What exactly is GLU? It sounds like “glue”, and it’s very much the description of what holds me together and keeps things interesting. Everyone has something that keeps them going outside of their line of work, so I’ll quickly share some of my things as part of my General Life Update.
The Cricket Colts
I haven’t mentioned this yet, but leading in to the Summer for 09/10 I was approached by the president of the Park Beach Bowling Club Colts Cricket Club (woah, that’s a mouthful), Neil Coogan, for sponsorship. People would normally consider it a strange, and perhaps ludicrous, proposition; a musically-based business putting money into a sporting club. In this case, I saw it as an exciting opportunity.
I’ve played cricket since my juniors, and continue to play today (the indoor form a lot more than the outdoor). To put money into a club that runs development programs, in particular for junior players, and a Twenty20 competition for the district is a real privilege and I am more than pleased to be a part of. Both the PBBC Colts and my business share the same vision of a culture that aims to develop and establish junior players; a club/business of the future.
Teaching Preps
Enrolment forms have been drawn up for 2010, as well as new invoice templates. I’m very keen to be trialling a direct deposit system as a payment method for parents/students. Some of the feedback I had from a couple of parents last year was that they did prefer to do all forms of transaction over the internet, including receiving invoices via e-mail. The good thing about this form of payment is that unlike payment by cheque you don’t have to wait to get to the bank, worry about insufficient funds for other transactions. This should definitely make transactions a lot more efficient for parents.
I will also be looking at drawing up short newsletters and making parents aware of any upcoming events or workshops.
Culture Centre in Coffs?
The debate still carries on as to whether Coffs Harbour needs a cultural centre or not. I’ve been following this with keen interest for a while now and I am still of the view that Coffs Harbour does not need, but more importantly isn’t ready for, this facility.
The general vibes I have received in this discussion is that the town is disadvantaged and put to shame by other towns with cultural centres, and that if the cultural centre is established music ensembles and groups will increase and flourish.
In the weekend edition of The Coffs Coast Advocate Nov 22-23 in 2008, the director of the Coffs regional conservatorium was quoted as saying “...Coffs Harbour doesn’t have a Youth Orchestra, simply because we don’t have the space.” There were some teachers that I came across that were taken aback by this quote, but as soon as proposals and people came up with the argument for Coffs Harbour to have a cultural centre some jumped onto the bandwagon very quickly. Buildings don’t create or establish ensembles, people do. What enhances the ensembles are not the chandeliers, drapes, and lighting effects, but rather the skills, musicianship, and team work of the people involved.
Australia Day
It’s Australia Day today and I am looking forward to chilling out, spending some time with family, and finalising preparations for lessons that start tomorrow. After this week, it will be full operations once again for teaching.
All the best.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tech Talk: To bis, or not to bis... (Saxophone)
In my first couple of years of establishing my teaching studio in Coffs I have come to notice a couple of things. Some habits in this town haven’t died hard in terms of music tuition. The first point is that we are still in the situation of teachers being over-protective of their own students. We are not the only town that is guilty of this offence. I have come across other teachers and institutions within the state that belong in the same boat. I raised this point last year after tutoring on the Western Band Camp in July. The second point is that we have teachers quick to come out and point out incorrect technique, applied by students, being taught by another teacher. Especially when the technique taught by the supposed teacher at fault is in fact correct.
I’m not going to come out blasting saying that my technique is perfect and that everyone else is wrong. I could go ahead and justify the technique that I use for teaching and put forward a more-than-satisfactory case that would support my method. As the old saying goes "There's more than one way to skin a cat". In this post, I am going to address two notorious fingerings for the saxophone; the notes “B flat” and “C”.
The Note B Flat/A Sharp
As tutors, it is normally accepted practice for us to examine three different types of performers. These would be the student performer, the professional performer, and our personal performance. It came of interest when I conversed with a performer/composer from Sydney about saxophone technique that I discovered the fingerings used and the comparison of fingerings, they drew upon, with well known performer and teacher Mark Walton. Of main interest in our conversation was the note “B Flat”, but we did mention “C” as well since it can be closely linked to the note being a tone away.
The note B Flat can have up to four fingerings. These include...
