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Staccato and Spiccato: Two Essential Bow Strokes
Lesley Schultz | May 11, 2023There are many bow strokes you will want in your ensemble’s arsenal, but two of the most common that literature includes are staccato and spiccato. Although the words sound and look very similar, they are two very different strokes. Here are some tips and tricks to help your students determine which stroke is needed, and […] Read More... -
Maximize Your Recruitment
Lesley Schultz | April 2, 2023Spring is in the air, and with spring for most programs comes recruitment for the newest musicians in your program. Recruitment is vitally important because without solid recruitment our programs would cease to exist fairly quickly and make us prone to being cut. Here are a few tips to refresh your recruitment and hopefully gain […] Read More... -
Encouraging Private Lessons
Lesley Schultz | March 13, 2023As music educators we have all benefited from private instruction, and we know what a difference it can make in our ensembles and for student growth. Here are some ways you can encourage more of your students to take private lessons in your ensembles. First, make it convenient. Work with your school district to allow […] Read More... -
Three Easy String Pieces You’ll Love
Lesley Schultz | February 19, 2023SBO+: Lesley Schulz usually writes a regular column about orchestra and string teaching for us. Here, she shares some of her go-to easier pieces for orchestra. First up is Dragonhunter by Richard Meyer and published by Alfred. This piece features notes of the D Major scale but has a minor modality to it. It has […] Read More... -
It’s All About Relationships
Lesley Schultz | December 15, 2022SBO+: Normally, Lesley writes for SBO+ about orchestra and string teaching, but this month she shares important thoughts about relationship building. This ties in nicely with Rick Ghinelli’s article in our September 2022 issue, “Be a Superhero to Your Administrators.” Every single one of the 50 educators honored in this month’s issue has relationships with […] Read More... -
Programming a Joint Performance
Lesley Schultz | November 13, 2022Maybe there is a big anniversary of your school coming up, or an annual arts festival and you want to try something different. Either way, administration and/or the community want to see a collaborative work between the band, orchestra, and choir. This can be a great way to highlight all three programs strengths and provide […] Read More... -
Starting a Full Orchestra Program
Lesley Schultz | October 13, 2022Starting a full orchestra program may seem like a daunting task, but it can be done with cooperation. A full orchestra can enrich the education experience for both band students and your own string students. It forces everyone to listen differently and enriches their experiences in all ensembles. Many states have all-state full orchestra groups, […] Read More... -
Prepping Your Beginners for Solid Bow Technique
Lesley Schultz | September 5, 2022The first question out of many beginner’s mouths when starting to play a string instrument is “When can we play with the bow?” A lot of this depends on the method book you choose, but there are exercises you can do with your beginners no matter the method to set them up for success. I […] Read More... -
Breaking the Ice – First Day of School Activities for Your Orchestras
Lesley Schultz | August 2, 2022Ah, the first day of school. Whether we like it or not, inevitably the start of school comes around sooner than maybe many of us would like. The first day of school is full of anticipation and dread for many, students included. What can you do on the first day or (days) of school to […] Read More... -
Engaging Warm Ups Focus Your Students in the First Minutes of Class
Lesley Schultz | July 8, 2022Orchestras by their very nature, have a different warmup flow than a band or a choir. Having sat in bands as a player, I know tuning in most cases occurs after a short warmup. This lends itself to an easy “bellwork” transition that administrators love to see. All the students being engaged in an activity […] Read More... -
Recognizing Burnout, Strategies to Rest and Recover This Summer
Lesley Schultz | June 15, 2022One of the many talking points in education currently is how, even though it is summer, and we aren’t in the building, our work never truly stops. This is true for a lot of music colleagues, especially our band colleagues, but many of us run some sort of summer festival, or summer camp, or just […] Read More... -
Get Your Students Involved with Instrument Care
Lesley Schultz | May 2, 2022I f your spring season is anything like most, then you are finally sitting down to read this article after your spring slate of concerts, wondering if there is a way to double up your time and have the students help you with assessing summer cleaning and repair needs. All students should know what to […] Read More...
