Search

The article presents the perspectives of several musicians who have thrived in military music. Colonel Thomas Rotondi, Jr., highlights the importance of analyzing the counter-melodies and contrapuntal lines in Sousa marches. Lt. Commander Dwaine C. Whitman reveals that navy musicians are not trained for armed combat because their program includes theory, ear training, individual lessons, and performance in a variety of ensembles. Chief Musician Kelly Watkins and Roger Behrend discuss the requirements for a coast guard band audition while Major Keith Bland discusses the duties of navy musicians.

The article offers advice on how to avoid conflicts between the music and sports department in schools. It has been that both departments compete with students time thus causing conflicts. In order not to create conflicts, it is important that the athletic director and administrator should establish policies on which comes first, athletic practices over the musical events or either way and that it should be set with flexibility. It is also important that music directors should set relationships with coaches. Just by small acts of courtesy can already develop the said relationship of which can also boost morale. Meanwhile, several music directors shared their experience on conflicts and how they were able to solve it.

The article presents a discussion on the dangers of loud music, especially on tinnitus. Many people develop an incessant ringing in their ears, but band and orchestra directors are especially susceptible to this condition, which is called tinnitus. The precise causes of tinnitus are still unknown, but there is evidence that long-term exposure to loud music contributes to it. This ailment at its best is annoying and in extreme cases has led to suicide. Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing sounds in the ear or head when there is no sound in the environment. Sufferers have been divided into two groups, categorized as having objective and subjective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus can be heard or measured by someone else, but subjective tinnitus cannot. However, this is a poor division because objective tinnitus is extremely rare and usually results from a temporary vascular or blood-flow condition in the middle ear. Tinnitus is thought to be a brain activity rather than an ear disorder. It has been proposed that tinnitus is abnormal activity in the brain that is caused by a lack of input from the environment.

The article focuses on the views of five experienced band directors on ways to make rehearsals more enjoyable for students. The five directors are Anthony Maiello, Judith Grimes, Charles Menghini, Timothy Mahr and Christian Zembower. They are to discuss topics such as the steps they took to make rehearsals fun, benefits of developing a rehearsal plan, adjustments made when working with ensembles of different skill levels, importance of pacing in rehearsals, disturbing habits of some conductors and the best way to end a rehearsal so as to entice students to be back the next day.

The article presents views of several music professors on the factors they use to choose applicants for graduate programs in conducting. It is reported that professor James Croft looks for people who have been in a program long enough to build it to the point where the ensemble can play some fairly sophisticated music. Through that process they learn to detect errors, to teach every instrument, and to become familiar with the appropriate literature. Directors of elementary or middle school ensembles often tend not to think in terms of conducting but in terms of correcting. It is opined that too much talking is a common error. Flamboyant gestures, missed tempos, misinterpretation, and poor preparatory gestures are others. A conductor who has a clear concept of how the music should sound will convey this in the first preparatory gesture. According to professor John Boyd, some candidates are more concerned about looking good than they are about knowing the score, while others show no imagination about the music they conduct.

The article presents an interview with musician Sandra Dackow. When asked about the reason for giving wind players an orchestral experience, Dackow explained that the demand of the parents of her students for orchestral experience motivated her to give them the training. She revealed that fine transcriptions are very important in the orchestra. She differentiates wind players in a band and in the orchestra.

Offers the perception of various music teachers on the performance of their music students during the 1997 school year. Objectives of some of the teachers; Details on some of the students' achievements during 1997; Expectations of the teachers for the 1998 school year; Information on some of the methods which can be used by teachers to improve the students performance in the band.

The article relates the author's best summer camp experience while attending an integrated music camp in Florida.