Where do the effective educators come from? When we think of effective music educators do we confine it to intuitive conductors whose work on a podium with ensembles gives inspiring performances? Is it a classroom of students engaged in “musicking”?  Is it a studio teacher or small ensemble “coach” who is able to extract high levels of musicianship from individuals? Is it simply an educator in music who brings their students to a higher degree of appreciation for this art, and allows them opportunities to make a connection with music on a personal level?  While the first three bring about wonderful opportunities for students, my hope is that our profession begins to recognize the fourth educator as the prototype for effective teachers.  It goes beyond, as the author shares, just technical competence (i.e. planning, creating lessons, solving problems, selecting appropriate music).  Personal technique is also part of the equation.   It is our duty to create a positive environment that develops a sense of synergy, a social atmosphere that supports developing the core of our student’s character alongside the musician waiting to be, and a musical experience that is guided by educators who practice and model their craft passionately to the benefit of their students.

Effective Music Educators are musical role models: Reviewing research by Abeles (2004) presented in the text, music educators should take the responsibility of being a musical role model to their students very seriously.  Taking into account the community and the context of where the learning is taking place, the music educator may be the only professional musical role model students will interact with in their educational careers.

Effective Music Educators reach all their students in meaningful ways: In consideration of educating all students equally, there has been significant research that would indicate racial and ethnic minority students are not encouraged to participate in primarily white schools.  Differences in cultural expectations, including musical values, are cited as a reason for lack of participation.  As every culture has music and uses it for specific purposes, it is incumbent upon music educators to recognize and understand ethnic groups that are represented within the community in which they teach.  By identifying those groups and researching the value placed and how music is traditionally practiced within that culture, they can seek to provide meaningful and authentic musical experiences that will make a connection for that student within the curriculum and extend beyond the classroom or rehearsal room walls.  Research by Ballantine (2001) indicates isolation, a feeling that no one cares, and low expectations as being primary reasons students drop out of school.  Teachers can help students in school by setting high expectations, connecting with students inside and outside of class, and learning to recognize early warning signs of potential dropouts.  Research by Shields (2001) demonstrated that the presence of at-risk students caused non-musical problems to dominate the tone group rehearsals and class sessions.  This is a concern for teachers when potential at-risk students are enrolled in their classroom.  Although there was a downside to the enrollment of these students, the musical and non-musical skills growth provided a sense of intrinsic reward for the teacher, and the teacher as a mentor to students was a positive experience.  This is a reminder of the socializing power of the ensemble in that it does more for the individual student than the student contributes to the ensemble.

Effective Music Educators are able to motivate their students: Bandura (1993) suggested that teachers have three goals in developing motivation in students: a) create a state of motivation, b) develop the trait of being motivated to learn so that it is present throughout their lives, and c) encourage students to be thoughtful about what they study or participate in.  Probably one of the best things teachers can do is to model life-long learning through their enrollment in graduate programs and further studies.  I have found some of my students to become very inquisitive about my studies at Kent over the past two year, and it has become easier to share interesting research and points relevant to them from our class discussions.  If groups truly take on a reflection of their leader, I have found my students to be more open to self-reflection in their musical experiences when asked to do so.  We must find ways to create musical experiences that fuel intrinsic motivation in our students.

Effective Music Educators open pathways to new music for their students: Preference is an immediate, short-term choice of specific objects or events that can change at any time.  Taste is a more long-term or permanent commitment to a broader group of objectives or events (Abeles, 1980; Radocy & Boyle, 2003).  Preference and taste can be altered – repetition and familiarity are two influential techniques to broaden student preferences.  Research has shown many different musical elements can influence student musical preference (Demorest & Schultz, 2004), as well as various student characteristics (Radocy & Boyle, 2003).  With the amount of high quality recordings available and the multitude of ways in which they can legally be shared with students (via websites), increased exposure, as suggested by the research above, should be effective with students. Additionally, by addressing National Standards 6,7, & 8, students should be able to develop skills that will allow them to think critically about music to which they are exposed, make informed analytical decisions, and evaluate music from multiple perspectives including aesthetic, authenticity, entertainment, imagination and quality.

