sbo march 2010
DESCRIPTION
SBO March 2010TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 2010$5.00
Report:Best Tools for Schools
Roundtable:Summer Music Camps
Carol Agler and Dan KelleyThe Little Band that Couldof the Ohio State School for the Blind
SBO_COV1 COV1 2/25/10 10:53:55 AM
SB&O School Band and Orchestra® (ISSN 1098-3694) is published monthly by Symphony Publishing, LLC, 21 Highland Circle, Suite 1, Needham, MA 02494 (781) 453-9310, publisher of Musical Merchandise Review, Choral Director, Music Parents America and JAZZed. All titles are federally registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Symphony Publishing, LLC. Subscription Rates: one year $24; two years $40. Rates outside U.S.A. available upon request. Single issues $5 each. February Resource Guide $15. Periodical-Rate Postage Paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER/SUBSCRIBERS: Send address change to School Band and Orchestra, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publishers of this magazine do not accept responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Copyright © 2010 by Symphony Publish-ing, LLC, all rights reserved. Printed in USA.
Cover photo by Tania Schade, Schade Photography, Dublin, Ohio
4 Perspective
6 Headlines
52 New Products
54 Playing Tip
55 Classifi eds
56 Ad Index
Columns
Features
8 UPFRONT: DISNEY ART FOR MUSIC
12 REPORT: BEST TOOLS FOR SCHOOLSEducators attending the music products industry’s 2010 NAMM Show unveil their selections of the best Tools for Schools chosen from the convention’s exhibit halls.
18 COMMENTARY: WHAT IS “IT”?SBO contributor Joe Allison weighs in on the practical concerns ensembles face when programming for competitive events.
24 UPCLOSE: CAROL AGLER & DAN KELLEYCarol Agler and Dan Kelley are the co-directors of the Ohio State School for the Blind’s fi ve-year-old Marching Band. In a recent conversation with SBO, these extraordinary educators go behind the scenes of this remarkable program, detailing the events that culminated in their participation in the 2010 Rose Parade.
34 ROUNDTABLE: SUMMER CAMPS
44 PERFORMANCE: CONDUCTINGJ. Steven Moore provides 16 creative conducting tips aimed at eliciting inspired musicianship.
48 TECHNOLOGY: AUDIO CLEANINGDr. Kuzmich reviews new technology designed to enhance and restore audio fi les.
Contents March 2010
24
34
8
2 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
SBO_2 2 2/25/10 10:54:33 AM
Perspective®
March 2010Volume 13, Number 3
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4 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
Talent Knows No Barriers“L
ike everyone else in society, regardless of my legal status, I am physically handicapped. For instance, regardless of my desire I can never be a professional heavy-weight boxer, a supermodel or a famous tenor... At least not without a some serious hor-mone therapy and a drastic increase in my calorie intake!” This quote
is attributed to Dame Evelyn Glennie and her Web site: http://www.evelyn.co.uk/Evelyn_old/live/hear-ing_essay.htm. For those who don’t know Glennie, she is perhaps the most successful classical percus-sion soloist in the world, who also happens to be hearing impaired. Instead of hearing by traditional means, she is able to feel the vibrations of her in-strument as well as those of the orchestras she per-forms with, as well as having visual cues from the conductor. In my interpretation, her point is that we all have shortcomings, whether they be physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise, which make us unique and which we all need to overcome. Unfortunately, many people in positions of authority assume and/or
make determinations about individuals who have physi-cal or mental challenges about what they are capable of, and what they are not capable of. However, in the case of Ms. Glennie, most people assume that one of the principal elements necessary for performing music is excellent hear-ing. She has attained what many would have thought was impossible, by redefi ning the paradigms of what is physi-
ologically necessary to perform music. In this issue, SBO provides an interesting look at a unique band program which
took many people by surprise when they saw them marching at this year’s Tour-nament of Roses Parade. Carol Agler and Dan Kelley of the Ohio State School for the Blind did what many others would have thought to be impossible: to march down the boulevard with a group of talented, dedicated students who happen to be blind. Again, the realms of the possible for this program have been torn down, and replaced with an ensemble with a “can do” attitude. This positive attitude comes not only from the students, but from their teachers, who had the belief and open mindedness that their students were capable of this tremendous feat, based upon a variety of considerations.
Unfortunately, many students who have challenges never have the opportunity to create or accomplish the things that they are really capable of, due to stereo-types and other misperceptions of ability. If people had told the students in the Ohio School for the Blind that they were not capable of having a marching band, that sentiment might have deterred the students. If Ms. Glennie’s teachers had told her that she was incapable due to her hearing challenges, then the world would not have access to the stunning, virtuoso performances and repertoire that she has created. You’ll fi nd one of the most dramatic stories in this issue that SBOhas ever produced and we welcome your comments, so please drop us an e-mail!
Rick [email protected]
“The realms of the possible for this
program have been torn down.”
SBO_4 4 2/25/10 10:55:10 AM
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6 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
HeadLinesMidwest Clinic Accepting Applications
The Midwest Clinic: An International Band and Orchestra Con-ference is now accepting performance applications and clinic proposals for its 64th Annual Conference (December 14-18,
McCormick Place West, Chicago, Illinois). The Board of Directors welcomes performance applications from school, university, and com-munity groups: chamber and jazz ensembles, orchestras, and bands. The Midwest Clinic also seeks proposals from clinicians who can ad-vise, stimulate, and guide members of the instrumental music education community. Applications and proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. (Central) on Friday, March 12.
The performance application, online clinic proposal system, and details about the 2010 conference can be found at www.midwestclinic.org.
Arts in Education Grants Available
A small pool of funding is available at the U.S. Department of Education to support arts education in the nation’s schools. The U.S. Department of Education’s Arts in Education Mod-
el Development and Dissemination Program (AEMDD) is currently ac-cepting applications for FY10 awards. These highly competitive grants enable schools and organizations to integrate standards-based arts edu-cation into elementary and middle school curricula and improve stu-dents’ academic performance. Eligible programs must be administered in partnership with a local education agency and can be up to four years in duration, with the fi rst year used to plan an imbedded evalu-ation process.
At least fi ve previous AEMDD awards have supported school-based collaborations with orchestras, including the Annapolis Symphony Or-chestra, Houston Symphony, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The deadline for applications is March 16, 2010.
For more information, visit www.ed.gov.
National Memorial Day Parade
The National Memorial Day Pa-rade will take place in Washing-ton, D.C., on May 31, 2010.
The three-hour parade passes along-side the National Mall on Constitu-tion Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets. The parade consists of march-ing bands from many of the 50 states. Patriotic fl oats and balloons will also be a part of the procession. More than 10,000 participants take part in the parade annually.
For more information, visit www.nationalmemorialdayparade.com.
Best Buy Teams with the Grammy FoundationRetailer Best Buy and the Grammy Foundation
have joined together to launch the “Be The Next” initiative. The “Be The Next” initiative will expand on Grammy Foundation’s support of music education by leveraging Best Buy’s philanthropic @15 platform, Club Beats, and Best Buy Mobile resources. Through these programs, Best Buy will pledge up to $1 million in funds to at-risk music education programs in schools across the country.
Cash awards will be given to selected schools through the Grammy Foundation’s Grammy Signa-ture Schools program and its Enterprise Award des-ignation. Created in 1998, the Grammy Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.
To fi nd out more, visit www.grammyintheschools.com.
Up-Front Footwear RelocatesAfter being headquartered in Lebanon, Penn. for
the past 24 years, Up-Front Footwear, makers of DINKLES Marching Shoes, has moved to a new facil-ity as of January 18, 2010.
Jeff Savoca, president of Up-Front Footwear says, “My father Jerry Savoca founded Up-Front Footwear in 1986 and we’ve had a great home in Lebanon ever since. However due to issues with the railroad com-pany which operates tracks literally a few feet from our front door, when we were presented with the op-portunity to move to a great new location in Mount Joy, we jumped at the chance to relocate our opera-tions.”
Up-Front Footwear can now be reached at: PO Box 126, 33 N. Market Street, Mount Joy, Penn., 17552; Phone: (717) 492-1875 or (888) 346-5537; FAX: (717) 492-1866; Web site: www.dinkles.com; e-mail: [email protected].
Visit www.sbomagazine.com and let your voice be heard in the current online poll – results to be
published in the next issue of SBO.
Online Survey ResultsDoes your music program offer students the chance to participate in chamber groups?
yes 64% no 36%
SBO_6 6 2/25/10 10:56:21 AM
Be Majestic.Majestic timpani, mallet instruments, and concert drums are rapidly becoming the preferred instruments for today’s percussion sections and ensembles. New features that assure reliable performance and the best possible quality of sound allow performers, students and educators to focus on musicianship.
Be innovative. Be expressive. Be Majestic.
Transforming the percussive arts.
majesticpercussion.com(800) 283-4676
SBO_7 7 2/25/10 11:27:07 AM
SBOUpfront
8 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
Acclaimed bassist and composer Stanley Clarke recently joined with the Grammy Founda-
tion and Disney Youth Programs to offi cially debut fi ve hand-painted upright basses com-
memorating the 25th Anniversary of Disney Magic Music Days. John Stoner, president and
CEO of Conn-Selmer – a leading manufacturer of band and orchestral instruments, and the
company responsible for donating the fi ve basses – was on hand for the event, held February 4th at
the Grammy Museum in L.A. The instruments were decorated with well-known Disney characters
and painted by Walt Disney Animation Studio artists.
Disney Art for Music
The hand-painted basses outside the Disney Animation building.
Upfront.indd 8 2/25/10 10:57:20 AM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 9
In addition to the colorful instru-ments on display, the focus of the event was also on music education and the importance of keeping it alive, as Stanley Clarke reaffi rmed when he took the stage saying, “When music gets inside children, it is like turning
Disney artists introduce their work.
a light on.” The lively basses will be auctioned by Julien’s Auctions, in June at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, with proceeds benefi ting the music education programs of the Grammy Foundation, which works year-round to bring national attention to the value and impact of music and arts education. The Foundation will assist in the auction and will distribute funds to various school music programs around the U.S. The basses are currently touring the U.S. and are being displayed individu-ally at music and art museums across the country, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Disney animator Claire Keane & Stanley Clarke.
Be part of the story.
©2o
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Students always leave here with memories and stories about the past
that last long into the future. Join us for unforgettable, interactive
experiences that are both fun and educational, including guided
tours, special programs, and hands~on activities. Fife and drum
groups perform daily, along with demonstrations of 18th~century
instruments. Visits can be tailored to any group’s needs, including
lodging, dining, 18th~century tavern meals, and entertainment.
Group packages are available for 15 students or more.
Be sure to ask about performance opportunities for
music or choral groups of 25~75 students. To plan a trip
or make reservations, call 1~800~4oo~2862 or
visit colonialwilliamsburg.com/grouptours.
Come join a performance that’s been running for 25o years.
Upfront.indd 9 3/1/10 9:19:18 AM
You’re one of a kind.You’re one of a kind.
So is the copyrighted music you rely on.
