grand TransAcoustic Piano models have a second set of sensors on their hammers, which measure the speed at which they hit the strings. The combined data from the hammer sensors and articulation sensors provides accuracy suitable for even the most demanding professional pianists. “The way we implement the technology allows us to blur the lines of ‘am I playing it acoustically or am I playing it digitally?’” says Hirota.

But even the upright models, which have articulation sensors on the keys but no hammer sensors, are remarkably accurate. The articulation sensors alone recognize a whopping 1024 velocity levels. (By comparison, a typical MIDI keyboard measures only 128 levels.) All TransAcoustic models also feature optical sensors in the pedals that can read up to 256 levels of pedaling.

Soundboard as Speaker

An essential way that TransAcoustic technology differs from say, a piano with sampled sounds and built-in speakers is that the amplified audio doesn’t go through a conventional loudspeaker, but it’s projected clearly into the room as if it did.

After the performance data gets sent from the sensors to the tone module, it triggers the selected digital instrument sound. That audio goes through an amplification stage and is then sent to a transducer, a device attached to the underside of the soundboard that looks like a speaker with no cone. As in a speaker, the transducer changes the audio into vibrations that, in turn, vibrate the wood in the soundboard. “TransAcoustic technology allows you to leverage the piano’s soundboard to amplify digital sounds naturally,” says Hirota. “The soundboard functions effectively as your speaker cone.”

Insides of an upright piano. — *Transducer positioning in an upright TransAcoustic Piano.*

Closeup of placement. — *Transducer positioning in a grand TransAcoustic Piano.*

The Sounds

The pre-loaded tone module sounds include several sampled grand pianos, including Yamaha CFX, Bösendorfer, Pop and Ballad. You also get four historical piano sounds, including models of pianos used by Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin.

TransAcoustic Pianos offer more than just acoustic piano sounds, however. There are also a wide variety of electric piano, organ (classical and jazz models), string, choir, synthesizer, harpsichords and vibraphone sounds, as well as layered voices like Piano and Strings, Piano and Pad, and Piano and DX electric piano.

Between the four distinct playing modes and this large selection of digital sounds, TransAcoustic Pianos offer far more sonic versatility than any conventional acoustic piano.

More Unique Features

The ability of the TransAcoustic system to convert your playing into digital data allows for many additional benefits. You can:

Transpose the keyboard (when in TransAcoustic or Quiet mode).
Switch to non-equal-temperament tunings to simulate those used on historical instruments. Available tunings are Pure Major, Pure Minor, Pythagorean, Mean-Tone, Werkmeister and Kirnberger. The latter two were used extensively during the time of Bach and Beethoven.
Record your performances as either MIDI files or audio recordings and store them on an external flash drive connected to the USB to Device port.
Connect to a computer using the USB to Host port and use the piano as an audio interface for recording your piano performances into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) such as Steinberg Cubase.
Use the piano as a MIDI controller for triggering virtual instruments.
Play audio through the TransAcoustic’s sound system from an external Bluetooth^®-enabled device or the piano’s stereo 1/8-inch audio input jack.
Output audio directly from your piano using the Aux Output jacks to connect to a PA system or other analog device.
Connect via Bluetooth, USB or Wi-Fi to the Yamaha Smart Pianist app, which shows the score of preset songs as well as offering recording options and more.

The TransAcoustic Advantage

As you can see, a Yamaha TransAcoustic piano provides versatility not found in any other acoustic piano. “It brings together craftsmanship and innovation to give you a whole new way of experiencing the piano,” Hirota says. “You get all the richness you’d expect from a purely acoustic instrument but also the versatility of digital. You can explore and blend in different sounds, play in privacy with headphones or connect the piano to a smart device.”

Ready to learn more? Check out the video:

two female students in music class with one playing the violin

3 Homework Activities that Encourage Parent Involvement

Written by Yamaha Staff on August 28, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

Getting parents involved in their child’s music education is critical to their success. When the concepts and skills taught in class are reinforced at home, it creates a more holistic learning environment that improves retention and application of knowledge. Set the tone for the rest of the school year with these three fun activities parents and families can do together!

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1. Take-Home Interview Assignment

Directions: Have your students interview one of their family members on their first concert or favorite musician.

Questions can include:

How did you discover this artist?
Does this artist play an instrument? Which one(s)?
How does their music make you feel?
When did you attend this concert, and are you still a fan of the artist?
Bonus Activity: For extra fun, K-5 students can draw their interviewee with the chosen artist. This would be a great project to display at an open house.

2. Instrument Presentations or Jeopardy

Directions: Assign an instrument to your students and, with the help of their parent or guardian, ask students to search online to answer a given set of questions. Some of these answers might be hard to find, but they’ll end their journey knowing a few more fun facts. Students can present these facts to the class, or the answers can be used to create an interactive round of classroom Jeopardy.

Questions can include:

When and where was the instrument invented?
- For Jeopardy, provide clues to help your classmates identify the location.
What’s the loudest sound in decibels that this instrument can make?
Name three famous musicians, past or present, who play(ed) this instrument.
- For Jeopardy, provide clues to help your classmates identify the musician.
Bonus Question: Is your instrument included in the New York Philharmonic? If so, can you name the current members that play this instrument? To personalize, swap in your local philharmonic.

3. A Karaoke Night

Directions: Ask your students to craft a make-shift microphone, turn down the lights and throw their own karaoke night in the living room with their friends or family. Whether they use Disney singalongs or YouTube karaoke favorites, let everyone in the family get a chance to sing at the top of their lungs.

Assignment:

Write 2-3 paragraphs on the funniest part of the night and which song everyone sang.
Bonus Points: Include a photo with instruments and/or costumes!

Extra Credit: A Trip to Their Local Music Store

The greatest resource for keeping music alive in a household is the local music store. Many stores will host free workshops and small concerts that your students can attend for extra credit. Whether they want to be inspired or try out an instrument firsthand before purchasing or renting, the local music store can help your students find what they need to continue their musical adventures.

PROGRAM FUNDING: Find out how school service music stores can help music teachers access ESSER funds!

Trumpet vs. Trombone

Written by Jake Uitti on August 24, 2023. Posted in Brass.

When thinking about learning to play a new instrument, it’s important to consider all the options. For instance, what kind of music do you want to play? What is your budget? What type of instrument (i.e., wind, string, keyboard, percussion) holds a personal appeal for you?

Historically, two favorites amongst students have been the trumpet and trombone. These expressive brass instruments are often featured prominently in school bands and orchestras, as well as jazz ensembles and even some rock groups. But what are the differences between the two? And what makes one right for one player and another better for someone else? Let’s learn the answers to these important questions.

VALVES AND SLIDES

A trumpet.

A trombone.

Looking at the two instruments side-by-side, it’s easy to see what makes them distinct from one another. The trumpet has three valves in the middle, while the trombone has a long slide affixed to it. The purpose of both is the same: to change pitch, giving the musician, who simultaneously alters the tightness of their mouth’s lips (something known as embouchure), the opportunity to hit different notes on a scale.

With a trumpet, the player holds the horn with one hand and mostly uses their other hand to press different combinations of the valves. This changes pitch by lengthening the amount of tubing the air flows through.

With a trombone, there are no valves. Instead, a player holds the instrument with one hand and with their other hand, they extend the slide in and out. Again, this has the effect of changing pitch by altering the length of the tubing.

A trombone’s slide also allows the instrument to play notes continuously up and down the scale — something called a glissando. A trumpet can’t do that, but is more adept at staccato playing. (There are slide trumpets and valve trombones, but these are less common.)

SIZE

Another major difference between the two instruments is their physical size. While both the trumpet and trombone start with mouthpieces and end in bells, the trumpet is significantly smaller than the trombone, ranging from a compact 13 to 16 inches. The trombone, due to its lengthy slide, can be up to nine feet long when the slide is fully extended, though trombones can be easily disassembled for convenient storage.

RANGE AND TONE

Of all the instruments in the brass family, the trumpet, which is available in a variety of tunings (the most common being B♭), has the highest pitch. In an orchestra, it is often employed to play melodies. In jazz bands, it can solo like a guitar or, in combination with other brass and wind instruments, be used to add explosive rhythmic stabs, called “pops.” Like the right hand on the piano, the trumpet is responsible for playing notes in the treble clef.

The trombone has a significantly lower range. If the trumpet is like a guitar, the trombone is more like the three-quarter upright bass, playing notes in the bass clef and the lower register of the treble clef. While the trumpet is bright-sounding, the trombone’s tonality is rounder, deeper and fuller.

MUSICAL STYLES

Because the trumpet and trombone offer such different musical ranges and tonalities, they take on different roles in band or orchestral settings. While trumpets may be more popular among new players, perhaps because they are responsible for the melodies in many songs, both the trumpet and the trombone are a mainstay of every kind of musical ensemble, from big bands to orchestras, jazz ensembles to popular music groups. At times, they play in unison, providing big percussive sounds, as in modern big bands. At other times, the trumpet blares its fanfare while the trombone provides its mellow, lower accompaniment in a subtler, almost humming manner.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL

There is no getting around the fact that learning any musical instrument can be a challenging proposition … but that just makes it all the more worthwhile and satisfying. While neither the trumpet nor the trombone are simple to learn, for most people, one is no more difficult than the other. (For excellent options, check out the many Yamaha Intermediate & Student Series trumpets, as well as the Yamaha YSL-354 tenor trombone, specially designed for beginning students.)

Yamaha YTR- 2330 Student Series B♭ trumpet.

Yamaha YSL-354 tenor trombone.

To achieve its bright sound, a trumpet requires a smaller mouthpiece. A player, thus, is responsible for achieving a tighter embouchure. In addition, since a trumpet uses only three valves to play all pitches, mastering their combinations can feel like learning a new language. The trombone slide offers players seven “positions” to hit in order to achieve a clear note. Memorizing these positions can be tough at first, like figuring out how to play the guitar without any frets.

A trombone mouthpiece, on the other hand, is bigger, helping it to achieve notes in a low register. But the instrument is also larger and somewhat more cumbersome, which might make it difficult for beginners — especially those who are short in stature — though Yamaha offers one model (the YSL-350C) that has a compact design which allows beginning students to play certain notes without having to extend the slide beyond their reach.

Yamaha YSL-350C.

Learning either the trumpet or trombone can be a gratifying experience for many aspiring musicians. Get ready to purse those lips and start blowing!

Yamaha offers a comprehensive line of trumpets and trombones for both beginners and professionals.

A promotion for BR Artist Model Yamaha trumpets.

Making Connections Through Music

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on August 23, 2023. Posted in Artists, Creativity.

Music has always been one of the best ways for people to get to know each other and form bonds, and student Octavio Tostado’s diverse musical skillset has helped him to connect with an especially wide range of musicians. From metal to jazz, samba and classic rock, he has learned to drive the rhythm and stay in the groove no matter what the genre. He certainly has come a long way from his early musical beginnings in a small town in Mexico.

Forged in Metal

For Octavio Tostado, the rhythm of music has always thundered deep within his soul. “Ever since I was a kid, before I even played an instrument, I would pound out these hand rhythms on my chest,” he says. “Whether at school or watching soccer, I was always keeping the beat with my body.”

Octavio got his first drum set when he was just 12 years old and living in the small town of Zapotlanejo in Jalisco, Mexico. “My dad bought it for me after I had been playing the Rock Band video game for a couple of years,” he says. That early experience led him to develop a unique finger-tapping technique that helped him practice even when he wasn’t sitting behind the drums.

With his older brother on guitar, Octavio formed his first band, playing the music of the metal bands they admired. He found that the rest of his body effortlessly followed his finger technique, allowing him to quickly pick up heavy metal drumming. “I could do the double pedal and keep the beat, and people went crazy for that,” he says.

Having proven himself a natural at percussion, Tostado continued to broaden his influences. He played drums for the local ballad singers in the town square, started working on classic rock and alternative songs, and kept an active schedule of jamming and gigging with his family and local musicians.

But at the time when he was about to start high school, his parents decided to move to the U.S., forcing Octavio to sell his beloved drum set, but giving him an opportunity for a new start in southern California.

Adapting to Cultural Change and Honing Skills

Arriving at Paramount High School in Los Angeles, Octavio adapted to the cultural changes of the new environment while also finding ways to keep music a part of his life. He met new musicians with different influences and skills, and was soon jamming and making music again with a new drum set he bought with his dad.

The band he joined had an eclectic indie sound with horns and an affinity for slower ballads. The new style gave Tostado interesting insight into his own playing, he says, teaching him about the complexity of rhythms much tamer than the metal patterns he’d developed.

@yamahamusicusa We asked @octavio_tostado if he could play 6 genres in under 60 seconds. Challenge accepted! ✅ #VersatileDrummer #DrummerCheck #YamahaMusic ♬ original sound – Yamaha Music

“At first I was like, ‘Where is the double pedal?’” he says. “’Where are the fills, the hard stuff, the fast stuff?’ But at the same time, I learned that it’s not so easy to play the slower stuff. It’s probably even harder than playing fast — way harder than you think. The dynamics become much more important.”

Expressing the Beat

Once he finished high school, Octavio faced the challenges many other musicians face, having to earn money to survive while also keeping his passion for playing. The path he started at Cerritos College was initially towards nursing, but the call to make music became too strong to ignore. He eventually switched to a Commercial Music degree, which helps students prepare for professional careers in music with hands-on classes to gain entry-level experience.

There have been a number of eye-opening experiences in the classroom, Tostado says. These included audio production workshops and new drum disciplines to study, one of which was a notable semester on jazz drumming, which the self-taught Octavio described as humbling. “I realized how little I knew about drums when I started playing jazz,” he says. “It’s a whole different world, and I thought I really knew my stuff. But when you play jazz, you are learning from the beginning.”

Recording and producing — integral parts of any musician’s career today — are also a main focus for Octavio. He’s taken on numerous projects to help sharpen his DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) chops, and as he approaches graduation and looks toward the future, he’s excited about utilizing his new abilities and sharing with people all across the digital spectrum, with hopes that this will lead to in-person jams and collaborations. “The main thing for me right now is just to connect,” he says. “I want to be known as a musician, as a producer, and share the collaborations that I do with other musicians, so that I can keep continuing to make music with people and grow.”

As he is about to graduate, the music continues to pour out freely. Tostado plays eclectic drum styles with his bandmates and has immersed himself in a variety of percussive varieties and techniques. Yet this musical language he has cultivated and developed with others is not something that Octavio takes for granted.

Quote: "To be able to connect with someone musically is a different kind of connection."

“To be able to connect with someone musically is a different kind of connection,” he explains. “You can get to know someone over time in a relationship, but for musicians, jamming with someone, making music with them, offers a different kind of insight. You might not know anything about someone when you first jam with them; maybe you have never even talked. But once you listen and watch the way they play their music, you get to know something about them. And if you make that connection musically, you will immediately want to know more about them.”

The Language of Music

Driving all of this, Octavio says, is a love for music that can be so difficult to describe. To help illustrate, he uses jazz improvisation as an example of music’s communicative and mysterious power. “In jazz, every song is a jam session, and everyone takes turns soloing,” he explains. “Each instrument will take their turn to solo, and you watch each other’s faces to know when it’s your turn — that moment when you make eye [contact] with someone after a solo, and you both know it was so good. You each make that face [of agreement], and I love it. For me, that’s the best part, the best feeling.”

Quote: "It doesn’t matter where you live. As long as there is music, there is always a story to tell."

Creating a digital version of a distinctively in-person experience poses its challenges, but one often leads to the other in quite harmonious ways. The main shared element is that the music played be authentic and honest, whether in-person or via digital means. For Octavio Tostado, that’s what matters most. “It doesn’t matter where you live,” he says. “As long as there is music, there is always a story to tell.”

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Members of Mariachi Joya from Las Vegas High School

Mariachi and Mindfulness

Written by Stephen Blanco on August 23, 2023. Posted in Self-Care.

As music teachers, we wear many different hats — musician, arranger, teacher, uniform designer, chef, tour guide, life coach, repairman. The list goes on and on.

That’s why teacher burnout is a very real issue. I’m in year 6 of my teaching career, and I’m noticing the difficulties of the job, and I can feel the weight on my shoulders that more experienced colleagues have talked to me about.

Recently, I took my students at Las Vegas High School to the world’s largest mariachi competition, The Mariachi Extravaganza in San Antonio, Texas — an extraordinary experience. Our group, Mariachi Joya, was one of the newest groups there. The months of preparation leading up to the competition performance were extremely stressful for me. I always say that students are mirrors of their teachers, and it became clear that our student musicians were feeling some of this stress as well. I didn’t want my kids to be stressed about mariachi when they were in their math class or while they were taking their driver’s permit test. I had to figure something out.

Mindfulness Training

For me, mindfulness, along with gratitude, are huge factors in having a balanced life. Even as adults, mindfulness is tough to include in an already packed daily schedule. I wish I had been taught about it at a younger age, which led me to start mindfulness training at Las Vegas High.

The members of Mariachi Joya spend between 15 and 25 hours with each other every week, so we experience the good, the bad and everything in between together. The students have seen each other go through intense loss as well as pure joy.

High school is already a roller coaster of emotions and being stuck at home for over a year during the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t allow them to learn how to deal with the crazy ride of their hormonal teenage years, let alone how to help each other along the way.

Mindfulness is proving helpful for these all-star performers, and it’s helping me get through my regular 80-hour weeks as well. Sometimes teaching is the best way to learn, so my own personal journey through mindfulness has started to really take off, too.

Share Circle

One simple exercise we do at the beginning of every rehearsal is a “share circle,” which is similar to elementary school carpet time. We sit on the carpet in a circle, and the student leaders decide on a subject to talk about. We’ve had share circle topics as simple as our weekend plans to deep conversations sharing the things in our lives that we are self-conscious about.

These group discussions have gone a long way to make everyone feel cared about, and they have, in turn, made the program much more successful. I am able to push my students harder, work them more, and they have responded by making the most beautiful music possible.

Dealing with Frustration

Another exercise we have adopted is using simple grounding words when we notice frustrations during rehearsals or meetings. Part of mindfulness is accepting that all kinds of emotions are a part of life. It’s important to show my students how to accept those feelings, sit with them and move forward.

Moving on from being upset or frustrated isn’t easy. One of the words we use when we notice these emotions is “gratitude.” Just last week, I myself was getting frustrated during rehearsal, and my student director looked me in the eye and said, “Gratitude, Mr. Blanco.” It immediately turned our rehearsal around, and I was so happy that I equipped my students with this technique.

It’s Worth It

Another issue we often deal with is fatigue through the long but necessary after-school rehearsals. One thing we tell each other to get through the tired times is that “hard work isn’t supposed to be easy, but it is supposed to be worth it.” We work together to make sure it is worth it every single day.

My students and I are about to embark on a big new journey (announcement coming soon)! We are as equipped as we can be to keep each other in check, help out one another, and spread the love, passion and mindfulness inherent in mariachi music.

¡Viva Las Vegas y Viva El Mariachi!

Tracks That Pan Out

Written by Rich Tozzoli on August 22, 2023. Posted in Music and Streaming.

Panning, the placement of a sound source in the left/right sound field, was an audio effect that first appeared in the 1960s when two-channel stereo made its debut, supplanting single-channel mono.

In those days of analog recording, the engineer (often with help from assistants and sometimes even the artists themselves) would manually turn knobs on the mixing board called pan pots, which would shift the sound of a particular instrument or vocal into the left speaker, the right one, or anywhere in-between. Panning is still a staple of modern digital productions, though it is now sometimes done with a mouse instead of a knob.

Sometimes panning is static; other times, it’s used to actually move a sound around as the track plays — sometimes rapidly, other times gradually — to add motion and excitement to a track. Yes, it can be overdone, but in the right hands, it’s a creative and fun effect that is especially pronounced when listening on headphones, where the immersive experience is heightened. Panning effects also sound extra special on vinyl, thanks to the extra bit of warmth offered by records.

Here’s a selection of eight tracks that use stereo panning especially effectively.

1. “OWNER OF A LONELY HEART” – YES

With its relentlessly catchy four-note riff, this was the most commercially accessible song ever released by the British progressive rock band Yes, so it’s no surprise that it was also their biggest hit. The production by Trevor Horn is also a tour de force, with panning galore. It begins with a powerful yet distinctively lo-fi drum fill and guitar riff that quickly transforms into glorious Hi-Fi stereo with a broad soundstage. Check out the differing reverbs in the left and right channels that are applied to the lead vocal, which itself is panned up the middle. When the guitar solo hits, the track really starts to take off, as notes fly left and right randomly, zooming from speaker to speaker with abandonment, forming a veritable whirlwind of sound.

2. “WONDERS OF THE DEEP” – CHEMICAL BROTHERS

This Chemical Brothers production from their seventh studio album Further is a pulsing, throbbing sonic masterpiece filled with unique synthesizer and sound effect hits that move from left to right in time with the track’s tempo. Extra “ear candy” comes in the form of ultra-wide panning of the background vocals.

3. “SHEEP” – PINK FLOYD

This track from the Floyd’s 1977 album Animals was originally just a jam, but it was brought to life with some great panning effects. At just past the 4:00 point, the organ begins subtly moving from side to side, along with other keyboard lines that go into motion before dissolving into reverb. The odd, heavily affected talking vocal line at around 6:27 also features a great left/right effect where the original is in the left channel and its ambient delay is in the right channel.

4. “LUCKY MAN” – EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER

Keith Emerson’s iconic synthesizer solo at the end of this song takes things to a whole new level, hitting with the impact of a sonic sledgehammer. It begins with a soaring glissando that immediately grabs your attention before starting to move left and right, building in intensity and reverberation with each passing moment. Put on a good set of headphones and get ready to be transported!

5. “RAMBLE ON” – LED ZEPPELIN

This track, from Zep’s second album, is one of the most soulful songs they ever recorded, enhanced by some great panning effects. At around 3:40, one of Robert Plant’s layered vocals starts to move from side to side. If you listen closely, you can hear a second vocal also begin traveling, creating a flowing treatment to the sound that’s absolutely captivating. This track sounds especially good on vinyl.

6. “MAGGOT BRAIN” – FUNKADELIC

Right from the start, where a spoken vocal is placed in a wide stereo reverb with delay, you know your ears are in for a treat. The guitar solo in the right channel is also delayed in the left channel at various moments, creating even more drama and tension. Then, towards the end, a vocal phrase also pans from center to right. Be forewarned: This journey is over 10 minutes long, so enjoy the ride!

7. “IF 6 WAS 9” – JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE

This track from the 1967 Axis: Bold As Love album made great use of panning for the time. Jimi Hendrix’s fiery guitar playing not only takes advantage of intensive stereo panning, but utilizes other cool effects such as echo, fuzz and reverb. The real fun begins at around 1:51, where his solo starts moving from left to center to right, almost literally swimming around your head. At one point it gets so crazy you may even get a sense of vertigo … especially if your eyes are closed!

8. “THE BOMBER” – JAMES GANG

Long before Joe Walsh was an Eagle or a solo artist, he was a member of a group called the James Gang. His long guitar solo on this song starts out with a wide sweep from the left channel to the right, then begins moving from side to side, with an effected delay in the right channel. It doesn’t follow the beat of the song — it’s just random, which makes it totally cool!

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brass section rehearsal with student raising his hand

10 Ways to Make Your Students’ Day

Written by Jarrett Lipman on August 16, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips. 1 Comment on 10 Ways to Make Your Students’ Day

Students look forward to learning from teachers who are excited to teach them. When your students come to your class, your body language and interaction set the tone for the rehearsal. Are you starting your class in a way that excites kids to learn? Students take the lead from you, and they make up their minds in the first few moments of each rehearsal how things will go.

What Traits Did Your Favorite Teacher Have?

Several times growing up, I went to work with my mom, who was a high school English teacher for 30 years. Every day, she greeted her students at the door with a big smile, asking them a question about their day or checking in on something that had happened the day before like how an athlete’s game went or another student’s improvement on a recent assignment. Her smile never seemed forced, even though I know now how much she was dealing with — raising me and balancing her job responsibilities. I appreciate how hard my mom worked to connect with her students and lift their spirits.

Bernard Rosenberg retirement — Bernard Rosenberg (third from left) with two students and colleague, Jarrett Lipman (right), during his retirement.

When I started teaching at Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School in 2008, I met Bernard Rosenberg, the band director at Tejeda Middle School. Everyone described him as a Pied Piper because there were more than 350 students who loved participating in his band program. When I went to his rehearsals, I watched his interaction with students. He made kids laugh, he made them feel like rock stars, and he could brighten up the day of every human who walked into his classroom.

After rehearsals, he would sometimes sink into his chair, exhausted and even a bit frustrated — it was a total 180 from what I had witnessed just moments before. It was a learning experience to see how Bernard worked tirelessly to improve his students’ day, even on days when he was struggling. Even administrators would visit his classroom just to find a moment of positive energy in their day.

I realized that we all went to Bernard because he made us feel like we were the most important person in his life at that moment. And, boy, was he excited to see us. I know he wasn’t always as joyful as he let on, but he prioritized shining brightly in the lives of those he served. Because of this, he had his students in the palm of his hands.

My mom’s students probably don’t remember much about grammar, passive voice, “Hamlet” or “To Kill a Mockingbird,” but I bet they all remember her as someone who was always excited to “make their day.” Mr. Rosenberg recently retired from Tejeda, and it was incredible to see the outpouring of students return to celebrate him or send letters about his impact on their lives. Both my mom’s and Bernard’s total investment in their students’ overall well-being remains one of the most powerful things I have ever witnessed.

What Traits Do Your Favorite Students Have?

My favorite students are those who are always enthusiastic or engaged during my rehearsals, even when I knew they didn’t want to be there. The kids who made it easy for me to teach when maybe I didn’t want to be there. Kids tend to see their teachers as superhuman and expect us to always be at our best. On my most challenging days, the few kids who went out of their way to smile and say good morning or check in with me, made all the difference.

I realized that many students, however, were nervous to say hello or make eye contact, and as their teacher, it was important for me to open the door and initiate the process. Sometimes, my insecurities would get in the way. I would assume that if they didn’t seem to be in good spirits, they might not want to be there. Truthfully, sometimes they didn’t. And still, as the coach, I needed to figure out a way to motivate them and move our team forward.

Our programs mirror our personalities. Kids pick up on our mannerisms and temperament, and they learn by watching. The more we exercise compassion and patience, the more they will demonstrate those traits. We can teach them best through daily interactions, including how we greet them and welcome them into the classroom each day. Remember, students are a reflection of their directors.

Kids Will Give Back 60% of the Energy You Exert

Every teacher wants their class to be the most important one to their students. However, teachers must remember that students usually take six subjects, and they face expectations from six instructors, each competing for their energy, effort and attention. While entering your class in the morning, a student may have been up late working on a project for English, knowing that after your class, they have a math test that they’re not feeling well prepared for. Likewise, if your class meets later in the day, they may have come from a test that went poorly after a long night of working on college admission essays.

We want our students to bring 100% to every rehearsal, but the reality is that we don’t bring 100% to every rehearsal. One of my colleagues, Manny Maldonado, used to say, “Kids will give back 60% of the energy you do.”

I always keep this in mind when I teach. I always tell myself, “If it is to be, it is up to me.”

It’s difficult to expect kids to give more energy than we do, and even then, they won’t always match what is coming from the podium.

“Checking the Microphone”

At the Boston Crusaders, Gino Cipriani, the assistant director and brass caption head, begins each “Brass Stadium” rehearsal with a simple microphone test to ensure the students and staff on the field can hear his instructions from the MegaVox in the press box or on the tower. The normally mundane “Mic check, test 1-2, test 1-2-3” has evolved into a daily positive ritual over the last two to three seasons.

I remember how it started in 2021 during the post-COVID re-boot. We were all looking for ways to boost morale and confidence. At a rehearsal early on during spring training, Gino tested the microphone. The kids couldn’t hear it from the field, so they started to scream “What?! What?! What?!” until Gino yelled, “Checking the microphone!” at a volume they could hear. They all cheered and screamed exuberantly.

The next day, before Gino could even turn the mic on, the kids started to scream, “What?! What?! What?!” as if to goad him to check it. This trivial interaction between the horn line and Gino turned into a tradition that begins every rehearsal — even our hottest, most challenging ones — with a burst of positive energy. The kids give Gino little choice but to be excited to see them, and they know that he is. They pull it out of him, and he draws similar great energy out of them.

Before this routine started, the beginning of rehearsals in 100-degree Alabama or rainy Vermont would feel slow or even a bit depressing. Thanks to this simple interaction, we all share a moment of joy that puts us in the right mindset for rehearsal.

10 Ways to “Make Their Day”

The FISH! Philosophy, modeled after the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, is a business technique aimed at creating happy individuals in the workplace. One of the principles of Fish! is “Make their day.” It is the idea of finding “simple ways to serve or delight people in a meaningful or memorable way,” according to its website.

Here’s how I incorporate FISH! into my daily routine.

Greet your students daily — at the door or before your rehearsals. Say, “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” while making excellent eye contact, smiling and projecting. If students don’t respond, don’t take it personally. Teenagers mumble. You can inspire them to respond with your energy or teach them to respond.
Greet individual students by name and by making eye contact. Students appreciate hearing their names and knowing you care enough to learn them. If you’re not good at learning names — you’re not alone — don’t give up. Try learning last names if it helps or even first letters.
Get to know what your students participate in outside of band. Are they in choir, theater or athletics? Ask them how these events are going. If you can attend their outside events to support them, do so.
Find common ground with difficult students. If a student feels like every time they come into your class, you’re disciplining them or getting on them, they won’t be excited to see you. Reflect on patterns of interactions and turn a negative relationship into a positive one for both you and the student.
Consider not starting the day with e-mails. Get to work, visit with colleagues, score study and listen to your rehearsal recordings. E-mail is a literal vacuum that can suck you in. If you put your energy into colleagues and students, you may find that it energizes you. At Boston Crusaders, our staff starts each day with “coffee and conversation.” This quiet time allows us to talk through the day and bond with one another.
When you are struggling, learn to take time for self-care. You can’t be uplifting for students if you can’t lift up yourself.
Recognize the triggers that take away your joy and avoid starting your day with them or learn how to manage them before a rehearsal. Try to structure your day, so you have more joy to give away to others.
If a normally cheerful student looks sad or is acting out of sorts, take a second to investigate. “Hey, you normally answer many questions in rehearsal, but you seemed quiet today. Is everything ok?” When students have bad body language in rehearsals, don’t assume it’s a response to you, the rehearsal or even that the student realizes they have bad body language. We can help students learn the power of their body language through coaching and raising awareness.
Recognize when you are having a bad day and avoid projecting your frustration onto your students. Students pick up on your energy. We can’t always be superheroes, but it’s important to shield students from our negative moments. I can’t tell you the number of times I had an issue with an administrator or a parent spill over into my rehearsal. I still have to remind myself every rehearsal to stay positive.
As my friend Chad Dempsey, band director at Edinburg North, likes to say, “If you’re having a bad day, there’s still time to turn it around. If you’re having a bad week … there’s still time to turn it around.”

“Kids Don’t Learn from People They Don’t Like”

In one of my favorite Ted Talks, educator Rita Pierson says, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like” to a room full of educators who chuckle somewhat grudgingly.

Clearly, we won’t like everyone in this world. In fact, we won’t like all our bosses or our colleagues, but we learn to work through this.

For our students, these are formative years. They’re more apt to learn from a teacher whose class they enjoy going to. When Pierson says, “Your toughest students are never ever absent,” you can hear the teachers in the audience roar with laughter. She reminds us to be “great actors” so that those students never know we may not be excited to see them.

We have the gift to make every day a good day for our students. Make the most of this gift this school year!

How Music Supports Core Academia

Written by Robbie Calvo on August 16, 2023. Posted in Guitars How-to.

I wish I’d paid more attention in school.

Much of my time in the classroom was spent staring out the window, drawing cartoons in my notebook instead of taking notes — the whole time wishing I could be anywhere but there. The music lessons I received as a young child consisted of basic notation, rhythms, singing nursery rhymes and playing instruments such as wooden blocks, tambourines, cowbells, and recorders … most of them broken. Even the instructor’s piano was out of tune.

Given that I was listening to classic rock music at the time and had designs on playing the guitar, those moments didn’t exactly get my heart pumping and my head banging, and I think that many of my fellow students felt the same way.

Despite my personal experience, I actually think music education is one of the most powerful tools we have in our school systems. In fact, I’m extremely passionate about the subject and have spent a great deal of personal time and money working on curricula to support guitar instruction at school.

There are many ways students can benefit from an artistic pursuit like learning music, which also supports and enhances other core academic studies. Let’s look at a few of them.

Music is a Language

As I noted in a previous blog posting, music is a language. And like any language, it allows you to share information. Let’s compare — and make a few analogies between — the English language and musical linguistics.

Just like other languages, music is neatly organized in measures or bars of sound, the same way that a sentence is constructed from the placement of individual words. Larger sections of music, or movements, are placed within brackets that we could consider harmonic paragraphs.

The Western musical alphabet consists of seven “letters” that are further expanded with sharps and flats to give us 12 tones with which to compose our melodic literature. We string together specific tones in specific orders to create melodies, motifs and themes as the focal point of a topic. Chords are combinations of tones that resonate harmonically as “words.” Rhythms deliver musical phrases in particular ways, enhanced by silence and dynamics, to set the overall pace, tempo and delivery — the same as in any other spoken and written language.

Like great literature or art, music contains emotional content too. A ballad in D minor may evoke feelings of immense sadness, much like a movie about a breakup, while the uptempo groove and major tonality of a pop song can motivate us to reach greater heights, much like that of a memoir or a self-help paperback.

Subliminally, everyone interprets the language of music as sounds that they either like or dislike — something known as “taste.” (And we certainly all have particular musical tastes!) But a deeper understanding and study of the musical language lets us appreciate it even further, and that’s a big part of why musical studies are so important to core academia.

Physical Coordination

Playing a musical instrument requires the use of both hands. For instance, when playing guitar, the fretting hand creates the harmonic and melodic phrases, and the picking and strumming hand makes those tones sound out with rhythm and dynamic content.

Learning to play an instrument trains us to coordinate tasks between both hands with precision and feel — and even if you don’t end up being a professional musician, these are important skills to have regardless of your chosen avocation.

Ear Training

Learning to play music also sharpens your listening skills — something that can only add to your aesthetic enjoyment of life in general. Every instrument offers a huge variety of sounds. For example, a guitar can be acoustic or electric, hollow-body or solid-body, classical or steel-string … and then, of course, there’s a universe of effects that can be added. Learning to coax those different sounds out of your chosen instrument will help train your ears so you can better appreciate the sounds that are all around us, from the crescendo of a mighty orchestra to the whisper of a soft breeze.

Eye/Hand Coordination

Learning music also helps to train your eyes to recognize notes, rhythms and chord shapes on the written page, and, in the case of a stringed instrument like guitar or violin, on the fretboard or fingerboard. Smaller shapes reside within larger shapes. It’s musical geometry and resonant architecture, from foundation to spire.

You then need to interpret those shapes into the musical sounds you create. This kind of eye/hand coordination is another important skill in all aspects of life. For example, the work of an artist is to take colors from a palette, then mix them to taste on a canvas to form consonant, recognizable horizons or abstract imagery, the same way that a composer crafts soundscapes or a novelist creates an alternate universe.

Inverting the sequences and adding or subtracting colors offers an almost infinite number of possibilities … whether it comes to creating a painting or writing a technical report.

Team Building and Communication Skills

When it comes to both language and music, speaking the lingo bridges the gap between misunderstandings and understanding, regardless of nationality and region.

Music can be used as the tool of a soloist or ensemble player; either way, it gives us the opportunity to share our ideas with other musicians, and ultimately, an audience. Learning the individual parts of a musical arrangement in the classroom, for example, builds a comprehension of how important all the elements are to the big picture. Playing an arpeggio while bandmates play the chords and melody — and then swapping parts — builds two kinds of stronger relationships … one between the musicians and another between the notes. And every aspect of music theory and performance directly relates to every musical instrument. That means learning the language of music on one instrument gives us the ability to understand other instruments too.

The Video

This piece of music not only demonstrates how versatile a Yamaha Red Label FSX3 acoustic-electric guitar is when plugged into a Line 6 Helix modeler, but also represents what I mean by emotional content, mood and feel.

I think we could all agree that the blend of sultry slide guitar melodies, played in a minor key and coupled with a shuffle rhythm, evokes a feeling of sadness and melancholy. I’m sure there are many other terms we could use to describe this piece of music, and those would be personal to each listener.

I’d love to hear your description of the mood this creates for you. Please let me know in the comments section on YouTube.

The Guitar

My chosen instrument, the guitar, is one of the most versatile of all instruments. It adapts well to multiple styles and genres, and allows for exceptional expressivity. That said, learning music on guitar should not limit your creativity or prevent further study into other instruments, composition, or arranging for band and orchestra.

The Yamaha FSX3 I used in the video above is, in my opinion, an excellent choice for both intermediate and advanced students. Dimensionally, it fits well with many body types and sits perfectly on the leg while seated.

In addition, its solid Sitka spruce top is treated with the proprietary Yamaha A.R.E. (Accelerated Resonance Enhancement) process. This effectively ages the wood to sound “played-in” and closer to a vintage instrument from the get-go. The FSX3 top is also paired well with a mahogany back, sides and neck, with tuning that’s extremely stable and intonation that’s perfect along the entire length of the fretboard.

The piece de resistance, however, is the unique built-in Atmosfeel three-way pickup system that combines a body sensor, piezo and microphone to deliver incredible acoustic tones. I have used the FSX3 for literally hundreds of instructional videos, and it has proven to be the perfect educational partner.

The Wrap-Up

Music is global, universal, and speaks louder than the notes being produced. It’s sound, it’s silence, it’s a feeling, it’s resonance … and it’s emotionally compelling to all who hear it.

But it’s when a student goes beyond merely listening to music to actually learning to play an instrument that the real magic happens: the self-expression it affords the developing mind.

Photographs courtesy of the author.

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

Play on Philly: A Model of Excellence

Written by Kellie B. Gormly on August 15, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

Andrés González, a Venezuela native, fondly recalls a wonderful compliment he received from the father of one of his young trumpet players: “I’m always surprised about how you always balance the fun and high expectations.”

The father had a good point, says González, music director of Play On Philly (POP), which provides free music education for underserved children in Philadelphia. Yes, music should bring pleasure to the players and listeners, but getting it right is challenging work. Proper music education must incorporate both elements.

student playing the trumpet — Photo by David DeBalko

“It’s a balance between fun and high expectations,” says González, who has lived in the City of Brotherly Love for five years. “As a musician, it’s one of the hardest things to find. We want them to have a fun experience, but we also want them to feel the success of what they’re doing.”

Combining enjoyment with rigorous practice is one of González’s successful approaches to teaching music through Play On Philly, which was founded in 2011 and provides group lessons to children in pre-K to seniors in high school.

“This cannot be just a social program,” González says. “If we give access to something, it must be something good. If students don’t feel good playing an instrument, they will most likely quit or switch to a different thing.”

Music Instruction Before, During and After School

POP teaching artists provide intensive instrument instruction to students at partner schools before and after school, four to five days a week, up to about eight hours a week. According to González, no auditions are needed to enroll; any student who is interested can participate if they attend partner schools. POP also offers students more than 25 performance opportunities in the community each year.

“We have 230 pre-K through 12th graders who receive eight hours a week of musical training,” González says. “Those kids learn very quickly how to play really well.”

The schools that partner with Play On Philly are mostly in West Philadelphia, which is predominantly a low-income area with many Title I schools. Some schools in West Philadelphia and Center City also offer POP’s in-school preparatory programming to 237 pre-K through 1st graders and high schoolers three to five days a week. These schools have limited resources and have faced funding cuts that make music programs inaccessible, González says.

With tuition-free group instruction in a craft that is highly enjoyable, students develop high-level musical knowledge and performance that bring joy to their daily lives. “We believe that that’s a way to show success and connect with the community we serve,” he says.

“We don’t teach one-on-one,” González says. “The idea is to maximize our resources and provide access to as many kids as we can.”

González focuses on orchestral-type music from classical composers like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart to living composers such as Iman Habibi, Kerwin Young, Erika Oba, Kevin Day and others.

New and Special Programs

Play On Philly is currently implementing a new program where mixed age groups come together and play in the POP Children’s Orchestra. Over 200 students ranging in age from grade school to teenagers play rotating parts in Play On Philly concerts.

three students playing upright bass — Photo by Sam Fritch

“The students are playing in big groups, and it’s making them feel part of their huge community,” González says. “It’s the same [piece of] music with different challenges.”

González plans to grow this multilevel orchestra program. Another goal is to provide more overall access to POP to additional families. “I believe that what we do is pretty amazing, and I wish more families could get the benefits of this program,” he says.

Another special Play On Philly program that he emphasizes is the Marian Anderson Young Artist Program, created in memory of the popular Black singer from Philadelphia. Students can apply to this competitive program, which gives accepted students weekly, free private lessons and access to better instruments, as well as college and career counseling.

“We wanted to honor her legacy,” González says.

Proven Results

Learning music through Play On Philly has a proven effect on overall academic achievement, says González, who was recognized as a 2023 “40 Under 40” music educator. Since 2012, POP has partnered with WolfBrown, an independent research firm to prove the impact of the POP’s program on the students served. Results of a 2017 study (Holochwost, et. al.) showed that participating POP students score an average of 10 points higher on standardized tests than their peers.

“It’s been proven that those kids improve within their schools and across different subjects as long as they stay with us,” González says. “Music can make you feel relaxed and think about other stuff. But it is scientifically proven that those kids do better in school and with executive function that helps to improve their life skills.”

Kids who practice music every day develop patience, which is a virtue that the Play On Philly staff members want the students to develop, he says. It can help them accomplish greater goals.

“People who want to be leaders in the future are seeing the world through the lens of music,” González says.

Play On Philly's orchestra — Photo by Sam Fritch

Latin American Origins

González models his teaching style after the renowned social and musical program for youths called El Sistema founded by his mentor Maestro José Antonio Abreu 48 years ago in Venezuela. González began his musical studies at the age of just 2 in the Jacinto Lara Conservatory. A year later, he raised the baton to conduct “Ode to Joy” along with the Children’s Orchestra and Choir of the Lara State.

The founder of Play On Philly, Stanford Thompson, went to Venezuela as part of the Abreu fellows program and saw El Sistema in action, and it changed his life. While Thompson was in Venezuela, he met González and they became friends. González moved to Miami to be the Principal Trumpet for the Miami Symphony Orchestra, and later, Thompson offered him the job with POP.

Children in Venezuela learn all about classical music. However, students in America often do not learn about these music traditions because of the lack of music education programs in schools. Through Play On Philly’s classical-focused program, students will get exposure to classical composers that they may not have gotten otherwise, González says.

El Sistema, he says, is a “model of excellence where children can thrive.” And he aims to foster the same environment at Play On Philly.

Jasmine Fripp -- 2023 "40 Under 40" Music Educator

Becoming the Passionate Black Educator

Written by Kellie B. Gormly on August 13, 2023. Posted in Educator Profiles.

Jasmine M.T. Fripp discovered a singing talent when she was in 4th grade, and she enthusiastically joined choirs at her school and church. Later, she was accepted into an arts-magnet school and performed frequently at events, belting out tunes to audiences. As exciting as it was to sing, Fripp, who is Black, struggled with feeling out of place.

“Whenever I would go to these events, I would rarely see kids who looked like me, let alone music educators who looked like me,” says Fripp, who lives in the Nashville area.

When she was a junior in high school, Fripp had the opportunity to work with Dr. Jeffery Redding, a renowned Black conductor. That is when everything changed.

“Within 30 minutes of working with him, I was in a puddle of tears,” Fripp recalls. “I finally saw me in front of a classroom. He made music so much more than notes on a page — he connected it to my life.”

She made a youthful executive decision: “I’m not only going to become a music educator, but I’m also going to work in schools that have predominantly Black and brown programs.”

That was the birth of what would become Fripp’s professional moniker years later: The Passionate Black Educator, who works to promote anti-racism and music-education opportunities for students of color in schools around the country.

Sharing a Letter and a Cause

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fripp recalled that people had a lot of time to sit down and think about things that no longer served them. After the May 25, 2020, killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers — a tragedy that sparked massive outrage and protests — issues surrounding racism came to the forefront.

“Everyone was saying their piece about how they felt about Black Lives Matter,” Fripp says. “Listening to all the conversations, I felt like my kids were underrepresented. Between my upbringing and my experiences as a music educator — it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Feeling inspired, Fripp wrote a six-page letter called “With Love: Letters to my Fellow White Music Colleagues.” When she posted the writing on Facebook, it went viral, with more than 300 shares. In the letter, Fripp addressed white composers, white choral directors and collegiate music programs at predominantly white institutions. She called them out for mistakes they make, such as white teachers limiting members of a predominantly Black choir to only “Black” songs, which can promote stereotypes.

“The purpose of this status is not to say you, as a white composer/educator, are doing a terrible job,” Fripp wrote in her Facebook post. “The purpose of this status is to acknowledge an issue within our music programs that stems from a long line of systematic racism.”

Soon after her post traveled wide, Fripp was speaking on podcasts and headlining conferences. Additional social media posts followed, and she signed one as “A Passionate Black Educator.” Since then, the name stuck.

Now, in addition to her job as director of choral activities and general music at KIPP Academy Nashville — a public charter school in Tennessee’s capital city — Fripp travels around the country working with colleges, universities, professional organizations and school districts as The Passionate Black Educator. She helps them to implement anti-racist, healing-centered music curriculum. Meanwhile, Fripp has been nominated for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award — in 2022 and 2023. Out of 2,000 nominees each year, she made the top 200.

Creating Anti-Racist Classrooms

Every day, Fripp works to integrate anti-racist principles into her music classes, where she often fuses hip-hop with choral music. She is a big advocate for building relationships with students, and she says that Black kids especially thrive on relationships.

“You would think that this is common among educators but it’s not,” Fripp says. “To me, you can’t teach students without building relationships with them. I always refer to this Theodore Roosevelt quote: ‘No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.’”

Another thing Fripp aims to do for her students is “ensure that they see themselves as beautiful.” She doesn’t limit her repertoire to mainstream pop or classical. She also uses choral music from Africa, written by composers of color.

“I find different ways to show my kids that they belong in music,” Fripp says. “I also use my music to show the educational value in it. … I like showing them that their music is educational — music they like.”

student presentation — Fripp’s daughter, Carmine, during the premier of her song, “Carmine’s Affirmation.”

Another anti-racist practice is allowing students to voice their opinions, even when they differ, Fripp says. “I use student voice and I try to center my students as much as possible, which is an anti-racist tool,” she says. “We don’t necessarily have all the same experiences. My thought process may be a tad bit different.”

Fripp says she often has “family talks” with her students, with an open-door policy for questions and feedback. “To me and multiple music educators, that small gesture alone teaches students to advocate for themselves,” she says.

Outside of nurturing students at KIPP, Fripp enjoys traveling to speak at schools and conferences like the Texas Music Educators Association to help them become more anti-racist in their music education.

“Wherever I’m wanted and needed, I go there, and I impart this information into other educators,” she says. “I don’t keep this information to myself. I also coach them one-on-one when asked to.”

Meaningful Results and Advice

At KIPP, where Fripp is the fifth choir teacher the school hired in as many years, colleagues say they are excited to see students so passionate about choir. “It means a lot to my kids, especially coming from the communities where they live,” she says.

As for teachers outside of her own school, regardless of their race, many have expressed gratitude to Fripp for educating them. “I’m an open resource to them,” she says. “It truly means a lot.”

For fellow Black music teachers, Fripp’s work has been inspiring and given them a voice, she says. “It’s not that Black educators don’t want to speak about the discrimination that they sense within the field of music education, but they are tired of having to have a conversation,” Fripp says.

She offers some tips to fellow music teachers. For people of color, she says, be proactive and speak up about your needs by getting involved with professional organizations and attending board meetings. “Don’t be afraid to use your voice, because you’re giving voice to the voiceless.” Fripp says.

To white teachers who are challenged to make diversity-based changes, she offers this pledge: “It’s uncomfortable, but I promise that this fight for diversity is not about shutting out your values and music.”

Fripp continues, “It’s about including all music so everyone can be seen as beautiful.” Then students can get a “holistic and well-rounded, quality music education.”

Someday, Fripp, who was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40 under 40” music educator, hopes to open her own school of performing arts for mostly Black students and students of color. But she is enjoying her current job and thriving.

“Short term, I just want to become the best educator I can possibly be,” she says. “But eventually I will stand alone and start a business where I hire people of color. Right now, I’m just enjoying the experience of just getting better.”

Top Accessories for Your New Keyboard

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on August 11, 2023. Posted in Gearguide.

So you’ve bought a new piano or digital keyboard. Congratulations! Hopefully you’ll be embarking on a lifetime of joy playing music.

But there are some accessories that can help enhance the experience. Let’s take a look at a few you might consider.

Piano Benches

Do you really need a piano bench? Technically, no — you can of course sit at any chair while enjoying your keyboard (though you should not use one with arms, which may interfere with your playing), but there are many good reasons why a piano bench is preferable. First of all, it encourages proper posture, which is extremely important when it comes to playing keyboards. After all, the more comfortable you are, the more you’ll practice, and the more you practice, the faster you’ll progress in your playing.

A chair also lacks the width of a piano bench, making playing the far ends of the keyboard difficult, especially for children. The compact, foldable Yamaha PKBB1 is an X-style padded bench that is recommended for use with any portable keyboard or synthesizer, while the BB1, with its comfortable padded seat and wooden leg construction, offers sturdy support for hours of playing any kind of keyboard or piano.

PKBB1.

BB1.

Keyboard Stands

Keyboard stands provide an easy way for you to place your instrument at the perfect height for playing, plus they’re foldable and portable. They come in two basic varieties: X-style and Z-style. The Yamaha YKA7500 is a professional double-braced X-style stand that has a telescoping arm and is height-adjustable between 25.2″ and 38.6″, while the PKBZ1 is an ultra-versatile Z-style stand that provides extra support for energetic performances, with width and height adjustments that are independent of one another.

YKA7500 X-style stand.

PKBZ1 Z-style stand.

