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Band Notes

May, 2007

Wow how time flies! It seems like yesterday when I was writing my first Tempo article and now I am sitting down to write my final article for this school year. In deciding what topic write about, I spoke with several colleagues about what they would like to see me address and the overwhelming response was in regard to “building a great ensemble sound” much to my surprise.

For me, sound is very much a personal issue. I am not sure I would want to hear different bands that all sound the same, yet I have heard many that I wish had a concept of what a good “sound” was. Ray Cramer has written a wonderful chapter entitled "Soundings: Developing Beautiful Tone" in volume 6 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. If you are not familiar with this series published by GIA, I highly suggest you buy them and the accompanying CD’s as I believe they are one of the best wind band resources. In Ray’s chapter, he lists 14 "Tenets on Tone Production" which he attributes to Richard Hansen. I have found them to be very helpful when teaching the concept of "sound/tone" and hope you do to! They are:

1. Pursuing perfect intonation heightens our senses and is one of the greatest powers in music making.
2. Hearing the tone in your imagination before playing the tone is the single most important factor in achieving good intonation.
3. Musicians must first experience good intonation to truly know what good intonation is.
4. The instruction “play in tone” with good air, characteristic sound, center, balance, fullness, [and], matching color means much more than the phrase “play in tune,” which implies only good pitch.
5. A common problem encountered in trying to achieve good intonation is caused by not adhering to a standard pitch (A 440). Have a wind musician (oboist, clarinetist) establish A 440 as the source pitch.
6. The tuning note is merely the tone of departure, not the end result of being in tone.
7. Pushing and pulling tuning slides, venting, and cheating should be final resorts to aid in the achievement of good intonation. Work on foundations: air, ear, embouchure, and a characteristic sound that sings.
8. Ensemble intonation involves players eliminating all beats or distortions of sound.
9. Good and poor intonation amongst a few players has infectious results for many players in a large ensemble setting.
10. Most musicians are pitch confused. Therefore, do not burden students too much about being sharp or flat; rather sensitize them to the concept of beat elimination.
11. "Tune down" is a more appropriate instruction than "tune up" since we listen and tune from the fundamental bass voice so often and since so much music is harmonically bass driven.
12. Poor intonation in the upper woodwinds is caused (more often than not) by poor intonation in the low reeds and low brass.
13. Crescendos disturb intonation in the following ways: Flute pitch is sharp, brass and reed pitch is flat, a louder pitch is perceived by the ear as lower, when low-frequency instruments crescendo, the ear perceived the pitch as going up.
14. Being in tone is not only hearing the pitch; it is also a physical feel. Individual intonation is the result of a balance between air pressure and embouchure muscle placement. Group in tone-ness results in undertones and overtones being heard and felt in the body and the instrument.

Best Wishes!

Timothy Harris
Band Representative

REMINDERS ABOUT BAY SECTION BAND FESTIVALS:

1. Are you aware of whether you are choosing to sight-read or taking a clinic from an adjudicator? Last minute changes (on the day of the festival, for example) can cause havoc with the adjudicator rotation process for both clinics and sight-reading. Make sure that you are satisfied with what you've chosen to do before going to the festival.
2. There is no restriction on which piece you may select in the sight-reading clinic, this includes schools with multiple groups entered. However, it is strongly suggested that you select from the side of the conductor's folder that represents your school (middle school or high school). For more information, read the section on Sight-reading in the Bay Section Handbook.
3. Remember that only high school bands need to sight-read to qualify for a Unanimous Superior Rating. Junior high schools, intermediate schools, middle schools, and elementary schools do not need to sight-read to receive a Unanimous Superior Rating. However, in the very humble opinion of this educator, I feel that ALL groups should sight-read for the educational experience.
4. Don't over-program for the band festival. Remember that you only have 25 minutes to set-up, perform, and get off the stage. That amounts to no more than approximately 17 minutes of music (including the breaks between pieces). Three (3) or less selections are recommended not exceeding 17 minutes.
5. Is the music you are selecting appropriate for the band festival? The Bay Section Handbook requires art music as opposed to pop music (sometimes there's a very fine line there). If you have a question, contact at least two (2) active adjudicators or your Area Representative for opinions.
6. Don't forget to bring three (3) scores for each selection. Remember, sometimes an adjudicator "hears" more when he/she is free of a score. Also, if possible, try to select contrasting selections to demonstrate your groups versatility.
7. Go up and say "Hi!" to the adjudicators before you play. They are hard working music educators just like you and I.
8. The Bay Section Handbook states that NO AUDIENCE is allowed in any sight-reading or clinic event. Hey, I didn't write it, it's in the handbook.
9. Fill out those adjudicator evaluations and festival evaluation sheets. This may be the very last thing on you mind, but if you have a definite opinion on ANY aspect of that particular festival you have just attended, you had better say it.
10. Remind your students that this is an EDUCATIONAL FESTIVAL, not a contest. There are no winners or losers here. Sometimes we lose sight of that.
11. If you think it's appropriate, let me know what you think of the band sight-reading music selected for this year's CMEA Bay Section Band Festivals. Much thought and effort goes into the sight-reading music every year. Drop me a line by mail or e-mail. Your knowledgeable feedback is always appreciated.

