At the time, our Fall Bands were divided into three classes. There was the Marching Band, a class of 10th-12th graders who did not march, and a class of 9th grade non-marchers.
It was early in the semester and I was working with the 9th grade band’s clarinet section. It is important to note that these students had never heard me play. Clarinet is my major instrument…and way back in a previous century, I was pretty decent.
Anyway, we were working on a scale, but I used this opportunity to also teach correct fingerings, hand position, range, speed and breath control.
We played the scale several times and got the first octave sounding pretty good. They were feeling pretty good.
“Okay, now let’s add a second octave.”
There were looks and stares, but they stayed with me. Some of them acted like I was teaching them some notes they had never played before.
“You’re in high school now — and you need to be able to do this.”
We played the upper octave slowly, but then gradually increased the speed. The next step…
“Good. Now I want you to play up and down BOTH octaves in ONE breath.”
Not bad.
“This time, we’re going to go up and down both octaves TWO TIMES in one breath.”
STUDENT: “Mr. Gardner, to do that, we’re going to have to go faster.”
“EXACTLY. We’re going to go faster — and you’re also going to need to take a deeper breath and control your air. Remember…..TWO times…..ONE breath. Ready?”
I was gradually increasing the tempo and they were surprising themselves with the fact that they were getting it.
When I said we were going to go THREE TIMES in one breath, one of the freshmen stopped me.
STUDENT: “Mr. Gardner, clarinets can’t go that fast.”
That was my cue. I got out my Buffet R13 and zipped up and down those two octaves several times. I really don’t remember the number, but it was much higher than the “impossible” three where they thought we were.
I finished.
Big eyeballs. And silence….until one of them asked shyly,
STUDENT: “How did you do that?”
I started out by saying that,
“Mine is a professional model clarinet…..and it has a special SPEED BUTTON.”
To my dismay, that explanation immediately and completely satisfied them.
THEY BOUGHT IT.
Of course, you can go fast if your clarinet has a special speed button on it. I was almost speechless. I thought I was telling a joke.
No, I didn’t leave it there. I couldn’t. I talked with them about technique (how close my fingers stayed to the keys) and some practice technique, including what we had been doing with, 1) get it right, then 2) get it faster and 3) keep increasing speed.
More on practice technique in another post. And maybe I’ll share the story about the clarinet student who told me the section we were working on was “too hard”.
The Children’s Choir of Huntington County in their first Christmas Concert in 1993 at Huntington University and under the founding director, Dr. Rediger
In 1993 the Children’s Choirs of Huntington County were formed. Originally there were two choirs for younger and older children. Dr. Joann Rediger was the founding director and is on stage with the group in this picture at their first Christmas Concert in 1993. As high school and adult choirs have been added, the group name was changed to Community Choirs of Huntington County and currently includes the Children’s Choir, Copper Sound and Joyful Songsters. Follow them on their website at https://childrenschoirofhuntingtoncounty.org/.
They make some top end clarinets with this alternate Eb key. I thought this sounded good…..but $250 for one key??? Ummmmm, I’ll use the Eb key I’ve been using since….ummmm well, a long time.
Joan Gardner receives the Mary Sell Volunteer Award presented at the 4/15/23 concert of the Community Choirs of Huntington County.
The Mary Sell Volunteer Award recipient for 2023 is Joan Gardner
Joan Gardner receives the Mary Sell Volunteer Award presented at the 4/15/23 concert of the Community Choirs of Huntington County.
Mary Sell is a retired music teacher from the Huntington County Community School Corporation. She volunteered a lot of time for the Community Choirs of Huntington County and an award was created in her name. Joan Gardner received the award at the Spring 2023 concert.
Joan has been a choir parent, an accompanist, a volunteer and a board member for the CCHC. Her two sons, John and David, were in the Children’s Choirs during the very first season they were started – with Dr. Joann Rediger as the director. She was eventually asked to accompany one of the choirs for several years and is currently one of the CCHC Board Members.
