Bandworld Magazine

Tips for guest conducting honor bands The band will not be as good as described.Insist on a recording of last year’s band.Ask for programs from the last 3-4 years.Contact the conductor of last year’s band.Choosing the right music is the #1 task.Request a designated percussion helper.Pull music the band can’t read w/o...

Things I know about the profession Professionalism and integrity matter in all things.If one wants to be successful, one must pay the price.Another person’s success is not my failure.The pursuit of knowledge is the most important thing on earth.Everyone doesn’t work or put in the time that they should to meet students’...

Things I know about rehearsal All children can learn regardless of background.Knowing one’s craft is important.Rehearsal time is important any time of the year.Corrected yesterday doesn’t mean corrected today.The better the intonation, the better the clarity & blend.Organize rehearsals as Synthesis-Analysis-Synthesis.If the band sounds bad, it is...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 7, 2021) — The University of Kentucky welcomes Shayna Stahl as director of Athletic Bands and assistant director of Bands in the School of Music. Stahl will become the first woman to serve as the director of the Wildcat Marching Band. Stahl will also serve as director of the UK Pep Bands and as the conductor of the UK Concert Band. 

by John Philip Sousa Disc:  John Philip Sousa: Music for Wind Band Volume 20Recording: Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Wind OrchestraConductor: Keith Brion Publisher: Naxos 8.559850 This extensive series of Sousa just keeps going and going. Volume...

Things I say in rehearsal If you don’t give your best effort now, you will not be able to when you become a pro. Be professional today. Your instrument is just equipment. Music comes from the heart and the brain. Don’t expect your instrument to do something you are feeling and thinking. Every time you play, whether...

UNLV Wind Orchestra Non-Negotiables Be early, be prepared musically, be warmed up and tuned. Come to rehearsal open-minded and ready to learn in ways that you might not yet understand. Commit to your musical responsibilities at any/every moment in music rehearsals; know your musical role at all times. Know how your principal...

by Saint-Saens/Laurendeau Disc: Saint-Saens: Music for Wind EnsembleRecording: Band of the RAF CollegeConductor: Jun Markl Publisher: Naxos 8.574234 A fine selection of Camille Saint-Saens transcriptions adorn this excellent recording by the Band of the RAF College. Some transcriptions are familiar...

Introduction In music, there are many traditional ideas or concepts that have been taught and passed down through the years that are only “half-true”. This series of ideas, developed by H.E. Nutt, co-founder of VanderCook College of Music, seeks to make you think of improved ways of teaching the student. His concept...

by JoAnne Harris Disc: STRAVINSKY: Alone No MoreRecording: Hartwick Faculty Wind OctetConductor: Andrew Pease Publisher: MARK MASTERS 54684 - MCD Purchase The title of this outstanding recording was influenced by the Octet for Wind Instruments by Igor Stravinsky (1923/1952), especially the...