Bandmasters Review - September 2019

Texas Bandmasters Association Bandmasters Review • September 2019 22 hand off the barrel. Next, start the note, take the left hand off the barrel, and then lift the fingers in the right hand. This teaches the students how to anchor into the top teeth using the right thumb. A good way to check anchoring is for the instructor to slightly pull up on the bottom rod (just above the bell) to add pressure to the top teeth and then let go after a couple of seconds. If the clarinet drops out of the student’s mouth or the sound changes, they are not anchoring enough. The next notes for the students to play would be T1, T12, & T123 and then add fingers 4, 5 & 6 in the right hand. To allow the students to focus on hand position, embouchure and tone production, do not bother with note names or music reading at this time. On saxophone, the instructor will need to help the students adjust the neck strap, neck and mouthpiece so the student’s head is level and not tilted. Check this daily until the students can do it themselves. Put all the fingers down in both hands to insert the mouthpiece into the mouth. If the neck strap is the correct length, the mouthpiece will enter the mouth as the student uses the right thumb to push the bell forward until it is on the side of the thigh just behind the knee. This also helps anchor the mouthpiece into the top teeth. The student should not have to raise or lower their head when inserting the mouthpiece. Start by playing B, A or G and if G skips to the upper octave at the beginning of the note, the student’s face is too tight, or they are anchoring too much. Have the students play down to the low D soon, because this also lets the instructor know if the student’s embouchure is too tense, if they are using too much vertical pressure with the jaw, or if they are anchoring too much. Again, do not bother with letter names or reading music at this time. The Finger Exercise worksheets are used to teach the students to play at this point, but they are not yet reading music and are just given fingerings (taught by rote). When the students do start reading music, these are the first lines the students play. It is easy for them to learn these exercises because they have already been playing them without reading music. The students are now given a letter name and placement on the staff for the notes they have already been playing. If you have any questions concerning any information in this article or the handout on the TBA website, please do not hesitate to contact Greg Countryman: info@txmaa.org . Single Reed Success ( Part 1 ) Greg Countryman retired in 2019 after being a band director in Texas for 35 years. For the last 18 years, he was Director of Bands at Fort Settlement Middle School in the Fort Bend ISD. He is a native of Decatur, Alabama, where his music career began under the direction of his father, Jerry Countryman. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Louisiana State University and a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Houston. The Fort Settlement Band has been a state finalist in the TMEA Honor Band Competition five times, chosen Best in Class at the Festival at the Falls ten times, a recipient of the National Wind Band Honors Award, awarded the 2009 Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Cup, performed at the National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis and was the 2012 Texas Bandmasters Association Exemplary Middle School Band Program. Mr. Countryman was previously Director of Bands at Quail Valley Middle School where the band was selected to perform at The Midwest Clinic in 2000 and chosen as the 2001 Texas Music Educators Association CCC Honor Band. Mr. Countryman has presented clinics at the TBA and TMEA conventions, The Midwest Clinic and for the TBA Professional Development Series. He served many years as the Middle School Band Coordinator for TMEA Region 13, is a Past President for the Texas chapter of the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmaster Fraternity and Past President of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. Mr. Countryman is currently the Executive Secretary for the Texas Music Adjudicators Association and is an active clinician and adjudicator.