Finish Lines

Some set goals. Some set standards. I set finish lines.

Last month I discussed a piece of music I composed for my 7th grade band.  The students named the piece, “Hot Cocoa”.  I still have no idea why they decided to name it “Hot Cocoa” when they had so many other cool names they could have named it, but it is in the music files and will forever be known as “Hot Cocoa”.

I also mentioned that I decided to expand the piece of music, change the key, and rename the composition.  I have altered the name from “Beyond the Boundaries” to “Beyond Boundaries” with a dedication below the title.  I am dedicating the piece to the memory of Abel.

You may recognize the name Abel.

Abel was the student that inspired the original composition.  I wrote the piece around a simple melody I had bouncing around in my head.  I had heard Abel warming up on the baritone and he was attempting to expand his range by playing a low Bb then play a C and go back down to the Bb.  D to Bb was the next part of the progression.  He continued to start on Bb and play step by step up the scale until he was unable to hit a higher note.  During his attempt at range building, he got tired and fluttered his fingers on the valves.  The  sequence of notes, Fa-Re-Do, caught my ear.

I quieted everyone in the class as I stepped onto the podium and then asked Abel to play the three notes again.  He complied and it was at that time I heard the simple melody in my head.

“Hey Abel, play the notes, F-Eb-C-Bb but hold the F for 2 counts before you play the Eb and C for one count each then land on the Bb.”

Abel, being Abel, said, “Okay” and then played the notes in the exact way I had asked.  Which, in turn, was the exact way I was hearing it inside of my head.

His finger-fluttering fiasco ended up becoming a baritone solo for Abel and a featured piece of music for the 7th-grade band winter concert.  Abel was a leader and a great young man.  He has crossed his final finish line and, I am sure, is waiting in Glory encouraging everyone to eventually join him.

Approximately 4 out of 96 students in the band program had any type of interest in music at the beginning of the school year.  After the students decided on their instrument or if they would much rather be in a class other than band, I created the first finish line.

Many people set goals, standards, or levels.

I create finish lines.

You may think that goals and finish lines are synonymous, but they are different.  At least in my mind.

Setting and attaining goals can help you reach a finish line.

I suppose, if you are an internet troll or enjoy arguing a point just to try to make yourself look smart, you could say a series of finish lines can help you reach a goal.  I suppose you could say that, but, you are not the one writing this blog, I am, so, I say you set goals to help you reach the finish lines.

The first finish line I created for the bands was to establish that music/band is fun.

Making music and band fun is not the same as party time, no discipline, and no orchestral, operatic, or theatrical music is to be played or studied.

The first finish line is crossed once the students realize that band class is not like the other classes at all.  They are encouraged to listen to examples of music and how it is used in the world.  How it thrived during the Great Depression because people needed an escape.  They learn how music is played in times of celebration, mourning, and just because silence is too loud.  There is fun in being expressive, making farting noises through instruments, and hanging out with a bunch of other students that are just as clueless about how to play an instrument.

The next finish line I established is the ability to organize thoughts, ability, and desire to create music.

As the student’s musical ability increases, more finish lines are created.

I tell the students, congratulations, you have passed a finish line.  Sometimes individuals celebrate, sometimes students nod in acknowledgment while they concentrate on the next finish line, and sometimes, a group of students continue to stand at the free water tables that line the race course and watch the other students make it past the finish line.

The free water students are students who may need a little more encouragement to get past the finish line or need to hang up their running shoes and find a different way to express their creativity.

Something I tell my students is this, “Everyone in this class can cross every finish line I set up for you.  One thing you need to understand, I am waiting for you at the finish line.  I have completed this race and I know what it takes to get to the finish line.  I will encourage, help, and instruct you so you can reach the finish line.  However, I will not push, pull, or move the finish line closer to you so that you will finish.”

When I tell them that I am waiting for them at the finish line, some of them understand that I am telling them that I have been in the same spot they are in and I know what it takes to finish.

We, as teachers, are professionals in what we do.  I am a professional in music and can teach students who have had no experience playing an instrument and in three months have them ready to play a concert.  

I know how it feels to do lip slurs on brass.  I know when I push a lot of air and still can’t hit the upper note on the lip slur.  I know that in the beginning, my lip will do a little “flip or switch” feeling and the upper note of the lip slur rings out.  I know that when I combine the air and the flip/switch together, I end up smoothing out the lip slur.  I know that when I keep practicing the lip slur it becomes easier and I apply what I learned to other lip slurs.