Pedals and Footswitches

When connected to a digital keyboard or piano, keyboard pedals and footswitches allow you to enhance your performance by bringing your feet into play as well as your fingers. The Yamaha FC7 volume/expression pedal acts as a durable volume control, while the full-size FC4A and compact FC5 footswitches work like an acoustic piano sustain pedal. Note: Not all pedals and footswitches are compatible with all keyboards; check the owners manual for your particular model to find out which ones are.

Carrying Cases

One of the huge advantages of digital keyboards is that they are portable. (Try that with an acoustic piano!) But if you’re planning on taking your instrument anywhere — whether it’s to school, to a rehearsal with your bandmates, or to a live gig — a keyboard case is a must. Yamaha offer a variety of soft cases and keyboard bags that provide all the protection your instrument needs and deserves when it goes on the road with you. Custom sizes are available for various 88-key, 76-key and 61-key synthesizers and portable keyboards: you can find a list here.

MIDI Adapters

The Yamaha UD-BT01 Bluetooth^® wireless MIDI adapter enables simple and easy wireless connection of keyboards with a USB TO HOST terminal to iOS devices and Mac computers, making it possible to use a wide range of music applications for even more enjoyable performing and composing.

UD-BT01 Bluetooth wireless MIDI adapter.

Additional Voices, Styles and Music

Expanded memory is one thing, but how about expanded music? Yamaha keyboards are designed with expansion in mind! From new Voices and Styles to songs and sheet music, you can find everything you need to fully enjoy your instrument in the online Yamaha MusicSoft Downloadables store. For more information about the many options available, check out our blog posting “Expand Your Digital Keyboard, Expand Your Music.”

Visit the Yamaha online store.

5 Ways to be a Team Player

Written by Mark Stanford on August 11, 2023. Posted in Advocacy.

Music education doesn’t happen in a bubble. No matter how masterful we are as music educators, we can’t do it alone. It takes a team.

My fellow music educators have played significant roles in the success of my students and program. Music departments are full of talented teachers and staff who are an incredible bank of content, institutional and instructional knowledge. They can be your biggest cheerleaders, advocates, mentors and when needed, constructive critics. They can pitch in when you need someone to cover a rehearsal or they can submit that important document while you are out sick.

I highly value my music department teammates, but I had to learn how to be an effective member of the team. I had to open my mind to the concept that the success of my colleagues’ programs was just as important as mine. I came to recognize that many stakeholders view the department holistically and the success of any aspect of our music program was a reflection of our team. I learned how much we had to follow the motto of the Three Musketeers: “One for all and all for one.” Most notably, I realized that like most things in life, what we put into the team is what we will get out of it.

Much like a musical ensemble, there are no benchwarmers in a successful music department. Simply being on the team doesn’t make you a team player. True teamwork requires active participation. During my five years of teaching in the Springfield School District in Pennsylvania, I have learned from my colleagues, who modeled how to be a team player. The ideas below have had the most substantial team impact and have personally provided me with an enhanced sense of satisfaction and camaraderie.

I hope these five practical ideas are especially helpful for new music educators or future music educators who don’t get the opportunity to practice teamwork until they are actively teaching.

1. Lend a Hand

One simple and straightforward way to be a great team player is to lend a hand to your colleagues. While all music educators are busy throughout the day, there are lots of little ways we can assist other music teachers in our building and across the district.

When considering how you can lend a hand in your department, assess your strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you have some financial experience, graphic design skills or technology prowess. Consider how you can put those skills to use for the good of your team.

Here are a few ideas:

Cover a rehearsal or class for an absent director/teacher.
Help with photocopying or other administrative work.
Offer to manage the district or building music calendar or budget.
Set up or break down a stage for rehearsal, especially in shared spaces.
Share helpful content such as program templates or parent letters.
Run the district’s music social media accounts.

2. Attend and Assist Your Colleagues’ Concerts

Your presence alone at a concert sends a clear message to your colleagues that you support them, their students and music education as a whole regardless of which ensemble or grade level is performing. Although showing up is meaningful, a great teammate takes it to the next level by assisting their colleagues during those stressful performances.

Here are a few ways you can assist at concerts:

Tune or warm-up performers.
Be a greeter and pass out programs.
Monitor students.
Assist performers in transitioning between the green room and stage.
Help with those inevitable last minute problems: Stuck/misaligned valves, broken reeds, lost music, etc.
Perform with their ensemble! Cover that unfilled part or fill in for a student who is absent.

Attending your colleagues’ performances not only benefits them and their programs, but it can be immensely beneficial to your program. Don’t forget about performances of feeder programs — these are great opportunities to connect with students and parents who you will be looking to recruit for your program in the coming years. If you are attending the performance of former students, isn’t it gratifying to see them joyously succeed in music at a higher level?

Over the past several years, one of the greatest intrinsic benefits of attending performances throughout the district is connecting and advocating with administrators! Take the opportunity to highlight for a principal, superintendent or school board member some of the excellent music learning occurring throughout your district. Mentioning the growth of an ensemble or program is much more impactful to an administrator when the group is sitting on stage with big smiles.

Comments such as “This group performs with excellent dynamic contrast” or “This is a high school level piece that the middle school chorale is performing beautifully” give the administrator specificity to what they are hearing. Such comments also give credence to the music instruction your colleagues are providing in their building. Finally, it can’t go unmentioned that administrators value your presence at performances. Supervisors in just about any field like knowing that their employees work together during critical projects and support one another.

3. Seek Input

Mark Stanford and fellow music educator Kevin Cooper — Mark Stanford (left) with his predecessor, fellow music educator Kevin Cooper.

While attending your colleagues’ performances is a conspicuous way of being a team player, seeking input from them is definitely more subtle. The beauty of seeking input is that you will simultaneously build respect and rapport within your department while getting great advice from your skilled and diverse teammates. When we seek advice, we tacitly send them the message that we value and respect their knowledge and experience as professional music educators. Seeking advice can also open up discussions about pedagogy, philosophy, collaboration and much more. These conversations can be the catalyst for creative innovation and collaboration in your department, which just so happens to be tip #4.

As a high school band director, I find it especially important to make sure that you are seeking input from colleagues who work as a member of your specific ensemble or program, such as assistant directors, associate conductors, color guard instructors or accompanists. Often people outside of music education see these individuals as secondary to the “director,” but we know that these individuals are our equals and peers. Seeking their input and allowing them to be decision makers in your organization will validate their equality as professional musicians and educators. It won’t go unnoticed by students and parents either!

Here are some great opportunities for seeking input:

Repertoire selection.
Curriculum writing and development.
Dealing with a conflict.
A lesson plan or instructional technique.
Asking them to review important documents such as syllabi, handbooks or letters.
Your teaching and pedagogy — consider having them reflect and provide feedback on a lesson or your conducting.

4. Collaborate Creatively

Offering collaboration as part of being a team player is cliche. In fact, suggesting collaboration alone doesn’t offer much value because all educators must collaborate throughout the day to do their jobs. What I’m suggesting is that great teammates collaborate creatively beyond the routine collective tasks and events we do as colleagues.

A great example of this type of collaboration is a recent invitation I received from Mike Trycieckyj,to assist him in hosting a beginner guitar professional development session for our districtwide staff. This invitation brought together two unlikely departmental collaborators — a high school band director and an elementary general music teacher — and it had an amazing impact on music advocacy and appreciation amongst our fellow educators. Creative collaboration usually results in larger scale or unique impactful experiences that we wouldn’t be able to provide without the support of our colleagues.

Here are a few ways you can collaborate creatively:

Host a vertical concert that includes all like ensembles from beginner to high school.
Provide a professional development session with a colleague in your district or at a music educator conference.
Co-host a performance or adjudication for your local or state music educator organization.
Co-write an article with your colleagues for a music educator journal/blog or a district publication.
Co-design and implement a new music program or ensemble for your school. Music technology, modern band and mariachi programs are rapidly growing across the country!

5. Gather with Your Department

The relationships you have with your colleagues matter! Everyone you work with doesn’t need to be a personal friend, but great team players work toward building healthy relationships with their peers. One of the best ways to do this is to gather with your colleagues outside of school. My department meets at least bi-yearly to share in fellowship as a districtwide music educator community.

If your department is holding such events and you aren’t attending, you should! These meetups are a wonderful time to talk shop but they also provide opportunities to get to know who your fellow music educators are on a personal level. At our gatherings, we usually invite former and retired music teachers from the district. I enjoy picking the brains of these knowledgeable and experienced educators. If your department isn’t currently doing anything, this is a great time for you as a team player to organize or host a gathering.

Here are a few ways you can get your team to huddle:

Have a holiday party or meal.
Host a gathering after a community event.
Get reservations for lunch or dinner. Half days are a great time to do lunch!
Have a summer cookout and welcome your colleagues and their families.
Have a game night.
Buy bulk tickets to a sporting event or performance.

Do you have other great ideas about how to be a team player? I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to email me at or write to educators@yamaha.com.

The Importance of Commissioning Music

Written by Brandon J. Duras on August 10, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

As a band kid, I played a lot of music in middle school, high school, community bands and into college. I never thought about how that music came into existence. I simply thought that composers created music and people bought it, sort of like pop artists create music that ultimately gets played on the radio. Sure, that sometimes happens, but I was naive and unaware of this other side of music — the side of commissions.

Embarrassingly, I didn’t learn about commissions until I went to college and met composition majors. People asked these composers to write music for them. What? That can happen?! As I became friends with some composers, I started to think about commissioning. Imagine being able to help my friends do what they love by doing what I love.

I’m now going into my fifth year of teaching, and I have been part of 10 commissions and am working on an 11th. This number will continue to grow because of the experiences and passion that I have developed through commissioning.

Although I am writing about music specifically for band and wind ensemble, everything I discuss applies to commissioning music in any medium, whether it’s jazz band, choir or orchestra. I believe one of our goals as educators is to promote new music and continue to build our repertoire in any and all genres.

Build the Repertoire

In the grand scheme of music history, band music has not been around for very long. By commissioning a new work, you are helping to build the repertoire. Sure, you will be a small splash in the ocean of current and future band music. However, this could be a huge part of your career as a music educator.

Will the piece(s) you commission become a staple in the repertoire and be as monumental as David Maslanka’s “Symphony No. 4” or Omar Thomas’ “Come Sunday”? Honestly, probably not. But don’t let that discourage you from commissioning a piece.

Expand the Canon

It’s no secret that a lot of standard repertoire music is lacking when it comes to composer diversity. This exclusion of historically underrepresented composers has been an issue in programming for centuries. This is something that we now have the opportunity to help correct.

I have heard a lot of music teachers say, “I only program good music.” However, we all know what that means: They only program the status quo because it is too much work to find something else. If this continues to happen, then music as an art form would never advance because people are afraid to challenge what we already know.

Renaissance music theorist, Johannes Tinctoris, wrote that the only music worth listening to is music that has been written within the last 40 years. That would mean that we should no longer listen to and program Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Percy Grainger, etc. Is that what we want? No! However, it is time to promote and commission newer works from new and diverse composers to continue to expand the canon.

Become an Actual Lifelong Learner

One of the most terrifying and equally exciting parts about performing a commission is that you are the first or one of the first groups to perform that piece. It’s exciting because you get to give that piece of music its first breath of life. It’s also terrifying because you’re not sure where to begin.

We have all become familiarized and ultimately decided to program pieces by hearing them being performed or on a recording. We sit down and begin following along with the score mapping out the form, harmonic progression, important musical details, etc. We use available resources by typing in the name of the piece in a search engine followed by the word “analysis” to get all the answers about what is going on. If you say you have never done this, you’re lying.

However, with a commissioned piece, we do not have the resources to do any of that. We might have a MIDI file, but we all know (or at least I hope we do) that MIDI does not compare to a real performance.

Music educators are extremely busy, so the more work someone else does for us, the more convenient it is — but this cannot be the case for a commission (and should not be for our other studying)! Commissioning is an opportunity to challenge yourself to dissect the piece on your own.

As teachers, we often consider ourselves to be lifelong learners, but we continue to teach stuff we already know the answers to. What about actually being a lifelong learner and learning something new? The good part is that if you can’t figure it out, you can just email the composer to ask for help. They can respond; dead composers cannot.

Create for Your Ensemble

It can be very difficult to find a piece of music at a higher grade level without some essential parts for the bassoon, oboe or horn. Perhaps your ensemble is capable of playing at a high level, but your small school program is missing students sitting in those chairs, so you throw that piece aside and are left to program something else.

The beauty of a commission is that it is created for you and your group. It is like that new suit that took the tailor an hour to fit just for you, and when you get the finished product, it fits perfectly — and, boy, do you look good! With a commissioned piece, you can even share it with your colleagues who might have similar instrumentation.

Show What Is Possible

Like I said earlier, I didn’t really know much about composers other than the fact that the ones who wrote the music we performed in high school were all dead. I never really thought about the composer as a resource for a composition or as a collaborative partner for an upcoming performance. While I was in high school, composer Andrew Cote, an alumni of our school, worked with us on a piece he had written called “For Stan.” It was the first time that I felt like I knew a composer (although we wouldn’t really get to know each other until much later as colleagues). Even then, Andy was finishing up his degree at the University of New Hampshire, so I thought composing was just a hobby. Regardless, I felt inspired to go home and download a free version of a notation software to see what I could come up with on my own. Spoiler alert: What I came up with was garbage.

However, the interaction your students can have with a composer could inspire one of them to begin composing, and hopefully they will not write garbage. It might even inspire the right student to see themself reflected in the composer, too.

Give Your Students a Unique Experience

When I was a student at the University of New Hampshire, I had the opportunity to really study the music of one of my professors, Andrew Boysen. The conversations we had about his music and his composition process were very insightful and made the music feel more personal to me. Discussing a piece with the composer gave it life and put a face to the music.

Dr. Boysen has come to Brunswick High School many times to work with my groups, and my students absolutely love it. They are excited to see him and ask questions about his music that we’ve been working on. They are getting to know the person behind the music, which makes it more meaningful to them. As a result, they play better whether they are aware of it or not.

This relationship with the composer is a huge benefit of commissioning. The composer, who has worked on a piece for several months, wants to see it all the way through to a performance. I have had other composers join our rehearsals to talk about their music and work with my students as part of commissions. These composers are excited to work with you — and because they are alive, you don’t need a ouija board to contact them!

Artists Supporting Artists

We are all artists. We know how difficult it can be to make a living by following your passion. Music is an undervalued and underappreciated profession. When you purchase music from a large music distributor, the composer probably is not making that much money from that purchase. I don’t think this is breaking news to anyone.

With commissions, you can instill value in other artists. The composer gets all (or most) of the money from commissions. Sure, you are paying more for a piece of music, but that goes a long way for a composer. Additionally, you are showing your students and community the importance of valuing music, not only as an art form, but as a career. Creating a community that values the work of artists and musicians is important for the growth of your program and our profession as a whole.

What if You Don’t Like the Piece?

As I mentioned before, the piece that you commissioned is new and you don’t know what it sounds like, and that can be a scary feeling when it comes to learning the piece. Once you have an image of the piece in your head from score study, what if you don’t like it? Frankly, you might not, and that’s okay!

Personally, I haven’t had this experience. However, sometimes it can be difficult to get the students to buy into a piece — probably because they can’t find a recording of it. Use this situation as a teaching moment. We have all played music that we didn’t like very much, but we still needed to perform it — and perform it well.

You put in the time and work to understand and develop your own image of the commissioned piece. Your students must do the same as they begin to practice and learn the piece. They may have a different interpretation of their part than you do. You may choose to agree or disagree with them, but they made a thoughtful, musical decision and that’s something to celebrate! You may be nervous about the music that you received, but if you choose a composer who you believe in, that fear will be reduced.

How To Do It

If you have not commissioned a piece before, it could be difficult to figure out where to start. First, find a composer who you believe in and whose music you like. Maybe you already know or admire a composer or you might need to look around and do some more listening. Once you have a composer in mind, reach out to them via email or contact page on their website and inquire about their availability to write a new work (depending on the composer, this could be months or even several years).

I have a few different processes for finding the right composer. My first commission was with a composer named Maddie Stephenson. Her father, James Stephenson, is also a composer whose work I have programmed. He shared Maddie’s “Piano Sonata,” and I became a fan of her writing, so I asked her to write what would be her first band piece. Another commission was through a consortium for composer Paul Cravens, a dear friend who I went to school with.

Commissions are not cheap. They cost from a couple to several thousands of dollars, depending on the composer. If your program or school have the funds to do it on your own, great! If you don’t, look for grants or do some fundraising. If you’re thinking, “There’s no way I can ever afford that,” don’t worry, there are other options!

I have been able to commission so many works in just under five years through both individual commissions and mostly through consortia. Joining a consortium is a great way to commission a work and do it in an affordable way. You can find opportunities to join consortia on social media (especially by the composers who are writing) or through advertisements. If a particular piece fits my programming needs or I liked the idea behind the piece, I would listen to other works by the composer and make a decision on whether to join the corsortia.

As an individual or leader of an ensemble, you would pay a fee to be a part of the consortium to commission a new work by the composer. By joining or leading a consortium, you can get a new piece at a reasonable price! I’ve joined consortiums for as little as $35.

You may also buy in at various levels with different benefits. As a member of the consortium, you typically get your name and ensemble listed in the score, score and parts for the piece and any edits that might be made as performances and editing happen. You’ll also have exclusive rights to the performance of that piece for a year. These are typical benefits for being a consortium member.

You could receive a free meet-and-greet session with the composer and other perks depending on the details of the consortium. Being a lead commissioner on a consortium will come with more benefits and more responsibility. If you are interested in joining a consortium, feel free to email me or write to educators@yamaha.com.

One of my favorite places to find consortia is through an organization called …And We Were Heard. No, I do not receive any kickbacks; this is just a great organization that I believe in. I have also learned about consortium opportunities from friends and colleagues who know that I enjoy commissioning new works. Ask around, get together with a friend and help promote new music!

human brain surrounded by drawings of light bulbs

6 Steps to Incorporate a Growth Mindset in your Classroom

Written by Kellie B. Gormly on August 9, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

During the first week of every school year, Trevor Tran surprises his music students at Fort Myers High School in Southwest Florida with a presentation about a seemingly unrelated topic: the human brain.

“A lot of times with my students, the science thing kind of goes over their heads. It’s a bit too much for them,” Tran says.

When he starts talking about the brain and neurons, students inadvertently protest and say: “This is not biology class. Why are we learning this?”

However, Tran continues and discusses how the brain is very connected to music because it is through the brain that humans learn. Tran — who just finished his fifth year as head of performing arts and director of vocal arts at Fort Myers High — says it is very important that students know how they learn and develop.

He explains, “When I do an activity, my body sends an electric signal up neural pathways to my brain. The first time I do the activity the electric signal goes up a pathway that is weak and narrow. But if I keep doing that activity, eventually that pathway expands. This allows the signal to travel faster, and the activity becomes easier.”

Educator Trevor Tran with two of his students — Educator Trevor Tran (center) with two of his students.

For the students who have trouble understanding, Tran loves this analogy of a forest: “If you come across a wild forest that no one’s really been in and you walk through the forest for the first time, there will be obstacles,” he says. “It’s going to be very difficult to walk through the forest the first time. But if I walk through the forest every day for 30 days — taking the same exact pathway — it gets easier and easier.”

Tran explains that this is how learning music works, too. “When you first pick up your instrument or start to sing, a lot of times it won’t be easy. But the more and more you do it, the more and more adept you get at it,” he says.

“When students understand how they learn and the key role of repetition, then they can apply that to everything,” Tran says. “This gives them the knowledge to unlock their own education.”

Growth Mindset

Tran, who recently left his job to begin a doctoral program in choral conducting at the University of Maryland, uses his presentation on the brain to introduce Growth Mindset, a philosophy created by psychologist Carol Dweck where people believe they can grow their intelligence and abilities. The fixed mindset, by contrast, is the belief that attributes and abilities are unchangeable, and you are born with what you have.

Tran says, “Dweck’s research has found that the more people believe they can change their abilities … they are more able to overcome adversity and have better self-esteem because they believe change and improvement are possible. With Growth Mindset, when people fail, they understand that it’s part of the growth process. When you have a fixed mindset and you start to find failure, it can be very personal. You believe there is no way to change your abilities that led to the failure.”

Tran, who was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educator, offers the following six steps to incorporate a Growth Mindset in your classroom.

1. Prove to students that, yes, our brain and abilities change with repetition.

Tran says, “The discussion of the brain and how people learn helps prove that change and improvement are the result of effort and repetition. When students understand this, they begin to believe that they can get better and that leads to greater intrinsic motivation, self-esteem and perseverance.”

Besides the other examples mentioned previously, Tran also uses a brain study on deaf individuals to show how our brains change. In the study, scientists examined the brains of individuals with and without hearing impairments. The people who were born deaf relied more on their sight than hearing in their daily lives. Through brain scans scientists found that the deaf individuals developed a larger visual cortex than the non-deaf individuals. These scans demonstrate that our brains adapt and accommodate to the senses we use more.

“All these examples provide evidence for our students, and proof is necessary to build a belief in growth,” says Tran.

2. Set goals for your students, which ensures they have something to aim for.

“I always like to think of it as if you’re going on a trip: You want to put the address into your GPS, so you know where you’re going,” Tran says.

He sets goals for students in two ways: 1) broader class or ensemble goals that the kids do together and 2) specific individual goals. Tran recommends looking at your state’s standards as a starting point for your class goals. Those standards can then be broken down to smaller daily or weekly objectives.

For fostering individual student goals, Tran does one-on-one vocal check-ins to work on specific things that might not apply to other students in the class. He analyzes how they have done so far and helps them craft their own set of objectives that they want to achieve.

3. Be diligent in directing students to work hard and practice their music skills consistently.

Sometimes, when Tran leads students in warm-ups at the beginning of class, the students whine: “Do we have to warm up?”

“A lot of times, students don’t yet understand that drive to continually work on something,” Tran says. “The tough part is to be diligent and stick to executing those skills every single day.”

He finds it helpful to mix things up and change the warm-ups regularly and do something a little different that works the same set of skills.

“It keeps them on their toes,” Tran says. “If you do the same warm-up every single day, the students come in and they check out.”

Teachers should differentiate their instruction and remind students that practice is how we get better at building our musical skills, he says.

4. Give feedback that promotes a Growth Mindset and give it in a variety of ways.

“Person” and “Process” feedback are two types of responses that affect mindset. Person feedback says: “You’re a great musician.” which praises the ability. Process feedback, by contrast, acknowledges effort: “You did really well on the solo during the concert because you were practicing that.”

According to Tran, “It’s really important to think about how we give feedback. Are we being specific and are we really praising the effort to promote a Growth Mindset?”

In addition to the type of feedback, educators should also look at different ways to deliver that feedback. For instance, if you’re always verbalizing feedback, you may benefit from modeling the correct sound or using a kinesthetic.

“These days students have attention spans that are shorter because of all the fast changes in the technology they use,” Tran says. “We can find more success by changing how we present the exact same information.”

Additionally, Tran advocates for allowing your students to act on the feedback and practice it multiple times.

“There are rehearsals where you’ll have teachers who will say something, give feedback, and then go to completely different sections and not allow students to try it,” Tran says. “Close that feedback loop. Give them the opportunity to do it correctly and have your students do it again so it’s really ingrained.”

5. Encourage self-assessment in your students

Students should review what they have accomplished and the feedback they have received to assess their performance. When Tran does one-on-one check-ins with students, the rest of the class engages in self-reflection.

Tran boils it down to three simple questions: “Where am I?” “Where do I want to be?” “What do I need to do to get there?” These three questions are a good starting point for reflection.

“It’s also important to ask them to be specific,” he says. “They might say, ‘I improved my breathing.’ I push them to be specific about how they are getting better. Have you improved on your breath energy? Are you better now taking a low breath?”

Another quick way Tran uses self-assessment is by projecting a class goal and asking students how confident they are on a scale of 1 to 5. Based on the answers from the class, he can help the less confident students or even pair the more confident students with the less confident ones.

6. Be consistent with students and continually celebrate their growth and successes.

“Consistency in working on their musical skills and reminding them of their class and individual goals is important. When students achieve those goals, those successes should be celebrated because it helps to take in this idea of growing through effort,” Tran says.

Caring Comes in Many Forms

Written by Don Stinson on August 8, 2023. Posted in Self-Care. 1 Comment on Caring Comes in Many Forms

It stings every time I hear a student say, “Mr. Stinson just doesn’t care about me!”

And hearing it always puts me into a time machine and takes me back to my time as a student. My teachers were tough on me. I thought some were mean. Turns out they were just honest!

I remember lamenting, “My English teacher yelled at me today!”

As I look back, I realize that he never yelled. He just said something I didn’t like.

Teacher Types

Some of your students may need a different delivery style. Perhaps they may benefit from one or a combination of the following archetypes:

The Tough Teacher: This is the teacher who kids dread seeing, but the one they think about when they’re adults. These teachers are like Batman — the hero that they deserved but not the one they thought they needed at the time. As students, we resist these teachers because they take us out of our educational comfort zone. Then one night when we’re in our 20s, 30s, 40s or older, we wake up and think, “They were right.”

The Friendly Teacher: These teachers just know how to connect with kids. They greet everyone with a smile and usually stay upbeat no matter what. They truly listen to kids, but they aren’t pushovers. Their genuine interest in what activities a student participates in or what video games they are into provides an avenue into building a positive classroom culture that promotes learning.

The Proactive Teacher: The ability to see the future comes with responsibility, but it can also eliminate some stressful situations. Proactive teachers thrive on preventive maintenance. They have experienced some things or witnessed others’ experiences, and they provide guidance and maintenance based on what could happen with certain decisions. At the same time, they still encourage students to make their own choices. This teacher works extremely well when paired with a sage/mentor type.

The Reactive Teacher: The go-with-the-flow teacher allows students to have certain experiences that won’t completely break them but that will bend them a little bit. These teachers then react to the situation. The best of them slow down, determine if something is actually an emergency or not, and then make their decisions to the best of their ability. Their classrooms are often spontaneous and lend themselves to a lot of surprise learning that is remembered for years.

The Involved Guide: These teachers often can relate to a specific student. That particular student often becomes magnetically attached to this teacher and looks to them for guidance in many areas of his/her life.

The Sage or Mentor: You know these teachers — the ones who drop in with a one liner that you’ll never forget. Sages are similar to the tough teacher, but their timing is impeccable. They have an air of mystery — you don’t interact with them a lot, but when you do, you know something impactful is about to happen. Some of the most profound advice and teachings I have received were from people I rarely saw.

The Relator: Understanding what someone is going through and relating to them can be a powerful way to let people know that they are not alone. However, we must be careful to not completely negate their experience. There is a fine line between relating to someone to let them know that you understand and support them, and marginalizing their experience. The relator is there to let kids know that they are not alone. These teachers do a great job of packaging significant experiences into easily digestible segments that can help guide a student through tough times. These educators let their students know that teachers are human, too, and can help out with situations outside of reading, writing and arithmetic.

The Authoritarian: Authortiy is not a bad word. Authoritarian teachers care by showing students that rules and discipline can make a positive difference in one’s life. These teachers can be similar to the tough teacher but may have a less personalized approach through utilizing consistent routines, structures and methods in their teaching. The authoritarian cares by showing students that consistent expectations apply to everyone, but behind the scenes, they carefully craft goals that their students can achieve.

How Do We Care?

In recent years, we’ve had a much-needed push toward being kinder — this is great! However, I’ve noticed that some people begin confuse kindness with being unable to deliver direct feedback when needed. As teachers, we can be just as concerned with being fair and insistent as we are with being kind or nice.

When we’re kind, we show concern for others’ feelings and different situations. Yet, we can also do our students justice (and show kindness) by working to get the best out of them. In other words, I can be kind but that doesn’t mean I let students take advantage of systems or not allow them to reach their full potential.

Here are some ways to show students that we care:

by checking in with them, but also not letting them use excuses for working hard.
by not letting them settle for their very least.
by insisting that they show up on time.
by treating them fairly, but also explaining that the world won’t always do the same.
by not moving obstacles in their way; rather, by helping them build the tools to go around, over or even to destroy those obstacles. Eventually, we want students to welcome that obstacle, befriend it and understand that the obstacle is a gift.
by helping them see that if we say yes to their request to be late or receive special treatment, we may be saying no to everyone else.
by making challenging decisions that do not make sense right now, but that they will hopefully appreciate later.

More than Just a Note

Several years ago, I started writing a personal note on the concert program for each student. I originally did this for retention; I thought if I was nice to the kids, they’d stay in band. I took the concert programs home, wrote a note to each student, and handed them out on the day of the concert. These were simple notes:

“Bobby — good luck today! I’ve enjoyed hearing your progress!”
“Maria — you’re why everyone wants to play bassoon. Thanks for being a great role model!”

The first year I wrote these notes, I had 40 students in the band. The next year, I had 75, and eventually, I had 120. At this point, I was looking forward to not writing these notes anymore. Two days before our first concert, a freshman band member came to me after rehearsal and said, “Mr. Stinson, I can’t wait to see what you write on my concert program! We kept hearing in junior high that everyone gets one!”

I smiled through gritted teeth and said, “Just wait and see!” I loaded a box of programs into my car and spent the better part of the night writing out programs with the TV on in the background. Years later, these personal notes have become a tradition that I’ve carried to each school for each performance. At the very least, it’s a small gesture to show students that their time is appreciated. At most, it might be the only note of encouragement that some of our students get. Most of them take the programs home or keep them in their folders. A few end up on the floor after the concert, but I hope the message came across authentically.

Teacher time-saving trick: A bonus is that you can combine handing out these programs and taking attendance for the concert. We always think of those time-savers!

I’ve talked with some students after they graduated from high school, and most have brought up these program notes. Turned out, the notes encouraged participation, fostered growth and even stopped a few kids from quitting school music. One student was planning to leave band and do something else for her senior year. I wrote in the May concert program that I enjoyed working with her and hoped that she would come back for some alumni events. I truly meant this message. After the concert, she was bawling and asked if we still had a spot for her the next year. Of course, we did.

Showing Care While Being Direct

It’s OK to be direct, provided that we are fair and not belittling anyone. I work mainly with students from low-income families. Since I grew up in a similiar situation, I am perfectly comfortable using my “street cred” with my students. I know that I can be more direct with some students as opposed to others. This is where relationships and knowledge of students are key to effective instructional delivery.

Think about some of your band members and how they would best react to feedback. Maybe they work best when they are not called out directly: “Someone in the clarinet section is playing sharp. Make sure to lower your tongue a little bit.”

Others may require another approach. A statement like “I think there is something off with the clarinet intonation in measure 21” with a look in the general direction may get the job done.

And some students may appreciate a direct and succinct approach. “Laura, you’re sharp. Please fix this.” This is direct but polite and shows that we trust Laura to get the job done.

I was once accused of not caring about some students because I was too tough on them. I took this to heart and changed to this tiered approach.

Balance

Most of us operate primarily within our personality type. But sometimes, it helps to stray a little bit. For example, the overly caring teacher who occasionally has to be firm sends a message that yes, they are usually patient but that doesn’t mean you can treat them poorly.

Conversely, the stern and tough teacher who occasionally opens up and offers a glimpse into the puppy dogs and rainbows that are really in their soul can also show kids the balance and different sides that we all have. Too much of one style can become ineffective.

What Not Caring Looks Like

It might help if we take a look at situations where we’re apathetic about something small. For example, if you see a candy wrapper on the floor of your school’s hallway and don’t pick it up, what message are you sending?

You don’t care about cleanliness.
You think that someone else should have picked it up and thrown it away.
It’s someone else’s job.

In my music classroom, a small example of not caring might be hearing a passage played with incorrect articulation and not addressing it. A significant example might be encouraging a student to drop your class because he or she is just too difficult to work with.

Other examples may have a more layered effect. If we don’t care about poor behavior, then we may be sending a message that we don’t care about the kids who are contributing positively. These students may then wonder what’s the point in contributing to a system that may end up having diminishing returns.

You might be thinking, “So, Don, you expect me to care about fixing every fine detail, keep kids in music who want to quit, and also pick up trash?”

Not exactly.

You only have so much energy, and being pulled in too many directions can get you to the point where you’re not caring about yourself as much as you should. I offer these suggestions about caring as merely points to think about.

When I think about the teachers who cared about me when I was a teenager, I realized that they didn’t just care about their students. They also cared about their space, their presentation and the messages they sent. I regularly reflect on the mistakes I’ve made to help me focus on where my care goes because care and kindness go a long way.

Top 10 MIDI Songs for Yamaha Keyboards

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on August 4, 2023. Posted in Gearguide.

Beyond the sheer joy of playing a musical instrument, digital keyboards offer an extra bonus: the ability to act as a backing band by playing prerecorded versions of your favorite tunes via special data files called MIDI songs.

MIDI songs offer several important advantages over audio recordings. For one thing, you can freely change their key and/or tempo without affecting sound quality — in fact, you can even freely change the instrumentation! You can also turn tracks on and off to create your own custom “minus-one” versions, making it easy to hear and learn each individual component. It’s a terrific live performance feature, too, since it allows you to do “break-downs” with the push of a button. MIDI songs are also much, much smaller than audio versions, meaning that you can typically load many of them into even those instruments that have limited memory capacity.

All current Yamaha digital keyboards and digital pianos, as well as Yamaha arranger workstations and synthesizers, have the ability to play back MIDI songs, and you can find literally hundreds of them available for instant download at the Yamaha online store.

On that same website, you’ll also find specialized You Are The Artist collections that have been created to take advantage of some of the very best sounds in selected Yamaha keyboards, called Yamaha XG voices. These voices are incredibly realistic, and are showcased in the arrangements. You Are The Artist titles also include sheet music (which can be purchased separately or as part of the package) so you can follow along and learn how to play the song yourself.

Here are the top 10 MIDI songs and You Are The Artist titles for Yamaha keyboards.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody

Whether you’re familiar with this mega-hit by the group Queen from the movie Wayne’s World or you remember the original release from back in 1975, this six-minute-plus suite (written by the group’s prolific lead singer Freddie Mercury) brought operatic sensibilities to hard rock. An unlikely pairing, to be sure … but it works! Download the You Are The Artist version here. It’s also available as a MIDI song in the We Are the Champions (Music Made Famous By Queen) PianoSoft collection.

2. A Whiter Shade of Pale

One of the anthems of the 1967 Summer of Love, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was one of the most commercially successful singles of all time and has become an enduring classic, with more than a thousand known cover versions by other artists. Its unforgettable Bach-derived organ lick and rousing chorus are guaranteed to bring you back to a bygone era! Download it here.

3. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)

Performed and co-written by Christopher Cross, this Oscar^®– and Golden Globe^®-winning song served as the main theme for the 1981 film Arthur, starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. The catchy “caught between the moon and New York City” lyric was inspired when co-writer Peter Allen’s plane was placed in a holding pattern during a night arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Download it here.

4. Bad Moon Rising

This Creedence Clearwater Revival mega-hit has been recorded by at least 20 different artists, in styles ranging from folk to reggae to psychedelic rock. The song is characterized by its upbeat tempo and catchy melody, but due to singer John Fogerty’s quirky delivery, the lyric in the chorus is often misinterpreted. Trust us: There is no “bathroom on the right”! Download it here.

5. Blinding Lights

If you’ve heard “Blinding Lights” many, many times, it should come as no surprise: This 2020 release by Canadian singer the Weeknd is one of the most-streamed songs of all time, earning 2.72 billion subscription stream equivalents globally, including some 1.6 billion on Spotify^® alone. A controversy was sparked when, despite the song’s massive success, the Weeknd received no Grammy^® nominations that year. Download it here. (You Are The Artist version available here.)

6. Brown Eyed Girl

This mega-hit by Irish soul singer Van Morrison dominated the charts in 1967 despite the fact that the song’s nostalgic lyrics about a former love were considered too suggestive at the time to be played on radio. Today, of course, it is a staple in the repertoire of many singers and is regularly played by oldies and classic rock radio stations. Download it here.

7. Last Christmas

Would it be the holidays without this chestnut? The original 1984 single from the British pop duo Wham! was written and produced by George Michael, who also played every instrument on the track. The song has since been covered by artists such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Jimmy Eat World and Backstreet Boys. Download it here. (You Are The Artist version available here.)

8. (Everything I Do) I Do It for You

This power ballad, sung and co-written by Bryan Adams, was made famous as part of the soundtrack of the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The song enjoyed special success in the United Kingdom, where it spent sixteen consecutive weeks at number one — the longest uninterrupted run for a single ever. Download it here.

9. Shallow

This song plays a major role in the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born, where it’s performed no less than three times by Lady Gaga and co-star Bradley Cooper — most notably before a live audience at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. “Shallow” would go on to win Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song, as well as garnering four Grammy nominations. Download the You Are The Artist version here. It’s also available as a MIDI song in the Hit Chart Songs of 2018-2019 PianoSoft collection.

10. Careless Whisper

Another hit song from Wham!, this 1984 release features a catchy saxophone riff that’s often used as an internet meme — something that’s given it increased popularity on social media in recent years. Nine different sax players were hired and fired in the course of the recording before session player Steve Gregory finally delivered a performance that satisfied George Michael. Download it here.

Ready to learn more about these and other great downloadables? Check out our online store.

Gillian Desmarais taking selfie in class

Music Tech Series, Part 1: Getting Started Teaching the DAW

Written by Gillian Desmarais on July 31, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

At a steady rate, music technology continues to change the landscape of the music industry at large. With professional music equipment and software becoming more affordable every day, musicians are turning toward low-cost gear for recording and composing. Now musicians can create high quality songs on their own schedule and share it with others online, without record company contracts or expensive studio sessions.

With more than 60,000 songs released on Spotify daily, self-publishing is another low-cost option for serious musicians hoping to reach large audiences on top streaming platforms. These small investments have landed big wins for artists like Billie Eilish, Steve Lacy, Calvin Harris and Nosaj Thing who all recorded hit songs from their DIY bedroom studios. Today, young music students have already had access to some of these tools before beginning formal music education. It’s clear to see how music education should also transform with the rise of these new technologies.

The Enrollment Dilemma

classroom for music tech — Students using web-app Solfeg.io to learn note reading.

According to a study from the Arts Education Data Project, out of the 92% of students who have access to music in their schools, only about 49% are participating. There’s no doubt that music education positively impacts millions of students, but the impact could be greater. With almost half of our students lacking a formal music education, it warrants a conversation about what we can do to provide more opportunities for our students.

With music enrollment significantly dropping between 7th and 8th grade, course options are also an important topic of conversation. “The Status of Music Education in US Public Schools,” a survey administered by The Give A Note Foundation, determined that the most common course offerings, making up 75% of the total, were “traditional ensembles of band, chorus, and orchestra.” The other 25% or less were listed as “expanded, non-traditional offerings [including] guitar, music appreciation, music theory, and keyboard.”

It’s important to note that these traditional music classes are an essential part of the foundation of music education as they continue to support students’ social-emotional and cognitive growth. However, students who are late to joining traditional ensembles can sometimes feel discouraged to stay if they lack formal training. Similarly, students who play non-traditional music on popular music instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass, synthesizer and drum set can also struggle to find their place in band, choir and orchestra.

So, where do we go from here? With lower enrollment numbers and minimal variety in class offerings, it’s worth considering how we can begin to innovate our traditional ensembles and music course options to provide more opportunities for students. With more than 90% of middle and high school students and 84% of elementary students having access to a school-issued device since 2020, music technology is a great and easy place to start.

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The DAW Advantage

music technology class — Students using Google’s interactive turntable to learn about hip hop and writing beats.

Music educators Will Kuhn and Ethan Hein, authors of “Electronic Music School,” emphasize that “digital audio production gives us an unprecedented opportunity to support students in active, culturally authentic music-making, regardless of their level of pre-existing ability.”

As most students in traditional ensembles are expected to have previous musical experience on an instrument, students using digital audio workstations (DAW) can begin learning at any age, with little to no music experience required.

Students using a DAW can also exercise “multiple types of musical skills.” Peter R. Webster defines these skills as “enabling skills” in which students exercise various levels of convergent and divergent thinking. As students occupy multiple roles in the music-making process, they are learning to become a “hyphenated musician,” a term coined by Even Tobias. Reflective of “how DAWs enable one musician to occupy multiple roles,” hyphenated musicians are commonplace in the industry from songwriter-instrumentalists like Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift to instrumentalist-composer-producers like Imogen Heap and Calvin Harris.

two students working at DAWs — Students using Ableton Live and grid MIDI controllers to edit samples and add plugins.

Today, having access to a DAW is as easy as searching for a website. Some free or low-cost web-based DAWs are great for students who want to access their music projects anywhere. Students can also collaborate with other classmates in the same project and record using USB MIDI devices like keyboards or grid controllers in the DAW. Teachers also have their own set of functions for assigning project templates through their LMS for grading, project feedback and portfolio building.

Professional software DAWs like Cubase are great secondary grade level options, as they host a variety of advanced features, sound engines, audio/MIDI effects and customizable settings. Consider both web-based and software DAWs in your search for the best workstation for your classroom.

Developing a Music Tech Curriculum

When choosing a music technology curriculum, it’s important to consider the musical interests of your students. If they are learning how to create music they identify with and enjoy, they will relish the learning process and will be motivated to work through difficult challenges. Karen Brennan, a professor at Harvard University, writes, “Music education will be most engaging and meaningful when the teaching strategies support students’ agency in their own learning.”

Giving students the ability to define their own learning goals allows them to take ownership of the learning process and connect to each project in a meaningful way.

Figures 1 and 2 are examples of a sequence and unit outline for teaching secondary level music technology (though it can be adapted for primary grades). Based on state and national music standards, as well as the hybrid learning model, this curriculum engages students in project and inquiry-based learning through a variety of multi-skill building activities. The six objectives are ear training, music history and listening, musical style and techniques, timbres and stylistic arranging, electronic composition and performance, and proficiency and project assessment outlined below.

unit sequence of music tech curriculum — Figure 1: Unit sequence for music technology curriculum.

As students progress through each unit, they learn important facts about each genre, unique stylistic elements and techniques for recreating the style in the DAW. The unit sequence can be repeated for every applicable genre. Recommended genres include rock, jazz, pop, classical, hip hop and country, but it’s appropriate to select genres based on available technologies/instruments and your students’ areas of interest.

Toward the end of the school year, students will select a genre and build a showcase project based on the techniques and skills they have learned. The showcase project can be independent or collaborative. These projects can be shared online, played at a school event or featured at a school art festival or music concert.

unit outline for music tech curriculum — Figure 2: Unit outline for music technology curriculum.

Necessary Tech and Tools

Technologies and tools are essential components of this curriculum. Be sure to determine what technologies are already available at your school, then consider the following as you continue to build your equipment list. The first tier outlines the basic technologies required for students to participate. Additional tiers include more advanced tools for professional recording and music production.

Extra headphone splitters, USB cables, XLR cables and quarter-inch headphone adapters are also handy to have in the classroom. If you are looking for an easier alternative for a microphone setup, USB microphones are also a great option. Though the sound quality may not be as high as a traditional mic, they still are feasible for vocal and instrumental recording.

Having an isolated practice room or space in the classroom for more professional recording is always a treat for students who like to stay after class and record music. To create this, add an additional computer setup with an interface, headphones, microphone stand, condenser mic and pop filter. Most of these recording technologies can be purchased as a bundle online for a discounted rate. Adding a microphone isolation shield or acoustic paneling can also help reduce unwanted noise and soundwave reflections. An unused classroom partition can be an inexpensive solution for this as well. Here is an example of a low-cost set-up for a classroom DIY recording studio.

In this article series we will continue to explore more lessons within elementary music technology, middle school and high school music production. We will also cover important aspects of an interdisciplinary curriculum including essential objectives, technology tips and trademark stages of learning. Stay tuned!

Putting Power into Students’ Hands

Written by Savy Leiser on July 31, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

Band members at York Middle School in South Carolina wear more hats than just one that reads “student.” They’re also leaders, critique partners and sometimes even each other’s teachers. Director of Bands Dylan Sims introduces the students to leadership through a method called Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR), which slowly gives students more control and leadership over the band ensemble as the school year unfolds.

“[GRR allows] students to take ownership of their learning, as opposed to the teacher lecturing or telling them what’s wrong,” says Sims. “Students develop critical thinking skills to analyze their performance. That way, they can make intelligent musical decisions about how to improve on an individual and on an ensemble level.”

Foundations of Feedback

Sims first encountered GRR as a pedagogy during his college years, and then began developing his approach more with each teaching job. “I was a super nerd in college, so I read everything I could get my hands on,” he says with a laugh.

While Sims has incorporated GRR into every teaching job that he has had — including learning from his superiors when his second school implemented GRR on a district-wide level — Sims has found that in the post-COVID world, GRR is especially important. “Coming out of COVID, kids are at varying levels of social-emotional growth,” he says. “Putting the power in the students’ hands to take ownership of their learning is vital.”

At the core of GRR is feedback. During the course of the school year, students gradually become more responsible for critiquing themselves and one another. When the school year begins, Sims will have students play a piece of music and then he will play back a recording while they listen. Then, he and the students make a list on the board together of what they did well and where they have room for improvement.

“Younger students, who are developing musicians, are not always listening when they’re playing,” Sims says.

Helping students listen and play simultaneously is the first step.

Then, Sims prompts students to brainstorm strategies for improvement. “We open the conversation with, ‘What can you do as an individual to improve?’” says Sims, citing examples like using more air and remembering to tune during warmups. “I focus on the individual first. Then, we talk about students within [each] section,” he says.

Throughout the first month of the school year, Sims guides his students to make their own comments during warmup time, slowly moving from the individual to the section and finally to the ensemble as a whole.

Once students have mastered analyzing their own performances during warmup, Sims starts letting them guide exercises in method books. Here, transfer of knowledge is key. Students learn to apply their critiques from the warmup to their analysis of the actual rehearsal. “Sometimes, kids will get stumped,” he says. “I can ask leading questions like, ‘During the warmup, you said tuning was an issue. What did we do during the warmup?’ And then [they fix it] almost immediately.”

As the school year progresses, students gain the ability to identify their strengths and weaknesses on their own. “I really think it is important for students to be able to think for themselves and to make their own decisions,” Sims says. “Students are bright — they can think intelligently as long as you give them some parameters.”

By the end of the school year, Sims trusts his students to run most of their class and rehearsal time efficiently. “If I’m ever out sick or at a conference, students can run the class on their own and still get a lot done,” he says.

Teamwork Makes the Music Work

The GRR method works best when students can trust and rely on each other for valuable feedback and direction. This fosters a team environment, which is key, according to Sims. “I tell the kids all the time, whenever you’re in band and playing music together, it’s ‘we’ and ‘us,’ not ‘I’ and ‘me,’” he says.

Sims rotates which students he assigns as leaders during each rehearsal, providing all students with an equal opportunity to give and receive feedback.

Because some students are more comfortable in front of a crowd than others, this approach can sometimes pose challenges. “You always have the go-getters in every ensemble,” Sims says. “In order to get everyone on the same comfort level, I’ll often pair a timid student who may not feel comfortable speaking publicly with a more outgoing student.”

Forming students into pairs or small teams can be an effective way to assuage any discomfort. “Usually, everyone feels comfortable in a group for the most part, especially at the middle school level,” Sims, who was recognized as a 2023 Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educator, says.

Maturity and Motivation

Middle school students are often in a developmental stage that blends high energy with social uncertainty. To keep his classroom running efficiently, Sims sets high expectations for his students’ maturity level. “Depending on the kid or the age level, sometimes it takes a little while to teach the maturity behind making intelligent musical comments,” Sims says. “Some students have a tough time either giving constructive criticism or receiving it.”

Because many young teens can be sensitive, Sims stresses the importance of keeping feedback constructive and focused on improvement. “We have a talk: ‘Just because it says on the board that flutes are out of balance, that doesn’t mean what you’re doing is bad. It just means that what you’re doing could be improved to make us better,’” he says.

At the beginning of class, Sims sets an expectation that students will behave like adults during rehearsal. “I tell kids, ‘I get it. None of you have ever had a big-person job before. When you get in my room, for 44 minutes, you are on the clock.’”

To help keep students focused, Sims assigns a “weekly sheet” that they keep on their music stands next to their music. Students are expected to write down the comments they receive from one another on their weekly sheets. “They’re constantly engaged when I’m saying something or a commenter is saying something,” Sims says.

Building the Band

According to Sims, students begin to show their maturity as they understand their role as members of the band rather than just as individual performers. As a result, he builds time into class periods for students to bond. “At the beginning of class, I’ll say, ‘Turn to the people on your left and right and ask them what they’re having for lunch today,’” Sims says. “At the end of class, I’ll say, ‘You have to fist bump three people on your way out the door.”

By making an intentional effort to engage students with one another, Sims breaks down typical preteen cliques, helps students come out of their shells and builds the band into a cohesive unit. “What’s awesome is, whenever kids come into the band room for the first time, they’re all in these little friend groups,” Sims says. “As the year progresses, you’ll see them with a different group.”

For Sims, GRR isn’t just about helping students improve musically; it’s an approach that teaches students self-reliance and teamwork, and it’s an approach that students can apply in their other areas of study as well. “I’ve not only incorporated this into band, but also tell students, ‘You can do this literally anywhere,’” he says.

When students learn to take ownership of their education and trust one another as peers, the classroom also becomes a more welcoming place for diversity and inclusion. For example, when students have to discuss the ways they can improve their musicianship, they learn conflict resolution and find common ground. “We’ll have these conversations like, ‘Hey, there are 92 of us in here,” Sims says. “We’re all different people with different backgrounds, yet all of us came to the decision that these were the things that are great and these weren’t.”

Whether it’s gradual improvement on a particular piece of music, or an overall sense of teamwork and camaraderie, Sims says that GRR is helping his students develop both as musicians and as people. “I am proud that I’ve been able to instill those values in my students, especially in the last couple of years,” he says.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, Sims moved to Gold Hill Middle School in Fort Mill, South Carolina, as the Associate Director of Bands.

A Brief History of Yamaha Electric Bass Guitars

Written by E.E. Bradman on July 28, 2023. Posted in Bass, Guitar History.

Since the 1960s, the first great era of popularity for the electric bass, Yamaha has set a high standard for technical achievement and exceptional quality. Revisiting their history in that field gives us a fascinating peek at the whimsical 1960s, the heady ’70s, the wild ’80s, the solid ’90s and the innovations of the 21st century … and each new decade found the company pushing the envelope.

Let’s take a look at the long and exciting history of Yamaha electric basses.

