Commentary

Your School Band or Orchestra: A Student Appreciation

Playing in a school band or orchestra can be a satisfying and enriching experience for students. School ensembles offer many potential benefits for student musicians, some of which can last a lifetime and extend to areas outside of music. Here are 25 reasons for students to love playing in a school band or orchestra:

Jazz Up Your Concert Programs

The doors open, and as the audience begins filing in, everyone is handed a program as they enter the auditorium.

Invite a Celebrity to Participate in Your School Concert

Few things excite people as much as being in the presence of a celebrity. Indeed, on many occasions I’ve had the opportunity to witness first-hand the reactions of people in the company of luminaries and it’s pretty amusing to watch them gawk, get giddy, or otherwise go gaga.

Helping students get what they really want – and need

Dear SBO Readers,

We recently had another rental saxophone returned, and I wanted to cry. Even more than I usually do. Why? Because this little girl came to us for mouthpiece testing and we strongly recommended she begin on clarinet and switch to sax when she was a little bigger.

How Good Were the Players in Sousa’s Band?

John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) started his own band in 1892, which toured and played until his death in 1932. It was made up of over 1,169 different musicians over that 40-year span of time.

Thoughts on Leadership and Legacy

While our colleagues and peers in the industry today know our father as Bob Rogers, founder of our business, when I was five, he was just my dad, a high school band director, leading his students at competitions across the country.

A Tale of Two Gilmores

Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore (1829- 1892), the man who became known as, “The Father of the American Band,” should not be confused with William E. Gilmore (1824-1879), leader of Gilmore’s Cornet Band of Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

What Was an Audition Like with Gilmore?

One Sunday morning in February 1892, young Herbert L. Clarke (1867- 1945), upon prompting from his brother Ernest, auditioned for the famous Gilmore Band.

Commentary: Using Chorales to Teach Intonation, Articulation, and Phrasing

If you’re like me, you’re busy preparing literature with your band for contests and festivals. And, if you’re like me, your band plays chorales every day.

Commentary: Save Our Symphony

Recently, the San Antonio Symphony embarked on an emotional rollercoaster of dizzying speeds and heights.

Commentary: Re-Energize Your Band Program

A teacher who has been in the classroom for several years has probably developed many effective and comfortable routines for choosing repertoire and planning concerts, trips, and rehearsals.

Commentary: Nurture Student Composers in Your School

When it comes to writing music today, band and orchestra compositions are not the top choice for the majority of those who choose to endeavor in the art of composition.