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The Complexity of Singing
Gabriela Hristova | October 15, 2023Teaching and making music with a choir is a complex process. I would compare it with the playing of an instrument, except that the instrument in our case is a group of people with various personalities and emotional sensitivities, different life experiences, and individual understanding of music as an art. We then add factors such […] Read More... -
The Real Rudiments A Springboard to the World of Percussion
MSG Jeff Prosperie | October 15, 2023Imagine if you will, in a field hundreds of years ago, a drum major trying to teach a young drummer boy basic drumming patterns for the purpose of military signaling and to regulate the duty day. Now, imagine a music instructor in modern times teaching the same patterns for the purpose of musical expression. These […] Read More... -
The Sin of Ignoring the Role of Silence
Richard Floyd | October 15, 2023What is the big deal about silence? Our hands go up, our hands come down, and the music starts. Then one of our goals, among many, is to make sure no one plays in a rest, and we all achieve unified silence at the end of the final measure. As the music unfolds, we navigate […] Read More... -
Making a Difference with Tri-M (Modern Music Masters) Music Honor Society
Mike Lawson | October 15, 2023The Tri-M Music Honor Society is a program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), focusing on creating future leaders in music education and music advocacy. Tri-M is the only music honor society for student musicians in grades 6 to 12 in the United States and around the world; its international footprint affords music students a global […] Read More... -
We Be Jammin’ – 9 Tips to Advance Your Modern Band
Shemeka Nash | October 15, 2023How do you move your modern band forward once they have mastered the basics? Below are a few ideas to help guide your group to its advanced level. Sing the form! When introducing a new tune, teach students to sing the root of each chord by using the same syllable or a chord number. When […] Read More... -
Tuneful Teaching from the Start
Mike Lawson | October 15, 2023We can all agree it is essential to learn to play a single note, fingered correctly with focus and clarity. Clearly that is a part of the journey for young musicians. But I have concluded that few students join a school music program for that single purpose. They gravitate to music because they want to […] Read More... -
Dynamic Review
Shane Bradford | October 15, 2023While helping new groups gain confidence and gel, take the opportunity to explore the world of dynamics and emotional expression through their music. An easy example is to play the “band anthem”… Hot Cross Buns. Once a good sound has been established, begin to explore dynamics and emotions by having the band play the song […] Read More... -
Tone Deaf Comics
ToneDeafComics.com | October 15, 2023 Read More... -
The 77th Annual Midwest Clinic
Thomas Palmatier | October 15, 2023From the basics of teaching strings to refining your pedagogical string knowledge, this four-hour immersive session will provide non-string specialists with the information, tools, and resources needed to teach any string player. This informational and practical session will focus on the foundational principles of string playing and teaching. Instrument position, tone production, articulation, bowings, and […] Read More... -
Let Go
Dr. Matthew Arau | October 15, 2023Autumn is here and with that, the leaves on the trees change colors from green to oranges, reds, and yellows, and as the wind whistles through the trees, the leaves let go of the branches and fall gracefully to the ground. For the trees to re-bloom, the trees must shed what they don’t need in […] Read More... -
My Story – Senior Airman Guy James
Senior Airman Guy James | October 15, 2023I don’t come from a musical family, but I believe fate will have its way no matter what we’re born into. My earliest memories of connecting with music go back to my childhood climbing up on a relative’s piano bench and being mesmerized by the sound when I touched the piano keys. It wasn’t until I […] Read More... -
Robert W. Smith – October 24, 1958 September 21, 2023
Thomas Palmatier | October 15, 2023Here are just a few of the countless tributes to Robert W. Smith, one of my dearest friends. We will all miss him terribly. Col. (Ret.) Thomas H. Palmatier SBO+ Editor-in-Chief Robert W. Smith; an innately gifted musician, a master teacher, a brilliant administrator, an intuitive-successful businessman, a loving husband and father, and – above […] Read More...
