Less is More – Focus on performing two songs really well rather than filling the time with three songs. In many cases, less time on stage will also result in more clinic time (for festivals that do a clinic afterwards).
Not too easy; not too hard – Select repertoire the students are able to make sound musical. If they are struggling with technique they are not going to sound as good musically. At my 2nd school, I made the mistake of selecting a grade 4 piece when the students weren’t ready yet. They hadn’t been to a festival ever. I was the 8th director in 7 years. As soon as I brought them in, they were on automatic – I might as well have left the stage. We scored a IV. I learned from that mistake and programmed easier music. The following year we scored a III. They years after that we were always at Is and IIs.
Wait for a cue from the judges before proceeding –
Prep kids in advance regarding their scores – Remind them this is just a moment in time. I’ve seen directors get all worked up because their students scored a two. One even stated ,”My students are not used to scoring a two.” It seemed really strange to me, because I’ve always prepped my students, even that year they received a four. They knew that was coming. We talked about receiving great feedback from great judges. And that we’re going to learn how to improve. I once withheld the scores from my students until the next morning. Despite talking about how unimportant the scores were, as soon as we got on the bus, they were saying, “Mr. Divine, Mr. Divine, what’s our score? What’s our score?” I decided on the spur of the moment that we were not going to find out our scores till the next day in rehearsal. They were a little mad at me, but they understood why I did that.
Check in with the percussionists before starting each piece – If you’re not careful, you might start a piece while the percussionists are still moving their equipment or tuning the timpani, or getting ready. Get eye contact with them before you start each piece.
Order your scores early – When I was at the suburban high school we would perform our festival songs at the November concert. I’d evaluate – did that song work – was it appropriate – can we take it to the next level? We would put it away for a while, but at that point, I would order my scores, the three extra copies that I needed for adjudication. In January, we would start working on the pieces again. I’d bring a clinician in. I never had to worry about the scores being backordered or out of print. I had plenty of time to deal with that.
Pick Pieces That Cater To Your Instrumentation: Early in my tenure at the second school, I had a small band. One year I only had one clarinet player and two trumpet players. The clarinet player and 1st trumpet rocked! I picked a piece that showcased them. We scored a I-Superior and received all kinds of compliments from the clinicians.
Hire A Clinician: I suggest bringing someone in 4-6 weeks before your performance. This gives you a chance to work on their suggestions. A different ear on the same music that you’ve been working on can make a big difference. No money for a clinician? Check out ASBDA. They will often sponsor a clinician from the organization to come and work with your group. Contact a local college with a music program. Most of those directors have time built in to their schedule to reach out.
Record Your Rehearsal: After recording, playback for the students. Have them rate themselves using the Large Group rubric for your state. You might start with a talk about what each of the ratings mean. I have found that the students are pretty accurate in their evaluation (although there are outliers on both ends).
Pray, pray, and pray some more: I’m not kidding about this. This is part of my daily routine. I NEED the wisdom of God to be able to serve my students.
Pack the music yourself: This may depend on the development of your group. I had too many times of missing essential pieces of music because the student forgot their folder. Now – as soon as we finish our last rehearsal – I have the students place their music into the folder. I collect all the folders and have a wheeled tote I use to carry them to the festival site. It has saved me many headaches.
Listen to other groups: Many festivals require this, but even if they don’t, stay and listen to a few groups. Train the students in proper listening procedures and why it’s important. Train them to learn from and not compare to.
Check your zipper:
Sight Read Weekly or Daily:
Double and Triple Check The Buses: I can’t emphasize this enough! It’s not enough to get confirmation from the bus barn. Check a week out. Check the day before. I can count at least three times when bus didn’t show up and the bus barn said they didn’t have the paperwork available. I once had the principal and secretary load up their vehicles with students and instruments to take us to the site after buses didn’t show up. So thankful for that principal!
Avoid The Standard Repertoire Too many ingrained assumptions that many of the clinicians and judges have. And they’re going to listen based on those assumptions. Plus those are pieces they’ve probably performed a hundred times themselves, so they are very acquainted with it.
James is retired from full time teaching. He has served private, suburban, and Title 1 schools and now teaches half time at a charter school. Find out more about James at www.jamesdivine.net Subscribe to his podcast Almost Everything I’ve Learned About Teaching Band.
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