Keep it legal. You want your students to value music. When you observe the copyright law you show them the way. The future of musicis in your hands.
Here’s how to keep it legal: 1. Know what you can do2. Know what you can’t do legally 3. Get permission to use other’s property
Music Publishers’ Association of the United States 243 5th Avenue, Suite 236, New York, NY 10016 • [email protected] • www.mpa.org
Did you know...•
Infringement
of the copyright law
can result in
fines of up to
$30,000?
SBO_10 10 2/25/10 11:27:19 AM
©Keep It Legal.Copyrighted music is a piece of property, and if you want to use it, you must ask the owner for permission.You may or may not receive permission, but when you use someone else’s property, you must have their per-mission. This is true for musical works as much as for anything else you own. The music you use is createdby composers, arrangers and publishers, and, to ensure future music is available, they must be compensatedfor it. The future of music is very much in your hands.
Music Copyright Law Guide*:
What You Can Do:1. You may make emergency photocopies to replace missing
parts for an imminent performance, provided you replace all copieswith purchased music in due course.
2. You may edit or simplify music as long as the fundamental character of the work is not distorted. Note: You may not alter or add lyrics.
3. Teachers may make 1 copy per student of excerpts of musicalworks for academic purposes. Note: The excerpts can not be usedfor performance. The excerpt can not comprise more than 10% ofthe complete work or comprise a performable unit.
4. Teachers may make a single copy of a student performance tobe used for evaluation or rehearsal purposes.
5. Teachers may make a single copy of a recording owned by theinstitution or teacher for creating aural exercises or examinations.Note: This pertains only to the copyright of the music itself and notto any copyright which may exist in the sound recording.
What You Can’t Do:1. Do not copy or download music to avoid purchase.2. Do not keep photocopies in your library. Destroy any
unauthorized photocopies immediately and replace them with legal editions.
3. Do not copy out-of-print works without permission of the publisher. Note: If it is vital you obtain music that is out-of-print,contact the publisher directly. They can confirm if the work is out of print and can sometimes arrange for you to obtain a legal copy.
4. Do not make arrangements of works without permission of thecopyright owner.
5. Do not copy music for use in performance unless you replace itwith a legal edition in due course.
6. Do not copy without including copyright notice.7. Do not copy to create anthologies or compilations.8. Do not reproduce material designed to be consumable,
such as workbooks, standardized tests and answer sheets. 9. You can not use the excuse of not knowing the copyright
owner for not following copyright law. Resources are readily available to help you do so.
Getting Permission:The Music Publishers Association of the United States helps you find in-formation on our website mpa.org so you can obtain permission fromcopyright owners.* 1. If you have a copy of the music, look for the copyright holder or
publisher's name, and use the “Copyright Search” link on mpa.org to access the Music Publisher Directory and index of Publishers’ Imprints to find the publisher’s contact information.
2. If you do not know or can’t locate the publisher of the music, research further by accessing one of the three U.S. performing rightsorganization websites. Links to each are provided on mpa.org in the“Copyright Search” section. • ascap.com/ace ACE is the searchable database of the American
Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers • bmi.com Search by song name to access publisher information
on songs licensed by BMI. Some additional non-BMI publishers willalso be listed.
• sesac.com Access the “repertory” link to search titles for theSESAC. While the organization is called the Society of EuropeanStage Authors & Composers, the organization now spans internationally and in all genres.
3. How to secure permission for sound recordings? If you copy anddistribute recordings of songs which you did not write and are not inthe public domain. • harryfox.com Use the Songfile search and the License Music link to
obtain mechanical and other rights information.4. Permission forms are available on many publishers’ websites or
use the forms provided at mpa.org/copyright_resource_center/forms 5. How do I know if a work is still protected by copyright, or if it is
in the public domain?• Know the law: Works in the U.S. wth a copyright date of 1922
or earlier are in the public domain. Works created after January 1,1978 will be protected for the life of the composer (author) plus 70 years. Copyrights in effect on that date, if renewed, will continue for 75 years from the date copyright was originally secured. Those works in their initial 28-year period of copyright on January 1, 1978 can be renewed for an additional 47 years,while the copyright of works in their renewal term on that datewere automatically extended for an additional 19 years.
• Still not sure? Try the Library of Congress. Visit copyright.gov/records to search for copyrighted works.
[ YOU ARE GRANTED PERMISS ION TO MAKE COP IES OF TH IS PAGE TO SHARE WITH YOUR STAFF. ]
Music Publishers’ Association of the United States 243 5th Avenue, Suite 236, New York, NY 10016 • [email protected] • www.mpa.org
* This guide is based on the U.S. copyright law of 1976. The links to various sites are offered as a search tool. The MPA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions in the information found at these organizations' web sites. For more information, see The United States Copyright Law - A Practical Outline, available online at MENC.org
SBO_11 11 2/25/10 11:27:27 AM
Presents
The 2010 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California of-
fered music educators a unique opportunity to
participate in the music industry convention
featuring hundreds of instrument, accessory,
and software manufacturers, publishers, dealers,
and artists. For the fi rst time, School Band & Or-chestra magazine invited educators to walk the
NAMM exhibit halls in search of the most use-
ful products for use in the classroom and
with student musicians. Teachers and school
administrators in attendance fi lled out spe-
cially designed ballots indicating their top choices in 13 different
categories. On Sunday, January 17th, a panel of fi ve educators, along
with SBO publisher Rick Kessel, presented the winners of the 2010 Best Tools for
Schools.
“2010 Best Tools for Schools”Awards
Best Tool for Beginners Best Tool for Intermediates
Sound Innovations Method Book
Alfred Publishing’s new SoundInnovations Method Book has been
described as “revolutionary,” in large part because of the customizable curriculum options offered in the “Director’s Choice” edition.www.alfred.com
Guitar and Piano for Dummies, 50 Guitar Licks You Must Know
eMedia’s Guitar and Piano for Dummies and the complete GuitarLab DVD series of 50 Guitar Licks You Must Know are designed for
individual study and may be used as a complement or supplement to coursework.www.emediamusic.com
12 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
SBOReport
SBO_12 12 2/25/10 10:57:48 AM
Defi nitive Piano Improvisation Home Study Course
BodyBeat Compact Pulsing Metronome
Peterson Electro-Musical Products new BodyBeat Compact Pulsing Metronome allows users to feel
the beat via a light electronic pulse instead of exclusively using visual or audio cues, like standard metronomes. Coming soon is a new
master metronome that will have slave pulse units
– perfect for classroom use.www.petersonemp.com
Best Tool for Improvisation Best Tool for Music Theory
Best Innovative Tool Best Notation Tool
Best Recording Tool Best Web Tool
Essentials of Music Theory, Vol. 1-3
Essentials of Music Theory, Volumes 1-3 is an all-in-one series that includes
concise lessons with short exercises, ear training activities, and reviews. It is available in three separate volumes or as a complete set.
www.alfred.com
Notefl ight
Notefl ight is an online music writing program that allows users to write, view, print, and hear music notation right in a Web browser.www.notefl ight.com
SoundSoap Pro
Bias’ SoundSoap Pro is an advanced noise reduction and audio restoration
program that can remove individual frequencies, eliminating hums, crackles, rumbles, and clicks from a recording.www.bias-inc.com
YouTube in Music Education by Tom Rudolph and James Frankel
Noted educators and authors Tom Rudolph and James Frankel have published this handy volume which takes educators on an exploration of how to best utilize YouTube in the classroom and beyond.www.halleonard.com
Designed for intermediate and early advanced players, the Defi nitive Piano
Improvisation Home Study Course is a step-by-step course of study featuring 26
different improvisation techniques on six DVDs, two CDs, and
a binder.www.yokewong.net
14 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
SBO_14 14 2/25/10 10:58:04 AM
Their music is important to you. And sharing your passion
for music with students is your life’s work. Ours, too.
SmartMusic is the recognized leader in music education
tools for band, orchestra, and voice, with a unique
Gradebook to easily document each student’s progress.
To see how we’re revolutionizing music education go to:
www.smartmusic.com
It’s about music. Their music.
SBO_15 15 2/25/10 11:27:41 AM
SmartMusic Gradebook
MakeMusic’s SmartMusic Gradebookis a Web-based tool for distributing
assignments, tracking student progress, and formulating grades based on customizable criteria. In a nutshell, Gradebook automates administrative tasks, allowing teachers to spend more time
focusing on the music.www.smartmusic.com
Muzundrum:the Game of Musicians
Muzundrum is a music-theory crossword game featuring12-sided musical dice that are used to form scales and triads.www.muzundrum.com
Best Time Saver/Assessment Tool
Best Eco Friendly Tool
Coolest Game Best Gadget
Best Rewards & Incentives Honorable Mention
Wheatware
Wheatware is a company that manufacturers bio-compostable and biodegradable products out of wheat. Remarkably durable
and sturdy, eco-friendly music products from Wheatware include drumsticks, guitar
picks, and shakers. www.wheatware.com
Jammit app for iPhone
OEm, Inc.’s Jammit is an iPhone application that takes original recordings of songs and formats them with synced notation for play-along use. It is also capable of isolating individual tracks,
such as the guitar, bass, drums, or other instruments.www.jammit.com
AIM Musical Gifts
AIM Musical Gifts offers over 10,000 musical gift items, including music-themed pins, magnets, toys, stickers, and key chains.
www.aimgifts.com
Rhythm Ring www.rhythmring.com
Guitar Hands Cleansing Lotion www.truemoisture.com
Sound Disk Beanieswww.www.aerial7.com
Mixcraft 4, Spin It Againwww.acoustical.com
iZotope RXwww.izotope.com
16 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
SBO_16 16 2/25/10 10:58:19 AM
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SBOCommentary
BY JOE ALLISON
You hear it discussed by spec-
tators at marching band and
drum corps contests. Per-
formers have been known
to talk about it during rehearsal
breaks. Contest judges talk about it
frequently back at the hotel after an
event. Veteran traditionalists decry
the loss of it. You can even fi nd it
regularly in posts on the Internet!
So, you’re asking, what is “it”? “It”
is an ongoing controversy concern-
ing the philosophy and practice of
programming for the contemporary
marching music ensemble. Drum
corps or band – might concert bands
and orchestras be affected, too?
18 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
All photos by Music for All/Jolesch Photography
or What What Is
Is It?It?
SBO_18 18 2/25/10 10:59:00 AM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 19
When I recently asked an under-graduate marching band techniques class, “For whom will you design and program your show(s)?”, students responded with a wide variety of an-swers. “For the judges,” “the Friday night football crowd,” “the band parents,” and even, “the educational needs of the students,” were among the responses. After a spirited discussion, the class agreed that it is quite a challenging task just to identify and prioritize the varied elements of an audi-ence, whether it be outdoors or in – much less conceive, design and implement a program that can be effective with all!
