Maintaining High Standards for successful student performance
MENC member Ari Contzius maintains a Web site filled with useful information for fellow teachers. One of his notable topics is setting and maintaining high performance standards. Contzius suggests the following:

Basic Concepts:

• Many students will only work as hard as you make them.
• If you allow a lower standard to be acceptable, you are asking for a lower quality ensemble.
• Standards must be high and obtainable; not one without the other.
• Keep a high obtainable standard and a high work ethic while not losing the ensemble's willingness to work hard by balancing criticisms with legitimate praise. Never praise poor performing. As strong as your criticisms are, be equally strong and enthusiastic with your praise.
   

On mistakes: correcting notes and rhythms
Many ensemble directors allow students to play wrong notes and rhythms by not stopping the ensemble to isolate and fix the problems.

A simple (no genius) method for fixing a section with missed notes:

• Identify which instrument(s) and the specific measure that is incorrect.
• Tell the students to play the passage 5 times with complete accuracy, starting very slow. (If the section is really bad have them play it 10 times.)
• When accurate, increase the speed within these repetitions.
• If the accuracy is still poor, tell them that they need to learn it outside of class time and that each person will play it individually in the next class. (You must follow through with this next class or the students will not practice sections you tell them to practice.)
• Now put the passage back into context with the entire band playing.
   

A simple (no genius) method for fixing a section with missed rhythms:

• Identify which instrument(s) and the specific measure that is incorrect.
• Have the students clap and count the rhythm 5 times. To keep the entire band involved you can have the entire band clap and count with them. You may need to write the rhythm on the board. Have the rest of the band clapping down beats or the subdivision (which ever works best.) Have the rest of the band rate the students who have the mistake using finger digits –e.g. thumbs up if it was better, thumbs down if it did not improve.
• Have the section play the part accurately (do not count times that there are mistakes) 5 times - starting very slow and getting faster each time it is played correctly. Repeat 5 more times if the section is very poor. You may have the rest of the band clap the rhythm with them, clap the downbeats, or clap the subdivision, as long as they do not impede the others.
• Now put the passage back into context with the entire band playing.
   

Getting the students to do the work instead of you:
Give students clear and specific assignments, and hold them accountable. A student should be able to tell you what their assignment was for today’s lesson.

Here is a sample good answer from a student when asked what their homework assignment was: “1) I had to practice exercises 1 – 4, 2) A and E Major Scales, and 3) measures 24 – 32 in Chorale and Shaker Dance.”

Ari Contzius is the band director at Washingtonville High School in New York.

Do you have your own ideas for maintaining excellence in your performances? MENC’s band forum is a great place to share ideas and tips.

--Becky Spray, December 10, 2008 ©MENC: The National Association for Music Education