Effective Music Educators plan for success and capture emerging teachable moments: Effective teachers focus the success of their students, and are able to change behaviors and strategies in mid-lesson or rehearsal to acclimate themselves to the classroom conditions.  The most successful music teachers are student-centered, maintain a well-organized and creative classrooms and rehearsal hall, encourage student creativity and musical independence, encourage intrinsic motivation, and carefully plan and organize each rehearsal based on constant evaluation of students’ abilities and progress (Madsen & Madsen, 1981).  Madsen showed that effective teachers demonstrate the ability to change their social behavior dramatically at precisely the right time to affect student behavior, motivation, and performance.  Research by Goolsby (1997), Kelly (1997a), and Hendel (1995) indicate effective ensemble teachers talk less in class because students are capable of understanding and responding to many basic nonverbal gestures.  At times, I think of a rehearsal like a basketball coach thinks of a game – and for that reason I place a premium on planning for known variables for which I can control.  As the rehearsal (game) unfolds, I must be aware of ebb and flow of communication (both verbal and non-verbal) along musical pathways and make good on capturing an emerging teachable moment that may fall outside my initial rehearsal plan.  “Time-outs” are occasionally burnt to prevent a moment from slipping away, and I must be aware that everyone understands their role and responsibility as members of our “team”.

Effective Music Educators persevere: Many pre-service teachers express aspirations to teach but do not necessarily understand the daily demands of the profession.  Research has shown beginning teachers are more concerned about management and discipline, motivating students, accommodating differences among students, evaluating and assessing student achievement and dealing with parents (Woolfork, 1998).  DeLorenzo (1992) reported many first year music teachers are overwhelmed with the barrage of responsibilities.  Kelly (2002a) reported the student teaching experience is frequently very different from the initial full-time in-service position.  New teachers who receive guidance from mentor teachers allows for them to cope with their new classroom reality, including class management, administrators, and other nonteaching duties (Conway, 2003).  I can remember talking with Patrick Jones at our Honors Band in December 2005.  At that time, he was not yet Dr. Jones, and I was only 4 months into my position at Mercer.  His advice to me at the time was to survive!  Much of what he shared with me over dinner in December of 1995 was borne out in the research above.  I inherited a program that lacked some focus and positive synergy.  Had it not been for my college director, my co-op (both of whom were 10 miles away), and the choir director at Mercer I am not sure what I would have done.  Now in year 15, I am able to recognize patterns of how my professional views have changed and in turn, have altered my classroom approach and allowed me to be more effective. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke University Basketball Coach) would call Madsen’s research (1989) as “Being the face your group needs to see”.

This list is by no means complete as our role in the music education of young people continues to evolve.  But we are the agents of change.  We can no longer wait for a national organization to tell us when will the time be to transform our profession and the musical lives of our students.  Our time is now.  Now is the day of the effective music educator.

Bibliography

Abeles, H. (1980). Responses to music. In D. Hodges, & D. Hodges (Ed.), Handbook of music psychology (pp. 105-140). Lawrence, KS: National Association for Music Therapy.

Abeles, H. (2004). The effect of three orchestra/school partnerships on student interest in instrumental music instruction. Journal of Research in Music Education , 53 (3), 248-263.

Ballantine, J. (2001). The sociology of education (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist (28), 117-148.

Conway, C. (2003). An examination of district-sponsored beginning music teacher mentor practices. Journal of Research in Music Education , 51 (1), 6-23.

DeLorenzo, L. (1992). The perceived problems of beginning music teachers. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education , 113, 9-26.

Demorest, S. &. (2004). Children’s preference for authentic versus arranged versions of world music recordings. Journal of Research in Music Education , 52 (4), 300-313.