Having spent a good bit of time in many press boxes in many places during the summer and fall months the last few years (and concert halls constantly), I am convinced that we are moving in several different and seemingly random directions re-garding this particular aspect of the music pageantry world. In isolation that might not be a problem, but I constantly overhear performers, di-rectors, spectators, designers, and judges complain about problems with the design concepts of shows. Actually, the chatter is much like the responses given by the afore-mentioned marching band class! You’ll hear things like: “that’s just too complicated to be exciting,” or “the music is just an excuse for all that bizarre visual stuff.” Or: “What is it?” “What is it supposed to be?” You hear so many different view-points and philosophies, some highly thought-out, some maybe not.
Paradoxically, you can also hear people saying things like: “everybody looks and sounds the same!” How can those contrasting concepts be ac-curate? Could this possibly be associ-ated with an attempt to be “all things to all people” when it comes to pro-gramming? Could this particularly true with marching bands (with their more diverse audiences and func-tions), as opposed to drum corps? Again, what about indoor concert groups? What makes this subject such a “big deal” with so many different people? What is it?
Few touched by the music edu-cation community would deny that great emphasis has been placed on the competitive aspects of high school music ensembles. In fact, the per-ceived success of bands (and there-fore their directors) is measured in part (if not totally!) by the results of festivals and contests. Some compare
this to competitive athletics, where coaches have regularly gained or lost jobs based solely on won-loss records, rather than teaching effectiveness or citizenship. Others would counter that artistic competition is a com-pletely different entity with no direct comparisons to competitive athletics. On closer inspection it appears that both similarities and differences ex-ist between the two activities, but it is also clear that music students and educators alike are affected by a com-petitive environment in a direct and signifi cant way.
If competition is important to any musical group, then curricu-lum and programming deci-sions are directly affected. Conventional wisdom holds that there are certain attributes inherent to a competitive per-formance in any medium. The musical literature explored is usually limited to the serious orchestral repertoire, contem-porary advanced band litera-ture, or highly technical (and usually contemporary) jazz. Other genres are seemingly deemed “unfi t” by the judging community, evidently lack-ing the merits to be worthy of championship consideration. If this scenario is true, why would this be?
Examples of the afore-mentioned practice are easily found. Contest results gener-ally support this perceived bias, as the “winning” groups can usually be identifi ed by
highly demanding (and frequently obscure) music. In fact, many specta-tors have come to the logical conclu-sion that the more diffi cult a show is to understand, the more likely it is to be given First Place! A colleague who adjudicates extensively has semi-face-tiously proposed a “melody credit” score in reaction to esoteric pro-
grams that seem to exclude even traditional melodies! This perceived trend toward less-accessible musical mate-rial appears in direct confl ict with the fact that the second-ary school marching band,
in particular, was developed primar-ily for entertainment and community support functions.
One has to ask: is it possible to please an audience and a panel of judges at the same time? Most would concur that there is a great need for this answer to be “yes!” Yet, a pro-gram package that can meet the re-quirements of both audience and adjudicator doesn’t reach its full fru-ition very often, in my experience. What happens then between the con-ception of an act and its production that causes its goals not to be met? What is it?
“Music students and educators alike are affected by a competitive environ-ment in a direct and signifi cant way.
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20 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
One aspect of the design package that seems often to “go awry” is the amount and nature of the demands being placed on the performers. So many shows appear to be so diffi cult for the individual students to master that a strong level of communication with the audience is rarely (or never) reached, especially in the early season. Perhaps the musical score is written at a challenging but attainable level, while the visual/movement design has a similar (or often higher) level of diffi culty. When these two processes operate simultane-ously it is simply too demand-ing for the performer to relax in his or her role and express the concepts of the design ef-fectively. A signifi cant propor-tion of current programs ap-pear to be simply too diffi cult for all of the students to per-form!
Sadly, when forced to choose between movement and mu-sical accuracy, the performer normally chooses to complete the visual task. Why? It’s much easier for observers to spot a movement or visual error than a musical one, and one can eas-ily identify the culprit! A valid axiom is: “more people under-stand what they see than what they hear.” A likely factor com-plicit in this “diffi culty-for-dif-fi culty’s sake” is the complex group of examples produced yearly by the DCI World Class corps. They practically beg to be imitated, only with younger, less-experienced students, less production/planning time, less rehearsal time, less perfor-mance time, and usually less optimal physical conditions (venues, weather, et cetera).
For both bands and drum corps, design teams tend to conceptualize the package for a show over a extend-ed period of time, through intense study and experimentation. The in-frequent observer (audience, judge) simply does not have a proportional time frame to digest the amount and depth of the material in a program, particularly if it is not supremely
well-coordinated (synergized) and/or performed at a consistently high de-gree of skill. As a result, a number of shows tend to go over the heads (or under the feet?) of the audience and the judges, if not the players them-selves. Again, observers are left to ask: “What is it?”
At the same time, many designers and instructors regularly voice dismay at the lack of judges’ verbal recogni-tion of concepts they feel essential to the appreciation of their show concept. Examples of this situation abound. I can vividly remember presenting a show of “Marches Around the World” with a high school band years ago. The conductors/drum majors were costumed in a “retro”/quasi-military look befi tting the program concept. At one particular contest, the drum major judge spent fully one half of the performance explaining on tape the contemporary dress codes for drum majors, adding that they no longer use military shakos, maces, and whistles!
You can only imagine the reactions of our students upon hearing that judge’s tape! Aside from a good laugh, I’m afraid the situation may well have un-dermined their respect for the adjudi-cation process. For our part, we really thought our concept was obvious. Ob-viously not! The point here is not to
ridicule, but to point out that the seemingly most distinct concepts can easily be misun-derstood or ignored. As my dad would say, “I wish I had a dollar” for each time I have counseled: “you can be tacky – you can be cliché, but you can never be too obvious!”
Another consistent prac-tice that seems to have less-ened the effectiveness of some performances is the tendency to imitate (read: copy) effects or techniques from other designers/groups and use them in different contexts. This appears to be particularly true in the visu-al design of pageantry. The current debate in the busi-ness and academic worlds concerning intellectual property (the “it”) can and does apply in this activity. In the legal world, plagia-rism does not equal fl attery. State-of-the-art techniques of design/composition can be so subtle and sophisti-cated that sometimes what appears to be the intended
design effect may not be the actual intent at all! We have all seen visual devices cloned from previous DCI or BOA winners that are used in an en-tirely different musical context, with the instrumentation so distorted that the result is near incoherent. “It” is confusing! This practice frequently occurs in varying degrees from se-vere to subtle. It is also instructive to note that the instrumentation of the marching band is more diverse in size, timbre and directionality than the more standardized drum & bugle corps. This makes the task of adap-tation of visual designs even more complex for marching band “tran-scriptions.”
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School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 21
Paradoxically, there are many com-peting high school band directors who believe that a show without a selection of the latest drum corps or winter-guard “hot licks” cannot be effectively competitive. Evidently, the idea is that judges do not consider a program wor-thy, or at least up to date unless it has borrowed elements of design from current practice elsewhere. In fact, one director of a nationally prominent band has suggested to me with reason that achieving score credit for origi-nality in design captions often comes from plagiarizing other units! Stolen “it”? What a paradox that is! However, most would agree that not including certain fashionable and contemporary type devices in a show could lessen its competitive merit. Most would also agree that it takes more effective plan-ning and effort to establish an identity for a group through unique creative design.
So, given all of this seemingly con-fl icting information, how would you
address those aforementioned eager marching band techniques students who are mere weeks away from the possibility of staking their new careers on producing a successful marching band program? Are there any correct answers to this dilemma? Optimistical-ly, maybe there are several – wouldn’t it be great?
Perhaps there are refreshing al-ternatives to the “deep, dark, dense” programs being frequently explored the competitive arena. Challenging (A.K.A.: competitive) arrangements of recognizable (even singable!) tunes are being done. Sometimes from more eclectic idioms and media. It is certainly a challenge for arrangers to competitively legitimize this concept, but signifi cant progress seems to have been made at the regional and na-tional levels. Why haven’t we heard Country-Western material done at a high competitive level, anyway? (I hear that one a lot, oftentimes from my relatives.)
Judging systems from most, if not all, of the major national organiza-tions are currently emphasizing the concept of performer achievement in competition. This achievement is defi ned as the combination of the “what” (being the audio and visual design) and the “how” (the level of performance). An important dis-tinction should be made here about the term “performance.” In current practice, the term includes both the “execution” (mechanical/technical accuracy) as well as the expressive communication of the material, both audio and visual. Most everyone has witnessed a presentation of profes-sional quality (the absence of obvi-ous error) that was expressively dull and lifeless! That’s the contrast of execution versus performance. Any musical ensemble (indoors or out) is subject to this. Our emphasis on achievement was sought in part to help balance the importance of de-sign/composition vs. the performing
SBO_21 21 2/25/10 10:59:18 AM
22 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
skills of the musicians, and to en-courage exploration and risk in pro-gramming. With a greater emphasis on actual performance (rather than simply the absence of error), the ba-sic rationale is that “the best group can win,” rather than “the group with the best music/show will win.” Philosophical debates notwithstand-ing, most people involved in an edu-cational activity feel that the kids in the uniforms should be the major
determinant of competitive results. Toward this end, the prevailing chal-lenge is how to objectively assess the student’s performance skills in isola-tion from the vehicle that presents those skills. Many studied observers feel this is simply not possible.
Another possibility for effective growth with marching ensembles might be the use of extended instru-mentation and theatrical devices. The band activity in particular has
few restrictions with regard to in-strumentation, and electronic key-boards, electric guitars, amplifi ed acoustic instruments have all been used to great effect with marching units. One of my recent personal fa-vorites was the use of an amplifi ed harp in a program of orchestral mu-sic. Perhaps theatrical lighting is a concept whose time has come! How logical it would be to incorporate spotlighting, as well as other effects in the marching arena.
Spectators largely agree that the highlight of the Opening Ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games was the presentation of backlit fi gures of the original Greek Olympians pro-jected against the screens at the center of the fi eld. It was even exciting on television! Who can forget the spec-tacular and extensive lighting effects included in the stunning pageantry of the Bejing Olympics? Certainly our activity has logistical and expense limitations, but those exist in every facet of the sport.
All things considered, it appears there could be a number of possible solutions to this problem (if “it” actu-ally is a problem) that is so frequently discussed in the marching music ac-tivity. Here’s hoping that refreshing alternatives will be explored, and that performers and audiences will be the benefi ciaries of a new level of creativ-ity and enjoyment. Maybe then we’ll all know “what it is!”
In coming articles, I will focus my attention specifi cally on the selec-tion and programming of music for any and all instrumental ensembles, whether they be in competition or not, indoors or outdoors. No one ever said this would be simple… or easy!
Dr. Joseph Allison is currently professor of Conducting and director of Bands at Eastern Kentucky Univer-sity in Richmond. He maintains an active judging schedule internationally, including events for Bands of America and Drum Corps International. He can be reached at [email protected].