*The first two fingers on the left hand and pressing the B Flat key with the right hand
*The first finger on the left hand and any one of the fingers on the right hand
*The same fingering as the bottom B Flat with the octave key added
*The “bis” fingering, having the first finger on the left hand press the first pad, and the pad in between the first and second pads (known as the “bis” key)
Before I go on, the first thing that I will firmly state is that NONE of these fingerings are incorrect. They all play the note B Flat, and some may possibly have some pitch differences and timbre qualities. However, it is how the fingerings are utilised in runs and leaps are where the fingerings should become most effective and put a performing saxophonist in their prime.
The first B Flat fingering that several saxophone teachers introduce to students is using the “bis” key. Now I don’t have a problem with this, even though I don’t use this fingering at all (gasp, shock, horror!!!). No, that doesn’t make me a bad teacher or performer. I simply have not found a justification to use this fingering in a performance that allows for a flowing run or phrase. Virtually any piece of music I have played I have used either of the first two fingerings I have listed. When I first began learning the saxophone, after having being clarinet for six years, I was never shown the “bis” key. Getting back to the current point of the fingerings introduced to students, I have found some teachers will teach the “bis” fingering but never teach the other alternatives.
Mistake number one; always teach students the different options they can potentially utilise in performance practice. The second fingering I list is absolutely key for passages that have a B Flat major arpeggio, an F Sharp major arpeggio, or a piece in B (major or minor) where the dominant harmony (F Sharp major) arpeggiates in the melody and resolves (those that have studied harmony will understand this). The first fingering I listed is the stock-standard one I teach to students when they first learn this note. In fact, you would have a much better chance of getting away with using this fingering all of the time instead of the “bis” fingering. The main issues I have with the “bis” fingering are that finger swapping is involved (which can result in untidy technical work or causing the performer to put gaps in between notes by stopping and starting the air again instead of the notes flowing constantly), and that one finger is being required to cover two pads at the same time. Being of clarinet background, the fingering system we use (Boehm) is partially adopted by the saxophone. There is never a case where we are required to cover two tone holes, or partially cover a second, with one finger. And this is a method I have taken across from my clarinet playing and have gone ahead and applied to my teaching with great results. I have students I have taken over teaching from other tutors that use the “bis” fingering, and they are comfortable to use it. I haven’t gone ahead and told them they are wrong, but I have presented the other options to them. And they do use these every now and then depending on the situation of their phrasing.
The Note C
We have two options of playing the note C (three if you include the bottom fingering with the octave key). The first fingering we teach students is the stock-standard middle finger on the left hand. We first teach these fingerings as the basics for students to master. So don’t panic if the first unit in your method teaches the notes G, A, B, and C and a lot of finger swapping is involved. Allow the basics to settle before moving on a lot later with the alternative way of playing C.
*The fingering for the note B is used (first finger left hand), but add the middle side key used by the right hand known as the “C Key”.
I’m surprised this fingering is not taught enough as common method. In the “Learn As You Play Saxophone” book it is taught as soon as Unit 11. This is roughly when a student is around 2nd Grade standard for AMEB. I have a student currently studying for his 4th Grade saxophone and was told off by an “artisan” teacher that the alternate C fingering method was incorrect, and that he should be finger swapping. He compared the two fingerings and found the alternate was better to use in a situation when he had scale runs, instead of finger swapping, and was more fluent.
The only case where I have found a difficult alternative is in a C melodic minor scale run where the turn is at the tonic note (i.e. B, C, B Flat). Again, there is no incorrect method. But, you should keep as many options open as you can. The “Brasiliera” arrangement from the “Scaramouche Suite” by Milhaud can easily find a student out if they are not prepared technically. Yes, it can be a challenging and demanding piece. If the fingerings are sorted out and organised, there can be a lot less stressful moments in this piece.
Some teach “bis”, and some don’t. It’s not a cardinal sin, but to not teach the different options after the basics can possibly prove to be more of a major flaw in the development of a performer and their fluid technical playing. Keep your options open!
I’m not going to come out blasting saying that my technique is perfect and that everyone else is wrong. I could go ahead and justify the technique that I use for teaching and put forward a more-than-satisfactory case that would support my method. As the old saying goes "There's more than one way to skin a cat". In this post, I am going to address two notorious fingerings for the saxophone; the notes “B flat” and “C”.
The Note B Flat/A Sharp
As tutors, it is normally accepted practice for us to examine three different types of performers. These would be the student performer, the professional performer, and our personal performance. It came of interest when I conversed with a performer/composer from Sydney about saxophone technique that I discovered the fingerings used and the comparison of fingerings, they drew upon, with well known performer and teacher Mark Walton. Of main interest in our conversation was the note “B Flat”, but we did mention “C” as well since it can be closely linked to the note being a tone away.