I can handle civil disagreement, especially when it is something I said. If you think I’m wrong, tell me. That’s what friends do. If you think I went too far, tell me. I can (and did – just a couple days ago) apologize and edit or delete something I said that caused unintended ill will. We can still be friends.
There are people I like, respect, admire (even love) … who have different views than I do in religion, politics, socially, even gender and sexual preference areas. I can still be your friend. Can you still be mine?
You can even be sarcastic in disagreeing with me, but know that I am a sarcasm master and not afraid to use it.
But there are some extremes that cross lines I cannot accept. If you want to be my friend, be careful with labels and name-calling, especially toward ME on MY page. And be careful liking (or even loving) hurtful, attacking name-calling comments.
I seldom look at my FB Friend List in years, but it has become necessary — so I’ve done some Spring Cleaning. Along the way I found:
* Deleted accounts still on my list.
* No communication in years (decades even).
* People I can’t remember at all. Probably my fault.
* Multiple accounts. One friend had 5 and I was friends with two of him.
* One of my brothers has two accounts…..double-friended.
* Hatefully anti-Christian…(I can handle friendly disagreement) and am friends with non-Christians…. I won’t attack you personally and I cannot allow you to attack my most core beliefs.
* Hatefully Political. NO politician (or political party) is as perfect as Jesus, evil as Hitler, right OR wrong 100% of the time.
Don’t worry. If you see this post, you’re still good in my book. And if you don’t see it (perhaps someone tells you), don’t ASSUME because FB doesn’t automatically show everything to everybody — even your friends.
When it is time to renew your domain name, you might want to research options to get a better price.
I’ve experienced enough that I can see a pattern.
One of my clients, huntingtonbaptist.org, had a domain renewal coming due at and the price was going to be over $37. I contacted my current hosting provider and their price for every year, was under $17. So, I contacted the domain registrar and started the process to transfer the domain, which required gaining access to the client’s account. And THAT required updating some information and THAT required sending in utility bills, a photo id and more…. Okay, access gained. I started the process to unlock the domain and request an authorization code.
THEN….I get an offer to renew the domain for 1 year for $10. DONE!
Having learned that, when I got notice from that one of MY domains (virtualmusicoffice.com), that cost me $38.xx last year was up for renewal, I started the process to transfer. Suddenly my price drops to under $16.
“Burn me once…..”
So I continued the process to unlock, get auth code and start transfer process to my $17/yr host. DONE!
While I was in the transfer mood, I went to the registrar for qdpcorp.com and went ahead and transferred it to my current host.
Conclusion / Recommendations:
Service providers involved included: Tucows, Network Solutions, Hostcentric, Register, and iPage.
The initial price is only for those who auto renew. The LOWER price is for those who might leave.
If you have a domain up for renewal, instead of automatically renewing, call to START the process to transfer it to get the super-duper 1-year-only discount price. [Then be sure to do that again next year].If you don’t know how to do that, proceed to step #2.
We were returning home late at night from a long drive return from an out-of-state visit. In a tired way, I reach down in the dark to open the door. It took us a while to get a flashlight and determine what had happened. I love bandsters. They do fun things without damaging anything.
Teens can be quite the challenge sometimes, but I thoroughly enjoy engaging their youthful enthusiasm as they shape their futures by making decisions and learning from the decisions they make.
Sometimes they make poor decisions and need instruction, correction or discipline, but using band as punishment is excessive and harmful. Using band as punishment is like using water boarding for failing to cut the grass. Help teens thrive, don’t treat them like terrorists.
Thriving Teens – 3 types
1. Good Teens BECAUSE of their parents
For one group, I give much credit to good parenting. Good parenting doesn’t guarantee good teens, but it certainly increases the odds. These are the parents who are active and involved in their teen’s life. They’re on the PTO, in the band/choir/athletic booster groups, they come to watch practices, performances or games, they volunteer to help and they put up the money that most worth while ventures require. Some, are more behind the scenes supporting, enabling and encouraging. Outside of school activities, the family is together a lot. Maybe there isn’t a lot of money for fancy vacations, but they find ways to do things together anyway. Single parents and those who have remarried can also do fantastic jobs. My heart goes out to those super parents who are experiencing what author James Dobson calls “the strong-willed child”. Keep the faith and keep doing what you’re doing. The teen will figure it out eventually.
