High School Band Jobs
See, I really am back... entry earlier today explaining everything.
Very interesting discussion in class this morning about what all is required of a high school band director. Situations vary, of course, but this is based on Alabama, in the local area. Now, all my classmates have either been the teacher or the student in an Alabama band in the last few years. I didn't know too much of what to say; not only was my high school experience in Tennessee, but it was a while back. And my school didn't have the most active band program, compared to the ones we were discussing. We saved our energy for concert band.
My high school: one halftime show a year, only performed at Homecoming. March to block formations and play. Rehearsal only once a week after school. No summer band camp. No assistant director or percussion coach. Self-taught color guard with one frayed set of flags and uniforms consisting of things you could buy yourself. We did not play at all the games, in part because some of the away games were too dangerous (deep inner city). No twirlers. (No drill team either, though those seem to be more of a Texas thing and separate from the band.) Three girls in majorette outfits were always chosen as student leaders; no conventional drum major, band president, or other student officers besides the girls. We certainly never went to marching contest.
Anyway, not to put it down - we didn't know anything different at the time, and we did have a lot of fun playing in the stands and participated in several parades. But it doesn't really prepare you for what a lot of the schools expect. We were in a very poor district, and many of us selected the high school for its academics and the band program was just going to have to be what it was. They had more of a tradition prior to when I got there, I think; there wasn't much interest (no band trip materialized while I was there due to lack of participation) and the middle school did well but things dropped down a level after that. Many people joined the city-wide Youth Symphony and quit band. I won't get into the complicated reasons behind everything, but... we had a band experience, just not the kind many people have. When I met other musicians at state Governor's School and we compared stories, I became aware that something was different.
So... apparently there is drill-writing software now, not that many can afford it. I've heard of buying prepackaged drills, from seeing exhibits at TMEA and AMEA. I don't think we had any of that at all, just "go stand over there". Even the scatter/scramble band that I joined for my Traditional Undergraduate Experience (when I wasn't a music major) had more technical terms in its halftime shows.
Other high school band expectations we were told about that I don't have firsthand experience with: auditions in the spring prior to joining marching band (we, ummm, just showed up, and freshmen didn't march anyway), possible rehearsals mid-summer outside of band camp, jazz band rehearsals outside of school (that was one thing we did have covered - there was a class period for it, not that a lot of us could fit it in our schedules), chamber ensembles, Honor Bands (is this an Alabama thing? or a 2000's thing? I never so much as heard of an Honor Band in HS or I would have tried one), etc.
While it takes up a lot of a director's time, you've got to expect that. I have personally been leaning toward middle school for my career choice, because 1) I don't have the marching band experience, 2) it will allow some time to actually see my family, and 3) unlike many people, I have no problem with middle school kids. I like the way they still have some sweetness and innocence left; they still look up to the teacher and have some natural respect. Maybe a high school job after a bunch of years at the middle school level, which will give me lots of time to observe them, see how it works, be formulating my own ideas and be ready to go. And give my kids (that I hope to have) time to grow up. :) The only way I would want a high school job would be as an assistant, with someone else to lead things, though that alone implies a bigger school.
So, lots to observe. The rest of today: rehearsal for choir, did a bit of Oklahoma. (I like show tunes in general, wish I'd gotten to be in a show choir, but this is from a very corny musical. Oh well. I guess that's the fun of it.) It will be interesting to see if I get to be a soprano this time - for balance, they don't have as many strong seconds anymore. I'm usually alto but I did do soprano two years ago (still at UTSA) when they needed some. I'm kind of borderline anyway.
Wind Ensemble was fun today. First rehearsal of the semester. We read through Blue Shades, which I did... exactly ten years ago, at a time when otherwise there wasn't much music in my life. I guess, because of that, it has special meaning to me. I still have a recording of us then. I got my part back too (as a percussionist, this is significant). It gave me chills to do it again. That is a cool piece. I heard it performed last year at TMEA with Frank Ticheli himself in the audience. Also, a Scriabin nocturne - slow and pretty - I got to play piano for that. Finally, Lincolnshire Posy. I had known it was coming. I don't have the deep love of this piece that many band people have, probably because percussionists are only used sporadically and spend rehearsals trying not to fall asleep while counting through a whole movement to play a couple of licks at the end. Just saying. :) Not sure of the solution to things like this; I know often the composer didn't see percussion as part of the tone color throughout the piece, but still, wind instruments aren't told to spend that much of a piece not playing. Probably one reason I liked choir so much, as well as marching/pep band. Actually getting to play the whole time. (I know, childish percussion whining.)
Piano... I keep hammering out notes on the Debussy and Rachmaninoff. It is coming along VERY slowly. I need to step up my efforts in this area. At least I'm only accompanying one singer this semester, which is good. I feel like, that way, I can give his pieces the proper attention without being overwhelmed by everyone else's stuff. I was able to get my schedule spread out better than last semester. Still attacked by this wave of inability-to-play-piano, though. It's strange. Well, this is the course I started for myself and I have to get through it. I wish playing it the 100th time through didn't feel like sight reading, given large chords with funny accidentals. I still think "what note is that, OK, what the heck is that up there..." for each chord. Trying to just memorize but that's not coming either. I envy those who can read it like a book.
Tomorrow: finding out what a Measurement and Evaluation class is, perhaps some more wind literature, perhaps seeing my accompaniment pieces... music-wise, I'm not sure what else.