FLYING SAMURAIS AND SUPER BASSES

Yamaha bass designs were distinctive right from the start. The company’s first electric basses were the Solid Bass Series, also known as the Flying Samurais, which included the SB-2a, released in 1966, as well as the SB-5a and SB-7a.

The SA-70 hollow-body soon followed, as did the SB-1c (the so-called “Flying Banana” bass) and the SB-30.

The late-’60s offerings from Yamaha set the company apart, but the 1970s established the template moving forward. Although the Super Bass SB-55 and SB-500 models put a distinctive stamp on a familiar body shape and the SA-70 evolved into the SA-75, the biggest cause for celebration was the 1977 birth of the Broad Bass (“BB”) 1200, a neck-through 4-string with a set of noise-canceling humbucking pickups. It also “reversed” the humbuckers by placing the pickup for the E and A strings closer to the bridge for more articulation, and the one for the D and G strings closer to the neck for more bottom.

The early Broad Bass family included bolt-ons (the BB800, BB1000, BBVI and short-scale BBVIs), as well as neck-throughs like the BB2000. Like the BB1200, this had reverse humbuckers (as shown in the photo below) but was the first Yamaha bass to add a single-coil pickup to noise-canceling humbuckers (commonly known as a “P+J” configuration).

ROCKIN’ IN MOTION

When we think of the ’80s, we think of in-your-face style, and the Yamaha basses of the era fit the mold perfectly. Besides updating 1970s models like the Super Bass, Yamaha released the very first mass-production 5-string, the BB5000, in 1984. The company also offered active versions of that model, as well as the BB1100, BB1200 and BB3000. Other members of the ’80s BB family included the BB1600, BB300, BBIV and BBVII, as well as the BB350 and the fretless BB350F. Short-scale versions of some of these were also available, designated with an ‘s’ in the model number. The BBVII-A featured “soapbar” pickups, but many of the other BBs were available with standard or reverse-P pickups.

But it wasn’t just about Broad Basses. Yamaha Motion Basses, introduced halfway through the decade, are quintessentially ’80s, and there was no shortage of variation. The MB-I, MB-II, MB-IIIPJ, MB-IIIR, MB-50, MB-55, MB-65 and MB-75 were all cool and different, and the MB-III, MB-IIR and LB II models were especially eye-catching.

The Solid Bass flavor, represented by the Pulser Bass PB400 and the JB500R, seem somewhat conservative next to the hair-metal-ready RBX Series basses, the EBX-1 and the headless and compact BX-1. Many of these instruments featured cutting-edge options, including active or passive circuitry, a variety of pickup configurations and the choice of 4-string, 5-string, fretted, fretless and left-handed versions. And then there was the APX-B12F acoustic fretless 4-string — a bass that proved perfect for MTV Unplugged.

CONTINUED GROWTH

In the 1990s, the BB family continued to grow with the BBG4 models and the BBX (a bolt-on version of the neck-through BB3000), but the decade belonged to immensely popular bassists who began long-term relationships with Yamaha. The Attitude Billy Sheehan Signature 4-string, unveiled in 1990, made a mass production instrument from Sheehan’s radically modded 4-string. The TRB line, introduced in 1991 as an upscale departure from the Broad Bass line, became a bedrock of the Yamaha bass brand and included the company’s first 6-string basses — the Custom and the TRB-6P — as well as the TRB-JP John Patitucci Signature model in 1994. A year later, Yamaha released the BBNE Nathan East 5-string. All three offered an exceptionally wide variety of tonalities, and it’s a testament to the company that each of these renowned artists (and updated versions of their signature basses) are still part of the Yamaha family.

BIRTH OF A NEW MILLENIUM

The new millennium found Yamaha looking both forward and backward. The SBV500, SBV550, SBVJ1 and ultra-rare BJ-5B (an SBV with TRB II electronics) were celebrated revivals of the company’s Solid Bass models from the late ’60s, while the semi-hollow BEX-4 was a cousin to the SB-30.

At the beginning of the decade, the company’s only current Broad Bass models were the BB3000 and BB3000MA (maple neck) Michael Anthony Signature instruments, joined a couple of years later by the BB714BS Billy Sheehan model, the BB404/405, BB414/415, BB605 and BB614/615, as well as the BB2004/2005. A new naming scheme, still in place today, matched the last digit of a model name to its number of strings: The BB2004 was a 4-string, the BB2005 a 5-string, and the TRB1006 and 1006J were 6-strings.

One of the company’s best-known innovations from this period was the SLB100 SILENT Bass™, which used a hollow body with a resonating chamber to conjure the sound and feel of an upright bass. This innovative product (marketed in the U.S. as the SVB100) is still available today, along with the limited-edition pro-level SLB-200LTD.

By the start of the 2010s, the BB Series was back in full swing. From budget-conscious to upscale, these included the BB424/425, the BB1024/1025 and the BB2024/2025, as well as “X” versions outfitted with pickguards, metal knobs and metal control plates. (Photos and specs of these can be found here.)

New pickguard options also became available, and Yamaha Guitar Development, the company’s custom shop, birthed next-level creations for artists like Robby Takac’s relic’d short-scale BB414s, Billy Sheehan’s Acrylic Bass with LEDs and a Dreamcar BB bass for Tony Kanal. In addition, TRBX basses, an update of the classic TRB line, debuted with the 300 Series and the 500 Series.

The biggest news, however, was the Broad Bass update in 2017. Award-winning designer Piotr Stolarski’s remix of the classic BB shape boasts a more comfortable contour, lighter weight, a revamped design that makes it easier to switch pickups, and a six-bolt neck joint for enhanced stability.

CURRENT BASSES

As Yamaha approaches the 60th anniversary of its first basses, the company’s current lineup has something for everyone. The updated entry-level RBX Series, though recently discontinued, still provides a great way to start playing bass, and the SILENT Bass (used by artists such as Nathan East, Chris Minh Doky, Kenny Davis, Jim Widner and Charley Sabatino) is now in its third iteration. The TRBX line continues to thrive with a family of its own, from the 174EW 4-string and the slightly pricier 204 and 304 (and 305 5-string) to the upscale 504 and 505 and the fancier 604FM and 605FM.

The BB line has expanded to add the Pro Series (which includes the BBP34 and BBP35 models), the 700 Series (BB734A and BB735A), the 400 Series (BB434, maple-neck BB434M and BB435) and the entry-level 200 Series (BB234 and BB235). Peter Hook, who made magic with a BB1200 back in the ’80s, worked closely with Yamaha designers to create the BBPH Signature model.

The Attitude 30th Anniversary celebrates Billy Sheehan’s deep ties with Yamaha, while the Nathan East and John Patitucci Signature basses (newly updated and refined to comprise the 5-string BBNE2 and 6-string TRBJP2, respectively) will hit the three-decade mark in 2024.

There are diehard fans and avid collectors of Yamaha basses of every era. You’ll find plenty of information about all these models on forums like Talkbass.com, along with tons of YouTube videos that allow you to hear pretty much every bass described here. Whether you get the itch to own a vintage or current model, a visit to your local music store or an online retailer website is all it takes to find a Yamaha bass to call your own.

Check out our companion blog “A Brief History of Yamaha Guitars.”

A Guide to Parent Resources for Beginning Band and Orchestra

Written by Dale Ramirez on July 26, 2023. Posted in Parents.

By joining school band or orchestra, your child will make fast friends and learn to work as part of a team. For many children, the music classroom serves as their first introduction to playing an instrument. It is an exciting, challenging and beneficial endeavor that has been shown to increase confidence, decrease stress and improve cognitive function. For parents who come from musical backgrounds, it can be an easy transition, but what about those who grew up without music in their lives?

For many parents who are new to the world of music, when your child says, “I want to play violin,” the next steps may not be clear. And with all the other classes they’re taking, navigating through all your child’s needs can become a bit overwhelming. Often times, frustration can act as a deterrent to involving your children in music. Endless questions arise: How old does my child have to be to start? Will they need an instrument? How much will it cost? Can we rent at first? Where do I get the instrument from? How do I encourage musicality in a child with exceptional needs?

Whether your child joins music class, band or orchestra, there are some things to consider. If you’re new to the world of music or have questions, Yamaha has answers.

WHAT TYPE OF INSTRUMENT SHOULD MY CHILD PLAY?

Ultimately, your child should play the instrument that they will enjoy the most. He or she may have the opportunity to explore different instruments at school before making a final decision, or the band director may also assign a particular instrument to them.

Once your child has decided what instrument they’ll be playing, the next step is to find a great instrument that suits the player’s needs and level. Yamaha is able to provide the highest quality instruments for musicians at all levels. The company’s standard models are recommended for beginning band and orchestra students. As your child’s skills grow, Yamaha has the products to help them continue their musical progress.

To learn about how to choose the right instrument, check out the Band Instruments for Music Students and Student Violins, Violas and Cellos websites described below.

Winds and Percussion: Band Instruments for Music Students

This website is for parents who are ready to jump into band as a school activity for their children. If your child has been showing an interest in the flute or the saxophone, or any of the instruments that show up in the band room (percussion included), this is a great place to hear from band students, learn about renting versus purchasing an instrument, gain information about the different instruments in a band room, and find your local authorized dealer.

Strings: Student Violins, Violas and Cellos

This site is designed for parents of a child that’s been itching to play in the school orchestra and bring out their inner violinist. Find tips on what to look for in a new instrument as well as the best options for beginners. There is also a tool for you to enter your zip code and find the nearest authorized dealer. This can assist you in finding the instrument you’re looking for, including information on renting.

The Road Ahead

Hopefully the musical road ahead for your child is long and fulfilling, and one that leads them to come to know music as a central part of who they are. There are many ways to start making music and the resources in the websites listed above intersect with where Yamaha has particular expertise.

School is a great place for your child to learn more about themselves and others, but if they find that they want to explore more musical styles, play the songs they like, or even grow a little bit faster than the pace of the school classroom, private or group lessons are a great place for them to thrive and grow individually. Your local dealer and your child’s band or orchestra teacher can help you find someone in your area to help your student grow. Remember, there are many ways to make music!

Click here if you’re the parent of a new band student.

Click here if you’re the parent of a new orchestra student.

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Basic Piano Chords for Beginners, Part 1

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on July 25, 2023. Posted in Keyboard How-to. 1 Comment on Basic Piano Chords for Beginners, Part 1

One of the wonderful things about playing the piano (or any keyboard) is that you can play multiple notes at the same time, making the music sound full and rich. When you play three (or more) notes at the same time they are called chords. There are many different types of chords, each having their own recognizable sound. Let’s learn the four most common ones and how to play them.

Where Do Chords Come From?

Most music is based on a key center, or key signature. This indicates the scale used for the note choices. When you play a note of the scale along with the third note and the fifth note above it at the same time, a three-note chord called a triad is formed.

For example, here are the triads you can create in a C major scale, which uses only the white notes of a keyboard, with no sharps or flats (black notes). The “m” after some of these triads is short for minor; the “dim” is short for diminished — more about both of these shortly.

As you can hear, not all of these chords sound alike. That’s because the distance between the stacked notes is not always the same. If you count the adjacent black and white notes (the half steps) between each stacked note, you’ll find that some are four notes away, others are only three. Half steps help us to understand how the four main chord types are constructed.

The Four Main Three-Note Chord Types

The first (and probably most-used) chord type has just three notes and is called a Major triad: it is labeled as just a letter when using chord symbols. (That’s the “C” above the notation in this example.)

As you can see in the keyboard illustration below, the Major triad has four half steps between the lowest note (the root) and the middle note (the interval known as the third), with three half steps between the middle note and the highest note (the interval known as the fifth). This is usually played with your thumb (1) on the lowest note, your middle finger (3) on the middle note, and your pinky (5) on the highest note.

Keyboard graphic displaying finger placement.

If you lower the middle note by a half step, you get a minor triad. In a chord symbol, it is indicated by adding a lower-case “m” — in this case, the “Cm” above the notation.

A minor triad has three half steps between the root and the middle note (the interval known as the minor third), and four half steps between the middle note and the highest note. Again, this is usually played with the thumb, middle finger and pinky.

When you take a Major triad and raise the top note by a half step, you get an augmented triad, which has four half steps between each of the three notes. The chord symbol for this type of triad often uses the abbreviation “aug,” or will use the letter followed by a plus sign (C+).

These are also usually played with the thumb, middle finger and pinky.

The last chord type is called a diminished triad. It has three half steps between each of the notes: you take a Major triad and lower the middle and top notes each by a half step to form it. The chord symbol will either abbreviate the word diminished to “dim,” or will use a small circle, like C°.

It’s usually easier to play the middle note of a diminished triad with your index finger (2) and the highest note with your ring finger (4).

Here are the four chord types in the key of C:

As you can hear, they all sound quite different! Many people commonly describe the Major triad as sounding open, happy, and at rest. The minor triad is a bit moody and has a sadder quality. The augmented triad has a more exotic sound, and the diminished triad has a somewhat dissonant, unsettled quality to it. Spend time playing these four chord types formed on each note on the keyboard, and be sure to play them higher and lower on the keyboard to get your ear acquainted with their tonality.

You should also learn how to play these chords with the notes rearranged in a different order; these are called inversions. For example, instead of C-E-G, move the C to the top of the stack so you are playing E-G-C. Then do this again, so you are now playing G-C-E. Do this for all four chord qualities, as shown below, using these suggested fingerings. (Add the root note in octaves with your left hand so you clearly hear that they remain a C type of chord.)

Four-Note Chord Types

If you stack one more note on top of a triad (skipping a note in-between) you get what are called seventh chords. Here are those chords as built up on the C major scale:

What you don’t see in this example are any augmented or diminished chords. This requires a little explanation.

The chord built on the fifth step of the scale (in this case, G) is called a dominant seventh (in the chord symbol, shown in this case as G7) and when you raise the third note up from the bottom (D to D# in this case) it becomes a G seventh with an augmented, or raised, fifth (with the chord symbol G7aug, or sometimes G7#5). In many pop and show tunes, this chord is often used as an intro, followed by the root tone chord of the key (in this case, a C major chord).

The chord built on the seventh step of the scale, which was a diminished chord in our triad example, here becomes a minor-seventh with a flatted fifth (also called a half-diminished seventh chord, with the chord symbol, in this case, shown as Bm7♭5). If you lower the top note of the chord by a half step, it then becomes the fully diminished seventh chord (in this case, with the chord symbol Bdim7, also notated as B°7).

Here’s how this all sounds:

As before, you should also learn to play the inversions of these chords by moving the lowest note of the chord to the top, as shown in the illustration below, which again includes suggested fingerings.

In Part 2, we’ll show you how to recognize these basic chords in popular songs.

All audio examples played on a Yamaha P-515

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

Top Tips for Playing in Your First Band

Written by Jake Uitti on July 21, 2023. Posted in Winds How-to.

Joining your first band is a momentous occasion! I should know; I joined mine some 15 years ago and it’s given me a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet people, make friends and have fun.

But while playing in a band can be exhilarating, it can also be daunting. There are plenty of responsibilities to consider, like finding time to practice, communicating with bandmates, studying music, contributing new ideas, and improving your technique. Whether it’s school orchestra, jazz band or ensemble, or just a bunch of friends that you want to share mutual musical interests with, here are some helpful tips to get things started right.

LISTEN CLOSELY

A boy playing guitar, a girl playing violin and a boy playing keyboard onstage.

Respectful collaboration is about give-and-take. When you’re a member of a band, it’s as important to listen to what your fellow bandmates are doing as it is to offer your own musical ideas. Playing music with others is about blending together. It’s about creating something where the sum of the parts is greater than the individuals. To achieve this, you must listen closely to one another. A band achieves greatness in unison. Each member has their role in making the piece of music you’re playing come to life, in making the song sing.

BE VERSATILE … AND BE PREPARED

Being in a musical group means being prepared. This requires study at home, from listening to a lot of different kinds of music to practicing your instrument. While it’s expected for a heavy metal player to know how to play power chords, it’s an added bonus if they also know how to play a jazz scale or a hip-hop beat. Versatility adds value, so it’s important to prioritize developing it. This gives yourself, and your band, multiple paths to success.

TAKE ON A LEADERSHIP ROLE IF NECESSARY

A group of band students listening to one of the band members in the rehearsal room.

Every band needs someone to set the tone, offer a vision and provide ways to execute it. But being a bandleader is a lot like being the president of the United States. You don’t do much unilaterally. You have a cabinet, constituents, people you listen to and trust. One day, you might have what seems like a good idea. But if the group isn’t on board, then you might have to adjust your strategy. Just as in collaboration, leadership requires lots of listening.

You may even need to take on the role of music director from time to time. For example, you may bring a new song or arrangement to the group. As the other players feel out their parts, you may offer advice on what works and what does not work. That’s fine, as long as you do so respectfully, but you need to be open to what others bring to the table too. You can push for a certain direction, but always make sure you keep an openness to other ideas. Consideration is the lifeblood of a band.

KEEP IMPROVING!

Being in a band is ultimately about improvement. No one is a finished product when they begin any endeavor, so it’s important to take risks and push yourself. The rehearsal room is the perfect place for this kind of work. Experiment, play around, feel free to be silly, try out odd cover tunes. It may seem scary at first, but it can also be the most rewarding part of being in a band. Let yourself be open to these experiences. That’s how you and the group will grow.

INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENT TIPS

The above advice will help any musician get off on the right foot when playing in their first band, but here’s some specialized information for those playing particular instruments.

Winds: Trumpets, saxophones, trombones and flutes have long played a major role in myriad soul, blues, pop and rap songs. In those genres, wind instruments can act as either soloists or “backup singers,” providing everything from lilting lead melodies to rhythmic stabs. For that reason, it’s important for wind players to be able to both fit in and to lead at a moment’s notice. If you’re part of a wind section, it’s especially important to have your rhythmic chops down, as the whole idea is for the section to sound like one massive instrument, not a group of individual instruments.

Strings: The same holds true for string sections. Learn to follow your fellow violinists, violists, cellists and bassists. Again, the goal is to sound like one instrument. If you stick out here because you’re coming in early or late, or because you’re holding notes longer or shorter than the others in your ensemble, or because your tuning or intonation isn’t spot-on, you’re not being a team player.

Keyboards: For keyboard players, versatility is crucial. At any given moment, a song may call for twinkling melodies with the right hand or booming octaves with the left hand. (Or both at the same time!) You may be asked to play anything from rapid arpeggios to accentuating chords, or to open a song with operatic poise, or close it with rollicking barrelhouse. A lot is expected, so you must be a kind of musical chameleon.

Guitar: Guitar players should pride themselves on mastery of scales and tonalities just as much as they do on their agility and musical instincts. It may be tempting to show off your abilities, but it’s important for guitarists to be team players too. For example, if you’re playing electric guitar, keep those amp levels down so you don’t overpower your fellow bandmembers.

Bass: The bass player’s job is to bolster the rhythm and underpin the melody. But the trick is to do it subtly. The best basslines are often the ones that audiences feel as much as hear — the notes that hit in the gut. Paradoxically, though, this can make the bass line almost unnoticeable, like a ghost passing through. It’s a tricky balance, but one that can be maintained with a keen ear and an innate rhythmic sense that allows the bassist to lock in with the drummer. And as with guitar players, a bass player must be adept at scales too, since basslines depend on them.

Drums: Needless to say, when it comes to playing drums in a band, keeping accurate time is the top priority. But a sense of drama is also helpful. A drummer should always be looking for places to play tight, tasty fills or highlight musical accents with monumental cymbal crashes. While it’s true that if a drummer’s time falls apart, the band is sure to follow, it’s also true that if the drummer isn’t having fun, no one else will. So let the kit groove!

@yamahamusicusa Are you thinking like a pro musician?? #MusiciansOfTikTok #POVBand #BandPracticeTips #YamahaMusic ♬ original sound – Yamaha Music

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Off the Page, Part 1: Bring Creativity into the Band Room

Written by Bob Habersat on July 20, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

There are three National Association for Music Education (NAfME) standards for ensembles: create, perform and respond. Ensemble directors spend a great deal of time on the last two elements but sometimes overlook the first. How can we teach our students to create when we are bound to the concert cycle, differentiating for varying abilities and dealing with recruitment/retention issues? By incorporating off-the-page playing techniques inspired by chordal instrumentalists, music production and pop music, we can infuse creativity into the band room while developing our students’ independent musical thinking skills.

One of my favorite things to do as a guitar player is to jam with a good rhythm section, playing my part in the harmonic and rhythmic groove patchwork with musicians who listen and adapt to each other in real time. Usually what I’m playing isn’t written on a page (hence, the term “off-the-page”), it’s improvised based off a set of chord changes in a particular style. Sometimes these changes are written down on a lead sheet and sometimes they are memorized.

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Playing off the page and applying musical principles in real time are not only fun, they allow me to see into the thought process of the arranger and composer. They also give me insight into how notes function against other parts. This type of thinking/playing isn’t just for chordal players in a rhythm section, it can be done by monophonic instruments as well. Second line, jazz and horn players in top-level commercial music ensembles do this all the time, sometimes improvising chordal parts together at the gig.

One of the ways that I’ve changed the game for my ensemble is to focus on off-the-page playing using pop music. This type of teaching allows my students to learn pop music at a fast pace in a manner that’s authentic to the style. There are times when we pick tunes two weeks before a pop concert, arrange them together and have our peak performance on the stage. This pacing might be anxiety provoking and is probably not for everyone, but some of the methodology can help augment what you are already doing in the band room, assist with retention and boost recruitment.

This is a two-part series. This first article is focused on teaching drums, bass and chordal playing. In the next article, I’ll talk about melody and arranging.

Here we go!

1. Drumming

Surprisingly, the first step involves incorporating a drum set into the classroom. All my students learn how to play it because it helps develop rhythmic intent and improves timing. To provide this experience without managing multiple drum kits, introduce key drumming. Students use their phones or district-issued 1:1 devices to trigger drum sounds using free apps or websites like Soundtrap. With a little practice, students can play a basic drum groove with their thumbs or fingers. Incorporating key drumming regularly allows students to develop dexterity and play different drum grooves along with student-selected music, enabling them to share their interests with the rest of the band. Since a drum groove typically consists of three basic instruments (bass, kick and hi-hat), it’s easy to start improvising drum grooves and reproduce the sounds that students imagine in their heads during performances.

Here’s a simple tutorial on playing the basic backbeat groove. Students can access Soundtrap’s studio from their devices.

Have a section or two keep time for the rest of the band by key drumming during warmups.
Use a volunteer key drummer to play time over traditional band repertoire for fun.
Host an electronic drum circle where students play over a track that doesn’t have drums.

2. Bass Lines and Numbers Charts

To encourage students to think about chords while playing, it’s crucial to help them transition from solely reading music notation to a more chordal approach. One engaging way to start is to have students play bass lines to lead sheets. In a lead sheet, chord symbols indicate the letter name and quality of the chord written above a melody line or slashes to indicate changes in musical time. In a numbers chart, Roman numerals are used instead of letter names to represent chord locations within a scale. This approach is particularly helpful in a band setting with transposing instruments and allows students to process theoretical information while performing in musical time.

Begin by presenting a short chord progression on the board, identifying the concert key, and writing down the scales for each transposing instrument family. Alternatively, students can copy the scale down with Roman numerals on their own paper for quick reference. Play the root notes of the chords as sustained tones with a drum groove or metronome.

To make this exercise more fun and musical, use a Roman numeral lead sheet of a popular song in Noteflight, Dorico or another notation software, syncing the audio to the original recording. This synchronization allows students to hear the original song while the cursor moves through the score. You can also display the chord progression and structure on the board and play the original recording using a streaming service like YouTube or Spotify. This approach helps students think about musical form while playing root notes.

To expand this activity, instruct students to listen to the kick drum rhythm in the recorded track. They should match the rhythm of the kick with the start of their root notes, simulating the role of a real bass player. This exercise trains students to listen to music in a new and unique way while applying their knowledge of scales.

CHECK IT OUT: The YTR-2330 Bb Trumpet for Your Classroom

Challenge your students by introducing chord progressions in different keys. Initially, provide scales as references, gradually removing them to promote independent thinking. The ultimate goal is to make students comfortable with thinking about scales mentally. To ensure they’re not playing by ear, ask them to vocalize the letter names of the roots aloud.

Finally, encourage jam sessions where an individual or section plays a drum groove while others play the bass. If a guitar or keyboard is available, invite students to fill out the sound by playing chords. Encourage students to sing the melodies of pop tunes as well because this will normalize singing in class, and it will allow you to create a full pop ensemble.

Here are some pop tune progressions.

3. Arpeggiate Chords

The next step in getting students off the page is to get them to play chords in root position. Show students how to spell chords relative to the major scale by finding the chord root (same as the letter name of the chord) and counting up to find the required chord tones. Give students a chance to write down the letter names of the chord spellings when they start this. I find it best to have students write the letter names on lined paper first, instead of on the staff. If they write them on the staff, they will read the notes and shift their focus and thinking back to notation auto-pilot.

Arpeggiate the chord tones to a chord progression written in numbers by playing each chord tone as a quarter note followed by a beat of rest in a measure of 4/4. Slowly take off the training wheels by getting students to play their arpeggios without writing down notes. Tell them to think about the scale as a virtual number line and visualize the skipping of notes across the number line to help them remember. Again, check their understanding by having them say the letter names of the chord spellings out loud.

Make it musical by playing along with student-selected music using an audio synced score or by writing down the progressions for song sections on the board. Because students know how to play bass, give some sections the role of bass player while the rest of the group arpeggiates. Target specific chord tones for different sections to play through the progression: flutes can play all the thirds, trombones can play all the sevenths and so on. You are going to end up with some wacky, unbalanced sounds, but that’s not the point here. It’s all about gaining comfort in thinking chordally and getting students more adept at thinking off the page.

Check out this video on chord spelling relative to the scale.

4. Voice Leading

Once students are comfortable playing and spelling chords, they are ready to voice lead. My rules for voice leading are that each voice (bottom, middle or top) should either stay on the same pitch or move up or down by one note when going from chord to chord. Show examples of voice leading on the board written out using letters.

Have students complete exercises for voice leading chord tones in a progression at the beginning of class as a bell ringer. Once they can do the music math, they are ready to play.

Assign different sections to play either the bottom, middle or top voice of a chord. You can also have students count off by threes and assign voices within sections.

Play each chord in a progression and hold for pitch accuracy, tuning and balance. Once the chords are solidified, play them in musical time by using a metronome, a drum machine or by having someone play key drums. If the band is playing the progression of a song, have them play along with the original recording. Have a section play bass, get a student to play key drums, have a volunteer sing and put it all together. Now we are cookin’!

Here is a worksheet on voice leading.

5. Harmonic Texture

There are different roles that chordal instruments play such as pads (long chords), punches (short chords) and ostinatos (repeated rhythmic figures). These types of chordal accompaniments are layered to create different densities of harmonic texture. In pop music, the texture changes during repeated song sections. For example, the first verse of a song might only have a pad being played on a keyboard instrument, while the second verse might add an acoustic guitar playing an ostinato.

Teach students to hear these chordal rhythms by listening to tunes together and having them identify which instruments are playing the different rhythmic roles. It’s also important to mention the ranges that these instruments use when playing. If two instruments play the same rhythmic role in a similar range, the sound is muddy and lacks definition.

Get students to play different textures by starting with pads and punches. Write a rhythm on the board or play a rhythm on your instrument and have the band use that rhythm to play chords with voice leading. You’ll be surprised at how awesome this can sound! Because everyone is playing the same rhythm, prompt them to play it as one by paying attention to how the note is started, the air envelope used for the sustain, and how and when the note is released. Have students experiment with dynamics and timbre when playing pads and punches.

To get students playing ostinatos, write an arpeggio pattern on the board using B for bottom, M for middle and T for top voice. Stick to one rhythm and let the students work out the sequence. For some instruments, they might have to navigate through awkward fingerings or positions that they are not used to. You might end up running into range considerations as well. It’s totally fine for students to take a note or two down the octave. Not all parts of the chord need to be used when playing chordal parts.

Experiment with using just the outer voices — the bottom two voices or the top two voices, which all have different sounds. Alternate between two voices in an ostinato to create a bit more movement to a texture or throw out voice leading altogether and use just the bottom and top voice to make power chords.

Layer different chordal rhythm roles to create different densities of texture. It’s fun directing a group like this because you are actually using your students like a DAW! Give your students that power by forming small groups and having them come up with their own chordal parts to a chord progression. Allow students to plan their parts by writing down a narrative of their chordal texture and give them time to practice. Add a bass player, a drummer and a vocalist and they can play in small bands. If the bass player is playing a strong repeated pattern that starts on beat one of every measure and at least one chordal part is playing a rhythm around beats two and four (or beat three for half time) they won’t even need a drummer.

By allowing students to play this way, members of the band can interface with traditional repertoire in a new way. They will be able to point out chord tones in their part, identify the types of texture that the band is playing, and make connections between the music they listen to and the music that is played in band class. After all, the V chord is made up of the same notes for Beiber as it is for Brahms. Have fun with it and give you and your students grace during the implementation of some of these methods.

Use students’ new abilities to create chordal and bass parts to play arrangements in pep band or in small groups before a concert. Have them arrange a tune for a recruitment tour at a middle school or reach out to some guitar players and vocalists (chances are you have a few at your school) and put together a commercial music group. You will be amazed at what students can achieve when creativity is added to the classroom.

Stay tuned for part 2, where we’ll explore melody, harmonizing and arranging.

The materials and methodologies shown in this blog are available in shedthemusic’s Rewire Theory curriculum. Click here to learn more.

Yamaha NAMM 2023 Recap

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on July 20, 2023. Posted in Gearguide.

For those who don’t know about NAMM, it’s the longest-running musical instrument trade show in the world, now going into its 122nd year. This past April, Yamaha debuted an array of new products at the show and hosted a star-studded cast of live performers. Here’s a look at what we had going on this year.

Exterior of Anaheim Convention Center with NAMM Show signage.

The Yamaha Exhibit

This is the second year that Yamaha has been at its third floor location at the Anaheim Convention Center, after previously being in the adjacent Marriott Hotel.

The Yamaha exhibit at NAMM featured a central stage that hosted artist performances throughout the show, with each instrument category represented in the outer perimeter. People could walk about freely and try out different instruments while Yamaha Artists were playing on the stage.

View of busy convention center as seen from above.

Product Areas

The Winds area included standout trumpets from Yamaha, such as the new YTR Series Xeno models.

Wall panel with "Trumpets" sign and instruments hanging.

The Percussion area featured orchestral timpani that people could try out. Lots of attendees were having fun using the foot pedals to change the pitch of the drums while playing!

Display with two timpani drums in front of signage.

The Strings area featured acoustic instruments as well as electric and SILENT™ violins, violas, cellos and basses.

View of busy convention floor from above.

Performances

In addition to showcasing products, the Yamaha exhibit area also provided attendees with a great opportunity to enjoy a variety of performances from many talented artists. The new FG9 acoustic guitar, for example, was launched to the sounds of Jordan Tice and Jake Eddy trading bluegrass licks.

Keyboardist and Yamaha Artist Dan Rouse brought the audience to their feet with an improvised jam that featured people in the audience playing various Yamaha instruments, all grooving together to create a vibe.

@yamahamusicusa What happens when you have a crowd of musicians and a room full of instruments? @Dan #YamahaMusic #YamahaArtist #DanRouse #jambandmusic ♬ original sound – Yamaha Music

Yamaha Artist Grace Kelly was rocking on her Yamaha saxophone, getting the people on their feet.

Yamaha Artist Dr. P. Blake Cooper played a fun and inspiring set on tuba.

And legendary keyboardist Greg Phillinganes — one of the latest additions to the roster of Yamaha Artists — had the show floor packed for his band’s performance.

Yamaha product specialist Craig Knudsen demoed the new CVP-909 Clavinova digital piano.

And Yamaha Japan’s own CEO Tak Nakata strummed the new FG9.

Last but not least, the band Lawrence closed out the show on the Grand Plaza stage with a standout set of pure positive energy.

Here’s a quick video recap of Yamaha at the 2023 NAMM show:

Hope to see you there next year, Jan 24 – 28, 2024, at the Anaheim Convention Center!

Construction worker in foreground with his back to camera looking towards convention center.

Special thanks to the crews, setup staff and other unsung heroes that help make Yamaha and NAMM happen every year.

Seven of the Most-Sampled Songs to Listen to on Vinyl

Written by Sarah Jones on July 20, 2023. Posted in Vinyl.

From subtle homages to bold reinterpretations, samples have formed the foundation of hip-hop and left an indelible imprint across a spectrum of musical genres ranging from pop to EDM.

These iconic grooves have the power to transcend their origins, often eclipsing the songs they were derived from. But listening to the original records on vinyl elevates the authenticity of the experience, inviting a deeper exploration of these timeless tracks through their warm analog textures. Join us on a sonic journey that bridges the past and present by putting the spotlight on seven iconic sampled songs.

1. “Think (About It)” — Lyn Collins

Nobody alive in 1988 could escape the infectious Whoo! Yeah! groove that propelled hip-hop duo Rob Base and DJ EZ-Rock’s party anthem “It Takes Two.” The bedrock of that colossal hit was a sample of Lyn Collins’ “Think (About It),” written and produced by James Brown to showcase his 24-year-old protégé, whose vocal swagger had earned her the nickname “The Female Preacher.” The motif, which lays down some deep funk thanks to the contributions of Brown’s backing band, the J.B.s., is featured on more than 3,000 songs by artists ranging from Snoop Dogg to Janet Jackson to REM. You can hear the track in its original analog glory on widely available pressings of the 1972 full-length vinyl record of the same name, which serves up a satisfying mix of Brown-penned hits and soul covers.

2. “Change the Beat (Female Version)” — Beside/Fab 5 Freddy

“Ahhhhhhh, fressshhhhh!” Those two words define the sound of the scratch. They come from the line “Ah, this stuff is really fresh!” which closes out an alternate take of Fab 5 Freddy’s 1982 hit “Change the Beat,” performed in French by female rapper Beside. (Rumor has it that those iconic words are the voice of Roger Trilling, album producer Bill Laswell’s manager, who spoke the phrase into a vocoder as he poked fun at a label executive.) A year after the track was released, Herbie Hancock wove the scratch into his MTV-ready hit “Rockit”; the sampled and scratched words can be heard in classics like Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full,” Macklemore and Lewis’ “Thrift Shop,” and more than two thousand more songs by the likes of Missy Elliot, Bad Bunny and Justin Bieber. Celluloid Records released a digitally restored 12-inch in 2011; if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a copy, don’t let it go!

3. “When the Levee Breaks” — Led Zeppelin

With their vast vault of monster guitar and drum riffs, Led Zeppelin’s influence on hip hop and R&B cannot be understated. “When the Levee Breaks,” from Zep’s untitled fourth album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV, is the band’s most sampled song, thanks to the legendary work of drummer John Bonham. On the 1968 sessions for the track — a reworking of a 1929 blues song by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy — producer Glyn Johns set Bonham up in the lobby of Headley Grange, an old stone working house. Johns hung mics a few floors up to capture reverberant sound, added a delay unit, and let the drummer rip … and a bombastic groove was born. “When the Levee Breaks” provides the thundering backbone for hundreds of songs, from the Beastie Boys’ “Rhymin’ and Stealin’” to Eminem’s “Kim” to the Beyoncé and Jack White collaboration “Don’t Hurt Yourself.” Led Zeppelin IV is a must-own for any rock vinyl fan, featuring some of the band’s best-known songs including “Black Dog,” and “Battle of Evermore” and the perennial “Stairway to Heaven.” Numerous pressings are available, including a very cool, widely available six-disc collector’s edition.

4. “Cola Bottle Baby” — Edwin Birdsong

You might not have heard of Edwin Birdsong, but you definitely know his tune “Cola Bottle Baby.” The song, featured on the keyboardist’s self-titled 1979 album, never saw chart success at the time, but found new life decades later as the heart of two huge hits. Tapping the track’s futuristic funky sound, French electronic duo Daft Punk used it as the basis for their 2001 floor filler “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” That track was then sampled by Kanye West on his blockbuster hit “Stronger” in 2007, bringing the work of both Daft Punk and Birdsong to even wider audiences while serving as a testament to the quirky groove’s staying power. While rare vinyl copies of Edwin Birdsong emerge from time to time, in 2016, Big Break Records released a luscious re-issue of the original full-length, remastered for a fuller, louder pressing and featuring five bonus tracks.

5. “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” — Bob James

For decades, Yamaha Artist and jazz fusion great Bob James’ catalog has been mined by artists and producers seeking fresh beats, with tracks like “Nautilus” and “Angela (Theme from Taxi)” playing an outsize role in shaping the sounds of hip-hop. “Take Me to the Mardi Gras,” from Bob James’ iconic 1975 album Two, opens with a four-measure bell-and-drum pattern that has become one of hip hop’s most foundational breakbeats. To create the groove for the track — itself a cover of Paul Simon’s song of the same name — percussionist Ralph McDonald laid an agogô rhythm over Andrew Smith’s jazz-funk drum pattern. The break was famously popularized by Grandmaster Flash on his 1986 track “Freelance,” but those bells eventually found their way into hundreds of iconic Golden Age hip hop tracks, including Run-DMC’s “Peter Piper,” N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” and Eric B. & Rakim’s “Don’t Sweat the Technique.” Two, recorded and mastered by engineering legend Rudy van Gelder, is an audiophile’s dream; seek out a ’70s or ’80s pressing for the most pristine sound.

6. “Walk on the Wild Side” — Lou Reed

You know it when you hear it: the iconic bassline of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” transformed into the smooth, infectious rhythm of a hip hop masterpiece. For “Can I Kick It?,” the third single off A Tribe Called Quest’s 1990 debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, the pioneering foursome took Herbie Flowers’ sleek bass line — which was doubled on Fender electric bass and acoustic double bass — and layered it with a drum sample from Lonnie Smith’s “Spinning Wheel” to form the melodic glue of a new classic. You can hear the original “Wild Side” on Reed’s 1972 release Transformer; produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson (father of producer Mark Ronson) and skillfully recorded by Bowie (and Beatles) engineer Ken Scott, the album is a joy to experience on vinyl, particularly on 180-gram pressings by the Speakers Corner audiophile label.

7. “Amen, Brother” — Winston Brothers

What do N.W.A., David Bowie, The Prodigy, Skrillex and Janet Jackson have in common? Musically, not a lot … with the exception of one iconic drum break. The “Amen Break,” as it’s come to be called, is from an obscure track called “Amen, Brother,” a B-side to the 1969 Grammy^®-winning single “Color Him Father” by The Winstons. This seven-second break just might be the most sampled track in history, defining the sound of drum and bass and jungle and appearing in a staggering 6,153 songs, according to WhoSampled.com. It’s even integrated into the theme songs for shows like Futurama and The Powerpuff Girls. Although various pressings of the “Amen, Brother” single can be sourced, look for Soul Jazz’s 2022 remastered release of the Winstons album Color Him Father, featuring a gorgeous reproduction design and four bonus tracks.

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The Highs and Lows of Life On Tour

Written by Steve La Cerra on July 19, 2023. Posted in Drums How-to.

Playing drums on a tour can be an amazing experience, but it does have ups and downs. Here are some things to consider before you hop on that tour bus.

Plan for The Gig

Successful tours start with careful planning, so before you hit the road, be sure you’re ready — not just in terms of your playing skills, but logistically as well.

One of the most important issues in touring at any level is knowing what gear to take along for the ride. While it would be nice to bring a ten-piece drum set with two kick drums and a dozen cymbals, it may not be practical, especially when you’re in a “support” act (an act that performs before the headliner). Bring only as much gear as you need to get the job done (such as, for example, a five-piece Yamaha Stage Custom Birch drum set), keeping in mind that some of the greatest drummers (Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, John Bonham and Ringo Starr, to name just a few) played small kits.

Five piece drum kit. — *A five-piece drum set will get the job done most of the time.*

If the music you’re playing requires a wide variety of drum and percussion sounds, consider augmenting your acoustic drum set with a few electronic drum pads and an electronic drum module, which can add hundreds of sounds to your palette.

Test Case

Transporting your drums in cases is a must. Drum bags are adequate for small tours where you’ll handle your own gear, but hard plastic or road cases offer more protection, which is especially important in situations where stagehands will be loading your gear. Unfortunately, hard cases also take up more space and may not fit in a passenger car. To ensure your tour kicks off to a smooth start, do a test run with empty cases in advance.

Pool your resources by having a few band members ride in a van with the gear while the rest ride together in another vehicle. When your band starts making money, you can look into the possibility of hiring a “bandwagon” or a tour bus pulling a trailer.

Expect the Unexpected

When creating your “pack list,” don’t forget spares for mission-critical items such as drum sticks, bass and snare drum heads and a bass drum pedal. Pack a small toolbox with common tools plus drum keys, felts, extra tension rods, snare cord or tape, gels for reducing ring, and maybe an extra T-rod and claw for the bass drum.

Closeup of inside of drum parts toolkit. — *A spare parts box can be worth its weight in gold.*

The Show Must Go On

Stuff happens, as the saying goes, but there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of a show-stopping failure. Impact pads extend the life of a bass drum head, but it’s also a good idea to carry a patch pad (readily available at your nearest drum store or online) that can get you up and running quickly in the event that the bass drum head breaks during a show.

Closeup of item. — *An impact pad extends the life of a bass drum head.*

The cord that holds the snare wire can also break under stress from hard hitters, but many snare throwoffs will accept tape or ribbon in place of cord — either of which is much less likely to break.

Closeup of ribbon in place. — *Ribbon holds these snare wires on.*

It’s also a good idea to consider bringing an extra snare drum on tour. This will enable you to quickly swap out a broken one until you have time to make repairs.

Ask the Right Questions

The day-of-show schedule is an important aspect of touring, and is part of the “advance” that happens via phone or email long before show day.

Here are the important questions to ask before each show:

What time are you expected for load-in?
Where can you park your vehicles?
Will you have stagehands to load in/out and help set up?
Are you using any house gear (drums, amps, PA, etc.)?
How much time will you have to set up your gear and sound check?
What is your set length and start time?
Is there an area where you can set up your gear while other artists are working onstage?
Will you have a dressing room?

Plan to arrive at the venue early — but not too early, because you don’t want to be in the way of other acts (a half-hour is sufficient). If you’re in the support band and the headliner allows you on stage while they’re working, be respectful by not making any noise until they’re finished with sound check. Nothing is better than talking shop with musicians you admire, but don’t act star-struck. If you’re lucky enough to have a drum tech, show them how you want your kit set, then use memory locks on the hardware where possible to ensure consistency from day to day.

Sound Check Etiquette

A little bit of courtesy to the house crew at a venue goes a long way. Introduce yourself and make sure that the engineers have your stage plot and input list. They’ll inform you when and where to set your gear onstage, and will tell you when they’re ready to check mics and dial in your monitors. Remember to stay focused on the task at hand; the less distracting noise you make, the faster you’ll be dialed in.

When sound check is over, you may have some down time. If you plan to eat a meal before the show, keep it light so that you’re not dragging through the set, or eat after the show. Try to find a space where you can set a practice pad, warm up, and get into “show mode.”

The Best Part of The Day

Without a doubt, the best part of the day is performing! It’s easy to let adrenaline take over, but be careful with your tempos and keep a metronome handy (for your ears only, of course) so you can quickly establish a tempo before you count off a song. Keep the vibe positive and play off the other band members as well as the audience. Most of all — have fun!

After the Show

An up-and-coming band may need to tear down and pack their own gear, but with success comes the ability to hire roadies and/or stage techs to handle that job. Bands traveling on a tour bus often retreat to the bus during load-out, which is a great place for a post-show hang while the techs are still working.

Long drives can be tough — especially when a band is crammed into a van — but they’re also a good opportunity to discuss aspects of the show that can be improved. Make sure you’re as comfortable as possible for long trips. Load an iPad with movies, music or PDFs of books, and have a hard copy of a book or magazine as backup. Carry earphones for listening to music (not everyone wants to hear your tunes), and earplugs in case you want to shut out the world for a while. An inflatable travel pillow can help support your back or neck and keep you comfortable if you fall asleep.

One of the most difficult things to do while touring is to maintain a routine. Sleep is always at a premium, so minimize the partying and get as much rest as possible. Try to keep up with exercise routines and take advantage of hotels that have fitness rooms.

Rollin’ on Down the Highway

One of the best jobs in life is that of making music, and touring provides an opportunity to bring that music to fans and get instant feedback. The energy between a band and their audience is exhilarating, and there’s nothing better than watching a member of the audience mouth the words to one of your songs. You’ll have the chance to meet new people (some of them famous), see people you may have only known via social media, and visit new places. It’s an incredible feeling to do something you love, get paid for it, and, with a little bit of luck, see the world too.

Photographs courtesy of the author.

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Back to School Instrument Guide

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on July 18, 2023. Posted in Gearguide.

Is your child or grandchild ready to go back to school? Here are some great Yamaha musical instrument suggestions, whether it’s for a youngster joining their school band or orchestra for the first time, or for the burgeoning keyboardist, guitar player or drummer.

Wind Instruments

A girl playing flute. — *Renting wind instruments is a popular option.*

Many parents choose to rent wind instruments initially instead of purchasing them, giving them time to gauge their child’s interest before stepping up to ownership. The Yamaha Band Instruments for Music Students website provides parents who are ready to start thinking about renting a wind instrument with answers to the most commonly asked questions, like “Why rent? Where should I go? Can I purchase online? What are the names of the beginning instrument models?” Because Yamaha has been involved with schools for many decades, partnering with local experts and educators, we can help parents walk more confidently into a new musical journey for their child — a journey that hopefully spans many years.

SILENT Brass^™

A tablet and a trumpet, and an electronic box on a table. — *SILENT Brass system.*

As every parent of a budding trumpeter, trombonist, or tuba player knows, brass instruments can be loud. The Yamaha SILENT Brass™ system, with versions for all three instruments (plus French horn, flugelhorn and euphonium), provides the perfect solution. It consists of a mute fitted with a pickup microphone that connects to a small electronic “Personal Studio™” unit that clips onto the player’s belt — just plug in the included headphones and the student can practice to their heart’s content … without interrupting the peace and quiet of everyone else. That little box incorporates exclusive Brass Resonance Modeling technology that replicates the natural acoustic tone you hear when playing without a mute, making it feel as though you are playing mute-free. It can also be connected to a computer or smart device via the supplied USB cable, making it easy to record performances or take part in online lessons at home.

String Instruments

SILENT^™ and Electric Violins

An electronic violin. — *SILENT Violin.*

An electric violin being bowed. — *Electric violin.*

For nearly 25 years, Yamaha SILENT™ and electric violins have become a staple of orchestra classrooms, rehearsal rooms, performance venues and everything in-between. Little wonder, in that they allow students and performers alike to rehearse and play anywhere … and to be heard above even loud accompanying instruments. They have a number of similarities, differing primarily in terms of functionality: SILENT Violins allow completely silent practice with headphones, or they can be plugged into an amplifier, whereas electric violins are specifically designed to be played amplified. Electric violins have more of a traditional sound, thanks to their all-wooden construction and passive in-bridge pickup, while SILENT Violins offer greater tonal and sonic variety, thanks to their advanced electronics that even includes a built-in reverb effect.

Keyboards

PSR-E373AD Portable Keyboard

When playing is fun, you want to keep practicing. The more you practice, the more you improve. And the more you improve, the more you want to play. The PSR-E273AD offers hundreds of engaging sounds (“Voices”) and accompaniment Styles with sophisticated practical learning functions that inspire beginners to realize their potential and develop enthusiasm for learning and playing music, ensuring speedy progress. The built-in Quiz Mode, for example, helps develop your musical ear by playing notes and letting you choose the corresponding key to press, while three Lesson Modes teach you how to play complete songs. You can even capture your performances using the onboard song recorder and play them back to help you improve. The PSR-E273AD makes the whole learning experience fun!

reface Synthesizers

An electronic mini-keyboard. — *reface cs.*

reface synthesizers provide modern sound in an ultra-compact size that fits into any school bag. These mobile mini keyboards offers a big sound in a small package, with controls that are optimized for quickly creating custom tonalities, making them a great gift for young synthesizer enthusiasts everywhere. Each reface model adopts a different stylistic and sonic methodology instead of taking a “one size fits all” approach. The reface CS is a virtual analog synth with five unique oscillator types and extensive modulation controls plus a built-in looper, while the reface DX provides the ability to create and edit FM (Frequency Modulation) sounds, allowing the user to go from retro ’80s to cutting-edge modern at the flick of a switch.

Guitars

Revstar Element

A yellow electric guitar. — *Revstar RSE20.*

Know a budding guitarist? Revstar Element guitars allow anyone to take their playing skills to new levels of creativity and performance.

Inspired by Japanese minimalism and stripped to the essentials, these distinctive guitars offer powerful tone, practical versatility and bold finishes to match the player’s sound and style. The RSE20 model is available in four café racer-inspired finishes and features a chambered body developed using Yamaha exclusive Acoustic Design process to enhance tone, reduce weight and ensure optimal balance.

Dual Alnico V humbucking pickups deliver a powerful sound with a warm midrange, while the push/pull Dry Switch high-pass filter built into the Tone knob provides brighter tones and tighter bass without the volume drop and added hum of conventional coil splits. There’s also a left-handed model, the RSE20L.

GigMaker Standard Guitar Package

A steel-string acoustic guitar with case, strap, tuner and picks. — *GigMaker Standard package.*

Yamaha also offers a variety of complete guitar packages. The Gigmaker Standard includes all the essentials you need to start playing immediately — a Yamaha F310 steel-string acoustic guitar, protective nylon gig bag, strap, digital clip-on tuner and a supply of picks.

Drums

DTX402

Allow your budding drummer to give voice to their musical sensibilities with DTX402 Series electronic drum kits. Each comes with a full complement of drum and cymbal pads, along with bass drum and hi-hat pedals, and the included module comes loaded with hundreds of acoustic and electronic drum sounds, as well as 10 built-in training functions that make practicing fun. All DTX402 Series kits are compatible with the free Rec’n’Share app so drummers can play along to their favorite music and share their performance on social. Parents will also be happy to know that there’s a headphone jack enabling practice without any of the loud noise levels that come from acoustic drums.

