From Carnegie Hall to the 50 yard line

Approaching Concert and Marching Ensembles with the same “vision”

by: John T. Madden, Associate Director of Bands, Director Spartan Marching Band, Michigan State University

As the end of the year closes in on us, plans for next fall are certainly well under way for all of us. Perhaps some of the remaining moments of this school year might be dedicated to developing a “different” approach to your fall marching band rehearsals. I suggest that you look no further than your recent concert band rehearsal and incorporate the same foundations of teaching and rehearsing from the concert podium into your marching band rehearsals. This concert band approach will ultimately insure the same success “outdoors” with your marching band.

The following six areas will address techniques to consider implementing into your teaching routine for concert and marching band.

1. Creating Expectations for Your Ensembles. Having High Standards

Rehearsal Atmosphere

The First Minutes of Teaching/Rehearsing

The Warm-up

5. Entering Into the Musical Agenda of the Rehearsal. How do you rehearse?

6. How to "listen" in the Concert Band vs. the Marching Band

So many of us are charged with the dual responsibilities of guiding the concert and marching ensembles. The training processes in both environments need to become more “fused” together for the greater good of our students, ultimately enhancing their retention of the critical technical and musical concepts we deem so important to their lives as instrumentalists.

Creating Expectations for Your Ensembles. Having High Standards.

Begin with a re-examination of your expectations for your students and ensembles. This is a needed and refreshing yearly exercise. Involve your student leaders if appropriate. Expectations for ensembles are typically communicated at the beginning of the school year or at the beginning of a new semester or concert preparation. What about a late spring “think tank” student committee that meets to establish goals for next year? What about creating expectations at the beginning of each rehearsal, in every measure, on every beat? Are you secure with your expectations for your ensembles?

Eight of my expectations for any ensemble, marching or concert:

That our time together as an ensemble is "special".

That the sounds we make are "beautiful".

That rehearsal time is for "ensemble development", not for practicing parts.

That individuals learn to prepare "independently" away from the rehearsal (homework).

That we are a community and "team-oriented" in an atmosphere built upon respect and friendliness.

That we are "goal oriented" in terms of musical achievement and performance.

That we are committed to the highest music/visual/technical standards of our activity.

That we prioritize becoming more "musically rich" away from the band.

Your expectations will evolve, change, and flourish. This is healthy. The most important exercise you can do is to continually re-evaluate your ever-evolving list.

Suggestion for this fall: create an assignment for your students asking them to write down their expectations for “our ensemble.” Post them for all to read. You might be surprised!

Rehearsal Atmosphere

What atmosphere exists as your students enter the rehearsal room or onto the practice field? Consider that the first minutes in the rehearsal environment establish the foundation for either a “good” or “bad” rehearsal experience. Work to create a rehearsal structure that the students look forward to.

Band Room/Practice Field Set-up, environment. Consider these four suggestions:

1. Carefully thought out concert band seating diagrams to ensure good listening, watching, consuming.

2. A standardized "formation" to begin every outdoor marching rehearsal.

3. A prescribed amount of time to enter the room, retrieve an instrument, warm-up, and get focused to rehearse.

4. A prescribed amount of time to exit the room (if starting inside), get to the practice field, assemble rehearsal materials, warm-up, and get focused to rehearse.

The First Minutes of Teaching/

Rehearsing

The first impression you create, your first words, your first agenda of any rehearsal, set a critically important tone for the success of that entire rehearsal!

The "Start of Concert Rehearsal" Routine

Try the They, You, We, They method, as follows: They focus, You Greet, We Warm-up (sensitize), They Tune. This sharing of responsibilities allows the students to know what “we do together” and what needs to be “done on their own.”

The "Start of Marching Rehearsal" Routine

Ensemble is “whistled to” or “called” to report to a “position of focus” (attention, parade rest, etc), in a set formation (attendance block, warm-up arcs, marching block/fronts), to create focus and readiness.

Start-up ritual (play the Fight Song, etc).

At MSU, a whistle is blown at exactly 4:28 PM. Students then have 2 minutes to get to their position in the attendance block. They report to the position of parade rest. At 4:30 PM exactly, the drum major calls the band to attention, which segues into a roll-off, which starts the band in the MSU Fight Song. This is an EVERY DAY ritual for starting our rehearsal. The rehearsal is “energized” before the content of that day’s rehearsal is revealed.

4. The Warm-up

I prefer the label of "Sensitizing Session" or "Technique Building Session". This is where we do most of our fundamental and pedagogical teaching away from the repertoire.

The "Concert Band" warm-up:

Logical warm-up fundamentals, to include: long tones, scales, chorales, ear training, tone development, blend and balance training, flexibility (brass), tongue and finger technique, articulation and attack fundamentals, release quality and fundamental training, intonation training, rhythm building/learning, stick and mallet technique, percussion sound quality.

Involve elements from the score/repertoire (rhythm, key centers, etc)

Conductor sensitivity training.

