Reprinted with permission from Tempo, the official magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association.
Citation information:
Berz, William, "Ideas on Preparing for Concert Band Festival," Tempo, 54 no. 2 (January, 2000): 45-46.
Ideas on Preparing for Concert Band Festival
by
William Berz
Each winter many bands begin preparation to participate in one or more of the many concert band festivals held in March, April, May, and June. Certainly, there are many different types ranging from independent events to those sponsored by educational organizations such at NBA or NJMEA. Also, many schools attend events outside of New Jersey, including those sponsored by one of the numerous festival companies. While preparation certainly varies depending on the festival or contest, there are many common practices and informal rules that I believe will help one's potential for success.
I might quickly add that these suggestions are not intended as some kind of magical fix for quickly improving the band. Poor performance should never be a desirable goal, and the only real method to achieve excellence is superior teaching. No matter how many "tricks" are employed, a poor performance will still be a poor performance. However, it is my contention that by using some common sense, directors might give adjudicators the best possible impression. If one is going to participate in a concert band festival (and I think that you should), one should try to increase the potential to receive as positive an evaluation as possible. This might well lead to a better experience for the students--and a better score or rating.
Why Attend a Concert Band Festival?
The concert band festival is a primary activity for high schools in many states; this is not the case in New Jersey. Here, where festival participation is not automatic, the teacher must consider the benefits and problems of attending such an event. Although a full discussion of the philosophy of participating in festivals and contests is well beyond the scope of this article, a few words might be of benefit.
It seems that many, if not most high schools in New Jersey, do participate in some kind of marching contest. We do this to motivate our students and to provide some kind of evaluative benchmark for our performances. The concert band festival can be employed for the exact same purposes. And while I am certainly not against the marching band activity, it does seem that we could put more emphasis on the concert band/wind ensemble (and jazz band).
There is a considerable lack of standardization in concert band festivals and contests. The director should carefully study the performance guidelines and rules for different events, and then carefully select the festival that is best suited for his or her ensemble. For an inexperienced group, a highly competitive contest would not be a good choice. A festival with positive, yet meaningful evaluation, would be a far better option.
Once a decision is made to participate, the director must help the students to understand that the rating or ranking is not the most important goal. While everyone wants to receive a "superior" rating or a first place finish, this is not possible, at least at events where ratings have some validity. (At some festivals, everyone receives a "superior" rating; this seems to be a questionable practice.) If well prepared psychologically, students will grow from the experience of a good performance regardless of the final score.
Music Selection
The selection of music to be studied is central to music education. When choosing music to be performed at festival, the director must be especially careful to pick works that are both educationally valid and suitable for the event. In many ways, one needs to be a bit defensive when choosing music for festival or contest.
First and most importantly, avoid popular music. While this genre of music may be very suitable for the spring concert, it has no place at a festival of any sort. Even at commercial festivals sponsored by travel agencies, it should be avoided. They will accept such selections, because it is in their best interests to keep directors happy. However, judges will tend to not give their best efforts in evaluating this kind of music.
Second, I feel it best to avoid the most standard and familiar repertoire, including the suites by Holst and Vaughan Williams. Certainly, every high school band should perform this literatureÑjust not at a band festival. Many adjudicators have very set opinions on the interpretation of these masterpieces, and only the best performance is successful in their eyes.
Many conductors include a march on the program; some festivals require it. If this is the case, I might offer two suggestions. First, avoid marches in 6/8 time. This subdivision is very difficult, and leaves one open to harsh criticism. Second, avoid familiar marches for the same reasons as outlined above. Also, remember that many of the most standard marches (such as Stars and Stripes) are often very difficult to perform well.
Instrumentation is a primary factor that conductors must consider when selecting repertoire. Avoid works that feature prominent solos for instruments that might not be particularly strong in the group. It is better to choose a work that features strong players rather than weaker ones; highlight your best.