SBO_22 22 2/25/10 10:59:23 AM
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24 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
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that
SBO_24 24 2/25/10 12:04:15 PM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 25
Carol Agler & Dan Kelley
of the Ohio State School for the Blind
ouldThe 2010 Tournament of Roses Pa-
rade in Pasadena, California was one for the ages. The Rose Parade is one of the world’s most prestigious
marching band venues, with incredible performances being almost common-place. Yet, this year, the music provided by one of the smallest marching bands in the Parade’s over-120-year history cre-ated a buzz that rippled across the coun-try. Sure, the fact that the marching band from a small school in Ohio had only 32 members was signifi cant, but that’s not what people were talking about. For one, the students in this marching band are blind. And, two, these kids could play.
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26 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
The story behind the Ohio State School for the Blind’s unlikely par-ticipation in that great event goes back about a dozen years, when Carol Agler began her tenure as the school’s music director. Agler initially studied music education at Ohio State University and had taught at a regular high school for several years before leaving to start a family, during which time she contin-ued performing, teaching private les-sons, and working with an area choir. She ventured back into schools in the
1990s, this time around focusing on teaching music to students with dis-abilities. “When I joined [the Ohio State School for the Blind] in 1998, we were doing a show that involved a mariachi scene for a holiday concert,” Carol recalls. “Someone suggested, ‘Why don’t you use real trumpets in that scene? We’ve got them.’ And I said, ‘What? We have instruments here at this school?’ My music room at the time was a multi-purpose room, and what used to be the band room was a meeting room which had a closet full of great, old band instruments that I
didn’t even know about! Once I found those, I asked if I could revive the band program.” It turns out that there had been a band director who had retired 13 years prior and was never replaced, leaving a choral director to maintain the music department until Agler’s ar-rival.
When Carol discovered those in-struments, she started a pep band and a jazz ensemble to augment the school’s existing choir and general music pro-gram. The next dramatic step for the
music department took place seven years later. “In the spring of 2005, the superintendents of the deaf school [The Ohio State School for the Deaf] and the blind school [The Ohio State School for the Blind] were meeting and going over their next year’s plans. The deaf school superintendent said that they were going to revive their football program. Then both of them thought out loud, ‘Boy, it would be kind of cool if the blind school pro-vided the marching band for the deaf football team, wouldn’t it?’ So when Louis Mazzoli, the blind school’s su-
perintendent, returned to school, he told me about the meeting and said, ‘Wouldn’t that be cool?’ And I said, ‘Yes! That’d be cool! I can’t think of anything more cool than that!’ And he said, ‘Wait, you mean you’d do it?’ And I said, ‘Sure. I always wanted these kids to have what a typical high school would have. Of course I’ll do it.’ Meanwhile, the secretary at the time was going, ‘Carol, Carol, just think about that for a minute. Look, you already do all of this stuff – Carol,
learn to say no!’” Later that same
night, some logisti-cal complications gave Agler pause. “I was thinking about
it,” she says. “I had nine kids in my high school band at the time, and fi ve of them played keyboard. How was I going to pull this off? I didn’t have any marching drums. So I went to Lou the next day and asked how it was going to work because we didn’t have any equipment. He told me that he could get me some drums, no problem, and that it would happen and he didn’t have any worries. And I’m thinking, ‘Wait a minute, my reputation is at stake here. I’ve never done marching band before.’”
Regardless, the football team was launched at the deaf school the ensu-ing year. The Ohio State School for the Blind marching band had fi ve prac-tices before playing their fi rst halftime. “I had 13 students in the marching band that year,” says Carol. “Most of the keyboard players who were in the band the year before had switched to drums, which was great. We had one show, where we did ‘Script Ohio’ and spelled out ‘Ohio’ in Braille. I taught them a 16-bar segment of ‘Le Regi-ment’ – the song that OSU does – and we just played those 16 bars over and over again. We stood there in a line and we had two pep tunes, ‘Go Big Blue’ and ‘Hey.’ Then we marched right off the fi eld and it was wonderful. It was the fi rst time that these kids had ever played on a football fi eld. Some of our kids are sighted – not with great vision, but they’ve got good mobility – so I had the sighted kids with a blind stu-dent on either side. They marched out
“Music for the blind is like color for the sighted world.”
SBO_26 26 2/25/10 12:04:28 PM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 27
there three-at-a-time, and I also had a couple of adults out there as marching assistants.”
As one might imagine, that fi rst performance was complicated by a few unexpected snags. Agler explains, laughing, “I had told one of our student leaders to walk out to the 40-yard line, then up to the hash marks, where he was supposed to place these other two students before going on to his spot. Well, he didn’t know what a hash mark was! So he placed one of the musicians on the number “40” and he placed an-other student on another number on the fi eld, then he went to his spot. And I was so excited that when we marched out to the fi eld – the students follow-ing me – we marched right past our marks! We were having so much fun, though, that people thought that was just a part of the show, that we had de-signed it to march past the stands and then double back to perform! We were having a ball.”
Later that year, the School for the Deaf invited the blind pep band to play at their basketball games, and the pro-gram began to blossom. Understand-
ing that she had an extremely limited experience working with marching bands, Carol enlisted the help of Dan Kelley, who had studied to be a band director and was teaching technology at the school – and also happens to be blind – to take over much of the ensemble’s day-to-day operation.
Much of the marching band world is dedicated to pageantry, a visual spectacle that, for many, carries as much weight as the actual music be-ing played. This, of course, makes one wonder: exactly how does a band comprised of visually impaired and blind students pull it off? And how did this inexperienced group make it all the way to one of the marching world’s greatest stages? Chock full
of questions, SBO recently caught up with Dan Kelley and Carol Agler, who graciously explained the nuts and bolts of their program, elaborating on the details of this remarkable ensemble and their unlikely achievement.
School Band & Orchestra: Would you tell me a little bit about your music program? How many stu-dents participate?
Carol Agler: There are 129 stu-dents in the school and I see most of them. The only ones that don’t take music are the high schoolers who opt for other electives. As someone put it, music for the blind is like color for the sighted world. Most of the students here take music in some form. I teach
The Ohio State School for the Blind at a GlanceLocation: 5220 North High Street, Columbus, OhioOn the Web: www.ossb.oh.govTotal Number of Students (K-12): 129Music Director: Carol AglerMarching Band Co-Directors: Carol Agler & Dan KelleyStudents in Marching Band: 35
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28 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
K-12 music: band, choir, general mu-sic, elementary music, and multiple disability music, which I guess you could think of as music therapy.
Of the students that are eligible to take band, 65 percent of them partici-pate. In a typical school you would be pleased to have a quarter of your stu-dents in the band program, and we’re running at 65 percent. For the fi rst two years, we only had high school kids,
but then I realized that to get a really big sound, we needed more people, so I recruited eighth graders. Once we had 15 or above, that was a much big-ger sound. A few more students makes a huge difference on that front.
SBO: What is involved with teach-ing music to blind students?
Dan Kelley: The kids have differ-ent learning styles – like all students
do. Our kids primarily learn music by ear, but like anything else, when you’re learning a new language or even learn-ing English, you also need to learn to read and write in that language for literacy’s sake. We work with the kids on learning Braille music, print music, and staff notation. We blow that up and enlarge it for students that have low vision. Auditorily, when we’re work-ing with the kids by ear, it’s anything from, “I’ll play the part and you play it back,” to using technology. When I’m arranging and running marching band rehearsals, I use programs called “Lime” and a program called “Good Feel,” which takes an electronic music fi le and translates it into Braille music. I can then print that out in hardcopy or on a device called a “notetaker,” which looks like a palm pilot and has a refreshable Braille display.
CA: The totally blind kids have to memorize everything. They are just automatically trained as great memo-rizers because they have to memorize any information that they’re given. They do have Braille notes that they can write with, but most of the time they just memorize whatever informa-tion they hear. They have to be audi-tory learners.
What we do is we use SmartMusic to load a complete score into Finale, and from that create the SmartMusic accompaniment fi les. We have eight computers, and our kids can go to any of those eight computers and hear their part by itself or with the whole band. They can select parts and hear them over and over, they can slow the music down, they can speed it up, and they can record themselves playing along with it – it’s just marvelous.
Also, in this year’s band, we have 32 students and 11 of them have perfect pitch. This means that if they hear a pitch, they know what it is. Those are the fi rst ones to learn the music because they don’t have to be coached much. We do everything in b-fl at solfege, which really works well. By noon on the second day of band camp, we al-ways have a few students who have all of the new material memorized. Finale will also create MP3s of the parts, and we make three of them for each song.
“I want these kids to have as close to a typical high school experience as they can.”
SBO_28 28 2/25/10 12:04:38 PM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 29
One is everything at full speed, the full band. Another is their part at full speed. The third is their part slowed down to half speed, which makes it much easier for the kids to hear exactly what they need to be playing. Our goal is to have the whole thing in their ear before they get here. Also, most of the students don’t have their own instruments – most of the instruments are the schools – so they really can’t start practicing their parts until they get here.
SBO: And what about the march-ing element? How does that work, logistically?
DK: On the football fi eld, we do the eight-to-fi ve marching style that OSU does, and so we work on a lot of fundamentals, a lot of repetitive things, like getting a good chair step with 22-and-a-half-inch spacing. We work the daylights out of that and give the kids a lot of feedback. In the case of working with a blind or visu-ally impaired student, it’s probably go-ing to take a little longer and you are probably going to approach it a little differently. You’re going to give a lot more verbal feedback and more tactile feedback. Using the ground or using some hands-on when you’re trying to teach someone how to do a horn fl ash or something, you have to slowly go through the motions of it and then put it all together. When you’re doing a horn fl ash and turn, your upper body is doing one thing and your feet are doing something else, so you start with the little pieces of the puzzle, see what those are, and then start putting those pieces together.
It takes a lot of time, but it’s really worth it. Being able to have that expe-rience when I was in high school was great on all fronts. I want these kids to have as close to a typical high school experience as they can and be able to share what we do with an audience – whoever we can share it with – to show that these kids are doing a lot of things the same way that a typical marching band would. There are some differences here, but they really don’t stand out.
SBO: Many band directors use vi-sual cues to keep time and to keep the band in sync during rehearsals. Do you do that, too?
DK: A couple of our percussion players can see me, and that’s one of the only reasons I conduct the beat. I don’t do too many visual cues about when to come in or cut off, and things like that. I do all my conducting in re-hearsals, by walking students through the parts, telling them what I want the music to sound like and modeling it for them. During our performances, I’ll do the pattern for tempo’s sake, and you also just have to do that when you are up in front of the band – you can’t just stand there! [laughs] Really,
though, most of the directing comes from our work in rehearsals.
What I do is give the kids their parts to a new piece, we’ll listen to the song together as a group, listen to a record-ing of it – the big picture, what I want it to sound like – and then give them their parts and send them home with it. They’ll either have it in print or Braille music, or use SmartMusic, or I’ll give them a CD with MP3 fi les so they can put it on their iPods or computers or however they want to listen to it. The students’ responsibility is to learn their
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part because no one likes doing note-for-note teaching in big band rehears-als. We don’t have enough time to do that – and, of course, sometimes we still end up doing it anyway!
