Page 11 - 2018 June BMR

Thoughts From Larry Livingston

Larry Livingston

SYMBIOSIS tell that same group, or better the A marching band is a mobile outdoor
As a sophomore music education entire ensemble, “Every time you have version of same. When the band
major, I distinctly recall William running notes in fast tempo music you program is built on a central rubric of
D. Revelli, Director of Bands at the will tend to rush,” this is a commitment ear-based understanding, not simple
University of Michigan, telling us, to thinking in action. If the French execution, the students are led to
“Understand, if you invite me to guest horns see the dynamic marking, piano, enlightenment and, thus, power. The
conduct your high school band, I am but have thematic content, we may goal is to teach conceptually rather
going to want to hear your marching be inclined to say, “Play louder.” That than circumstantially, and to do it with
band as well.” Thus for him, the request solves the immediate problem such determination that the band does
bands, all of them taken as one, were but does not center on concept. On the not need you any more.
the grail. He was really talking about other hand, if we say, “Dynamics are TRANSCRIPTIONS
developing a symbiotic relationship entirely contextual. How loud or soft In the old days, bands played
across the spectrum of one’s work one plays is guided by the marking, orchestra transcriptions for two
as a music educator, which for him but must also take into account big reasons. First, because they were
meant band director. Any modern day picture factors: Is what I am playing wonderful music, albeit passed
thinking which separates the marching thematic or is it accompanimental? Is through the altering prism of
band, a “non-artistic” entity, from the it new material? Do I have a moving bandstrations; and second, because of
concert band, an “artistic” entity, is the line? Is my part likely to overwhelm the paucity of quality band literature.
antithesis of the Revelli paradigm. or be lost in the shuffle?” Such input Now, original music is plentiful,
The marching band can be seen replaces circumstance with a larger much of it playable by high school
simply as a servo-mechanism for notion, asks the student to become bands. But transcriptions remain a
entertainment, the vehicle by which an arbiter, not merely, an executer of valuable resource. Our students can
the community, the administration, musical decisions; sets the student grow enormously by working on and
the parents, and the coaches measure free to be a stand-alone performer, studying the music of Tchaikovsky,
the quality of your program. But in an active, cogitative participant in the Shostakovich, Wagner, et al, music
a holistic model, it carries the same band. the students are likely to hear at
standards for performance excellence, Conceptual teaching of musical concerts. For decades professional
discipline, and precision that is manifest ensembles is based on the same bands in Europe have performed
in the concert band. I ask: Why is the pedagogical strategy that the math band arrangements of orchestral
marching band not also, and primarily, teacher, the English teacher, and the masterpieces. We are not committing
a machine for teaching how music science teacher invoke every day. They a crime in doing so with our school
works, how concepts which inhere in do so because the goal is long-term bands, despite pressure to the
good music-making should apply to understanding and application of contrary from the polemic of some
every musical endeavor? principles, not moment-to-moment collegiate wind ensemble leaders. We
CONCEPTUAL TEACHING hypothesizing. If we wish to set our are providing a transcendent musical
If we are to succeed in the quest to students free to make music for the experience for our students. Of course,
instill valid, core concepts of musicing, rest of their lives, do we not owe them playing transcriptions must include
we must ponder the methodology of a set of “how music works” ideas? a broader educational objective.
how we teach. If we tell a clarinet In the end, music is played by Students should not only be made
section, “Do not rush in measure ear. A large concert band is really a aware of the original orchestra version
nine,” that is about obedience. If we chamber music ensemble on steroids. of each work, they should also be

Bandmasters Review • June 2018 9 Texas Bandmasters Association