NationStates Jolt Archive

OK, the competition season for the high school marching band I work with has ended, and it's time to get ready for rehearsals for the 2008 season, which will begin in December.

Since I think the kids are ready for it now (they've come a long way since the end of last season), I'm pulling out all the stops and I'm going to turn them into the epitome of anal-retentive behavior. As part of this, I'm putting together a brass warmup book of exercises that they will be expected to practice on to improve their technical competence. I'm loosely basing it on the warmup book I used when I was in drum corps, but adapting it for the purposes of a high school marching band.

I'm going to include lip slurs over six harmonic series, some articulation exercises, chord series, a bit of arsis-thesis work, tongue/slur exercises, flowing range and stamina exercises, and some melodic lines.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

see if some army bases are willing to have you visit so they can learn some drill :p

*is massive drill pig*

OK, the competition season for the high school marching band I work with has ended, and it's time to get ready for rehearsals for the 2008 season, which will begin in December.

Since I think the kids are ready for it now (they've come a long way since the end of last season), I'm pulling out all the stops and I'm going to turn them into the epitome of anal-retentive behavior. As part of this, I'm putting together a brass warmup book of exercises that they will be expected to practice on to improve their technical competence. I'm loosely basing it on the warmup book I used when I was in drum corps, but adapting it for the purposes of a high school marching band.

I'm going to include lip slurs over six harmonic series, some articulation exercises, chord series, a bit of arsis-thesis work, tongue/slur exercises, flowing range and stamina exercises, and some melodic lines.

Anyone have any other suggestions?
Less of a technical skill more of an overall suggestion I suppose... breathing pracice in general and a focus in stamina. So often among the more complected learning I have found an under emphasis of what good solid sound can do for your performance and even help clean up tone quite a bit.

Anyways good to see a fellow corps member helping with the brass in high school (so often around here we see members working with winter lines rather than also helping with brass or woodwinds)

Less of a technical skill more of an overall suggestion I suppose... breathing pracice in general and a focus in stamina. So often among the more complected learning I have found an under emphasis of what good solid sound can do for your performance and even help clean up tone quite a bit.

Anyways good to see a fellow corps member helping with the brass in high school (so often around here we see members working with winter lines rather than also helping with brass or woodwinds)

Yeah, I've made breathing and mouthpiece work a part of our warmup routine ever since I started here. Both those help immensely with tone production. It's rather difficult to write out breathing exercises, and mouthpiece work can be done on existing warmup exercises.

As for stamina, long tones are a good idea, but I'm not sure it's necessary to write them down. In ensemble rehearsal, it's simple enough to just announce a note and duration, and in individual practice sessions the kids can do the same for themselves.

I'm probably going to have them start doing taping assignments, too.

They've been a rather undisciplined bunch in the past, but we were able to step it up a little bit, and they've fared well enough this year that I think they see the benefits and they're finally ready to handle being ultra-hardcore.

I'm so excited!

I'm so excited!

and I just can't hide it!

Yeah, I've made breathing and mouthpiece work a part of our warmup routine ever since I started here. Both those help immensely with tone production. It's rather difficult to write out breathing exercises, and mouthpiece work can be done on existing warmup exercises.

As for stamina, long tones are a good idea, but I'm not sure it's necessary to write them down. In ensemble rehearsal, it's simple enough to just announce a note and duration, and in individual practice sessions the kids can do the same for themselves.

I'm probably going to have them start doing taping assignments, too.

They've been a rather undisciplined bunch in the past, but we were able to step it up a little bit, and they've fared well enough this year that I think they see the benefits and they're finally ready to handle being ultra-hardcore.

I'm so excited!
I would take a word of caution

Now I came from a voluntary marching band before corps so maybe it is a bit different than schools that require marching band but even so I loved being pushed hard but make sure you do not go over board

That line between hard ass and dick is a fine one I have seen plenty of good people have their bands really shut down on them at the high school level because of not finding that line

(not saying you will just a word of caution)

and I just can't hide it!

And I know, I know, I know...actually I don't know the rest...

Quit pussy footing around and get The Charlie Parker Omnibook, they can get through that they can get through just about anything...

I would take a word of caution

Now I came from a voluntary marching band before corps so maybe it is a bit different than schools that require marching band but even so I loved being pushed hard but make sure you do not go over board

That line between hard ass and dick is a fine one I have seen plenty of good people have their bands really shut down on them at the high school level because of not finding that line

(not saying you will just a word of caution)

Oh, certainly...one of the first things I figured out when I started teaching here several years ago was that this is not drum corps. All instructors, I think, have to figure this out on their own.

You develop a feel for just how far the kids are willing to go, and when they're ready to take it up another notch or ten. They're ready.

That sounds like a good range of exercises, I can't think of anything major you've missed out, though I'm just a woodwind player, not brass :)

Eww...woodwind.

BOO!

Anyway, I wrote out 15 lip slur exercises last night. I'm so friggin' excited!

Tongue and slur exercises done.

Suggestions on taping assignments?

Oh, certainly...one of the first things I figured out when I started teaching here several years ago was that this is not drum corps. All instructors, I think, have to figure this out on their own.

You develop a feel for just how far the kids are willing to go, and when they're ready to take it up another notch or ten. They're ready.

Well then good luck, being pushed hard was rewarding for me, it made me take pride in what I was doing ...