Goolsby, T. (1996). Time use in instrumental rehearsals: A comparison of experienced, novice, and student teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education , 44, 286-303.

Goolsby, T. W. (1997). Verbal instruction in instrumental rehearsals: A comparison of three career levels and preservice teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education , 45 (1), 21-40.

Hendel, C. (1995). Behavioral characteristics and instructional patterns of selected music teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education , 43, 182-203.

Kelly, S. (2002). A sociological basis for music education. International Journal of Music Education , 37, 40-49.

Kelly, S. (1997a). Effects of conducting instruction on the musical performance of beginning band students. Journal of Research in Music Education , 45 (2), 295-307.

Madsen, C. &. (1981). Teaching/discipline: A positive approach for educational development (4th ed.). Raleigh, NC: Contemporary.

Radocy, R. &. (2003). Psychological foundations of musical behavior (4th ed.). Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas.

Shields, C. (2001). Music Education and Mentoring as Intervention for At-Risk Urban Adolescents:Their Self-Perceptions, Opinions, and Attitudes. Journal of Research in Music Education , 273-286.

Woolfork, A. (1998). Educational psychology (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Additionally, I recently received a recording of Pirates!, a multi-movement work that will be available from FJH in the Summer of 2009.  The recording is from the Nassau Division 4 Honor Band that Drew conducted back in January.  If you get the chance, click here to here this group of freshmen and sophomores swashbuckling away!  The students did a wonderful job under Drew’s conducting.  My thanks to Drew and the Directors who programmed this piece for their festival!

In case you missed the October cover of SB&O, Brian Covey (director of Lockport High School) graced the cover.  The article got me looking forward to his group’s performance on Thursday morning and they did not disappoint.  While seeing Eric Whitacre was nice, and getting to watch James Keane is always a pleasure, the exciting part was getting to hear the band perform Traffic Jam by Timothy Loest.  Tim is a great writer, educator and director and this was the first time he had one of his pieces debuted at Midwest.  Tim has become a good friend over the past two years, and it was really awesome seeing him get some big time recognition for his writing at the conference.

Dr. Pisano, Dr. Greig, and I attended the Phi Beta Mu meeting on Thursday morning, and had the opportunity to connect with a number of great directors from around the country.  It was nice getting to put a face with names, and compare notes with this international group of colleagues.   I enjoyed Lynn Cooper’s presentation “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Choosing Music for Your Band” on Thursday morning following that meeting.  The one quote that struck a “chord” with me was from Bennett Reimer – “Music of high quality need not be music of high complexity”.  Too often we are tempted to pick music just out of our ensembles reach, but it need not be like that.  As Cooper shared, pick music that features both your group’s strength and weaknesses.  He also posed a list of questions to consider in the selection of music that were very insightful – and if we are doing our job, we should be asking these questions anyway!  While the Teaching Music through Performance in Band Series is great, sometimes it is better if we do the work for ourselves and sometimes we find the best songs that aren’t on any lists.  The quote by Bennett Reimer (1991) made me reflect on an older article in which he offered a succinct list of four criteria for judging quality in music.  I have found considering Reimer’s criteria of craftsmanship, sensitivity, imagination, and authenticity to be valuable in not only in selecting music for my groups to study but also as I begin writing new pieces.

A clinic by Anthony Reimer on iPods and filling them with band music was a reminder of how to fix the regret I felt after the Lockport Concert.  I thought as I exited “I wish there was a way to get my students to hear these performances”.  And there may not be a feasible way to get that done, but what can be done is make sure our rehearsal rooms have adequate listening labs where our students can gain access to high quality recordings of the band music on which we are working.  We want our students to have good musical role models – why shouldn’t we want them to have “aural” role models as well?  And why can’t that role model be an ensemble?  There are a number of companies providing free downloads of concert music that students can acess – here again we should be taking a non-traditional role and lead them to the information so they can access it!