Very interesting discussion in class this morning about what all is required of a high school band director. Situations vary, of course, but this is based on Alabama, in the local area. Now, all my classmates have either been the teacher or the student in an Alabama band in the last few years. I didn't know too much of what to say; not only was my high school experience in Tennessee, but it was a while back. And my school didn't have the most active band program, compared to the ones we were discussing. We saved our energy for concert band.
My high school: one halftime show a year, only performed at Homecoming. March to block formations and play. Rehearsal only once a week after school. No summer band camp. No assistant director or percussion coach. Self-taught color guard with one frayed set of flags and uniforms consisting of things you could buy yourself. We did not play at all the games, in part because some of the away games were too dangerous (deep inner city). No twirlers. (No drill team either, though those seem to be more of a Texas thing and separate from the band.) Three girls in majorette outfits were always chosen as student leaders; no conventional drum major, band president, or other student officers besides the girls. We certainly never went to marching contest.
Anyway, not to put it down - we didn't know anything different at the time, and we did have a lot of fun playing in the stands and participated in several parades. But it doesn't really prepare you for what a lot of the schools expect. We were in a very poor district, and many of us selected the high school for its academics and the band program was just going to have to be what it was. They had more of a tradition prior to when I got there, I think; there wasn't much interest (no band trip materialized while I was there due to lack of participation) and the middle school did well but things dropped down a level after that. Many people joined the city-wide Youth Symphony and quit band. I won't get into the complicated reasons behind everything, but... we had a band experience, just not the kind many people have. When I met other musicians at state Governor's School and we compared stories, I became aware that something was different.
So... apparently there is drill-writing software now, not that many can afford it. I've heard of buying prepackaged drills, from seeing exhibits at TMEA and AMEA. I don't think we had any of that at all, just "go stand over there". Even the scatter/scramble band that I joined for my Traditional Undergraduate Experience (when I wasn't a music major) had more technical terms in its halftime shows.
Other high school band expectations we were told about that I don't have firsthand experience with: auditions in the spring prior to joining marching band (we, ummm, just showed up, and freshmen didn't march anyway), possible rehearsals mid-summer outside of band camp, jazz band rehearsals outside of school (that was one thing we did have covered - there was a class period for it, not that a lot of us could fit it in our schedules), chamber ensembles, Honor Bands (is this an Alabama thing? or a 2000's thing? I never so much as heard of an Honor Band in HS or I would have tried one), etc.
While it takes up a lot of a director's time, you've got to expect that. I have personally been leaning toward middle school for my career choice, because 1) I don't have the marching band experience, 2) it will allow some time to actually see my family, and 3) unlike many people, I have no problem with middle school kids. I like the way they still have some sweetness and innocence left; they still look up to the teacher and have some natural respect. Maybe a high school job after a bunch of years at the middle school level, which will give me lots of time to observe them, see how it works, be formulating my own ideas and be ready to go. And give my kids (that I hope to have) time to grow up. :) The only way I would want a high school job would be as an assistant, with someone else to lead things, though that alone implies a bigger school.
So, lots to observe. The rest of today: rehearsal for choir, did a bit of Oklahoma. (I like show tunes in general, wish I'd gotten to be in a show choir, but this is from a very corny musical. Oh well. I guess that's the fun of it.) It will be interesting to see if I get to be a soprano this time - for balance, they don't have as many strong seconds anymore. I'm usually alto but I did do soprano two years ago (still at UTSA) when they needed some. I'm kind of borderline anyway.
Wind Ensemble was fun today. First rehearsal of the semester. We read through Blue Shades, which I did... exactly ten years ago, at a time when otherwise there wasn't much music in my life. I guess, because of that, it has special meaning to me. I still have a recording of us then. I got my part back too (as a percussionist, this is significant). It gave me chills to do it again. That is a cool piece. I heard it performed last year at TMEA with Frank Ticheli himself in the audience. Also, a Scriabin nocturne - slow and pretty - I got to play piano for that. Finally, Lincolnshire Posy. I had known it was coming. I don't have the deep love of this piece that many band people have, probably because percussionists are only used sporadically and spend rehearsals trying not to fall asleep while counting through a whole movement to play a couple of licks at the end. Just saying. :) Not sure of the solution to things like this; I know often the composer didn't see percussion as part of the tone color throughout the piece, but still, wind instruments aren't told to spend that much of a piece not playing. Probably one reason I liked choir so much, as well as marching/pep band. Actually getting to play the whole time. (I know, childish percussion whining.)
Piano... I keep hammering out notes on the Debussy and Rachmaninoff. It is coming along VERY slowly. I need to step up my efforts in this area. At least I'm only accompanying one singer this semester, which is good. I feel like, that way, I can give his pieces the proper attention without being overwhelmed by everyone else's stuff. I was able to get my schedule spread out better than last semester. Still attacked by this wave of inability-to-play-piano, though. It's strange. Well, this is the course I started for myself and I have to get through it. I wish playing it the 100th time through didn't feel like sight reading, given large chords with funny accidentals. I still think "what note is that, OK, what the heck is that up there..." for each chord. Trying to just memorize but that's not coming either. I envy those who can read it like a book.
Tomorrow: finding out what a Measurement and Evaluation class is, perhaps some more wind literature, perhaps seeing my accompaniment pieces... music-wise, I'm not sure what else.