CA: The students are so in tune to sound and shaping that sound. You’d better teach it right the fi rst time, be-cause that’s the way that the students are going to play it. You have to think through the music before you present it to them. You also have to count out fermatas. For example, you hold this note for four counts and then on the fi fth count you take a breath and come in on the next beat, that sort of thing. You have to calculate these things and do them the same way every time. I also give audible cues instead of con-ducting cues. The hardest thing, how-ever, is the choreography. It’s so time consuming, and in order to do it well, you have to have so much hands-on time per student. And then you have to talk it constantly while you are do-ing it in order to remind the students what they are supposed to be doing.
SBO: Let’s talk about your perfor-mance at the Rose Parade. How did that opportunity come about?
CA: I got a phone call from a Rose Parade volunteer who had been surf-ing the Internet looking for interesting bands. He was wondering if there was a blind band, and searching online, eventually he found us. He sent us an application and made it very clear that it was by no means an invitation to the parade, just that he was curi-ous and thought it would be cool if it turned out that we were good enough to make it out there.
I didn’t even talk to the adminis-tration at fi rst because I thought that there was no way that we’d be able to raise that kind of money. I’ve never taken this group further than Circlev-ille, which is only 45 minutes away. Every year we perform in their parade, and that’s the only parade we had ever done – and it was only one mile long! And at the end of those parades, there was usually some kind of drama from this person or that – that this drum-mer’s back was killing him and he was in tears – that kind of thing. And so we didn’t think that some of these kids
30 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
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School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 31
would have the conditioning to make it the whole parade. But Dan knew how to get the kids into shape.
We started out marching the kids a mile around the track, and every week he increased the distance that the kids marched by half a mile, until they were up to about four miles going around the track and over and over again. Three weeks before the Rose Parade it got too cold out to practice outside, so that was as much as we could do. But Dan kept saying, “If you can do four miles, you can do six.” And he was right, when we fi nished the Rose Parade, the kids came up to me and said, “I can’t believe it’s over! It didn’t seem that long!” And they played well the entire time, so our conditioning re-ally paid off.
DK: After Carol spoke to the fellow from the Rose Parade, she asked me what I thought. I told her that I didn’t think we were at that level – we’d only been in existence for four years – but, on the other hand, all they can do is say no, so why not give a try?
We talked to the administration and they backed us, so we sent in our appli-cation and they responded saying they wanted some video of what we were doing. In the band camp of 2008, we told the students that we were in the middle of this application process to go to the Rose Parade and asked what they thought. We waited until about Wednesday of band camp to men-tion that, which is usually when kids start to fall into the mid-week slump. I warned them that in order to make it happen, we’d have to send in a video of us doing the halftime show, and it had to look good because they don’t take any slouch bands in the Rose Pa-rade. That really pumped them up and gave them a lot of energy and drive to make our show good. We got a better show together in a shorter amount of time than we had in the past, sent in the video, and found out in October that we had been accepted.
Carol and I had to keep it quiet for a couple of weeks while the selection committee contacted everyone who had applied, and we set it up so that the president of the Rose Parade Com-mittee called the school while we had
the kids in the gym for an assembly. We patched the phone call into the PA system and he made the announcement that we’d been selected to march in the 2010 Tournament of Roses parade right over the loudspeakers. Everyone went crazy; the kids were really excited, and we started working on how we were going to get there – raising funds, get-ting some new instruments and some instruments repaired, new uniforms and just building up the program. And
the band grew, too, almost doubling in size; it went from 17 to 32.
SBO: Thirty-two is still pretty tiny for a marching band. How do you deal with instrumentation?
DK: I try to go for the open power chord kind of sound where you have a lot of open thirds, fourths, and fi fths. We do some part doubling and kind of re-write some things, taking some notes from some parts and putting
SBO_31 31 2/25/10 12:05:03 PM
32 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
them on other instruments. We’re try-ing to get 30 kids to sound like 100. You can do a lot with intervals to get that volume, but as far as instrumenta-tion goes, we’re pretty typical, except for numbers. We’ve got sousaphones, baritones, trombones, tenor and alto saxes, trumpets, clarinets, fl utes, bells, and percussion, just not too many of each. You go through and listen, and if I need to change a part to bring some-thing out, I can usually do that with
one of my stronger musicians, who I know will be fl exible enough to play the original part or make changes on the fl y. It involves some tinkering around with that sort of thing until I get the sound that I’m looking for.
SBO: What do you think this oppor-tunity meant to the students? How would you describe that?
CA: The opportunity itself was just a once-in-a-lifetime event. For many
of our students, it was their fi rst plane fl ight or their fi rst football game at a major stadium, and just being there was an incredible experience. Beyond that, it was a great opportunity to raise the bar, to raise the expectations for people with disabilities, to raise the percep-tions of what we can do. When we got feedback, we have not had anyone say-ing, “Bless their hearts!” We are on par, and we earned this spot. It was partly because we were blind, but it wasn’t solely because we were blind.
DK: We had a lot of debate over why we were going to the Rose Parade. Was it because we are a talented band or is it because we’re a blind band? Those were questions that the kids wanted some honest answers to. I told them that it was probably a little bit of both and it was a balance. However, once you get into the driver’s seat, you have a responsibility to control what you’re doing. How do you want people to view you? Do you want people to view you as a blind marching band or as a band that’s a cut above the rest? There were some confi dence issues at the be-ginning, but after we marched that pa-rade and made it to the end, kids that may have been less likely in the past to try something new and take risks, get out of their comfort zone, will do that now because of this experience. Be-ing committed to doing something for over a year, putting in the extra time and going the distance in that large of a venue, with that many people watch-ing and having that much support – it was something else!
My main goal and objective is to help kids keep realizing their potential. It doesn’t matter where we go. We’ve gotten invites to do the Macy’s Parade, the parade in Waikiki for the anniver-sary of Pearl Harbor, the McDonald’s Parade in Chicago. I’m not too con-cerned about the venue. I’m concerned about the students learning things that will make them better students, more well rounded people, and provide them with the life skills to be success-ful – having that discipline and drive, dedication, and work ethic. We need to make sure to teach our students that the payoff and results are a reward for the hard work we do.
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SBORoundtable: Summer Music Camps
34 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
A Sampling of Summer OptionsTo provide a better understanding
of the range of offerings within sum-mer music camps, SBO recently caught up with the directors of fi ve prominent organizations, which, in sum, present a smorgasbord of exciting musical op-portunities.
Would you talk briefl y about some of the unique benefi ts of attending your summer music program? What experiences or skills are you hop-ing kids will come away with?
Heidi Stansell: The core of Blue Lake’s philosophy is to provide a set-ting where students can grow and ex-cel at their own level, without intense pressure and competition. Apprecia-
Extracurricular music programs come in all shapes and
sizes, and those students who have the opportunity to
attend some type of “music camp” during their summer
break are faced with a vast array of options. Between
summer camps with a focus on the arts, university-run programs,
and intense workshops aimed at targeting specifi c performance
skills, there really is something out there for everyone, from the
most dedicated students to those who are simply looking to in-
fuse their summer fun with a musical tint.
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
SBO_34 34 2/25/10 11:02:25 AM
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36 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
tion and dedication to music is fos-tered by keeping it fun and building a sense of community that the students can carry with them beyond camp.
In addition, we strive to provide varied arts experiences for our camp-ers, whether that means going to an opera, viewing an art exhibit, expe-riencing Shakespeare in an authentic Elizabethan theater, listening to a live broadcast of a symphony orchestra, attending a chamber music recital, ob-serving a master class, or watching a ballet – all of which are part of every session at Blue Lake.
Also unique to Blue Lake is our International Exchange Program. We annually send seven performing groups on concert tours of Europe: a symphony orchestra, two symphon-ic bands, a concert choir, two jazz bands, and, in alternating years, a bal-let ensemble and an adult symphonic band. Members of these groups are selected from Blue Lake’s summer campers. The following summer, af-ter one week of intensive rehearsals at camp, members enjoy a three-week tour in Europe. While on tour, Blue Lake’s International groups present a performance in each community they visit and stay in private homes with host families.
Marc Dicciani: Our summer programs are designed to give pre-college students the opportunity to study with professional artist/teach-ers in a college environment with other motivated students, and also the chance to see what daily life would be like in a University music school.
Carl Allen: At Juilliard, we have worked very hard to create an en-vironment where the students get a
realistic view of what it takes to be-come a better musician, while hav-ing fun going through the process. We have listening sessions where faculty members will play record-ings and discuss the music and what we like about it. This is very impor-tant because many of the students are not going out to hear the music live, so the recordings help them to understand what it should feel and sound like. We want the kids to know how to get better in practice and performance. We have a say-ing: “private practice determines public performance.” Attendees at our summer program learn how to practice so that, in turn, they have a better performance.
Jeffrey Kimpton: The specifi c skills developed and overall learn-ing experiences vary by age because Interlochen Arts Camp works with students from the ages of 8 to 18. The benefi ts, however, are the same for all age levels, even though the experiences may differ by age. Our youngest musicians rub shoulders with advanced high school musicians every day, and learn from that. The days are full of different kinds of ex-periences, but the value of the expe-rience comes from an environment where everyone shares the same pur-pose: personal musical growth and achievement in a rigorous environ-ment with a great faculty and world-
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
Summer Music Programs 2010
Vocal WorkshopJune 20 — July 10, 2010
Piano WorkshopJune 20 — July 10, 2010
Composition/TechnologyWorkshop
July 5 — July 24, 2010
Guitar WorkshopJuly 11 — 24, 2010
Instrumental WorkshopsUNSCA’s renowned artist-facultyimmerse students in master classes,
chamber music, private lessons,technique development, and much more.
JUNE 20-25, 2010DOUBLE BASS WORKSHOP, FLUTE
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Applications accepted for violin, viola,‘cello, and piano.
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Heidi StansellCamp DirectorBlue Lake Fine Arts Camp.Twin Lake, Mich.www.bluelake.org
Jeffrey KimptonPresidentInterlochen Center for the ArtsInterlochen, Mich.www.interlochen.org
Carl AllenArtistic Director The Juilliard SchoolNew York City, N.Y.www.juilliard.edu/summer/summer.html
L. Scott McCormickMusic For AllSummer SymposiumNormal, Ill.www.musicforall.org/programs/symposium
Marc Dicciani, Director of the School of Music University of the ArtsPhiladelphia, Pa.www.uarts.edu
SBO_36 36 2/25/10 11:02:31 AM
38 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
class conductors. Living, learning, creating, performing with other stu-dents from all over the country and world who care about their art is an incomparable benefi t.
Music programs at Interlochen Arts Camp provide students the opportu-nity to improve their skills through a demanding rehearsal schedule, master classes, chamber music and weekly private lessons with an accomplished member of the faculty. Students grow as musicians and people because they work hard as a community in an en-semble and individually through small group, chamber and private lesson ex-periences.
Challenging repertoire and an am-bitious performance schedule give students a taste of studying music at a higher level, an important experi-ence for any student considering a career or higher education in music. High school musicians have many opportunities to network. The music program at Interlochen Arts Camp provides music students with a valu-able sense of perspective. Many Inter-lochen musicians are accustomed to being among the top students in their home ensembles. Upon their arrival at Camp, students encounter other musicians who are as good as they are, or better. This can help students understand how competitive it is to get into quality music programs and inspire them to raise the bar on their own performance.