It was also very rewarding to catch up with a number of composers whose music really speaks to me on different levels – as music lover, an educator, a conductor, and a composer.  Lockport also performed Song for Lyndsay by Andrew Boysen, Jr. As a writer and music lover, the sensitivity and expression in this piece was just wonderful.  I caught up with Andy on Friday – like Camphouse, I think Andy’s best pieces are yet to be written.  I spoke with Eric Whitacre very briefly on Wednesday night, and got to see him conduct Lockport on Thursday.  His star is certainly set as he continues to rethink and reshape orchestration practices.  It was a pleasure to get to know Chris Sharp and Erik Morales.  Chris is working on his doctorate from the University of Florida, so we had plenty to commiserate upon when comparing our pursuit of the terminal degree.  I knew only Erik through his jazz ensemble charts, but had a chance to check out a lot of his concert band works as well on Thursday while working the FJH Booth for a bit.  He is a very talented writer, and definitely knows his cuisine (It’s all about the pomegranates).  Always good spending time with Willie Owens – I have never witnessed anyone move that many CD’s in such a short amount of time.  Willie gets better every time I hear his stuff.  Brian Balmages had a big year at Midwest with a number of performances of his pieces.  The last time we spoke was “face to face” was the Skype concert, so it was nice being able to just sit down and visit a bit.  Check out Patrick Burns’ Toccata.  It is one of the best pieces for high school band I have heard in a long time.  Patrick was in the Daehn Publications booth, and he was working the crowd very well.   Julie Giroux might be the nicest person I know.  I spoke with her about Wagon Trail before the exhibits opened on Thursday.  What a talent she is!  I spent some time with Roland Barrett who has always been one on my favorites.  In undergrad, I conducted Symphonic Journey No.1 and from that point have become well acquainted with the entire catalog of his work.  I am eager to being his Fanfare and Jubilation with my groups second semester.  Is it ever a dull conversation with the quick-witted James Barnes? As we begin a inter-disciplinary revolving around The Trail of Tears, I am grateful for the time he took with me to discuss the significance of this piece in understanding what many history books ignore.  This work by Barnes is also a very important reminder that great music does not have to be difficult.  It is a substantial piece of remarkable depth worthy of study by students who want to become better people and individuals.  John Zdechlick signed my score for Chorale and Shaker Dance.  Timothy Mahr’s group performed on Friday (which included Boysen’s Unraveling – a monster piece at the grade 3 level).  Johan DeMeij and Jan Van der Roost were in the house, and I almost (albeit) accidently ran over Mark Camphouse.  Luckily, my dancer’s reflexes took over and we both averted disaster.  But that accident wasn’t nearly as bad as what could have been on Thursday around 11:43 a.m.   Where else can you wait in line to talk with Frank Ticheli only to have H. Robert Reynolds turn around and nearly run you over? Midwest, my friends.  Only at Midwest.

Reimer, B. (1991) Criteria for quality in music.  In R.A. Smith & A. Simpson (Eds.), Aesthetics and arts education (pp. 330-338). Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

But we are lining up a series of great posts for the November carnival.  I can almost smell the funnel cake from here…

There is plenty of room for new posts as well as bringing back some old ones that have received attention.  So far I have really enjoyed reading a number of older submissions and reflecting upon my current perspective compared to the one I had reading it the first time.  It really is amazing how this campaign has taken off, continued to evolve, and is bringing some refreshing conversation to the perspective.

If you have not submitted before, never fear as this is easier that cleaning your band office coffee pot after a two week coffee hiatus….not there was mold growing mind you, just a penicilin experiment gone awry. The process is actually very easy.  You can find the Music Education Submittal Page by clicking on the following link: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_4443.html. 

I am looking forward to hosting, so come one and all and step right up to the greatest show on earth!  And if you are able, I am really jonesing for some funnel cake…

So, I never dreamed in a million years that writing a post called “My Band Room is on Fire” would get the attention that it has.  After having the summer to review that list, it has churned a significant repertoire list that as a profession of directors should be familiar. I got to thinking about it over the summer, and while thought provoking and good debate for high school directors the conversation should not stop there.  There are plenty of colleagues (myself included) who really struggle with selecting good music for the Middle School/Jr. High Level.  There are some exemplary standards out there, but I believe there to be a wealth of undiscovered gems as well.

