I am pleased to announce that two new pieces are available for preview at FJH Music. The first is a piece for middle school/junior high band entitled “Tales of A Medieval Warrior”. It is a three movement work full of brash fanfares, opportunities for small chamber groups within the ensemble, and a thundering conclusion portraying a joust! The second piece […]
An abridged version of this article appeared in the January 2014 issue of Teaching Music (a publication of NAfME). For a list of works that I have completed for this level, please click here. Within today’s middle school band programs around the country, there are many directors that must develop their student’s technical performance skills within the ensemble setting. Although […]
This week I began researching interpretation and feeling as part of my work at Kent State. At first glance, they seemed unrelated. However, the more I began reading perspectives of different composers and conductors, my conclusion is that great interpretation does not just recreate the composer’s intent but rather conveys feelings that the composer intended. The sources abounded including Mark […]
Ironically enough my readings this past week at Kent State, a Facebook discussion thread, and Valentine’s Day collided at spawned this post. Pushing students to achieve levels of tonal and rhythmic accuracy is important – it is all part of getting them to a point where they have the technical proficiency they need to execute the big fundamental structure of […]
Nope sorry. No Dr. Jones here. Even a little far yet from being Dr. Weller. But my search is beginning to intensify, and I am starting to see some light in an area of instrumental music that I am deeply concerned about. I promise there will be no fire at the high school or the middle school, but I do […]
