My Band Ideas
I hope one day I will be able to teach at the high school level because I have a lot of ideas for my band. I like the idea of having students vote on a piece for every concert cycle. I will give them three or four to choose from and they will vote on one online with a brief reason why. Which ever one has the majority vote will be performed. I like this idea so that students pick a song they enjoy and what they want to learn. It will keep them captivated and I can pick songs that will teach them something. For example, I could want them to learn how to play in 6/8 effectively so I will pick three 6/8 songs that they can choose from. Like I said in my previous post, I like the idea of student conductors. They could lead the band in warm-ups or through a chorale or even rehearse a piece. I would hold an audition for the piece in the spring semester and it wouldn't be limited to a student that is majoring in music. I don't like it when opportunities are limited to a certain group of people so I'm not going to enforce that. For example, at some schools there is a rule that all freshmen must be in freshman band or the lowest band their first year. I say if a freshman is showing the potential and skills to be a star, then move them up to the higher band or the top one. This happened to me, I was a freshman in the top ensemble and it shaped my outlook on band. I was around passionate and talented people that made me want to practice my flute every day. Through their guidance I grew to love band, and here I am today. Studying music at the place where band started (and never stops). And one more idea. I like the idea of having "Fun Fridays" that band for one day a week or every other week is a fun and different experience. Like they will get to choose where they sit in band. This is helpful as a conductor because it will show the students how to listen to people in their section and hear their parts but also let them hear different instrument's parts that they may not have heard in their other seat. Or maybe watch a video clip on another band performing the same song. This is also helpful because they can hear an example of how the song can sound. A lot of students learn by ear and this would be amazing for them. And in band, I've noticed that when we take the time to listen to the piece in rehearsal we play a lot better.