The rules: You have time to save 10 pieces for study.  I chose 10 so we have a little more flexibility, plus it creates a little larger rep list.  Don’t be like a near-sighted colleague from my area that said he would wait for the place to burn and get the insurance money – contribute to the conversation and help the profession make progress!.  A list of songs with arranger and/or composer will suffice.  If you want to explain any of your choices, feel free to do so but it is not necessary.  I will recap it all in about a month.  Beware, the fire is burning again!

Carpathian Sketches…..Robert Jager

Suspended Animation…..Patrick J. Burns

Friends of Freedom…..Timothy Loest

Air for Band…..Frank Erickson

Canto…..W. Francis McBeth

Kentucky 1800…..Clare Grundman

Grant County Celebration…..Mark Williams

Marching Song…..Gustav Holst/arr. Moss

Salute to the Duke….arr. Michael Sweeney

The Battle Pavane…..Susato/arr.Margolis

I have very basic expectations for student teachers:

• Be there. If you are that sick I will tell you to go home. Otherwise, we are in it for the long haul, and it is time to wear the sickness down instead of vice versa.
• Be organized/prepared. Nick and I never went into a rehearsal or lesson the past 8 weeks without a plan. I am not talking a down to the minute synopsis of how general music is going to explore the music of Janis Joplin…not that I think that is a worthwhile endeavor….but we spent time discussing what we needed to accomplish, and where we needed to focus our energies.
• Be prepared to fail. Look, everybody wants to hit it out of the park on the first at bat. But that doesn’t happen too often. If you fail, get over it. In another 4 minutes a different group of students is coming in the door that don’t care that your Janis Joplin lesson failed – they care about Holst and what you can teach them about him!
• Understand every experience for what it is, and understand what you can learn from it (the good, the bad, and the Janis…er….the ugly, as it were).
• Never teach a lesson on Janis Joplin. (Not that Nick did, I just thought that maybe someone would think it was a good idea…)
• Be professionally passionate. Why did you choose music? Why did you choose to teach music? What excites you in music? Can the students see it? You are a musical role model on many levels. Within the subject that we teach, there are inherent meanings in the music that we unlock with our students. They don’t just think different after it is revealed to them, they feel different. They need to recognize in you that you believe in your profession, and that you are passionate in creating and teaching this art.
• As Uncle Lou always told me – “Love great music.” So if you are an undergrad, and you haven’t realized MY BAND ROOM IS ON FIRE, take the challenge….(cause actually, last Tuesday, my school was on fire….no joke….).

This is by no means a complete list. But they are some of the things I look for in student teachers, and encourage them to consider as they make the transition. I was very fortunate to have worked with Nick, and I am earnestly looking forward to Krista joining our program in a few weeks. A different set of eyes, a new set of ears, and an outside voice of perspective that a student teacher can provide can be helpful. It is rewarding for me to work with them as I can share my own philosophy and really take stock of what I am doing and how the program is doing. As much as any student teacher learns from this process, I always find myself learning something from them. It is a neat symbiotic (sorry to go all Obi-wan-Episode I on you…) relationship for the student teacher, myself and the ensembles. I keep tabs on all the student teachers I have worked with in my 13 years. It is always exciting for me to catch up with them, and an honor to assist them with a project or provide advice and council.

We are educators. We teach music. We also sometimes must train future educators of music. It is our duty to provide them with an opportunity to grow, an opportunity to succeed, and a mentor and role model that is sincere and passionate about their calling to bring the power of music to enhance the students’ lives.

