ASBA Newsletter

In one week, the registration fee will go up to $35, and you will have until the end of October to get everything in. Below is the registration status as of today. If I should have yours by now, send Trey Reely a quick e-mail (reelytrey@gmail.com). The following bands have got'er done:

Alpena

Blytheville--form only
Central Arkansas Christian

Concord

Corning
Cotter

England

Fountain Lake

Harding Academy
Horatio

Lafayette County

Lamar
Manila

Marmaduke
Mineral Springs

Mountain View

Murfreesboro
Nashville

Riverview
Rose Bud

Sloan Hendrix

South Pike County

St. Joe High School Band
Two Rivers

Warren

Western Yell
West Side (Greers Ferry)

White County Central

5. Pulse is key. Use various devices (metronome and PA system, wood block, snare taps, counting out loud) to set and maintain tempo.

24. March in relationship with one another, not the field. Hash marks and yard lines are reference points. In theory, students should be able to march the show accurately with no yard lines at all.

29. Teach the path. When teaching drill, go from set one to set two several times, then turn the band around and march them back from set two to set one. This way the students learn the path, not just the starting and ending points.

37. Don't hide the woodwinds. Give them some time up front!

39. Go set "and one." March from set one to set two, and then take one step in the direction of set three. It helps with body facings and overall directional change.

Practice Idea #35: Systematically pausing on notes is an excellent way to explore a passage while building technique. For instance, in a long sixteenth note passage, add a fermata to every third or fourth note, pausing long enough to focus on producing a pure tone.

Practice Idea #36: Learn a new piece of music by playing only the notes and ignoring the rhythms. Select a rhythm that works for pitch accuracy and even out all of the written rhythms so that most of your attention is focused on the notes. For instance, a passage of difficult sixteenth, eighth, and quarter note rhythms can be converted to all eight notes.

From "No Limits" by John Maxwell:

Never put a limit on your own capacity to succeed. You can either be a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermometer is one who simply accepts and reports on what is, but a thermostat changes the conditions.

Define the term "administrator":

n. individual with three losing seasons and a Master's degree.

If you have any teaching tips (the shorter the better) to share in future issues, e-mail them to Trey Reely at reelytrey@gmail.com.