DTX6

Advanced DTX6 Series electronic drum kits are perfect for at-home practice as well as jamming with others … and without the loud volume levels that come from playing an acoustic drum set. There are three models to choose from, all with a compact design that allows them to be set up almost anywhere. All come with a DTX-PRO module loaded with hundreds of professionally sampled sounds and effects recorded in renowned studios around the world. A comprehensive series of built-in training tools enable drummers of every level to develop their skills, and with the use of the free Rec’n’Share app, players can even record and take videos of their performances and share them with friends and family.

Ready to learn more about these great products? Check out our online store.

member of Bayou Tigre Stepper performing

Cultural Crusader

Written by Marissa Hernandez on July 12, 2023. Posted in Educator Profiles.

Born and raised in South Louisiana, Kylie Griffin was surrounded by the rich Cajun and French Creole culture of the region: food, language and, most importantly, music. Her grandparents spoke fluent French and ultimately exposed her to Cajun and zydeco music, a genre native to southwest Louisiana.

When Griffin decided to become a music educator, she stayed close to home and currently teaches at Dozier Elementary School located in the small town in Erath, just south of Lafayette. One of her main goals is to promote and preserve the Cajun and Creole culture of Louisiana in her classroom. “It’s something that I do because I feel like it’s what I need to do,” she says.

Fighting the Stigma and Shame

According to Griffin, there has been a noticeable lapse in the preservation of Cajun and Creole culture from her grandparents’ generation to her own. “I feel like our culture has just been slowly taken away from us, and we’re paying the price,” she says.

This is due to several factors, one being that in 1921, the new Louisiana Constitution banned speaking French in all public schools. The mindset at the time was to Americanize people as much as possible, shaming and ridiculing those who had other backgrounds and spoke different languages.

This was summarized best by President Theodore Roosevelt, who infamously said, “Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. … We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language … and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

Griffin explains, “Our grandparents’ generation was abused and made to feel stupid for the language that they spoke and that trickled down through the years. Growing up, we would hear French here and there, but we spoke mostly English, but we spoke it with an accent…[so] we were also made to feel stupid. It was like English wasn’t good enough.”

Throughout her career, Griffin, who was recognized as a Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educator in 2023, has dealt with her strong desire to assimilate while also promoting her background.

Embracing the Culture

Griffin earned a bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and after teaching music for nine years, she felt that she “just about peaked” and was ready for something new. This led her to return to UL Lafayette to pursue a master’s degree with a concentration in cultural music — the only college to offer such a program at the time (circa 2011). She studied accordion and French music, deepening her understanding and appreciation of the genre and culture. She also learned some French.

From there, Griffin started incorporating what she learned into her classroom. She introduced French songs to her elementary school students, noticing how much of an impact this had on the community.

Griffin recalls, “I started hearing stories from the community members who were so moved. Grandparents would cry when their 4-year-old grandchild would go home and sing the same French songs they sang when they were 4.”

She adds, “Everyone in South Louisiana is hurting, regardless if they realize it or not. Our future generations aren’t going to know what it means to be Cajun and Creole. They’re going to think it’s just a novelty.”

Through learning and teaching cultural music, Griffin found her calling. Her love and appreciation for her own culture along with her background in music and music education fuels her passion to protect and preserve the culture for future generations through music.

Cultural Camp

Two summers ago, Griffin along with her husband, Gregg, and another district music educator, started Petits Cajuns, a Cajun and Creole music camp. Several of her students had accordions and fiddles from family members and expressed an interest in learning how to play them. At the camp, students learned these instruments as well as the music and songs of their ancestors.

Three of these students wanted to continue their journey of cultural musical awakening beyond the summer camp. In 2021, Griffin started the Bayou Tigre Steppers, the state’s first school-sponsored, student-led zydeco group. This year, the group consists of eight middle school and high school students. Anyone who’s interested can join the Tigre Steppers, and each student selects an instrument: bass guitar, electric guitar, drum set, rubboard (aka washboard/scrubboard), triangle and, of course, the accordion. There are also a couple of keyboard players.

The Tigre Steppers is a family affair with three sets of siblings in the group! “The younger siblings go to the gigs and see their older brothers and sisters performing, and they’re like ‘I want to be a part of that,’” Griffin says.

The group practices at Dozier for about an hour and a half each week. Their very first performance was at a retired teachers association meeting, where they performed four songs. The reception was extremely positive.

Now, the group is starting to perform on larger stages, the biggest being Lafayette’s Festival International. While the Tigre Steppers were not part of the actual lineup, they played at a local business downtown that puts on performances during the festival. Griffin says the group performed a busking set with a tip jar. Not only did her students draw a huge crowd, they received $300 in tips — the kids were ecstatic.

Funding and the Future

Kylie Griffin performing with zydeco group, Poisson Rouge — Kylie Griffin performing with zydeco group, Poisson Rogue.

As far as funding, Griffin’s teaching of Cajun/zydeco music falls under the marching and concert band umbrella. While she utilizes the instruments needed for her group from middle and high school band, she also draws some from her own zydeco band, Poisson Rouge, which she started with her husband in 2019.

Luckily, Griffin receives support from the district. When she expressed the need for a soundboard, the superintendent pulled funds from the district level to fulfill her request.

Griffin now has her eyes set on developing a district-wide Cajun/Creole/zydeco program in Erath, the next step being including elementary school-aged students in the Tigre Steppers, which she hopes to do as soon as the 2023-2024 school year.

Along with teaching at Dozier Elementary, growing the Tigre Steppers and continuing the Petits Cajuns camp, Griffin has another big goal: Shifting the focus of music education in Louisiana. She advocates at the state level about the importance of offering different genres of music, whether it be jazz or rock or zydeco. She says that the state is very “band dominated,” meaning that there is a systemic belief that band is the only source of music education in public schools. However, Griffin believes that this path does not create lifelong musicians among all students, which should be every music educator’s goal.

“When a lot of kids graduate from high school, they never touch their instruments again,” Griffin says. She wants to teach students the creativity and freedom to create their own music based on what they learn in their music classes.

“Louisiana’s music culture is so rich with jazz and all these things that come from our state,” she says. “But in our school programs, our kids play mostly western, classical and noncultural music.”

Even with her band background and her love for band, Griffin knows there is a bigger need. “I want music educators and students to realize that being well rounded in music is important and that it’s OK to do things other than the norm,” she says. “And you can use the same band instruments to promote other genres like jazz and Dixieland, and just get outside of the box.”

Using the CAGED System to Expand Your Guitar Vocabulary

Written by Robbie Calvo on July 12, 2023. Posted in Guitars How-to.

Learning to play the guitar may be one of the most rewarding pursuits you’ll ever take on … but it may also be one of the most frustrating, for many reasons.

When I started out, instructional resources were limited to local teachers, books and magazine articles, plus jamming with friends, and of course, listening to records. (You know, those large black vinyl discs we treasured so much.)

Guitar players are lucky these days. Information on just about any subject can be found online instantaneously (though it may not necessarily be correct) and demonstrated via videos on YouTube and other services. AI is already emulating famous artist’s voices, making suggestions on chord progressions that an artist would likely use for a hit song, and creating tablature and notation for an “in the style of” melodic simile.

How does all this impact the musician who’s learning to navigate a guitar fretboard for the first time? What about a player who’s looking to expand beyond the basic chords?

The fact of the matter is, regardless of the virtual resources available, a physical entity still needs to move the strings, form harmonic structures and melodic phrases, then combine them into rhythmic structures that make musical sense. And one of the best ways to springboard your knowledge of the fretboard and bring your playing chops into new realms of expression is something called the CAGED system. Ready to learn more? Read on …

What is the CAGED system?

The origins of the CAGED system are somewhat murky, but it seems to have been developed some time in the mid-1970s. Simply put, it’s a way of navigating the guitar neck by logically mapping out chord shapes and their associated major scales. The five letters in the name literally refer to the open chord shapes of C, A, G, E and D:

These five shapes can be used to create other major chords by moving them up the fretboard with a barre (your index finger laid across all six strings) or by fixing a capo behind them. However, knowing where the root note is within each chord shape is extremely important. As shown in the illustration above, the G and E chords have a sixth-string root note (the lowest note marked with a red “R”), while the A and C chords have a fifth-string root note, and the D chord has a fourth-string root note.

The E chord becomes a G chord if you create a barre across the strings at the third fret with the index finger and use your other fingers to place the E shape above that barre, like this:

The barre, in effect, is acting as the nut on your guitar, raising the open strings to that of the fretted tones.

You can take this same approach with each of the open chords in the CAGED system. For example, here’s how to create a C chord with each of the initial open chord shapes:

Once you know where the root note exists in each of those shapes, you can utilize them for any major chord, at any pitch along the fretboard.

Usable Fingerings?

Sounds easy, right? Well, in my opinion, these moveable barre-chord shapes are not that practical to the modern guitar player. That’s because they require you to relearn how to play the five basic chord shapes using different fingerings, since your index finger is now being utilized to form the barre.

Try playing the barre chord versions of these five chords. Do you think you’ll actually use all of them in your day-to-day playing? The E and A shapes, probably, because they’re relatively easy to finger, but the C, G and D shapes? Not me. Too much hand fatigue!

However, being able to see how each of those shapes link together along the fretboard is a great way to visualize where the root, third and fifth of the chords fall. It’s also an excellent way to see the resolution point (the resting place of a chord progression, sometimes called the tonal center) within each scale shape, which is imperative to creating solid improvisations.

Using a Capo

Using a capo allows you to play all the CAGED chord shapes anywhere along the fretboard without having to barre with your index finger. This approach keeps the original voicing intact, enabling you to use your pinky to further embellish those chords with suspended fourths, add 2, and other melodic extensions.

As discussed in a previous posting, chords are built from scales, and each of the five CAGED shapes are built from major scales. That’s why all those scale shapes, and the tones within them, move in tandem when using a capo to change pitch.

Working with a Singer

The CAGED system is also a great way to adapt to working with a singer. Let’s say your vocalist would like you to play the song you are working on in another key. Instead of changing the chords and voicing you’re currently using, you can instead use a capo to raise the pitch — a much easier solution.

For example, if you want to change the key from C to C#, simply place the capo at the first fret, and you are instantly in the key of C#! You can continue raising the capo if higher pitches and keys are required.

But what if the singer wants the song in a lower key than C? The first step here is to determine the harmonic structure of the chord progression. For example, if it’s a I-IV-V progression in the key of C, those chords would be C, F, and G major.

If the singer would like to hear the song in B♭, you’d find a CAGED chord with a sixth-string root, as this is lower in pitch than the fifth-string root of C: G, for example. Here, the I-IV-V chords would be G, C, and D major.

Now place your capo at the third fret; this raises the root of the G chord up to B♭ (you are now in the key of B♭), then play the G, C and D chords, as shown below.

If the singer wants to try the key of B, raise the capo one more fret; if they want to try the key of A♭, simply move the capo to the first fret and play the same chord shapes. It’s that easy!

Using a capo is the best way to utilize the CAGED system without using four-finger barre chord voicings … and without the hand fatigue those shapes may induce.

The Video

This guitar and vocal demo, which I performed at a Yamaha clinic at Replay Guitar Exchange in Tampa, demonstrates how the use of a capo can easily transpose a I-IV-V progression in the key of D up to F.

As you can see, the capo allows me to retain the same fingerings and melodic embellishments while placing the chord structure in the perfect key for my vocals.

The Guitar

The Yamaha LS-TA TransAcoustic guitar I’m playing in the video features stunning onboard chorus and reverb effects without the need for an amplifier. These ambient effects literally float in the air, further enhancing the musical experience for the player and audience alike.

The guitar’s solid Sitka spruce top and rosewood back and sides — traditional tonewoods that will only get better with age — add clarity and warmth, making for a uniquely pleasurable tonality.

The Wrap-Up

The CAGED system will definitely help you locate chords, keys and progressions on your guitar’s fretboard. In some ways, it’s imperative to know this information.

Pair that knowledge with the practicality a capo affords us all, and you have the keys to the chordal kingdom … without the physical challenges and harmonic limitations that the larger CAGED shapes impose.

Photographs courtesy of the author.

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

Video Game Music Composition: An Art Form

Written by Aleah Fitzwater on July 12, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips. 1 Comment on Video Game Music Composition: An Art Form

There’s more to video game music than you might think. It presents unique challenges for composers. If this is something you’re interested in tackling as a side gig (read “Side Hustles for Music Teachers”), of if you want to create a fun project for a music tech or music composition class, read on!

Because much of the music in video games is repeated, it must be catchy. However, it must also be unobtrusive so it doesn’t distract players. The musical themes must be designed to loop — the ending must seamlessly connect to the beginning. Writing video game music toes a fine line, which makes it one of the most interesting newer forms of composition.

Video game composers must be familiar with common musical forms like waltzes, overtures and arias so they can create a sonic landscape for each world or scene. They must also delve into the concept of a musical theme and variations. For example, they must compose a main melody that is introduced at the beginning that gradually transforms throughout the game depending on characters’ circumstances.

Here are some questions composers might ask themselves:

How do I create tension here?
Where should the sonic release be?
What does this character sound like?
How can I support the story’s arc with changes in instrumentation?

How Does a Composer Write and Record Video Game Music?

This trade requires many technical components. A common method used by video game composers it to sketch out their ideas on manuscript paper or notation software like Sibelius, Forte or Dorico. Next, they create their scores with virtual instruments inside a digital audio workstation (DAW). Some composers use a DAW to create the final track, while others will hand off their written score to a group of live musicians and use the MIDI track as more of a reference.

The good news is that there are many ways to create music for video games, so you can find what works best for you.

Notation Software: Notation software can be used to create visually organized sheet music, but they often have a function to export to a MIDI format. This format allows composers to move the music they just wrote into various instruments inside a DAW.

DAWS: Digital audio workstations are a must-have for many composers. Once MIDI files are inside the program, composers can move them around to different instruments by clicking and dragging the track. This makes it easy to decide on the right instrument for each part before committing it to the final score. Some composers prefer to compose inside a DAW because the virtual instruments are more similar to what you’d hear in an orchestra than most of the free stock sounds.

Logic is an extremely popular DAW among video game composers. Others use free programs like Reaper or GarageBand. Cubase is another favored (paid) DAW. People also compose in Ableton and PreSonus.

Recording Live Orchestras: Big-name video game composers often have their orchestral-style music recorded by live instrumentalists. Large ensembles are recorded with a combination of main overhead mics and spot mics.

Other Music Tech: Music technology is constantly evolving. For example, we now have digital pianos that you can use to pretty much score movies and video games, from start to finish. Some composers prefer to do it all on a piano. Others like to purchase better sound libraries for their notation software, like Albion One, and go less heavy on the DAW front. Not all composers read music, so they might opt to skip the notation part altogether.

Video Game Genres

Popular video game genres include sports, fighting, platformers, simulation, strategy, horror and role-playing games (RPG).

Video game music varies widely depending on the type of game you’re playing. For example, Resident Evil is a horror/survival series that often sounds whispery, with rumbling bass drums and buzzing synths. Spyro is a fantasy dragon game that incorporates elements of rock and jazz. The puzzle game Seasons After Fall has a mystical, string-heavy and at times near-folksy score, whereas Diablo is haunting in a more war-like Spain-meets-Middle-East way.

How Do Video Game Composers Make Money?

This is an interesting question! Video game composers make money differently than orchestral composers do.

You don’t usually see video game music performed in public. Since it’s not really played on the radio or toured with, performance rights don’t offer any significant compensation. This is one downside of being a video game composer versus a performing artist. So, video game composers typically make their money off royalties from the sale of the video game or from upfront payment from the video game company itself.

How Many Pieces Do They Write?

Composers must write pieces for different worlds, as well as themes for characters and music for cut scenes. It’s hard to say exactly how many pieces are required, but as mentioned at the beginning of this article, video game music must be loopable.

Many short, repeated themes must be written. Video game composers specialize in incidental music, which is music written for something that isn’t music-centric (such as a symphony you’d buy tickets to see).

Let’s say a story-oriented video game has a home world, six additional worlds, a big boss battle and a bonus level. That’s nine tracks needed but it doesn’t take into account cut-scenes or sound effects that happen at key moments. This would be a relatively small game by today’s standards. It’s common for a composer to write 30 to 50 pieces per game.

What About Sound Effects?

Typically, sound designers, not video game composers, create sound effects. However, sometimes budgets run low, and musicians may be asked to get creative. Sound effects are often created with virtual instruments but you can also sample things around your house, similar to what Foley artists do in animated movies.

How did Video Game Music First Start?

Rally-X and Space Invaders were two early iterations of video games with music. But the earliest game with a programmed piece of music was a checkers game that featured “God Save the Queen.”

Rally-X was the first video game with a continuous melody. These original games used something called an 8-bit processor to make music that we now call Chiptune (that classic, synthesized electronic sound). Composers used to program sound generator chips to specific notes they wanted them to play. Many video games still have this electronic thread.

Interestingly, from the start, video game music typically looped (repeated seamlessly). Originally, game creators looped short segments of music to save space.

As a Career Path

Video game composing is usually a freelance gig, at least until you work your way up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — freelancers work their own hours. But, you must be a self-starter and continually call, email and reach out to video game programmers and companies.

Once you have a portfolio/reel of work, you can start applying to be an in-house composer, which often leads to higher-paying and consistent work.

Here is a list of video game composers who have made a name for themselves doing what they love:

Koji Kondo (Nintendo)
Kazumi Totaka (many Nintendo games including Animal Crossing)
Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy)
Stewart Copeland (best known as the drummer for The Police, he wrote the music for Spyro)

Closeup of someone's hands playing saxophone.

Top Seven Saxophone Solos

Written by Jon Hadusek on July 11, 2023. Posted in Music and Streaming. 1 Comment on Top Seven Saxophone Solos

In the history of contemporary musical instruments, the saxophone is a relative newcomer, invented by Belgian musician Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. Thanks to its ability to produce brass-like volume while retaining the dynamics of a woodwind, the sax is an instrument that allows for seemingly limitless expression from the player. In the case of masters like John Coltrane, the saxophone solo became a spiritual journey wherein the instrument and player became one.

Although most closely associated with jazz, the sax has also carved out a niche in the history of soul, pop and rock music. Here are seven of the finest saxophone solos ever recorded.

1. John Coltrane – “Giant Steps”

While any number of Coltrane solos could have been chosen for this list, “Giant Steps” is widely considered the jazz legend’s magnum opus, at least in a compositional sense. Fast, frenetic, unwieldy — layman’s terms simply can’t do it justice. Considered one of the most difficult songs in jazz, “Giant Steps” is based on a cyclic chord pattern that became known as the “Coltrane changes”: rapid transitions through the three keys of B major, G major, and E♭major. Although it’s been widely covered over the years — to the point of becoming a jazz standard — the composition’s chord progression demands an extreme level of skill and endurance from the improviser. Some have even called it the “most feared song in jazz.” Listen to it here.

2. Duke Ellington – “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue” (1956 Newport Jazz Festival)

Duke Ellington’s performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival has become the stuff of legend, in large part due to tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves’ lengthy and highly influential playing during the closing number, “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue.” Even as many big bands called it quits in the ’50s in light of bebop’s growing popularity, Ellington kept his ensemble together while simultaneously embracing the adventurousness latent to these new styles. This manifested itself in his decision to open up “Diminuendo in Blue” for an extended improvisation from Gonsalves, who reeled off a 27-chorus solo that sent an otherwise calm audience into a frenzy. Listen to it here.

3. Pink Floyd – “Money”

Pink Floyd famously gave the saxophone a spotlight moment during the instrumental break in “Money” from their best-selling The Dark Side of the Moon — an album that charted for an astonishing 972 weeks (over 18 years!). Considering the overwhelming popularity of both the song and album, the complexity of this tenor sax solo is sometimes a bit downplayed — perhaps a symptom of fatigue from having been heard so many times. Saxophonist Dick Parry was given free rein to honk, squeal, and run headlong through scales, making the most of what is undoubtedly his greatest studio session gig (though he also laid down the beautiful solo on “Us and Them” on DSOTM). It’s perhaps the jazziest example of the instrument to be found in a megahit rock song. Listen to it here.

4. David Bowie – “Young Americans”

Throughout his long career, David Bowie proved to be something of a musical chameleon, constantly morphing his image and creative direction around the trends of the time. For his 1975 album Young Americans, Bowie embraced an R&B/soul influence that resulted in a lighter and more palatable batch of songs when compared to the experimental works that would follow. The LP’s title track would become one of Bowie’s biggest hits, relying on the prominent alto sax of David Sanborn for the central riff and instrumental breaks. If there was anyone who could seamlessly incorporate a generally non-rock instrument like the alto sax into a rock context, it was the Thin White Duke. Listen to it here.

5. Bruce Springsteen – “Jungleland”

The sleeve for Bruce Springsteen’s iconic Born to Run album portrays the singer-songwriter leaning on late saxophonist Clarence Clemons — a testament to how vital Clemons and the E Street Band were to The Boss’ maximal, cinematic sound on that LP. The nine-plus-minute closing song “Jungleland,” in particular, puts Clemons’ sax front and center for a graceful and emotionally wrenching two-minute solo. That might not seem like too long in the context of such a lengthy tune, but Clemons spent 16 hours meticulously overdubbing the solo in the studio, replaying the notes over and over until Springsteen was satisfied. Listen to it here.

6. Gerry Rafferty – “Baker Street”

If you spend enough time in a big city, chances are you’ll hear the sweet, sultry saxophone riff from Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 hit “Baker Street” emanating from some sax-wielding street busker. It’s arguably the most iconic sax part in the history of rock, wistful and melancholic as it conjures images of a cinematic horizon line at dusk’s descent. The eight-bar lick was played by Raphael Ravenscroft, and although it was meant to function as the instrumental break between verses, the sax stole the spotlight as the song’s central hook. In fact, the riff was so catchy, it sparked what became known as the “Baker Street’ phenomenon,” leading to a spike in saxophone sales and an increased use of the instrument across mainstream pop, film scores and television soundtracks. Listen to it here.

7. George Michael – “Careless Whisper”

The relentlessly catchy sax riff that opens and then repeatedly punctuates George Michael’s 1984 chart-topping “Careless Whisper” did wonders for the popularity of the instrument in an era when music production was becoming increasingly digitized. Though performed by Steve Gregory, it was Michael’s keen ear that teased out the final take. A version of the song had been originally recorded with famed producer Jerry Wexler at the helm, but something about the solo just didn’t sit right with the singer; the sax performance, in particular, didn’t quite match the subtleties of the initial demo. As a result, Michael decided to self-produce the track, with Gregory being the ninth and final sax player to attempt the riff. The persistence paid off. Listen to it here.

Headphones are a great tool for revealing the artistic subtleties of these iconic saxophone solos. Explore Yamaha headphones.

Learn more about Yamaha saxophones.

A promotion for Yamaha Limited Edition 62 Series saxophones.

8 Unconventional Rehearsal Tips

Written by Brandon J. Duras on July 10, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

“Now it’s starting to sound like music!” I often say this phrase to my students at Brunswick High School in Maine. They know what it means — that we have finally gone beyond the notes on the page and have really reached the heart and soul of the music.

What do we enjoy about music? For me, it’s the way music makes me feel. What do we tend to remember most from a performance? Is it the accuracy of the notes and rhythms played or the feeling of passion and energy?

I definitely do not recall any note- and rhythmic-perfect performances, but I surely remember a few performances where both the students and I felt something. That something is the stuff that lies in the musicality, which can be very difficult to teach. We all want our groups to sound musical, but how do you teach that? Why does this guy from Maine think he has the answers?

I don’t have all the answers — no one does. However, there are some unconventional things that I do that work for my groups. We all have a unique connection and relationship with our students and ensembles. My students enjoy the things that I do during rehearsals; your students might not. You may read some of my tips below and think I’m a cold, heartless director. And that might be true at times, but it’s all about delivery, folks. Please understand that my goal is to challenge my students to listen, react, communicate, perform — and ultimately, to be musical.

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1. Start on the Musicality Immediately

Far too often, music educators stick to a rehearsal process that is based on a hierarchy of what we see as the most important aspects of a performance. Generally, that order begins with notes and rhythms and ends with things like phrasing and beyond that smaller (but perhaps more important) musical elements.

I encourage you to consider working on the things that make music sound like music, not just organized sound, much earlier. Things like articulation, dynamics, phrasing and emotion add character to a piece of music, and they are what make music exciting to listen to. It’s never too early to work on these things in rehearsal.

Notes and rhythms may need to be addressed, but oftentimes they work themselves out on their own. Focusing on musicality sends a message to the students that rehearsal is time to work on making music with one another, not to learn their individual parts.

2. Don’t Move on Until it’s Perfect

Really? It has to be perfect? If that were the case, then we would spend a whole concert cycle on one measure! Okay, I didn’t mean this literally, but this is the mentality I like to have: If something is not right, why move on?

You should move on only when you are satisfied with the result of the work you spent on that one entrance or that one phrase. The classic band director trope “one more time” might scare you away from going back and doing it again until you’re satisfied because you don’t want your kids to think you’re a liar. You know what? I lie multiple times during a rehearsal, but I don’t worry about it because I just get in my Ferrari and head back home to my mansion.

3. Save the Compliment

This may sound harsh, and it might stem from my inability to share my emotions through words. My students know that I like them and am proud of them even though I do not say these things often. They know I don’t, and I’ve told them I know I don’t.

I am in no way saying compliments are bad. What I am saying is that using them too much can send two messages: 1) Everything they are playing is right and 2) they deserve a compliment for simply playing (and don’t get me wrong, that alone is praiseworthy for some of my students).

If you’ve ever trained a dog, you know that you don’t always give it a treat unless your pet performs the correct task based on your command. Early on in training, your dog will perform a series of tasks until that treat is given as a way to figure out what worked. This same rationale can be applied to giving feedback to students. They will continue to change articulation, play rhythms wrong, etc. as a process of figuring it out, but don’t give them the treat (i.e., the compliment) until they have it right! If they get the treat too often, nothing they do will matter.

4. Step off the Podium

This is not a novel idea, but it’s worth repeating. Depending on the rehearsal, I may not step on the podium once. I will walk around with my score in hand and rehearse. Maybe I’ll visit the tubas in the last row or go sit in an empty seat next to the trumpets because we all know they’re talking. My students might go a week or two without seeing me actually conduct, but now they’re listening. They are responsible for the music. You’ve given them the tools, now it’s time for them to use those tools.

5. The Unconventional Gesture

I have a master’s degree in conducting. How often do I use that student debt — oops, I mean degree — when I don’t get the sound I’m looking for? Approximately -0% of the time — sorry, but I’m a band director, not a math teacher!

Don’t shy away from using some sort of ridiculous gesture to get the point across. You can probably trust your ensemble to keep playing. They do it all the time after you cut them off. Do something to show what you want, no matter how ridiculous — your students don’t need you to keep time. Don’t be afraid of looking silly, you work with kids who embarrass themselves constantly. You’ll be okay.

6. Let Students Make Decisions

This is something I admittedly struggle with. After all, we are the experts, right? What if a science teacher asked a teenager their opinion on the Earth being round or flat?

What I like to do is ask students their opinion on something I know is being done poorly and I want to fix it. Of course, I get conflicting opinions. But then we try it every way that the students suggest. Let’s play it short, let’s play it long, let’s add space between these notes, let’s have the notes touch, let’s play this phrase loud then soft. Then we decide what makes the most sense musically. And if they choose something offensively unmusical, revert back to just telling them you want it done your way.

7. Let Them Play

We have all read the same books, taken the same classes, listened to the same podcasts, seen the same presentations. Therefore, we all know the process of rehearsing going macro-micro-macro. That’s not new.

However, when we get to the micro phase, it can be easy to get hung up on the micro part and therefore play very short segments before stopping. Music is linear and needs context to make sense and be brought to life. So, let the students play longer portions of the music.

Yes, there will be times when it’s a total train wreck, and your students will look up (maybe for the first time ever!) to see if you will actually cut them off, and when they realize you won’t, beg for you to put them out of their misery. But a lot of the time, those parts that we want to rehearse will get better because the music had a chance to work itself out. That’s your opportunity to go back and adjust.

For example, maybe you’re performing a march. The first time you played, the tempo starts to pull apart between the winds and percussion, but on that repeat, you give a giant downbeat to show where you are, and it is tight and sounds like a new band. How would you know what to do if you had stopped sooner? Now you have the context to go back and say, “Let’s go back to the first strain and see if we can lock it in like we did on the repeat.”

8. And Keep Them Playing

This tip could go with #7 and be one large point, but I think 8 looks much better for a numbered list.

As I mentioned before, I’m not good at sharing my thoughts and feelings through words. Part of it may stem from the fear that I have of the list my students have of the many weird things that I have said. Yes, your students have one for you, too. Again, we’ve all heard it before: Kids want to play, they don’t want to hear you talk.

My experience as a conductor comes in handy because I’ve learned to communicate with gestures instead of words. During a concert you’re going to use gestures to get students to respond. Why not show them during rehearsal?

Challenge Yourself

I hope you didn’t make it this far just to see if my email is listed here for you to tell me how much you disagree with me. Honestly, I want you to disagree with me on some of this! I have discovered what works for me by reading and attending conferences. I don’t agree with everything I read or hear, and that’s what challenges me to be better.

If you liked something I wrote here, great — use it! If you didn’t like something I wrote, also great — go change it! My goal with this article wasn’t to give you answers, but rather to challenge you to be better.

I hope that you take something from this article that you can do or not do, try or not try, that can make your rehearsals and performances more musical.

You can send your comments to educators@yamaha.com.

How to Get Started as an Audiophile

Written by Jeff Dorgay on July 6, 2023. Posted in Audio How-to. 1 Comment on How to Get Started as an Audiophile

If your love for music leads you down the path to becoming an audiophile, you will no doubt have a lot of questions. After all, there’s so much gear, and so many choices! Would you rather have a personal listening setup (i.e., one that’s headphone-based) or create a system that will fill a room with sound? What gear should you consider buying? How far do you want to take it? The sky, your listening room and your wallet are your only limits.

The main benefit of taking the audiophile approach is enjoyment. A high-end audio system will reveal much more than any pair of earbuds, computer speakers or sound bar can deliver, with bass you can feel, lifelike dynamics, and the ability to hear the finest of details, no matter what your favorite music happens to be. Here are some tips for making the transition from casual listener to audiophile.

Ask the Right Questions

First, think about what you’d like to accomplish, and what the most important aspect of your music listening is. Do you enjoy listening to music loud, approaching concert hall levels? And if so, can you get away with it where you live? Will you have the luxury of a dedicated music space, or does your system have to integrate with a multi-use room? Do you listen to big music (live recordings, heavy rock, full-scale symphonies) or smaller music (singer/songwriters, acoustic music, string quartets)?

Then there’s this question: How important is physical media playback to you? Do you own a lot of CDs or records — or plan on collecting a lot more? Many audiophiles prefer the “warmth” of vinyl to the “coldness” of relatively low resolution digital formats like CD … but maybe you’re content with streaming (hopefully of the lossless variety; if you’re a true audiophile, lossy codecs like MP3 will probably have limited appeal). This will determine whether you will need more than one source component. How loud you like to enjoy music will also determine how much power your amplifier will need and what kind of speakers you can pair up to deliver the goods.

Suggested Tracks

When evaluating new gear, always start with music you know intimately. That’s the easiest way to hear what new information the system is delivering. From there, consider a good vocal track or two, something with a solid bass groove, and perhaps some acoustic music. Listening to real instruments really helps you to hear if things sound “right.” (The fact that Yamaha has been making musical instruments for over a century really reflects in much of their audio gear.)

Some of my personal favorite audiophile evaluation tracks include:

(Classical) The Jung Trio: Dvorak-Trio in F Minor, Opus 65. This audiophile pressing from Groove Note records is available on SACD and vinyl. It’s exquisitely recorded and will give your system a great workout. The first track, “Allegro Ma Non Troppo,” provides a great interplay between the violins and piano.
(Jazz) John Klemmer: Touch. This one requires a bit of the way-back machine, and is available in all formats (even cassette!), but if you can find a vinyl copy on the Mobile Fidelity label, that’s the top choice. The title track is the most dynamic, and Klemmer’s sax should shoot right out of the center of your speakers.
(Rock) Crosby, Stills, and Nash: Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Here again, vinyl is the way to roll, and the very early pressings have the best sound; if you can’t find one, the remaster from Classic Records is good too. Pick a track, any track: The better your system, the easier it will be to distinguish the individual voices of the three singers.
(Pop) Michael Jackson: Thriller. You may think this is low-hanging fruit, but Thriller is top shelf music craft from start to finish, and a sonic masterpiece as well. The title track will test your system’s dynamics, while the slower songs have incredible depth. Definitely go for the vinyl on this one, but if you have to stream, seek out the high-resolution version. Try “Human Nature” and listen to the echo on Jackson’s voice gently float between the front of your speakers to the back of the room … even in two-channel stereo.
(Blues) Johnny Winter: Second Winter. This masterful album is Texas blues at its very best. Full of blistering guitars and grit, the elder Winter brother is at the top of his game here. Every track on this record is non-stop energy, and if you really love your blues loud, seek out the Deluxe Edition. It’s as good as digital gets and it features great bonus tracks.
(Country) Johnny Cash: American Recordings. This could possibly be one of the best-sounding country albums ever recorded. The stark production values combined with an airy, open sonic space really show off The Man In Black’s distinct vocal style. This one is great no matter what format you choose, but skip to the end of the album for “The Man Who Wouldn’t Cry.” This live track has a great sense of room ambience, and feels like you’re sitting in a smoky bar about six feet away from Cash and his acoustic guitar.

When auditioning audiophile system components — especially speakers — you should always listen at a level that you normally feel comfortable listening at. If you usually play music at conversational levels, make sure the components you choose pass this test, and vice-versa. If you need to rock, don’t hesitate to turn it up to 11 before handing over your credit card.

It’s More of a Journey Than a Destination

The more you listen, the more you’ll hear. It sounds simple enough, but the whole audiophile thing is more often a journey than a destination. You may start out with something as simple as a basic Yamaha R-S202 receiver, a pair of compact Yamaha NS-6490 bookshelf speakers and an NS-SW050 powered subwoofer. The R-S202’s built-in Bluetooth capability will let you stream music from your favorite mobile device or laptop, and plug in a few other components as your needs expand. You can even add a turntable like the Yamaha TT-S303 and keep the entire system budget under $1,100.

Speakers. — *Yamaha NS-6490 bookshelf speaker.*

Turntable with clear cover. — *Yamaha TT-S303 turntable.*

Pairing an integrated amplifier like the Yamaha A-S701 with floorstanding speakers like Yamaha NS-777s takes away the ability to play FM radio, but delivers more power.

Tall speaker. — *Yamaha NS-777 floorstanding speaker.*

Or consider Yamaha 2000 Series components such as the R-N2000A network receiver and NS-2000A speakers, which restores radio listening to the equation. With more power and refinement on tap, a system of this magnitude can play louder, yet with more finesse at the same time in the form of added definition and detail. If you have enough space in your listening room to properly position the speakers, you’ll be able to enjoy a larger soundfield too, which will draw you further into the music.

The Top of the Mountain

The 5000 Series is the flagship Yamaha line designed especially for audiophiles. These extraordinary components, which include the C-5000 preamplifier, M-5000 power amplifier, GT-5000 turntable and NS-5000 speakers, draw on the company’s long expertise in building pro and consumer components, as well as some of the music industries’ most iconic studio monitors, including the venerable NS-10.

Collection of audio equipment. — *Yamaha 5000 Series components.*

When you listen over a set of components at this level, the line between live and recorded music begins to blur. Even at low volumes, a top audiophile system allows you to hear into the music, to discern layer after layer of musical nuance. All of a sudden you can hear the texture of the drum heads, the breath of the vocalists, and even the subtlest differences between instruments. It’s almost addicting, and you might find yourself spending a disproportionate amount of your time just listening to music.

Feed Your Head

If you don’t have a big listening room, consider using a high-quality pair of headphones instead, such as the Yamaha YH-5000SE (part of the aforementioned 5000 Series), which deliver nearly the same sonics as a far bigger and more expensive speaker system.

Headphones on a stand. — *Yamaha YH-5000SE headphones.*

Premium headphones like these can create a huge soundstage in-between your ears, and with the room eliminated from the equation, can reveal the smallest of musical nuance that only the world’s finest systems can deliver. The only thing even the best headphones can’t do is convey low bass notes in the same chest-thumping visceral way a big pair of speakers with a subwoofer can, but you’ll be amazed at the degree of accuracy overall.

Try a few of your favorite tracks that you are familiar with through speakers, and listen to them carefully through a pair of high-end headphones. While you’re at it, try a few tracks with a big sonic landscape, like Pink Floyd’s “Breathe,” or “Who” from David Byrne and St. Vincent. You may even find that you prefer phones to speakers!

The Bottom Line

How do you know when you’ve become a true audiophile? That’s always open for discussion, but a good marker is when your system reveals so much information that you’re listening not just to the music as a whole, or even to the individual instruments, but that you’re able to appreciate and enjoy the finer points of the recordings such as spaciousness and ambience — all of which you’ll be able to hear with full clarity, just as the musicians and audio engineer did in the recording studio.

What matters ultimately is putting together a sound system that brings you closer to the music you love. When that happens, you never know how far the journey will take you.

Best Portable Keyboards To Learn On

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on July 5, 2023. Posted in Gearguide.

Today’s portable keyboards are much more than simple toys, offering a wealth of sounds and features. If you are looking to instill a love of music in your child, Yamaha has a number of keyboards designed for beginners, all of which can help them learn and practice, while having a lot of fun. All have built-in speakers, so you won’t need to buy any additional equipment … and they all come with headphone jacks too, so the piano student in your life can hone their keyboard skills in silence, without disturbing you or any other members of the household.

Here’s a guide to some of the best portable keyboards for learning.

Lighted Keys

The Yamaha EZ-300 is a great entry-level keyboard for many reasons. For one thing, it comes loaded with over 600 sounds (“Voices”) and more than 200 accompaniment “Styles” (i.e., rock, jazz, ballad, bossa-nova, etc.), plus over 200 onboard demo songs that include many popular tunes and well-loved classics, as well as special exercises aimed building piano playing skills.

View of electronic keyboard. — *EZ-300.*

But perhaps the most unique feature is the fact that the EZ-300’s keys light up when played, as well as during playback of a demo song.

Closeup of child's hands playing electronic keyboard.

This visual guidance is the perfect way to start playing tunes without needing to read music. When coupled with the EZ-300’s built-in Lessons functions, the lighted keys become the gateway to true learning.

In addition, all of the onboard songs have been divided up into smaller sections that can be set to repeat, allowing you to slow down the tempo, follow the lights and learn each phrase individually — a “Keys To Success” feature that rewards young learners when they get it right.

Listen, Timing, Wait

The EZ-300 also offers three modes of learning that are based on well-accepted teaching methods. The first is to just listen repeatedly to the phrase or song so you can familiarize yourself with how it goes. The next lesson focuses on the timing of the notes: you play a single key, trying to mimic the timing of the melody, focusing only on rhythm. The third lesson uses the lights to guide the student to play the correct notes, with the backing accompaniment waiting until the right note is played before continuing. This takes the pressure off to be perfect, and allows players to find their way through the phrase at their own speed. It’s a methodical approach that’s the perfect way to learn, and the lights support the process in a way that a regular piano could never provide.

Another way that the EZ-300 (and some other Yamaha portable keyboards) enables the development of keyboard skills is through a feature called Touch Tutor. This is an interactive lesson that focuses on learning how to play the keys with different dynamics. The student is taken through an exercise that prompts them to play either softly, or harder, and then the desired target touch and the child’s played version are shown onscreen to see if they match up. If they do, the student is rewarded with a positive affirmation such as “OK,” “Good,” “Very Good” or “Great!” — if not, they can try again. It’s a fun “game” that teaches how to vary the touch on the keys — an important first step to piano mastery.

Y.E.S. and Other Built-In Lesson Functions

The EZ-300 isn’t the only Yamaha model to offer these teaching features (though it is the only one to offer lighted keys). The ultra-portable YPT-255 incorporates the Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S. for short), an advanced set of helpful learning tools that lets users teach themselves how to play and perform regardless of ability. Y.E.S. lessons are broken down into left, right and both hands exercises for even more detailed learning.

The YPT-370 model also supports Y.E.S., and adds more realistic and expressive Voices.

Along with the Y.E.S. lesson functions, the entry-level PSR-E273 includes a unique ear-training lesson called Quiz Mode, with three levels of difficulty. Here, the keyboard plays a note and the student can try up to three choices to match the same pitch.

The higher-end PSR-EW310 provides the same learning tools, along with 76 keys (as opposed to the 61 offered by the other models mentioned here) and more advanced sounds such as Super Articulation Lite Voices. These reproduce the inherent gestures of acoustic instruments like the squeak of a finger sliding on a guitar string, or the overblown growl of a saxophone.

The 61-key PSR-E473 offers these same learning features, with even more Voices and digital effects, plus advanced features like sampling and a mic input.

Piaggero Series

If you want a portable keyboard that is more like a real piano, consider the NP-15 and NP-35 Piaggero models. Their name is a blending of the word “piano” with the Italian word “leggero,” which means lightweight. And they certainly are that: The 61-key NP-15 weighs just under 12 pounds, and the 76-key NP-35 comes in at a little over 13 pounds.

Able to run on batteries, these instruments offer a lightweight but dynamic key feel so the student can play on keys that are shaped like and respond like a piano, but with the portability that allows the instrument to be easily taken to school, a friend’s house or even on vacation. They are also both compatible with the free Yamaha Smart Pianist app, which provides even more intuitive operation right from the touchscreen of your smart device.

Either of these models would be fine for the first year or so of keyboard practice, and represent a shrewd choice for the parent who isn’t sure their child will take to lessons, and so may not want to spend a significant amount of money on their first instrument. Onboard features for practice/study are somewhat minimal — a metronome and a recorder — but if you have an iOS device (phone or tablet) there are a couple of free apps you can download to enhance their functionality.

Free Apps to Enhance Learning

My Music Recorder is a fun app that records performances, both as audio and as a video, which can be shared with other family members and friends — even posted to social media. It also counts the number of notes played, and rewards the student with stamps to help motivate their practice efforts.

Piano Diary is another type of recording app that records and then plays back performances on a portable keyboard, but with a better interface and more features than any onboard recorder. Teachers or other pianists can record an accompaniment to play along with, or record one hand so the student can play along with the other. The “diary” part of the app keeps track of practice time and other stats, and rewards students with new sounds that they can play in the app via their keyboard. Performances can be saved and even uploaded to share with others.

flowkey

flowkey, available for iOS and Android devices, is a paid subscription app (with a free trial) that offers more of a traditional learning approach. Compatible with a wide variety of Yamaha keyboards, it provides a comprehensive system that uses both printed music and video to teach specific songs, and includes a series of lessons as well. It’s best used by students aged seven and up who are able to learn about reading music and other topics.

In flowkey, songs are rated in terms of their difficulty level; you would most likely select the Beginner category to start. After finding a tune you like, select Learn Song and follow along via the scrolling sheet music, with video of the tune being played superimposed above the notation (see above). There are options for slowing down the playback and for playing both hands together, or each hand by itself — even a Wait Mode that “listens” to your playing and won’t move forward until you play the right note(s). More information about flowkey can be found here, and you can view an instructional video here.

Whatever the beginner’s age, skill level or degree of interest in learning to play keyboards, there’s a Yamaha instrument that’s right for them!

Check out the full range of Yamaha portable keyboards.

What’s Your Sales Pitch?

Written by Cody Newman on July 3, 2023. Posted in Advocacy.

Let’s face it — we live in an instant-gratification society. If you have spent any time recently in the classroom or around young people, the alarmingly accelerated rate of technological growth, combined with students being surrounded by tech at their fingertips every moment of every day, has led to a situation where anything that has a long-term period of growth and development seems outdated, unattainable or at worst, undesirable by many young (and old) people today.

So how do we counteract this in our classrooms? What are the tools we need to help our programs flourish? Where do we start?

Accept that You Work in Sales!

As strange as it may sound, I’m obsessed with sales. Let me rephrase that — I’m obsessed with the art of selling.

I know, I know … I’m a music teacher. Why in the world would I care about selling? The truth is we are all in sales, whether we want to admit it or not.

My favorite salesman, Zig Ziglar, once said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

Let’s look at the second half of that quote: “…if you will just help other people get what they want.”

I think about this often because our community, specifically the parents of these wonderful children who will someday join our music programs, want the best for their child. They want to see them mature into respectful, hard-working, dedicated young people who will go out into the world and have the tools needed to be successful. These traits, along with a myriad of others, are the qualities that are taught by music educators around the world every day!

Just make a short list of the things you teach in your classroom: dependability, responsibility, respect, encouragement, leadership, teamwork, how to grow from disappointment, how to win, how to lose, punctuality, dedication. The list goes on and on.

As a parent of four children, I can tell you that every parent I know would eagerly ask, “Where do I line up to assure that my kids learn these things?!” The answer is YOUR music program. So, that settles it — what parents really want can be found in your program.

The flip side constitutes what you want as a music educator. It’s fair to say that we want successful programs that explore and enjoy beautiful music together. We want to impact the lives of those around us and perpetuate the building of great humans through music for years to come. Now that is a noble cause.

Now for the salesman part. Who will sell all these amazing qualities that your program has to offer to the community?

It must and shall be YOU!

There is no one who cares more about the program and the students within it than you! There is no one who knows and sees the daily transformation in lives like you do! There is no one who is willing to dedicate the insane hours and time away from their family toward this cause like you already do!

Our Students are Our Product — So Put Them on Display!

So, you might argue that you’re not a salesperson. I get it. I’m not saying that you should cold call everyone in your district trying to get their children in band. That would be weird and nuts. Don’t ever do that.

What I find to be effective, however, is to put your current students out there and display their many talents as often as possible. Do you have a student who is an offensive linesman on the football team and marches trombone (naturally) at halftime? Include pictures of him on social media and in your band promo material. Do you have students who do amazing things academically as well as being great music students? Make a big deal about them at your next concert or event. Address the concerns of your community by finding students who are being successful in those areas of concern within your program and give them a voice.

Like many other schools, we at Forney High School are contending with the strong push from our legislature to fund and fill classrooms with career and technical education (CTE) students. Now I have nothing against CTE, but I am standing strong in my belief that students should not miss out on music education in exchange for CTE programs.

With that in mind, I went to the head of our CTE department for the school district and had an open conversation about my desire to champion students who are excelling in multiple programs. My main talking point focused on my senior drum major who is an amazing leader, flute player, powerlifter and advanced welder! Wow! Let’s show off her amazing talents AND how incredible our school district, administrators and her parents are for helping her along this very diverse pathway. These are the stories we need to tell (and sell!).

Each year, we do a giant (and ridiculous) series of concert performances just before the December break in which all the students in the band program (6th through 12th grade) perform a holiday concert back to back to back. It’s a wild night, but it gives me the golden opportunity to emcee the event and talk directly to the parents about the scientific evidence regarding the many benefits of music education. It’s a scientific fact that students enrolled in music education programs have a leg up on their peers socially, emotionally and academically. Let’s tell the world, starting with the parents!

I utilize the Texas Music Educators website for advocacy materials year after year — it’s an incredible resource.

Get in the Arena and Fight!

I’ll be the first to admit that being in sales is a tough business fraught with challenges, obstacles, lots of maybes, even more nos, and defeats, but I would be remiss if I didn’t circle back to the challenge that opened our conversation today. We are working against an instant-gratification society that we all live in. There will undoubtedly be tough times and disappointments in our lives in sales. There will be times when it would be so much easier to take that 9-to-5 job. There are plenty of other professions that don’t depend on constant fundraising, legislators passing this or that law, the new fad in school schedules, and who knows what’s next! Yet, I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes by the great Teddy Roosevelt regarding the tenacity and determination needed to push through not only tough times, but downright hurtful words from others:

Library of Congress portrait of Theodore Roosevelt — From The Library of Congress

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

We as music educators already KNOW what amazing benefits our programs have in store for our students. Choose to “dare greatly” as their advocate and take on the challenges that lie ahead with the intent to change hearts and lives through the transformative power of music!

The Art of Bass Fills

Written by E.E. Bradman on June 29, 2023. Posted in Bass.

When I was little, I fantasized about being an adult so that I could eat dessert whenever I wanted. Now that I’m a grown-up, I’ve realized that a hunk of chocolate cake and a bowl of ice cream is far more satisfying after a regular diet of grains, veggies, fruit, salad and lots of water. If I happen to sneak a cookie or a fig bar, it’s not the end of the world, but letting loose after being disciplined is the sweetest reward of all.

Bass fills, those fun little deviations from the bass lines we’re expected to play, are like dessert. We love them, but they’re not meant to be the main course, and they sound sweetest after we’ve taken care of business by nailing the essentials.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

When, you may ask, is the best time to do rock a bass fill? It depends on the style of music, the occasion, and your technical facility. Pre-arranged bass breaks and solo features are the perfect places to throw down, of course, and fills also often work well during transitions to new sections. However, depending on the context and how well you know the material, you can sneak them in pretty much whenever it feels right. Personally, I tend to consider adding fills every two bars and every four bars, and I’ve trained myself to look for gaps where I won’t clash with the vocals. One of the great pleasures of playing bass is choosing whether to stay steady, lay out, or join the drummer for fills (and hope they don’t slow down or speed up during those moments).

At the risk of stating the obvious, listening and responding are at the heart of what we do. With that in mind, check out the old-school groove in the audio clip below. Notice the lead and background vocals, the interplay between the piano and guitar, and the steady groove of the tambourine, as well as the multiple overlapping sax parts in the second half of the song. Before you even pick up your bass, think of how you might join the party and support what’s happening.

Your first pass might sound something like this next audio clip. It’s a hodgepodge of ideas — some worth developing, some perhaps not — but the bass totally takes over the track without respect for the vocals. If you think this sounds like a disconnected, embryonic bass solo, you’d be right, and these riffs would sound so much better in an actual bass solo slot. Nonetheless, trying out ideas like this is a good way to warm up, get loose, and consider how you’d like to approach the part.

As you can hear in this next clip, adding drums provides rhythmic context and makes it easier for you to be disciplined in your bass parts. Here, I’m playing fills in every other bar, but it works because the bass line feels anchored in the groove. Notice too how the fills get bolder after the vocals are out of the picture, as we head toward the end of the track.