What a great night! (I am going to keep coming back to that word more frequently than a MLB player hears the word perjury lately).  First some absolute highlights:

• I am by no means an Alicia Keys fan.  But she (her performance) was great.  She brought out John Mayer, and for retaining that Billy Joel-esque looks he certainly gets around well on the guitar.  I made it a point to download “No One” – although it will never make it to my ipod (that is reserved for the likes of Ticheli, Boysen, Camphouse, Reed, Gillingham, Balmages, Erickson, McBeth, Hilliard, Loest, and some guy named Holst).
• I am so an official Foo Fighters fan.  I did two of their songs with my marching band this past fall.  After hearing them on Sunday night, it was confirmed – they were great!  Dave Grohl and the crew have it going on in all the right ways.
• The Gospel Music nominees performed highlighted by Aretha Franklin.  In an era where many of the big names in the early years of Rock are passing away (rest in peace James Brown, Wilson Pickett) it was nice to see Aretha again (though in a different style).  Ludacris’ intro was great – “Prepare to your soul sanctified.”
• Herbie Hancock! Great! Herbie Hancock with Lang Lange playing “Rhapsody in Blue” on National TV! Great! How many of you knew that? Probably 90% of America walked to the kitchen to get more pretzels and a beer the minute the clarinet started.  I was so juiced about it!  Take notice that this was real music, by two incredible musicians! And then to have your Grammy award (which it was 40 some years since a jazz guy won it) presented to you by Quincy Jones? It’s like getting being ordained for Priesthood by the late Pope John Paul.  Yeah, it’s that big.
• Beyonce. Disturbingly not great.  Not that she ever has been….
• Joan Tower.  Who? Oh, yeah the Best Classical Contemporary Composition, Best Classical Album, and Best Orchestral Performance Grammy Winner for Made In America (Nashville Symphony Orchestra led by Slatkin) Great! Just not televised which is not great!
• Keith O. Johnson. Another who? Engineer for Garden of Dreams the Grammy nominated Best Engineered Album.  And the album – yeah, Dallas Wind Symphony (Jerry Junkin) they are pretty alright if you are in to that “they-play-great- music-with-pristine-intonation-balance-and-musical-expression” thing (And yes, I am a pretty big fan of that kind of music performance!!!).  They didn’t win, but would it be awesome to hear them get to perform some year on the show!  If the Grammy Foundation really wanted to hit one out of the park for music education why not bring them in and give them some serious exposure!
• Best Instrumental Arrangement? The Grammy went to Vince Mendoza. Another who? But many of us already know this is the stuff of Joe Zawinul (who passed away in September of 2007).
• And while we are paying homage, look no further than the tribue by the classical fan-fav Josh Groban and the understated Andrea Bocelli.  Groban is fine with me, but Bocelli is where it is at.  Sure the tribute was being done for many who had passed away, but it was so fitting as the final still photo was of Pavarotti.  One day I am sure we will pay similar homage to Bocelli, though I hope that day is far, far away.  And BTW, he was great!

It was a rewarding experience to watch.  As I reflect on the class I led my fellow Doc students on today at KSU, I cannot help but come back to this thought: Don’t stand in the way of your students learning about all kinds of music.  We must equip our students with the musical experiences and knowledge that will allow them to be educated consumers in society.  We should be the conduit that allows the spark of all kinds of music to ignite them – not the electrician who only wires certain areas of the house for certain things.  Keep evolving by figuring out what kids are listening to so that  you are never that teacher whose music time has passed by.  Certainly we should develop a definition for what is music, and criteria for evaluating music that we can lead them to make educated choices.  Whether good or bad is an entirely different subjective can of worms.  But it is our duty as Educators to provide diverse experience in our teaching beyond what society offers in culture.  I think we would all be surprised by how giving students the power to explore, evaluate, and decide on their own will lead them to a healthier relationship with music.  A healthier regard and esteem for music would definitely make society a much better place.  And I don’t think that there is NO ONE who would argue with that.

