The Novice
Percussion Ensemble: Movement “A” Competition by Mark Snelson
Featured
Artist
"If I had three hours to chop down a tree, I would spend two
hours sharpening my blade"…an analogy I borrow from a friend,
and a concept I believe in through everything I teach.
Applying this statement to the goals I set for my percussion
unit simply means that we spend a lot of time working on the
basic fundamentals of playing percussion via the wonderful
world of warm-ups. I do not wish to dwell on the philosophy of
"eight-on-a-hand, accent tap, run-the-diddle" exercises and
the like…the timeless conversation that never gets old. I
would like to discuss issues dealing with rehearsal structure
and concepts that I believe are essential in developing an
ensemble for present and future purposes. Additionally, it is
important to identify some of the traps that are easy to fall
into as both an instructor and as a student which stunt the
growth of the ensemble.
To some, the words "warm-up" simply means to stretch and
prepare the muscles in preparation for rehearsing "the show."
However, to our ensemble it means to build a foundation of
technique and knowledge in which the students can apply to
"the show" on their own. I cannot stress how important this is
to a young ensemble. As a percussion instructor, it is easy to
fall into the trap of getting through this portion of the
rehearsal in order to spend more time on aspects of the show
that are in need of attention. Presently as a director of an
entire band program as well as the indoor percussion program,
I must deeply consider the development of the ensemble for not
only the present, but for the future as well. Working on the
show is a short-term fix and may never quite reach its
potential, whereas dedicating time and effort on technical
aspects is a long-term strategy. And as a result of doing
this, it takes the burden off of us later in the season, and
also allows us to raise our standards and expectations in the
years to come. Personally, I would much rather gear my
teaching towards getting our ensemble the standards of being
in "open" or "world" class than to win ten state
championships
in “A” class.
Whether we are playing warm-ups, rehearsing music or drill, or
for the good students who practice at home, a metronome is a
wonderful tool to use. I must also stress the importance of
how much good time plays a role in achieving success. What
better way to enforce good time than from such a reliable and
annoying source (ear-plugs are recommended). With a metronome,
the level of precision and the internal pulse of the students
increase dramatically. From an instructional standpoint, it
frees your hands from clicking sticks and frees your mind to
hear every detail necessary to help improve the ensemble.
Another component of our rehearsal consists of time spent on
music only. If you can’t play well standing still, then by no
miracle will you be able to play well on the move. Between
warming up and time spent on music, I generally spend at
minimum one hour but certainly will vary from rehearsal to
rehearsal. One trap that is easy to fall into is again when
you know a visual/musical portion of the show is in need of
attention. It is tempting to rush or skip steps of the
rehearsal in order to spend time on these sections. In my
opinion, the best way to avoid a situation where the next
performance depends on rehearsing this section starts when the
show is first being learned.
Visually, if you are going to teach drill for the first time,
teach it right from the start. It is not a contest to see how
much drill can be learned in the least amount of time.
Adequate time should be allowed in order to learn drill
successfully. Spend time making sure everyone understands each
move. Always pay attention to detail and take the time early
on to make sure each student understands their role. Once you
are ready to put music together with drill for the first time,
even more time should be spend on precision and detailing. A
few details to consider are bringing sticks in and out, facial
responsibilities (where to look and how to look), presence,
etc. Before we move on, I ask myself if this section is good
enough for a performance. If the answer is "no," we will spend
more time making it that way. Hopefully, spending a lot of
time early on doing these sorts of things will help avoid or
reduce crucial rehearsal situations later.
Finally, set specific goals for each rehearsal. Do not simply
start at the beginning of the show each rehearsal and fix
things as you go. If you do, you will find yourself getting
bogged down and perhaps never getting to portions of the show
that are more in need of attention. Spend time in advance of
each rehearsal deciding what accomplishments you would like to
see occur. Let the students know at the beginning of rehearsal
what those accomplishments are. A lot of times, goals that are
clearly stated upfront are easier to obtain. Students can be
much more successful when they understand why they are doing
what you are having them do. At the end of rehearsal,
reexamine those goals and ask yourself, "Did we accomplish our
goals." If the answer is
"yes," make sure you understand how
your accomplished your goals and decide if you spend adequate
time on them. If the answer is "no," ask yourself why not.
Teaching is not an exact science. There is not always a right
or a wrong way to teach something. There are too many factors
involved, number one being the students themselves. Each group
is different and each student is different. The only way to
evolve and to be successful is to evaluate the needs of the
group and continue to evaluate them on a regular basis. If
there was a formula for success, everyone would be successful
and someone would be very rich.
Official Scores
|
championships
in “A” class.
"yes," make sure you understand how
your accomplished your goals and decide if you spend adequate
time on them. If the answer is "no," ask yourself why not.
Teaching is not an exact science. There is not always a right
or a wrong way to teach something. There are too many factors
involved, number one being the students themselves. Each group
is different and each student is different. The only way to
evolve and to be successful is to evaluate the needs of the
group and continue to evaluate them on a regular basis. If
there was a formula for success, everyone would be successful
and someone would be very rich.