L. Scott McCormick: The Mu-sic for All Summer Symposium of-fers a full-week experience that fo-cuses teaching for high school-aged instrumental students, as well as professional development for teach-ers of both high school and middle school programs. One thing that differentiates our Summer Sympo-sium is that a student can come and study in one of seven different disci-plines, including concert band, jazz, strings, marching band, percussion, drum majors, and color guard. Ad-ditionally, all students come away with a leadership experience during their week. This allows a teacher to bring a group of student leaders from all areas of their instrumental
program to one location and get a comprehensive skill and leadership boost when they return home.
Each evening of the Symposium, the students and teachers attend a live concert or event by renowned performing groups showcasing a wide array of musical genres, from chamber music to service bands to touring acts and a DCI drum corps competition.
Where does your program draw the line between serious musi-cal study and summer fun for elementary and high school-age children?
Carl Allen: We try to make it fun, but the reality is that getting better at anything takes hard work. Contrary to what many people feel, I think that if you can make it interesting, kids don’t mind working. Sometimes it’s the parents who don’t want their child to work too hard, but many of the kids will embrace the load once they see the results. We do have to scale back on the number of hours of each teaching session because of attention span factors. If you mix it up, it can be enjoyable time for them. We also scale back on the level and intensity of certain courses, like Jazz Improv and theory.
Heidi Stansell: Our campers re-ceive six contact hours of instruction in their chosen major. This includes rehearsal time in their major ensemble and sectional or group technique class-es. In addition, they select a one-hour minor ranging from campfi re guitar and music composition to world music and jazz band. The remainder of the schedule is comprised of recreation, traditional camp activities and evening performances or workshops.
Finding a balance between focused instruction and more recreational ac-tivities is critical to providing a well-rounded camper experience. Getting feedback from faculty, staff, and, most importantly, the student campers, pro-vides an important gauge in providing the right mix.
Marc Dicciani: Summer pro-grams consume a lot of effort, time, and money, so we decided if we were
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40 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
going to commit the considerable resources required for a successful program that we would ask that the students be similarly committed. We require that they be profi cient on the instrument; they must submit a recording of their playing or singing and a letter of recommendation from a teacher to be considered for schol-arship.
Jeffrey Kimpton: We take great pride in blurring the lines between “se-rious study” and “summer fun.” With a skilled faculty and motivated peers, students work toward excellence and have a lot of fun by accomplishing great things together.
There are, however, a variety of other activities available. All stu-dents have time for activities outside their studies. In general, high school musicians are more focused on their musical studies and their schedule is more demanding. Junior and inter-mediate campers have more time to explore other arts disciplines or for
recreation. Many students take ad-vantage of the resources at Interlo-chen to explore other arts disciplines through elective classes in writing, dance, fi lm, theatre or visual arts; the number of electives varies by program and age level.
Interlochen offers plenty of op-portunities for traditional summer fun, too. The camp is located in the scenic north woods of Michi-gan in between two beautiful lakes. Campers enjoy swimming, sailing and canoeing and take occasional trips to the sand dunes and Lake Michigan. High school students en-joy social “mixers” each week and almost everyone takes advantage of the campus ice cream shop, the Melody Freeze. Students also en-joy the opportunity to watch Camp performances or attend a concert at the Interlochen Arts Festival, the summer performing arts series that attracts a wide variety of perform-ers in many musical genres, dance, theater and film.
L. Scott McCormick: The Music for All Summer Symposium is ap-propriate for high school students or those who are about to enter high school. The six-day, fi ve-night event is an immersion into their craft of mak-ing music and experiencing music. On average, the Music for All Summer Symposium averages 1400 student participants and 225 educators attend-ing for professional development. The Symposium curriculum infuses rel-evant teaching with opportunities to rub shoulders with truly world-class artists in residence.
We believe that the process of the week is the most important element for the students, to fi ll them with as much knowledge and experiences that they would not otherwise have the chance to participate in and allow the traditional “summer fun” element to be what they get to experience once they return home, so that their invest-ment in scarce resources delivers an unequaled experience.
Do you align your activities with a school music curriculum, local or otherwise?
Jeffrey Kimpton: Most of our music experiences and electives ex-ceed anything you would fi nd in a typical school music curriculum. Stu-dents can take classes in music the-ory, composition, music literature, 20th century music, chamber music, jazz and more.
With tens of thousands of alumni, and a high profi le national faculty, Interlochen is fortunate to be well connected with many individuals and national organizations. The nation’s very best music schools and conserva-tories send recruiters to Interlochen throughout the summer. While some outstanding faculty do come from Michigan, we have always drawn a national and international faculty. We view Interlochen as an educa-tional partner with all school mu-sic programs, and the quality of our educational program helps those who attend Interlochen in the summer re-turn to their home programs as better musicians, leaders and role models for other students.
It’s a looks killer in practice pad.
SBO_40 40 2/25/10 11:02:43 AM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 41
Carl Allen: In most cases we’re getting kids not just from the local schools but from cities from afar, so it’s often diffi cult to know what they’ve been exposed to by way of curriculum. Ideally, what we would like to see would be more band direc-tors, music teachers, and parents get involved in promoting music camps. We want people to embrace the op-portunity for their kids and not feel overwhelmed by the idea of us com-ing in.
We have been developing rela-tionships with teachers on a personal level with hopes of not only promot-ing the summer workshops, but to also let them know that we’re a re-source for them on an ongoing basis. Often, we will communicate with a teacher throughout the year that we have met over the summer. It would be helpful to have more of them at-tend and observe their students in the workshops. I believe that when a student sees that involvement from their teacher during their personal
vacation time, they will have a dif-ferent perspective and rapport with them during the school year.
L. Scott McCormick: Some of our faculty comes from Illinois State University’s applied instrumental faculty, who serve as the host loca-tion for this event, however of our over 125 member teaching faculty only about 15 percent of them are from our host school. We attempt to bring the best and most relevant fac-ulty available to us.
Marc Dicciani: We run two one-week music programs in the summer. During the fi rst week students are all grouped together and take classes in their major instrument – drums, pia-no, bass, voice, et cetera. Coursework includes private lessons, workshops, clinics, special guests, and performing with other instrumentalists and vocal-ists in ensemble and band workshops.
The second week is a jazz work-shop where students from the dif-
ferent major areas come together to attend clinics, take classes in improvisation and private lessons, and play in large and small jazz en-sembles. Students can elect to take either week or both weeks. During the jazz workshop week, we closely align our activities with our un-dergrad curriculum. We work with high school band directors and pri-vate teachers throughout our region and in a few other geographic areas across the country, and even with a few schools abroad.
Heidi Stansell: As a Michigan based camp with 84 percent of our students coming from our home state, Blue Lake has always seen it-self as an extension of the Michigan school arts program. From its incep-tion in 1966, the camp has worked closely with the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association to ensure our curriculum compliments school instruction and we maintain close ties with the state’s leading mu-
SBO_41 41 2/25/10 11:02:48 AM
42 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
sic educators, many of whom are on our faculty.
We are in the process of evaluat-ing our curriculum to ensure it meets the state’s revised arts standards and benchmarks.
What are some of the common ob-stacles that students might face in a camp program?
L. Scott McCormick: As students, parents, and music educators deter-mine the kinds of summer music programs that they might attend, it is important to understand the out-comes that they are attempting to achieve before making the decision. One challenge that we all face today is the economic realities of choos-ing a camp experience. Make sure that you are comfortable with the faculty, the host organization and facilities that you will be attending. Ask about things like adequate and qualified supervision and medical staffs.
Jeffrey Kimpton: The best advice is this: if you are serious about your instrument and want an intensive ex-perience, then a summer music camp is something you should try. It pro-vides an opportunity to focus on mu-
sic without competing with academics and other school activities.
It is important for students to come ready to meet new people and try new experiences. At Interlochen, our cabin counselors strive to create a strong feeling of home from the fi rst minutes; they understand that this is new for many students, and returning students help make that transition a positive one.
Heidi Stansell: If students come to camp with a good attitude and open mind, they will have a positive expe-rience. Our goal is to provide a non-threatening, supportive environment where campers can grow and thrive. Blue Lake’s staff is thoroughly trained to assist our students with adjustments to camp life.
Marc Dicciani: Sometimes stu-dents aren’t completely prepared for the intense level of practice and study, and the advanced level of the other students in the program. Also, because we’re located in the arts dis-trict in the heart of downtown Phila-delphia, some students can become distracted by all of the concerts, jazz clubs, and other events that are pre-sented throughout the area on a daily
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SBO_42 42 2/25/10 11:02:53 AM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 43
basis. I think as long as students ap-proach coming to our program with the understanding that it’s an intense program for serious music students, they’ll be okay.
Carl Allen: Some of the challenges that some students face are the atten-tion to detail that we require. We ask that they focus and retain what’s be-ing covered. Some students are not used to this, but we feel without it progress becomes almost impossible, given the short amount of time that we have. As for the preparation pro-cess, just continue to practice and come with an open mind and willing spirit to learn.
Is there anything in particular that you wish more people knew about summer music camps?
Heidi Stansell: A summer music camp experience prepares students for increased success in their school music
programs, nurtures personal growth and encourages independence and self-confi dence. Lifetime friendships and memories are formed at camp that help to shape and defi ne young adult-hood.
Marc Dicciani: Although the dura-tion of these programs is usually short, the amount of learning and the depth of experience that takes place in a cou-ple of weeks can positively affect the student for many years.
Carl Allen: Yes, we want people to know that we bring in profes-sional musicians who care about our students’ growth and development. We are there to help them learn and show them how we deal with the same challenges that they have or have had.
Jeffrey Kimpton: The opportu-nity to experience great teaching, learning, and performance in a spec-
tacular location is something every musician should try in the summer; many never get the chance. If you are serious about making music and have the chance, you should go to a summer music camp.
L. Scott McCormick: The right summer music camp experience can be the catalyst for a student to come of age with their instrument and decisions about their future. We have untold numbers of stories of students making the decision on becoming a music educator or per-former from being a part of our own Summer Symposium. Whether a student is going to become a mu-sic teacher or performer the other major benefit from participating in a good summer experience is that a safe away-from-home collegiate campus experience prepares your young people for the next phase of their lives.
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44 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
SBOPerformance: Conducting
As a conductor, you have one of the most creative
jobs in the world – you sculpt sound with your
hands! You evoke, shape, and inspire sound with
your conducting. Have you ever asked a snare
drummer to keep time for your ensemble? Many conductors are
the visual equivalent of our snare drummer. If you were given
the task of inventing conducting, would you pound the air on
every beat regardless of the musical impetus? Or, rather, would
you craft a set of gestures that indicates all aspects of the music,
not just the meter. If you choose the latter, imagine your con-
ducting as the artistic catalyst to inspired music making.