I have already reached the finish line of beginning lip slurs and how to practice them.  I then wait for my students to reach me so that I can show them the next finish line.

A personal finish line I set for myself this year was to write music.

I took music composition in college.  I was very bad at music composition in college.  I apologize to my professor Dr. Daniel McCarthy for having to endure my lack of creativity, but, I appreciate that he was at the finish line and gave me the knowledge he had to reach a finish line.  By the way, I want to give a shout-out to my Alma Mater, Indiana State University, I had a great experience with the music department and I value everything my professors taught me.  Thank you!  Grow Trees!

What is the phrase?  Necessity breeds invention.

Well, I had to do quite a bit of inventing to give the band students the chance to succeed and reach finish lines.

All three grade levels, all three bands, and every student in the band program were essentially beginning band students.

I know that some of my middle school colleagues have the beginning band students play excerpts out of their exercise books at the first concert of the year.  In the years I taught before I went into the fire service, I had my students play sheet music for the concert.  That is not a snooty, I am better than you, statement.  I have always tried to have the students read sheet music so that they can feel like they excelled to the point they are ready for a concert.

An issue I ran into with having 3 bands of beginners was that everyone in the three bands was a beginner.

Each grade progressed at different paces.  The separate 7th-grade band classes progressed at a different pace.  I noticed the 8th-grade band excelled faster than the other two grades.  The 7th-grade band edged out the 6th-grade band.  Although all students were essentially beginners, a distinct difference in age and maturity was seen early on.

The music library at my school is dated and lacks pieces of music written for bands at the .5-1 level.  Flex band music was nonexistent and contemporary composers couldn’t be found.  After organizing all of the music and taking inventory, I realized that I had enough Eb clarinet, alto clarinet, and Db piccolo parts to make an eclectic composing student drool over the possible odd instrumentation for a final composition recital.

With a lack of Eb clarinets in my instrument inventory I decided to do what any band director that has all of the time in the world would do.  (sarcastic eye roll inserted here) I decided to arrange and write all of the music for the three bands for the winter concert.

I set finish lines for myself and began the race.

The students did a fantastic job and I will admit that it was a reward for me to hear my pieces played in concert.  

Writing the music for the bands allowed me to push them beyond some of the things they would have played by reading music out of their exercise books.  Each band played compositions that went beyond the first five notes and simple rhythms.  I was able to customize the music in a way that allowed the students that excelled to be challenged as well as those that struggled to push themselves to reach the level their peers were playing.

I am not saying that I am at the level of Tyler Arcari, Randall Standridge, or Frank Felice, I am just saying that I can understand a little bit of how they can take an idea or ideas and create music.

It is very satisfying, by the way.

Now that the winter concert is over and we are looking forward to the spring concert, I have my eyes on a few more finish lines.

The first one is to complete Beyond Boundaries.  Once the piece is complete, the next finish line will be to get it played by a band.  The band will need to be capable of playing all of my ideas so I can listen to and edit the composition so that it sounds the exact way I hear it in my head.

After the piece is played and it is edited and then edited again, the finish line will be to have it played in concert.

There are quite a few positives to having multiple finish lines.

First, I have an ongoing sense of accomplishment.  I am not a fan of participation trophies, however, I am a fan of celebrating accomplishments.  Since I set my finish lines at the end of an accomplishment, I am never disappointed in myself after crossing the finish line.

Secondly, when I set finish lines for my students, I encourage them to join me at the finish line.  I tell them that I am going to teach, encourage, and celebrate with them.

Finally, after crossing a finish line it makes it easier for me to establish a new finish line as well as implement some of the steps I used to cross previous finish lines.

I am not the type of person that has to be number one in everything I do.  I am more like the type that sets up finish lines for myself so that I can be an example to others by showing them levels of success and ways to reach the finish line.  Placement isn’t a priority, but completion takes precedence.

Our spring concert will be on May 9th and the bands have improved exponentially.  So, we will be playing music that I purchased along with a few pieces from our library.  We will also be playing a piece or two that I will be arranging.  

I mean, come on, I set myself a finish line, I wouldn’t be a good example to the students if I didn’t finish something I have started.

I will see you again Abel.  Thank you for being an inspiration to me and everyone in the band.