First Suite in E-flat – Holst
Greensleeves – arr. Alfred Reed
Flourish for Glorious John – Vaughan Williams
The Pines of Rome – Ottorino Respighi
I Am – Andrew Boysen Jr.
O Magnum Mysterium – Lauridsen/arr. Reynolds
The Liberty Bell – John Philip Sousa
Lincolnshire Posy – Percy Grainger
Washington Post March- John P. Sousa
Dedicatory Overture- Clifton Williams
Allegro Animato- Frank Erickson
March to the Scaffold- Hector Berlioz (arr. Leidzen)
Shenandoah- Frank Ticheli
Incidental Suite- Clarke
Sleigh Ride-Leroy Anderson
Jupiter- Holst
Concerto For Orchestra-Bartók
Syphonic Metaporphosis- Paul Hindemith
Adagio for Strings- Barber
Irish Tune from County Derry – Grainger
Dusk – Whitacre
Blue Shades – Ticheli
Chester – Schumann
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves – Horner (arr. ?)
American Overture for Band Jenkins, Joseph W.
Russian Christmas Music – Alfred Reed
American Salute – Gould, Morton
March from 1941 – John WIlliams
Of Sailors and Whales – McBeth
Amazing Grace – Ticheli,
Loch Lomond – Ticheli
America the Beautiful – Carmen Dragon
Daphnis and Chloe – Ravel
Manhattan Beach March – Sousa
Variations on a Korean Folksong – Chance
Hands Across the Sea – Sousa
March of the Belgian Paratroopers – Leemans
Flourish for Wind Band – V. Williams
Overture for Winds – Charles Carter
Salvation is Created – Tschesnokov
Canterbury Chorale – Van der Roost
An American Elegy – Ticheli
Courtly Airs and Dances – Nelson
La Fiesta Mexicana – H. Owen Reed
Rushmore-Alfred Reed
Canzona-Peter Mennin
Abram’s Pursuit-David Holsinger
Pagent-Vincent Persichetti
American Patrol-FW Meachum (concert band, not jazz)
Shiny Stockings-Frank Foster (jazz band)
Switch In Time-Sammy Nestico (jazz band)
Symphony No. 1 – Lord of the Rings – de Meij
Gran Partita- Mozart
A Child’s Garden of Dreams – Maslanka
Armenian Dances – Reed

My sincere thanks and appreciation to Joe Pisano at Mustech.net who helped get this post out there and generate a significant amount of attention to it.  If you have not been keeping up with Joe – the man has been more than a little busy lately.  Get on over to the Music Educator Blogger campaign and you will have a little understanding why.  He has really opened so many doors and avenues for all of us and started a lot of people talking about music education in a productive matter.  While you are there, do some searching and buy the man a cup of coffee!!!

For the rest of you courageous directors who decided to risk your life in this little exercise, a humble thanks for joining in this conversation. If you haven’t decided to save anything yet, head back into the band room and make some choices (chances are the fire hasn’t got down burning up that alto clarinet yet, and besides we all know it will take twice as long to go burn through a bassoon). List the seven pieces you would save and contribute to a great resource list!

The music of Mark Camphouse, Andrew Boysen Jr., David Gillingham, Samuel Hazo,Quincy Hilliard, Clifton Williams, W. Francis McBeth, Gustav Holst, Howard Hanson,Alfred Reed, Claude T. Smith, Robert W. Smith, Timothy Loest, Julie Giroux…the list just goes on, and on. I am sure I even omitted a few. I write band music. The process of writing gives me the chance to stay sharp as a musician and conductor. I hope to give the performer some that nutures their musical growth and that they enjoy playing. I want to give the audience a song to remember. Most of all, I hope my music gives everyone some hope, some joy, some excitement, and a lot of respect and appreciation for music.

There will be more to come in the chapters to follow.  I could not
be at this point without the support of my wife and children, Joe,
Doc, Tad, Steve, Erich, and Gary.  Thank you for your
support and interest.

Sincerely,

Travis J. Weller