Some of history’s baddest bass fills happen on outros and fadeouts — for example, check out Paul McCartney’s inspired riff at the very end of The Beatles’ “Come Together” (about 4:05 into the song), Anthony Jackson’s playing at around the 3:27 mark of Chaka Khan’s “Move Me No Mountain” or Marcus Miller’s licks in the outro to his “The Sun Don’t Lie.”

Do we need fills for a track to feel good? There’s plenty of evidence to the contrary. Inspired by dancefloor classics that keep the bass simple and steady (such as, for example, in the Masters At Work remix of Dua Lipa’s “Pretty Please”), the groove in the clip below lends itself to a syncopated, trance-like bass part with only the slightest fluctuation. Not outlining the chord changes won’t always work, but it’s worth exploring, especially if it contrasts another part of the song that’s busier, as demonstrated in the audio clip below.

This final audio clip presents a way to lock in with the drummer, use fills to outline sections, and increase excitement. The bass part is married to the kick drum while staying out of the singer’s way, and the longer notes and walking bass style underneath the sax solo set us up to the end of the track and the drummer’s final fill.

GET YOUR FILL

In some contexts, too much of a good thing can be wonderful, but when it comes to bass fills, less really is more. Some players are so fill-happy that it’s hard to tell when they’re soloing, but there’s nothing quite like hearing a solid, dependable bass player surprise everyone with a jaw-dropping fill out of nowhere before smoothly returning to hold down the fort.

That said, some styles of music demand more fills. For example, an up-tempo hard rock gig where you’ll be doubling the guitar will have many more opportunities for fills than a dub reggae show. There are great players who sound like they never play the same thing twice, but in many cases, it’s because they expertly walk the line between laying down the backbone of a song while infusing the moment with energy and fresh ideas.

In your practice sessions, consider taking control from restless fingers, listening to what you hear in your head, and developing the confidence and technique to play it. Look ahead to places in a song where a fill adds just the right spice. In the studio, a producer may have you do several takes — one with a solid line that does the job, and then a few variations that get increasingly free — so they can sprinkle fills throughout the track. Onstage, use your best judgment. It never hurts to minimize fills and keep things grounded (a big part of our job), but feel the energy and run with it. In most contexts, dropping a tasty flash of thunder in just the right place after keeping things simple has the most impact, like a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer’s day.

Check out E.E.’s other postings.

Six Best Video Game Remakes

Written by Tariq Kamal on June 28, 2023. Posted in Gaming.

In the Streaming Age, classic video game-inspired movies and TV shows are just a few clicks away. But classic games can be hard to find, and playing them may require investing in vintage hardware, which can sometimes be costly.

Remakes solve the problem by introducing (or reintroducing) modern gamers to prior-generation titles. Unlike a remaster, which may merely layer improved graphics and sound onto the original source code, a remake is a new game adapted from a classic, built to work on modern platforms and appeal to a modern audience while preserving the spirit of its namesake.

Here are six memorable and successful video game remakes.

1. Resident Evil (2002)

Released for Sony PlayStation^® in 1996, Capcom’s original Resident Evil is a survival horror masterpiece. It pits humans against zombies in an abandoned Raccoon City mansion and helped set the standard for scary video games. Six years after Resident Evil’s release, the remake arrived, spurred by a partnership designed to bring the series to the then-new Nintendo GameCube^®.

Resident Evil is frequently cited as an enduring example of a successful remake. With few exceptions, critics and players lauded the 2002 version as a fitting tribute to the original — still scary, still challenging, but with far superior graphics and gameplay, including a GameCube-specific control scheme.

The new game would eventually sell more than one million copies on multiple platforms, setting the stage for remakes of Resident Evil 2 (released in 2019), Resident Evil 3 (2020) and Resident Evil 4 (2023).

2. Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver (2009)

Game Freak’s Pokémon Gold and Silver are dual games developed for the Nintendo Game Boy Color^®. Released in 1999, Gold and Silver together would become the handheld system’s all-time biggest seller and, a decade later, inspire Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, remakes that were a hit for the next-generation Nintendo DS^®.

The new games recreated the classics’ role-playing adventure, set in the Johto and Kanto regions, where players find, raise and do battle with Pokémon against other trainers. But they nearly doubled the number of available pocket monsters and added full-color, 3D graphics as well as new minigames.

Most notably, HeartGold and SoulSilver introduced the Pokéwalker, a handheld pedometer that allowed players to take their Pokémon outdoors and earn “watts” that could be exchanged for rewards, foreshadowing the Pokémon Go phenomenon of the mid-2010s.

3. Shadow of the Colossus (2018)

In the original Shadow of the Colossus, developed by Team Ico for the PlayStation 2^®, a lone warrior seeks and does battle with a series of 16 colossi in a vast, rich, ancient landscape. It was a stunning, epic adventure. But it was released in 2005, and the graphics — though impressive for the time — didn’t do justice to the premise.

Thirteen years later, Bluepoint Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment released the remake for PlayStation 4^® and PlayStation 4 Pro^®. The 2018 version of Shadow of the Colossus is a near-exact duplicate of the original, but with all-new graphics displayed at far higher resolutions and frame rates (up to 1440p and 60 fps on the PS4 Pro).

The new Shadow of the Colossus was a runaway success, far outselling the game it was based on, earning universal praise from reviewers and setting a high bar as the trend toward remakes began to accelerate.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019)

Nintendo traveled back in time more than two decades to resurrect The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. The original was a 2D, two-color, open-world game released for the original Game Boy^® in 1993. It was the first in the Zelda series to appear on a handheld system — an ambitious attempt to bring big adventure to the very small screen.

Link’s Awakening was remastered for the Game Boy Color in 1998, expanding the game’s palette and adding new elements. But it wasn’t until the 2019 release of the remake, developed by Grezzo and Nintendo for the hybrid tablet/console Switch™, that the game truly came into its own.

The remake of Link’s Awakening retains the original story, setting and characters, but with all-new graphics. Developers created a toylike character design that embraced the new platform’s 3D capabilities and represented a radical departure from the original. Critics and fans embraced the new look, cementing the 2019 game as a unique but generally well-received entry in a long series.

5. Black Mesa (Half-Life) (2020)

Scientist Gordon Freeman is thrust into heroism as he battles man and interdimensional beast in the original Half-Life, a first-person shooter first released for Windows PCs in 1998. Developers at Valve Software set out to create a cerebral alternative to other FPS’s of the day, setting the game in the Black Mesa Research Facility and testing players with challenging enemies, objectives and puzzles.

The title was a runaway commercial and critical success, winning Best PC Game and Best Action Game at the inaugural Game Critics Awards and spawning a series of sequels. It also found a second life (pardon the pun) as Half-Life: Source (2004), a mild improvement over the original thanks to Valve’s new Source 3D engine.

Then, presumably underwhelmed by Source, two teams initially unassociated with Valve or each other began working on a new game. After joining forces as the Crowbar Collective, they made Black Mesa, a true remake intended for free distribution. But fans, critics and Valve agreed that Black Mesa was a creative triumph with real commercial potential. The game was licensed by the studio and passed through various stages of further development before getting its official release in 2020.

6. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (2020)

Marketed as a remaster but meeting all the qualifications of a remake, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is based on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (1999) and Pro Skater 2 (2000). The first two games were developed by Neversoft with input and feedback from Hawk himself. They became instant classics for the original PlayStation, later to be ported to the Nintendo 64^®, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance^® and Sega Dreamcast^®.

In the originals, players controlled one of 10 real professional skateboarders, racking up points by performing tricks and collecting objects. Released in 2020 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One^® and Windows, Pro Skater 1 + 2 upped the ante with drastically improved graphics and more of just about everything: more characters, more tricks, more modes, more songs and more fluid gameplay.

The remake reached the one-million-units-sold mark in its first two weeks on the market, faster than any other game in the series. 1 + 2 would go on to earn best sports game honors in multiple industry awards programs, get ported to numerous additional platforms and win the hearts of at least two generations of gamers.

Remake your gaming experience with a Yamaha AV receiver or sound bar.

Teach Holistic Music Literacy, Not “Button-Pushing”

Written by David Davis on June 28, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

Do you recognize the scenarios listed below? Struggles like these are all too familiar in music classrooms:

Letter names scribbled under every note.
Referring to notes as fingerings, not pitches.
Requiring multiple run-throughs to finally be able to “read” the music.
Failure to notice incorrectly performed pitches.
Ultimately, students quitting due to frustration.

For many years, my students struggled with these exact issues. Then, that lightbulb moment: I realized that I was the root cause. I was teaching button-pushing, not holistic music literacy.

So, what do I mean by button-pushing? Bassist Victor Wooten summarizes it best: “Although many musicians agree that music is a language, it is rarely treated as such.”

As a band, orchestra and general music teacher at Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, I realized a few years ago that I was not teaching music as a language — that is, music literacy. Rather, my curriculum centered on the technical execution of music notation on instruments (aka button-pushing). This approach was leading students into the pitfalls listed above. My teaching was sending the message that music symbols represent fingerings rather than sounds. Upon reflection, this was akin to teaching someone to type in a language they didn’t understand.

What, then, is holistic music literacy? Within languages, literacy is typically defined as fluency in speaking, reading, writing and understanding. Similarly, music literacy can be defined as fluency in improvising, reading notation, composing and audiation (aural comprehension). That’s right, fluency in all four areas comprises holistic music literacy.

Unfortunately, my former button-pushing curriculum was not setting up students to achieve holistic music literacy. Every year, I saw the same struggles, and I knew that something needed to change. So, I dove in. I read about the mother-tongue approach of Shinichi Suzuki and the audiation research of Edwin Gordon. I gained much insight from the writings of Stanley Schleuter. And I engaged the English and Spanish teachers and the speech-language pathologist at my school to learn from their expertise. I even joined a cohort of reading and spelling teachers in a two-year course called LETRS in order to develop a deep understanding of the science of reading. In summary, literacy is not achieved through a visual memory process, it’s achieved when symbols and sounds connect to create meaning. The alarm bells went off: This could just as well describe music!

As a result of this learning, my music program looks very different today. I made two significant shifts. First, similar to immersion language-learning, my students learn sound before sight. Second, when I introduce music notation, I base my instructional approach on the science of reading.

Sound Before Sight

“Acquiring verbal skills is dependent mainly on the ability to hear and discriminate sounds and then attach meaning to them. Acquiring musical skill and understanding is also dependent mainly on the ability to hear and discriminate sounds and attach meaning to them.” — Stanley Schleuter

The basic principle of sound before sight is that aural comprehension precedes theory or grammar, similar to how humans learn language. Keep in mind that aural comprehension is not the same as rote memorization. The two can be distinguished by the following analogy: Imagine you had to memorize a speech in a language that you don’t comprehend. You might be able to say the sounds mostly correctly, but you don’t understand what you’re saying, nor could you use the words you’ve memorized to improvise new sentences. In music, a student might memorize a piece but make a pitch error and not notice. They may be unable to identify a tonal center or whether the piece is in major or minor. And perhaps they are unable to take an excerpt and transpose or improvise on it.

In language, we stop imitating when we understand meaning and can converse. Similarly, in music we stop imitating when we can “think in sound” and improvise with meaning. That’s the difference between rote memorization and comprehension.

To teach sound before sight in my classroom, I use the following strategies:

Delay the introduction of notation: I typically wait a few months before introducing method books or sheet music. This provides the time, space and focus to develop a solid aural foundation.
Encourage experimentation: For example, spending time playing with tonal patterns. This might look like students learning a three-pitch pattern by ear, and then deleting, substituting or switching pitches to create a new pattern, or combining patterns together to create a longer melody. This kind of early experimentation, unconstrained by the complexity of notation, quickly exposes beginner students to a broader vocabulary of pitches — no matter the key signature — and also makes introducing transposition easy because students focus on patterns and relationships between pitches.
Center improvisation: Beginners in my classroom create their own pieces as soon as they learn the first few notes on their instruments. We engage in “musical conversations” during class, wherein students sit in a circle, say a “sentence” to a peer and their conversation partner “answers” — all without using any verbal language, only music. This exercise emphasizes musical meaning, as students are quite literally conversing through musical sounds. In addition, I center student improvisation in performances, so the pressure to frantically learn concert music is removed, and we can dedicate the space and time required to build music literacy, not just “teach to the test.” Here is a fun video example of an improvised soundtrack to a short film, which my students performed in a concert setting.

The Science of Reading

“Children who learn to read well are sensitive to linguistic structure, recognize redundant patterns, and connect letter patterns with sounds, syllables, and meaningful word parts quickly, accurately, and unconsciously. Effective teaching of reading entails these concepts.”— Louisa Moats

Get ready for a hot take: A lot of sight-reading happening out there isn’t really reading at all. Stay with me. Often, sight-reading looks like giving students a new piece or exercise in their method book. They look at the sheet music but cannot hear what it would sound like in their head. So, they start to decode the first note symbol into the correct fingering, then the next and the next. Then they string it together, maybe with some unnoticed pitch errors. Were they reading?

I’d argue no. That kind of sight-reading is really just technical reproduction (or, one might even call it button pushing). Comprehension is an essential component of reading whether the text is familiar or unfamiliar, read in one’s head or aloud. In language, skilled reading requires word recognition and comprehension. Translating that into a music context: We need both pattern recognition and audiation to be truly reading notation.

Authentic sight-reading, aka just reading, means recognizing and deriving meaning from tonal and rhythmic patterns on sight. This doesn’t come from memorization but instead from fluency in matching symbol/sound relationships — a brain function called orthographic mapping. Training my students to memorize E-G-B-D-F or to identify note names on a page would be like trying to teach a student to read a book by asking them to name individual letters on the page, instead of decoding and blending the letter-sound correspondences. If you want to learn more about this idea in the context of the science of reading, listen to the podcast “Sold A Story” by education journalist Emily Hanford. There are significant parallels to music learning.

After my students build a solid aural foundation through sound before sight, I begin to introduce visual elements of music literacy. Here are a few tenants of my approach to notational instruction:

It has to be clear that notation is representation of a pitch, not of a letter name or a fingering: I postpone referring to notes by letter names for a few months in order to emphasize patterns and tonality. We use solfege or neutral syllables on each pitch. I start beginners on a one- or two-line staff to simplify patterns, emphasize the sound and symbol relationship, and deemphasize the inclination to name notes. Eventually I scaffold up to traditional notation.
I constantly assess whether audiation is happening: For example, when reading from sheet music, we sing the excerpt or entire piece first before performing on instruments. There’s also a fun classroom game we play where I write a tonal or rhythmic pattern on the board. Students are challenged to echo every pattern I play except the pattern written on the board (which is the “poison” pattern!)
I frequently use aural dictation and composition: In my room, we call them “music spelling tests”: transcribing short, performed patterns into notation. Students find it more fun than you might think! Students also write and perform their own compositions starting in year one.

Why True Music Literacy Matters

So, why does this shift to holistic music literacy matter? What are the stakes? I can’t say how many adults I’ve met who, at some point, got the message that they “just weren’t musical” or “just weren’t talented,” so they quit learning music. Unfortunately, this is still happening today. Stories like these, I believe, are the result of a way of teaching that often fails to impart holistic music literacy. The truth is: Musicality is an inherent human trait, just like language. With the right teaching, the musician in everyone can flourish.

Does the switch to holistic music literacy work? Here’s what I’ve seen in my classroom:

Students no longer write letter names on their sheet music.
Students notice and self-adjust when they perform an incorrect pitch.
Students are intrinsically motivated to play and practice, especially to share their own improvisations and compositions with others.
Students are able to perform music at “higher grade levels” by ear, which increases their intrinsic motivation, excitement and self-efficacy.
Students can transpose, often considered an advanced skill.
Students are more likely to correctly read notation on their first try; in fact, they move through subsequent material faster than traditionally taught students.
Students have not quit my ensembles out of frustration in years.
The curriculum is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive, because it centers student voice and choice, not just the teacher’s.

Departing from a technique-centered approach was scary to me. I was diverging from years of practice and training — both in my own musical education and my education as a teacher. It felt vulnerable and was certainly perceived by some as totally counterculture to today’s music education norms. However, seeing students struggle was the strongest motivator for me. It made clear that research-based, systemic change is needed to best serve students, and frankly, to keep music education relevant.

As Dr. Christopher Azzara, a professor of music teaching at Eastman School of Music, says, we as teachers need to rethink teaching music so that it is more in line with how humans learn music. It is incumbent on music teachers to seek ever greater efficacy because students are so much more than just button-pushers.

Vinyl album with cowboy hat and boots on top.

10 Best Country Albums to Own on Vinyl

Written by Jeff Dorgay on June 22, 2023. Posted in Vinyl.

Years ago, the word “country” would be followed with “western,” but today, it’s more like “new country” and “old country.” Somewhere around the mid-1990s, when Shania Twain became popular with the help of Def Leppard producer (and husband) Mutt Lange, country started sounding a lot less like twang and more like 1980s rock. In a Lynyrd Skynyrd kind of way, country records suddenly featured big, rallying choruses and lots of electric guitars.

Here’s my list of the top 10 country albums — of both the “old” and “new” varieties — best enjoyed on vinyl.

1. Greatest Hits, Vol.1 – Johnny Cash

With almost a hundred albums to his credit, this is the best place to dive into Cash, whether you’re a first-time explorer or a lifelong fan. Featuring his signature song “Jackson” (performed with wife June Carter), along with other staples such as “Ring of Fire,” you’ll get the ethos of the Man in Black quickly. Compilations often mine whatever versions of a particular track are readily available, but care has been taken here to retrieve the original sonic gems, and Cash’s resonant voice really shines through on vinyl because most of his records were recorded in analog to begin with.

2. Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell

If Johnny Cash is the most outlaw of the group presented here, Glen Campbell is the most approachable, but no less a creative genius. Put the stylus down on the title track and prepare to be blown away by the sonic equivalent of an IMAX movie. (Not to mention that killer bass solo!) Campbell’s playing and singing will floor you, no matter how many times you’ve heard these songs, including great covers of “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay,” “Reason To Believe” and “Words.”

3. Greatest Hits – Waylon Jennings

Right on Johnny Cash’s heels in terms of “outlaw” status, Waylon Jennings has released many great recordings. This 1979 compilation features signature tunes like “Luckenback, Texas,” “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys” (a terrific duet with Willie Nelson) and “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” — songs that beg to be listened to on vinyl because they tend to lose some of their character and feel via digital downloads. There’s a lot more Waylon before and after this album, but it’s a great stepping-off point.

4. Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich

While modern country borrows heavily from the world of rock, Charlie Rich was a pioneer in making country more accessible by crossing over into the world of pop. Old-school country fans may frown upon this record, but if you listen closely to this 1973 release, you’ll hear how the almost Burt Bacharach-like arrangements planted the seed for a lot of the “popular country” that became famous in the years to follow. And again, there’s something special about the way country twang feels more real when rendered via a slab of vinyl.

5. The Woman in Me – Shania Twain

As mentioned earlier, this was one of the most influential albums in the history of country. Much like Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Twain’s second release became ubiquitous, enjoying multi-platinum sales and spawning eight singles. The way she blends country together with rock sensibilities on this album is unlike any other record before or since. Every contemporary female country star owes her a major debt.

6. Golden Road – Keith Urban

It might be hard to believe that an Aussie from Down Under can sound so authentically country, but Urban delivers the goods. Put the needle down on “You Look Good in My Shirt” and you’ll see what we mean. The record rocks — actually scoots — from start to finish with a nonstop collection of songs that are as upbeat as country gets. Urban is every bit as polished and accessible as Twain, drawing on rock roots to convey the message, presented in a beautifully complementary wall of sound production style.

7. Lyle Lovett – Lyle Lovett

Lovett’s later records would always be country-tinged, often heavily infused with a fair share of folk, gospel and blues. However, his first album puts twang front and center, with a delicacy that continues to punctuate Lovett’s work to this day. The songs are clever, and the playing even more so. The sheer approachability of this record might even make it the best place to begin your exploration of country music if previously uninitiated. While recorded on Curb/MCA, if you can find the JVC Japanese vinyl pressing, your ears will thank you.

8. Joe Ely – Joe Ely

Texas upstart Joe Ely began his long career with this eclectic collection of tunes that at times feel as much rockabilly as honky tonk (don’t let the slide guitars fool you). Regardless, Ely has a wry sense of humor in his songwriting that will pull you in. Tip: Skip the “2022 Remaster.” This record was made in 1977, well before digital recording was a studio thing. “She Never Spoke Spanish To Me” and “Treat Me Like A Saturday Night” will pour out of your speakers like liquid gold if you listen to the original vinyl release.

9. Stardust – Willie Nelson

Stardust is the wackiest record in this list. One of country’s favorite sons, Shotgun Willie went way off the radar back in 1978, releasing this collection of pop standards with a solid side order of country classics re-interpreted in an American Songbook way … decades before Rod Stewart and others got on the bandwagon. This may be the only Willie Nelson album with no original songs on it, but it works brilliantly, and it’s exquisitely recorded too. On vinyl, it’s an epic that will show off your turntable’s ability.

10. American Recordings – Johnny Cash

Yes, we know that this is the second time Johnny Cash appears on this list, but no other country star morphed with the times like he did. Partnering with mega-producer Rick Rubin, Cash released four albums in his final days, later known as “The American Series.” All are excellent, but none as chilling as this one (the first), featuring just Johnny and his guitar. Country or not, this is one of the most raw records ever made, and there’s nothing like the realism of vinyl to bring out The Man in Black at his most haunting.

Check out these turntables from Yamaha.

woman looking through a magnifying glass

An Easy Way to Rewire Your Brain

Written by Kathryn Drury Wagner on June 20, 2023. Posted in Self-Care.

As a music educator, there’s a lot on your plate. It’s hard to juggle all that you’re being asked to do — from leading rehearsals to teaching harmony — and fit those tasks into an eight-hour box so you can also, you know, have a life. That’s why any stress-management tool is a must-have in a busy teacher’s arsenal. Today, we’ll look at a simple, yet effective, mindfulness strategy called Notice-Shift-Rewire.

Notice-Shift-Rewire is a three-step practice introduced by Nate Klemp, Ph.D., and Eric Langshur in their 2017 book, “Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing.” Klemp is from Boulder, Colorado, and is a former philosophy professor who received his doctorate from Princeton. He’s since become an expert in meditation (and he also plays a little jazz piano). Langshur, based in Chicago, has a background in healthcare and entrepreneurship.

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Mastering Attention

The goal of Notice-Shift-Rewire is to help master executive attention. What’s executive attention? It’s the complex way our brain sorts out all the incoming stimuli, blocking out what’s not important and focusing on what needs doing. Picture yourself having dinner with a friend: You are focused on the great story they are telling you, not on the random guy in the blue shirt at the next table over or the sound of your fork on your plate. When executive attention is poor, according to Klemp and Langshur, too many stimuli are competing, which makes us feel distracted, unfocused and stressed. (Sound familiar?) Add in today’s fragmented environment — awash with distracting social media, incoming texts and multiple screens — and our poor brains are swamped.

Notice-Shift-Rewire aims to train the brain by focusing attention, and this repeated training literally forges new neural pathways. It’s a cool technique you can do anywhere. Here’s how it works.

Notice

The first part of the practice is to notice, or observe, what’s happening in your mind, using a neutral standpoint. Let’s say you had a really hard day teaching. You feel depleted and discouraged. Your brain starts whirring with negative, unhelpful thoughts — for example, “I should be better at this by now” or “I am not cut out for teaching.” But here’s the thing: Human brains are wired to glom onto more negative thoughts and experiences instead of positive thoughts and experiences. Giving negative thoughts more energy is what scientists call the negativity bias.

This Debbie Downer trait served us well while humans were evolving. What’s that dark cloud on the horizon? Do I hear a predator howling? Is this berry poisonous? Humans who survived all the obstacles in their environment were the ones who lived and got to pass on their genes. That happy-go-lucky guy contemplating a dandelion puff while the jaguar crept up behind him? Not so much.

So, step one is to observe your thoughts, without judgment, such as, “I notice I’m feeling tired and depleted.”

Shift

Now that you’ve noticed your brain whirring, Klemp and Langhsur propose, you have a choice. You can let your brain continue to spin-cycle through thoughts, or you can gently direct your attention to the present moment. You might, for example, focus on taking a deep breath — in and out. Or you might envision a forest and imagine how the pine trees smell, or your favorite beach and how the warm sand feels on your toes. This seems like you’re escaping your thoughts, but you’re redirecting your restless mind to a place of wellbeing and calming the nervous system.

Rewire

Lastly, Klemp and Langshur suggest, spend 15 to 30 seconds savoring that feeling after you’ve made a shift from busy, disorganized thoughts to calm attention. This period of savoring is what helps the brain create new, more positive neural pathways. Over time, this leads to a greater ability to focus, increased productivity and greater life satisfaction, according to Klemp and Langshur.

Want to give it a go? Download a free guide to Notice-Shift-Rewire.

Music on a Cart: Make it Work

Written by Aleah Fitzwater on June 20, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

If you’re used to having your own classroom, hearing your administrator talk about changing to a “music on a cart” format will likely make you sigh. Putting your classroom on wheels is not ideal and it can be intimidating, but you can make it work. I have taught music in gyms, in other people’s classrooms and even in big instrument storage lockers. Here are some tips that will help you teach music anywhere.

The Cart Itself

Choose your cart carefully because it is your classroom. Helpful features to have on a music cart include:

• Small, stackable totes
• Pocket holders
• Drawers
• Hanging hooks
• Binders with folders and other organizational tools

If you’re using a cart that the school has provided, you may need to do some DIY because you will need to get creative to make a space-saving cart. Look for different ways to attach instruments or to save space, such as hooks, Velcro, mini-totes, etc.

If you don’t have the funds to buy your own cart with drawers, buy some locking and stackable totes. One of the biggest challenges with teaching on a cart is getting everything you need to fit on it and staying organized.

Include a Sub Basket, Create a Second Cart

Classroom or no classroom, getting sick is inevitable. Having an emergency sub basket on your cart is a must-have for any time of year. Creating a second cart and having it in storage is also a good idea in case an unknowing janitor or school guest decides to relocate your portable classroom (you never know, anything can happen!).

Downsize Your Lesson Plans

Downsizing your lesson plans is frustrating. After all, you have all this musical equipment — xylophones, ukuleles and musical props galore. But what if you can teach many of the same concepts with smaller instruments?

Hand Clapping and Cups: The smaller the instruments, the easier it’s going to be for you. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t make great music. Prioritize small hand percussion instruments like scrapers, shakers and handbells. Don’t forget that our bodies can be instruments, too.

Hand-clapping games or cup games are perfect for days when you don’t want to bring a cart at all. Some people might think that hand-clapping sounds like child’s play, but you can find some surprisingly complex pieces for body percussion that will even keep high schoolers on their toes.

For advanced students, try this two-part minimalist classical piece called “Clapping Music” by Steve Reich. This iconic piece was first written in 1972. I performed it with one of my classes in college. Even as a music major, I was challenged by this piece.

“When I’m Gone,” which is better known as “the cup song” that Anna Kendrick performed in “Pitch Perfect” (and originally sung by The Carter Family) is another engaging lesson plan to break out. All you need are cups! I learned this song in high school when “Pitch Perfect” first came out. It’s more than just a cool party trick, especially when you sing and perform the cup routine at the same time. Just be sure to swap the line about whiskey for something like “I’m buyin’ Faygo for the way.”

For elementary students, try hand-clapping games like:

• “Ram Sam Sam”
• “Miss Mary Mack”
• “Down Down Baby”

Simple hand-clapping games and circle-clapping games are excellent ways to work on cross-body motor skills. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the “Cup Game” with elementary students. Rhythmic cup games have been around long before “Pitch Perfect” and actually used to be a competitive activity!

Small Manipulatives and Other Helpful Items: Keep small items in your cart like scarves (for choreography), balls, hacky sacks, rubber dots, etc. that are portable, engaging and inspire movement. Other helpful things to keep on hand include mini whiteboards, golf pencils, scrap paper and blank staff paper.

Rubber dots were a lifesaver for me. If you are moving from classroom to classroom, you never know if you’ll have a circle carpet or not. For littles, having rubber dots to sit on is a great way to smooth out classroom transitions, and give K-2 students more classroom structure.

Get a Portable Projector and a Soundbar: Don’t know if you’ll be teaching in a small room without a smartboard? Mini portable projectors can help you teach anywhere. Any rhythm reading exercises you already have in your arsenal can be read on smaller instruments, like those mentioned earlier. While you can’t interact with the screen, it’s still a good way to provide a visual aid and level up your music-on-a-cart so you can continue teaching reading and solfege.

With a soundbar, you can easily fill a room without the hassle of logging into another teacher’s computer because sometimes you just don’t have enough time! I used a soundbar for subbing and musicals as well.

Classroom Management: One of the most difficult aspects of moving your classroom on a cart is classroom management. It’s difficult to create a routine when you’re always working in a different space. I use a chime to signal the start of class, and when we need to quiet down to focus. While not all rooms have enough space to move around a lot, alternating between standing and sitting activities can help keep students’ attention.

Teacher Tip: Take Up Space — Even if you’re always teaching in someone else’s space, you must think of it as your room until the bell rings. It’s also a valid move to ask the other teacher to leave their desk so you can take over, even if it’s uncomfortable at first.

Don’t Give Up Just Yet!

Even though we have focused on how to make a classroom on a cart work, please know that you don’t have to give up if you’ve been notified that you’re going to have to vacate your classroom. Resources like your union can help. This NAfME article offers great advice on how to navigate the situation. And, even if you end up teaching on a cart, having a signed acknowledgment of how this is going to impact you and your student is extremely helpful.

That’s all to say that, when admin gives you lemons, keep making music. No matter what kind of space restrictions and curveballs are thrown at you, you’ve got this!

What are the Different Kinds of Clavinovas?

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on June 20, 2023. Posted in Digital Pianos.

In 1983, Yamaha introduced an electronic keyboard that was to have a huge impact on the music world all the way up to the present day, 40 years later. That product was the first Clavinova — a term derived from the blend of the words Clavier, meaning “keyboard instrument” and nova, meaning “new.”

The instrument was indeed new; in fact, it is widely acknowledged as being the first digital piano. For the first time, aspiring pianists could learn on an affordable (and maintenance-free) instrument equipped with both built-in speakers and a headphone jack enabling silent practice — an instrument that not only sounded like a piano, but had the authentic feel of an acoustic piano.

Since that time, Yamaha has introduced dozens of new Clavinova models, all incorporating modern technology, but each with its own distinctive set of features. Here’s a guide to the different kinds of Clavinovas available today.

Clavinova Commonalities

Though organized into three “Series” of instruments (see below), all current Clavinovas feature full 88-note weighted keyboards with “Graded Hammer” technology, a mechanical system of small metal hammers designed to be similar to those of an acoustic piano. They offer a graded action that’s intended to reproduce with great accuracy the varying weights of the hammers of an acoustic piano, ranging from “heavier” keys in the low register to “lighter” keys in the higher register.

Unlike acoustic pianos, Clavinovas produce their sound by means of a built-in sample-based tone generator that utilizes small snippets (“samples”) of actual recordings, thus providing a high degree of realism. Clavinovas can reproduce a large array of acoustic and electronic instrument sounds (known as “Voices”), including many types of pianos and organs (some that utilize binaural sampling for three-dimensional sound that recreates the perspective of the player position through headphones), as well as string, percussion, brass and woodwind instruments, plus modern and vintage synthesizer sounds, along with effects such as reverb and delay.

They also all provide onboard recording so you can capture your performances — a must if you want to be able to review your playing objectively. Additionally, you can record up to two tracks for simultaneous playback, so different hands can be recorded separately, or you can overdub parts with different Voices.

All current Clavinovas are housed in wooden cabinets, and most models are available in a wide range of cabinet designs, finishes and colors so they can fit into any décor. Some are designed to look like acoustic upright pianos, while others replicate the look of an acoustic grand piano.

CLP Series

CLP Series digital pianos are the longest-standing members of the Clavinova family, dating back to 1985. These are considered to be the more “traditional” Clavinovas because they focus more on the piano playing experience, with fewer bells and whistles than the newer CSP or CVP Series models. If you mainly want to play piano but also would like to have some cool digital features at hand, such as extra instrument sounds, recording/playback features and Bluetooth connectivity, then CLP Series Clavinovas may be the better choice depending on your budget.

There are currently 14 CLP models available in the U.S. These include the CLP-725, CLP-735, CLP-745, CLP-775, CLP-785, CLP-825, CLP-835, CLP-845, CLP-875 and CLP-885, each of which are housed in cases that resemble upright pianos, plus four models that look like mini grand pianos: the CLP-765GP, CLP-795GP, CLP-865GP and CLP-895GP.

Digital baby grand piano with lid open. — *CLP-795GP.*

All CLP Series models accurately recreate the tone, power and nuanced colors of our flagship Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial concert grand pianos, along with dozens of other instrument Voices. You can even play two Voices at the same time — piano and strings, for example, or French horn and cello — either layered together or “split” over different areas of the keyboard.

In addition, all CLP Series instruments incorporate innovative Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) technology that recreates the resonance of the soundboard, rim and frame to emulate the natural feeling of an acoustic piano, even when playing with headphones. Other features include weighted, graded keys that reproduce the authentic touch, response and natural key return of an acoustic piano, along with Smooth Release Technology that creates the colors and nuance of dampers returning to the strings when playing staccato, legato and everything in-between.

All CLP Series models are compatible with a free proprietary iOS/Android app called Smart Pianist, which enables handy remote control of the instrument’s features from your smartphone or tablet. In addition, Smart Pianist adds 100 popular and classical songs by artists like Adele, Sting, Elton John and Coldplay, along with 303 lessons by Beyer, Czerny, Hanon and Burgmüller — all accessible with a touch of a button.

CSP Series

The six current models in the CSP Series are the CSP-150, CSP-170, CSP- 255, CSP-275 and CSP-295, all of which are housed in cases that resemble upright pianos, plus the CSP-295GP, which looks like a mini-grand piano. All are packed with thoughtful technology geared toward helping you become a better player. They allow you to lead a virtual orchestra, join a jazz ensemble, add backup singers and more, plus many models are compatible with the free iOS/Android Smart Pianist app (see above) for expanded functionality. The app’s unique Audio-to-Score function can also analyze songs in your music library and then generate a piano accompaniment and score so you can easily play along; you can even adjust the complexity of the arrangement by choosing how many notes you’re comfortable playing with each hand.

Upright digital piano and bench in a living room. — *CSP-170.*

Digital mini-grand piano. — *CSP-295GP.*

CSP Series Clavinovas offer a wide variety of Voices, including the sound of Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial concert grand pianos, along with “Super Articulation” Voices that add genuine performance attributes of the real musical instruments (such as fret noise from a guitar, or inhalations/exhalations from wind instruments) as though they were being naturally performed on that instrument instead of from the keys of a piano keyboard. They also provide auto-accompaniment backing tracks called Styles. These range from traditional dance and classical orchestration to more modern club, pop, rock, big band and jazz accompaniments.

But perhaps the most innovative feature offered by CSP Series instruments is something called Stream Lights. These are ladders of cascading LEDs above each key that illuminate in sync with tempo of the song you’re playing along with, essentially turning learning to play piano into a game that draws inspiration from popular titles like Guitar Hero™ and Rock Band™. When the song starts to play, the lights move down towards the keys and all you have to do is strike the keys as the lights reach them. It’s a new, fun, technology-driven way to play along with original artist recordings of many of your favorite songs — something that can inspire you to make music in ways that conventional lessons never have before.

Closeup of a keyboard with digital lights above the keys. — *Stream Lights.*

The CSP-170 model features a Natural Wood X (NWX) keyboard, cut from wood that has been carefully dried specifically for use in making musical instruments, resulting in a keyboard that is resistant to buckling and warping. All CSP models come equipped with an onboard multi-track recorder and a mic input — simply plug in a microphone to sing along with your playing; with the use of the Smart Pianist app, the lyrics of your selected song are shown on your smartphone or tablet and the words change color as the song advances, so you know exactly when to come in. What’s more, a Vocal Harmony engine can add harmonies and enrich your voice — it’s even capable of correcting your pitch!

CVP Series

Top-of-the-line CVP Series Clavinovas provide the widest range of Voices and Styles, along with the very latest in technological innovations, including a futuristic control panel with a built-in color touchscreen. In addition, they incorporate astonishing Piano Room technology, which not only enables you to enter a virtual “selection room” to choose a favorite piano from several options, but then raise or lower its lid to change the brightness of the instrument, change the venue or location where the piano is playing to alter its reverb and ambiance, and even adjust the tuning and touch responsiveness. An associated Session Mode allows virtual musicians to be brought into the Piano Room to accompany you as you play.

Control panel view. — *CVP Series Clavinovas have a built-in color touchscreen.*

The current lineup of CVP Clavinovas includes the CVP-701, CVP-805, CVP-809 and CVP809GP (the first three are housed in cabinets that emulate upright pianos, while the latter is housed in a mini grand piano cabinet), as well as three top-of-the-line CVP-900 models: the CVP-905, CVP-909 and the mini grand CVP-909GP.

Digital baby grand with lid open. — *CVP-909GP.*

All CVP Series Clavinovas offer Grand Expression Modeling that accurately captures the subtle variations in sound offered by an acoustic concert grand piano. Most come equipped with GrandTouch™ Keyboards with escapement; some also incorporate carefully adjusted counterweights for improved playability as well as GrandTouch pedal technology that allows the player to “half pedal” with the damper pedal held at middle depth — the CVP-909 even replicates the weight of a grand piano damper pedal.

Other advanced features offered by various CVP models include Virtual Resonance Modeling, Super Articulation Voices, Follow Lights with Guide Mode, USB Audio (MP3/WAV) recording and playback, and Display Output via USB. You can also plug a mic into CVP-800 Series Clavinovas, as well as the CVP-905 and CVP-909, and sing along with up to three virtual background vocalists, with the ability to adjust level and correct pitch.

No matter your level of expertise, there’s a Clavinova that’s right for you!

Learn more about Yamaha Clavinova digital pianos at your local authorized dealer.

All About Vibraphone Bars

Written by Robert Darling on June 17, 2023. Posted in Percussion. 1 Comment on All About Vibraphone Bars

The vibraphone is such a unique sounding instrument. The sustain, vibrato, and tone quality are just some of the reasons why it is such a popular instrument.

What creates the vibraphone’s beautiful sound quality? It’s the aluminum bars that resonate like no other instrument!

Now, you might wonder if silver bars ring longer than gold bars? Or, are red bars better than gold? The answer is that bar color has nothing to do with the sound!

It is purely the finish that is applied to the bars after tuning and coloring that makes the difference. So, what is the difference between the different types of vibraphone bar finishes, or is it also for aesthetic?

The answer, as always, is complicated.

After being tuned, each bar is anodized a color decided by the manufacturer. Then, companies typically finish the bars in two main ways: matte or glossy. The finish applied to bars is obviously different visually, but they also have very different sounds. However, the main difference occurs in the initial attack of the bar, not as much to the sustain.

Yamaha Instrument Care Guide for Drums and Percussion

Download this Yamaha Drums and Percussion Care Checklist for Students now!

What’s the Difference Between Matte and Glossy?

Matte-finish bars tend to have a warmer sound with less attack. Glossy bars tend to be brighter and have more attack.

Another reason they sound different dependents on mallet choice. When using hard mallets while playing loudly, glossy bars will still speak clearly where matte bars tend to become too bright and lose body. However, when using soft-medium mallets, the matte bars produce more natural warmth than the glossy bars.

What Scenarios are Best for Each Finish?

Any time that you play a vibraphone in a larger ensemble where there are other instruments in the same register, you will find it easier to be heard if you are playing an instrument with glossy bars. Because glossy bars are brighter and have more attack, the instrument will be heard much more clearly than matte finish bars. Glossy bars work best in marching bands, large wind ensembles, big band jazz, orchestras, etc. Medium to hard mallets sound best on these vibraphones.

Matte finish bars are considered by many to produce the “classic vibraphone sound.” Because of this, they are best for just about all other scenarios than the ones listed above; solo vibraphone, percussion ensembles, jazz trios, chamber groups, etc. Soft to medium-hard mallets will sound best on matte finish bars.

Other Things to Consider

Vibraphone bars are graduated in size and length the same way they are on a marimba and xylophone. This means that the bars are at their largest in width and length at the bottom and gradually get smaller as the pitch rises. The same principle applies to a grand piano. When you look inside a piano, the strings attached to the higher notes are very short and thin, while lower pitches have thicker and longer strings.

The lower the note, the longer its wavelength and the more surface area needed to properly amplify that note. Resonators on vibraphones follow the same idea. The higher notes have shorter resonators, and as the notes get lower, the resonators get longer to properly reinforce the frequency of the corresponding note.

Note Range

The vibraphone also comes in two different extended note ranges: 3.5 and 4-octaves. The 3.5-octave vibraphone typically extends the low F3 down to C3, while the 4-octave extends the low F3 down to C3 and the high F6 up to C7. These different ranges allow further exploration for composition. You are also closer to the range of the marimba and can play unison parts because of the highest and lowest notes being C. The only con of the extended range instruments is that they are bigger and, therefore, less portable.

Bar Tuning

The vibraphone bars are tuned to A=442hz (like most other pitched percussion), however, if you are playing the vibraphone with a grand piano tuned to A=440hz, you might notice some tuning discrepancies. The vibraphone is technically 8 cents sharp compared to the piano and the rest of the ensemble. For this reason, companies will offer vibraphone bars tuned to A=440hz. This is only necessary when playing in smaller ensembles with a grand piano or other fixed pitched instruments, however, the difference isn’t noticeable in most scenarios.

How to Become a Great Session Drummer

Written by Steve La Cerra on June 16, 2023. Posted in Drums How-to.

There are a lot of different ways to earn a living playing the drums, but there’s only one where you can be exposed to different genres of music on a daily basis: being a session drummer.

Taking this career path (which you can do in addition to playing live gigs, of course) also means that you’ll get to work with different producers, musicians, and songwriters, which not only enriches your musical background but keeps life behind the kit interesting. Here’s what you need to know about becoming a successful session drummer.

Timing Is Everything, Part 1

The ability to keep good time is an important skill for every drummer, but it might be the most important skill for a session drummer — especially now that so much music is being made “on the grid” (i.e., to a click) using computers and DAW software.

You can improve your timing by working with a metronome. Practice playing along with the click until it feels good, then vary the tempo until you’re comfortable at a wide range of tempos. If you’re practicing with other musicians who will be on the session, rehearse to the click so that everyone knows what to expect when it comes time to record in the studio.

A great resource for developing your drumming skills are the training tools provided with most electronic drum kits (such as the Yamaha DTX10, DTX8, DTX6 and DTX402), which can help improve your timing as well as your ability to quickly learn drum parts.

Record, Record, Record

Recording puts your drumming abilities under the microscope, and that can be intimidating. The best way to face the fear of recording is to record yourself as often as possible, then listen back to evaluate and analyze your performances objectively. A basic recording using your phone can help you judge feel, as well as how you balance the volume between different components of the kit. Eventually you can work your way up to a home recording setup with a computer and DAW software

Rec’n’Share is a free interactive app for your smart device that works with the Yamaha EAD10 Electronic Acoustic Drum Module (which transforms any acoustic drum set into a digital/hybrid kit, complete with sound effects), as well as all DTX Series electronic drums. It’s an excellent way to practice and record your performances, and makes it easy for you to share ideas with producers and other musicians.

Reading is Fundamental

The term “session drummer” covers a lot of territory and you may need different skills depending upon the types of sessions you want to do. If your goal is to play on sessions for jingles, film or television, you will almost certainly be required to sight-read music because that is what the producers of those genres will expect. But if your goal is to play on sessions for songwriters, musicians or music producers, reading may be less important.

Even if you don’t plan on doing film or TV sessions, being able to read and write music is a great skill to have because it allows you to easily notate ideas for fills or patterns that you might play in a verse or chorus.

Do Your Homework First!

Before you show up at a session, do some planning and ask a lot of questions. How many songs will you be recording? How much time will you have to record them? Will you be expected to play to a click? Are there demos that you can hear before the session? Will you need to copy the drum parts on the demo note-for-note? (Regardless, have several new ideas ready to go in case you’re asked to provide alternatives.)

If you can, ask ahead of time what genre of music you’ll be playing, and try not to limit yourself to one particular style. Instead, become familiar with different genres — which makes you more valuable and will get you more work.

Also try to determine beforehand what equipment will be available for you to use at the studio. If there’s a great kit already in-house, you probably won’t need to bring your own drums.

You may, however, want to bring a few different snare drums so you can choose one that’s appropriate for a particular song. The same goes for cymbals: bring along an assortment of cymbals with different weights, sizes and styles.

Several snare drums. — *It never hurts to bring an assortment of snare drums to every recording session.*

Last but not least, be sure to ask the producer ahead of time if you’ll need anything out of the ordinary for the session, such as shakers, tambourine or other percussion instruments — all good items to have in your arsenal as they will help increase your odds of getting gigs. Alternatively, consider bringing a sophisticated electronic drum module that can emulate many different percussive sounds (such as the Yamaha DTX-PRO or DTX-PROX), along with a drum pad or a mountable drum trigger such as the Yamaha DT-50S. The day of the session is not the time to find out that the producer was expecting you to rent a timpani drum!

Closeup of drums. — *The Yamaha DTS-50S drum trigger mounts directly to your snare drum.*

Gear Up

If you plan to bring your own equipment to a session, make sure that everything works properly and has been well-maintained. Old or worn-out heads should be changed a few days in advance to give them time to settle in, and packing a spare snare drum head is a must. Learning how to tune your drums is another important skill — one that can help you adapt quickly if the producer asks you to change the sound of the kit.

Make sure that none of the hardware is loose or rattling, since these sounds can be magnified under the scrutiny of microphones, as can the sound of a squeaky bass drum pedal.

Drum piece. — *Yamaha cymbal stands feature plastic cups that prevent rattling.*

Check your cymbal and hi hat stands for metal-on-metal contact, and use plastic cymbal cups with felts to prevent rattling.

Carry a backup snare drum and extra sticks, plus mallets, thunder rods and brushes, just in case. It may also be helpful to pack a tool box with spare cymbal felts, cymbal cups, sleeves, wing nuts, beaters, tension rods and other parts that might need replacement on-site.

It’s All About the Song

When it comes time to record, no one really cares about how fast you can play or how great your solo is. It’s all about the song, and simple parts often serve the song best.

Flexibility is a must in any recording situation, so be ready to change the parts you’re playing on-the-fly and take input from other players or the producer. Be prepared to receive criticism and don’t take it personally. Remember that you’re there to serve the song, so set your ego aside.

Timing is Everything, Part 2

No one likes waiting for other people to show up, and in the studio, time is money. But being on time is not enough. You need to be early. Part of planning for a recording session should include mapping out how you’ll get to the studio, finding out where you can unload your gear, and where you can park a car if necessary. Allowing an extra hour for your commute will leave plenty of time for unloading and parking, plus give you a few minutes to chill before the session starts. Being early shows that you’re a pro; being late will always make a bad impression. Plus, it adds stress that you don’t need and distracts from the real task at hand: playing the drums!

On the other side of that equation, try not to book anything after the session that might require you to leave before the session is finished. There’s nothing worse than someone taking off before the job is done, and producers and musicians who hire you will remember that.

O Drummer, Where Art Thou?

Having a presence on social media is a must these days and is a great way to make yourself known to studios, producers and other musicians. Post audio and video clips or links to your work so people can hear what you do. Get in touch with local studios, or with musicians you know who have home studios, and let them know that you’re available to play on sessions. Sitting in at an open jam is another way to meet new people, and can help develop your chops in the process.

Be realistic about where you live, and whether there’s a recording scene nearby. No one is going to fly you out to a studio to play on their songs when you’re starting out, so you may need to relocate to get your career off the ground.

Have a Good Attitude

It doesn’t get much better than being paid to play the drums, so let it show! A positive attitude and a smile can help ease tension in the studio and make for a great day … plus it can lead to more recommendations and gigs in future.

It’s all about getting the song to groove and making everyone feel comfortable. If you can do that, you’re on the road to success!

Movies for Dad

Written by Jon Hadusek on June 15, 2023. Posted in TV & Movies.

Every Father’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the dads and father figures in our lives. It’s an annual day of rest for pops that lets him kick back and relax while the rest of the family takes care of chores and fixes up a hearty meal. And after dinner, why not saddle up in front of the big-screen TV and sound bar and watch a movie together? Whether he’s in the mood for a fast-paced action thriller, an inspiring sports film, a cinema classic or a laugh-out-loud comedy, here are 10 films that will surely go over well with dad.

Creed

This post-Rocky boxing story centers around aspiring heavyweight champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of the late Apollo Creed, who died in the ring at the hands of Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. Adonis didn’t know his father, but he looks to preserve his legacy as he teams up with Rocky Balboa himself (Sylvester Stallone), who helps Adonis train and provides the living link between father and son. This inspiring boxing film has spawned two sequels, including the recently released Creed III, following the template laid out by the original Rocky franchise. Stream it here.

Daddy Day Care

Looking for a lighthearted family-friendly offering? This 2003 comedy puts a group of unemployed dads in a peculiar place: running a day care service to earn money for their families. Hijinks ensue as the dads learn the toils of childcare on the fly, with Eddie Murphy leading the way. Stream it here.

The Fast and the Furious

The importance of family is the central motif of the long-running Fast and the Furious franchise, with main character Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) often uttering quotable profundities such as, “I don’t have friends, I’ve got family.” Throw in an armada of souped-up muscle cars and plenty of physics-defying stunts — usually executed with said automobiles — and you’ve got a surefire dad-pleaser. With the recent release of the 10th iteration of the Fast saga, there’s no better time to revisit the original 2001 film that started it all. Stream it here.

Field of Dreams

If your dad is into sports, this film is mandatory viewing. Yes, it’s a tale of ghosts of legendary ballplayers such as “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, but it’s a father-son story at heart. When Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) hears a whispered voice saying, “If you build it, he will come,” he takes it to mean that he should construct a ball field on his corn farm. Little does he realize that the Field of Dreams he builds — which now exists in real life in Dyersville, Iowa — will help him reconcile the broken relationship with his late father, a devout baseball fan. Stream it here.