BY J. STEVEN MOORE
CreativeConducting:
15 Conducting Tips for Inspired Musicianship
Tip #1 - Conduct the music, not the pattern. Conduct only that which is in the music – no more and no less. There is much more to music than the delineation of the meter. Time-beating usually results in over-conducting. Even lovely gestures, if not called for in the music, should not be present in the conduct-ing. Look for techniques, clinics, or instructional materials to help you get out of the pattern box. Applying the language of Rudolf Laban may be helpful.
SBO_44 44 2/25/10 11:09:25 AM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 45
Tip #2 - Conduct the mu-sic, not the musicians. Allow each musi-cian to assume responsibility for main-taining pulse, subdividing, entrances, and releases. You initiate and defi ne the time, cue entrances and releases, but you do not function as a traffi c cop di-recting a chaotic intersection.
Tip #3 - Display the infor-mation in the tip of the baton. Imagine paint fl owing from the tip of your baton on to your imaginary canvass. It fl ows smoothly in legato passages, creates dabs in normal articulations, and dots in staccato passages. The pulse should not be in your elbow. Preparatory beats should not be given with your head. By focusing on the tip of the baton, your body will automatically adjust to the most effi cient movement.
Tip #4 - Use the smallest tool for the job. Don’t use a hammer to insert a small screw. Similarly, don’t use your entire arm to depict light or nor-mal articulations. Use the smallest hinge appropriate for the task: fi ngers, wrist, elbow, shoulder, body. With a normal-sized 15 inch baton, you can trace a 15 inch arc from horizontal to vertical using only your wrist hinge. Add your elbow hinge and you are tracing 24-30 inches of space--more than enough for most musical situations. By using the smallest hinge appropriate for the mu-sic, you avoid over-conducting, beating the air, and large patterns.
Tip #5 - Address your ensemble. Conductors often allow the baton to point to the left side of the ensemble. Hold the baton comfort-ably in your hand. Relax your fi ngers and wrist with just enough tension to maintain control of the baton. The ba-ton is an extension of your forearm. It should not angle signifi cantly to the left.
Tip #6 - Stay grounded. Avoid going up on your toes by keep-ing your feet fl at on the podium. This
often occurs on preparatory beats. (Video yourself from the side.)
Tip #7 - Avoid deep knee bends. Allow your knees to be relaxed, yet stable. Let’s leave the knee bends to our beloved drum majors. (Video yourself from the side.)
Tip #8 - Move your baton up and down at the same rate of speed. All beats have some type of upward and downward impetus that emulates the laws of physics. If you toss a small bean bag in the air, its landing is completely predictable. This predictable motion is helpful to the musicians. Do not rush to the downbeat or jerk the baton up quickly after the ictus is given. You may not realize you are doing this, so please record your conducting. If you fl ick
your baton up too quickly, you will become an “upbeat conductor.” The pulse will appear to be on your upbeat instead of your downbeat.
Tip #9 - Begin with the end in mind. Show the musicians the location of the ictus by starting in that position. In other words, begin the beat where the beat concludes.
Tip #10 - Release with your left hand. An elliptical motion with the left hand clarifi es your inten-tion for a release. Right hand motions may be interpreted as an indication to play the next note. When releases oc-cur at the end of sections, movements, or compositions where there is not another note, right hand releases are perfectly acceptable.
Performance.indd 45 3/1/10 2:17:21 PM
46 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
Tip #11 - Begin with your baton parallel with the fl oor. Of-ten conductors allow the ictus to drift too high, sometimes chest and above. Save this position for indicating reg-istration. For example, triangle cues are higher than trombone cues. Keep your elbows away from your torso and forward of your ribs. Many old (and some contemporary) conducting texts illustrate a fundamental position that is too high. The fundamental position for conducting includes:
1. Baton and forearm parallel with fl oor (or just slightly higher).
2. Forearms angled toward each other (45 degrees from elbow to wrist).
3. Elbows in front of your torso (45 degrees from shoulder to elbow).
Tip #12 - All beats should move up and down, not in a straight line. All gestures that describe a beat should have an upward and
downward impetus. The more pro-nounced the musical articulation re-quired, the more vertical the beat. The less pronounced the musical articula-tion required, the more horizontal the beat. Choose a pattern that aligns each ictus along a horizontal plane. Since a straight line does not indicate a beat, the “fl oor-wall-wall-ceiling” pattern is not the best tool.
Tip #13 - Don’t mir-ror. Develop independence in your gestures. There is rarely a reason to mirror. If your left hand is not adding to the musical interpretation, it is add-ing to the confusion. Imagine your left hand:1. Resting comfortably at your side2. Cueing entrances.3. Releasing sound.4. Increasing or decreasing volume.5. Signaling attention – something is
going to change.6. Shaping a phrase.7. Sustaining sound.8. Encouraging a musician.
Tip #14 - If the air keeps moving, your hands keep mov-ing. When you stop your hands, the musicians tend to stop the air. If you intend for the sound to sustain, keep your gestures in motion. If the air, the bow, or the roll is moving, your hands should continue moving. Your conducting should emulate a violin-ist moving her bow. Your ictus depicts how you want the bow, tongue, stick, or mallet to initiate sound.
Tip #15 - Trust your performers. Allow them to come to you. Train them to watch and respond. Teach them to internalize time. Expect that they will assume responsibility for the music. You will get exactly what you expect from your ensemble. This is true of young musicians as well as more experienced musicians.
Tip #16 - Record your-self on video. One video study session can lead to tremendous improvements. You may notice a hitch at the top of the beat, an extra curly-que between beats, an oversized pattern, “thinking-man” expression, traffi c-cop cueing, excessive mirroring, head in the score, or any num-ber of issues that are easily resolved.
Go easy on yourself as this is supposed to be a joyous activity. Whatever unde-sirable habits you have developed can be replaced with more artistic gestures. Visualize yourself conducting the music with tremendous artistry. Compare the video to the image in your mind. Allow yourself to gradually transition into the conductor you see in your imagination. Once you begin to move in the right di-rection, you will notice a rapid change. Remember: Your conducting makes a difference in the sound of the ensemble!
J. Steven Moore is the director of bands at Colorado State University, where he conducts the wind ensemble and the marching band. As an associate professor of Music and assistant chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Dr. Moore also teaches music education and conducting courses. Prior to this position, Dr. Moore spent four years as the assistant band director at the University of Kentucky and 10 years before that as the band director at Lafayette High School and Jesse Clark Middle School, in Lexington, Kentucky, during which time the LHS won 6 state marching band championships and was awarded the Sudler Shield. Visit his Web site, www.beyondthenotes.com.
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48 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
SBOTechnology: Audio Cleaning
BY JOHN KUZMICH, JR.
Dr. John Kuzmich Jr. is a veteran music educator, jazz educator and music technolo-gist with more than 41 years of public school teaching experi-ence. He is a TI:ME-certifi ed training instructor and has a Ph.D. in comprehensive musi-cianship. As a freelance author, Dr. Kuzmich has more than 400 articles and fi ve textbooks published. As a clinician, Dr. Kuzmich frequently participates in workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and South America.
For more information, visit www.kuzmich.com.
Audio Tools for Music Educators:
We are all familiar with those dramatic “before and
after” weight loss ads. Now just as dramatic results
are available to everyday music educators with audio
archives and performances we want to share via In-
ternet blogs, podcasts, Web postings, CDs, and DVDs. While the
recording industry has traditionally dealt with audio restoration,
music educators have not because it was complicated and cost
prohibitive. Fortunately, this is no longer the case.
Noise Cleaning & Audio Enhancements
SBO_48 48 2/25/10 11:06:08 AM
School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 49
“Audio restoration” is a generalized term for the process of removing im-perfections (such as hiss, crackle, noise, and buzz) from sound recordings. It can also enhance the audio quality of the original recording. There are 19 before-and-after recording examples to listen to help illustrate this process for you at www.kuzmich.com/Au-dio_Tables.html. A list of recording challenges that new audio restoration software can correct include:• Removing Broadband Noise from a
concert recording.• Using EQ and other tools with the
spoken word.• Restoring an Historical Speech
making voice more intelligible.• Removing clicks and pops from a
concert on record.• Cleaning up a phone interview clip-
ping. (You can’t remove clipping, but you can use click/crackle repair to minimize it. At the URL above, check out the WWII recording of a heavily clipped recording that was salvaged.
• Removing guitar string squeaks.• Filling an audio gap.• Restoring old recordings removing
unwanted noise.• Putting analog tapes or vinyl onto
CDs.
Before reviewing the audio restora-tion software applications, let’s look at some of the audio problems frequently found in recordings.
Hum and BuzzHum is usually the result of elec-
trical noise somewhere in recorded signal chain heard as a low frequency tone based between 50Hz or 60Hz. It only takes a few harmonics to create a hum or buzz. Software can suppress some of the harmonics.
Hiss and Broadband NoiseUnlike hum and buzz, broadband
noise is spread throughout the fre-quency spectrum and not concentrated at specifi c frequencies. Tape hiss and noise ventilation systems are good ex-amples of broadband noise. Addition examples can be heating, ventilation, and air condition systems, as well as DV camera motor or needle hiss.
Clicks and Pops Clicks and pops are common on re-
cordings made from vinyl and can also be introduced by digital errors, including re-cording into a DAW with improper buffer settings. Most audio restoration products include both automatic and manual tools for removing clicks and pops.
ClippingClipping is a common problem that
occurs when a loud signal distorts on
input to a sound card/converter, mix-ing console, fi eld recorder or other piece of equipment. The result is over-load distortion.
Intermittent Noises Intermittent noises appear infre-
quently and may not be consistent in pitch or duration. Examples in-clude coughs, sneezes, footsteps, car horns, cell phone rings, et cetera. Because noises like this are often un-
SBO_49 49 2/25/10 11:06:14 AM
50 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
predictable, they usually need to be removed manually.
GapsSometimes a recording may include
short sections of missing or corrupted audio. Using information around the gap to fi ll in the missing information with patterns and advanced re-synthe-sis is the usual remedy.
Audio Restoration Products
I have found fi ve products that remedy noise and audio problems while enhancing the audio recording by boosting high and low frequencies.• Spin It Again by Acoustica, stand-
alone for PC.• Magix Audio Cleaning 15 by
Magix, stand-alone for PC.• SoundSoap 2 by BIAS-Inc., both
plug-in and stand-alone for Mac and PC..
• SoundSoap 2 Pro by BIAS-Inc., for Mac and PC plug-in only.
• iZotope RX and RX Advanced by iZotope, for Mac and PC plug-in and stand alone.
As noted, some of these are stand-alone products and some are plug-ins that interface seamlessly with audio applications through either VST hosting applications, Audio Units (supported by Apple comput-ers) or RTAS/AudioSuite (Real Time AudioSuite) for ProTools hosts. Pop-ular VST hosting programs include Peak, Audition, Cubase, Digital Per-former, GarageBand,Live, ProTools, Premier, and SoundForge., For a complete list of plug-in products, along with a host of other supple-mental information related to this article, including links and exam-ples, go online to www.kuzmich.com/SBO0310.html.