The "Marching Band" warm-up:

Same fundamentals as above, with some additional challenges:

Involve elements from the score/repertoire (rhythm, key centers, etc), in addition to challenges that occur as a result of the visual (awkward foot timing, step size, posture, horn moves, etc)

What Makes This Challenging?

The weather (wind-chill factor, Yikes! Why are we out here?).

Acoustics. There are none.

Brass/Woodwinds vs. Percussion Battery vs. Pit Percussion vs. Guard/Auxiliaries. These four sub sections

need separate spaces and require

specialized depth in teaching the correct fundamentals of each area. Specialized staff and instructors greatly enhance learning here.

Concert setting “conductor sensitivity training” falls short on the field. Non-verbal teaching gets put on the "back burner". HAZARD? Avoid bringing this syndrome inside.

5. Entering Into the Musical Agenda of the Rehearsal. How do you rehearse?

The repertoire is the content area. The substantive teaching begins now. What tools should we bring to work?

How to rehearse (consider these 6 approaches):

Rehearsal items are determined by the challenges, issues, and substantive qualities found in the repertoire (concert or marching music) or drill design.

Extract them similarly to that of a Doctor solving a medical problem (ADP): Analyze (to determine the nature of the whole), Diagnose (to distinguish or identify), Prescribe (to order or recommend a remedy or treatment).

After having done that, approach the band specifically, "targeting" the issue.

Goal Set (get them psyched to fix the target issue), LISTEN (to how they do what you asked them to do), Create Feedback (validate, congratulate, constructively criticize, TEACH).

Please don’t say too much! Targeted language speeds up the pace of the rehearsal. They want to play, not listen to us.

Isolation and Pacing. (Don’t go back 32 counts in the drill if you only need to rehearse counts 31 and 32 of the move – go back to count 29, and isolate the 4 counts that are critical – otherwise known as the SEAM – “rehearse the seam”).

Starting and Stopping Sound:

Concert Band – Start sound primarily non-verbally, with occasional verbal reinforcement (counting off). Stop sound non-verbally.

Marching Band – You MUST be verbal, usually associated with a PA system. Train the tapper (snare drummer) and train the ensemble to respond to the tapper! Train the band to stop on the drum major’s whistle or your whistle. Choose one or invent one, but train them to stop quickly!

The Rehearsal Toolbox? What Tools do you Bring to Work

Musicianship

Your personality and necessary adjustments

Baton Technique (& baton please)

Preparation and personal study

Interpretative Skills

Ears

Eyes

Tuner/Metronome

Language efficiency (including musical terms)

Gesture efficiency

The isolator

Pace

6. How to "listen" in the Concert Band vs. the Marching Band

Acoustics (or the lack of) create the most awkward set of problems and liabilities for students in the outdoor setting of the marching band.

Listening Skills in the Concert Band:

Conductors encourage students to possess "beautiful" and “characteristic” tones.

Conductors come to the podium with an "Internal Aural Image" of their ensemble before the sound begins to happen.

Students participate in blending and balancing exercises.

The Five Rules of Listening:

Make a beautiful sound

Blend, match and balance with the players to your right and left

Blend, match and balance with your section

Blend, match and balance with your choir (brass/woodwind/percussion)

Blend, match and balance with the ensemble, the band, the wind ensemble, etc

Conductors reinforce these rules in a physical atmosphere that includes acoustics.

Listening Skills in the Marching Band:

Conductors encourage students to possess "beautiful" and “characteristic” tones.

Conductors come to the podium with an "Internal Aural Image" of their ensemble before the sound begins to happen.

Students participate in blending and balancing exercises

Listening rules change when acoustics don’t exist and drill design stretches the "size of the stage."

The "Rhythm Section Idea" replaces the "Conductor Sensitivity" way of life. Students listen to the drum line. Feet must stay "in time" and be "with the drum line." We teach the ensemble elements of "timing" directly through the proficiency and pulse provided by the drum line. Pit ensembles must "listen back". Drum Majors reflect "time" as reinforced by the drum line. In short, in order to have a good marching ensemble, you must have a solid drum line!

The five rules of listening are replaced outdoors with the five rules of ZONING.

Make a beautiful sound.

Blend, match and balance with the players directly surrounding you (4 sides).

Blend, match and balance with players within ten yards of your charted position.

Blend, match and balance with the ZONE you are staged with.

Be able to hear the drum line pulse.

The title of this article was inspired by a visit that Dr. William D. Revelli made to Michigan State University in April of 1994. Dr. Revelli spoke to my undergraduate conducting class and other music education majors at MSU. It was a special and memorable day. One of the students asked of Dr. Revelli’s days with the Michigan Marching Band and what “ensemble development” concepts he taught in the marching band environment. He replied with a definite expression of conviction on his face:

“I don’t care if you’re in Carnegie Hall or on the 50 yard line, a C is a C, and in tune is in tune!”

William D. Revelli (b. 2/12/1902 – d. 7/16/1994)

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