2. Good Teens IN SPITE of their parents
A second group, and one that I especially admire, are those teens who turn out great “in spite of” their parents. These are the teens who“ have every reason (mostly by example) to crash and burn, and yet, they determine NOT to follow the paths of their parents and instead, commit themselves to a better life.
I’m not faulting single, lower-income, laid off or otherwise challenged parents doing the best they can, but rather those who don’t share or support the child’s enthusiasm for a worthy activity.
Your child knows, is hurt, embarrassed and deflated by your lack of support.
A high school clarinet student once tell me,
“my dad has never heard me play.”
You will only have that child in your care for a short time.
I was outside our band entrance door greeting students arriving for rehearsal. The car stopped and both student and parent got out. The girl ran to me, in tears, frantically exclaiming, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” before running into the building. Behind her came the papa with the band schedule in hand. There was no warm, fuzzy response to my “Hi, how ya doin’?” Instead, he almost slapped me in the face with the schedule as he grunted, “How much of this schedule is mandatory?” After my response, “All of it.”, he mumbled something I wouldn’t print even if I heard it clearly. The daughter was waiting for me in the office, still crying, and apologizing for what she was sure I had endured. My respect and admiration for her attitude and work ethic skyrocketed after that.
A sophomore asked me for some personal clarinet coaching. Things were going great until she came in one day tearfully explaining she had to quit. She had gotten a job to pay for her lessons, because her parents would not, and when they learned how she was spending her earnings, they started charging her rent.
Another student came in from the parking lot to ask for some help with a flat tire. He called his mother while the other director and I taught him how to change a tire. To get to the spare, he had to unhook the huge woofer in the trunk. The mother and boyfriend arrived and, instead of thanking us for staying or trying to help, boyfriend starts screaming at the teen, “How dare you let somebody else touch my car. This isn’t over, kid.”
3. Good Teens Naturally
Some teens naturally have what it takes for greatness. Natural greatness combined with good parenting is definitely a winning combination.
Struggling teens and families
I understand some of the hardships. The 5 children in MY family were successfully raised by a determined, suddenly single, polio-surviving mother who was a stay-at-home mom 12 years before landing the single-parenting role. Some of her start-up challenges, in addition to parenting alone, included finding a job, day care and a car. I’m not sure where my life would have gone if mom had used band as punishment for some of the teen mischief and turmoil I instigated.
Single parents are extra busy working, exhausted from working one or more jobs. When I encouraged a student to encourage her mother to chaperone so she wouldn’t have to buy gas to the competitions, the girl replied,
“My mother can’t come. She is working three jobs.”
Living arrangements, transportation, schedules, finances and family politics aren’t easy. Juggling bedrooms in two houses, or spending summers with the non-custodial parent adds to teen stress. There is only one car and the parent has it at work. Older children must babysit younger siblings, making after school activities difficult. Some become pawns for their competing and vindictive parents. They mature quickly coping with blended families, step-siblings, step-parents (and entire new families) and parents’ new loves. Many handle it better than I did.
In “functional” families, when one parent avoids the student’s activities, even when a genuine work conflict, teens perceive that their activity doesn’t rate with the absent parent.
I had a student several years ago who’s father NEVER came to anything. Even at her high school graduation, the father walked into the gym at about the time his daughter’s name was to be called, shot a 2-minute video, and left the arena. I don’t meet some parents until I visit the graduating senior’s open house party.
Using Band as Punishment
Good parenting sometimes requires a consequence for bad behavior, but using band as punishment is not a good choice.
A common tactic in disciplining teens is withholding something valued; driving privilege, cell phone, Internet, freedom (grounding). I can’t tell you how many times I hear variations of
“I get my phone back in 5 days”….