Links to Band Web Sites

• The American Bandmasters Association. An organization devoted to the recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of the concert band, its music, and contribution to the musical life and culture of all peoples.
• America's Shrine to Music Museum. Operated by the University of South Dakota, the Museum and Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments has some great collections of musical instruments, including a major collection of Conn band instruments, and German and Dutch insturment makers.
• The Association of Concert Bands. The purpose of ACB is to encourage and foster adult concert community, municipal, and civic bands and to promote the performance of the highest quality traditional and contemporary literature for band.
• Association of Texas Small School Bands. ATSSB is an organization dedicated to promoting the interests of small school (Class AAA and smaller) bands in the state of Texas and serving the needs of small school band students, directors, parents, and administrators.
• Austin Symphonic Band. The official band of the City of Austin, Texas.
• Bands of America. Commercial website sponsoring national band activities.
• Band U.S.A. Commercial band instrument web site has a lot of information for directors about musical instruments.
• BeginBand.com. This website is designed to assist beginning band and orchestra students in choosing an instrument and getting started in the wonderful world of instrumental music.
• California Band Directors Association. CBDA is a professional organization for school band instructors throughout California from all levels of public, private, and collegiate educational institutions. One of CBDA's primary functions is the hosting of the California All State Honor Band.
• Cavalcade of Bands. Pennsylvania interscholastic marching band society.
• Community Band and Orchestra Contact Info. This page is a list of community bands and orchestras submitted since 1995.
• Concert Band Literature. A band repertoire and recordings site maintained by students of the Instrumental Literature Course taught by Dr. Katherine Norman at the University of North Dakota.
• Contra Costa Wind Symphony. A community band under the auspices of Acalanes Adult Education, Acalanes High School District, Lafayette, CA, Dr. Duane Carroll, Director.
• Dallas Wind Symphony. The Dallas Wind Symphony, "America's Premier Windband", is the leading professional civilian wind band in the United States today.
• DCI. Drum Corps International is a non-profit youth organization servicing the world's junior drum and bugle corps and related activities.
• Marching Arts Directory. A website that provides links to band programs, drum corps, guard and percussion sites around the county.
• Marching Band Links. Comprehensive marching band and performing arts search engine.
• Marching.com. This site lists scores from high school marching band competitions, contains a calendar of parade and field contests, and links to marching band web sites.
• The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Website for the international band and orchestra conference held in Chicago every December.
• National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians. NAPBIRT is a nonprofit organization that supports the activities of quality professional band instrument repair technicians.
• NBA (National Band Association) The National Band Association is the largest band organization in the world. It was organized for the purpose of promoting the musical and educational significance of bands and is dedicated to the attainment of a high level of excellence for bands and band music.
• The Northern California Band Association. Sponsors marching competitions and other band activities in Northern California and Nevada.
• The George N. Parks Drum Major Academy. Site about the skills and training for drum majors and band leaders.
• Portnet. Web site for the Port Washington band programs includes mission statements, curriculum goals, and lesson plans.
• Resources for Wind Band Conductors. This resource is designed with the public school and collegiate wind band conductor in mind. It provides a listing of wind band compositions, articles relating to analysis of wind band compositions, publications, music publishers, wind band recordings, professional organizations, the ABA/Ostwald Band Competition, and other wind band related resources currently available on the Internet.
• John Philip Sousa. Site about the American band master and composer sponsored by the Dallas Wind Symphony.
• San Jose Wind Symphony. The virtual home of the San Jose Wind Symphony
• Sousa Archives for Band Research. The Sousa Archives for Band Research (SABRE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) contain the collections of John Philip Sousa, Herbert L. Clarke, and several UIUC band directors and alumni.
• Tournament of Bands Home Page. Tournament of Bands is a non-profit educational organization that provides performance opportunities in field band, indoor guard, majorette, percussion and dance team as well as comprehensive festivals with instrumental and choral events for secondary schools and colleges.
• U.S. Marine Band. Wesite for the President's Band includes historical and musical information about the band, educational resources, career information, and performance calendar.
• Western Band Association.Requires Shockwave Flash to view this site.
• Windplayer Online. Website for the quarterly magazine.
• World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. Website devoted to promoting symphonic bands and ensembles as serious and distinctive mediums of musical expression and culture.
• Young Band Repertoire Project. YBRP is a continuing endeavor to document, evaluate, analyze, list, record, or provide information regarding repertoire for the young band (second and third year players).

If your community or school band in the CMEA Bay Section area has a web site, let us know about it, and we will add a link like we have for the Contra Costa Wind Symphony. If you know of an interesting band website not listed here that you think would be of interest to our Bay Section membership, send an e-mail to our webmaster.

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