MMED 646 Methods, Materials & Strategies: Band Director

3 credits 45.0 hours
600 level graduate course

This course will focus on the most effective ways to run a rehearsal from beginning band through high school. It will also examine materials that will aid in starting beginning students. Method books, techniques books, and other teaching aids will be examined in the course. The course will also feature a successful band director as a guest lecturer. The course will include the following: watching videos of successful band directors discuss their programs and rehearsal techniques, playing and reviewing several technique books and their use in rehearsal, developing and maintaining a good war-up system, discussing what should be taught at each grade level in order to develop a strong band student, some thoughts on the role of the students and motivation, solutions on how to build good tone quality and technique in the beginning, middle, and high school band, solutions on building and maintaining good intonation in your band, techniques and solutions in solving balance problems in your band. What to bring: Each student is asked to bring two complete band works that have been successful for them. In addition, each student should bring his or her primary instrument and a secondary instrument as well will read many scores.

This course is not repeatable for credit.