In that spirit of taking away something valuable, however, some parents include band. A few examples from recent years:
….student must come home after school, even though there is a scheduled rehearsal. Part of the punishment is the grade cut and the confrontation with the director.
Parent: “We want to pull him out of band. We’ve just been having lots of problems with him lately.” Dir: “Are any of those problems related to band?” Parent: “No, but we’ve already grounded him and taken away his cell phone. He likes band, so we want to pull him out so he’ll get the point.”
Parent: “Here is a copy of our contract with our child. We’ll let him stay in band if he adheres to this agreement.” Dir: “According to this, you want to pull him out of band if he misses a single homework assignment or gets a C on any quiz or test? If that is your absolute standard, then you might as well change the schedule now, because very few teens can guarantee you that they will NEVER have a bad day on a quiz or test and I don’t want to have to fill that hole later.”
Parent: “This just isn’t working. She needs to come straight home after school every day.” Dir: “On days were we have after school rehearsal, can she not come straight home immediately following rehearsal? What did she do?” Parent: “Her room is a mess.”
Problems of Using Band as Punishment
It affects the grade. Some short-sighted parents see an advantage in this. As a teacher, I don’t. Grades matter when it comes time to apply for college admission, scholarships and jobs.
It hurts the band. Band is a team activity. Grounding someone from a rehearsal, performance, or pulling them out of the program mid-season hurts everybody.
For some people, band is the best thing that could happen for them. They gain acceptance as a valued member of a group made up of a wide variety of people. They make friends, some lasting a lifetime. They learn things that will help them in the corporate (or whatever) world; chain of command, respect, discipline, work ethic, commitment, and more. Some, who will never be the highest academically or the strongest athletically can find and use their leadership skills in band. Or they discover the value of being an active, valued participant in a large team effort. One student, when receiving his show shirt almost teared up as he said to me,
“I’ve never been a part of a group before.”
A graduating senior told me how grateful she was for band “because of what it kept me away from”.
Everyone knows that only a small percentage of those in band will actually make a vocation from music. But having been in band can be something treasured for a lifetime. When visiting some of my former students in a band reunion in southern Indiana, a former flute student, who is now a doctor, credited band for helping her get thru the 10 or so years of schooling it took for her to become a physician. A bi-vocational pastor said band got him away from his drinking/drug buddies and helped him turn his life around.
Why then, other than the fact that they can have some satisfaction that they truly “hurt” that mis-behaving teenager, would a parent want to take a child out of an activity that has so much to offer?
Take using band as punishment off the table. Stick with grounding or withholding privileges if you must, but don’t use band or athletics as a bargaining chip. No on wins in that scenario, including the parent.
Thanks for reading my vent. Am I wrong? Need help?
Senior year in high school, I played a technical solo for contest and was using that same piece to audition for a college scholarship.
Phillip Miller, Clarinet Professor and Orchestra Director at the University of Kentucky during my time there.
The clarinet professor traveled 70 miles to hear me play at my high school. After nailing the piece that got me a standing ovation in the solo contest room, I was ready for heaps of praise. Instead, I finished and watched a guy in agony before finally commenting,
You know….NASA can teach monkeys how to wiggle their fingers.
So you can play the notes? Good for you. There is no festival rating system I am aware of that will award the top rating (Superior, Gold, I) to someone who plays ONLY the notes.
Think of driving a car.
Playing the notes is like staying on the road. Staying on the road is a good strategy and you won’t get far if you are unsuccessful, but if the only thing you’re watching are the edges of the road, you might miss the other signs along the way; stop, yield, speed limit, deer crossing, If you drive like that, you’re going to get a ticket (at best) or have an accident (at worst).
When playing an instrument, you must be able to multi-task.
I was able to reinforce this common analogy I use when my car was struck recently by a high school student not multi-tasking, i.e. watching out for other vehicles and yielding appropriately in the school parking lot…while texting.
While playing all the notes, the good performer also watches for dynamics, articulation, rhythmic accuracy, and stylistic instructions.
Musicians must multi-task as he/she plays the notes. How do you play those notes; slurred, articulated, what kind of articulation, at what dynamic, in what rhythm, and in what style? Let’s address some of the major common errors.
