Band Pedagogy

Above: a recreation of my struggles in learning the clarinet

The band pedagogy sessions across the first four weeks provided me further insight into the world of beginner band instruction. I already have experience in teaching in this area, currently conducting beginner concert band ensembles across primary and early high school settings, and so these sessions were invaluable in fine tuning my conducting and rehearsal skills.

Through these sessions I learnt the fundamental techniques of a new instrument to me, the clarinet, which required me to adopt the mindset of a beginner once again. This was a useful reminder of how cognitively and physically demanding the early stages of instrumental learning can be, and how quickly frustration can creep in. Sometimes from the perspective of teaching instrumental technique I myself learnt so long ago (in my case brass playing), there can be a disconnect from the challenges and struggles a beginner faces. This experience really brought into sharp focus to me the necessity of clear modelling and patient pacing when working with novice players. 

These sessions also strengthened my existing skills in conducting beginner concert bands, particularly in fine tuning my gestures and working on perfecting my legato beat patterns. Experiencing the joys and challenges of instrumental learning again made me empathetic for the young players I already conduct, and gave me a greater understanding of these students’ developmental needs.