Bandmasters Review - December 2019

Texas Bandmasters Association Bandmasters Review • December 2019 10 Mallow, a distinguished clinician at the 2017 Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, said it best when she emphasized that directors “don’t have the time NOT to” teach strong fundamentals from the very beginning; ear training and self-awareness must be a priority for all levels of musicians. In my own limited teaching experience, getting beginner band students to sing has taken very little convincing and has yielded musicians with heightened self-awareness, especially when it comes to tuning. Over the course of the school year (their first in band), I make it a point to have students periodically hum the tuning note (concert F) for intervals in between playing it. As the band’s warm up exercises become more advanced (for example, the Remington exercise), they are asked to hum more complex patterns of notes. It is important to explain to students regularly that, in order to achieve the highest level of musicianship, it is necessary to engage as many parts of the brain as possible during practice; getting them into the mindset that singing is something all musicians do. About getting his high school orchestra students to sing, Mr. Herron shared that, assuming the students studied pitch- matching and solfege in elementary music, “you’re tapping into pre-existing knowledge (and an existing comfort level)” by employing these lessons in the ensemble setting. As part of their daily warm up, Herron requires his students to sing their major scales with the proper solfege (and coordinating hand signs) in thirds. The main focus of this exercise is tuning and a clear understanding of the function of each pitch within a chord. Herron also puts great emphasis on having clear intentions when it comes to phrasing and style, saying, “students will play it how they sing it.” Klein orchestra students are required to learn the words to a work or assign a plot to pieces without lyrics. Herron believes that “words add imagery” which can make determining phrase endings or studying a new style more accessible. At the elementary level, Ms. Martin explains that she uses a significant amount of echo singing and repetition to get students started. She employs the Kodaly Concept ( http://kodaly.hu/zoltan_kodaly/kodaly_concept) which introduces the use of solfege in accessible intervals and becomes increasingly more difficult “when students are developmentally ready.” She reminds educators that the most important thing “is to make singing fun and to allow students to build confidence in their voices by using singing games and activities that encourage them to love and appreciate making music.” Sources Horn, Stacy. (2013). Singing Changes Your Brain. Time Magazine. Time, Inc. Web. 2 March, 2018. http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/16/ singing-changes-your-brain/ Code, David Loberg. (2011). Aural Skills Guide. Western Michigan University, College of Fine Arts, School of Music. Web. 2 March, 2018. https://wmich.edu/mus-theo/etg/why.html Society for Endocrinology, United Kingdom. (2015). Oxytocin. Web. 11 March, 2018. http://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/oxytocin/ Stoppler, Melissa Conrad. M.D. (2018). Endorphins: Natural Pain and Stress Fighters. MedicineNet. Web. 11 March, 2018. https://www. medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55001 Interview with Debbie Martin. K-5 Music. Canyon Creek Elementary School. Round Rock Independent School District. Austin, TX. 21 March, 2018. Interview with Creston Herron. Director of the Klein High School Orchestra. Klein Independent School District. Klein, TX. 25 March, 2018. Swain, Nicola. Bodkin-Allen, Sally. (2017). Developing singing confidence in early childhood teachers using acceptance and commitment therapy and group singing: A randomized trial. Research Studies in Music Education. Vol 39, Issue 1, pp. 109-120. Web. 24 March, 2017. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ Originally from Austin, TX, Marina McLerran is a clarinetist, music educator, and writer. After graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2014 with a degree in Music Education, she served as an assistant band director in eastern Texas, where she primarily worked with middle and high school-aged students. In the summer of 2019, McLerran relocated to Miami, FL to begin earning a Masters of Music Education from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. In addition to her work for the McLerran Journal , McLerran has had her writing published in the Kansas Music Review (Kansas Music Educators Association), the Bandmasters Review (Texas Bandmasters Association), and the Florida Music Director (Florida Music Educators Association). She is also a charter member of the East Texas Chamber Winds, a non-profit group dedicated to the performance of “harmoniemusik”, established in 2016. By founding the McLerran Journal , she hopes to create a valuable reference for her fellow educators and encourage a spirit of learning. The Importance of Singing in ALL Music Classes