The Godfather

Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster epic is a masterwork of filmmaking, weaving a riveting story that takes many unexpected twists and turns. Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the patriarch of the Corleone family, and when he falls victim to a shooting, it’s his youngest son Michael (Al Pacino, in one of his earliest roles) who takes the reins, reluctantly at first but ultimately proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The film helped launch the careers of Coppola and Pacino, and the American Film Institute ranked it as the second-greatest film in American cinema history (next to Citizen Kane), with the Godfather II sequel not far behind. Stream it here.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

One of the great adventure films, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade casts Sean Connery as Henry Jones Sr. — a Medieval professor who took more interest in his work than raising his son Indy (Harrison Ford). Despite the distance between them, the father-son duo must work together to overcome Nazi antagonists and find the true Holy Grail. The comic timing and familial on-screen bond between Ford and Connery is the highlight of this Steven Spielberg-directed flick. Stream it here.

Mad Max

A father’s love can be immovable, as depicted in this cult film that portrays a dystopian future. Max, played by a young Mel Gibson, patrols the arid wastes of the Australian Outback with his trusty black muscle car — the Last of the V8 Interceptors — taking on ruthless bandits and biker gangs in a semi-lawless land. But when the villains cross the line and take aim at his wife and newborn child, Max becomes truly mad, setting up the acclaimed sequel The Road Warrior. Stream it here.

The Royal Tenenbaums

This 2001 comedy exemplifies director Wes Anderson’s shrewd brilliance and knack for writing extraordinarily bizarre characters. The Tenenbaums will undoubtedly go down as one of wackiest on-screen families of all-time, and their family tree includes a pair of eccentric father figures: the patriarch Royal (Gene Hackman) and his son Chas (Ben Stiller). Stream it here.

Taken

The premise of Taken is simple but effective: When retired CIA operative Bryan Mills’ daughter is kidnapped, he’ll do anything to get her back. Mills, portrayed by Liam Neeson, becomes a one-man wrecking crew as he takes on an entire syndicate of henchmen, dispatching them in myriad, and often gruesome, ways. In the context of Father’s Day, it poses the tongue-in-cheek question: “Dad, would you do that for me?” This is a movie that essentially carved out its own “action-pursuit” genre, taking in (pardon the pun) a whopping $226.8 million at the box office and spawning two sequels that did nearly as well. Stream it here.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Atticus Finch stands as one of the most prominent father figures in literary — and movie — history. The central character in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, he’s played by legendary actor Gregory Peck in the 1962 film adaptation. It was a role that proved to be especially meaningful given the timeframe of the civil rights movement (Finch, a trial attorney, represents a black man falsely accused of rape) and influential to the real-life legal profession. Stream it here.

Closeup of acoustic guitar being played.

Raising the Bar: FG9 Acoustic Guitars

Written by Robbie Calvo on June 14, 2023. Posted in Acoustic Guitars.

Yamaha released their first acoustic guitar, the FG180, back in 1966. These “red label” guitars found fame on the stage of the original Woodstock festival and were re-released in recent years with some updated features, including the amazing Atmosfeel three-way pickup system and A.R.E.-treated spruce tops. (A.R.E. is short for Acoustic Resonance Enhancement.) The Yamaha FSX3 and FSX5 Red Label models are among my favorite steel-string acoustic guitars. In my opinion, they bridge the gap between vintage style, tonality and modern performance attributes.

But constant research and development keeps Yamaha at the cutting edge of acoustic guitar technology, so it should come as no surprise that the new flagship FG9 (first unveiled at the 2023 NAMM show) raises the bar even higher.

The FG9 is a dreadnought-style acoustic guitar that may well represent the pinnacle of Japanese craftsmanship. There are two models: the FG9 R and FG9 M. Both feature Adirondack spruce tops, one-piece mahogany necks, bone nut and saddle, and a classic ebony fingerboard and bridge. The FG9 R sports a solid Indian rosewood back and sides, while the FG9 M has a mahogany back and sides.

The distinctive fingerboard inlays resemble traditional Japanese Kumiki woodworking, and the rope-shaped rosette and purling on the sound hole is a motif deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

Like all FG guitars, the design is deceptively simple. However, there are details beneath the surface that set these tonal powerhouses apart from other dreadnought guitars.

For one thing, Yamaha has tapered the edges of the Adirondack tops to provide structural integrity while allowing the body to vibrate more efficiently — a combination that contributes to both power and sensitivity.

In addition, the neck has a new structural design that combines bolt-on and glued construction to increase body vibration. The neck and body joints are also finished and adjusted with the highest precision. The open-geared tuners work perfectly, and the smokey grey finish of the tuning buttons looks really cool. It’s a very nice touch.

Last but not least, FG9 guitars are finished with a nitrocellulose finish — another detail that contributes to the resonance, projection and clarity these instruments possess.

Tonality

The primary objective Yamaha had with the FG9 was to produce a guitar optimized for the singer-songwriter, so the first test was to play one of my favorite songs on both models.

I liked the way both instruments complemented my singing, as they are extremely balanced in the bass frequencies. This allowed my somewhat deep voice to take precedence in the mix when performing live.

As expected, the rosewood FG9 R sounded warmer and softer than the mahogany FG9 M, which produced lovely, crisp single-note passages for musical interludes and fingerstyle playing. I like them both equally, but if I had to choose one, I think I’d opt for the FG9 R as it would give me a distinctively warm yet articulate guitar for sessions and live performances.

Playability

The bone nut and bridge on both models are cut to perfection, allowing for tuning stability and perfect intonation in both the open position and in the upper register.

The fretboard is easy to navigate, and never feels challenging. I found that I didn’t even have to think about it at all — it just lets you glide over the strings effortlessly. The fret ends are super smooth, and the satin-finished necks are a dream to play.

It’s perhaps worth mentioning that the rosewood FG9 R model is slightly heavier than the mahogany FG9 M due to the different density of the tonewoods, but it didn’t feel overly heavy, even when played for extended periods while standing up.

I did find that I had to adjust my playing style for the wider body shape of a dreadnought, but the striking tones coming from these guitars made the extra effort worth it. Perhaps Yamaha might consider making the FG9 in a concert body size as well.

The Video

Yamaha have produced some excellent videos featuring the two FG9 models. However, those videos are predominantly acoustic with male vocals. I thought a fresh way to demonstrate these guitars was to create a full production track with female vocals.

I used a G open tuning for the main guitar parts, and a capo’d fingerstyle guitar overdub for the chorus sections. I also added some tasty melodic phrases with a harmony part, plus a cool electric guitar solo (played on a Yamaha Pacifica 612VIIFM through a Line 6 Helix processor) for tonal variation.

The sound of the two FG9s are captured with a large diaphragm tube microphone. Each rhythm guitar part is double-tracked and panned to opposite sides in the stereo mix. I also recorded and filmed each guitar in isolation so you can make comparisons between the FG9 R and FG9 M models.

The Wrap-Up

With the FG9, Yamaha has taken the FG range to new tonal heights and aesthetic perfection. Playing a guitar that is so responsive to the player’s touch and dynamic approach is so inspiring!

I found that both the FG9 R and FG9 M beautifully complemented my vocals, wrapping the melody with just the right amount of rhythmic support and harmonic punch. There’s an amazing openness and “air” around the notes that I haven’t experienced with other acoustic guitars. Especially if you’re a singer-songwriter, this is one guitar you’ve got to check out!

Photographs courtesy of the author.

Check out Robbie’s other postings.

Engage Parents as Partners

Written by Jarrett Lipman on June 14, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips. 1 Comment on Engage Parents as Partners

As a drum major at the Crossmen, I remember talking to Fred Morrison about the nuts and bolts of running the organization. He was in his first year as executive director of the Crossmen after serving as the president of the Ronald Reagan Band Parent Association and had invested a lot of time and money into the success of the organization. Fred taught me early on in my career that “great drum corps and band programs are driven by two things: people and money.”

Jarrett Lipman with Fred and Maureen Morrison

I have never forgotten this lesson, and it has guided me as I built relationships and fundraised for the organizations that I have been a part of.

Even though he was the top guy at Crossmen, Fred was always a “band parent” at heart. For Fred and his wife, Maureen, who served as the operations director, working at the Crossmen was a labor of love. As a team, the Morrisons were one of the most significant examples of servant leadership I have ever witnessed. They did whatever they needed to do for the corps to succeed, from managing the bigger-picture operations of the organization to pasting stickers on the side of the box truck and cooking pancakes on the food truck. Their responsibilities also included recruiting great volunteers, drivers, kitchen staff and, of course, donors.

After 15 years working at Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson (CTJ) High School in San Antonio and an equal number on a drum corps staff, I have learned a few key points regarding the value and importance of engaging parent and alumni support.

Delegating is vital — “many hands make light work.”
A person who feels appreciated will always do more.
Entrusting others to manage a project builds ownership in the organization.
Solve problems by harnessing the talent of many smart people with great ideas.
As a director, be willing to admit you don’t know everything, and someone else may have a better solution to a problem.
You are never alone — when you engage a team of parents, you share successes and failures.

Click on the links below to find out how the CTJ parent groups developed and grew:

A new school and a new parent organization
Lessons from the Inspire Arts & Music Board

Lessons from Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan Band Parents

Upon moving to Texas for my student teaching, the Ronald Reagan Band Parent Association totally blew my mind because it handled countless tasks, including meals, uniforms, chaperoning, crew, band banquet, fundraising and so much more. The parents ran the band program like it was a small business. There were committees for everything — spirit, restaurant nights, send-offs and plant sales. I was amazed to learn the amount of money the parent association brought in to support the students.

I also learned that Winston Churchill had a similar organization. In studying the groups, I learned of cases where one family might have three or four kids in the program over a decade or more and moved from one role to another to support the band. Seeing so much love and energy going into supporting the band members was terrific.

At my first football game at Reagan, it was gratifying and exciting to see the parents decked out in black and green screaming for the students on the field at half-time and later carrying those same spirit cheers to BOA contests. The Reagan parents were as much of a spectacle as the band on the field. Beaming with pride, they supported their students, but they also cheered on students in other programs. Reagan was a model of how to generate energy from the stands, and we were fortunate when Claudia Taylor Johnson High was started and split from Reagan, many of the very best parents (and students) from Reagan, including the president of the parent association at the time, moved over to help us start our organization.

A New School and a New Parent Organization

Jarrett Lipman (center) with Tommy and Debbie Rau

At CTJ, we borrowed an equipment truck from the Crossmen Drum Corps — we appreciated their incredible graciousness — during our first few years. Our Johnson parents set out to create the same committees and teams that the Reagan and Churchill parents had established. We were a well-oiled machine before the school even opened. We had parents contributing countless hours to manage concessions, organize our uniforms, feed the students at band camp, and come together to build our empire.

I will never forget the kindness and love of parents like Tommy and Debbie Rau, who became my second parents/family. They worked tirelessly to help us acquire a band trailer, sell merchandise and build camaraderie in those early years, and they also made sure that I had a place to call home for holidays since my family was more than 2,000 miles away in New Jersey. It was remarkable to have the love and support of individuals I had known for only a short time.

Hand-washing station purchased by parent association.

Over time, I learned that the award-winning Marcus High School and Reagan band parents followed this mantra to support the students: “Whatever it takes.” Our CTJ parent organization did everything possible to adopt this attitude early on and has maintained it through the last 15 years. My head spins when I imagine running the Johnson program without the support of our parent organization. It would not be possible.

In 2020 when the world was shutting down because of COVID-19, I will always remember meeting with our logistics parents, Carlos and Gina Kraly, who managed numerous elements of our operations. Partnering with several other parents who were doctors, medical supply folks, nurses and operations managers, we developed a plan to have a marching season that prioritized our students’ physical and mental health. Carlos had managed our equipment trucks, props and logistics for several years, and Gina was one of our operations and events managers. They were both leaders in their companies in the professional world, and they used their talents to support our students and parents.

Jarrett Lipman (center) with Gina and Carlos Kraly

Thanks to our parent organization and the dedication of our teaching staff, we had nearly 250 students in-person for marching band by the time the band took the field in December 2020 and won the UIL 6A State Marching Championship.

At a time when there was so much darkness, CTJ’s parents and students came together to chart a pathway forward. Doing so required trust, communication and mutual faith in one another. We got the job done. The 2020 marching season collaboration is one of the most outstanding examples of doing “whatever it takes” that I have ever been a part of.

Lessons from the Inspire Arts & Music Board

The Inspire Arts & Music board of directors is the support network of the Boston Crusaders. Modeled after the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Inspire board brings together alumni, performing art lovers, and professionals to help raise awareness and funds for the Boston Crusaders.

Some of the board’s projects included:

Purchase and maintenance of the equipment trailer.
Funding additions to the staff.
Securing corps offices and rehearsal space facilities.
Ensuring the corps had a solid financial footing.

Many drum corps fall into disarray because of revenue issues. Boston’s board has helped the organization weather significant financial crises, including COVID. Bringing together many strong personalities and taking feedback, criticism and questions takes humility and talent to rally the troops around a central vision. I have been so inspired and impressed by the Inspire board’s ability to build consensus around the corps’ most pressing issues.

Early priorities included infrastructure, such as great trucks, great buses, great equipment. The next priorities included uniform and equipment sponsorships. Once these pieces were in place, the board secured the best teaching staff and administrators they could find. Then, they trusted those instructors and teachers to do their jobs and provided them with the resources needed to be successful. There was, of course, give and take, such as metrics, goals and incentives. The board provided fantastic oversight in the early days, but as the corps’ leadership became more solid, the board maintained its focus on fundraising and community involvement.

Spending time around this organization as a member of the teaching staff, and seeing the positive impact on the corps, all I could think about was how to create a team like the Inspire board at CTJ. Our booster organization was pretty tapped, managing chaperones, meals, uniforms, props, banquets, concessions and many of the other day-to-day operations. It left little time or energy for corporate fundraising, sponsorships or more significant revenue-generating events. I knew we needed to grow our support base. Who better to do this than our alums?

CHECK IT OUT: The YAS-26 Standard Alto Saxophone

Lessons from the Bands of Wando Foundation

In October 2018, I traveled to Wando, South Carolina, to judge the hometown band contest. A cheery driver named Don Johnson picked up another adjudicator and me from the airport. During the drive to our hotel, I learned that Don was a dedicated band parent and had been involved in the band program at Wando for many years.

As the weekend progressed, I learned more about Don’s extraordinary commitment and investment in the band because he said that his children benefited tremendously through membership in the Wando band.

On top of being a dedicated band parent, Don was a leading spinal surgeon in South Carolina, and he was positioned to rally the community to support the organization. He envisioned a support system for the Wando Band that could engage alums and other stakeholders to raise monies for the campus and the middle school programs. He was wholly committed to keeping band costs down and filling in the gaps in funding at the district level to enable Wando to remain competitive nationally. He also extended support to the middle school feeders that required additional funding for equipment or travel.

Don mentored several of our alumni band parents in creating what is now known as The Bands of Claudia Taylor Johnson Foundation. He guided our team on building relationships between two 501(c)3 organizations, a booster organization and a foundation. There are some critical differences between the two. The main difference is that our band parent association (BPA) focuses primarily on the day-to-day operations of running the program, while the foundation keeps alums engaged and involved and raises money.

We have many great band parents who graduate from the CTJ program but still want to contribute time and energy to the students. The foundation provides them with the opportunity to do this. The foundation also actively engages with alumni to provide updates on happenings in the program and share major milestones from our alums, such as college graduations, weddings and childbirth announcements.

Watching the involvement with our current students and alums has been remarkable. For CTJ’s 10th anniversary, when the band went down on the field to perform at half time, they looked up into the band section in the stands and saw that it was full of our band alums cheering them on. That weekend, which we call the 10th anniversary alumni weekend, saw hundreds of students and parents return to celebrate the program and all its success.

The Bands of Claudia Taylor Johnson Foundation

Claudia Taylor Johnson High School's Foundation Crew — Claudia Taylor Johnson High School’s Foundation Crew

In 2015, Ric and Jeannette Coons met with me at 54th Street Grill in North San Antonio to discuss how we could mobilize our alumni base and engage them to raise money and support the band program. At the time, our booster president Brian Kickhoefer and vice president Martin Bohanan were responsible for raising funds for our clinicians, trips to nationals and equipment purchases. We agreed to meet monthly for a gathering that we called “the meeting of the minds.” The Coons, Bohanan and Kickhoefer families were dedicated band parents. They were also visionary leaders at their businesses. I learned so much from this team each month about budgeting, outreach, grant writing, organizational management and dynamics. Within a few short years, modeled after the Inspire Arts & Music board, we created a “board of development” as part of the CTJBPA. As part of the BPA by-laws, this arm of the BPA focused explicitly on increasing donor involvement for five key points:

Have a $20,000 reserve for emergencies when you need CASH now. What happens when the mixer explodes on the day of a contest, the trailer goes under a low bridge and destroys the top or there is a fire in the tuba room that destroys instruments? Sometimes you can’t wait for insurance to kick in, and this reserve was our “safety net.” We also knew we could borrow against it in leaner times rather than put things on a credit card.
Build a scholarship fund for need-based and merit scholarships. Kick in cash for student band fees, private lessons or special summer camps.
Engage alumni students and parents through events, fundraisers and socials.
Engage our middle school parents earlier to get them hooked and learn about the role of an active band parent.
Ensure that as directors and boards shifted, the monies would not be spent recklessly. We designed the board of development to support CTJ over the long term and through staff or administrative changes.

Foundation dinner for all-state students

In 2020, we officially separated the two organizations and created a separate 501(c)3, The Bands of Claudia Taylor Johnson Foundation. We were blessed to add JC and Amanda Weber, two alumni parents, and the current CTJBPA president, Michelle Garnica, to our executive board. We have a diverse team with parents spanning all 15 years of CTJ’s existence. The organization has grown to include alumni students and other parents serving in publicity, communication, website, social media and event roles. And, the organization has given thousands of dollars over the last three years to the Johnson, Tejeda Middle School and “Tex” Hill Middle School bands.

Over the years, we have partnered with CTJBPA and Foundation to run the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional, one of the largest Music for All contests in the United States, with anywhere from 65 to 90 bands performing at the Alamodome in November over two days. The operation is massive and takes hundreds of volunteers. By engaging our alums, we’ve allowed our current parents to enjoy seeing their students perform while still running a terrific operation. Our Foundation has partnered with us to manage our march-a-thon, UIL contests and several other events.

You’re All on the Same Team

Chris and Tara Greiman with Jarrett Lipman

See your parents for who they truly are: professionals.

Allow them to be a part of the journey. They want to help. There will be disagreements and moments of discomfort, but it is worth navigating those challenges to create an excellent experience for your band members.
Create a parent “talent and interest” sheet. At the beginning of the year, consider asking parents to fill out a form that gauges not only the committees they’re interested in serving on, but also what talents they have. Carpentry, welding, sewing, physical conditioning, nutrition, graphic arts, photography, social media, videography, engineering, driving — there are so many trade skills that benefit the band program. If you can find a way to harness the collective talents and energy of your parents, your students will benefit and your program will flourish.

On the morning of each contest day, our current booster president texts me, “It’s a great day to have a great day.” Her positive energy was such a boost for me during my most anxious moments leading the kids. Many parents along my journey have lifted my spirits, offered a shoulder to cry on, provided advice, and told me what I needed to hear even when I didn’t want to hear it but needed to hear it. Their love and energy for our students and teaching staff have been sustaining, and I hope it serves as a pathway for others to foster these wonderful relationships within your community.

Sara Davis Buechner Finds Pride Through Music

Written by Emily Starbuck Gerson on June 13, 2023. Posted in Artists.

Yamaha Artist Sara Davis Buechner never set out to become a role model. For the first few decades of her life, her focus was squarely on becoming a world-class concert pianist.

After achieving that lofty goal, winning international piano competitions and performing with major orchestras all over the world, Buechner felt that she could no longer ignore a key part of her identity. Yet when she finally made her debut as a trans woman, she lost almost everything: concert presenters rescinded their offers, performing dates disappeared and she found herself totally shunned by the concert world.

Her dedication to piano never faltered, though, and as social tides turned, Buechner slowly rebuilt her career and relationships. Today she is a distinguished, sought-after full-time professor of piano with a full studio schedule of students at Temple University, and she enjoys a concert calendar filled with engagements on recital stages and with symphony orchestras all over the world.

To mark Pride Month, Buechner sat down with us to share her story, talk about her impressive career and share her latest multi-disciplinary projects, in addition to reflecting on how she became an unexpected role model through the healing and connecting power of music.

Sara playing piano. — *Sara Davis Buechner.*

Music as Salvation

During Buechner’s early childhood in the Baltimore area, she imagined herself having a wide variety of future jobs, even briefly entertaining becoming a pig farmer (something that would later influence her most recent work) before embarking on a career as a classical pianist.

Though talented in music, she struggled as a young adult with questions about identity and crippling bouts of loneliness, and any time she tried to express who she knew herself to be, she was dismissed or bullied. It was the pre-internet days, with scant information on the LGBTQ+ community, leaving Buechner feeling isolated and shunned. She tried to bury her feelings in her love of Mozart melodies, listening to classical music and playing piano. In some ways, it became her religion and salvation.

Debuting as Sara

When Buechner left for college, she immersed herself in music at Juilliard and the vibrancy of New York, with all its cultures, flavors and arts. “This is where life really is at its most fun,” she remembers thinking, “when you can open your eyes and look at what variation is all about — how crucial it is, and how much meaning it gives to life.”

But despite the positive experiences the city offered, keeping her authenticity hidden began to take a toll. Buechner thrived onstage, but in private, she was losing hope.

Things began to change when she started reading books on transgender people and learned about internet chat rooms. Soon, she realized she was not alone. “That gave me [the] confidence to follow where my heart was telling me to go for so long,” she says.

When Buechner finally took the leap to transition and reemerge as Sara, she lost jobs, performances, and professional and personal relationships. But she knew that her life depended on stepping into her truth, and that gain was worth all the other losses. As time went on, Buechner gradually was welcomed back into the world of classical music, where her extraordinary musical gifts continue to be celebrated to this day.

Quote: "Music is the one constant that I've come to depend on, especially in any time of difficulty, struggle or stress." - Sara Davis Buechner.

Sara Davis Buechner has gone on to achieve incredible success, giving prestigious recitals and garnering awards around the globe as well as releasing nearly a dozen recordings, yet music hasn’t lost its magical effect on her. When asked if it still has the power to comfort her when things get rough, Buechner emphatically says yes — every day of her life.

“Music is the one constant that I’ve come to depend on, especially in any time of difficulty, struggle or stress,” she explains. “I’ll sit down at the keyboard, and particularly if it’s one of the composers I’ve most loved and learned from all my life — Mozart, Schubert, Scarlatti, Poulenc, Busoni — there’s a kind of integrity that comes out of it that centers me. It’s good to have an anchor in life, and I don’t have any better anchor than music.”

The Themes and Rhythms of Life

Lately, Buechner has found herself in a time of reflection. Almost 15 years ago, a major publisher approached her about writing a book on her life. She was hesitant at first but decided to take the idea seriously, knowing her life story could resonate in some way with others.

She rented a cabin outside Louisville, Kentucky for five weeks, and took her computer, diaries and old photos with her … but no piano. Buechner’s mother had recently passed away, and emotions were high. “I decided this would be the first time in my life where I wouldn’t practice piano at all, and instead for 10 hours a day, for five weeks straight, I wrote, and it ended up becoming an almost 600-page manuscript!” Sara is currently working with an editor to trim it, with plans to publish in 2024.

Of Pigs and Pianos

As Buechner reviewed her manuscript, she started recognizing the patterns of her life. “They’re almost like rivers that intersect or diverge for a while, with characters who come and go,” she says. “As I read what I’d written, these key scenes came forth and gave me a tremendous sense of the drama of my life. I [began to] imagine how the story could be told in a theatrical way.”

Knowing that completing the book would take some time, and recognizing how comfortable she is on stage, Buechner, with the encouragement of some trusted colleagues, decided to turn the manuscript into a stage production, distilling her story into a one-woman show called “Of Pigs and Pianos.” She premiered the show this past year in New York and Minneapolis, regaling the audience with the raw, poignant and often hilarious ups and downs of her personal and professional life through spoken word, images, and of course, music played on her Yamaha piano.

Sara with piano in background. — *Sara performing Of Pigs and Pianos in New York.*

Buechner chose a diverse mix of music for the show, with each having a specific meaning from various signposts of her life. This includes traditional classical music she grew up on, Latin music she came to learn via Cuban musicians, and Japanese études that reflect her love of that country and its language, all performed in a style that brings electricity and passion to the stage.

“What I want to do in the show is to communicate a reflection of my life as a transgender person,” she says, “and also as a pianist of transcendent aspiration.” “Of Pigs and Pianos” not only explores her life but carries universal themes that can resonate with anyone who’s been picked on, struggled with identity, or battled professional pressures.

Buechner has been especially moved by the audience members who approach her after her performances, whether it’s because they have a trans relative, or because they can relate to a lifetime of piano study. The show has been so successful that she plans to take it to more venues in the future.

In addition to all these many activities, Buechner also teaches at Temple University in Philadelphia. In July, she’ll be a performer and keynote speaker on behalf of Yamaha at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and she’s planning concerts in Japan, along with her first tour in Indonesia. She’s also working on a solo recital in New York next year, where she’ll premiere the works of a notable Hungarian jazz pianist.

An Unexpected Role Model

“Being a role model is not something I’ve necessarily chosen, but it’s who I am,” Buechner says. While music has been crucial to her life, she’s keenly aware how her performances — and sometimes mere visibility — have impacts outside herself. She knows that trans people and family of trans people often attend her shows, and she wants them to feel a sense of pride as they sit in the audience.

And whenever she does have to deal with unfriendly people, she reminds herself of her remarkable accomplishments and the knowledge that by putting on the best piano show possible, she is sending a powerful message that, as she puts it, “trans people are part of the human family, and we have a place at the table (or on the stage) like anyone else.”

After decades as an internationally renowned pianist, Sara Davis Buechner shows no signs of slowing down. Her future is bright, and she also takes joy in knowing that the future is even brighter for younger musicians and trans people. As long as she has time left, Buechner says, she’ll keep using her creativity and passion to leave the world a better place and help others do the same. And that’s certainly something to be proud of.

Learn more about Sara at http://saradavisbuechner.com/

The Reagan band in a climactic moment of its “In Plain Sight” production at the 2023 Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional.

How to Design a Marching Band Show

Written by Greg White on June 12, 2023. Posted in Case Studies. 1 Comment on How to Design a Marching Band Show

When designing a marching band show, there are countless choices that a director must make. From the big picture to the most granular detail, all these decisions come together into a production that will serve as a major curricular component for the students in your program.

Designing a marching show is daunting. The guiding principle for any director going through the design and decision-making process should always be: “Does this serve my students and their music education?” Directors who keep this question in mind will be able to help their students through a meaningful and usually more successful marching season.

Yamaha Instrument Care Guide: Marching Drums and Percussion

Download this Yamaha Marching Drums and Percussion Care Checklist for Students now!

Early Decisions: Budgets and Your Design Team

Reagan band performs at the 2022 Texas Marching Classic.

It’s never too early to begin designing the next season’s show! Early decisions that are critical in setting up your design process include budget assessment and putting together a design team (the people who will work on your production). Have a conversation with the stakeholders in your community, whether they are boosters or the administration, to ensure that you know the available funding as you begin to make choices for your program’s future.

When you know the funding situation, begin putting together your design team. Some of these roles can be done by the band director or other staff members at your school, and some or all of them may be handled by outside professionals who specialize in marching band. Not every school will need entire teams of designers to put together a show. Many groups find pre-commissioned or stock music arrangements, flags and costumes to make “budget-friendly” productions. Many band directors take on the program coordinator role or write the music or drill “in-house” with a staff member. Below is a list of marching band design team positions that are becoming increasingly common.

Program Coordinator —The individual who works with the director to maintain timelines, manages and coordinates with other designers and vendors, and keeps a “bird’s-eye view” of the production, allowing band directors to focus on the day-to-day operation and instruction of the program.
Music Arranger (winds and percussion) — Designers who write or arrange the music performed by the students. There are typically two arrangers for custom arrangements: a wind arranger and a percussion arranger.
Drill Writer — A designer who charts the drill for the production and manages staging considerations, drill numbers and props.
Sound Designer — An arranger or technician who specializes in the electronic layer of marching bands through software like Mainstage or Ableton. Often this is someone who works with electronic instrument hardware or writes specifically for MIDI-controlled instruments.
System Designer — A person who helps setup the sound system, wiring microphones for front ensemble instruments and wind soloists. This person will often work on EQ and balance throughout the season. If you plan to use an electronic layer, this is the best way to minimize show day disasters.
Choreographer — A designer who works on implementing choreographic production to a marching show. Either through work with a color guard or the use of “band body,” this person can elevate your production and enhance the musical-to-visual connection.
Aesthetic (Graphic) Design — A person or persons who work on creating the imagery associated with a marching show. This could be a graphic designer who creates the images on guard flags or props or a builder who designs and builds a stage.

Custom vs. Stock Materials

Reagan band students perform at the 2023 Texas Marching Classic.

One of the significant considerations a band director must make when designing a marching band show is the amount of custom versus “stock” materials to use. The most important artistic consideration should be ensuring that all pieces come together to form a cohesive and coordinated vision.

Many vendors, from music arrangers to flag companies, offer materials that are pre-made and ready to ship to help you design your show. In the case of music, arrangers will often make adjustments to previous arrangements in order to better fit your band. These budget-friendly options are great to consider! The challenge in using these materials is creating a coordinated or cohesive production with pieces from different shows.

Custom arrangements, flags and costume design are often amazing ways to have control of every aspect of your production, and they give your students a unique experience in their music education. However, they are generally more expensive than stock materials.

It is fine mixing and matching custom and stock show materials. Just make sure that everything works together to convey the vision of your show!

Content and Concept

Drum major Aidan Veith salutes to the crowd at the conclusion of the Reagan band’s 2023 finals performance at the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional.

Once you have your design team in place and know what direction you want to take your program, it’s time to choose the content and settle on a concept for your show. This is the creative and artistic aspect of the marching activity and can come from anyone or anywhere! Often, design teams will get together and brainstorm ideas, or a single coordinator or director may pitch a concept as a conversational starting place. When making decisions on content and concept, keep a few things in mind:

Is this music “worth” playing? — Students will be spending many hours working on this music. Make sure that it has artistic and educational importance!
Will my students enjoy this product? — Cultivating student buy-in is essential and understanding what they enjoy can be a significant step in choosing content that will get them to want to work hard for you!
Will my community enjoy this product? — Will your students’ parents be excited to see the show? What about the football game crowd? Sometimes, we risk alienating some of our biggest supporters in an attempt to be “artistic.” Remember that art is what you make of it and having these stakeholders in your corner can be a big factor in your success!
Will the staff and directors enjoy this product? — You will be working on this production for months. Make sure that the tone is something that you will be excited to teach! Some people enjoy music that is dark and ominous, while others enjoy music that is light and happy! Don’t discount these tastes when making decisions for your program!

Navigating the “Business” of Marching Band

Reagan band students rehearse between shows during the 2022 UIL Area D Marching Contest at Cedar Park High School.

After you have put the big pieces in place for the creative aspect of your marching show, you need to get down to the business of producing it. Communication is key, ensuring that all designers, vendors and everyone involved with your production are on the same page and moving toward delivering the product. There is no such thing as overcommunication regarding marching band design!

Things as simple as file version miscommunications can set designers back weeks, and missing deadlines on things like costume measurements or equipment invoices can be the difference in having materials arrive on time for a competition or not. Having deposits paid promptly, managing timelines and staying in touch with everyone involved in the production of your show allows you to keep the design moving forward for your students.

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Major Timeline Checkpoints

The Reagan band in a climactic moment of its “In Plain Sight” production at the 2023 Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional.

Make budget decisions — This must be done immediately following the current year’s season. Begin the process in November and complete by New Year’s.
Secure the necessary design team members — Begin process in December or January, complete by the end of January.
Decide on custom vs. stock materials — Begin process between December and February.
Brainstorm and select content and concept — Begin between December and February, complete in February.
Acquire music (done simultaneously with aesthetic design) — This process happens throughout spring and summer. Begin in February or March, complete by May to August.
Acquire music by purchasing pre-commissioned work and/or coordinating with music arrangers:
- Wind music between February and May.
- Percussion music between March and June.
- Sound design between March and June
Aesthetic design (done simultaneously with music acquisition) — Throughout spring and summer (February through August).
- Work with aesthetic and graphic designers on the following materials (either custom or stock):
  - Props (structural and printed imagery) — Designed between January and March, completed between June and August.
  - Flags and other guard equipment — Designed between February and June, delivered between June and August.
  - Costuming — Designed between February and May, ordered in May with measurements, delivered in July or August.
Coordinate production information to your drill writer:
- Staging consideration between February and May.
- Count structures/production sheets — After percussion/sound design is delivered, give drill designers at least a 60-day lead time before you plan to start learning drill.
- Drill numbers — Confirmed in May after recruitment/retention numbers are finalized.

Advanced Tips for a Marching Production

Visual ensemble members rush the field bringing color to the conclusion of the Reagan band’s 2023 “In Plain Sight” show at the Texas Marching Classic.

Coordination — It is critical that all elements of design work together to convey the theme and concept of a show. The more aligned the details and big-picture elements are, the more cohesive and professional a production will look to an audience. It is vital that the director or program coordinator maintains a clear vision for a show’s musical and visual designs and that these components work together to create an emotional effect for an audience.
Pacing — One common issue with marching band shows is their pacing. Successful groups work to craft moments throughout their productions. The time and space between these moments must hold the audience’s attention. Too much time between interesting moments allows your audience’s minds to wander. We want to avoid this and keep them engaged throughout the highs and lows of the entire performance!
Transitions — Transitions can be the bane of any band director’s existence! Managing the “turning of the page” from moment to moment in a marching show is a challenging task. Using percussion, electronics, soloists or visual “events” can help, but the most important part of managing transitions is building time and content from the early stages. It is very challenging to fix a broken transition, so we want to do whatever we can to avoid any broken transitions to begin with!
Fundamentals first — It is easy to look at the competitive success of others and see the glitz and glam of props, costumes and flags. Often, bands will try and use these production elements to create effect for their shows when the better investment would be on the fundamental performance of their students. In the judging community, there is a common saying: “Excellence is the greatest effect.” This could not be more true than in the execution of students’ musical and movement performances! Make sure you prioritize the instruction of your students’ experience before you become concerned with the more advanced production elements in marching band.

Enjoy the Show!

Ronald Reagan High School Director of Bands Greg White

Much of the work in marching season goes on behind the scenes, with a lot of it taking place during the months preceding the start of the season. Once the show is completed and your students are performing, make sure that you enjoy the fruits of your labor!

As music educators, we are wired to seek growth opportunities. We can get lost in the pursuit of excellence or in chasing every “tenth” on a score sheet. Don’t forget that you are delivering a positive and life-changing experience to your students by offering them the chance to perform in the beautiful world of the marching arts!

Remember, good show design is an asset to any band program, but no amount of good design choices can replace quality instruction. Take care of your students (from design to performance) and they will take care of you!

Chill Music Playlists That Will Keep You Cool All Summer Long

Written by Rich Tozzoli on June 7, 2023. Posted in Music and Streaming.

It’s time to enjoy the hot days and balmy nights of summer with some music to chill and grill by!

After all, when you combine the warmth of the summer sun with cool music, you feel great! Don’t just take it from me, though. You’ll find articles all over the internet (like this one on the psychologies.co.uk website) that explain the psychology and physiology of how it all works.

What’s more, as noted in this blog posting, music can make you not only happier and smarter, but healthier too! With these feel-good facts in mind, let’s check out some feel-good chillout playlists.

Beach, Backyard and Deck

A great place to enjoy summer is on the beach, of course, so break out the beach chairs and get that portable speaker fired up. The Spotify^® Beach Chillout Music playlist is so hot you might need more sunscreen! It’s a good one to follow and put on repeat for the whole season. Or head on over to Apple Music^® for Summer Jams 2025 (Summertime Playlist), which offers a terrific variety of super-cool music.

Prefer to have a “staycation” at home instead? Check out this smoothradio.com list of The 15 greatest chillout albums of all time to stay focused and relaxed at home. As the article states, there’s nothing quite like finding that one album that always sends you into a trance and makes you feel all zen.

If you want to feel like you’ve traveled without leaving your home, try the Ibiza Chill Out playlist collection on Spotify or the Tropical Chill Music Land playlist on Apple Music. Either will make you yearn for a cool beverage and a palm tree. The YouTube^® Summer Chill Mix of Tropical & Deep House tracks will set the mood just right for a pool party … even if that pool is right in your backyard

Another great part of summer are those relaxing evenings sitting outside on the deck. How about a playlist for just those moments? The Evening Chillout Playlist on Pandora^® includes a wide variety of musical choices, as does the nearly hour-long Calm Evening | Deep Chill Music Mix on YouTube.

Ambient Grooves

Speaking of YouTube, Ambient Chillout Lounge Relaxing Music always puts me in a good mood. It’s perfect to spin as background music whether taking in a sunny day or a warm summer night.

The Acoustic Chill list is curated by Amazon Music’s Experts and features a diverse selection of relaxing acoustic grooves that will fit any occasion. You can also head over to Apple Music for a similar experience with their Acoustic Chill station. It’s good to have choices!

Long Chills

Hate having to get up and change playlists/stations? The 100 Best Chill Out Songs Ever on Spotify provides over eight hours of cool chill tracks and will get you through almost the whole day on one spin. Alternatively, the Spotify Peaceful Summer Nights playlist gets you through the night with over eleven hours of great tracks. Or check out Apple Music’s Chillout Lounge Music Playlist — nearly three and a half hours of deep house, smooth jazz and New Age music.

Different Genres

To get some extra groove going, how about some chill house? Spotify’s Chill House 2025 playlist is updated weekly so you can vibe or dance to different music all year long. Apple Music has a similar offering, simply called Chill House, which is all about the after-party with breezy melodies and laidback beats.

If you prefer to take things down a notch, go for a playlist like Spotify’s groovy Downtempo Chill Out, which includes instrumental electronic music, laid-back trip hop beats and even future garage music. Streaming service Beatport also has a Downtempo Chillout Playlist that pushes some boundaries with elements of tech house, afro house and electronica.

Last but not least, if you’re ready to go old school, well, we all know how relaxing classical music can be, so why not chill out to the sounds of Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and other superstars of the genre? The Top 100 Chill Out Classical Music playlist on Spotify provides almost 10 hours of music from these masters and others, while Apple Music offers a Classical Chill playlist that includes a mix of classical music from standard to contemporary. You can also find a hand-picked selection of Classical Chillout music on Topsify, which can be viewed and played via Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube or Deezer.

Whatever your musical tastes, stay cool this summer!

A group of students playing brass instruments.

The Brass Family, Explained

Written by Mike Levine on June 2, 2023. Posted in Brass. 1 Comment on The Brass Family, Explained

Like woodwinds, brass instruments are part of the wind instrument category, with the most common being trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, trombone, tuba, euphonium, baritone horn, alto (tenor) horn and French horn. Although these have some similarities with woodwinds, there are numerous differences as well. Here’s a guide to the family of brass instruments.

Differences in Construction and Sound Production

While woodwinds can be made of different materials — not just wood, as the name implies, but metals such as silver or gold — most brass instruments are made of brass tubing of various diameters and shapes, with a detachable mouthpiece at one end and a flared bell at the other. Some models may be silver- or gold-plated.

Whereas a woodwind player blows directly into a headjoint, mouthpiece or reed to create a column of air inside the instrument that becomes a sound, brass players vibrate (“buzz”) their lips against the mouthpiece instead. Experienced players can access the full range of their instruments by varying the intensity of their lip vibrations, something known as embouchure.

On woodwind instruments, the pitch is usually changed when the player covers and uncovers different holes on the instrument’s body. On brass instruments, , the musician instead opens or closes one or more of the valves on the instrument (in addition to manipulating their embouchure) to change pitch. When a valve opens, it allows the air to flow into a supplementary tube, thus extending the total tube length and lowering the pitch. A valve serves to alter the length of the instrument’s interior, changing how far air has to travel and resulting in a greater number of possible notes. Valves make it easy to change the length of the tube, thereby enabling many different notes to be played. All brass instruments utilize valves, with the exception of the slide trombone, which features a sliding tube that changes the tube length as it is manually extended and contracted by the player.

Two different valve types are used in brass instruments: piston and rotary. The former work vertically: you press down, the valve opens; you release, and it closes. A rotary valve accomplishes the same thing but does it differently. Instead of pressing down on a button, you press a lever that turns a circular rotor, opening channels that let the air flow into additional tubing. In general, piston valves are considered more precise and rotary valves smoother.

Trumpet, Cornet and Flugelhorn

The trumpet has come a long way from its ancient ancestors made of sea shells, animal horns and pieces of ivory — even human bones. Archeological evidence shows that the first metal trumpets, made of silver or bronze, were used by the ancient Egyptians starting in 1500 BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans later employed similar instruments.

Back then, such instruments were primarily used for military signaling or religious ceremonies. They were akin to a bugle, which relies strictly on the player’s mouth techniques to change pitch. It wasn’t until the 18th century that instrument designers added valves to the trumpet. That revolutionized the instrument because it allowed the musician to play all the notes in a chromatic scale in several octaves.

Having that degree of melodic control transformed the trumpet into an instrument widely used in classical music and later, jazz orchestras and ensembles. If you’ve heard recordings of masters like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie or Louis Armstrong, you know how expressive and musical a trumpet can be.

Most modern-day trumpets feature three valves. Pressing the first valve lowers the pitch by a whole step, the second by a half step and the third by one-and-a-half steps. By using various combinations of the valves, including some that require pressing the valve only halfway (a technique known as “half-valving”), the player can get access to many different notes.

Silver trumpet. — *Yamaha YTR-9335CHS B♭ trumpet.*

The most common modern version is the B♭ trumpet, which offers a range of Concert F# to D two octaves higher, though there are other kinds too, including the C trumpet, the smaller, higher-pitched piccolo trumpet, and the larger, lower-pitched bass trumpet.

The cornet is similar to the trumpet, but has a more conical bore (interior chamber), giving it a mellower, rounder tone than a trumpet. It’s also smaller and easier to hold, which makes it a good first instrument for students. That said, cornets are also the choice of many advanced and professional players — particularly those in military-style brass bands — because of their unique tone. The most common model is tuned to B♭; it has the same fingerings and range as a B♭ trumpet. Less common is the higher-pitched E♭ soprano cornet.

Another variation is the flugelhorn, which is similar in design to a trumpet, but with a bore that’s even more conical than the cornet, resulting in a mellower tone. Its name derives from the German world “flugel,” which means “wing,” referring to the instrument’s shape. Like the trumpet and cornet, most flugelhorns are pitched to B♭, though some models are pitched to C. Flugelhorns are used in jazz, as well as in brass and marching bands and orchestras.

Gold and silver horn. — *Yamaha YFH-631G flugelhorn.*

Trombone

The first known use of the trombone, originally called a “sackbut,” was in 15th-century religious music. By the 18th century, their popularity had grown, and they became common in classical and popular music as well. Nowadays, trombones are ubiquitous as section and solo instruments in jazz, pop and classical ensembles.

Trombone mouthpieces come in a variety of sizes. Smaller-sized mouthpieces create a brighter sound and make it easier for the player to reach high notes.

On a slide trombone, which is the most commonly used trombone type, the musician moves a telescoping section of tubing (called a “slide”) forward and backward to lengthen or shorten the total tube length, thus altering the pitch. Using the slide, the trombonist can smoothly glide up or down from one note to the next, allowing for legato phrasing that is unique among brass instruments.

The majority of trombones in use are tenor trombones, which have a range from Concert E to F three octaves higher.

Other varieties include the bass trombone and the alto trombone.

Not all trombones have slides. Valve trombones, which are much less common, change pitch using three or four piston valves. These instruments are somewhat easier for student trumpeters to learn; in addition, fast, difficult passages are easier to perform. However, they have a slightly less “open” tone than traditional slide trombones.

Tuba, Sousaphone, Euphonium, Baritone Horn and Alto (Tenor) Horn

Invented in 1835, the tuba (named after the Latin word for “tube”) is a relative newcomer to the world of brass instruments. It’s also the lowest-pitched and the largest.

If you straightened out the tube of a B♭ tuba — the most common of the many variations of the instrument — it would be close to 18 feet long. Adding to its ability to produce low notes, the tuba has the widest bore of any instrument in the brass family.

Because of their low range, tubas are used for bass parts in orchestras, marching bands, and other brass ensembles. They’re also commonly used instead of stringed basses in traditional New Orleans jazz and ragtime bands.

Like trumpets, tubas utilize valves that allow the player to enlarge the tube length to change pitch. However, the number of valves varies. Tubas can have three to six valves; how many there are affects the range and intonation.

Three-valve tubas are typically only used by beginners and novice players because they’re easier to learn. Advanced tuba players typically use instruments that have four or more valves. You need at least four valves to play all the notes in a tuba’s standard range.

The tuba has quite a few variants. The C tuba is slightly higher-pitched (it has two feet less tubing) than the B♭ version, but its clearer tone makes it the favorite of orchestral tubists. Other varieties include the E♭ tuba, F tuba and the baritone tuba.

Yamaha YCB-623 C tuba.

Yamaha YBB-641 B♭ tuba.

A related instrument is the sousaphone, designed by composer and conductor John Phillip Sousa in 1890 specifically for use in marching bands. Its body wraps around the player and is lighter than a typical tuba. It only has three valves, so its lowest note is higher than a four-valve B♭ tuba.

Other related instruments include the euphonium, the baritone horn and the alto horn (sometimes called a “tenor” horn). The euphonium looks somewhat like a tuba but has a range that’s an octave higher than a B♭ tuba. Euphoniums are frequently found in concert bands, but it can be used as a solo instrument. The baritone horn, which is pitched in B♭, has the same tonal range as the euphonium. As a result, many euphonium players also play the baritone, and vice versa.

Silver horn. — *Yamaha YEP-321S euphonium.*

Compared to a euphonium, the timbre of a baritone horn is brighter and its bore is considerably thinner. A euphonium with the bell and pistons facing forward is sometimes called a baritone to differentiate it from a true euphonium.

The alto (tenor) horn is pitched in the key of E♭, five tones lower than a trumpet, and is sometimes played by trumpeters. It’s similar in appearance to a euphonium and is most commonly used in brass and marching bands.

French Horn

The name “French horn” is a misnomer because the instrument, which was invented in the mid-1800s, actually originated in Germany. The contemporary French horn has a distinct, mellow tone that’s highly expressive. It excels as both a solo instrument and as part of an orchestral horn section. Typically, you’ll find four French horns in an orchestra.

The French horn is the only brass instrument that requires the musician to place one hand inside the bell while playing. This practice, known as hand-stopping, allows the player to change the tube length manually and thus change the pitch by a semitone or whole tone. It originated before the invention of the valve, and so is no longer strictly necessary. Nevertheless, it’s still an important part of French horn technique.

There are four different types of French horns. The single horn, which has three rotary valves, is used almost exclusively by beginners and comes in two varieties: the F horn and the B♭ horn.

The F French horn contains more tubing than its B♭ cousin and is thus pitched lower. The B♭ horn is easier to play, but the F horn produces more notes and a purer tone.

Advanced players often use double horns, which contain a second complete tube section and are like having a B♭ and F horn in one, thus increasing the range of notes available to the player; a fourth valve switches the horn between its two discrete sections.

Another variety, the descant double, has a B♭ and a high-F section, which sounds an octave higher than the regular F section.

Perhaps the ultimate French horn type is a triple horn.

This is really a full-double horn that also includes a high-F horn for playing in the higher ranges. Although the overall pitch range of the horn is technically unchanged, the high-F side of the horn allows it to be more stable in the higher range.

Learn more about Yamaha trumpets, cornets, flugelhorns, trombones, tubas, euphoniums, baritone horns, alto (tenor) horns and French horns.

Someone wearing virtual reality goggles and reaching out with hand.

Metaverse Gaming

Written by Jake Uitti on May 31, 2023. Posted in Gaming.

The metaverse is the future of gaming.

A bold statement perhaps, but the alternative digital universe allows people to interact with one another online in a variety of ways, from trading information and cryptocurrency to engaging socially and playing games — all from the comfort of home. Today, many of us are on the web via phones or laptops. In the near future, we may don VR headsets and find ourselves in new, all-encompassing worlds, some even of our own creation.

Metaverse gaming in particular is predicted to be one of the hot new trends in the coming years, but even now, there are myriad options. Gamers can become virtual miners, farmers, warriors, parents, pet owners, goalkeepers in the World Cup or pilots in outer space.

Ready to be transported into an alternate reality? Here are some of the top titles that do just that.

FORTNITE

Fortnite is actually several platforms in one. Its Battle Royale mode enables up to a hundred people to fight until the last one is standing, while Save the World mode is a cooperative mission-based game. While both are exciting, Fortnite Creative is where things really get fun. There, players can design new intricate worlds, a practice (known as “sandbox” mode) that will surely get more advanced as technology progresses. Fortnite recently hosted a viewing party for Timberland’s new clothing line, as well as music video events for MTV featured artists — all virtually. Preview it here.

ROBLOX

Roblox is a platform that hosts games and allows users to create new ones and new worlds. Released in 2006, the company was operating modestly until around 2020. Since then, it has expanded to some 164 million monthly active users and today hosts 50 million user-created games. The platform’s interface is bright, simple and accessible, and has become a favorite for children. The game Adopt Me, for example, allows kids to raise their own virtual pets. The platform, like many others, incorporates its own virtual currency, Robux, which players can earn through various tasks and trades. Preview it here.

DECENTRALAND

This platform offers a life-like digital existence by allowing users to create avatars and purchase accessories and virtual real estate via cryptocurrency. And if a player “owns” land, they can construct houses, hotels and businesses that they can rent out to other users for a fee. To earn more currency, gamers can also put on digital concerts and sell tickets to other digital events they create. Preview it here.

THE SANDBOX

Here’s another popular platform that allows users to create avatars and design objects like vehicles, plants and animals. You can then sell these designs in the Sandbox Marketplace for a virtual currency known as “Sand.” As a bonus, the Sandbox platform also allows users to design new 3D games without needing to know how to code. Preview it here.

AXIE INFINITY

Inspired by the world of Pokémon, this title allows players to create, breed, fight and customize countless characters called “Axies,” which can be bought and traded using virtual AXS currency. (The more developed the Axie, the more value it garners between players.) The cartoonish Axies, which also collect wood and build up their surroundings, can even have offspring, which themselves boast their own unique powers and traits. Preview it here.

