Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2012
17
Clinicians: What Are They Good For?
Texas Bandmasters Association Convention
July 22, 2012
presented by
Randy Vaughn - Klein ISD (Retired)
(banfluman@comcast.net)
Merlin "Pat" Patterson - Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (Retired)
(pattam777@aol.com)
Clinicians: Why?
Improvement of an individual piece or entire contest program.
Improvement of fundamental skills.
Advice on programming and score preparation.
Advice on setting and reaching long-term and short-term goals.
Learn new techniques for solving old problems.
Assess strengths and weaknesses in the program and help formulate a plan for
improvement.
Help inexperienced teachers identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Improvement of individual and ensemble teaching skills.
A fresh set of ears.
Taking your program to the next level.
Less than satisfactory UIL ratings to consistent first divisions
Consistent UIL first divisions to honor band competitiveness
How to pick a clinician and factors that may influence that decision:
Word of mouth.
Recommendations from the other directors in the field.
Your own research.
Where you live and cost may be a factor.
Personalities and priorities that fit your own.
Do you want to use more than one clinician?
Budget. How much do you want to spend? Cost ranges from $50.00 per hour to $125.00
per hour.
Use of more than one clinician; make sure you don't get conflicting information (see
below).
Use of Clinician Services:
Varsity band only.
All competing bands.
Total program - vertical team.
Beginners.
From the authors’ presentation at the 2012 TBA Convention/Clinic. To view and print the handout from this and other
TBA Clinics, visit:
www.texasbandmasters.org. S
elect Publication Archives located under RESOURCES in the menu bar.
Then select Convention Handouts from the upper left corner.
Clinicians: What Are They Good For?
Merl in “Pat” Patterson, Randy Vaughn
Two Schools of Thought
Old School
A clinician is used one or two times in the spring to help put the finishing touches on the band's
UIL program.
New School
A clinician or even multiple clinicians are used throughout the school year, not only to aid in
contest preparation, but also to help guide the director/band on fundamentals, development of