The note B Flat can have up to four fingerings. These include...
*The first two fingers on the left hand and pressing the B Flat key with the right hand
*The first finger on the left hand and any one of the fingers on the right hand
*The same fingering as the bottom B Flat with the octave key added
*The “bis” fingering, having the first finger on the left hand press the first pad, and the pad in between the first and second pads (known as the “bis” key)
Before I go on, the first thing that I will firmly state is that NONE of these fingerings are incorrect. They all play the note B Flat, and some may possibly have some pitch differences and timbre qualities. However, it is how the fingerings are utilised in runs and leaps are where the fingerings should become most effective and put a performing saxophonist in their prime.
The first B Flat fingering that several saxophone teachers introduce to students is using the “bis” key. Now I don’t have a problem with this, even though I don’t use this fingering at all (gasp, shock, horror!!!). No, that doesn’t make me a bad teacher or performer. I simply have not found a justification to use this fingering in a performance that allows for a flowing run or phrase. Virtually any piece of music I have played I have used either of the first two fingerings I have listed. When I first began learning the saxophone, after having being clarinet for six years, I was never shown the “bis” key. Getting back to the current point of the fingerings introduced to students, I have found some teachers will teach the “bis” fingering but never teach the other alternatives.
Mistake number one; always teach students the different options they can potentially utilise in performance practice. The second fingering I list is absolutely key for passages that have a B Flat major arpeggio, an F Sharp major arpeggio, or a piece in B (major or minor) where the dominant harmony (F Sharp major) arpeggiates in the melody and resolves (those that have studied harmony will understand this). The first fingering I listed is the stock-standard one I teach to students when they first learn this note. In fact, you would have a much better chance of getting away with using this fingering all of the time instead of the “bis” fingering. The main issues I have with the “bis” fingering are that finger swapping is involved (which can result in untidy technical work or causing the performer to put gaps in between notes by stopping and starting the air again instead of the notes flowing constantly), and that one finger is being required to cover two pads at the same time. Being of clarinet background, the fingering system we use (Boehm) is partially adopted by the saxophone. There is never a case where we are required to cover two tone holes, or partially cover a second, with one finger. And this is a method I have taken across from my clarinet playing and have gone ahead and applied to my teaching with great results. I have students I have taken over teaching from other tutors that use the “bis” fingering, and they are comfortable to use it. I haven’t gone ahead and told them they are wrong, but I have presented the other options to them. And they do use these every now and then depending on the situation of their phrasing.
The Note C
We have two options of playing the note C (three if you include the bottom fingering with the octave key). The first fingering we teach students is the stock-standard middle finger on the left hand. We first teach these fingerings as the basics for students to master. So don’t panic if the first unit in your method teaches the notes G, A, B, and C and a lot of finger swapping is involved. Allow the basics to settle before moving on a lot later with the alternative way of playing C.
*The fingering for the note B is used (first finger left hand), but add the middle side key used by the right hand known as the “C Key”.
I’m surprised this fingering is not taught enough as common method. In the “Learn As You Play Saxophone” book it is taught as soon as Unit 11. This is roughly when a student is around 2nd Grade standard for AMEB. I have a student currently studying for his 4th Grade saxophone and was told off by an “artisan” teacher that the alternate C fingering method was incorrect, and that he should be finger swapping. He compared the two fingerings and found the alternate was better to use in a situation when he had scale runs, instead of finger swapping, and was more fluent.
The only case where I have found a difficult alternative is in a C melodic minor scale run where the turn is at the tonic note (i.e. B, C, B Flat). Again, there is no incorrect method. But, you should keep as many options open as you can. The “Brasiliera” arrangement from the “Scaramouche Suite” by Milhaud can easily find a student out if they are not prepared technically. Yes, it can be a challenging and demanding piece. If the fingerings are sorted out and organised, there can be a lot less stressful moments in this piece.
Some teach “bis”, and some don’t. It’s not a cardinal sin, but to not teach the different options after the basics can possibly prove to be more of a major flaw in the development of a performer and their fluid technical playing. Keep your options open!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Welcome to 2010!
I didn't get the chance to post a wrap up to 2009, but at the same time I am delighted to have a fresh start for 2010. A fresh start, in particular, for this blog. My New Year's Resolution for 2010 is to post more here, including providing insight and my own thoughts towards technique in music tuition, performance practice, composition, and analysis.
