Rehearsing the High School Orchestra

By Independent Publishers Group

This book contains collective insights from some of the most inspirational high school orchestra directors in the United States. They reveal their ideas on rehearsal philosophy, rehearsal preparation, warm-up strategies, favorite repertoire, tone/bow control, intonation, articulation, expression, online instruction, recruiting and building community. Each of their stories is as unique as the individual strategies and approaches they share. You will surely be inspired by their ideas, approaches, and strategies presented in Rehearsing the High School Orchestra.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: Sep 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781574635423

Book preview

G-10494_RehearsingHighSchoolOrchestra.jpgTitle page for Rehearsing the High School Orchestra by Sandy B. Goldie. Includeds suggested repertoire for grades 4-6 and suggested resources for online learning.Meredith Music Publications logo

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First Edition

April 2021

G-10494

eISBN: 978-1-57463-542-3

Print ISBN: 978-1-57463-519-5

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Gail Barnes

I know the most joy in my life has come from my violin. —Albert Einstein

David Eccles

Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts. —Winston Churchill

Creston Herron

I want every student who comes through my door to enjoy and see the value of music. —Creston Herron

Cathie Hudnall

Without music, life would be a mistake. —Friedrich Nietzsche

Scott Laird

To make a resolution and act accordingly is to live with hope. There may be difficulties and hardships, but not disappointment or despair if you follow the path steadily. Do not rest in your efforts; without stopping, without haste, carefully taking a step at a time forward will surely get you there. —Shinichi Suzuki

Charles Laux

Orchestra class teaches so much more than how to play a stringed instrument. We learn valuable life skills in ‘O.R.C.H.E.S.T.R.A’—Opportunity, Responsibility, Concentration, Honesty, Effort, Self-Discipline, Trust, Respect, and Attitude. —Charles Laux

Kirt Mosier

I teach excellence and the commitment it takes to be excellent. Music is the discipline that I use to teach this. While music is a beautiful artform, the subject matter is never more important than the subject itself. —Kirt Mosier

Kirk Moss

You are the music while the music lasts. —T. S. Eliot, The Dry Salvages

Christopher Selby

The job of teaching is less about feeding information to students, and more about making them hungry. —Christopher Selby

Laura Mulligan Thomas

High achievement always takes place within the framework of high expectations. —Charles Kettering

Appendix A. Selected Repertoire

Appendix B. Panel References and Resources

About the Author

Acknowledgments

This book contains shared insights from some of the most inspirational high school orchestra directors I know from all over the United States. These teachers do more than teach music. They impact lives and make the world a better place, one child at a time. Not only do their ensembles make great music, but their ensembles make great people who understand the power of community, teamwork, belonging, and positive contribution—people who understand how essential music is and are able to love, appreciate, and share it for a lifetime. Each of their stories is as unique as the individual strategies and approaches they use. They offer us an authentic glimpse into their classrooms and into their thoughts as they share honestly, openly, and unguardedly about their experiences.

I am so grateful to each of these fine teachers, all of whom are also amazing human beings. They inspire me as I know they have inspired many generations of students. Too often, we orchestra teachers operate in isolation, with our greatest insights remaining hidden in our minds or behind the closed doors of our classrooms or computer screens, so I treasure the openness with which they have shared. To each of these educators, I offer a heartfelt thank you. I am proud to call you my colleagues and friends as we continue to work passionately together in the string music education profession:

Gail Barnes

David Eccles

Creston Herron

Cathie Hudnall

Scott Laird

Charles Laux

Kirk Moss

Kirt Mosier

Chris Selby

Laura Mulligan Thomas

—Sandy

Introduction

The popularity of the first book in this series, Rehearsing the Middle School Orchestra , helped me to recognize just how much we orchestra teachers love to share ideas with each other. That sharing was really just the start. Since then, so many rich conversations and experiences have opened up as we connected with teachers all over the country in deep conversations about things that really matter in teaching middle school orchestra. We learned from other teachers as they shared their own ideas and wisdom with us, and we were all eager to run home and try them out with our students. So, the question became: what next? That’s what inspired me to press onward to the high school level, and I contacted some of the most inspirational high school orchestra directors I know. I could not wait to learn from their ideas and expertise.

Are you excited yet? I certainly was at the outset of this project, and I still am now. I hope you will be as inspired as I was by their ideas, approaches, and strategies that they have shared here in Rehearsing the High School Orchestra. In the humble opinion of this veteran orchestra teacher: Their ideas are gold.

In each chapter, we gain insight into the variety, authenticity, and uniqueness of each individual teacher’s approach. Each author was asked to respond to the same set of prompts, which cover topics such as: rehearsal philosophy, rehearsal preparation, warm-up strategies, favorite repertoire, tone/bow control, intonation, articulation, expression, online instruction, and recruiting/building community.

As I read the responses from each of these great string pedagogues, I have felt rejuvenated about teaching. Their ideas highlight the importance of the work we do and underscore how rewarding it can be. I have tried out many of their strategies with my own groups, and I am happy to share them with you so that you can try them, too. I hope you, too, will be inspired, that you will chuckle with moments of recognition, and maybe even tear up as I have at some of the heartfelt stories they share about meaningful moments with students and with their communities.

As we wrote these chapters, the world seemed to go awry—consumed by a deadly pandemic, riddled with social unrest, plagued with racial injustice, and bitterly divided by its politics. We each escaped to our classrooms and tried to offer the best experiences we could for our students. Looking back at these unprecedented times together, I don’t think there has ever been a world more in need of what music has to offer and therefore there has never been a world more in need of what music teachers have to offer. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, we have given our students a place to thrive, a place to connect and belong, and a place to express all that cannot be expressed by words alone but that cannot remain unsaid.

The burden of this work can be heavy and sometimes overwhelming, but the joy is great when we realize the impact we are having, even if we don’t recognize it until much later. For many young people, music is the light that is helping them navigate these times, and we are the vessels for that light. I am reminded of the following lines from Amanda Gorman’s inauguration poem, The Hill We Climb:

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it.

May we always continue to be that light and may the words we read here from our colleagues in some small way help fuel us to continue to be that light, to do the important work that only we can do.

Gail Barnes

I know the most joy in my life has come from my violin. —Albert Einstein

In my case, it has been the viola. I was encouraged by my Greek grandfather to play violin but when I signed up in 4th grade, Ms. Mary Melville looked at my left hand and said, You should play the viola! Playing the viola was my path to making friends, going to college, teaching, meeting my husband, and establishing a wonderful career in public and collegiate teaching. I have been the director of the University of South Carolina String Project for twenty-three years, preceded by a very fulfilling time in the Norfolk Public Schools (Virginia). I have also been a professional violist since the beginning of my teaching career. Teaching has enhanced my playing, and playing has enhanced my teaching. One of the best aspects of working at University of South Carolina is that our applied faculty all support music education, and I certainly support them pushing our music education majors to the full extent of their capabilities.

Rehearsal Philosophy

While accuracy is important to convey musical intent, I try to embed the musical feeling into technical instruction so students know why that F natural is important or why we need a true, controlled piano in a specific phrase. Given the events of 2020, I am trying to ensure that each musician knows they have something to contribute to the ensemble and that they feel a connection to their peers and to the music. In some ways, not preparing for concerts for the immediate future has freed us to really play with the music, not just play the music.

Rehearsal Preparation

I approach rehearsal planning in a variety of ways. First, it is important to thoroughly know the music. I may have taken shortcuts in the past—for example, do I really need to study this grade 2 or grade 3 tune if I’m teaching it five days a week