CHAIN OF ALLIANCE

Within this sci-fi fantasy title, players get to develop their characters as well as obtain digital land, with the goal of increasing their value. Here, groups of adventurers head out to battle others, which are either controlled by other players online or by a computer. Preview it here.

KRYSTOPIA

In this offering, gamers are trapped on an alien planet and must figure out a way to escape. To do so, the characters explore the world at large, solving puzzles and interacting (and sometimes fighting with) aliens. Gamers can play solo or with other players on the planet as they maneuver through the foreign land, pointing and clicking the mouse on various objects to see what secrets they might hold. Preview it here.

ALIEN WORLDS

Set in space, as the name suggests, this title asks players to mine Trilim (the game’s currency) from six planets, each of which has its own elected government that can be influenced depending on how much loot a player has. The more time and effort you put in, the more sway you have in the game. Preview it here.

FARMERS WORLD

In this immersive single- or multi-player game, you grow virtual crops, take care of livestock, fish, build structures and mine precious gold. If you need help, tools can be purchased via the AtomicHub market, where you can also trade the produce and perishables (like milk and eggs) that you harvest. But watch out for thieves and other unwelcome guests on your farm, because danger is afoot at any moment! Preview it here.

Here are some memorable films that explore the future of the metaverse.

Bass Fingering 101

Written by E.E. Bradman on May 30, 2023. Posted in Bass.

The longer you play bass, the more you’ll recognize the value in knowing where the notes are on your fretboard. Most modern 4-strings have at least 21 frets; some, such as Yamaha TRBX Series and RBX Series models, have 24 frets, allowing you to play 31 different notes.

Black electric bass guitar. — *Yamaha TRBX174EW.*

Blue electric bass guitar. — *Yamaha RBX170.*

Knowing where each note is may seem impossible at first, but fortunately, the layout of a bass makes it easy to move shapes around the fretboard. If you know how to play a major scale, for example, playing it in different keys is as easy as changing your starting note. Compare that to piano, where each of the 12 scales has its own fingering. We’ve got it easy!

SAME NOTE, DIFFERENT POSITION

With the exception of the five lowest notes on a four-string in standard tuning (E, F, F#, G and G#), every note can be played in at least two or three different places on a bass fretboard. The lowest A, for example, can be played on the fifth fret of the E string, or by simply playing the A string without fretting it (what’s known as an “open” string). The lowest D can be played on the fifth fret of the A string or as an open D string … or even on the tenth fret of the E string.

So if it’s the same exact note, it doesn’t matter where on the fretboard you play it, right? Wrong.

Try it out for yourself. Play that low A in both positions; play that low D in all three positions. As you can hear in the audio clips below, they all sound slightly different. This is mainly due to the different thickness of the strings. Thicker strings generate more fundamental (the lowest part of the note being played, which makes the sound “fatter”) and fewer harmonics (the overtones that impart brightness and make the signal more “edgy”).

Here’s the same note (G) played in four different places: at the fifth fret of the D string, the 10th fret of the A string, the 15th fret of the E string, and the open G string:

Here’s a descending groove that alternates between landing on a low A played on the E string and the same low A played on the open string. Notice that the fretted A doesn’t sound as, well, “open” as the unfretted A string.

Similarly, here’s a pattern that alternates between a low D played first on the fifth fret of the A string and then on the tenth fret of the E string:

If you need any further proof of this concept, check out The Beatles’ “Rain,” where Paul McCartney gets an incredible bass sound by playing most of his part — even some of the lowest notes — way up high on the fretboard, mostly on the thicker E and A strings. Motown bass legend James Jamerson, who influenced McCartney and many others, was the master of using open strings in places where most of us would choose fretted notes, as you can hear in these isolated bass tracks of him playing on the Temptations’ “Can’t Get Next to You” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” (Ready to watch a master at work? Here’s a rare clip of Jamerson performing the song live onstage with Gaye.)

And of course, as we described in a previous posting, octaves sound quite different altogether, and the sonic variation will become equally striking as you experiment with playing those octaves on various strings and in different fret positions.

LIFT AND SHIFT

The easiest way to feel the power of shapes is to move one around the fretboard. As an example, let’s explore the G major scale. Now, this scale could be played all on the low E string, like this:

Here’s what it sounds like, played on my Yamaha TRBX174EW four-string bass:

This has the advantage of sonic consistency since you’re playing all the notes on the same string. But there’s a much easier way to tackle a scale with much greater economy by having just four frets under your fingers instead of all 24 … and I’m happy to report that most bassists play it that way. The illustration below shows how it works with a G major scale: You start with the second finger on the low G (third fret on the E string), followed by the fourth finger on the A (fifth fret on the E string), first finger on the B (second fret of the A string), second finger on the C (third fret of the A string), fourth finger on the D (fifth fret of the A string), first finger on the E (second fret of the D string), third finger on the F# (fourth fret of the D string), and the fourth finger on the octave G (fifth fret of the D string).

This fingering starts on the lowest G of a standard-tuned bass, and it’s where most of our bandmates expect us to play it. Again, here’s what it sounds like, played on my Yamaha TRBX174EW:

As you can hear, there’s quite a sonic difference between the first two notes in the scale, the next three, and the last three, due to the fact that the E, A and D strings are all of different thicknesses (as is the G string, which is the thinnest of them all).

The illustration below shows a variation of the same theme. Despite playing the same scale and the same notes, it has a slightly different tonality and is more of a stretch since this “spread” fingering starts with G under your first finger, your third finger on A, and your pinky on B.

Shapes like these may fall naturally under your fingers, but sooner or later, you’ll have to lift your hand to shift to another position, so it’s worth practicing your ability to shift smoothly. Once you’ve climbed up the octave, you could play the G major scale as shown in the illustration below, with a fingering that requires a shift to play F# and G with the first two fingers, the last two fingers, or by sliding from one note to another.

Mining for Gold

Of course, you can play these same scales all past the 12th fret, though this is foreign territory for many bassists. There’s gold in those hills, though, because particularly when played on the E string (which of course is the thickest string), notes have a certain resonance that makes them desirable. Here are a few examples of playing a G major scale way up on the fretboard. Note that the last two can only be played on a 24-fret bass.

As a bonus, playing scales high up the neck are somewhat easier to finger because, as you move toward the bridge, the space between the frets gets smaller.

You can also play scales beginning on a digit other than your first or second fingers. As an example, try starting the scale shown in the illustration below with your fourth finger before shifting to play the last two notes on the G string.

Two-Octave Scales

Once you’ve explored the many ways to play a one-octave G major scale, it’s only natural to connect two shapes to get a two-octave scale. The illustrations below show four ways of building a two-octave G major scale on your bass; the blue dots make it easy to see where your Gs are.

Finally, here’s a way to get all the way from the lowest G to the highest G by playing a three-octave scale, though this can only be played on a 24-fret bass:

As you can hear clearly on this last audio clip, the timbre changes quite dramatically as you go from the notes played on the E string to those played on the A, D and G strings, with the latter having much more “edge” due to the relative thinness of the G string as compared with the other strings.

Playing through these examples should give you the confidence to find G major anywhere on your neck; do the same thing with G minor, other keys and other modes, and be sure to ascend and descend each pattern.

Last but not least, be prepared to break the “rules.” Many bassists are taught to use one finger per fret, but you should decide what fingerings work best for your hand and your bass’s neck. Some fingerings are obvious, but others are open to interpretation. Trying different approaches will help you find your own method and will prepare you to think fast and make big leaps — both valuable tools when it comes to holding down the low end.

Check out E.E.’s other postings

NCKP

Written by jkikuchi@yamaha.com on May 29, 2023. Posted in Conferences.

The 2023 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy

Welcome music educators!

Our team is looking forward to meeting you at this year’s NCKP Conference in Chicago, and serving your professional needs in any way we can.

The National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy gives us an opportunity to connect with all of you and to remind you that Yamaha is your partner in music education, not just through our great instruments and professional audio products but also with resources, support and professional development. We want to continue to hear about your programs and learn about you and your specific needs to see how Yamaha can partner with you to help.

Yamaha is committed to supporting music education and organizations like NCKP. Please email us at educators@yamaha.com. Sign up for the Yamaha Educator newsletter to access advocacy, professional development, information on instruments, resources, partnerships in education and more.

Yamaha Showcases at NCKP

Yamaha Pianos: Innovative Design, Technology and Timeless Sound

Saturday, June 10, 12-12:50 p.m. EST (ONLINE)

Presenters: Craig Knudsen, Heratch Touresian, Jun Fujimoto

Educators and students will learn about the balance that Yamaha strikes between tradition and innovation and its application in the modern teaching studio.

Empowering Music Education: Strategies and Tools for Engaging and Inspiring Students

Friday, July 28, 4-4:50 p.m. EST (Grand Ballroom GH)

Presenters: Heratch Touresian, Jun Fujimoto and Yamaha Artists TBA

Gain insight into the creative approaches that modern music teachers are taking to engage students, and how they are drawing on a range of traditional and innovative techniques.

Yamaha Artist Presentations at NCKP

Wednesday, July 26 (all times EST)

12:00-1:30 p.m. — Jennifer Snow and Karen Zorn: Welcome and Keynote (Grand Ballroom EF)
4:00-5:25 p.m. — Katherine Fisher: Cultivating Creative Composers: A Panel Discussion (Grand Ballroom CD)
4:00-4:50 p.m. — Jeremy Siskind: Jazz Voicings in Under an Hour! (Magnolia BC)
5:30-5:55 p.m. — Aaron Stampfl: The Piano Music of James P. Johnson (Grand Ballroom CD)

Thursday, July 27 (all times EST)

9 :00-10:50 a.m. — Andrea McAlister and Leah Claiborne: Teaching in Higher Education Panel Discussions (Grand Ballroom AB)
9:05-9:30 a.m. — Angelin Chang: Career Pathways and the New Professional (Grand Ballroom AB)
9:30-9:50 a.m. — Angelin Chang and Nick Phillips: Career Pathways and the New Professional (Grand Ballroom AB)
9:50-10:15 a.m. — Nick Phillips: Marketing, Branding, and Entrepreneurship (Grand Ballroom AB)
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Pamela Pike: Facilitating Adult Learning at the Piano (Grand Ballroom EF)
1:30-2:20 p.m. — Leah Claiborne: Deep River: Uncovering the Pedagogy Behind the Negro Spiritual for Solo Pianists of All Skill Levels (Grand Ballroom IJ)
2:30-4:00 p.m. — Artina McCain: PEDx – A Resurrection: How to Build/Rebuild a Career from Ashes (Grand Ballroom EF)
8:00-10:00 p.m. — Sara Davis Buechner: Concert (Grand Ballroom EF)

Saturday, July 28 (all times EST)

9:00-9:50 a.m. — Omar Roy: Embodying Narrative: Tools and Strategies for Teaching Interpretation (Ballroom IJ)

For a complete schedule, please check the NCKP Conference page.

Professional Development Resources

Through the Yamaha Educator Suite blog site and SupportED magazine, Yamaha reaches thousands of educators with professional development tips, advice and resources. If you have questions or need help finding resources for your program, email us at educators@yamaha.com.

Here is a sampling of our top professional development articles:

PRODUCT SHOWCASES

Yamaha Disklavier with Dan Tepfer

Yamaha AvantGrand Concept Video

Yamaha Concert Grand Piano

CVP-900 Overview

PROFESSIONAL AUDIO

STAGEPAS 1K Portable PA System

Remote Music Education and Live Streaming

SOFTWARE

Dorico for iPad

Cubase Recording Software

Dorico Music Notation Software

Introduction to Dorico for iPad

5 Recruitment Tips You Must Try!

Written by Johanna M. Kitchell on May 29, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

The summer before I started 4th grade, I attended a week-long instrument camp, where we spent an hour each day learning about and trying the different instruments in band and orchestra. I already played piano, but I fell in love with the cello and euphonium. In my school district, orchestra started in 4th grade, while band didn’t start until 5th. I was impatient and picked the cello so I could start right away. Nearly 30 years later, I still remember how fun the experience was, and how eager it made me to join a musical ensemble.

Now, as the Orchestra Director at Riverside Junior High School and Riverside Intermediate School in Fishers, Indiana, I try to tap into that childhood memory as we gear up for recruitment each year. In junior high, we start band and orchestra in 6th grade (choir involves a slightly different process and doesn’t officially begin until 7th grade). Our process has evolved over many years, and we’ve learned a lot along the way.

I’ve compiled five big tips for recruitment based on our experiences, with many smaller ideas wrapped in. Click on the links below to learn more about each tip:

Tip #1: Start Early!
Tip #2: Get the Kids Excited!
Tip #3: Call it a TRY-ON, Not a Try-Out or a Test
Tip #4 Get Every Kid to Try on an Instrument
Tip #5: Remove Barriers and Make it Easy for Families to Sign Up

We have seen successes with this process (our beginning band at the intermediate school regularly has more than 150 students, while orchestra has eclipsed 100 students in multiple years), and I hope that at least some of these ideas can prove fruitful for you as well.

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Tip #1: Start Early!

We often think of recruitment as a one-night-only event. You show up, the kids see and/or try the instruments, and then they sign up. That’s it.

However, students might need more time to think and decide. Providing a longer recruitment period and multiple points of contact will drum up more excitement and will give students something to look forward to, which in turn can lead to higher numbers.

At Riverside Junior High School, recruitment is a three-month process. Yes, really. In late February/early March, we visit each of the 5th-grade general music classes. It takes one afternoon a week for three weeks, and we help cover for each other’s classes. In April, we bring together the entire 5th grade for a concert, where one junior high band and one junior high orchestra take turns playing catchy, engaging music (this year featured “The Chicken Dance,” “Uptown Funk” and more). Then in early May, the 5th graders get to experience the instruments themselves. We wrap up the process with an informational meeting in mid-May, where families learn more about the program and can secure a rental instrument on the spot.

I know this is a lot. Even if you can’t do it all, find a way to go from one interaction with your potential students to two. Ask your elementary music teachers (or the classroom teachers) to lay the groundwork for you. Can they get the kids thinking about it early by introducing the instruments or showcasing the program? Planting those seeds early will be worth it.

Tip #2: Get the Kids Excited!

That first general music class visit in the winter is short! I demo all four string instruments and introduce our programs in about 15 minutes. I am saccharine sweet and bubbly. Why? Because kids have limited attention spans, and the worst thing I can do is drone on about class rules and logistics. No need to talk about rental fees or playing tests. They will come later. It’s easy to forget that a big reason kids join your program is because of you! Be energetic, welcoming and fun. They’ll leave thinking, “Wow, I want to be in that teacher’s class!”

If you can’t visit in person, make a video. A great tip I learned: Match your video length to the grade level. For 5th graders, send a five-minute video. If you send a 30-minute one, the kids will tune out. Keep it short and simple.

Even better: Involve your current musicians, if you’re able. Have them play something on their instruments or give two sentences on why they love music so much. It will have so much more meaning coming from a peer rather than “boring old teachers.”

When it comes time for that joint concert, remember, it is not a competition. At Riverside, all of our recruitment language — in the class demos, at the concert and on our paperwork — mention both band and orchestra (choir starts a year later). Students can sense if you are trying to woo them or are undercutting the other ensemble. We should be thrilled that a student is choosing to partake in music, regardless of instrument choice.

Tip #3: Call It a TRY-ON, Not a Try-Out or a Test

This tip might be my favorite, and it comes from our former instrument store road man, Steve Purcell, from Paige’s Music. Hearing him say “try-on” was like a smack to the forehead. A “try-out” or a “test” implies that a student can be cut or fail, which undermines creating an inviting, inclusive environment. However, if a kid gets to “try-on” instruments, it becomes about finding the one that fits them best. I just love that! A small change, but a HUGE shift in perspective.

Tip #4: Get Every Kid to Try On an Instrument

One year, our band directors were lamenting about their low numbers. It was noted that we had opt-in testing. Students had to turn in a form to try the instruments. That is a barrier to participation, and we want as few barriers as possible. So, we worked with our administration to switch to opt-out testing. Students are brought down to the try-on room as a whole class. Every student tries at least one instrument, unless they have a note from their parent/guardian asking them not to (which is incredibly rare). Upon making this change, our numbers skyrocketed.

Sometimes, kids get overwhelmed and confused by their third or fourth instrument (at Riverside, they can try up to three band and three orchestra instruments during their try-on time). I had many instances where every instrument was “good” or “fun.” How do they choose among those generic feelings?

I found that asking students to rank each instrument on a scale from 1-10 — while they are playing — helps. Use descriptive phrases like 1 = “the worst thing ever, I’d rather have my teeth pulled” and 10 = “that was the greatest thing I’ve ever done, I saw stars and unicorns.” I remember which number a student used on their first instrument, and when they move to the next one, I use it as a reference point. “You ranked the violin as a 7, do you want to rank the viola higher than that, or lower?” It’s a more tangible, relatable system for younger kids to process their thoughts and emotions.

Tip #5: Remove Barriers and Make It Easy for Families to Sign Up

If you can, do your try-ons during the school day. After-school sessions are another barrier to participation because students often can’t get a ride or they have multiple other activities. Do the try-ons during the day if you can find a way to carve out the time. Our trade-off is that we don’t see our beginning groups for a week and use that time for instrument try-ons. It can be daunting to meet with that many students, so, don’t do it alone. Ask for help from colleagues, private teachers, sectional coaches or instrument store employees. (Paige’s Music provides people — usually retired teachers, studio/freelance musicians with some education background, etc. — to help with instrument try-ons, free of charge to us, which is massively helpful.)

Registration paperwork is simple and straightforward. Kids leave try-ons with a single paper containing their instrument choice, some info for their adults about the whole process and a QR code to a registration form. It’s the same form for both band and orchestra and contains only the necessary information (name, student ID, adult contact, instrument choice).

Because every student tries instruments, following up is a simple process. A letter goes out to all 5th-grade families, reminding them of the opportunity to join a music ensemble. Our secretaries help with the logistics. We skip the students who have already signed up and send a letter to everyone else.

Our informational meeting is more than just giving parents/guardians the class rules and expectations. We focus on introducing ourselves, much like we’ve done with the students. Our rental company is there, and families can secure their rental instrument that night. No need to wait until the fall and risk the summer drop-off, where kids lose interest or adults forget to do the paperwork. Their rental is secured in May and delivered to the school in August, ready for the first day of school.

Bonus: Our rental company provides the needed accessories (shoulder rests, rock stops, rosin, slide grease, etc.) along with our method book in a “starter pack” that is included with the rental. It makes the process so much simpler for families and is less work for us! If you work with a rental company, see if they can do something similar. The band directors and I also make a list of students who need school-owned instruments due to financial concerns, which ensures their rental is also secure before they leave the informational meeting.

That informational meeting is also face-to-face time with the parents/guardians, which otherwise we might not get until the first concert. We start making those connections before students even start class. For families that cannot attend, we provide all the information and rental company links in a follow-up email.

It’s Worth it!

Recruitment is a vital piece of what beginning ensemble directors do. It can feel like a burden because it takes us away from “our kids.” Remember that it is through these efforts that potential students become “our kids.” The time and energy will be worth it when your room is full of eager new musicians.

Take time to examine your recruitment process — what barriers exist to student participation, and in what ways can you increase engagement and excitement? If you can try even one change in your recruitment based on these tips, it is my hope that you see positive results with more students engaging in music!

Yamaha Master Educators Marcia Neel, Anthony Maiello and Travis Cross

RAMP: A Summer Camp for Music Teachers

Written by Savy Leiser on May 29, 2023. Posted in Conferences.

This summer, the San Diego Summer Music Institute (SDSMI), which has operated since 2010, will meet once again for its annual summer camp from June 18 to July 1 at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Running concurrently with SDSMI — from June 20 to 23 — is a professional development conference for music educators called RAMP. The adults are going to summer camp, too!

RAMP stands for Ryan Anthony Music Project. Its namesake, Ryan Anthony, was a local San Diego musician whose claim to fame was performing principal trumpet for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra before passing away from cancer in 2020. Just as Anthony began his musical journey in San Diego and spread his music throughout the world, RAMP aims to do the same: To get the best minds in music education all in one place to inspire a new generation of musicians.

According to James Sepulvado, director at SDSMI, one of the founders of RAMP and a 2023 Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educator, adding programming for educators was always part of the vision behind the summer program. “We always had this dream of growing the summer program to include a portion of the camp for teachers,” he says.

RAMP held its first four-day conference at SDSMI in 2019. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, it returned in 2022. Registration is currently open for the 2023 RAMP conference!

Camp and Conference Combine

Students aren’t the only ones who crave summer enrichment. Sepulvado recalls being a young music educator and wishing for more professional development resources. “I was a young teacher who was really hungry and eager to do good work, but didn’t always know where to go,” he says.

Once SDSMI was up and running, Sepulvado saw an easy transition toward incorporating programming for teachers as well. After all, top-notch performers and educators were already working as instructors at the camp. “We have this incredible resource — a camp going on with 200 students,” he says. “We also have 70 of the top musicians in the region teaching these kids. If you’re a teacher trying to learn how to be a better teacher, what better way to do that than to see one of the best teachers do it in real time?”

Each morning, SDSMI students attend masterclasses taught by university professors, San Diego Symphony members and other professional musicians. During the RAMP conference, teachers can attend those masterclasses to observe how the instructor engages with students. “Similarly, we’ll open up some of the rehearsals, so [teachers] can watch a really great conductor work with students,” Sepulvado says.

Where Theory Meets Practice

A core philosophy behind RAMP is the emphasis on learning through action. “In college when you take a conducting class, you read a textbook. Maybe you get to conduct for a few minutes at a time, but you’re not really getting the experience of doing,” Sepulvado says.

One of the programs that emphasizes the importance of learning through experience is RAMP’s Conducting Symposium. “We have four military bands in San Diego, and we get one of them to be the ‘lab band’ for our Conducting Symposium,” he says.

The symposium gives 10 participating educators the opportunity to take turns conducting the military band while professional conductors observe and provide feedback. According to Sepulvado, “As a conductor, there’s literally nothing more valuable.”

To participate in the Conducting Symposium, attending educators can select “yes” to a question on the application form, and then answer a few additional questions about why they would be a good fit for this unique opportunity.

The Conducting Symposium was a success at last year’s conference. “We were blown away at how much people were learning and growing,” Sepulvado says. “In college, you’re reading and listening to lectures. That’s hypothetical knowledge. Now, you find yourself in this Conducting Symposium setting, and the growth is so fast.”

The Teaching Lab

two conductors — Gary Hill, professor emeritus at Arizona State University, mentors young music teachers at RAMP.

Learning through practice, rather than solely through theory, is the philosophy behind another main draw at this year’s RAMP conference: The Teaching Lab, a series of classrooms where educators can work directly with SDSMI students. This paradigm has been in the works for a few years. “We’ve refined the Teaching Lab concept,” Sepulvado says. “We knew the pedagogical value of doing over listening to a lecture, but it’s taken us a bit of time to figure out how to execute that. We’re going to have rooms available where teachers can drop in and learn.”

The Teaching Lab draws from two sets of resources available at SDSMI — the students attending the camp and the educators attending the RAMP conference. “Let’s say you’re a teacher who wants to learn how to teach mariachi, and you’ve never done that,” he says. “We have a room set up with the instruments and a wonderful mariachi teacher in there. We can grab some students from the camp who have never done mariachi before. The expert teacher can instruct while the teacher who wants to learn observes, and then is able to jump in and try it themselves.”

Teaching Lab classrooms will focus on underrepresented areas of music education, including mariachi, steel drums and modern band, which often includes rock music.

Beyond the Classics

According to Sepulvado, the Teaching Lab’s focus on underserved forms of music education stems from a desire to make music more accessible to a wider variety of students. “One of the most important discussions happening in education is about equity and how to meet students where they are,” he says. “I’m a big believer in the importance of classical music and jazz, but I do think there’s tremendous power and value in having a class where students are playing music that they listen to and love.”

In addition to modern band, which prioritizes popular rock music that teens already listen to, Sepulvado says that including mariachi and steel drum classes can reach students whose cultures may prioritize those types of music. “There are certain communities, certain groups of students, who are going to be more familiar and more comfortable with those means of musical expression,” Sepulvado says. “Being able to instruct teachers on how to do that is really cool.”

Just as the music genres featured at RAMP go beyond traditional classical music, RAMP itself is far from a classical conference. By integrating a professional development element into a summer camp, RAMP’s founders have tapped into a wealth of resources that ultimately serve to bring more musicians together. “Fundamentally, I think our organization is centered around the idea that music-making and music education are potent weapons for peace,” he says. “It’s this incredible mechanism for community-making, character-building and shaping humans in a wonderfully productive and positive way.”

At the core of Sepulvado’s vision is a mission to spread music as a form of communication and human expression among students and teachers alike. “There’s an approach to music education that puts expressivity front and center, and that’s what we want to champion,” he says. “That may not always be the loudest voice in our field because a lot of time is focused on the technique-based approach, but music is about connections with other humans above anything else, and the technique serves that.”

Click here to register for the 2023 RAMP conference, June 20-23, at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

University of Kentucky music education students for trauma-informed pedagogy guest lecture

How DEI Initiatives Influenced UK’s Music Education Program

Written by Savy Leiser on May 25, 2023. Posted in Case Studies.

When Dr. Martina Vasil, associate professor of music education at the University of Kentucky, attended the 2019 American Orff-Schulwerk Association Professional Development Conference, she discovered a new way to level up her instruction beyond repertoire. At this conference, Vasil met Dr. Nicole R. Robinson, former vice president for equity and diversity at the University of Utah, who had just started her own business: an online learning platform called Cultural Connections by Design.

“Dr. Robinson led an activity where we identified all the privileges and lack of privileges we have, all these different facets of people’s identities,” Vasil says. “It was eye-opening for me. Growing up poor [and with] immigrant parents, I never felt disadvantaged because of the power of being white [and] having English as a first language.”

This activity inspired Vasil to think about the ways that her music ed students could analyze their own backgrounds to better relate to one another — and to their future students. “A lot of students don’t realize that if you’re white, if you’re a man or if English is your first language, you immediately have an advantage,” she says.

Vasil then contacted Robinson, who directed her to the Cultural Connections website, where her students could test out a new course she was developing. While Cultural Connections had begun as a resource for businesses and consulting, Robinson wanted to expand the audience to college students. Vasil brought her students onto the platform as a test group, where they completed online modules about implicit biases, microaggressions and other key elements of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work.

Initiatives like these have been part of an overall emphasis on DEI within the school of music at the University of Kentucky. Vasil has been teaming up with her colleagues and graduate students to integrate DEI education in the music classroom.

For Vasil, a big part of DEI comes from collaboration with other educators. In addition to her work with Robinson and Cultural Connections, Vasil regularly seeks guest speakers to give her students the best DEI education possible.

The Equity Epiphany

University of Kentucky music education students during final holiday performance — Music education students at the University of Kentucky after a holiday performance.

Though faculty at the University of Kentucky always understood the importance of DEI, mid-2020 was when Vasil and other faculty members embraced its immediacy. “When George Floyd [was] murdered, [we] began grappling with how much we didn’t know and how uneducated we were on non-white experiences,” Vasil says. “Kentucky is a very white state, but we do have diversity on campus … we looked at our curriculum and realized that it needed updates.”

One of Vasil’s responsibilities is to prepare future music educators for their teaching careers. When a music teacher enters an elementary school music classroom, that classroom will comprise all students in that grade; therefore, elementary music teachers must understand the experiences of students from a range of backgrounds. “I asked area K-12 teachers what they wished our students were better prepared to do,” Vasil says.

She also worked alongside her graduate students to find ways to incorporate their specialized areas of research into an overall education. “I had a student who did a whole thesis on multi-language learners because we have an increasing population of these students in Kentucky,” she says.

For Vasil, who considers herself a practical educator, learning about DEI was a journey in thinking outside the box. While she used to focus on “the main approaches to teaching” and “the practical approaches of what you need in your toolkit,” she has now shifted her attention to spending more time talking about how to best teach diverse student populations.

Because Vasil’s students are planning to become educators themselves, they can perpetuate this message in their own careers. “I never had that training in my undergrad, and you repeat what you’re taught,” she says.

Inclusion on the Internet

After connecting with Robinson, Vasil saw an opportunity for her students to learn using the Cultural Connections by Design online program. “[Dr. Robinson] let us access the program for free for a month in exchange for being her beta testing group,” Vasil says.

Vasil gave her students a month to complete the online course, which contained about five hours’ worth of material, including video lectures and follow-up questions like, “What is bias?” and “What’s unconscious bias?” as well as open-ended questions about how students might react in certain situations.

Because Robinson is planning to release this course — the first Cultural Connections course aimed at education institutions rather than companies — Vasil is hoping to use it for future classes as well. “It’s my plan this spring to ask my director if everyone can do the training,” she says.

Vasil found the course helpful for current educators and students alike. “Some of the terminology I had heard before, but some were new for me,” she says. “Understanding the terms and some applications and scenarios were very helpful.”

slide from multilingual learners presentation — A slide from a presentation on multilingual learners by Austin Norrid, a Ph.D. music education student at Penn State.

Adding a course to specifically address DEI can be important, but it’s not the only approach an educator can take. Vasil is also finding ways to bring DEI lessons into the music classroom itself.

Culture in the Classroom

The world of music is diverse, from the varied instruments and genres to the countless composers and performers. One place that educators can celebrate diversity in music is through their repertoire choices. “Our whole school of music has been much more focused on repertoire by making sure there are more female composers and composers of color,” Vasil says.

Even outside of ensemble performance, diversity is an important topic for future music educators to learn. For example, an educator may enter a school where most students don’t speak English, which requires tailoring the lessons to include more visual images rather than solely verbal instruction.

On Fridays, Vasil’s students visit local elementary schools for observation and student teaching. “Three of my students were at a school with a very high Japanese population [which includes multi-language learners],” Vasil says. “When they’re designing their lessons [for] multi-language learners, [they] use more icons or visual pieces.”

Don’t Blindly Accept Common Folk Songs

Even simple nursery rhymes or childhood songs that educators choose can have historical implications for various demographics. For the past two years, Vasil has been following a page on social media called Decolonizing the Music Classroom. This page and its accompanying website detail the ways that music educators can consciously choose songs that are free from a racist history.

song from racist songs lecture presentation — “Choices to Consider” slide from a lecture about racist songs presented by Ian Cicco, Assistant Professor of Music Education at The University of Southern Mississippi.

For example, the song “Jim Along Josie,” which is often taught to young children, was first sung by a performer in blackface during a minstrel show. “The original words are meant to mock the way African Americans spoke,” Vasil says. “It gets forgotten after 40, 50, 60 years … I have students who have never heard of minstrel shows.”

In these cases, it’s important for future educators to have conversations about certain songs’ history and their racial implications. Often, the best choice may be to not to use those songs in an elementary classroom.

Though “My Old Kentucky Home” is a common song for kids to learn when growing up in Kentucky, the original song contains racist lyrics including slurs against Black Americans. “We had a deep conversation about ‘My Old Kentucky Home,’ which is kind of the Kentucky anthem,” Vasil says. “Our president of the university doesn’t want to hear that song anymore.”

Kids often learn these songs when they are young because of their simplicity. Vasil’s advice is to select other songs that serve the same purpose. “There are better songs that have a ‘mi-re-do’ or musical objective,” she says. “I don’t think [continuing to perform these songs] is sensitive or empathetic to the Black experience.”

Promote a World View of Music

University of Kentucky music education students for world music pedagogy guest lecture — Dr. Juliana Cantarelli Vita (front row, second from left) presented a lecture about world music to the University of Kentucky’s music education students.

Instead of programming local songs with racist pasts, Vasil and her colleagues recommend looking out into the world and finding ways to include international music in a comprehensive education. To teach her students about world music, Vasil used financial support from the school of music to invite Dr. Juliana Cantarelli Vita, a world music pedagogy expert from Brazil as a guest speaker.

Beyond expanding students’ repertoire, studying international music can also teach students alternate ways of learning the music itself. “[She talked about] how people learn music in other cultures. It’s usually by ear,” Vasil says.

While many American students learn songs through studying sheet music — and sometimes sight-reading — for some pieces, this approach isn’t an honest replication of how the original culture would have learned the song. “How can you get used to doing that? How can you be true to the authentic way that music would’ve been taught, rather than Westernizing it?” Vasil says. “I had her visit many departments throughout the three days that she was here. We reached almost 200 students among different classes.”

The Power of Guest Speakers

Much like the world music speaker from Brazil, many guest speakers are regularly invited to Vasil’s classes to give students a more in-depth education about their areas of specialization. “I was looking at the pockets of my weakness, areas I don’t know as well,” Vasil says.

One of Vasil’s grad students, who goes by the mononym Yeshima and uses the pronouns they/them, specialized in project-based learning, such as learning about environmental consciousness through music. Vasil had them explain how teachers can blend music with other areas of passion.

“It was a great example of how you can guide students to think about things they care about,” Vasil says. “[For example], writing short rap songs with percussion about saving the planet.”
The activity Yeshima led inspired Vasil’s students to compose music about the floods that ravaged Kentucky in 2022. “[They] wrote a little song about the flooding and how they can help,” she says. “Having children engage in that is a big part of DEI work.”

Because DEI is all about making students feel included and understood, Vasil couldn’t ignore the changes — and sometimes even traumas — that some students experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Help Students Deal with Trauma

Vasil teamed up with another student, Abigail Van Klompenberg, who taught for 12 years prior to returning to get her doctoral degree, to discuss trauma-informed pedagogy, which is Van Klompenberg’s area of expertise. “She’s been interviewing teachers to understand secondary traumatic stress,” Vasil says. “She’s been reading about practices with children [and] presenting both sides: what you do for your students and how you take care of yourself as a teacher.”

Trauma-informed pedagogy is defined as “identifying the trauma children went through and the stress responses that come out — physical, mental and emotional — and finding ways to mitigate that,” according to the Barnard College website.

According to Vasil, there are many easy ways for teachers to incorporate trauma-informed pedagogy into their regular school day. “For example, having a mindfulness minute at the start of class,” she says. “The kids come in and they sit with you and do a breathing exercise for a minute. At the end of class is quiet listening time. They all lie down and close their eyes, and we listen to a piece of music; we don’t have a set objective.”

Using movement as a form of communication and expression can also engage students who are struggling due to COVID-related trauma. “A lot of trauma is stuck in the body,” Vasil says. Teachers can introduce activities that include movement for expression rather than just sitting down in a chair to play music for the whole period.

As a guest speaker, Vasil’s Ph.D. student also took her undergraduate students through a variety of activities meant to engage students who may be more withdrawn as a result of trauma. “With kids growing up in COVID, they’re having trouble communicating with their peers,” Vasil says. “When they’re in contact with someone else, they find ways to communicate emotions through songwriting.”

Slow Down to Have Big Discussions

For both self-care as a teacher and bringing DEI into the classroom, Vasil recommends slowing down. Big discussions require time for communication and reflection; it’s important not to rush. “We take a whole class period, experience a guest speaker, talk about it, reflect on it, and think about the ways [the students] are seeing that in the classrooms they visit every Friday,” Vasil says.

Overall, Vasil is grateful that DEI has become a bigger discussion at the University of Kentucky, and she’s hopeful that these initiatives will help inspire the next generation of educators. “The students are ready for it,” she says. “They want to be better teachers.”

The University of Kentucky is one of 10 distinguished colleges and universities selected to be part of the inaugural Yamaha Institution of Excellence program, which recognizes extraordinary commitment to innovation in the study of music. The Yamaha Institutions of Excellence were chosen for their dedication to providing unique and challenging experiences to music students through diversity of thought and curriculum. They are also recognized for exposing students to a wider variety of voices and opportunities and preparing them for the modern world of music.

Woman with earbuds hailing a cab on city street.

Spotlight on Yamaha TW-E3C True Wireless Earbuds

Written by Yamaha Corporation of America on May 25, 2023. Posted in Audio Gear Guides.

Yamaha TW-E3C true wireless earbuds allow you take your music anywhere, delivering exceptionally clear and detailed sound wherever you go. Their compact size gives your ear a more personal fit, with a specially designed indentation on the side that ensures that the earbuds are comfortable and secure, along with convenient touch sensors for smooth, effortless operation.

Closeup of a person's ear with an ear bud in it.

MULTIPLE COLORS

Express your individuality! TW-E3C earbuds are available in six different colors: black, red, green, beige, gray and blue.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

TW-E3C earbuds are loaded with advanced technology. A Listening Care feature intelligently adjusts the EQ to provide full-range sound even at lower listening volumes, and Ambient Sound ensures that you’ll stay aware of your surroundings, even while listening to music. A free Headphone Control app (available for both iOS and Android devices) lets you take control of your sound by instantly selecting one of five equalization presets or by fine-tuning the EQ to your own personal preference.

Extended battery life keeps you going all day long with 24 hours of total battery life (nine hours from the earbuds and another 15 hours from the charging case). What’s more, built-in Qualcomm^® TrueWireless™ Mirroring with role-swapping provides stable Bluetooth^® connection and saves power. And, with their IPX5 water- and sweat-resistant rating, a little sweat or rain won’t harm these earbuds, making them perfect for exercise and life on the go.

CALLING AND GAMING FEATURES

But it’s not just about listening to music: TW-E3C earbuds excel when it comes to calling or gaming as well. They deliver crystal-clear calls to either ear or both thanks to advanced built-in microphones and Qualcomm cVc (Clear Voice Capture) technology. This works to effectively pick up your voice, isolate and deliver it to the other party in perfect clarity — even in noisy environments.

Multipoint connectivity means that you can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, such as a smartphone and a PC … and, when receiving an incoming call from one of them, you can take the call without switching devices. And a special Gaming Mode reduces the lag between sound and video when watching videos or playing games. In addition, you can quickly activate voice assistants such as Siri^® or Google Assistant with the TW-E3C touch sensor.

INCLUDED ACCESSORIES

TW-E3C earbuds come with numerous accessories — everything you need to get started listening to music, making calls or enjoying your favorite streaming games. These include a charging case, a Type A to Type C USB cable, and four different eartips (extra small, small, medium and large) so you can ensure a perfect fit no matter your ear size.

Cable, case and different size ear inserts.

Check out the video:

Learn more about TW-E3C true wireless earbuds and the entire line of Yamaha wireless headphones, earphones and earbuds.

How to Harmonize a Melody Line

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on May 23, 2023. Posted in Keyboard How-to.

Especially when playing pop, jazz and show tunes, keyboardists often play the melody with their right hand as a single note line. This allows listeners to easily recognize and appreciate the song.

As the tune progresses, however, things can get pretty repetitive if there isn’t someone singing the words, so it’s good to vary your playing to keep things interesting. A great way to do that is to add another note to the melodic line, as singers often do when performing a duet. This is called harmonizing a melody.

Here’s a guide to harmonizing effectively.

It’s All About the Key and the Chords

To add harmony notes to a melody line, you need to know two things:

The key the song is in; and
What the chords are

The key is shown at the beginning of the score/sheet music as a grouping of sharps or flats just after the treble and bass clef. Knowing the key will tell you what scale you can choose your harmony notes from.

For this posting, we’ll be exploring various ways to harmonize this short musical phrase:

As you can see (and hear), this example uses a flowing, arpeggiated left-hand part rather than just block chords. And since there are no sharps or flats in the key signature, that means it is in the key of C major. Your harmonizing note choices should therefore come mainly from the C major scale (i.e., all the white keys):

Being aware of the chord symbols above the bars will ensure that the harmony notes you choose are part of the chord. This isn’t a strict rule, as you’ll soon see, but you should at least avoid playing non-chordal notes on a beat (they can sometimes be okay for quickly moving passages).

Choosing the Best Harmony Notes

Now that you know the key and the eligible notes, you can start to build a harmony part. It’s best to leave your melody as the top note of your right-hand part so the listener can hear it clearly. For that reason, I advise adding a second note below the melody.

The most common and pleasing interval to use for that purpose is a third, which is either three or four half-steps below the melody, depending upon the key (in the key of C, it will be A, three half-steps below C). The notation below shows that interval both above and below the root tone, followed by a C major scale played in thirds, with the melody on top:

The next most common note choice would be a sixth (either eight or nine half-steps away), shown below in the key of C.

You can also use intervals of a fourth (five half-steps) or a fifth (seven half-steps), but they should be used sparingly since they tend to impart a more exotic, less common sound, especially if used frequently.

Let’s start by harmonizing our melody using thirds as much as possible.

Thirds work great for the first bar, but in bar 2 if I used a third below the E note I would be playing a C note over a G major chord, which would clash with the B note in the bass. In other words, it would be playing a suspended fourth along with the natural third of the chord — and that’s not a good sound! For that reason, I switched to a fourth for the harmony. On the first beat of bar 3 I could have used an A (a third below), but I chose the G to better spell out the C chord. Because the chord has a B-flat in it, I made sure that my harmony line also used the flatted note.

Bar 4 contains a chord that is not from the key of C (the A-flat major seventh), so I modified the thirds to use notes from the A-flat major scale. Bar 5 goes back to the key of C, and for the last chord I just chose a voicing to give me a fuller chord to end on.

The bottom line is that you can be flexible with your note choices as long as you observe the key and the current chord. Beyond that, you can do whatever pleases your taste.

Using More Varied Intervals

Another approach would be to vary your choices a little more, not holding so rigidly to mainly using thirds. For example:

Here I start with thirds, but go to a fourth for the last note in bar 1, and then a sixth for the first note in bar 2. For the last note in bar 3, I opted to use a fourth to better spell out the C seventh chord. I chose to use an interval of a fifth at the start of bar 4 in order to get the root tone of the F chord in the voicing. Finally, for the end of bar 5, I switched to sixths for better note spacing between the hands.

This next example employs more sixths, but not all the time. In fact, I use all the suggested options here: thirds, fourths, fifths and sixths. By mixing in other intervals, the harmony stays more interesting and less predictable.

Harmonizing Melodies That Don’t Stay In One Key

As the above example shows, songs don’t always stay in the same key, or they may include chords that come from outside the key. A song may even fully modulate to another key altogether. When you first explore the melody you want to harmonize, you need to look for these situations and try to understand what is happening so you can make good note choices.

This next musical example expands on the previous one, bringing it to some new places harmonically before finally returning to the key of C.

Here, a lot is happening that is not in the key of C. Analyzing it based on what is commonly called “functional harmony,” the phrase appears to visit the key of F in bars 3 and 4, and then modulates to the key of A leading into bar 6. Bars 8 and 9 seem to touch on the key of D (the G-sharp becomes a G natural) before moving back to the key of C at the end of bar 9. You can imagine that the key signature is changing as these chords vary, which would look something like this:

Here are some suggested note choices based on those key signatures and their associated scales:

Notice how I used all the suggested harmony intervals at some point, and even used a number of parallel fourths in the second half of bar 9 into the first two beats of bar 10. In the last bar I decided to have the harmony line move in conjunction with the left-hand pattern for a nice effect.

This final example removes the various key signature markings to go back to how the music would likely be printed, and presents yet another variation of harmony note choices:

Until next time, happy harmonizing!

All audio examples played on a Yamaha P-515

Check out our other Well-Rounded Keyboardist postings.

Click here for more information about Yamaha keyboard instruments.

The Singing Drummer

Written by Jimmy Keegan on May 19, 2023. Posted in Drum Artists.

I started singing as a small child, and never thought much about it … other than how it was funny that the older kids at school would give me money to sing Elton John songs. I guess I just had a natural talent for vocalizing early on.

But once the drum bug hit me, I stopped singing and focused solely on drumming. Then, when I got to my 20s I started singing again, but this time from behind the kit, influenced by some of the folks listed below. If you’re a drummer who’s ready to take the plunge and start singing yourself, I’ll provide some tips in this posting as well. But first, here’s my personal list of …

Top Five Singing Drummers

Terry Bozzio

Terry hit me like a truck. Firstly, his playing (with both Frank Zappa and Missing Persons) was like nothing I had ever heard: aggressive, dynamic, creative, sometimes complicated and always original. His inventive use of roto-toms, double kick drums, dual china cymbals, bells, X-hat and a funky haircut grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. Second, he was singing, and singing a lot. And because he was such an expressive player, the way he looked when he sang also got my attention. Whenever I was playing along to him in my room, I found myself singing his parts. Eventually I started singing his lead vocals as well. Without realizing it, playing along to Terry helped with my independence. Terry’s drumming was often very complex and it required a lot of dexterity to pull off the singing as well. I never thought twice about it. I just did it.

Don Henley

I had to grow up a bit to fully appreciate Don. Everything about his playing is designed to suit the song. As he was often the songwriter and also the lead singer for so many songs with The Eagles, his drumming was always supportive of the vocal. His approach was nothing like the technical and loud approach that Terry took but that’s okay. I needed to know the conservative attitude as well. The more I got into musicians like Don Henley, the better the overall drummer I became because I was much more aware of melody.

Phil Collins

Phil was another game-changer. He may be more well-known today as a singer, but to us drummers, he’s a drummer first. Phil made me much more aware of groove even when playing in odd meter. Sure, his solo work is straight-ahead pop but the Genesis stuff is all over the map. Again, being the singer informed his musical sensibilities and his playing. Whether busy or simple, he always supports his own vocal and he sings his tail off.

Levon Helm

Again, Levon’s influence hit me later in my life but as every fan of The Band knows, it’s about the story. Nothing about Levon is “technical.” It’s all feel. Even his kit is often kind of thrown together and just barely functions but you don’t care because he pours his heart into the story and his groove keeps everything moving just the right way to help express whatever emotion he’s singing about.

Roger Taylor

Nothing about Roger made sense to me when I first saw him performing with Queen. On the group’s albums, there was this thunderous drum sound and these screaming high vocals, but he’s not a particularly big person. All this sound and energy came from his heart. He didn’t need to be big to sound big and to be heard. As I’m not the tallest person either, this was a great lesson and I got it early on. I wanted my drums to sound big like that. I would learn a little later that there are some studio tricks to that sound, but it still had to start from the person. Roger helped me recognize what was inside and that I just needed to believe to get it out.

Man playing drums and singing. — *Jimmy Keegan performing at 2023 NAMM.*

Keegan’s Vocal and Drumming Tips

The sheer act of drumming requires a person to be conscious of their breathing, but singing often contradicts the breathing patterns needed for drums and vice-versa. There is also the risk of vibration from your arms moving around and from the seat underneath you, all of which can disrupt your vocal performance.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Stay seated and separated. Set yourself up with good, even posture and do whatever you can to separate your core from the motion of your arms.
Keep your setup in front of you. Too much gear to the sides requires movements you may not be able to make while you’re singing. Find the middle ground between when your body wants to breathe (as related to your drumming) and when you need air for singing. There’s no magic formula — you just have to figure it out for yourself.
Find the right drum throne. If your seat is too hard, it can be a problem; ditto if it’s too soft. Try to find the perfect compromise between comfort and performance.
Try to keep your mic in front of you and level with your head. Tilting your head up or to the side can cause neck issues.
Consider using in-ear monitors (IEMs) instead of onstage monitors. Floor wedges cranked to the high volumes necessary to be heard over a full performance kit can lead to you over-singing, and you don’t want to risk doing damage to your voice. IEMs (like the ones I’m wearing in the photo below) allow you to hear yourself over the drums without yelling.

When I started paying attention to these factors — and as I got more aligned with my breathing, seat position and monitor level — I improved quickly and soon was able to play and sing every night of the week without strain. Now I’ve become a primary back-up singer or even a co-lead singer in many of the bands I work with. And though having a high voice does come in handy, just being willing and able to sing has been a great asset in my career as far as getting gigs. I’ve been able to win out on numerous gigs purely because I could sing and the other drummers vying for the position could not.

Singing has also made me so much more aware of the vocal aspects in every song, which in turn has made me a much better drummer. The next task is figuring out how to get the drums to the front of the stage without injuring the ego of the lead singer or guitar players. But that’s a posting for another day.

Learn more about Jimmy Keegan at www.jimmykeegan.com

Side Hustles for Music Teachers

Written by Aleah Fitzwater on May 18, 2023. Posted in Case Studies. 1 Comment on Side Hustles for Music Teachers

Teaching music is extremely gratifying; but sometimes, unexpected circumstances arise, and we need to supplement our income. If you’re looking for relevant side hustles or summer gigs, consider the following list of ideas related to the creative and performing arts!

Etsy

Those of us who teach elementary music are often skilled at making handmade crafts, so why not put our talent to use? From sheet music plaques to music-themed throw pillows and jewelry, the ideas are endless. Plus, making handmade items for other music lovers is extremely gratifying.

I began my Etsy shop in 2018 and have made almost 2,000 sales. Making custom music jewelry was one of my favorite summer gigs as an elementary music teacher. It gave me such satisfaction to be able to make a themed piece with someone’s favorite song. Later, I branched out to other items, including the occasional refurbished instrument.

Etsy is a great side gig for teachers, which is why it’s first on my list. If you’re too busy to keep up with your shop during your busiest times of the school year, you can just put your shop on vacation mode or deactivate your listings until you’re ready again. All you need is a bank account to get started.

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Church Musician

Many large churches have paid worship bands, and sometimes even paid choir members. A friend of mine just joined a local church choir in Toledo and is making some extra cash doing what he loves: singing.

Instrumentalists such as flutists, pianists, organists, bassists and drummers are often needed for worship groups. My first experience as a church musician was during college. One of my professors needed a flutist and oboist to supplement a special piece that his choir was doing. I remember someone giving me grief for taking on the gig for “only $50,” but for an hour’s worth of work, it ended up being a great weekend side hustle. Plus, playing with other musicians is a rare treat. Oftentimes, music teachers only get to play in ensembles during conventions.

Teaching Private Lessons

Teaching private lessons is a really easy way to expand your role as a music educator. A bonus is that you learn new things about teaching when you’re in a one-on-one setting than when you’re in front of a class. I find one-on-one lessons very refreshing because you get to really know your students.

Private lessons can be a bit difficult to figure out logistically, though. For example, do you teach students in your home, in a store or after school? There are no right or wrong answers here, but make sure to draft up a formal lesson contract detailing all your expectations and safety procedures before the day of the lesson. I recommend doing in-home lessons only with close friends and family members. Having students and folks you don’t know inside your home can complicate things.

Find the most professional setup you can. If you are involved in a church band, you may be able to use a room in the worship space to conduct lessons, for a small room rental fee.