As music tutors we should have nothing to hide. I feel it is something that has become a recurring practice, I feel, in this region. On the other hand, we are getting more professional musicians involved in the region to help ignite the determination and persistance for the craft of music. As one of the modern hymns says; "It only takes a spark to get a fire going."
2009 was the real launch pad for my teaching career, and I think the results spoke for themselves.
- Selection was gained once again for regional band camps, and I am happy to announce I have been invited back to teach again (the only region not to offer just yet is the home region of North Coast).
- Students from Grafton and Coffs Harbour have been incredible, including a good number of these achieving personal milestones with AMEB exam results, ensemble performance opportunities, and public performance opportunities in musical and dramatic prouctions.
- 2009 welcomed an invitation to tutor clarinet and saxophone at Bellingen High School, and the students have been tremendous. There was so much that could be achieved, and the students have discovered this and really taken it upon themselves to develop and further their musical journeys. Students gained selection in the combined schools state wind band, and even went further on to positions in the Schools Spectacular orchestra. Now I have been asked to develop students further from a grass roots level in the primary school, something that every music tutor should be keen to work with. No sarcasm whatsoever.
What to expect in 2010
- More updates, personal thoughts, and helpful hints to be provided through this blog.
- Invitations to regional band camps around NSW as part of the state band program.
- The clarinet choir from the Clarence Valley Conservatorium has been invited to be the representative ensemble in Sydney at a convention for the NSW regional conservatoriums. It is yet to be confirmed, but this ensemble may receive a name of its own.
- A trip to New Zealand with the Newcastle Conservatorium Wind Orchestra for the Aurora Music Festival. Emelia and I are both looking forward to the trip.
- More compositions to be completed. In progress currently are a clarinet work, double concertino for alto and bari sax, and the most challenging work yet (for me to compose) for soprano, clarinet, and vibraphone exploring the matter of sound and how it is, and can be, manipulated.
- Commencement on an L.Mus program for 2011.
- To further develop my students as musicians, and for them to branch out further for musical, teaching, and personal opportunities of their own.
And there will be much more!
Welcome to 2010. A new year, a new decade, a new opportunity.
As music tutors we should have nothing to hide. I feel it is something that has become a recurring practice, I feel, in this region. On the other hand, we are getting more professional musicians involved in the region to help ignite the determination and persistance for the craft of music. As one of the modern hymns says; "It only takes a spark to get a fire going."
2009 was the real launch pad for my teaching career, and I think the results spoke for themselves.
- Selection was gained once again for regional band camps, and I am happy to announce I have been invited back to teach again (the only region not to offer just yet is the home region of North Coast).
- Students from Grafton and Coffs Harbour have been incredible, including a good number of these achieving personal milestones with AMEB exam results, ensemble performance opportunities, and public performance opportunities in musical and dramatic prouctions.
- 2009 welcomed an invitation to tutor clarinet and saxophone at Bellingen High School, and the students have been tremendous. There was so much that could be achieved, and the students have discovered this and really taken it upon themselves to develop and further their musical journeys. Students gained selection in the combined schools state wind band, and even went further on to positions in the Schools Spectacular orchestra. Now I have been asked to develop students further from a grass roots level in the primary school, something that every music tutor should be keen to work with. No sarcasm whatsoever.
What to expect in 2010
- More updates, personal thoughts, and helpful hints to be provided through this blog.
- Invitations to regional band camps around NSW as part of the state band program.
- The clarinet choir from the Clarence Valley Conservatorium has been invited to be the representative ensemble in Sydney at a convention for the NSW regional conservatoriums. It is yet to be confirmed, but this ensemble may receive a name of its own.
- A trip to New Zealand with the Newcastle Conservatorium Wind Orchestra for the Aurora Music Festival. Emelia and I are both looking forward to the trip.
- More compositions to be completed. In progress currently are a clarinet work, double concertino for alto and bari sax, and the most challenging work yet (for me to compose) for soprano, clarinet, and vibraphone exploring the matter of sound and how it is, and can be, manipulated.
- Commencement on an L.Mus program for 2011.
- To further develop my students as musicians, and for them to branch out further for musical, teaching, and personal opportunities of their own.
And there will be much more!
Welcome to 2010. A new year, a new decade, a new opportunity.
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