Dynamics.The two more common mistakes related to dynamics are; 1) no dynamic contrast (everything is the at the same volume level) or 2) not enough dynamic contrast (softs softer and/or louds louder).
For most people, if you are playing without thinking about dynamic level, you are at a mezzo forte (mf). You have to work at playing both softer and louder. That is one way to find a starting point, but there are others.
Look at the piece you’re playing and find both the softest and loudest dynamic marks. Those are your most extreme….emphasize those and gauge the rest accordingly.
If a phrase of music is repeated, unless markings specifically indicate otherwise, make a distinction between the two. Historically, one technique often used was that of the echo; a phrase played at a louder volume and then immediately repeated at a softer level, similar to the effect of using multiple keyboards on the pipe organ to repeat a phrase at different dynamic levels. If you play a repeated phrase with no distinction, you risk a judge making a comment like,
I already heard that.
You speak at different dynamic levels; the cell phone call answer in the restaurant should not be the same as your second attempt at getting a parent’s attention. Dynamics is an important judging category. Get it right.
Articulation. Two main concerns; following the markings on the music …. And the method or technique used.
Few things are more obvious to a trained musician than to hear the errors of sloppy articulation; slurring everything, tonguing everything or a random combination of the two.
Music performance can include articulation interpretations, but if you are changing what is marked on the paper, you need to mark your changes on the judge’s copy. Make sure the judge knows that what you played was what you intended.
If you have an extended 16th note run that is marked staccato, you struggle with that, and you don’t want to reduce the tempo, then you might want to slur two, tongue two in a grouping of 4 sixteenth notes, for example. Mark the judge’s copy. He/she could still ding you a little for your articulation interpretation, but less than if you made the change without marking the original.
The other main weakness in articulation is the technique, i.e. HOW you articulate. Have you ever heard someone with a speech impediment? The challenge in fixing those is that most of what is happening is going on inside the mouth. Speech therapists are trained to do that. Do you need a specialist?
For a reed player, are you touching the reed, the roof of the mouth, or are you making some sort of ‘k’ or other throat sound to stop the air? Not all articulations are created equal. If you make the judge spend time trying to figure out what is going on inside your mouth (articulation technique), you are hindering your success.
Rhythmic Accuracy. (Accuracy of Note Values, Rest Values, Duration, Pulse, Steadiness, Correctness of Meter). Note values covers a lot. When a quarter note is followed by a rest, do you go all the way to the rest? When you have a dotted eighth-sixteenth pattern, do you sub-divide to ensure the dotted 8th gets 3/4 of the beat….and not 2/3? A common rest mistake is similar; not giving it enough value or rushing to the next note, which gets into Pulse. If it were possible to hook up a heart monitor to the way you play, you don’t want the screen to look spastic, or as if you are having a heart attack. You should have a clear, easy to read (hear) ‘beat’.
Is your tempo Steady, i.e., you don’t slow down during the faster parts and increase tempo in the easy sections?
Your heart rate increases when you run, but your tempo should not change when you play runs.
Practice with a metronome. If it feels like the metronome is pushing you, you’re dragging. If it seems like it is slowing you down, you’re rushing. If possible for 8th note meters (5/8, 6/8, etc), set the metronome so the 8th note gets the click. Obviously that becomes more difficult the faster the tempo.
Stylistic Instructions. Once you get past the basics of notes, dynamics and articulation, there are the finer stylistic instructions. Terms like “dolce” and “furioso” mis-interpreted or ignored could result in a total misrepresentation of what the composer intended. You wouldn’t play a “march” at a funeral or a “love song” at a basketball game. The composer uses terms and markings to tell you how to play what you play. It is important that you see, understand and observe them.
I can handle civil disagreement, especially when it is something I said. If you think I’m wrong, tell me. That’s what friends do. If you think I went too far, tell me. I can (and did – just a couple days ago) apologize and edit or delete something I said that caused unintended ill will. We can still be friends.