Difficulty is always a consideration when selecting music for performance, and it is especially true when selecting festival music. By choosing music that is too technically challenging, too much rehearsal time must be devoted to learning the notes, with too little effort on other musical concerns. Music that is not well prepared does not lead to the best learning experience for students. I remember an adage that was given by a famous DCI judge, "it is not difficult to play difficult music badly." And performing difficult works poorly will result in low ratings.
Preparing for Festival
Rehearsing and preparing for a festival should probably not be very different from other kinds of performances. Perhaps the only real difference is in degree of refinement. Adjudicators' ears are probably less forgiving than those of most band parents.
As mentioned above, time spent on achieving technical proficiency should not overly dominate rehearsals. Most adjudicators assume that the ability to play correct notes and rhythms is a given. Conductors should remember to allot ample time for the other basics of performance, especially on blend, balance, and intonation. The overall sound of the band can be very telling. After many years as both a conductor and adjudicator, I have come to the conclusion that many judges make decisions about ratings after hearing only the first few measures of the first piece, and their evaluation is usually based on the overall ensemble sound.
Often the question of how to cope with poor instrumentation arises. What should the conductor do if the score calls for an oboe solo and there is no oboe in the band? The conductor should not hesitate to re-score the work as long as common sense prevails. Adjudicators (and composers) want to hear the best possible performance. Making substitutions is far better than leaving out an important part, something that I have too often heard at festivals. However, one should use some common sense. I still remember an electric bass playing the tuba/euphonium line at the beginning of the Holst Suite in Eb; I don't think that Holst would have liked to hear his beautiful, sustained melody plucked in rock-band fashion. I know that I didn't, and I believe that my rating accurately reflected my opinion.
When I was a high school band director, I found that inviting other conductors to listen or guest conduct a rehearsal was particularly worthwhile when preparing for festival. Many times I held a special, extra rehearsal in the evening so that the band director from a neighboring school would be available to visit. First, the experience of someone from the outside working with the students is valuable in itself; students receive a different perspective. Second, the director will have the opportunity to critically listen to the band detached from having to conduct and teach.
Another worthwhile method is to tape rehearsals for later review. This is a procedure that I still regularly practice. You can become your own assistant conductor. With careful and analytical listening, the conductor can better prepare for the next rehearsal. It is amazing what you will hear when not moving your arms around.
Festival Logistics
School performances are very different than those at a festival. Directors need to exercise care with the bandÕs performance etiquette.
From the time that the band begins to enter the stage, the performance has begun. The judges will instantly begin to formulate impressions that will effect their decision-making.
At all costs, conductors must avoid tuning individuals on the stage. Asking those students with poor intonation to play will inform the adjudicators as to whom is out-of-tune; it will focus their attention on the negative. Remember that anything that is heard is part of the performance, and is being evaluated. Tune, warm-up, and rehearse in the warm-up room; perform on the stage. If there is no warm-up room, it is appropriate to ask the judges to leave the room; any festival organizer should accept this request as reasonable. No matter what the rules may say, adjudicators never turn off their ears or eyes.
Conductors should provide original scores for each judge. If photocopies must be used, they should be approved by the publisher and be of good quality. Some adjudicators, especially those who are composers, take great offense in using unauthorized photocopied scores. Each measure of the score should be numbered. This really helps the adjudicator to focus her/his comments on the tape.
Encourage students to act professionally on the stage. While this may not seem particularly important, it does greatly influence many judges. I have overheard many adjudicators talk endlessly on their tape about poor stage deportment. The adjudicator's remarks would seem to be more beneficial if they focused on music rather than on sloppily worn uniforms.
Final Thoughts
I do feel that the concert band festival can provide an excellent educational experience for junior and senior high school music students. It can be one facet of a successful band curriculum Certainly, placing too much emphasis on festivals and contests can greatly diminish any potential benefit. However, not participating at all seems shortsighted. I would encourage high school and junior high directors to consider taking advantage of this opportunity, and to make the experience as positive as possible for their students.
Please email me at wberz@rci.rutgers.edu if you have comments.