An Excuse to Try Something New!

If you want to try something different, learn another instrument by yourself, or better yet, from another music educator. Then, once you’ve advanced enough, try teaching it privately. I’ve found that learning sought-after instruments like the bass and drum kit provide a much-needed break from playing the classical flute. This is a great way to expand your skillset, teach more and supplement your paychecks.

Check out Freelancing Sites

Upwork and Fiverr are two large freelancing sites that have a lot of music- and education-related tasks. Music teachers are often skilled in a number of areas, such as music editing, production and more. So far, I’ve done writing for a music software company, reviewed instruments, edited kids’ books and produced a song that was presented with a lesson plan at an educational conference.

With Upwork, you bid on gigs, whereas on Fiverr, you post your price, and clients come to you.

Music Reviews / Press

A year ago, on a whim, I reached out to a local music press company, Little Star PR, based in Toledo. I thought I would never hear back from them since I’m not a writer or editor. But that’s when I learned about the power of asking.

From there, I went to write for Cover Me Songs, a website that covers refreshed songs by indie artists and popular top-40 musicians. Later, a local journalist saw my Facebook profile, and reached out, which turned into another side hustle, reviewing the Toledo Symphony for the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, The Blade.

One music writing gig quickly turns into another, especially once your resume grows. That’s all to say that putting out some feelers to the folks at your local paper or music press company may be well worth the time.

Music Blogging

Did you know that guest blogs often pay musicians and music teachers to write about their experiences? You can make anywhere from $10-$100 per post, and sometimes, if you have a lot of writing experience, as much as $300. Depending on how much time you have, you can generate a fair bit of income. But if you don’t like cold e-mailing, this gig probably isn’t for you.

Other Side Hustles

If you’re skilled at notation software or programs like Box5 or Pyware, consider engraving music for other music educators or writing drills for competitive marching bands. Similarly, offering your proofreading is a great way to put your skills to new use; this could be proofreading scores or proofreading texts about music.

Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) is an online site with teaching resources and lesson plans. While I have only personally bought from TPT, you can upload your own plans and sell them to other music educators.

Find Your Next Side Gig

In my experience, having a degree in music education sets you up for lots of relevant side hustles that can help generate some extra spending cash. You don’t have to take a night-shift job if you don’t want to. Side gigs can ensure that you really make it “all about music” for your work. Just make sure to check with an accountant or tax professional for any questions you may have about taxes.

Author smiling and laughing while playing guitar.

NAMM 2023 Yamaha Guitars Recap

Written by Robbie Calvo on May 17, 2023. Posted in Gearguide.

Flying into California always gets my heart rate going. It brings back fond memories of when I lived in Hollywood while attending the Guitar Institute of Technology (G.I.T.). In particular, there’s a frenetic, creative energy I feel when heading towards Anaheim to represent Yamaha Guitars at the NAMM show each year.

This was my seventh show with Yamaha. My first experience blew my mind. Yamaha literally took up an entire ballroom in the Marriott Hotel with two performance stages and isolation booths for guitar and piano demonstrations, along with the most incredible display of what seemed like the entire range of Yamaha products. (Yamaha also manufactures live and studio sound reinforcement gear, as well as everything band-related.) My first main stage performance there was flanked by two high-performance motorcycles, a pristine audio backline and a full touring rig including lighting.

Yamaha now occupies much of the third floor of the Anaheim Convention Center (a spacious area I affectionately call “The Penthouse Suite”), but with the same attention to detail. There’s an emphasis on creating flow in order to provide a world-class experience for dealers, musicians and influencers … a goal they thoroughly achieved at this year’s show. Quite simply, you feel like royalty when greeted at the entrance. Friendly smiles welcome you into a very special musical environment, where knowledgeable product specialists and musicians are on hand to answer questions, provide demonstrations, and guide attendees towards the gear they want to know more about.

Over in the guitar area, nylon-stringed acoustic instruments hung gracefully next to futuristic SLG Series SILENT Guitars™, while vintage-inspired “throwback to 1966” FG/FS Red Label guitars amplified their proprietary aged tonalities with a cutting-edge, three-way pickup system called Atmosfeel.

The demonstration setup I used is shown in the photo below. It included a STAGEPAS 1K line array P.A. system (since discontinued and replaced by the STAGEPAS 1K Mk II), a Line 6 Helix (which I had preprogrammed with several custom patches) and multiple second-generation Revstar electric guitars , including Element, Standard and Professional models.

Beforehand, I had prepared backing tracks to jam with; these also doubled as a great way to hear the pro audio products in a real-world performance situation. I also had the honor to perform briefly for Mr. Takuya Nakata, President of Yamaha Corporation Japan, as well as other executives from Japan.

Author standing behind man holding an acoustic guitar.

Giving interviews to magazine editors and creating impromptu video demos on the show floor are also part of the job — and they’re some of my favorite things to do. The most popular questions I received at this year’s NAMM were about the new Focus Switch function on Professional and Standard Revstar guitars, and how to dial in the new cabinet models on the Line 6 Helix processor. Product overviews and demos of TransAcoustic guitars still turn heads (“Where is that reverb and chorus coming from? I don’t see an amp!”), even though the technology is well established and a full range of TA guitars are widely available.

But NAMM is really all about new products, and there were more than a few outstanding ones in the Yamaha display area.

The Products

For me, the highlight of the show was the launch of the new flagship line of FG9 Series acoustic guitars. These extraordinary axes feature Adirondack spruce tops, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped X bracing, bone nut and saddle, and a nitrocellulose finish. There are two models: the FG9 R, which sports solid Indian rosewood back and sides, and the FG9 M, which features a mahogany back and sides.

FG9 R.

FG9 M.

Handcrafted in Japan, these guitars deliver the outstanding projection characteristic of dreadnought-style instruments, while at the same time providing exceptional clarity and detailed articulation — a unique combination especially suited for accompanying vocals.

They both sound gorgeous, but there’s a subtle difference in tonality between the two, with the FG9 R being a little brighter and the FG9 M being a bit darker. After playing and singing with both models for a while, I really noticed that they allowed my vocals to take precedence thanks to the well-balanced bass frequencies they deliver.

A brand new digital mixer, the DM3, also took the show by storm. This compact 22-channel touchscreen mixer can be used for streaming podcasts or live sound (there’s even a model — the DM3-D — that comes equipped with Dante^® technology), as well as for recording pristine audio directly to your computer thanks to the built-in USB port.

Small digital mixer. — *DM3 digital mixer.*

Couple the DM3 with a pair of Yamaha HS Series powered monitors or professional-quality HPH-MT headphones, and you’re ready to track the band or broadcast your podcast live. Things were so busy, I didn’t get a chance to try the DM3 with the two STAGEPAS 1K line arrays in my demo rig at the show, but I am certainly looking forward to doing so in the future.

The Music

Attendees to the Yamaha display were also treated to some of the very best in live music. On the main stage, Line 6 processors and Catalyst combo amps added a cool mix of the current modeling technology, juxtaposed against the classic tube tone of an Ampeg bass rig.

Bluegrass masterclass performances by Jordan Tice and Jake Eddy let everyone hear just how incredible the new FG9 guitars are (see the video below), and the stunning hybrid techniques and musical brilliance of rock-fusion maestro Matteo Mancuso had many of the guitar players in the audience threatening to give up and take a day job.

As if that wasn’t enough, studio ace and producer extraordinaire Greg Phillinganes brought down the house with an R&B/funk set to die for.

The Video

Here’s a video taken at NAMM that shows the amazing dueling magnificence of Jordan Tice and Jake Eddy as they play FG9 guitars.

When a pair of these wonderful instruments arrive at my studio in the coming days, I plan on recording a pop-rock duet that shows another side to these finely tuned instruments. Stay tuned to this space!

The Wrap-Up

With their ever more impressive lineup of guitars, Yamaha manages to refine and honor the art of traditional lutherie, while expanding the possibilities of our beloved six-string instrument with modern technology.

I can only imagine what Yamaha will unveil at NAMM next year … but until then, you can be sure that I’ll be enjoying the current roster of musical companions.

Check out Robbie’s other postings

How to Get Your Child Started On Keyboard

Written by Jerry Kovarsky on May 12, 2023. Posted in Keyboard How-to.

It’s well known that learning to play a musical instrument at any age is good for you, both physically, mentally and socially, but it’s especially beneficial to a child’s development. Studies have shown that children who play an instrument do better in school, develop improved language skills, are likely to have more advanced physical coordination and emotional intelligence, and are socially well-balanced.

Keyboard or piano is an excellent choice as a starter instrument, as it is easy to produce a good sound right from the get-go. But you may be unsure of when it’s the right time to get your child started, and how to go about it. Here are the answers to both questions.

It’s Never Too Early

Answer # 1 is simple: It is never too early to expose your child to music. A 1993 study on how people listening to the music of Mozart exhibited a limited improvement in spacial recognition (the so-called “Mozart Effect”) inspired some new parents to begin playing the music of that composer to their baby while still in the womb, and later on as lullaby music for sleeping. Even though Mozart won’t magically make your baby smarter, playing soothing music by any composer during rest time for your child, and generally having a music-positive household, is a good thing.

This includes singing simple songs to your child such as Twinkle Twinkle, The Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Wheels On The Bus, which has long been an almost universal activity in pre-schools and homes around the globe. There’s a whole industry of artists making music for kids, such as Raffi, Sesame Street^®and others that you should consider making part of your daily activities, same as meal time, play time and wind-down before sleep. And it’s important for you, as the parent, to be part of this by teaching your children the words, singing along and clapping together. Active involvement is key — you want to show your child that music is fun and an important part of your life … and therefore an important part of theirs too.

Organized Early Learning Involving Music (Ages 2-4)

Toddlers grow super-fast but most have not yet developed the hand size, motor skills and focus to start to play the piano, or any instrument for that matter. That said, they can certainly enjoy playing with some musical toys such as a simple keyboard or a fun piano mat.

Consider getting your child involved in a structured learning program that involves music. These kinds of programs usually get children clapping, playing with simple percussion instruments and participating in group activities designed to promote their physical development and their sound and rhythm recognition, as well as learning to enjoy interacting with other toddlers. Look to see if programs like Kindermusik, Music Together^® or Musikgarten^® are available in your area. These early learning methods involve both you and your child, and are highly beneficial and a lot of fun for you both.

Yamaha has been involved in music education like this for over 50 years, and the company’s Yamaha Music Schools offer a course called Music Wonderland that introduces three-year-olds to the sound and playing of a keyboard in an age-appropriate manner. Finally, it is possible that some schools in your area — especially music schools — may have toddler and early child classes you can enroll in.

First Exposure to Keyboards (Ages 5-7)

By the time your child starts attending pre-school you might want to start with an electronic portable keyboard that has some built-in lesson functions such as the Keys to Success and Phrase Repeat features offered by some Yamaha models. These kinds of instruments are both instructional and fun, and they have the advantage of offering a traditional white and black keyboard.

When your child starts regular school (usually at ages 6-7), he or she will become comfortable with sitting still for at least short periods of time while receiving instruction from a teacher, and learning new concepts on a daily/weekly basis. Depending on their physical development (it is commonly suggested that the child’s hand should be large enough for their fingers to be able to span the white notes from C up to G without having to stretch), this may the perfect time to introduce them to their first piano lessons.

In preparation for this, you should buy either an acoustic piano or a digital piano. If you opt for an acoustic piano, there are two types to pick from: a grand or an upright.

Grand pianos such as the Yamaha GB1K offer a rich, full sound with a powerful resonance and an expressive tone that brings out the subtle nuances of every note being played. However, these instruments are designed to be placed in the middle of a room and thus require a fair amount of space.

Grand piano with lid open. — *Yamaha GB1K grand piano.*

For many beginners, upright pianos such as Yamaha b Series models will work just fine.

Uprights are also more affordable than grand pianos and are designed to be placed against a wall, thus giving them a smaller footprint and requiring a lot less space.

Upright piano in kid's room. — *Upright pianos are designed to be placed against a wall.*

Whichever you choose, if you are going to buy a used acoustic piano, be sure to have someone knowledgeable (such as a local piano teacher or technician) help you to evaluate the instrument beforehand. It needs to be able to stay in tune and have no major defects. Bear in mind also that acoustic pianos of all varieties require periodic maintenance such as regular tunings in order to sound their best.

Another option is to purchase a digital piano such as a Yamaha Clavinova. These remarkable compact electronic keyboards faithfully recreate the sound and feel of an acoustic concert grand piano, but at a fraction of the cost — and with no maintenance required. Clavinova models such as the CSP-170 emulate the look of an upright piano, while others, such as the CVP-809GP, are designed to look like grand pianos, though unlike their acoustic counterparts, they can be placed anywhere in a room.

Digital pianos typically offer a wealth of advanced features such as the ability to record performances, connect microphones, and interface with smart devices. Some select Yamaha digital pianos (including the aforementioned Clavinova CSP-170) also have a Stream Lights function that makes learning even easier. All have built-in speakers, along with the bonus of a headphone jack so that your children can practice to their heart’s content without disturbing others in the household.

Finding A Teacher (Ages 7-9)

When looking for your child’s first keyboard or piano teacher, it is important that the instructor has specific experience working with small children. It takes special skills and understanding to keep a young child focused for more than a few minutes on any activity, and it is just as important to make the lessons fun as it is to convey the traditional steps of learning to play keyboard. Some teachers like to have the parent attend lessons as well, which you should consider doing whenever possible. After all, if you understand what is being taught and how to practice it, you can better support your child during their practice time.

Mother and son side by side at piano. — *It’s important that the keyboard instructor you choose has experience working with small children.*

Another approach is to enroll in group lessons that teach beginning keyboard. This is a more social and fun way to get introduced to the mechanics and joy of playing a keyboard instrument like piano. Many of the schools mentioned earlier, including the Yamaha Music School, offer beginning instruction to children at this age. You can also search in your local area, as music stores and music schools may offer group instruction for kids as well.

What If My Child Is Slightly Older?

There is no rule that states your child must begin taking lessons at a specific age. If he or she starts to exhibit interest in music in their early teens, great! The only difference is that you won’t need to worry as much about finding a teacher that has early child experience and methods. To help stimulate your tween’s interest in piano/keyboard, you might want to get them a portable keyboard as a gift. These instruments have a wide variety of sounds, drum rhythms and other cool features that they can enjoy and will hopefully stimulate a further interest in playing.

Additional Learning Opportunities

Once your child has started lessons and is making progress, you might consider enrolling them in a summer camp that is focused on music-making and learning instruments. This will support their development and keep them interested by turning their instruction into a fun group activity with other like-minded kids. As a bonus, it will keep them actively involved in their music studies during the summer school break. Do a web search of “Children Summer Piano Camp” to find programs in your area. The nation-wide School Of Rock also has programs such as Little Wing that may be of value, as they tap into kids’ natural interest in popular music.

The bottom line is this: Anything you can do to promote, support, and be involved in your child’s musical journey will be time well spent.

Be an Effective Teacher-Leader

Written by Susan R. Wines on May 12, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

Teacher leadership stems from an unending love for teaching and learning that spills over and influences other colleagues to become more reflective and deliberate in their pursuit of excellence within the classroom. This contagious attitude can spread like wildfire throughout an institution and create an incredible culture of change. Recognizing your ability to become an agent of change is the start of becoming an effective teacher-leader.

“If we don’t see ourselves in this role, we leave the door open for others outside the profession to tell our stories and determine the successes (and shortcomings) of our schools,” writes Jessica Cuthbertson in the article, “How to Become a Teacher Advocate.” The “teacherpreneur” who teaches 8th-grade literacy and facilitates a learning lab classroom at Vista PEAK Exploratory in Colorado, also said that “passionate educators presevere.”

Teacher-leaders must see the bigger picture, advocate for the true purpose of education, ask lots of questions, take initiative to solve problems and, most importantly, share our experiences with other educators to develop deep, meaningful relationships with our colleagues.

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The Virtue of Hope

Understanding various leadership models and theories can help a teacher-leader be better equipped to explore leadership opportunities within their schools as well as serve the greater community. Considering the attributes of an ideal leader, characteristics of traditional managerial theories are often superseded by human goodness virtues such as hope and trust.

In “The Virtues of Leadership,” Thomas J. Sergiovanni from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, writes, “Perhaps the most important, yet most neglected leadership virtue is hope…”

Hope takes purposeful action, yet it can evoke undeniably positive change for any organization. As an emerging teacher-leader, consider implementing frameworks and norm systems that help others sort out how they fit into your program or organization’s culture, mission and vision. Inspiring a sense of hope not only helps members make meaning of their participation in the organization but it can inspire innovation while leveraging relationships.

Let it be noted that hope is not wishful thinking. Rather, hopeful leaders are firmly based in reality whereas wishful leaders take no deliberate action to make wishes come to fruition. For this reason, hope should be a fundamental virtue at the core of every leadership initiative and decision because hope has an activating effect as it mobilizes leaders to take actionable steps to turn their hopefulness into reality.

Lead from Everywhere

Leadership does not mean leaving the classroom. I remain energized by the belief that teacher-leaders can positively affect student learning not only in their classrooms but throughout their schools and the music education profession as a whole.

Successful teacher-leaders explore strategies and model continuous learning, reflective practices and promote higher levels of collaboration among colleagues. They work to consistently align instructional practices with school goals, mission and vision. They accomplish this by circling back to hope, which is the necessary access point that helps us find pathways to achieve goals and navigate around obstacles.

Leadership initiatives are attainable with perseverance, patience and unity. Becoming a teacher-leader requires active listening with team members to build lasting, meaningful relationships that can “have resilience in times of crisis [and] resourcefulness in times of need,” writes Parker J. Palmer, the founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal, in “On the Edge” about having the courage to lead with soul.

Colleagues are Valuable Assets

Recognizing our colleagues as valuable assets and incredible resources can be a catalyst for real and lasting change that only further flourishes when teachers work in tandem, according to Daniel Baron in “Critical Friendship: Leading from the Inside Out.” Take time to foster interaction with your peers, even beyond the fine arts team, to engage in intentional conversation that not only develops excellent instructional practices but sustains a commitment to learning and the music education profession.

Colleagues are indispensable! Establishing a group of peers to gather and reflect upon instructional practices can be the most beneficial, inexpensive and valuable professional learning that teachers can experience.

Be an active participant in your learning attainment. Professional learning is far more than conferences and after-school workshops. Disciplined organizations and programs reflect disciplined leaders who have honed their abilities to lead with consistency and in principled ways, writes Sergiovanni.

Build synergy within your program and team by empowering others and upholding expectations that advance the mission and vision of your organization. Colleagues can offer an immeasurable amount of expertise, inspiration and wisdom through formal professional learning or simply over a cup of coffee while on morning duty. These friendships can encourage reflection and inquiry to improve program performance and classroom instruction while also providing accountability for continual growth, writes Sheena Hervey of Generation Ready, an organization that supports digital teaching and learning.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

There is a great responsibility that comes with leadership including the continual pursuit of enlightenment, seeing the bigger picture and rising above the hard and long days because your eyes are on the greater prize. I encourage you to continue expanding your knowledge base and forging collegial relationships to become the most effective teacher-leader and educator possible.

Teachers are in the best position to make not only the most influential decisions but the most critical decisions to take instructional risks and improve their craft while closing the learning gap for students, writes Victoria Boyd-Dimock and Kathleen M. McGee in “Leading Change From the Classroom.”

Most teachers are driven by the fact that they want to be of service to others and make a difference in the lives of their students. With this in mind, teacher-leaders can serve as research colleagues, mentors and instructional coaches to positively change student attainment and advance the music education profession. By honing skills and building confidence in their craft, teacher-leaders will pass along learning initiatives to others, including colleagues and students, while being the most valuable asset for professional learning, teacher morale and optimal student achievement.

References

Baron, D. (2007). Critical Friendship: Leading from the Inside Out. Principal Leadership, 7(9), 56-58.
Boyd-Dimock, V. & McGree, K. (1995). Leading Change From the Classroom: Teacher as leaders.
Cuthbertson, J. (2014). How to Become a Teacher Advocate. Education Week Teacher.
Hervey, S. (2018, November 15). Raising Student Achievement through Professional Development.
Palmer, P. J. (2008). On the Edge. Journal of Staff Development, 29(2), 12-16.
Sergiovanni, T. J. (2005). The Virtues of Leadership. The Educational Forum, 69, 112-123.

What Marimba Should I Purchase for My School?

Written by Robert Darling on May 11, 2023. Posted in Percussion. 1 Comment on What Marimba Should I Purchase for My School?

All marimbas do not look or sound the same. You might have a marimba in your band room that you’re very familiar with, but when you watch a performance online, you see this giant instrument with way more notes. Yes, both these instruments are marimbas!

Let’s first identify the difference between marimbas, and then you can be better informed to make a decision about which type will best suit your program’s needs.

Brief History

The early modern marimba typically had a range of four octaves. This range from low to high was C3 to C7. Clair Omar Musser was the first to develop the modern marimba and had organized marimba orchestras from the 1930s to the 1950s. These ensembles consisted of hundreds of people, and they began to popularize the marimba by appearing at popular events like the Chicago Fair of 1950. Even though the marimba was gaining popularity, it was not being mass produced.

Keiko Abe, an early adopter of the marimba, was constantly working with composers on new compositions and arrangements for this instrument. In 1968, she performed the first full-length marimba recital of works specifically written for the marimba, however, the composers complained that the instrument was not able to fully express their musical ideas.

Abe then began working with Yamaha on extending the range of the instrument, which led to the creation of the 4.3-octave marimba in the early 1970s. This range of marimba gained much popularity; however, it still wasn’t enough range for Abe. This pushed the designers to build the 4.5-octave marimba that added notes to the low end making the instrument’s range from F2 to C7. This marimba better suited her needs, but Abe still wanted more notes. Yamaha then built a prototype extension for the 4.5-octave marimba that went from E2 down to C2. This prototype was able to be pushed up against the side of the 4.5-octave to create the world’s first 5-octave marimba. In the years that followed to the present day, the full 5-octave marimba quickly became the standard.

Read about the history of the 5-octave marimba.

However, the 4.3- and 4.5-octave marimbas are still being produced even though the 5-octave marimba is the professional standard. Why? The simplest answer is that there are still common uses for these different ranged instruments, even the 4.6-octave and 5.5-octave marimbas!

The 4.3-Octave Marimba

The 4.3-octave, along with the 5-octave, is the most common marimba that you will see today. Even though Abe and most other professional marimbists only play 5-octaves, the 4.3-octave is still very popular in K-12 schools and among younger percussionists. Every high school band program needs a 4.3-octave marimba and it is the most common marimba in high school marching bands.

The size is perfect because the frame is smaller and can fit much more easily on your band truck or trailer. It is also much lighter and easier for your students to move around.

The repertoire written for this instrument includes a lot of beginner level works that are perfect for new percussionists. This is because when the marimba was newer and the standard was the 4.3-octave, the level of playing wasn’t as difficult as the repertoire that is played today.

The 4.5- and 4.6-Octave Marimbas

The 4.5-octave marimba only adds four more notes from the 4.3-octave, but this instrument feels much bigger with more range for composition. The 4.5-octave bridges the gap between the 4.3- and the 5-octave marimba. It is popular in higher level high schools and in the marching arts. The majority of modern marching ensembles use 4.5- or 4.6-octave (low E2) marimbas because of the extended range, but they are still more maneuverable than a 5-octave.

The repertoire written for this instrument is not as extensive as that of the 4.3 or 5, but you can play everything that is playable on a 4.3-octave as well as a handful of other solo and ensemble pieces. Additionally, the 4.6-octave marimba was created to be able to play classical guitar literature. The standard tuned 6-string classical guitar has E as the lowest note, which is the same low E on the 4.6-octave marimba.

The 5- and 5.5-Octave Marimbas

This instrument is considered the professional standard. Almost all modern marimba compositions are written for this instrument and nearly every piece that has been written for the marimba can be played on the 5-octave. It offers the widest range of notes as well as the warmest tone quality in the bass register.

Although this instrument isn’t seen much in many high schools, it is a must-have for college and professional level playing. The 5-octave marimba is played by every professional and aspiring marimbist.

A 5.5-octave marimba also exists, which extends up to G7, but there are very few scenarios that would require this instrument. The reason it was developed was to play European classical literature on the marimba.

Bar Type

The price of marimbas can vary widely — there are 4.3-octave instruments that range in cost from $3,000 to $10,000. The material that the bars are made of is usually the determining factor when it comes to price. Rosewood is the standard for professional marimbas, but it is an endangered type of wood. Because rosewood is so expensive, companies have been developing synthetic alternatives that most closely resemble rosewood’s sound. These alternatives, which include Acoustalon™, are much better for outdoor use and do not suffer the same wear and tear that rosewood bars do.

For K-12 schools and marching bands, you will likely only need marimbas with Acoustalon™ or synthetic bars. For college level and above, you will want a rosewood instrument.

Rosewood feels much different to play because of the way it gives when you strike the bars compared to its synthetic counterpart. In the last decade, a great alternative to rosewood called padauk wood has become popular. While this wood doesn’t quite sound as full as rosewood, it is a great substitute for schools and musicians who can’t afford a rosewood instrument but still want a marimba that has the same feel as that of professional rosewood marimbas.

Exceptions

Most high school marching bands do not require rosewood bars because they will crack and need to be replaced often. Acoustalon or synthetic bars will last significantly longer because they don’t crack from normal playing.

However, there are some high schools that have a 5-octave rosewood marimba for their concert percussion ensemble and concert band. Most drum corps also use rosewood bars because these instruments sound better, and these groups can afford to replace their bars regularly.

Things to Consider

Always cover your marimba when it’s not in use. This prevents dust from getting into the resonators as well as accidental damage to the instrument from passersby.

Routine cleaning is also essential. Use a slightly damp towel to wipe down the bars and frame to remove dust and dirt. Higher end instruments tend to be more delicate and require more care and maintenance. Rosewood instruments should always be stored indoors because the bars and resonators fluctuate with temperature. Also, be careful which mallets you use on rosewood marimbas. Mallets that are too hard might crack the low-end bars.

For instruments with synthetic bars, storage temperature is not as essential to the upkeep of sound quality which is why these instruments are perfect for high schools, marching bands and most other situations where the instruments will be played in many different venues.

Mother and daughter sitting shoulder to shoulder.

Movies for Mom

Written by Tara Mahadevan on May 10, 2023. Posted in TV & Movies.

Mother’s Day is that special time to celebrate and honor our mothers. Children and families take the day to show gratitude for mothers by giving them presents, making their favorite meal and spending quality time with them. And what better way to spend the day than to have a movie marathon with mom? Here’s a list of some feel-good movies that are perfect to watch on Mother’s Day, whether you’re looking for a rom-com, comedy, drama or action-packed flick.

Thelma & Louise

Starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, Thelma & Louise is a must-see. The film follows two friends who, in an attempt to escape the mundaneness of life, go on a road trip. Their weekend getaway goes sideways when Thelma is almost assaulted and Louise kills the attacker in self-defense. Afraid that no one will believe their innocence, the two women go on the lam and flee to Mexico, with the police hot on their trail. They have several adventures along the way, meet various characters, and ponder the societal expectations of women. Find out where to stream it here.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

This may be the perfect romantic comedy to watch on Mother’s Day. The film centers on Toula (Nia Vardalos), a Greek-American woman who falls in love with Ian (John Corbett), who isn’t Greek. Her family has always been hell-bent that she marry someone of their culture, and Toula is conflicted between being independent and remaining loyal to her kin. Will her family come to accept Ian regardless? Find out where to stream it here.

Little Women

This 2019 release starring Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen and Saoirse Ronan was actually the seventh film adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel. It’s both a period piece and a coming of age film that follows four sisters in the post-Civil War era, focusing on their everyday lives as they experience joys and heartache, and go after their dreams. One is an aspiring writer; another, an artist. A third sister hopes to marry and have a family, while the fourth one deals with illness. Ultimately, the sisters support one another and sustain their family bond. Find out where to stream it here.

Akeelah and the Bee

This is a moving tale of self-discovery and the power of community. Set in South Los Angeles, it tells the story of a precocious 11-year-old who has a flair for spelling but is hesitant to participate in spelling bees because she feels competing comes with too much pressure. Still, she is urged to enter the National Spelling Bee — something she’s been dreaming of winning, though in order to do so, she must move past personal and cultural barriers. Find out where to stream it here.

Mrs. Doubtfire

This heartwarming comedy is all about family and love. Robin Williams has the lead role here, playing Daniel Hillard, a struggling actor who is divorcing his wife, Miranda. Frustrated, he concocts a way to spend more time with his children by becoming their British housekeeper, Mrs. Doubtfire. Miranda hires him and he soon wins his children’s affection, though it’s difficult to keep up the pretense. Find out where to stream it here.

The Blind Side

The Blind Side is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless Black teenager who is welcomed into the home of a wealthy family, the Tuohys. It portrays the dynamic between Michael and Leigh Anne Tuohy as they advocate for and guide the teen as he pursues his goal of becoming an NFL player. To get there, he has to conquer his past traumas and a lack of education, while maneuvering through the difficulties of high school and college football. Starring Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, the film dives into tougher subjects like family, race, privilege and love. Find out where to stream it here.

Mamma Mia!

This musical romantic comedy stars Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård. It’s light-hearted fare, centered around a young woman named Sophie, who is about to get married on a Greek island. She never knew her father, but after finding her mother’s old diary and coming across the names of three men, she invites them to her wedding. When they show up, Sophie’s mother is forced to resolve situations from her past that she hasn’t really dealt with, all to the rollicking soundtrack from ABBA, which features songs such as “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia” and “Super Trouper.” Find out where to stream it here.

Freaky Friday

The 2003 remake of Freaky Friday is almost as iconic as the original 1976 film. It follows Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis), a widowed psychiatrist who is butting heads with her teen daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan). After an argument in a Chinese restaurant, they somehow end up switching bodies and having to live as each other for a day. Tess sees firsthand what it’s like to be a teenager once again, while Anna has to navigate her mother’s professional and personal life … and in the process, they both learn to appreciate one another. Find out where to stream it here.

The Joy Luck Club

Based on the book by Amy Tan, this engrossing film skillfully weaves themes of cultural conflict and mother-daughter relationships. It tells the story of four Chinese-American women and their Chinese-born mothers, who describe their experiences assimilating while trying to maintain their culture. The women come together to form a “joy luck” club, where they learn and teach one another valuable lessons about family, providing the viewer with a relevant perspective from a different culture. Find out where to stream it here.

Serial Mom

This dark comedy satirizes American suburbia and is an entertaining slant on the pathological killer genre. The “serial mom” in the title is Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner), a housewife who hides her homicidal personality. Her inclinations for violence are set off by small annoyances like people not recycling or those who wear white after Labor Day. She ends up going off the rails and commits a handful of grisly murders while her family and neighbors are none the wiser. Not exactly a laugh-fest, but mom will certainly get a few chuckles from this offbeat film! Find out where to stream it here.

The Woodwind Family, Explained

Written by Mike Levine on May 5, 2023. Posted in Woodwinds. 2 Comments on The Woodwind Family, Explained

The most common woodwind instruments are flute, piccolo, recorder, clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon. Each of these instruments has several variations based on size and range. What makes each unique, and what makes woodwinds different from other types of musical instruments?

Here’s a guide to the woodwind family, including a description of how each instrument is constructed and played. First, though, let’s answer the question …

What Defines a Wind Instrument?

Woodwinds are, as their name implies, wind instruments. The player blows air into a mouthpiece or sound hole, which creates a column of air inside the instrument that causes its body to vibrate and make a sound. Wind instruments are also characterized by being monophonic; that is, they can only create one note at a time.

The same, of course, can be said of brass instruments, so what makes woodwinds different? Some of it is semantics. Back in the 17th century, early orchestral versions of what today are classified as woodwinds were made of wood. At that time, trumpets and trombones made of brass already existed, so the contrast was notable.

Many woodwinds, such as recorders, piccolos, clarinets, oboes and bassoons, are still made of wood, but others, such as flutes and saxophones (whose contemporary versions were developed over the last two hundred years or so), are not.

Another factor that separates woodwinds from brass instruments is the mechanism for changing pitches. Unlike the valves used in trumpets and tubas or the slides in trombones, woodwinds utilize holes on their body (called tone holes) that the player covers in various combinations to create different notes.

On recorders and some flute instruments (such as a wooden flute), the musician uses their fingers to close the holes. On most other woodwinds, changing pitch is accomplished by pressing keys that open and close the holes. Some instruments, such as tenor and bass recorders, combine keys and finger holes.

Two Types of Woodwinds and Two Kinds of Reed Instruments

From a sound production standpoint, there are two primary types of woodwind instruments: flute and reed. Flute instruments, which include flutes, piccolos and recorders, are cylindrical and require the player to blow either across or directly into a hole in the instrument. Within the category of reed instruments, you’ll find two variations: single-reed and double-reed.

Single-reed instruments such as saxophones and clarinets have a mouthpiece with a reed — a thin strip of material usually made from the stem of a cane plant — attached to it. The air entering the mouthpiece from the musician’s mouth makes the reed vibrate, which in turn vibrates the air column in the instrument, causing a sound to be produced.

A saxophone, a clarinet and three reeds. — *Yamaha saxophone and clarinet reeds.*

Double-reed instruments such as oboes or bassoons work similarly, but their mouthpieces contain two flat reeds aligned face to face and attached to a metal pipe that fits into the instrument.

Flute and Piccolo

Modern flutes are typically made of silver or gold, though some are silver with platinum plating. The various materials have different resonant properties with distinctive tonal qualities. Gold flutes are less bright and thus “warmer”-sounding than silver ones. Platinum-plated flutes are known for their crisp highs and clear tone.

A flute is considered a transverse-style instrument because the player holds it to the side and blows air across the sound hole, not directly into it, as with a recorder. The most common type is the concert flute, which features a three-octave range, with middle C usually its lowest note. Its distinctive breathy tone makes it an excellent melody instrument in orchestral settings. It is also sometimes used as a lead instrument in jazz ensembles.

Yamaha YFL-482H flute.

The alto flute is a variant pitched a fourth lower than a concert flute. Another less common variation is the bass flute, which sounds two octaves lower than a concert version.

Alto and bass flutes require larger bodies to achieve their lower ranges (the bigger the space inside the instrument, the lower the notes it can produce). So as not to make the flute so long that it’s impossible to reach all the keys, these instruments feature J-shaped head joints (the part of the flute where the mouth hole is). Bass flutes are sometimes played with the player sitting and the flute in a vertical orientation.

Gold vertical flute with curved end. — *Yamaha YFL-B441II bass flute.*

The piccolo is similar to the flute in design, although it is generally made of wood, not metal, and is about half the size. Its range is an octave higher than the concert flute and is the highest in the woodwind family.

Black and silver small flute. — *Yamaha PC-87R piccolo.*

Recorder

The recorder is a flute-type instrument that’s blown from the end. Its simple design makes it easy to learn and inexpensive, which makes it an ideal first instrument for students. The flip side of that simplicity is a lack of tonal expressivity.

Brown and white flute-like instrument. — *Yamaha YRS-312B recorder.*

The recorder’s history is unique. It was invented in the 16th century, became quite influential in baroque music in the 17th and 18th centuries, fell out of favor in the late 18th century and had a resurgence in the middle of the 19th century that continues today.

Contemporary recorders are made of wood or synthetic resin and come in six different sizes, with different ranges but consistent fingering. From lowest to highest, these include Great Bass, Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano and Sopranino. The most common is the Soprano.

Recorders feature either Baroque (“English Style”) fingering or German Style fingering. The former is more versatile and can produce all the notes within its range. The latter is easier to play in its home key, but not all the notes in other keys can be played in tune.

Black and silver horn with belled end. — *Yamaha YCL-255 clarinet.*

Clarinet

Clarinets are single-reed, wood-bodied instruments that produce distinctive tones ranging from mellow to nasal to strident. Their four-octave range is the widest of all woodwinds.

Cylindrical in shape, with a small, flared bell at one end, clarinets come in several varieties, but the most common is the B♭ soprano. Other variations include the A clarinet, pitched just a semitone lower than the B♭ clarinet, and the E♭ clarinet, which is a fourth higher.

Two others — the alto and the bass clarinet — are lower pitched and thus require larger bells to increase their size. The alto clarinet is pitched an octave below the E♭ model, and the bass clarinet is an octave below the B♭ clarinet.

The clarinet is mainly an orchestral instrument but also serves as a solo instrument in jazz and other musical genres such as klezmer. Because it has significant similarities in fingering and mouth technique (embouchure) to the saxophone, many sax players also play clarinet.

Saxophone

Gold curved horn. — *Yamaha YBS-480 baritone saxophone.*

Invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s, the saxophone is made of brass but is considered a woodwind instrument because its mouthpiece uses a single-reed design to vibrate its body. Each of the four main saxophone types — soprano, alto, tenor and baritone — have a two-and-a-half octave range.

The highly expressive tone of the saxophone has been compared by many to similarities to the human voice. A skilled player can play slow and languid or extremely fast, bend notes, and create growling and fluttering effects. As a result, saxes excel as melody or lead instruments.

Saxes are also commonly used as section instruments. In an orchestra, they’re part of the woodwind section. In jazz, rock, R&B and pop, they typically play in sections (along with trumpets and trombones) that are capable of creating large-sounding chords or unison stabs that can be legato or staccato.

Oboe

Black and silver horn. — *Yamaha YOB-841 oboe.*

The oboe is a double-reed instrument with a conical bore and a small bell at the end. Originating in 17th-century France, the contemporary oboe is mainly used in classical and other orchestral music.

Considered one of the harder woodwinds to learn, oboes have a range of about two-and-a-half octaves, and their tone varies considerably depending on whether they’re played in their lower or upper registers. Low notes are warm and smooth, whereas high notes can be bright and cut through the rest of the orchestra. Oboes are often used for melodic passages. Many well-known classical composers, including Bach, Mozart, Handel, Schumann and Vivaldi, wrote pieces featuring oboes.

The standard oboe is pitched to C major. Two variants, the oboe d’amore and the oboe cor anglaise, have lower ranges. The former is pitched to A and the latter to F. In orchestras, oboes traditionally play an A note before the music starts; this serves as the reference that other instruments tune to. Here’s a posting that explains the reasons why.

Bassoon

Tall horn with silver mouthpiece. — *Yamaha YFG-812 bassoon.*

The bassoon is a double-reed woodwind made of a long, conical wooden pipe that doubles over on itself and has a small bell at the end. Its unique timbre is warm and dark, especially in its lower ranges, and it offers a great deal of expressivity.

With a range of about three-and-a-half octaves, from B♭ to E, the bassoon is mainly used as a section instrument (orchestras typically have up to four bassoonists), playing harmonies underneath other woodwinds. Sometimes bassoons play solo parts.

Its unique mouthpiece, called a bocal, is a curved metal tube with a double reed at one end. Most bassoonists have several bocals of slightly different lengths, which they use interchangeably to reach different pitch ranges.

At close to four and a half feet in length, a bassoon is big and somewhat unwieldy. It’s easier to play sitting down, but some bassoonists play standing up for better instrument projection and audience visibility.

A variant is the contrabassoon, which is even bigger than a standard bassoon and has a range an octave below, going down to B♭, allowing it to play the lowest notes in the orchestra.

Learn more about Yamaha flutes, piccolos, recorders, clarinets, saxophones, oboes and bassoons.

A promotion for a new Yamaha Custom French horn.

6 Websites that Help Me Arrange

Written by Tyler Swick on April 28, 2023. Posted in Teaching Tips.

In the post-pandemic classroom, relatability wins students over faster than the best classroom management techniques. I am constantly on the hunt for the next popular boomwhacker song for my YouTube channel, and I’m sure you feel the same way about your next lesson or performance. Students will occasionally ask for current pop songs to be played in the classroom, and the websites I’m going to share with you in this article help me figure out new songs as fast as possible, sometimes even during class.

1. Tunebat

Tunebat boasts many musical tools, but my favorite is the Key and BPM Database, which has 70 million songs. This site has not let me down yet when I need to know an exact tempo or key. In my experience, Tunebat’s tempos have been the most accurate, but I am still looking for a website that provides tempos to the tenths place. Did you know the tempo to Shakira’s “Try Everything” is 115.5 beats per minute?

Tunebat also rates songs by Camelot, popularity, energy, danceability, acousticness, instrumentalness, liveness, speechiness, loudness and happiness — their words, not mine. If you’re looking for a song to arrange, Tunebat lets you search by these categories, providing the newest and most relevant options. Conveniently, a link to Spotify is right next to each song so that you can listen while you search.

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2. Chordify

My favorite tool at the moment is Chordify because of its ability to identify the key, tempo and chords of any YouTube video. The website saves the data from videos that have already been “chordified,” so the process is quick for popular videos. New videos take less than a minute to analyze. The chords can be displayed using guitar, ukulele and piano charts or plain text.

The paid pro version allows the user to change the key of the chords, though not the audio, which can be done in other software. Seeing the chords in another key is helpful for relating the song to students who are familiar with only a few keys, such as G, F and C. Lastly, Chordify works with YouTube’s variable playback speed so you can learn a song at 25%, 50% and 75% speeds.

3. Muted

Transposing for a choir on an electric keyboard can be as simple as pressing an up or down arrow, but what if you’re playing a guitar or ukulele? Muted.io has a plethora of tools but my go-to is their chord transposer. Unlike the other websites, you can hand-type in the chords that you want to use or transpose. This is great for when you already know the chords of a song or are writing your own. After you’ve typed in the progression that you want to transpose, click up or down on the half-step arrows to see your progress in all 12 keys.

4. e-chords

If you use Google to search for chords to a song, the top results are most likely guitar tabs. That’s great if you can fluently read them, but what if you want the same condensed format with chords and lyrics? Check out e-chords, which provides the cleanest chord and lyrics sheets that I’ve been able to find on the internet. If you’re accustomed to playing songs off chord sheets, e-chords will unlock thousands of songs for you to print and play in class. Unlike other websites, the chords are placed on the exact words that the chords will sound on.

Premium membership unlocks the ability to key change, download and print gig-ready sheets of lyrics and chords. When I am transcribing a song for my YouTube channel and come across an error, I check my work against e-chords because of their clarity.

5. GetSongKey

Though other websites will tell you what key a song is in, GetSongKey will let you search massive lists of songs in the same key. This was most likely designed for DJs to create mashups, but it is wildly useful when you’re looking for songs in C major for the Orff xylophone or boomwhackers. The website allows you to search 24 keys and ranks them by popularity. Inside that list, you can search for a genre. Spotify Preview is provided for a short listening experience of each song.

6. EveryNoise

In which genre should we paint our new arrangement? If you have the luxury of choice, head over to EveryNoise to explore the 6,000 different genres it has on display. Visually, the website is extremely minimal, but its power is in the exploration of audio. Before typing in an artist, you can scroll down through a seemingly endless collection of examples of niche genres. “Belgian dance” sits close to “Brazilian house” which is next to “Hungarian EDM.” Every single genre is linked to a musical example that plays without any loading time. The physical distance from genre to genre suggests relatability or just the opposite.

It will take a long time but once you have exhausted yourself with exploring, type a familiar band name in the top-right search bar. EveryNoise will list the genres that the artist falls in and allows you to click over to a new page that shows dozens of similar bands and their proximal similarity. You’ll definitely find inspiration in this library of music.

Explore and Enjoy

I hope you can see that each website in this article has a very powerful element that can be combined with other websites to provide all the possible information about a track. From selecting the track to finding out its every detail, just about anything can happen after you know which song you want to arrange.

If you’re a teacher who loves to arrange on the fly, keep these website tabs open on your work computer. My students get a kick out of picking a brand-new song and watching me figure it out on the piano while Chordify plays on the projector.

Arranging for elementary music has me trapped in the C major and A minor worlds but with these tools, I am able to find plenty of current songs in every genre that will fit on my instruments without transposition. If I need to transpose, we have that covered, too. Do you have a website that makes your musical life easier? Please share it with me on my Instagram @SwicksClassroom or email educators@yamaha.com.

Learn Keyboard to Become a Better Bass Player

Written by E.E. Bradman on April 27, 2023. Posted in Bass.

As bass players, our most important role is to bridge harmony and rhythm. If you take that role seriously, it’s only a matter of time before you become interested in music theory. And there’s no better way to understand music theory than sitting at a keyboard.

FROM THEORY TO REALITY

Many bass players think of music theory as a set of abstract concepts that have little to do with our everyday life. Our relationship to harmony may consist of simply playing the lowest note of a chord or practicing arpeggios. But the truth is that learning bass lines and coming up with your own parts is so much easier when you have an even basic understanding of how music works. Although double-stops, three-note chords and two-handed tapping can greatly expand the expressive possibilities of your instrument, the ergonomics and limited range of the bass fretboard make it tough to approach anything close to the chordal universe of the keyboard, where each note is laid out clearly.

The history of Western music theory was written and developed on keyboard instruments like organ, harpsichord and piano, so if you’re truly interested in understanding the big-picture context of a song and having more options for support and improvisation, being able to visualize it on a keyboard is invaluable.

Another advantage of taking keyboard lessons is learning to read music, which will introduce you to treble clef (melodies and chords played with the right hand) and bass clef (bass parts played with the left hand). Understanding how the two clefs interact will spark interesting ideas and help you clearly hear how music moves. The wide dynamic range of most keyboards puts the role of the bass in context, too; once you’ve played chords and bass lines simultaneously, you may find that “just” playing bass, usually one note at a time, feels much easier.

First page of a song's sheet music. — *Treble clef (top) and bass clef (bottom).*

A great bassist once advised his students to learn the melody for every song they played; another bass icon considers a song’s melody the starting point for any solo idea. Both of these legendary players spent lots of time on piano, and their understanding of harmony and melody made it possible for them to consistently come up with unusual and beautiful ideas on bass. Even if you never intend to become a serious pianist, having a basic grasp of the keyboard can do wonders for your ability to solo, interact with song structures and write unique bass parts.

GET MORE GIGS

Besides helping you grasp the building blocks of music, learning a keyboard instrument leads quite naturally to keyboard bass. Plugging your bass guitar into a synth pedal can be fun, but playing a real synth, with its many tonal options and longer sustain, can be a thrilling, ear-opening experience. The layout of the keyboard inspires a different approach to bass-line construction; becoming familiar with current synth-bass flavors and classic key bass by masters like Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock and Greg Phillinganes, as well as foundational approaches by geniuses like Bach, will help you connect the dots and hear things differently. And if you’re interested in stepping out beyond the bass chair, combining keyboard skills with the ensemble-support chops you’ve honed as a bass player can open the door to arranging, composing, producing and being a music director.

In my personal experience, learning basic harmony has made me familiar with commonly used chord progressions and given me tools to support them in both clichéd and unusual ways. I started out as a drummer, so I’ve spent lots of time developing my relationship to rhythm, but my kindergarten-level keyboard skills have helped me learn songs faster and appreciate singers, melodies and keyboardists in a new way while introducing me to ear-training and composing. I’ve been surprised at how satisfying it is to play keys, even at a very rudimentary level. I feel a deep sense of accomplishment when I can play a new chord progression, however haltingly, and it is amazing to finally hear and feel complex concepts like voice-leading, chromaticism, reharmonization and tritone substitution. Now I understand why most music schools require every student to take a couple semesters of piano.

Fortunately, getting started is easy. Yamaha makes a full range of top-shelf keyboards for pros, as well as inexpensive portable keyboards like the PSR-E473, that make it easy and fun to jump in and begin learning right away.

So the next time you begin nodding off during yet another boring discussion of music theory, or feel stuck in the same old bass patterns, consider taking keyboard lessons. It’s great for your brain, increases your ability to multitask in musical situations, helps with muscle memory, and does wonders for your hand-eye coordination. What are you waiting for?

Check out E.E.’s other postings.

1. At Least You Did Something

2. Made for All Ages

3. Engaging Rehearsals

4. Inspire

5. Make Them Want to Play for You

How You Can Get Better at Conducting

MAKE SURE YOUR BASS IS READY TO GO

GATHER THE NECESSARY HARDWARE

USING EQ, COMPRESSION AND EFFECTS

PLAN AHEAD

RECORDING FOR OTHERS

OVERCOMING RED-LIGHT JITTERS

Always Address Tone

Insist on Intonation

Start Sightreading Every Day

Maintenance Matters

Facing Fears

Sustained Success

HP-1 ORTHODYNAMIC® HEADPHONES

EPH-20, EPH-30 AND EPH-50 WIRED EARBUDS

PRO SERIES

WIRELESS EARBUDS AND HEADPHONES

YH-5000SE AUDIOPHILE-GRADE HEADPHONES

1. Recognize the Syndrome for What it Is

2. Reality Check Your Experience

3. Team Up on High-Stakes Projects

4. Develop a Character

5. Pep Talks

6. Take the Plunge

7. Honesty is the Best Policy

8. Seek Feedback from Trusted Colleagues or Mentors

9. Engage Parents and Students as Partners

10. Celebrate Your Achievements No Matter How Small

11. Document Your Successes

12. Set Realistic Expectations and Goals

13. Establish a Support Network

14. Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

15. Share Your Experience

You Can Do It!

Understanding Student and Community Needs

Build Trust with Students

Connect with Parents

Collaborate with Colleagues, Administrators and Community Partners

Strong Rapport Leads to Success

References

Meticulous Preparation is Required

Attend to the Minutiae

Transportation Rules

D-Day Strategies

Stress + Stress = More Stress

Percussion Specifics

Bringing it Home

Other Believe-it-Not Tips for Success

1. The First Flute Was Probably Made by Neanderthals

2. Flutes Were Made of Surprising Materials

3. It has Versatile Historical Uses

4. The Instrument Can Create a Near-Perfect Sine Wave

5. They’re Woven into Mythology

References

Mariachi by Accident

A Family of Musicians

Brothers in Mariachi

1. Fresh Fingers

2. Logical Progression

3. The Inquisitive Mind

4. Setting Sail

5. The Jam Factor

Virtual Learning

The Video

The Guitars

The Wrap-Up

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.

1. All of a Sudden – The Chemical Brothers

2. 1999 – Prince

3. Paranoimia – The Art of Noise

4. It’s Tricky – RUN-D.M.C

5. Cruel Summer – Bananarama

6. High and Dry – Radiohead

7. Prime Time – The Tubes

8. Become – Beach House

HP-1 ORTHODYNAMIC^® HEADPHONES