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This episode takes you straight into our beginner saxophone and horn class as they learn changing time signatures and then 8th notes. teachingrhythmlogically.com
For more information about how Darcy structures her rhythm lessons, please visit Teaching Rhythm Logically.
How is your schedule structured? I know there are 3 band directors at your school. How many bands are there? How many kids do you work with? Are sectionals a class or part of your class time?
I’m listening to this as a singleton in my building and am becoming slightly forlorn, because I like what I hear from your groups, but with my schedule I’m just not sure how to accomplish it.
We have about 320 in our band program. We teach 7 of the 8 periods a day. It looks something as follows:
*an hour before school – instrument specific sectionals for all three bands
*1st – beginner tuba(8), euphonium(4), and trombone(16)
*2nd – beginner trumpets(25) and clarinets(22)
*3rd – Honors Band(60ish)
*4th – beginner horns(10) and saxes(18)
*6th – Symphonic Band(60ish)
*7th – Concert Band(60ish)
*8th – beginner percussion(12), flutes(14), and double reeds(5)
*an hour after school – instrument specific sectionals for all three bands
All classes are homogeneous split amongst the 3 of us except that double reeds are in with my flutes. Sectionals are a graded required time before or after school and an expectation we set with the parents from day 1. All of the new material with our bands is presented in sectionals so that during class we can actually put it together, rehearse, clean, tune, get all artsy-fartsy and the stuff that would be at the bottom of the totem-pole if we were teaching it in class.
In all honesty, we have the perfect set-up. We work to the point of exhaustion every day, but it’s easy for kids to love band when they are successful.