A plug-in product lets you can run it seamlessly from inside of your familiar audio editing program us-ing the editing program’s transport button, time-line, in-an-out markers
and apply buttons. The advantage of a stand-alone application is that is it doesn’t require a compatible host program.
Primer & Intermediate Levels For PC users who want an easy-to-
use product, Spin It Again by Acous-tica does a superb job of basic noise reduction for tapes and records. It uses a wizard, which makes it very easy to achieve good results. I like how the product records vinyl LP or cassette to CD, dividing tracks, and also burns CDs. You can also record your LP collection and cassettes to your iPod or another portable MP3 player. There are 16 cleaning tools to get rid of clicks, pops, and crack-les, all explained in further detail on the supplemental Web site.
MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 15 Deluxe offers an amazingly clean in-terface. Simply click “Record” and the integrated recorder records ev-erything that you hear via the sound card. Non-copy-protected audio CDs and MP3 fi les can be imported without any problems. With a single click, you can eliminate clipping, crackling vinyl, audio disturbances, noise, popping, and humming from any recording. The cleaning wizard automatically analyses the audio ma-terial, selects the appropriate effects and goes to work.
Fine tuning is also possible with the equalizer. There are numerous effects for producing a perfect, neu-tral stereo image. MAGIX Audio Cleaning Lab 15 Deluxe can also optimize the audio on your video recordings and even remove typical basic noise caused by nearly every camcorder. Exporting restored files to various audio file formats is both simple and powerful. The interface works seamlessly with loading files, making recordings, and ripping CDs, all within one application.
Another entry level application that works on both Mac and PC is the iZotope Music & Speech Clean-er based on their more powerful RX program. For more details, go to the supplemental Web site previous-ly cited. It doesn’t have the wizard like Spin It Again, but it does have
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School Band and Orchestra, March 2010 51
settings specific to speech instead of just music.
SoundSoap by BIAS-Inc. is de-signed to be very easy to use, for the digital audio novices among us. The interface is set up to allow “one-click” noise reduction on pretty much any kind of unwanted back-ground noise. SoundSoap is opti-mized for speech, but also works well with music. SoundSoap 2 dra-matically reduces tape hiss, buzzing and hum, rumble and most other types of background noise. Just click the one-step “Learn Noise” button, and watch SoundSoap2 automati-cally clean your audio. This product can also fine-tune with its intuitive controls for even more professional results. You will like the Enhance slider, which boosts highs and lows, bringing old recordings back to life. SoundSoap 2 works on both PC and Mac and is a step up from Spin It Again with a few nice features such as: Preserve Voice, which removes anything that is outside of the range of the human voice, and Learn Noise, which finds the “noise” in your recording and removes it. The first few seconds of a recording will usually have silence before the mu-sic starts, so this is a good place for SoundSoap 2 to “learn the noise.” If you don’t have a full two seconds of silence, you can use the “Loop” command in a host app, or in the stand-alone edition of SoundSoap, in a shorter section.
SoundSoap 2 will work as a stand alone or as a plug-in within another audio editing program. There isn’t a demo, but you can read about it in this article’s supplemental Web site. SoundSoap is the most widely used cross-platform high-quality noise reduction tool available in its price range. It is also used by law enforce-ment agencies for forensics because it is so easy and effective.
Professional LevelSoundSoap 2 Pro exposes dozens
of parameters that are preset in the more basic version. For advanced users who understand the different controls, this is the powerful au-dio restoration/noise reduction tool
of choice. SoundSoap 2 Pro is the professional version of SoundSoap 2 and adds a number of features for advanced noise reduction. You can even compare 4 different settings at the same time to make the best selec-tion. It combines four advanced res-toration tools: BroadBand, Click & Crackle and Hum & Rumble, as well as a “Noise Only” setting so users can listen to what the program plans to remove. SoundSoap 2 Pro is particu-larly effi cient in respect to click and crackle removal.
Another powerful audio restora-tion software products is iZotope RX, which is basically a comprehen-sive toolbox for cleaning and repair-ing audio. RX removes hiss, buzz, eliminates clicks and crackles, and repairs distortion and even gaps in audio. It was designed for audio restoration and archiving, record-ing and mastering, broadcasting and podcasting, video production, and forensics. Key features include a de-noiser, Spectral Repair, Declipper, hum removal, declicker, spectogram, and more. There are some videos available under the “Downloads” tab posted on this article’s supplemental
Web site. In addition to the usual noise reduction tools, iZotope RX has some very powerful tools such as the “Declipper” which can rescue recordings that were too “hot” and distorted. The “Spectral Repair” can actually fi ll in drop-outs or remove intermittent noises. Despite ad-vanced features like these, the pro-gram is actually fairly easy to use.
Closing CommentsWhile features themselves may
seem important, educators really need to try the products to create an inde-pendent evaluation of how a particu-lar product works. Contact manufac-turers for a demo version or a 30-day money back option. And for those who are new to audio restoration and digital audio editing I suggest keeping it simple. If not used carefully, these unfamiliar controls and options could conspire to make the audio sound worse!
For examples of these programs’ capabilities and other additional in-formation related to this article, visit www.kuzmich.com/SBO0310.html.
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52 School Band and Orchestra, March 2010
NewProductsDinkles Marching Shoes
Dinkles Marching Shoes are equipped with shock-resistant soles and insoles, a cotton lining, and a stable, Dinkles-exclusive, “Triad” heel, designed to provide additional heel and ankle support. There is also a 4-part ball, fl ex-feature comfort pad built into each shoe.
The soles of Dinkles shoes are made of 80 percent rubber. The skid-resis-tant Chevron-designed tread pattern prevents slipping and adds precision to all marching maneuvers. The high qual-ity materials on these shoes, such as the protected leather used on the Vanguard and the high-grade vinyl used on the Glide and Formal, require little or no maintenance at all. Dinkles uses the same materials as shoes designed for postal workers and golfers.
Dinkles now also offers a full line of gloves www.dinkles.com
Neotech’s Trombone GripThe Trombone Grip from Neotech
is designed to be adjusted to fi t both the instrument and the musician’s hand, to provide comfort, balance, and support while playing.
In order to achieve a custom fi t for any style/size of trombone, Ne-otech’s Trombone Grip comes with three types of wraps (bushings) along with several neoprene shims to create a platform for the hand grip to snap on. Once the correct bushing type is selected and fi rmly attached, the hand grip is quickly affi xed. It can be ad-justed forward and back as well as at a slight angle.
The grip incorporates a soft, du-rable neoprene strap which closes se-curely across the back of the hand. It allows for a full range of movement, while keeping a secure hold on the in-strument. While the custom-fi t bush-ing remains on the instrument, the
grip portion can be removed for stor-ing and transporting the instrument.www.optechusa.com
Tycoon Percussion’s Entry-Level Cajons
The new cajons from Tycoon are handcrafted from premium-grade hardwoods, yet are positioned to be sold at a price-point under $100. Tycoon’s Supremo entry level cajon is designed for beginners and recreation-al drummers as well as serious play-ers who are looking for value. Also joining Tycoon’s range of traditional, roundback, and electrifi ed cajons is the new Acrylic cajon that combines a heavy-gauge, clear acrylic body with a traditional Black Makah Burl playing surface.www.tycoonpercussion.com
Super-Sensitive’s Clarity Spectrum Rosin
Super-Sensitive Musical String Co. introduces Clarity Spectrum, a colorful collection of its hypo-allergenic rosin,
now available in red, pink, green, blue, and purple. Made from a syn-thetic hydrocarbon resin compound, Clarity is said to improve the perfor-mance of rosin, producing better grab and clearer string response. Clarity Spectrum is non-corrosive to instru-ment varnish and can be safely used on all valued instruments. Also, unlike sap rosin, hydrophobic Clarity resists the absorption of moisture, making it unaffected by humidity and allowing it to keep its full tack and effectiveness over time. Clarity includes a fi ve-inch micro fi ber cloth for a cleaner applica-
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tion and is packaged inside a hard top container. www.supersensitive.com
Bari Woodwind Synthetic Reeds
Bari Woodwind Supplies adds two new strengths, me-dium hard (3.5-4.0) and medium soft (2.5 -3.0), to its synthetic composite reed line. Bari synthetic reeds come in two varieties: Bari Original which projects a clear, vibrant sound and Bari Star, which translates a warm and dark sound. Both Star and Origi-nal are available for Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxo-phone, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone. With the addition of the new strengths, Bari synthetic reeds are available in soft (2.0-2.5), medium soft (2.5 -3.0), medium (3.0-3.5), medium hard (3.5-4.0), and hard (4.0-4.5). www.bariwoodwind.com
MXL’s Live Series MicMXL’s LSC-1/2 Live Se-
ries microphone is a spe-cially-designed live/stage condenser that features a metal body construction, three interchangeable
capsules to create three polar patterns (cardioid/omni/hyper-cardioid), and a roll-off switch with steep cutoff to reduce handling noise and proximity effect. The MXL LSC-1/2 Liv in-cludes a 25-footmicrophone cable, mic stand adapter, cardioid/omni/hyper-cardi-oid capsules, carrying case and cleaning cloth. www.mxlmics.com
Bag End’s Weatherproofed Loudspeakers
Any of Bag End’s loudspeakers can be weatherproofed by Bag End for
outdoor installation to protect them against the elements and extend their performance life. The cabinet is com-pletely sealed inside and out; all hard-ware is upgraded to stainless steel and
aluminum, and the drivers are sealed with advanced polymers offering cor-rosion resistance.
Weatherproofi ng-Plus is added by Bag End at its facility before delivery, and is available on all of its many prod-ucts. Weatherproofi ng-Plus will not interfere with a Bag End loudspeaker being able to deliver sound.www.bagend.com
en•CORE 100i Live Instrument Microphone
Blue Microphones has expanded their en•CORE live stage microphone series with the addition of the en•CORE 100i. The en•CORE 100i gets its tech-nology from the en•CORE 100 dynamic
vocal microphone, but is designed with a wider and fl atter frequency response to capture a variety of instruments and tighter polar pattern to reduce off-axis noise. The mic is built around Blue’s proprietary dynamic capsule with a cus-tom-designed diaphragm and coil wind-ings that are matched to a tuned acous-tic circuit, custom-built transformer for low noise, and high-pass fi lter to reduce stage rumble. While sporting a smaller grille for easy placement in tight spaces, the 100i shares the same build as the en•CORE 100 and 200, with a rein-forced guard ring to protect the capsule, heavy cast zinc barrel for strength, and electroplated and hardened paint fi n-ishes for scratch resistance. www.bluemic.com
Madarozzo’s Band Instrument Bags
The Madarozzo 2010 Band Instru-ment Gig Bag Couture, a range of bags specifi cally designed by Martin Ritter to accommodate band instruments, now comprises 12 different models to choose from. Catering to the demands of brass and woodwind players, the lightweight, protective bags will carry different instruments from trumpets to saxophones. Available in a choice of colors, each model features soft in-teriors, a detachable backpack system, integrated semi-rigid panels, pockets, and pouches. The B050-Series accom-modates trumpets, triple trumpets, alto and tenor sax, and trombone.www.madarozzo.com
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